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Coconut and Lemongrass Steak Skewers

4.2

(10)

Image may contain Food Confectionery and Sweets
Photographs by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Aneta Florczyk

At Laser Wolf, an Israeli-style “skewer house” in Philly, chef Andrew Henshaw grills heavily marinated cubes of well-marbled steak until the exteriors are charred and the insides are still juicy. The technique’s advantages are clear: more surface area, more caramelization, an astonishingly quick cook time, and tidy pieces that are easy to share. Creamy, almost-but-not-sweet coconut milk will help tenderize and flavor humbler cuts like hanger, flatiron, and flap.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

Dressing

2

serrano chiles, chopped (seeds and all)

¼

cup fresh lime juice

2

Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

2

Tbsp. finely chopped red onion

2

tsp. honey

Kosher salt

Skewers and assembly

2

lemongrass stalks, bottom third only, tough outer layers removed, thinly sliced

2

serrano chiles, with seeds if you want some heat

1

2" piece ginger, peeled, thinly sliced

4

garlic cloves

1

13.5-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk

cup seasoned rice vinegar

lb. trimmed hanger, flatiron, or flap (bavette) steak, cut into 1" cubes

Vegetable oil (for grill)

Kosher salt

Chopped cilantro (for serving)

Special Equipment

Ten to twelve 8"–10" metal skewers, or bamboo, soaked 30 minutes

Preparation

  1. Dressing

    Step 1

    Whisk chiles, lime juice, oil, onion, and honey in a small bowl to combine; season with salt.

  2. Skewers and assembly

    Step 2

    Purée lemongrass, chiles, ginger, garlic, coconut milk, and vinegar in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add meat and toss to coat completely. Cover with a large plate and let sit at room temperature at least 4 hours or chill up to 1 day.

    Step 3

    Prepare a grill for medium-high heat; oil grate. Drain marinade from meat and thread meat onto skewers; season lightly with salt. Grill, turning every 1–2 minutes, until meat is browned all over and firm around edges with just a bit of bounce in the center when gently pressed, 6–8 minutes for medium.

    Step 4

    Transfer skewers to plates. Drizzle with dressing and scatter some cilantro over.

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Reviews (10)

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  • INCREDIBLE! Followed recipe closely, except I used jalapeños in the marinade and de-seeded 3/4 of the serrano in the dressing (it was still spicy to my liking). And I was reasonably generous with the kosher salt before grilling. I used hangar steak, and the meat was unbelievably tender with a 24 h marinade time - so tender I would worry about the meat dissolving with a 2 day or more marinating time. There was more than enough marinade for 2 lbs of meat. Do not skip the dressing - it really brightens things up on serving. Paired it with jasmine rice and BA's Watermelon and Snap Pea Salad. Going on repeat all summer!

    • Tova

    • Ottawa, Canada

    • 4/17/2023

  • These skewers are so good! Could you use chicken thighs?

    • Elizabeth

    • Portland, OR

    • 5/28/2022

  • Love these! Huge hit with my family and super easy to make as long as you have all the ingredients (which I actually didn’t). I subbed lemon zest for the lemongrass stalks and they still tasted amazing!

    • Anonymous

    • 8/5/2020

  • Delicious kebabs! Used tri-tip steak, as the others were unavailable. Very tender and flavorful.

    • Anonymous

    • Seattle, Wa

    • 7/24/2020

  • Good flavors although I wish they came through more! Marinated for a day but still wish flavors were more intense.

    • Katiehwalsh

    • Austin

    • 7/11/2020

  • This was a hit! I doubled the dressing because I always like to have extra. I paired it with the Miso-y Grilled Potatoes from the same issue. Prep for both can be done ahead and then the grill time is about the same for both the skewers and potatoes - perfection!

    • Anonymous

    • Austin, TX

    • 7/11/2020

  • Really delicious kebabs!! I couldn’t find flank in my grocery store so I used some beef tenderloin instead. It was a pretty good replacement but I would’ve cooked them a little longer. All in all really good but just use flank.

    • groseo

    • Wisconsin

    • 6/12/2020