Grilled Beef Kabobs - Chipotle Citrus Marinated

It was a gorgeous day here today. I dare to say that it was actually cool most of the morning (60s). I decided to take advantage of this gorgeous weather and prepare something for us to grill for dinner. While hubby was out cutting grass this afternoon, I began prepping dinner. I decided to make kabobs (or kebabs as some of us call them). I decided rather than make my usual marinade of lemon, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, etc., to make these a bit different.

When we went to Costco yesterday, I picked up a package of beef that I look at every single week when we go. The only reason I never got it before is because I'm not familiar with that cut. It's called Beef Loin Top Sirloin Cap Steak (sometimes known as Coulotte Steak). It's cut in long narrow pieces, very similar to the boneless beef chuck short ribs I buy at Costco (except these are much more lean). They always look like beautiful pieces of meat...so yesterday, I finally picked up a package. I decided to use these to make my kabobs with. I simply cut each piece into 5 chunks. I used about 2 pounds from the 3+ pound package I bought. While at Costco, we also picked up a bag of limes and a bag of clementines. I thought that I would incorporate both the limes and the clementines into my kabob marinade. I made a Chipotle Citrus Marinade that was a blend of freshly squeezed clementine juice (these were super juicy and ripe), fresh lime juice, both lime and clementine zest, minced garlic, Tamari sauce, chipotle chile powder, avocado oil and a touch of sweetener to bring out the citrus flavor. I whisked it all together and then dumped it into a large Ziploc bag along with the beef chunks, and popped it into the fridge to marinate all afternoon until dinner time, I threaded them on skewers right before grilling. I also cut up some colorful bell peppers and onions to skewer and grill alongside the beef.

While it always looks gorgeous to see the kabobs alternated on the same skewer with meat and colorful veggies, the truth is that the meat and veggies usually cook at different times and sometimes your veggies are overcooked by the time your meat is done and other times if you are grilling something that doesn't take as much time to cook like chicken or shrimp, your veggies don't get cooked enough...so I generally sacrifice beauty for perfectly cooked instead! The marinade was good; the meat was nice and tender with a delicate orange and chipotle flavor. I fixed the guys jasmine rice to go along with their kabobs and I enjoyed mine as is. I would definitely buy this cut of meat again. I am going to try grilling it as steaks later this week. I snapped a few photos below and included the easy peasy recipe, too. Enjoy!

Clementines and limes...sweet and tart

Let the marinating begin...

Fresh off the grill

Grilled Chipotle Citrus Marinated Beef Kabobs

Ingredients:

2 pounds beef sirloin, cut into 1-inch cubes
Zest of 1 lime
Zest of 1 clementine (or other small orange)
Juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
Juice of 2 clementines (about 1/3 cup)
1/2 cup of olive oil or avocado oil
2 to 3 tablespoons organic gluten free Tamari sauce
1 large clove minced garlic
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon ground Chipotle chile powder
Sweetener equivalent to 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar, optional (I used 1 rounded tablespoon Swerve)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a gallon size Ziploc type bag. Marinate in refrigerator for 6 to 8 hours or overnight. Thread on metal skewers or bamboo skewers that have been soaked in water for approximately 30 minutes. Place on hot grill and cook approximately 8 to 10 minutes or to desired doneness, turning periodically to cook all sides evenly. If desired, thread veggies such as bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, etc. on skewers and grill alongside meat.