Kebabs take a little time to prepare, but threading the ingredients onto skewers provides lots of surface area for developing maximum flavor on the grill. If you're short on time, feel free to just saute everything on the stovetop as many reviewers did when this meal was featured in 2018.
Barley - (Double if making Thursday’s meal.) Bring a saucepan of water to boil. Salt water generously and add barley. Simmer for 45 to 55 minutes until tender but not soggy. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
Make marinade - Chop garlic (portion for kebabs). Combine garlic, oil (portion for kebabs), soy sauce, oregano, and mustard. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
Soak skewers - If cooking on a grill with wooden skewers, soak in water for 10 minutes to prevent burning. (Skip if cooking on stovetop.)
Marinate beef - Slice beef into cubes and tenderize with a fork. Combine with marinade. Marinate for at least 20 minutes and up to 1 day. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
Bell peppers - Cube bell peppers. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
Make chimichurri sauce - (Skip if made ahead for Tuesday; if cooking on the grill, get grill heating while finishing prep.) Combine cilantro, parsley, garlic (portion for chimichurri), shallots, capers, vinegar, lime juice, salt, and oil (portion for chimichurri) in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Add some additional oil if the sauce is too thick to blend easily. Season to taste with some salt or some more lime juice. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
Cucumbers - Dice cucumbers. (Can be done up to 2 days ahead)
Prepare kebabs - Discard marinade and thread skewers through beef and peppers. (Skip if cooking on the stovetop.) (Can be done 1 day ahead)
Unlock this meal along with hundreds of smart meal plans and never stress about "What's for dinner?" again
If cooking on a grill: Heat grill to 500F / 260C degrees. Brush heated grates with some cooking oil. Place kebabs on heated grates and grill for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and grill for another 2 to 3 minutes. Close grill and cook for another 2 to 4 minutes, until beef is cooked to your liking.
If cooking on the stovetop: Heat a skillet with some cooking oil over medium-high heat. Add beef and saute until cooked to your liking, 4 to 6 minutes. Set beef aside and add peppers to pan. Saute until peppers are tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
Stir chimichurri into yogurt.
Reheat barley in the microwave (reserve half if doubled).
Divide barley between serving bowls. Top bowls with beef and peppers, cucumbers, and yogurt-chimichurri sauce. Enjoy!
This was very good. Subbed white rice with some lime. My daughter didn't like the yogurt version of the sauce, so I will set aside some plain chimichurri for her next time. Favorite.