Shelly's Recipe

SPIEDIES

Category: Sandwiches

Spiedie Sauce
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
6 tbsp lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, grated or crushed through a press
2 tbsp minced fresh mint leaves
2 tbsp minced fresh basil leaves
2 tbsp minced fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Meat & Vegetables
1 lb well-trimmed boneless beef sirloin, cut into 1-inch chunks (to get 36 pieces)
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch chunks (to get 36 pieces)
1 large red onion
2 yellow, orange or red bell peppers, cut into 1-inch squares (to get 36 pieces)

12 slices firm-textured Italian bread (size should match the skewered food)

Make the spiedie sauce: In a screwtop jar, combine the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, mint, basil, parsley, salt and pepper. Let sit for 1 or 2 hours to develop flavors. Measure out 1/3 cup and set aside for serving later.

Prepare the meat: Pour the remaining sauce into a shallow nonaluminum container large enough to hold the meat in a single layer. Add the beef and chicken and toss to coat. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours, turning once or twice if you think of it.

Thirty minutes before you are ready to cook, soak twelve 8-inch wooden skewers in water. and prepare the grill or preheat the broiler. Halve the onion lengthwise. Pull the layers of onion apart and cut into 1-inch squares (you need 36).

Thread each skewer with 3 each of beef cubes, chicken cubes, onion squares and pepper squares, in this order (starting from the bottom of the skewer): chicken, pepper, beef, onion. Grill or broil the skewers 6 inches from the heat for 5 to 6 minutes, turning once or twice, until the chicken is cooked through but still juicy.

To serve, give each person a slice of bread to use as a mitt for pulling the meat and vegetables off the skewer, and in the process making a sandwich. Pass the reserved spiedie sauce for drizzling over the sandwich.