Overnight Curry Beef Kebabs with Beer Glaze
Tender beef marinated overnight in a beer-curry blend, threaded with charred peppers, tomatoes, and pearl onions, then grilled low and slow with a reduced curry sauce brushed on until caramelized. The beer adds subtle sweetness and depth to the marinade, while the two-day prep means stress-free grilling. Serve these at summer barbecues or weeknight dinners for six to eight people. This version stands apart with its technique of parboiling and skinning peppers for texture contrast and using a reduced sauce glaze rather than thin marinade.
Ingredients
- 4 lb beef chuck or sirloin, trimmed to 1-inch cubes, cubed
- 12 oz beer, measured without head
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 1 medium onion, for marinade, diced
- 4 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 tablespoon ginger, for marinade, minced
- ½ teaspoon garlic, for marinade, minced
- 1 lb round steak, 1-inch cubes
- 5 bell peppers, red and green, halved, cleaned
- 1 ½ lb pearl onions, parboiled and peeledcipollini onions or shallots1:1allium swap
less sweetness
- 1 ½ roma tomatoes, quartered
- 1 cup beer, for sauce
- 1 medium onion, for sauce, pureed
- 1 tablespoon ginger, for sauce, pureed
- ½ teaspoon garlic, for sauce, pureed
Instructions
- 1
Measure beer without head and mix with diced onion, curry powder, minced ginger, minced garlic, and canola oil.
- 2
Pour marinade over beef cubes in sealable container and refrigerate overnight.
- 3
Bring large pot of salted water to rolling boil and cook halved peppers for about 10 minutes until skins begin to loosen.
- 4
Plunge peppers in cold water, drain, and cut each half into 3 pieces. Remove skin from 14 red pepper pieces.
- 5
Dump meat and marinade into colander over saucepan, rinse lightly, remove meat, and pat dry.
- 6
Add pureed onion, pureed garlic, pureed ginger, oil, and curry to drained marinade and bring to boil.
- 7
Boil for 5 minutes, then reduce heat and add beer. Simmer until sauce reduces and coats meat and vegetables.
- 8
Preheat grill to 300 degrees.
- 9
Thread skewers alternating red pepper with skin, pearl onion, beef, tomato quarter, pearl onion, and beef, ending with tomato skin-out.
- 10
Place skewers on grill and turn every 10 minutes, brushing frequently with sauce.
- 11
When meat firms and tomatoes soften and blacken at edges, brush with sauce generously and increase heat to high briefly to finish caramelizing.
- 12
Remove from grill and serve.
Tips
Remove skin from red pepper pieces after parboiling and cooling to create textural contrast and prevent burning on the grill.
Brush sauce frequently while grilling and finish with high heat briefly to achieve a caramelized glaze that clings to meat and vegetables.
End each skewer with tomato skin-out and start with pepper to stabilize the load during turning and prevent pieces from sliding off.
Good to Know
Cooked kebabs keep covered in refrigerator up to 4 days. Reheated on grill or in oven at 325F.
Assemble marinade day 1 evening. Prepare vegetable pieces morning of day 2. Make sauce glaze up to 2 hours ahead and reheat gently before grilling.
Serve immediately after grilling with rice, flatbread, or summer salad. Pairs with lager or pale ale.
Common Mistakes
Do not skip parboiling peppers to avoid burning skins before meat cooks through.
Do not apply sauce until final 10 minutes of cooking to avoid charring sugar too early.
Do not assemble skewers more than 1 hour before grilling to avoid vegetables releasing liquid and sliding.
Substitutions
Vegan Options
General Alternatives
less sweetness
FAQ
Can I prep vegetables the day before?
Yes. Parboil, peel, and cut peppers and onions the morning of grilling day. Store in airtight containers up to 24 hours. Tomatoes are best cut just before assembly to prevent excess moisture.
What if I don't have a grill?
Broil skewers 4-6 inches from heat for 12-15 minutes, turning every 3-4 minutes and brushing sauce frequently. Cook time will be slightly shorter than grilling.
How long does the sauce reduce?
Typically 8-12 minutes on medium-low heat depending on pot surface area and initial volume. Sauce should coat the back of a spoon and drip slowly. Do not over-reduce or it will burn.