Winter doesn’t mean you have to miss out on easy and wonderful grilled food. I bought this Cuisinart “Griddler” a few years ago and have used it at least once weekly for getting quick and easy proteins ready for low carb dinners. It’s great for grilling indoors in the Summer also when you can’t grill outdoors.
“Pros” of Indoor Grilling
This week I had some vegetables left over and wanted to put them to good use before they spoiled (a big reason people don’t put as many vegetables on their grocery list – they spoil before you figure out what to do with them).
These low carb pork kebabs were a perfect way to use the veggies and the protein…..Quick and easy.
They cook much quicker than on an outdoor grill because the indoor griddlers cook from both the top and the bottom at the same time.
My indoor griddler is a Cuisinart Griddler Delux and it was just over $200.00 I was inspired to get one by watching Hubert Keller on his PBS cooking show. He made it look so easy…..and it is!
I just wanted to be like Hubert! Here’s what it looks like:
Check this post out for more detailed information around the pros and cons of cooking with an indoor grill
3 Variations of Low Carb Pork Kebabs
I couldn’t decide whether a fennel and rosemary combination or a Thai-style kebab with soy sauce and lime juice would taste better. And then I also wanted to try one with a little sugar to see if it made that much difference to the taste (it didn’t).
I used the same veggies on the skewers so the only difference was the marinade for the pork. I thought I would like the ones with peanut butter and the bit of sugar better, but my favorite was actually the rosemary and fennel skewer.
Try whatever marinade appeals to you and use whatever veggies you have in your refrigerator. It’s pretty hard to go wrong.
Low Carb Pork Kebabs with Rosemary and Fennel
Ingredients:
Serves: 4
- 2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 bay leaves, torn
- 1 1/2 lbs. pork tenderloin, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced or chopped
- 1 bulb fennel, cored and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 red onion, quartered
- 1 orange or yellow bell pepper, cut into large chunks
- 2 Tbsp or more for drizzling
- juice of one lemon
Directions:
- Combine the fennel seeds, 1 tsp salt, pepper flakes and bay leaves in a spice grinder (aka coffee grinder) and pulse until you have a fine powder.
- In a large bowl, toss the pork cubes with the ground fennel spice mix, the chopped rosemary, and the the garlic. Cover and refrigerate 1-4 hours.
- Preheat grill to a fairly high heat (don’t sweat a specific temperature, just turn it high enough that you will get that nice sear). While the grill/griddler is preheating, thread the fennel, pork and other veggies onto skewers (eight 10-inches skewers is about right) and place the skewers side by side on a plate. (*note: the onion quarters may fall apart a bit, so just stack them together on the skewer).
- Drizzle the skewers with some olive oil and lemon juice and place them on the griddler. Close the lid on top of them and cook for about 7-10 minutes. If you are using a regular grill, you will need to turn the skewers after about 5 minutes.
Low Carb Pork Kebabs with Peanut Butter Marinade:
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup lime or lemon juice
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1-2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup root ginger, grated finely (alternatively use 1/2 tsp ground ginger but it’s not as fresh)
- 1 lb pork tenderloin, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 red onion, quartered
- 1 orange or yellow bell pepper, cut into large chunks
Directions:
- Combine soy sauce, lime juice peanut butter, sugar, garlic red pepper flakes and ginger in a large bowl and mix together thoroughly. Set aside 1/2 cup of mixture for basting (optional).
- Add the pork cubes to the bowl and mix together with hands to evenly coat all of the cubes. Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
- Preheat griddler to high heat. Thread the pork strips onto 8-10″ wooden or metal skewers, alternating pork with peppers and onions (*note: the onion quarters may fall apart a bit, so just stack them together on the skewer).
- Place skewers on griddler and lower the top down. If you are using a regular grill, you will need to turn the skewers after about 5 minutes. If using a griddler, just cook them for 5-7 minutes or until pork is no longer pink and the juices run clear.
Low Carb Pork Kebabs; Thai Style
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- 2 Tbsp water
- 2 tsp hot chili oil, or a couple of tsp hot chili powder (*see note at bottom of recipe)
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp minced ginger
- 1 lb. pork tenderloin, cut into cubes (I did mine about 1″ x 1″)
- 1 orange or yellow bell pepper, cut into chunks
- 1 red onion, quartered
Directions:
- Combine soy sauce, lime juice, water, chili oil (or spice), garlic and ginger in large bowl. Set aside 1/3 cup mixture for dipping sauce.
- Add pork cubes to the bowl and mix well with the sauce using hands or large spoon. Make sure the cubes get a good covering of sauce. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for a couple of hours.
- Preheat griddler to high heat. Thread the pork strips onto 8-10″ wooden or metal skewers, alternating pork with peppers and onions. (*note: the onion quarters may fall apart a bit, so just stack them together on the skewer).
- Place skewers on griddler and lower the top down. If you are using a regular grill, you will need to turn the skewers after about 5 minutes. If using a griddler, just cook them for 5-7 minutes or until pork is no longer pink and the juices run clear.
- Serve with the reserved dipping sauce
*if you want to make your own hot chili oil, combine 2 tsp peanut oil with 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes in microwavable cup. Microwave at high 30 to 45 seconds. Let stand 5 minutes to allow flavor to develop.
**Note: If you are not low carb and want to get fancy, serve the kebabs with a dipping sauce of your choice.
Heathglen’s Harissa is a great choice for a dipping sauce also! No sugar and high flavor with organic chilies!
