Meatball Shish Kabobs

Mid-September. Charlie called with news: another promotion. She's now Vice President of Operations at Vanderbilt Medical Center. Twenty-six years old and a VP. I called Walter Jr. and Marcus and Tyrone and told each of them because pride is not a private emotion in the Johnson family, it is a broadcast, a signal fire, a loud and public declaration that our people did something good and the world should know.

The fall route is gorgeous. The eastern half in September is everything I love about walking for a living: the temperature perfect, the light golden, the leaves just starting, the neighborhood alive with the energy of a new school year. I walk it knowing these are among my last Septembers on the route, and the knowledge makes every mailbox, every porch, every dog, every wave from a customer precious in a way that routine used to obscure. Routine hides beauty. Departure reveals it.

I made smoked meatloaf again — the genius meatloaf, as Rosetta calls it — because some inventions deserve repetition, and repetition is how an experiment becomes a tradition, and a tradition is just an experiment that worked so well people decided to do it forever.

Charlie’s promotion deserved a celebration that involved fire — something with smoke and heat and the kind of hands-on cooking that lets you stand outside in September air and feel exactly as good as the day has made you feel. The smoked meatloaf tradition Rosetta and I have built is exactly that kind of cooking, and these Meatball Shish Kabobs carry the same spirit: seasoned ground beef, shaped by hand, cooked over flame, passed around a table full of people who love each other loud. When the experiment works this well, you put it on a skewer and you do it again.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs ground beef (80/20)
1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
1 large egg, beaten
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup finely diced yellow onion
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium red onion, cut into wedges
1 cup cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
Metal or soaked wooden skewers

Instructions

Preheat the grill. Heat an outdoor grill or grill pan to medium-high heat (about 400°F). If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes beforehand.
Mix the meatballs. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic, diced onion, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Mix gently with your hands until just combined — do not overwork the meat.
Form the meatballs. Roll the mixture into balls roughly 1 1/2 inches in diameter (about the size of a golf ball). You should get 24–28 meatballs.
Prep the vegetables. Toss the bell pepper pieces, red onion wedges, and cherry tomatoes with olive oil and a pinch of salt.
Assemble the skewers. Thread meatballs and vegetables alternately onto skewers, pressing meatballs gently but firmly so they hold their shape during cooking.
Grill the kabobs. Place skewers on the grill and cook for 12–15 minutes, turning every 3–4 minutes, until meatballs are cooked through (internal temperature 160°F) and vegetables have light char marks.
Rest and serve. Remove from heat and let rest 3 minutes before serving. Serve over rice, flatbread, or alongside a green salad.

Nutrition (per serving)

Meatball Shish Kabobs — Because Some Experiments Become Traditions