Chimichurri Chicken Kabobs

Delicious meat cookery doesn't have to be complicated. In fact, with quality ingredients, it can be down-right simple. Our Chimichurri Chicken Kabobs start with moist and flavorful chicken thighs marinated and sauced with a jar of fresh and vibrant Argentinian chimichurri. Making your own chimchurri is easy. Raising your own chickens, on the other hand, and ensuring top flavor, moist meat, and ethical animal husbandry, requires a whole different level of DIY commitment. When sourcing your chicken here are my top 3 tips:

1. Don't compromise freshness. As chicken ages under cellophane, its quality declines and the tender muscle fibers begin to lose both moisture and flavor. Similarly, each time meat is frozen and thawed, its texture and moistness is compromised. Buy the freshest meat you can find that has been stored carefully without freezing.
2. Keep processing to a minimum. Each processing step risks compromising quality and increasing cost at the register. Try to avoid buying meat that has 'stuff' added or injected. As much as you are able, do your own processing (partitioning a whole chicken, deboning thighs, skinning breasts, doing your own grinding, etc.). Not only will this give you more control over your meat, it will give you 'extras' to freeze or use for unrivaled homemade broths and soups.
3. Find a brand or farm you believe in. Animal husbandry is tricky business, and so is finding meat at your local grocery that you can feel good about. Understanding how each company balances issues of animal well-being, human health concerns, taste, texture, environmental impact, and cost, is generally not decipherable from the labels and buzzwords found on packaging. Do your research, it's easier than you think.

With Rebecca out of town recently, I found myself on a quest to identify the best supermarket chicken.  I'm not even going to share how much chicken I single-handedly cooked and consumed, but a clear winner emerged. In a funny small world kind of way, it's a family business from my hometown: Miller Poultry. From classic roast chicken to smoked wings, from chicken schnitzel to Chimichurri Chicken Kabobs, this is can-do chicken! While Miller's can be found in many Whole Foods, I found that it is also available in our local Shop N'Save.

Yield: serves 4-5

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 cup chimichurri sauce
• 1 red onion, chopped into large slivers

Steps:

1. Cut each chicken thigh into 4 even pieces.
2. Combine cut chicken and 1/2 cup of chimichurri sauce in a zip-top bag, shake to combine, and set aside in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 30 minutes (up to overnight).
3. Preheat your grill on high for 10-15 minutes. Clean the grates thoroughly and wipe with a lightly oiled rag just prior to grilling to reduce sticking.
4. While the grill is preheating, thread the chicken and onions onto wood or metal skewers, alternating chicken and onion. We like to put roughly 4 chicken chunks onto each skewer (this also ensures you have evenly distributed meat, since you cut each thigh into 4 pieces).
5. Turn the grill heat to medium, and grill the kabobs (covered) for 6-7 minutes on two sides. To test for doneness, cut into your largest piece of chicken. It should have no translucency or pinkness in the center, but still be juicy.
6. Remove from heat. Allow to rest 3-5 minutes prior to serving. Serve with the remaining 1/2 cup of chimichurri sauce.

Paul Shetler Fast

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