Smashed Steak Skewers with Cherry BBQ Sauce (Whole30)

These Whole30-friendly Smashed Steak Skewers with Cherry Barbecue Sauce are a family favorite in the summertime! Time to break out the grill!

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!

Time to make Smashed Steak Skewers with Cherry BBQ Sauce!

Makes 16 skewers

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

• 2 teaspoons ghee or fat of choice
• ½ cup minced shallot
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger (I use a Microplane)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ¼ cup coconut aminos (or wheat-free tamari)
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• ¼ cup apple juice (I prefer Martinelli’s brand)
• 10 ounces frozen sweet cherries, roughly chopped
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

For the Smashed Steak Skewers:

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

Here’s the step-by-step instructions:

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.  Pour in the coconut aminos, vinegar, juice…

…and cherries. Bring to a boil over high heat. 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. (Better yet, get these flat stainless-steel skewers that are reusable and won’t burn!)

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

Season the steak with salt and pepper…

…and brush both sides with melted ghee.

Fire up your backyard grill, grease the grates, and cook over high heat for 1 to 2 minutes on each side.

Let the beef 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 beef skewers into a more refined dish.

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

(Originally published March 2013)

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Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2021).

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