This Grilled Sesame Sirloin Kabobs with Sticky Sauce recipe wears a lot of hats. It uses very few ingredients (obvious bonus)”¦It can be started a couple hours before dinner, making it quick to get dinner on the table when everyone is hungry”¦It uses a more economical cut of beef (sirloin)”¦It uses whole, fresh ingredients that add sweet and salty deliciousness to the meat”¦And, these kid-friendly kabobs cook in just 2 to 3 minutes on the grill. What more could you ask for in a family-friendly weeknight recipe?
As I sit here thinking about these Grilled Sesame Sirloin Kabobs, the one thing that keeps popping into my mind is how I can’t think of anyone who doesn’t love eating food off a stick. It’s just fun to do, and for those of you who have trouble getting your little ones to eat meat, serving it on a stick may be the ticket to getting it in their bellies. No guarantee, of course, but serving it up in a different way than they are used to is definitely worth a try.
My kids go crazy over meat kabobs, which makes it a good way for me to introduce new flavors to them. Fortunately for me, I’ve never had to force my kids to eat meat (not that I would ever force it ““ “strongly encourage” would be the better term), but when it comes to trying new flavors, I sometimes have to use a little finesse to get it done. Putting the meat on skewers helps my cause.
Of course, for really young kids, you have to be careful about letting them eat off of skewers because skewers often have one sharp end. One thing you can do is to use sharp scissors to snip off the sharp pointed end before giving the skewer to your little ones.
About the beef itself”¦I love sesame and ginger, and when you put the two together, it’s a match made in Heaven for sure! Fresh ginger has this cool ability to naturally tenderize meat, which is why it works so well in marinades. The only thing to keep in mind is to not marinate the meat for too long or the texture can get too soft.
The Sticky Sauce is so incredibly easy. You simply take the marinade that’s left after putting the meat strips on skewers, combine it with a little honey, and bring it to boiling to make sure it’s safe to eat (since the marinade was touching raw meat, in case you were wondering). It’s sweet, savory, a little spicy, and sticks to the meat easily when drizzled on top.
I hope you enjoy these Grilled Sesame Sirloin Kabobs with Sticky Sauce as much as we do!
How-To Photos:
Ingredients you’ll need. If you can’t find black sesame seeds, use all white sesame seeds.
Beef strips tossed with the marinade.
Skewer the beef accordion style so it cooks more evenly.
Grill the beef kabobs 2 to 3 minutes, turning once.
Drizzle the kabobs with the Sticky Sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onion tops.
- 1 ¼ to 1 ½ pounds boneless beef top sirloin steak, cut about 1-inch thick*
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil or olive oil
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons honey
- White sesame seeds, toasted
- Black sesame seeds
- Thinly sliced green onion tops
- Trim fat from beef; discard. Cut beef in very thin slices. Place beef in a medium bowl. In a small bowl stir together vinegar, oil, ginger, garlic, salt, and cayenne pepper. Pour over beef in bowl; stir gently to coat. Cover; marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours, stirring once or twice (do not marinate longer).
- Thread beef strips, accordion style, onto 12 to 16, 10- to 12-inch long skewers** (the number of skewers needed will depend on how thin the meat slices are). Save the leftover marinade in the bowl (there should be about 2 tablespoons).
- For Sticky Sauce, in a small saucepan combine the leftover marinade and the honey. Bring to boiling over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; set aside.
- To grill kabobs, for a charcoal or gas grill, place kabobs on the grill rack directly over medium coals or heat. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes or until meat is browned and just slightly pink in the centers, turning once halfway through grilling. Transfer kabobs to a serving platter.
- Drizzle Sticky Sauce over kabobs. Sprinkle with white and black sesame seeds and green onion tops.
- *For easier slicing, freeze the beef 1 to 2 hours or until firm but not completely frozen.
- **If using wooden skewers, soak skewers in enough water to cover for at least 30 minutes before using.
- By the way, this recipe also works great as a traditional stir-fry on the stove top. Instead of threading the meat on skewers, use a slotted spoon or tongs to transfer the meat to a large skillet (reserve the leftover marinade). Cook over medium-high heat for 3 to 5 minutes or until meat is just slightly pink in the center, stirring frequently. Make the sticky sauce as directed above.
- 4 to 6 servings
- 321 cals, 32 g pro, 10 g carb, 17 g fat, 85 mg cholesterol, 4 g sat fat, 0 g fiber, 374 mg sodium
