Al Pastor Kebab Salad Bowl
Kebabs have their origins in Middle Eastern cuisine, where they are considered a quick street food. They are often cooked on skewers, but there are some kebab dishes that are not! It’s all about the grilling. If it’s grilled, it can be part of a kebab dish.
Double skewer your kebabs so the pieces of meat, fruit, and vegetables don’t spin around on the stick. Speaking of the skewers- if you are using wooden ones, be sure to let them soak so they don’t burn on the grill. Overnight is ideal, but a minimum of 30 minutes will do if you forgot to do it overnight. The longer they soak, the better. Metal skewers don’t need to be soaked and are better for the environment, so if you’re looking at your carbon footprint closely, you could use those instead. Opposite of the skewers, you should not let the meat sit in the marinade for too long. This will cause the meat to get soft and mealy in a process called “seviche” or “ceviche” where acids are used to break down the proteins in the meat. This is actually a technique used in cooking seafood, particularly scallops, but it does affect meat similarly, so you should keep an eye on that while it marinates.
The finished bowls are full of flavor and are the right amount of filling, but you could easily just eat the kebabs if you want something lighter or you’re just cooking up a snack. Our taste testers were varied, and some preferred the kebabs without the bowl while others liked the idea of packing all that flavor into a bowl full of other goodies. It all depends on personal preference. Either way, the kebabs were gone pretty quickly!
- 1 Lb. Pork Tenderloin, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 Pineapple, cut into 1 inch chunks
- 1 Red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 Green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 Large red onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 Cups cooked white rice
- 2 Cups Pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 Roma tomatoes, sliced thin
- 1-2 Heads Leaf lettuce
- 16 wooden skewers, soaked overnight (we like to use 2 skewers per kebab)
- ¼ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar, for Marinade
- ½ Cup Orange or Pineapple Juice, for Marinade
- ½ Cup Lime Juice, for Marinade
- ⅓ Cup Al Pastor Taco Seasoning, for Marinade
- Pineapple Cilantro Dressing
- In a food processor, combine all marinade ingredients and process until smooth. Pour into a bowl or pan and add pork, cover and marinate for at least an hour. Prep vegetables and rice in the mean time.
- Preheat your grill to medium-high. Assemble kebabs. Start with pork, then pineapple, red onion, bell peppers and repeat. Place kebabs on grill and cook for 4-5 minutes per side, or longer if necessary.
- Assemble salads. Divide the lettuce, rice, beans, and tomatoes evenly on plates or bowls. Remove kebabs from grill and let cool for a minute. Each plate gets 2 kebabs.
- Serve with Pineapple Cilantro Dressing.
