Cowboy Potato Skewers

Cowboy Potato Skewers make an excellent side dish for grilled or smoked proteins. While this recipe calls for bacon drippings, you can substitute it with olive oil for the vegetarians in your group. The two-step process of parboiling then grilling offers the ease of contending with these skewers while cooking other food items. In the end, you will end up with soft in the center, slightly crispy, perfectly cooked cowboy potato skewers.

Note on bacon drippings: Next time you fry a lot of bacon, save the drippings. Strain it through a sieve, place it into an airtight container and store it in your refrigerator for up to 3 months. You’ll need between 1/2-2/3 of a cup of bacon drippings for this cowboy potato skewers recipe.

Ingredients:

• New potatoes, about 27-30 total
• Wooden skewers
• Bacon drippings or olive oil
• Salt and black pepper
• Paprika (if you’d like these potato Kebabs to be smoky, use smoked paprika or a combination of regular and smoked)
• Fresh rosemary
• Lemon (optional)

How to Make Cowboy Potato Skewers:

• Bring 8 cups of water to boil in a large pot. Add 1/2 teaspoon of the salt to boiling water. 
• Wash potatoes and place into boiling water for 12-15 minutes, or until fork-tender. The potatoes mustn’t be mushy. They need to withstand both the skewer and the heat of the grill without falling apart.
• Prepare a large bowl with cold water and ice. Drain potatoes and immediately place them into the ice bath for 10 minutes. Doing this will halt the cooking process and make them easier to handle.
• Preheat your grill for 375 degrees F or medium-high heat.
• Remove potatoes from the ice bath and blot dry with paper towels. Get as much of the surface moisture off as possible.
• Combine remaining salt with black pepper, paprika, and rosemary in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Carefully thread 3-4 potatoes onto each skewer. Brush liberally with melted bacon fat or olive oil. Sprinkle with seasoning mixture and place onto the grill. 
• Close the lid, let potatoes cook for 2 minutes, turn slightly, and repeat the process 3 more times. 
• Once the cowboy potato kebabs have a nice golden brown color, remove them from the grill. Drizzle them with a little fresh lemon juice and serve.
• Store your leftover cowboy potato skewers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up 4 days.

• 1 1/2- 2 pounds new potatoes about 27-30 total
• 9-11 wooden skewers
• 1/2-2/3 cup bacon fat drippings
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 lemon optional

• Bring 8 cups of water to boil in a large pot. Add 1/2 teaspoon of the salt to boiling water. Wash potatoes and place into boiling water for 12-15 minutes, or until fork-tender. It is important that the potatoes are not mushy. They will need to withstand both the skewer and the heat of the grill without falling apart.

• Prepare a large bowl with cold water and ice. Drain potatoes and immediately place them into the ice bath for 10 minutes. This will halt the cooking process and make them easier to handle.

• Preheat grill for 375 degrees F or medium-high heat.

• Take potatoes out of the ice bath and blot them dry with paper towels. Gently remove as much of the surface moisture as possible.

• Combine remaining salt, black pepper, paprika, and rosemary in a small bowl. Set seasoning aside.

• Carefully thread 3-4 potatoes onto each skewer. Brush liberally with melted bacon drippings or olive oil. Sprinkle with seasoning mixture and place onto the grill. Close the lid and let potatoes go for 2 minutes, turn slightly, and repeat the process a few more times. Once the potato skewers have a nice golden brown color, remove from the grill, drizzle them with a little fresh lemon juice, and serve.

Calories: 388kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 1015mg | Potassium: 1149mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 64IU | Vitamin C: 64mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 2mg