Tony Zentgraf
Skewered Street Food Around The World
Kushiyaki – Japanese Beef Skewers are marinated with some sweet umami flavors. Slice up some flank steak or skirt steak across the grain and whip up the marinade. Assembling the marinade recipe is easy, then marinate the beef for a few hours.
Fire up the charcoal while you wait for the grill, skewer the beef. Skewer about 5-6 pieces on each skewer this will make them easier to eat and give room to handle. Grill over a high heat to give the meat a quick sear because the beef is sliced it will cook quick. That’s how easy this is to make. Bring the marinade to a boil, then thicken with cornstarch slurry and you have a great sauce to add to the beef and rice.
Kushiyaki vs Yakitori
Kushiyaki refers to any grilled meat or vegetables on a skewer but yakitori has a very specific meaning, grilled bird on a skewer.
There are different variations of meat on a skewer in Japan many have different meat skewers have their own specific name. Just remember Kushiyaki is the overarching term for any and all grille item on a skewer.
- All versions of Kushiyaki should be served with shio or tare.
- Shio means salt.
- Tare is a reduced and sweetened version of soy sauce.
Depending on what restaurant you are dining at in Japan, there may be a wide variety of Kushiyaki and Yakitori on the menu.
Not Wasting Any Part
The origins of Yakitori date back over 1300 years. Chicken was actually not the meat first used because of religious reasons. Off cuts of meat and game fowl were the first meats to be used for Yakitori. This is mainly because they were the affordable cuts of meat. Chickens were expensive at that time before they were raised for production. Therefore, yakitori was often viewed as a rich man’s food.
If You Can’t Stand the Heat…
Binchotan is a special charcoal for grilling Kushiyaki because the charcoal burns at close to 1000° yet has minimal flames. Although the heat is mainly from the embers of the charcoal, you will not find as much smoke. On a Bincho grill the coals are not that far from grill grate thus allowing the meat to quickly sear in the flavors.
Locking in Flavor
If you don’t have a Bincho Grill no worries, search out some good quality charcoal that produces high heat or move your grill grate closer to the heat if you can. The reason being, higher temperature gives the marinated meat a good sear to lock in the juicy flavors in the meat.
Jealous Devil Charcoal is a great brand of lump charcoal that produces a consistently high heat. Plus, they make a Bintochan style too!
Maybe I should give Bintochan charcoal a try in the Kamado Joe Jr., it may produce an amazing grilling result.
Enjoy this popular skewered meat as many do in Japan!
Kushiyaki – Japanese Beef Skewers
Print RecipeEquipment
- 12 Pre Soaked Skewers
Recipe Multiplier
- 2 lbs Skirt Steak or Flank Steak
- ½ cup Soy Sauce
- ¼ cup Sake
- ⅓ cup Brown Sugar
- 1 tbsp Ginger grated
- 3 ea Garlic Cloves grated
- 2 tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1 tbsp Chili Oil
- 2 ea Green Onions chopped
Instructions
Preparing the Steak
- Trim any unwanted fat from the steak.
- Cut the steak in to 1" wide by 2" long pieces (diced or sliced) Reserve until marinade is prepared.
Preparing the Marinade
- In a bowl, combine the brown sugar, soy sauce, sake and mix to combine and dissolve the sugar.
- Add the ginger, garlic, scallions, oils and sesame seeds. Mix to combine.
- Marinate the beef for 1-4 hours.
Grilling the Kushiyaki
- Skewer the beef onto the skewers. Placing 5-6 pieces on a 10" skewer.
- Preheat the grill. Charcoal is best for Kushiyaki but gas will work as well.
- Grill the beef basting between turns.
- Once the beef is cooked to your liking, remove from the grill and serve with brown or white rice. Enjoy!
