Fire up for beef souvlaki
Summer is whiling away, and all too soon, the kids will be going back to school, your garden will turn to seed and we’ll be headed to the backyard to rake leaves instead of to the beach to swim and sun.
Which is not to say that we’re even close to covering up our grills for the season. The balmy nights this month call out for cooking out. We say, don’t limit yourself to burgers or chicken. It’s time to step it up a notch with steak such as this one marinated in a garlicky mix of balsamic vinegar and olive oil and then grilled on skewers.
GRILLED BEEF SOUVLAKI PG tested For tzatziki sauce
2 cups plain Greek yogurt ½ seedless cucumber, diced
1 small clove garlic, diced Olive oil
Fresh dill, chopped Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For beef marinade
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
¼ cup olive oil ½ tablespoon dried oregano
1 garlic clove, minced ½ tablespoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon black pepper
For meat and vegetables
2 pounds top sirloin steak 10 mini red, orange and yellow bell peppers
1 large Vidalia onion
½ cup Italian dressing
For toppings
1 cucumber, diced
1 large tomato, diced ½ red onion, diced ½ tablespoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon pepper
8 pita breads Crumbled feta, optional Make tzatziki sauce: Place yogurt, cucumber and garlic in
a large bowl, and mix to combine. Add a glug or two of olive oil, and fold in as much chopped dill as you like. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and refrigerate.
Make marinade: Combine all ingredients in a large resealable bag.
Trim excess fat off steak, then cut into 1- inch cubes. Place cubes in bag with marinade and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Trim and cube bell peppers and onion. Place vegetables in large resealable bag with Italian dressing. Seal bag, toss to coat and place in refrigerator.
When ready to cook, prepare grill for high, direct heat.
Combine all ingredients for toppings in a bowl, except pita and feta, and let them sit until ready to serve.
Drain marinated vegetables and discard marinade. Grill on a pan, for 5 to 7 minutes, or until they soften. Transfer to pan and let rest.
Drain marinated beef, and discard marinade. Thread beef onto skewers. Grill kebabs for 8 to 10 minutes. Slide meat off skewers into a bowl, and set aside.
Grill pita bread wraps until just starting to crisp, about 1 minute.
Serve pita filled with meat, veggies, tzatziki sauce and toppings. If you like, add crumbled feta.
Serves 4. — Adapted from “Operation BBQ” by Stan Hays with Tim O’Keefe ( Page Street, April 2019, $ 30)