Barbecued kabobs/Sarah W. Caron
When you enter the Bethel Farmers Market, there is a little stand to the right with a woman stationed behind a table. There are no fruits or vegetables on the table, just two identical doubled-sided lists. This is no ordinary farm stand: this is the Ox Hollow Farm stand, where they sell a selection of beef, chicken and pork products.
I picked up a pack of their kabob beef this past weekend at the market. At about $7 a pound, the meat costs more than you would pay at the grocery store. That said, it's also of a superior quality. Deeply red, almost purple, beef is frozen is a sealed package. The color is so vibrant and so different from what you'd see in the grocery store that my friend was compelled to ask if I was purchasing liver.
After defrosting the beef, my husband and I opened the vacuum-sealed package to find big chunks of meat, ready to be skewered. The clear package didn't lie: this beef was a vibrant, fresh red color that is seldom seen in grocery store racks.
The thing about kabob beef though is that it's a hard cut of meat -- poor quality meat can be tough, hard to eat and way too chewy. But good quality meat for kabobs is tender, juicy and flavorful. The kabob beef from Ox Hollow Farm falls decidedly into the good-quality category.
The Ox Hollow Farm kabob beef is definitely worth a taste. The flavor is remarkable and it's wonderfully tender for this cut. This totally makes for a great barbecue.
To Cook: Divide one pound of meat into four portions and skewer each. Salt and pepper generously. Cook on a hot grill (set to medium flame) for 6-7 minutes then flip over and cook for an additional 6-7 minutes to desired doneness. Baste with a good barbecue sauce for the last few minutes. For this application, I prefer a spicier barbecue sauce.
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