Today I’m sharing a simple, flavorful lean beef recipe adapted from the “Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner” site, plus details about a $100 Visa gift card giveaway. The Beef site is a useful resource: enter the cut of beef you want to cook and it returns several recipes, many with review ratings. You can register to access the community features for nutritional information, meal planning, grocery lists, and cooking tips. It’s a solid reference for cooking beef. I tried one of their top sirloin kabob recipes and left a review after making a few adjustments.
The kabobs were quicker and easier than I expected and everyone enjoyed them. I wasn’t as taken with the orzo—either it needed more seasoning or I just prefer other pastas—but the beef was tender and flavorful even with a short marinating time. I used Cardini’s Italian dressing for the marinade because it had a thicker, less clear appearance that appealed to me. Total marinating time was about 25 minutes; despite the short time the flavor came through nicely. My father, who rarely uses salt, praised the tenderness, which I took as a win. For best results, I recommend increasing the amount of Italian dressing and garlic in the marinade and adding a bit more garlic and extra Parmesan to the orzo. You can swap in other vegetables such as zucchini or mushrooms on the skewers. This is likely to become a go-to kabob recipe when you want a quick, fuss-free barbecue dish.
PS: Read to the bottom of the post for details about the $100 Visa gift card giveaway.
Sizzling Sirloin Kabobs on a Bed of Orzo
Total recipe time: 30 minutes • Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
1. 1 pound boneless beef top sirloin steak, cut 1 inch thick
2. 2 red or yellow bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
3. 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil
4. 1 tablespoon prepared Italian dressing (increase to taste)
5. 2 large cloves garlic, minced (add more if desired)
Parmesan Orzo:
1. 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta, cooked according to package directions
2. 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or parsley
3. 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese (add more to taste)
4. 2 teaspoons olive oil
Instructions
1. Soak eight 8-inch bamboo skewers in water for 10 minutes to prevent burning.
2. Cut the sirloin into 1-1/4-inch pieces. In a large bowl, combine the beef and bell peppers with basil, Italian dressing, and garlic. Toss to coat, then thread the beef and peppers alternately onto the skewers.
3. Prepare the orzo and toss with chopped basil or parsley, Parmesan, and olive oil; keep warm.
4. Grill the kabobs over medium, ash-covered coals for about 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until desired doneness (about 145°F for medium-rare to 160°F for medium). Serve the kabobs over the orzo and enjoy.
Giveaway entry requirement: To enter the $100 Visa gift card and swag giveaway, you must complete the brief “Lean Cut Personality Match” survey. The survey identifies which lean beef cut fits your lifestyle. After taking the survey, return here and leave a comment with the lean cut the survey recommended and whether you agree with the result.
Ways to earn additional entries (leave a separate comment for each):
1) Follow @SavorySweetLife on Twitter and tweet about the giveaway. After tweeting, leave a comment here with your Twitter handle.
2) Become a Facebook fan of Savory Sweet Life. If you’re already a fan, leave a comment and share your favorite beef recipe.
3) Become a Facebook fan of “Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner” and then leave a comment here letting me know.
Contest details and status were posted with the original giveaway; the winner announcement and related updates are handled by the sponsoring organizations. Congratulations to past winners and thanks to everyone who participated.
Disclosure: The Beef Association provided the swag bag for the giveaway. Savory Sweet Life also received a gift card to help offset grocery and shipping costs related to the recipe series and prize fulfillment.