Run out of time? Looking for something to BBQ or grill at the very last minute that doesn’t require a lot of esoteric ingredients? Don’t want too much prep, but still want something super yummy and a bit special? I have you covered!

Try these Bourbon Marinated Steak-Kabobs. Yes, you can marinate whole steaks if you want, but I like these kabobs. One tasty bite, and oooh… I think I’ll have another! Mmm, and another…

If you don’t have any bamboo skewers on hand, don’t worry about it. Either grill the steaks whole, or cut the steaks into large pieces that won’t fall into the hot coals—watch very carefully while grilling! Their loss would be a true tragedy!

I discovered this recipe a few years back in an older issue of the Fine Cooking Magazine. I reduced the brown sugar a bit, and changed the amount and brand of hot sauce. The original recipe suggested boiling the used marinade to double as a steak sauce—I had completely forgotten about that, and have never tried it. I’ve added the directions to the recipe, though, in case you’d like to try it 🙂

The fastest side dishes would be corn-on-the-cob, salad, or rice.

We grilled up a bunch of seasonal veggies and made some Herby Flatbread, but that took a bit more effort and forethought—go for it if you have the time. If not, steak-kabobs and any simple side will absolutely do the trick!

Bourbon Marinated Steak

INGREDIENTS

• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup bourbon
• ¼ cup (50 grams) dark brown sugar—okay to substitute light brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1-2 Tablespoons Valentina Hot Sauce—the original recipe specified 1 teaspoon of Tabasco. Use what you prefer or have on hand, and as much or little as you prefer
• 1½-2 lbs. steak—we used New York strip

DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare the grill.
2. Soak the bamboo skewers in hot water.
3. Cut steaks into chunks—the size of the chunks is at your discretion—I usually cut into 2-3″ bite-sized squares OR you could leave the steaks whole.
4. Combine soy sauce, bourbon, brown sugar, mustard and hot sauce in a bowl or a large Ziploc bag, and whisk or stir to combine.
5. Add the steak cubes to the bowl or bag, and stir to combine, then cover, or massage in the Ziploc.
6. Set aside for 15-20 minutes at room temperature.
   • Note: I have marinated the steak for up to four hours in advance with no adverse effects, and maybe, just maybe, they were a bit tastier…?
7. When the grill is ready, remove the steak from the marinade, but do not pat dry—if you want to make the steak sauce, do not discard the marinade
8. Drain the bamboo skewers, and load them up with steak cubes—I like my kabobs to cook fast, so I just put two or three pieces on each skewer.
9. Place skewers on hot grill, and grill about 2-3 minutes on each side—this totally depends on the size of your steak cubes, the heat emanating from your coals, and whether you prefer medium-rare or medium-well steak. Go with your gut, and it’s okay to test a piece while grilling! If grilling whole steak, probably grill for 4-6 minutes on each side.
   • STEAK SAUCE: Pour used marinade, or make up a fresh batch, into a small saucepan and boil over medium high heat until syrupy, about 3 minutes.
   • Serve warm, as a drizzle over the grilled steaks.

Have a great BBQ! Thanks for stopping by my grill today!