Colourful Beef and Pineapple Skewers

My kids have always called these the traffic light skewers, and it stuck because the colours really do line up: red, yellow and green, one after another along the stick. I started making them on a summer evening when I had a bag of pineapple going soft and half a packet of zucchini in the crisper. The pineapple turned out to be the best part. Its natural sugars caramelise on a hot grill, so the edges go golden and a little sticky while the beef stays juicy inside.

A quick word about the beef. Rump is a good choice here because it has enough flavour to stand up to smoked paprika and lime, and it stays tender when it is cut into even cubes and cooked fast. Keep the pieces the same size so they finish at the same time, and do not skip the rest at the end. A few minutes on the board lets the juices settle back into the meat instead of running onto your plate.

If you have a little extra time, make the marinade the night before and keep the meat covered in the fridge. The garlic and smoked paprika soak in more deeply, and the lime keeps the flavour bright rather than flat. Leftover kebabs keep well for a day or two. Slide the beef and vegetables off the sticks, chop them and toss them into a wrap, or scatter them over a bowl of rice with a squeeze of lime. If you are after something warming for a cooler night, a bowl of Spiced Lamb and Chickpea Vegetable Soup is another easy way to use the leftovers.

For sides, I like something cool and crisp to balance the smoky char. A bowl of Herby Buckwheat Tabbouleh with Tomatoes works beautifully, and the lemony herbs are a good match for the lime in the marinade. If you are cooking for a crowd, a platter of Charred Fennel and Green Bean Salad brings another bit of smoky colour to the table without much fuss.

Use the same grill for the vegetables and you will have less washing up. Thread the capsicum and zucchini a little more loosely than the meat, because they cook faster and you want them to char rather than go limp. Turn the skewers often, and move them to a cooler part of the grill if the outsides darken before the beef is ready.