BBQ My Way: Spicy Thai chicken kabobs

Published 6:04 pm Saturday, August 13, 2011

When you (or your better half) are needing a little sophistication in your grilling options, this is the perfect recipe to try.

And if you are like me, your family occasionally wants something other than a grilled steak, burger or traditional barbecue dish. The good news is that this kabob recipe is not only delicious, but easy if you stick to some simple grilling techniques.

The dish is rich, spicy, sweet and crunchy, offering great taste and texture. And while you may be a bit surprised that one of the main ingredients is creamy peanut butter, you will absolutely love the end result. But, let’s first cover some important kabob grilling principals.

Have you ever walked by the meat department in your grocery store and noticed those really pretty kabobs in the glass case? Meat, vegetable, vegetable, meat, vegetable, then meat. In other words, the skewer has both veggies and meat, on the same skewer! What’s wrong with this picture? It’s pretty simple really.

Proteins cook at a different pace then veggies. You are either going to have overdone veggies barely hanging on for dear life while making sure your chicken is done, or even worse, undercooked chicken when the veggies are done.

The solution is simple. Grill the protein, in this case the chicken, on one

set of skewers and the veggies and fruit on another set of skewers. Problem solved.

You can view an instructional video I made for this recipe at http://www.bbq-my-way.com/grilledchicken-recipe.html.

Either approach will get you to the kabob promised land. Here we go.

Purchase four boneless and skinless chicken breasts and cut each breast into four pieces lengthwise. In the meantime, soak bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes to prevent them from burning.

Now for the sauce spicy Thai sauce…

• 1/2 cup of smooth peanut butter

• 1/2 cup of soy sauce

• 1/4 cup of rice vinegar

• 1/3 cup of sugar

• Hot sauce to your personal taste

• 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder

Combine peanut butter, soy sauce and vinegar over medium heat. Stir until peanut butter dissolved.

Then add remaining ingredients. Stir over medium heat until smooth and slightly thick. Set aside.

Cut red peppers, green peppers and pineapples into bite sized pieces. Assemble on skewers.

Assemble chicken on skewers per the directions in the video.

Grill all skewers over direct heat and baste with sauce. Bring remaining peanut butter sauce to a boil (kills all bacteria) and add 1/3 cup of chicken broth.

Place grilled chicken, peppers and pineapple over a bed of rice. Pour peanut butter / chicken broth sauce over the dish. Garnish with peanuts and parsley.

If you are serving beer, consider an IPA to match up with the spiciness. If wine is being offered, couple with a Riesling or a crisp Pinot Gris. A sparkling wine would work well too.

* Dave Lobeck is a barbecue chef from Sellersburg, Ind., who writes a column for CNHI News Service. Visit his website at www.BBQMyWay.com.