Kushiyaki Skewer Party
with Steak, Pork Meatballs, Shishitos, Cuke Salad & Rice
- Soy
- Wheat
- Sesame
- Eggs
Kushiyaki—a Japanese dish of skewered and grilled meat and vegetables—is kind of the ultimate party food, and here, you'll be making two kinds. For one, you'll pair marinated steak with shishito peppers. For the other, you'll layer savory pork meatballs with tomatoes, and more shishitos. Cucumber salad, rice, and a double shot of dippers (stir-fry sauce and katsu mayo) complete the meal!
4 tablespoon
Katsu Sauce
()
3 teaspoon
Rice Wine Vinegar
10 ounce
Bavette Steak
1 unit
Mini Cucumber
4 ounce
Grape Tomatoes
8 unit
Wooden Skewers
2 tablespoon
Sesame Seeds
()
2 tablespoon
Mayonnaise
()
10 ounce
Ground Pork
¼ cup
Panko Breadcrumbs
()
2 unit
Scallions
¾ cup
Jasmine Rice
8 ounce
Shishito Peppers
9 ounce
Stir-Fry Sauce
()
¼ teaspoon (tsp)
Sugar
2 teaspoon (tsp)
Salt
1 teaspoon (tsp)
Cooking Oil
teaspoon (tsp)
Black Pepper
Preheat a well-oiled grill to medium heat. (TIP: If using a grill pan, you'll heat it in Step 4.) Wash and dry produce.
Pat steak* dry with paper towels; dice into 1-inch pieces. In a medium bowl, combine steak, one packet of stir-fry sauce, and a pinch of pepper. Stir to coat; set aside.
Place skewers in a shallow dish and cover with water to soak (this helps prevent the skewers from burning!).
Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens; mince whites.
In a large bowl, combine panko, 1 TBSP stir-fry sauce (save the rest for serving), and 1 tsp water until a paste forms (use 2 TBSP stir-fry sauce and 2 tsp water for 4 servings).
Add pork*, sesame seeds, scallion whites, salt (we used ½ tsp; 1 tsp for 4), and pepper. Gently mix until combined. Form into 12 1-inch meatballs (24 meatballs for 4). Set aside.
In a small pot, combine rice, 1¼ cups water (2¼ cups for 4 servings), and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a low simmer. Cook until rice is tender, 15-18 minutes.
Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.
Thread marinated steak and about half the shishito peppers onto skewers, alternating between one piece of steak and two peppers (we used four skewers; eight for 4 servings). Transfer to one side of a baking sheet. Discard any remaining marinade.
Thread meatballs, tomatoes, and remaining shishito peppers onto skewers, alternating between meatballs, tomatoes, and shishitos, and tightly pressing meatballs around skewers to adhere (we used four skewers, eight for 4). (TIP: You may have some leftover shishitos! Feel free to add them to the ends of any of your assembled skewers or save for another use.) Transfer to empty side of baking sheet. (If using a grill pan, add a drizzle of oil and heat over medium heat now.)
Add skewers to hot grill (or grill pan). Close lid and grill until steak and meatballs are browned and cooked through and veggies are tender and lightly charred, 4-5 minutes per side. (Work in batches if needed.) TIP: If using a grill pan, use a baking sheet or large metal bowl to create a lid; be sure to use an oven mitt or tongs to remove the hot lid.
Transfer skewers to a large serving board or platter; tent with foil to keep warm.
While skewers cook, trim and thinly slice cucumber into rounds. In a small bowl, combine cucumber, scallion greens, 1 TBSP vinegar (be sure to measure—we sent more!), 1 tsp water, ¼ tsp sugar, and a pinch of salt and pepper (2 TBSP vinegar, 2 tsp water, and ½ tsp sugar for 4 servings). Stir to combine.
In a separate small bowl, combine katsu sauce and mayonnaise.
Fluff rice with a fork. Taste and season with salt if desired.
Serve skewers, rice, and cuke salad family style with katsu mayo and remaining stir-fry sauce on the side for dipping.
- Flavor: Many loved the delicious flavors, especially the marinade and meatballs. Some found it bland; consider adding extra seasoning to taste.
- Ease of prep: Prep takes time and can be tricky. Consider making smaller meatballs and cubes for easier skewering and grilling.
- Suggestions: Try substituting some peppers with red onion for variety. Grill meat and veggies on separate skewers for better control.
- Portions: Generous servings; some found it enough for two meals. Great for entertaining or as party food 🎉.
- Cooking method: Works well on outdoor grill or indoor grill pan. For oven cooking, try broiling for similar results.
This was fun to cook! Took some time, but I figured it would. The Shishito peppers were excellent! The tomatoes didn't hold up well while grilling. They were ready before the meatballs were done and several fell through the grill grates. Next time I would substitute onion pieces for the tomatoes and serve the tomatoes separately. I might also consider separating the meat from the vegetables on different skewers. I know it's not as colorful that way, but it would be easier to control the grilling time for each item.
This was excellent and a great party food. We sat around the kitchen island with a cheese and charcuterie board, drinks and this recipe. Fabulous flavors. Easy to cook although it does take some time. Can be made inside on a grill pan but not quite as good as outside grilling.
This was delicious we did it on the grill! Meatballs were so good, I did cut the cubes and meatballs smaller then expected and just ended up making more skewers with plenty of tomatoes and peppers.
OMG this was outstanding and it was enough for two meals for the two of us! Absolutely DELICIOUS!!
Loved the marinade and meatballs. Would have preferred replacing half of the peppers with a red onion or 2. There were far too many!
Yum. Does a grill in America mean bbq? In Aus it means to put it under the "broiler" so that's what I did. Still turned out great.
The meatballs were awkward to cook on a skewer and the flavor of them was bland compared to the steak and vegetables.
This meal, like the chicken schnitzel, was also a bit much--I almost didn't make the meatballs, and left out the shishitos cause I don't like peppers (I used red onion instead). I had a little trouble cooking them as well--the first batch of skewers got a bit burned. It made pretty good leftovers, though, so not a failure after all.
Didn't have a grill so wished there was oven instructions but figured it out
The pork balls were impossible to keep on the skewer and in one piece. Made it work, but very favorable. Just not the easiest to cook.
