Ground beef is mixed with galangal, lime leaves, shallots, and other aromatics before being skewered on lemongrass and grilled for Grilled Lemongrass Beef. Intensely flavorful, this dish is actually relatively easy to prepare. Don’t be intimated by the list of ingredients, most are readily found at the supermarket.
Galangal is a root similar to ginger but has a more pronounced citrus flavor. It is often used in South Asian and Indian cooking and can be purchased fresh or frozen. If you can’t find galangal at your store, you can swap it with ginger in this recipe.
Using lemongrass skewers for the beef not only adds flavor but is also super fun. If you don’t want to use lemongrass (or can’t find any) you can use bamboo or wooden skewers. Make sure to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes so the skewers don’t burn.
Grilled Lemongrass Beef Recipe
Ingredients
Spice Mix
- 6 makrut lime leaves sliced
- 1 inch galangal sliced
- 2 stalks lemongrass soft white bottom chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 10 shallots peeled
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 fresh Thai chilies
- 1 bunch cilantro chopped
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Beef Skewers
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Slap Yo'Daddy Moola Beef Rub
- 12 whole stalks lemongrass
- 1/4 cup BBQ sauce
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- sesame seeds for sprinkling
Equipment
- food processor
- grill
Directions
Spice Mix
- Grind the lime leaves, galangal, lemongrass, turmeric, shallots, garlic, chilies, and cilantro in a food processor into a coarse paste.
- Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook the spice mixture for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until there is a fragrant aroma. Set aside to cool a bit.
Beef Skewers
- In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, flour, and rub until well mixed. Add the cooled spice paste and mix thoroughly.
- Clean the lemongrass skewers by removing any gunk or hard outer layers. Trim the tips so it looks like a nice skewer. Wash.
- Mound the ground beef mixture over the stalk area of the lemongrass into a 4-inch (10cm) sausage shape. Leave 1 inch (2.5cm) of the bottom stalk exposed. Repeat until the meat mixture is used. The sausage can be sausage-shaped thick or thin, adjust the cooking time based on thickness.
- Chill the skewers for 30 minutes or more so they will hold together when you grill them.
- Set up the grill with a medium-hot zone and a cool zone.
- Grill over the medium-hot side until beef is cooked, turning often, about 8 minutes. It helps if you brush/baste it with a bit of oil. If there is a flare-up, move your skewers to the cool zone or spritz with a spray bottle of water.
- Serve it with BBQ sauce spiked with some Sriracha hot sauce and sesame seeds.
Nutritional Information
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