Fire up the winter grill! Chipotle Texas' Sirloin Kabobs

Want a surprise?  Take the Fort Hancock exit off I-10 and travel south just a half a block.  You'll soon see a metal building with a curious sign, "Chile Store," and stop THERE.  Inside are locally smoked and prepared chiles, chile blends, and lots of great things to spice up your kitchen.

The folks at Chipotle Texas recently participated in our work with Texas Folklife to collect stories about regional traditional foodways.  Gale Carr's family have been farmers in the Fort Hancock area for generations, and have been growing and smoking chile for years. 

Stop at the store next time you're on I-10 in Far West Texas!  Or you can purchase their products online.

They were kind enough to share their recipe for Sirloin Kabobs:

1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tblsp. distilled white vinegar
1 tblsp. Zesty Ancho Powder
2 tblsp. Fiesta Chipotle Blend
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tblsp. table salt
4 oz. lemon-lime flavored carbonated soda
2 lbs beef sirloin steak, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
2 green bell peppers, cut into 2 inch pieces for skewers
1 pint cherry tomatoes
(Fresh mushrooms and/or pineapple may also be added.)

Preparation

• In a medium bowl, mix soy sauce, light brown sugar, distilled white vinegar, Zesty Ancho Powder, Fiesta Chipotle Blend, black pepper, table salt, and lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage. 

• Reserve about 1/2 cup of this marinade for basting. 

• Place steak in a large resealable plastic bag. Cover with the remaining marinade, and seal. Refrigerate for 8 hours, or overnight. 

• Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Add green peppers, and cook for 1 minute, just to blanch. Drain, and set aside. 

• Preheat grill for high heat. Thread steak, green peppers and tomatoes onto skewers in an alternating fashion. Discard marinade and the bag. 

• Lightly oil the grill grate. Cook kabobs on the prepared grill for 10 minutes, or to desired doneness. Baste frequently with reserved marinade during the last 5 minutes of cooking.