beef & bread kebabs

We've decided Apples for Jam might be the perfect family cookbook for us.  Recently I made the beef & bread kebabs, and Bob was especially happy that "no valuable skewer space was wasted with vegetables." :)

They were yummy.  I grilled them on the George Foreman (at 425 for 4 minutes -- I could fit 3 kabobs on at once) rather than outside, but will try real fire next time to get that nice crispy outside, although the GF worked pretty well.   I also like to use a Ziploc bag for marinating stuff because you can kind of just give the bag a big squish every now and again to get everything covered.

Here is the recipe:

1 1/4 pounds beef tenderloin slices
2 to 3 thyme sprigs
2 rosemary sprigs
2 cloves garlic, peeled & squashed a bit
1/2 cup olive oil
salt
about 4 slices (1/2 inch thick) day-old white bread
lemon wedges, to serve
olive oil, to serve

Trim away any fat from the beef and cut it into 1/2-inch cubes.  Put them in a bowl with the thyme, rosemary, garlic, and olive oil, and add a small scattering of salt.  Turn everything to coat the beef well, cover the bowl, and leave it in the fridge or a cool place for a few hours.  Turn the beef over a few times while it's marinating so that the flavors mingle.  Take out of the fridge 30 minutes or so before cooking.

For the bread, blocks that have some crust attached are needed here, so cut the crusts off the bread by slicing 1/2 inch in.  Keep the bread centers to make fresh bread crumbs or to feed to the ducks.  Cut along the crusts to make 1/2-inch blocks.  Thread the skewers alternately with beef and bread, starting and finishing with a piece of beef.

Preheat the barbecue or grill.  Cook the skewers about 2 inches away from the embers, using the rosemary and thyme sprigs to brush on the marinade and turning the skewers over quite quickly so that the bread doesn't burn.  They must be seared golden on all sides and dark with flavor in some parts.  Sprinkle with a little salt and serve immediately, drizzled with a squeeze of lemon and some olive oil.

Makes 10 skewers.