Summer Grilling Secrets
The Code of the Flame
Admit it. The first time you smelled one of the neighbors firing up the charcoal this spring, it sent a little tingle of excitement down your spine. Why? Because you knew when that fire breathed to life it signified the last, dying gasp of winter. That early in the season it didn’t much matter what you put on the grill. It was the act that was the point of the thing.
But now, as the summer strolls on, the expectations are higher. The bar has been raised. Plain old hot dogs and hamburgers are starting to feel tedious.
Luckily, we’re here to help.
Gas vs. charcoal
Basically this age-old argument boils down to this: convenience vs. playing with fire. Many claim a better flavor with charcoal, but if you use the instant-light variety or lighter fluid to get things going, the food can pick up a chemical taste. Use a chimney starter, which is basically a foot-long metal tube with a handle on it. You can pick one up in the grill section of any hardware store. Wad up two pieces of newspaper in the bottom (not too much or it will smother itself) and in 15 minutes you’ve got a nice ash forming on red-hot coals.
Perfect Grilling Technique
One phrase sums up the secret to perfectly grilled foods. Start direct, finish indirect. Place meat directly over flames first, then transfer to indirect heat for the remainder of the cooking time. With a gas grill this means leaving a burner or two off and waiting an extra 10 minutes or so when preheating to make sure the grill is nice and hot. With charcoal it means pushing all the coals to one half of the grill. And with all grills it means no peeking under the lid every 40 seconds to see what’s going on under there. Grab a drink, settle down in a chair and relax. Everything’s gonna be fine.
Flavor in the fire
The right seasoning can make all the difference. And that goes for the fire too, not just the food. A little smoke adds old-school barbecue flavor. Soak about a cup of hardwood chips in water for an hour before you grill. Hickory, apple, cedar and oak are all good choices. For charcoal, just throw ’em on top of the coals. For gas, put the chips in the smoker box, or make your own by enclosing the chips in a foil pouch and poking a few holes in it. Put the pouch under the cooking grate and turn the burner on high until you see smoke.
Since man has been cooking over fire for, oh, about 600,000 years or so, a few different ways of grilling have popped up. Take a look at the list below to find a recipe that suits the Homo sapiens you’ll be serving.
Modern Grill
Middle America
Traditional Southern
A Better Burger
California Backyard
Really, Truly Grilled Cheese
Modern Grill
Classic Grilled Tuna
Find a tuna steak that’s about an inch thick and deep red with no dark patches or streaks. It will grill in about 8 to 10 minutes, flipped once, to medium rare. More doneness will mean more dryness, so don’t fear the pink.
4 (6 ounce) albacore tuna steaks, 1 inch thick
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup hickory wood chips, soaked
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 lime, juiced
Place tuna steaks and olive oil in a large resealable plastic bag. Seal, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat the grill for medium heat. When coals are very hot, scatter a handful of hickory or mesquite wood chips over them for flavor.
Lightly oil grill grate. Season tuna with salt and pepper, and cook on the preheated grill approximately 6 minutes, turning once. Transfer to a serving platter, and drizzle with freshly squeezed lime juice. Serve immediately.
Middle America
Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Hot Dogs
2 tsp ketchup
2 tsp mustard
8 large hot dogs
1 Sorrento Sticksters® Cheddar Cheese Stick, cut in half and quartered to form 8 two-inch pieces
2 tbsp onion, chopped
1 cup chopped sauerkraut (optional)
4 slices bacon
4 submarine sandwich rolls (regular hot dogs buns won’t hold up)
Make a pocket in each hot dog by slicing lengthwise (don’t cut through) Coat the inside of each hot dog with ketchup and mustard. Place a strip of cheese in each hot dog. Cover cheese with sauerkraut and onions. Tightly wrap a strip of bacon around each hot dog and secure with toothpicks at both ends.
Coat your grill oil so the hot dogs don't stick. Place the stuffed hot dogs on the grill, stuffing side down, and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes, or until the bacon on that side is cooked. Turn a quarter turn and continue to grill a few minutes on all sides until the bacon is cooked. Remove toothpicks, place in the buns and serve.
Traditional Southern
True Southern barbecue involves a large cut of meat, slow-cooked throughout a lazy summer afternoon. The aromas will make you hungrier with each passing minute, especially if you use wood chips for smoking. Add another handful of soaked chips every 45 minutes or so throughout the cooking time.
6-lb bone-in pork shoulder (also called Boston butt or picnic shoulder)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tbsp cumin
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
Combine all ingredients (except meat) to make a rub and work gently into the meat an hour or two before grilling. Slow-cook on the grill using low, indirect heat. The meat will take between four and six hours to begin to fall away from the bone. Shred the meat and serve with your favorite barbecue sauce.
A Better Burger
Garlic Burgers with Fresh Mozzarella
4-5 heads (not cloves, heads) garlic
2 lbs. ground beef
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
8 oz. Sorrento® Fresh Mozzarella, sliced
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut off the top of head of garlic, wrap tightly in foil and roast for 45 minutes.
Combine ground beef, Worcestershire, mustard, salt and pepper. Form 6 patties. Grill to desired doneness (3-5 minutes per side, flipping once).
Top each burger with a fresh mozzarella and let cheese begin to melt. Remove from grill and serve on crusty bread or buns. Add your favorite toppings and serve.
California Backyard
Avocados on a Haute Grill
2 California avocados
1 lime or lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup fresh salsa
Cut avocado in quarters. Squeeze fresh lime or lemon juice on avocado and brush lightly with olive oil. Grill over high heat for 2 minutes on each side. Salt to taste and serve.
Really, Truly Grilled Cheese
8 slices sourdough bread, thickly sliced to withstand a good grilling
Butter
3 ounces Sorrento® Mozzarella, grated
3 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
Butter one side of each slice of bread. Sprinkle cheese evenly over four unbuttered bread surfaces and place the other four slices on top, buttered side up.
Preheat grill to medium-high. Brush grill rack with oil and place sandwiches on grill and cook for about 2 minutes, (check frequently) or until the undersides are golden brown. Press sandwiches with spatula to flatten just a little, then flip and cook for another minute, or until the cheese has melted completely.
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