All Hail Skewers, the Handiest Tool in a Griller’s Arsenal
A few simple rules, a universe of possibilities.
Skewers, from left: zucchini with tahini, wagyu with onion, and harissa shrimp with pepper.
Photogapher: Heami Lee for Bloomberg Businessweek; Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero
Skewers check multiple important boxes when it comes to partying: They don’t take much time to prepare, they’re easy to cook, and perhaps best of all, they don’t require a fork.
They also lend themselves to a universe of treatments and savory ingredients. A cut of tenderloin or rib-eye can undergo a fiery transformation just as well as a meaty mushroom or chunk of eggplant. One trick chefs agree on is to make sure each item on the skewer—whether it’s meat, vegetables, or both—is around the same size and similar density, so they cook evenly. Haphazardly threading multiple kinds of food onto a skewer may make for a colorful picture, but it’s a classic culinary faux pas.