Malaysian Beef Kabobs with Scallion Sesame Sauce

This recipe is adapted for kosher cooking from the July 2012 Bon Appetit magazine.  It was the star of our July 4th BBQ!  The combination of coconut milk, ginger, garlic and chiles provided a mellow heat and deep flavor.  The cubes of fat basted the meat while they grilled, keeping them moist and flavorful.  And the basting sauce was great for dipping bread as well!

Meat and Marinade

2 pounds Beef Cubes for Kabobs
1 pound Beef Fat, cut into 1″ cubes
1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 cup soy sauce or Braggs
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
6 garlic cloves
2 jalepenos
2 lemongrass stalks, bottom third only, tough outer layers removed
1 1 1/2″ piece ginger, peeled

1. Puree all ingredients (except meat and fat).  Add meat cubes and fat cubes, marinate in a zip lock back in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Soak wooden skewers for 1hr in cold water.
3. Remove the meat from marinade and brush off excess. Thread meat onto skewers, alternating with a piece of fat in between the meat.  Pieces should be close but not squished.
4. Save extra marinade to add to basting sauce (recipe below)
5. Let come to room temperature before grilling.

Basting Sauce
1/2 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 garlic cloves, crushed

1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan.  Add any extra pieces of fat and leftover marinade.  Heat slowly until the fat melts slightly.  Keep warm.
2. Heat grill to high, or build a hot charcoal fire in your charcoal grill.
3. Grill skewers, turning once and brush with basting sauce, over high heat until lightly charred and cooked through, about 2-3 minutes per side to get the char, then move to edges of grill to continue cooking to desired doneness (could be 5-7 minutes or more).
4. Serve with Scallion Dipping Sauce (recipe below)

Scallion Dipping Sauce
15 scallions, very thinly sliced
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Combine all ingredients.