Sriracha Glazed Short Rib Kebabs

If you want a big, beefy taste for not much money, head to Costco and snarf up their boneless short ribs. Day in and day out, they've got them in the meat section for almost always less than $5.00 per pound.

Short ribs are an anomaly in the beef world. It is the only cut of beef that I can think of that can be cooked low and slow for melt-in-your-mouth tenderness....or cooked quickly over a hot bed of coals and ready to chow down on in just minutes.

When I grill short ribs, I like to cut them into 1-inch cubes as it greatly increases the surface area for a really good, all-over char. The sriracha glaze adds a perfect amount of heat and the short time over the fire insures that the meat stays nice and moist. I always cook the kebabs with meat only....adding things like vegetables just means that something will not cook to the correct temperature. This recipe serves four.


Ingredients
1-1/2 pounds boneless beef short ribs, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Vegetable oil spray
1/4 cup minced cilantro


Directions

1. Toss beef and salt together in large bowl and let sit for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk sugar, Sriracha and cornstarch together in bowl. Set aside 1-1/2 tablespoons Sriracha mixture.
2. Add remaining Sriracha mixture to beef and toss to coat. Thread beef onto four 12-inch metal skewers, leaving 1/4-inch between pieces. Spray both sides of meat generously with oil spray.
3. Prepare a grill for direct cooking over high heat.
4. When coals are hot, place skewers directly over coals. Cover grill and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until beef is well charred.
5. Flip skewers, brush with reserved Sriracha mixture. Cover grill and cook for 3 to 4 more minutes. 
6. Transfer to serving platter, tent loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Pairing: If you insist on drinking wine with this dish, I would choose a very fruity Zinfandel. But given the heat of that great Thai hot sauce, Sriracha...I would always reach for an ice cold beer. And why not Thailand's most popular beer...Singha!

Grogs and Goldie, 1956