How to Cook With Bamboo Skewers
Bamboo skewers are thin, pointed sticks used to grill kabobs of meat, vegetables and seafood, or a variety of ethnic foods such as satay. Depending on your preferences, you can use round or flat skewers as short as 6 inches or as long as 12 inches. Some bamboo skewers have a twisted or knotted end that makes handling easier. Bamboo skewers are inexpensive and disposable, making the skewers especially useful when grilling food for a large number of people. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Bowl or tray
- Resealable plastic bag
- Marinade
- Meat, vegetables or seafood
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Oil or lemon juice
- Tongs
- Plate or platter
Instructions
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1
Immerse bamboo skewers in a bowl or tray of water, then soak the skewers for at least 30 minutes. Soaking the bamboo skewers will keep the skewers from burning on the grill.
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2
Prepare foods for your skewers. Cut meat and vegetables into uniform, bite-sized chunks, then place the meat chunks in a resealable plastic bag. Add a marinade such as teriyaki or barbecue sauce and marinate the meat chunks in the refrigerator for about an hour, or as directed on your recipe. Wash vegetables, then cut the vegetables into bite-size chunks.
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3
Thread the food on the soaked bamboo skewers alternating chunks of meat and vegetables. Don't place quick-cooking vegetables such as mushrooms or cherry tomatoes on the same skewer with large pieces of meat. Place similar foods on each skewer, or precook meat before grilling so the meat and vegetables will finish cooking at the same time. Leave a small space between each chunk of food to allow for even cooking.
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4
Preheat your barbecue or grill to medium or medium-low heat. Place the filled barbecue skewers on the grill.
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5
Sprinkle water, oil or lemon juice over the skewers to keep the meat and vegetables moist. Turn the bamboo skewers often so the food cooks evenly.
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6
Remove the bamboo skewers from the grill with tongs, then place the skewered food on a plate or platter. Serve immediately.
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References
- Photo Credit Vegetables on skewer image by Andrey Kulygin from Fotolia.com
