Meat & PoultryDifficulty: easy

Espetada à Madeira (Beef Skewers with Bay Leaf)

Name: Espetada à Madeira (Beef Skewers with Bay Leaf)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 32 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 800 g beef cubed (alcatra or vazia), 3 cm cubes; 8 dried bay laurel branches stripped into skewers (or metal skewers + 10 dried bay leaves); 6 garlic cloves, crushed; 80 g butter; 50 ml olive oil; 1 tbsp coarse salt; Black pepper

Madeira's signature: cubes of beef grilled on a bay-leaf skewer over hot coals, basted with garlic butter.

Prep Time

Cook Time

Servings

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Ingredients

800 g beef cubed (alcatra or vazia), 3 cm cubes8 dried bay laurel branches stripped into skewers (or metal skewers + 10 dried bay leaves)6 garlic cloves, crushed80 g butter50 ml olive oil1 tbsp coarse saltBlack pepper

Instructions

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1If using laurel branches: strip the leaves leaving a sharp point at one end; thread 4-5 bay leaves between each meat cube. With metal skewers, layer whole bay leaves between cubes.

2Season the meat with salt and pepper; rest 20 minutes at room temperature.

3Prepare a strong charcoal fire; the grate should be very hot.

4Grill the skewers 3 minutes per side for medium-rare, turning once.

5Meanwhile melt the butter with the crushed garlic and olive oil.

6Baste the skewers with garlic butter during the last minute of grilling.

7Rest 3 minutes and serve with the remaining garlic butter poured over.