Asian Beef Skewers

Not to be confused with last week's Asian Flank Steak. This one was much much better. There are plenty of elements that might have gone into this one being better. For starters, it's BEAUTIFUL here today. Second, I got a good cut of meat for it. Finally, the ingredients I think were better. I like red curry and it added a nice little kick to this.

Asian Beef Skewers

Servings: 4

• Coarse salt
• 1/4 c honey
• 1/4 c packed light-brown sugar
• 1/4 c soy sauce
• 3 T rice vinegar
• 1 T Thai red curry paste (I thought 1T was too much so opted to 1tsp, then regretted it. It added such a nice flavor, without heat, that I wish it was more flavor.)
• 3 T vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 pounds top sirloin beef or shell steak, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 red onion, quartered, layers separated
• 1 can (20 ounces) sliced pineapple in juice, drained, slices quartered
• 1 package (10 ounces) thin dried Chinese noodles or spaghetti
• 1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, for serving (optional)

Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat; line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Soak four 12-inch (or eight 6-inch) wooden skewers in a pan of warm water; set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. (Jenn Note: I totally BBQ'd these instead of broil them.)Meanwhile, make sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, 2 tablespoons vinegar, curry paste, and 1 tablespoon oil. Reserve half the sauce for serving.

Thread beef, onion, and pineapple onto skewers. Place on prepared baking sheet, and brush with sauce. Broil, brushing occasionally with sauce, until beef is medium-rare and onion begins to char, 7 to 10 minutes. (Jenn Note: I'm not a big fan of cooked pineapple, so I added mushrooms in their place. I think you could even add any type of vegi's you like to make it a kebab thingy).

Meanwhile, cook noodles in boiling salted water, according to package instructions. Drain, and place in a medium bowl. Add cilantro and remaining vinegar and oil; season with salt, and toss to combine. Serve skewers with noodles, reserved sauce, and, if desired, red-pepper flakes. (Jenn Note: I am not a big fan of the Chinese chow mein noodles, though it could have been the brand I bought. Next time I'd use the rice noodles instead and sauté them with a bit of the reserved sauce.)