Do you use a kabob rack with your skewers?

[2for66]

I like cooking pork kabobs and vegetables on skewers on my gas grill. I’ve used three different rack systems: the Weber Elevations System, Steve Raichlen system, and Cave Tools. I like the idea of the rack systems keeping the food just a bit above the grates - less mess to clean up and good charring. But I find managing kabob rack systems cumbersome; it takes two hands to pick up a skewer, rotate it, and put it back down in the slot.

This evening I started with the Cave Tools rack and skewers, but finished the pork kabobs directly on the grill instead of elevated by rack system.

I’d love to hear from others who have gone through the kabob rack / skewer process. Do you love the racks? Or do you just lay your skewers directly on the grates?

[Attjack]

I use a rotisserie shish kebab attachment on my gas grill. Sometimes I'll lay them down on the grates too. But usually I do them on my hibachi grill or kettle with bricks.

[2for66]

Thanks! I’m stratting to think going straight on the grill can be good. I don’t remember why I every figured I needed a rack system in the first place.
PLEASE DO NOT send a link of your rotisserie attachment; I’ll just have to go spend money!

[Attjack]

BTW, nice grill. The kebabs look great.

[Stuey1515]

Just drop them on the grates mate

[Greygoose]

I use a couple of bricks,,,,,

[Panhead John]

I have a very similar elevated rack system as yours. I’ve used it a couple of times and found it to be….ok. One of the problems I’ve always had with shish kabobs is when you go to turn them over. As you mentioned, they can stick to the grill…but I also have a problem with some of the vegetables staying in the same position and just spinning in place. As the vegetables cook and become soft, they won’t turn over with the skewer.

I also bought a rotisserie shish kabob attachment similar to the one Attjack mentions above. Mine wasn’t as well engineered as his though, I tossed it after using it twice. You should ask Attjack to post pics of his though. I’ve seen it and his is much better than what I bought. I think you’d like it, they’re not very expensive either.

I know you’re not gonna run out and buy a Bronco or other type of drum smoker, but I now finally enjoy doing shish kabobs the easy way, I just hang ‘em. No sticking to the grates or turning em over.

[Bogy]

I'm looking forward to doing this.

[Panhead John]

Bogy Have you got the skewers yet?

[Bogy]

Panhead John Yep, already ordered those back when I ordered the Bronco.

[jfmorris]

Uh.... no. No kabob rack. Ain't nobody got any time to mess with that, unless you are just making a couple of them.

I made kabobs for 80 people for an engagement party, and had 4 grills going at once, with several guys helping me man the kabobs for this cook. I just gave them lots of tongs, 2 per guy, to wrangle the skewered veggies and chicken with. We had I think 6 steam table trays full of kabobs! Each had meat and veggies on the disposable wooden skewers.



On my more normal cooks, like with this chicken shawarma over the fire in the SNS Kamado, I keep the meat separate, shawarma style, and skewer the veggies by themselves, and move the skewers over the fire briefly for some char at the end of the cook once the veggies are soft. I always have so many I stack them on top of each other to get them on the grill, even on my larger Genesis II 4 burner.



EDIT: I thought I would show that I did NOT do kabobs for 80 folks on a single grill... I setup 3 grills at the end of the house, out of sight of the party area, and had several guys helping with the cook... I would never have gotten this done without the Genesis II 4 burner and the offset acting as a charcoal grill with its 24x36 cooking grate...

[pknj]

hahaha, I am with you Panhead....I am going to sit down, in a quiet corner. I am tired just LOOKING at that.

[Panhead John]

pknj I was all proud and stuff of my….TWO skewers an everything. Then…..BAM, here comes Jim! Never did really like him…..

[jfmorris]

Panhead John - sorry. Didn't mean to squash your normally indeflatible ego...
pknj I had help on the day of that particular party! No way I would have done it by myself...

[GolfGeezer]

Nice Napoleon grill - looks like the Prestige Pro 500. Have you looked at Napoleon's kabob rotisserie attachment? Kabobs are not my "thing", so I do not have it, although I have a bunch of kabob skewers sitting in a kitchen drawer somewhere.

[Panhead John]

I probably had 20 or so skewers at one time, various types. I was always chasing the next "best skewer".

[2for66]

Yeah; it;s the PP500. This is my first year with it and I’m enjoying it.
I think I’d buy the rotisserie basket before a skewer attachment.

[jfmorris]

Those rotisserie kabob attachments are pretty cool. Only issue is they are limited to maybe 6 or 8 kabobs...

[2for66]

Thanks for the input; nice setups y’all have. I think my next kabob cook I’ll go with just the skewers.

[Dadof3Illinois]

I have fallen in love with the double prong skewers...no more veggies rolling around or things sliding off. Plus I use something to elevate the skewers about the grates like Greygoose shows above so nothing sticks.

[jfmorris]

I went to the flat metal ones a year or two ago, and those help a lot too with preventing rotation of veggies when you try to flip the skewer...

[Dadof3Illinois]

jfmorris Have you tried the double pronged skewers yet......total game changer....I was using those flat metal ones too but these are going to be hard to beat!!!

[smokin fool]

I just plop my kabobs right on the grill and keep rotating them.
Seeing as I use bamboo skewers and forget to soak them then watch them burn to a crisp....its usually a real show.
But the kabobs them selves usually turn out really well in spite of me.
I doo like the sear you get from laying them on a hot grill too.

[pknj]

I use grill grates with kabobs - place the skewers right to left and then use the long fork that comes with the grates for turning. Very simple. Sometimes put some wood pellets in the valleys on the gasser if I want a little bit of smoke or I can use them on my WSC (they aren't a great fit) if I want to cook over charcoal.

I thought this was a great set up until Jim make me feel like an beginner up there...wow...

[jfmorris]

I like doing them in Grillgrates too. Have never bought wood pellets to try that trick though.

[2for66]

OMG! What a great idea! I'll pull out my GrillGrates! I love the idea of flipping with the turning tool!

[Attjack]

...

[pknj]

Not you too.... :-)

[Dan Deter]

I think I tried a holder once and decided it was too much effort. Currently I soak bamboo skewers because we have a bunch for some reason. When they're gone I'll probably go back to metal skewers directly on the grill. I have a set of flexible skewers that I haven't gotten around to trying yet. The last few years my wife usually convinces me that skewers are too much work and just chunk the meat up and grill it and do the veggies separately.

I know I have a wire box for holding smaller items on the rotisserie, don't remember if it has holes for skewers or not. I'll have to look sometime...

[RichieB]

direct on grate. that's the post.