Jorge Castillo: We love to grill out! It’s a great way to enjoy the outdoors and enjoy some great food at the same time.

Raúl Musibay: And it sure beats jogging!

Glenn Lindgren: The great thing is, once you get them on the grill, pinchos cook fast. This leaves you with plenty of time for enjoying the beverage of your choice and some good conversation as you dig into your delicious pinchos with everyone else.

Raúl Musibay: Instead of “slaving” over the grill while everyone else enjoys the shade!

Jorge Castillo: You can put everything together for some delicious pinchos in less than an hour’s prep time.

Raúl Musibay: And that includes drinking a beer or two.

For chicken, you can use light or dark meat or do what we do and make both. Buy boneless, skinless chicken thighs for your dark meat and boneless, skinless chicken breasts for the white.

The key is not mixing the dark and white meat on the same skewer. Chicken breast meat needs to be cooked perfectly on the grill with little margin for error—so keep an eye on your white meat. If you overcook it, it’s going to be dry. Dark meat is a little more forgiving.

Skewer the meat directly from the marinade. Do not rinse, pat dry, or otherwise cause the thick marinade to part company with the chicken pieces.

To Cook the Pinchos

Get your grill nice and hot.

If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in water before using.

Skewer the meat onto the skewers.

Grill the meat, turning occasionally, until cooked to perfection. If you enjoy a more spicy hot flavor, be sure to brush the pinchos occasionally with Raúl and Glenn’s pincho oil (recipe below).

Adjust seasonings as you go -- meaning a little salt and black pepper is usually in order.

Cook chicken until cooked through and juices run clear, approximately 6 to 12 minutes, being especially careful not to overcook any white meat.

NOTE: We know that many people like to make their pinchos with chunks of onion, green or red pepper, and cherry tomatoes, or even zucchini. This tradition got started in restaurants where they wanted to make a pleasing presentation and disguise the fact that you weren’t getting very much meat with your order. The problem with this method is that the vegetables tend to cook a lot faster than the meats. If you want to grill some vegetables with your pinchos, make up some separate skewers with veggies only. A good rule of thumb is to toss the vegetable pinchos on the grill about midway through the meat cooking times listed below.

TIP: For those who are “resistant to work or exertion” -- otherwise known as lazy -- skip the skewers. When we make pinchos for a large group, we frequently toss out the skewers and just put the meat chunks or shrimp directly on the grill. We can then serve the pinchos “family-style” in serving bowls garnished with our grilled onions, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, and cherry tomatoes. Just make sure your chunks are big enough to prevent them from slipping through the grill.

Raúl and Glenn’s Pincho Oil

1. Whisk all of the ingredients together in a non-metallic bowl.

2. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Rum is an optional ingredient. If Raúl and Glenn happen to be drinking rum and grilling at the same time, some of the rum usually finds its way into the pincho oil.

4. Use this oil to baste the meat or seafood occasionally as it cooks on the grill. It also tastes great on those vegetable kabobs.

NOTE: Pincho oil is quite volatile, so apply it sparingly to your meat or seafood and watch for flare-ups.

Three Guys From Miami:

Cuban, Spanish, and Latin American food recipes, Miami/Little Havana Travel Guide, Miami Restaurant Guide, Hispanic Culture & Food

The Three Guys From Miami are: Raúl Musibay, Glenn Lindgren, and Jorge Castillo

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