Grilling Recipes from Chef Devin Alexander

Riley Hallead

3. Japanese grill

What should be served:

• Yakitori beef skewers (see recipe)
• Grilled shishito peppers or grilled vegetable skewers
• Steamed brown rice
• Chili Garlic Sauce (if you’re like me and love adding a kick to your Asian dishes)

Yakitori beef skewers

The literal translation of yakitori is “grilled bird,” so you’ll often see this Japanese dish made from different parts of chicken (thighs, breast, liver, and even skin), although many Japanese-American versions of yakitori have other types of . I like to use ground beef – shaped into little meatballs that you skewer – because it’s that simple (no trimming required) and I can mix the beef mixture ahead of time and grill the skewers when I’m ready to serve you.

If you can find 6 inch skewers I would recommend using them as they look more like authentic Japanese skewers that are served in many Americanized Japanese restaurants. If not, they’ll be just as delicious on skewers of all sizes!

ingredients

• 1 pound of 96% lean ground beef, preferably grass-fed
• 1 teaspoon of fresh minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon of fresh chopped ginger
• 2 teaspoons of finely chopped green onion
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of all-natural, low-sodium soy sauce
• Sea salt to taste
• Natural Japanese dressing sweetened with agave or honey (make sure it’s relatively low in fat, low in calories and low in sodium; I used Follow Your Heart’s Organic Creamy Miso Ginger Dressing), optional *

preparation

Soak 8 wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat a grill to high heat.

Put the beef, garlic, ginger, green onion, and soy sauce in a medium bowl. Mix well to combine. With salt.

Divide the mixture into 8 equal servings. Take a serving of beef and skewer it by flattening the meat so it is about 1-1 / 2 inches wide and covers about 5 inches of length of the skewer. Put the finished skewer on a plate. Repeat with the remaining meat mixture and the skewers. Place the plate in the freezer and let the skewers rest for about 10 minutes.

Grill the skewers for 2-3 minutes per side or until the meat is done and is no longer pink. Divide the yakitori on 4 plates and serve with the dressing for dipping if you like. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings. Each serving (2 skewers) contains 135 calories, 23 g protein, <1 g carbohydrates (trace sugar), 5 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 60 mg cholesterol, trace elements, 196 mg sodium

* Be careful not to overdo the dressing or dipping. Each tablespoon of my recommended dressing adds 40 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, and 120 mg of sodium, and doesn’t add any protein or fiber.

Reprinted from: The Biggest Loser Flavors of the World Cookbook by Devin Alexander (c) 2011 by Universal Studios Licensing LLLP. The Biggest Loser (TM) and NBC Studios Inc. and Reveille LLC. Approved by Rodale, Inc. www.devinalexander.com