I’ve always been a film buff. Aside from the obituaries, my favorite part of the local paper was the movie section; starting in elementary school, I’d pore over the weekend reviews to decide which flicks were worth dragging my family to see. Ever the weirdo, I vetoed my older sister’s request to see Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal and cajoled my parents into taking us to see Tootsie instead. Sure, in December of 1982, the cross-dressing jokes flew right over my eight-year-old head, but who cares? The movie got two thumbs up from Siskel & Ebert, people.

Ironically, I watch fewer grown-up flicks now than I did when I was in second grade. These days, when Henry and I venture to the cineplex, it’s usually with the boys in tow, so we stick to family-friendly fare. And recently, as we settled into our seats to watch another kiddie flick, this trailer caught my eye:

Yowza — an animated film about a prehistoric cave-dwelling clan! “Think they eat Paleo?” I whispered excitedly. The Double-Os nodded. “I think they do CrossFit, too,” my five-year-old solemnly added.

I made a mental note: We were going to catch The Croods as soon as it hit theaters.

So when I was contacted by the movie studio a few weeks ago and asked to develop a recipe inspired by The Croods, it wasn’t hard for me to say yes. DreamWorks Animation requested something family-friendly, so I rolled up my sleeves and got to work creating a dish that’s simple, tasty, Paleo, and kid-approved: Smashed Steak Skewers with Cherry Barbecue Sauce.

Speared hunks of beef, flattened with a heavy object and grilled over an open fire. Sounds like caveman family fare to me, don’t you think?

Trust me: If Lil-O — the pickiest eater in our house — liked ‘em, your kids’ll gobble them up, too!

Wanna see the simple step-by-step instructions? They’re so easy even a caveman could do it!

Here’s what to hunt and gather to make 16 skewers:

For the Cherry Barbecue Sauce (Makes 1⅔ cup of sauce):

• 2 teaspoons ghee or fat of choice
• ½ cup minced shallot
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 (1-inch) ginger root, peeled and finely grated (I use a Microplane)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ¼ cup coconut aminos (or wheat-free tamari)
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• ¼ cup apple juice
• 10 ounces frozen cherries, roughly chopped
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

For the Smashed Steak Skewers:

• 1½-pound flank steak
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons melted ghee
• ¼ cup scallions, thinly sliced (optional)

The cherry barbecue sauce is a cinch to make and can be prepared ahead of time.

First, melt the ghee over medium heat in a small saucepan. Add the shallots and a pinch of salt and sauté until translucent (around 5 minutes).

Stir in the garlic, ginger and tomato paste…

…and sauté for 30 second until fragrant.

Add the coconut aminos, vinegar, juice…

 …and cherries…

…and bring to a boil.

Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until the cherry mixture is thickened.

While the sauce is simmering, stir occasionally and smush the cherries against the side of the pot.

Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the sauce to a bowl or measuring cup and set aside.

A half hour before you want to grill your skewers, soak 16 bamboo skewers in water.

Grab your slab of flank steak and cut it into 16 pieces.

First, cut the steak in half lengthwise (along the grain).

Next, slice the steak in half across the grain, then in fourths…

…and finally in eighths.

Carefully stab each slice of meat through the center with a soaked skewer.

Now comes the fun part: Grab a hefty meat pounder or small cast iron skillet, and smash each steak skewer until it’s about ½ inch thick.

GRRR! (THWACK!)

I’m sure The Croods would’ve used sticks and stones, but I prefer to keep my kitchen rock-free.

Season the beef with salt and pepper…

…and brush both sides with melted ghee.

Fire up your background grill, and cook over high heat for 1 to 2 minutes on each side. 

Let the meat skewers rest for 5 to 10 minutes…

…before brushing on the cherry barbecue sauce.

A garnish of fresh green scallions is optional, but it can instantly transform this rugged plate of skewers into a more refined dish.

Serve immediately and watch your kiddos tear into them with sharp little incisors!

Don’t forget to check out The Croods when it comes out on March 22nd!

Full disclosure: As I mentioned above, this is a sponsored post, but all opinions are my own.