Grill Your Own Streetfood

Why street food is so popular

Street food stalls are popping up in cities worldwide, and they’re serving more than the average two-bit burger with a side of soggy chips. Each and every paper plate that leaves these stalls comes with a story. Sometimes it’s a literal story, relayed through the pleasant banter that’s exchanged between chef and hungry customer that is so unique to the street food scene. Sometimes it’s the story of the food itself: which farm the cow was raised on, and how that spice came all the way from the hills of India to the streets of London. Either way, a street food meal is never just about fueling up before trudging back to the office. It’s about experiencing your meal.

Richard Johnson, founder of the European Street Food Annual Awards and author of the best-seller Street Food Revolution, thinks this is what lends the movement such universal appeal. “Everything is about the experience,” he says. “To see someone cooking properly, from scratch, with products they know about, that they understand, that they’re passionate about: that is very inspiring.” So inspiring, in fact, that it often only takes one meal before people start dreaming of how they can bring the street food movement home, to their own barbecues and dinner tables.

Do your own streetfood

"It is food developed for everybody"

Luckily, with the right ingredients (and the right tools from the Weber range), that is more than possible. Street food is organised around the principle of reasonably priced food that's seasonal and fresh. With high-grade meat and fresh vegetables, the street food experience is already within reach. From there, it’s all about the flavour of the smoke, the caramelisation of sugars and the searing heat of metal. No need for fancy foams or obscure garnishes.

This is food for the people. “It’s developed for everybody,” says Johnson, adding: “Which is what street food at its best should be: inclusive across gender, age and racial divides. It should just be about us standing round and hanging out together.” Preferably with an ice-cold drink in hand and food on the way – steaming and fresh and flavoured with a story that you’ll be telling for years to come. Want to get started right now at bringing the street food ambience into your own home? Then try our signature recipe for juicy beef skewers opposite.

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Steak & Tomato Kebabs
see this tasty recipe

Ingredients

Serves: 4

Sauce
1 avocado
1 portion cucumber (5 cm long)
4 tbsp sour cream
1 spring onion, sliced
4 tbsp chopped fresh dill
Juice of 1 lime
Dash of chilli sauce
Sea salt
Seasoning
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp each of mustard and chilli powder
½ tsp each of paprika powder, ground coriander, ground cumin and coarse sea salt
1 kg sirloin steak, excess fat removed, cut into 3 cm cubes
24 cherry tomatoes
Oil
Special Equipment
Skewers

Instructions

1. Remove the flesh from the avocado. Peel and roughly dice the cucumber. Blitz the avocado, cucumber, sour cream, spring onions, dill and lime juice into a smooth purée in a blender. Mix in the chilli sauce and salt to taste. Pour the sauce into a bowl, and leave covered in the fridge until ready to serve. Allow to return to room temperature before serving.
2. Lay out metal, wood or bamboo skewers. Wood and bamboo skewers must be soaked in water for at least 30 minutes.
3. Prepare the barbecue for medium direct heat 180°-230°C.
4. Mix the seasoning ingredients in a bowl. Add the steak cubes, and mix them in until evenly covered by the spices. Thread the meat onto the skewers, alternating with the tomatoes. Thinly coat the meat and tomatoes with oil, covering evenly.
5. Brush the cooking grate clean. Grill the kebabs over a medium direct heat with the lid closed until the desired level of cooking has been reached, approx. 8 minutes for pink/red (medium-rare). Turn the kebabs occasionally. Remove from the barbecue.
6. Serve the kebabs hot with the sauce.

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