Grilled Pork Kebabs with Southeast Asian Marinade

It's grilling season, folks, and I can't be more excited!  Who am I kidding?  It's grilling season year-round here.  I guess I'm just more excited now because I know more of you can share in this enjoyment with me!  😉

Using the grill means fewer nights of cooking inside...which ultimately leads to less clean up in the kitchen.  It's more opportunity for Ben and I to tag team with dinner since he's the grill master but I still prep the meal.  And, let's face it, with the hot weather we already have in Mississippi, who wants to be inside with the oven on?

We grilled up these pork kebabs the other night and couldn't have been more pleased with the results.  The southeast Asian flavors were just what we were hoping, with a salty and zesty smack.  I love kebabs because you really don't have to fix up any additional sides, except for some rice to serve with it and then that necessary dessert you have to have with every meal, right? 🙂

If you don't own them already, I highly HIGHLY highly recommend purchasing some reusable metal skewers and dumping those cheap wooden ones.  Up until this point, we were using the wooden skewers until I finally picked some metal ones up at Target.  Really wish I would've done this much sooner!  Not only do you not have to take the additional 30 minutes to soak the over-sized toothpicks, the food slides off much easier on the metal skewers.  You don't have to worry about risking any splinters, either! (Although, I will admit I still stabbed my fingers nearly the same amount of times while threading the meat and veggies.)

And, does anyone else naturally spell kebab "kabob"?  Or, is that just me?  I'm not even sure of the difference, if there is any?  Enlighten me, please.  😉

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Grilled Pork Kebabs with Southeast Asian Marinade

Servings: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

For the pork:

• 1.75 pounds boneless center-cut pork chops , 1 1/4-inches thick (4 to 5 chops), cut into 1 1/4 -inch cubes
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 medium cloves of garlic , minced or pressed
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

For the marinade:

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup lime juice (about 4 limes)
• 2 medium scallions , sliced thin
• 2 Tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
• 3 medium cloves of garlic , minced or pressed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

For the fruit and veggies:

• 1 pineapple , cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 medium red bell pepper , cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium yellow bell pepper , cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 large red onion , peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces (3-layer stacks)
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper , to taste

Instructions

For the pork:

• Start with butterflying the pork by slicing each cube in the center but not cutting through completely. This will allow more surface for the marinade to flavor the meat. In a gallon-sized zipper bag, combine the oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Drop in the pork cubes and seal. Lightly shake the bag to evenly coat the pork with the oil. Allow the pork to fully season in the refrigerator for at least an hour or up until 24 hours.

For the marinade:

• Combine the marinade ingredients in a large mixing bowl, whisking until the sugar is dissolved. Toss in the pork, coating it evenly with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.

For the fruit and veggies:

• Light up your grill (charcoal or gas, whichever your preference). Meanwhile, toss the fruit and veggies with 1 1/2 Tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a large bowl, then season with salt and pepper. Brush the onions with the remaining oil and season with salt and pepper.

Assemble:

• In this order, thread a pineapple chunk, onion stack, cube of meat, yellow pepper, and red pepper onto the skewers. Repeat this order one or two more times per skewer. Brush any remaining oil onto the skewers.

Cook:

• Grill the kebabs, uncovered, turning each kebab one-quarter turn every 2-3 minutes until the meat is well-browned and cooked to medium-rare (about 10 minutes). Transfer the kebabs to a large clean serving platter and splash with fresh lemon and lime juice, if desired. Serve immediately over rice (optional).
• Source: Adapted from The Cook's Illustrated Guide to Grilling and Barbecue

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