Do This! Anchor Your Skewers

The phrase "anchor your skewers" sounds like some dirty code sailors might use, but it's one of the greatest tips we've picked up in our years of grilling (other than using a charcoal chimney). It sounds so simple, but quickly becomes an important detail before you find yourself fishing flaming tomatoes out of your coals! We anchor ours with...

Red Onion and it does the trick every time! Because of their natural curvy shape they hold fast and keep all the other tasty things on our skewers in place. Not a huge "hunk of onion" fan? Add them to the ends and roast them anyway! Store them in your freezer for your next need for some already roasted off.

Many other vegetables lose the majority of their water content during the grilling process and although they are still soft and moist, they don't do so well holding the weight of the other pieces of food during the flipping and rotating that goes on.

What do you anchor your skewers with? Let us know in the comments below!

(Image: Sarah Rae Trover)

Comments (5)

Mmm, that would've helped last weekend! We got some kabobs at the market, and they put tomatoes on the end--very silly of them!

Laura
http://www.grafxnerd.net

posted by grafxnerd on June 11th 2009 at 12:55pm
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I usually anchor with a nice big mushroom cap or a hunk of green pepper. I find onion chunks can get a bit too floppy to really hold everything on there.

posted by popcorn.for.dinner on June 11th 2009 at 1:29pm
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Good to know, if I ever get a grill! (Condo assn. won't let us have them!)

http://www.abreadaday.com

posted by eprewitt on June 11th 2009 at 3:51pm
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Big hunk of carrot. Which gets tossed when they're done.

posted by ChzPlz on June 11th 2009 at 6:19pm
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My mom has always anchored with olives.

posted by beedub on June 14th 2009 at 7:01pm
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