Good Food
Published August, 2007

The Thrill of the Grill

By LARRY KANE

Last month I waxed poetic about barbeque. You know, “Low and slow is the way to go,” the mantra of rib, butt and pig roasters. This month I would like to discuss grilling over an open flame. I guess that this motto would be “High and hot is what you got.” (I made that up myself. Whatever.)

When you fire up your gas grill, or get your Weber set up for direct cooking, what do you then do? Let’s explore that. First: prepare your fire. The two-tier grilling method calls for having a hot part of your grill, and a cool part, as well. For a charcoal grill, that means banking your briquettes against one side. On a gas grill, have one side on high heat and another area on very low heat. This method allows you to move food around, searing some pieces while allowing others to simmer and mellow.

What composes a meal? You need a center of the plate protein, like beef, pork, chicken or fish, although vegetarians would dispute that. They’re correct. A vegetable is necessary. Many vegetables are capable of being grilled, and for some veggies it is the best possible method of preparation. You also need a starch, like potato. There are plenty of starches that are not grill-able. You cannot cook pasta on the grill and the same with rice. Potatoes are very grill-able and there will be more on that later. Let us not forget fruit. Many fruits are able to be grilled, either as part of the main meal or as dessert.  So now we have a selection of things that can be successfully grilled, with satisfactory results.

Meats

Let’s deal with the money shots first. Proteins like chicken, beef and pork need to be prepared to be grilled. That means that they might need to be pounded for even thickness (as with boneless chicken breasts) so that they cook evenly. Or they may need to be marinated for a short period of time. Julia Child said that if food can only be marinated for five minutes, it is better than not being marinated at all. Further, if you cannot marinate the food, simply season it with a dry herb blend or spice rub. Check online for recipe suggestions. There is plenty of information available there. The rub recipe I gave you last month is very versatile.

If you use a barbeque sauce, be careful. Adding a tomato-based sauce over high heat will cause bitterness. It is best to add these sauces at the last minute, or even after the product has been removed from the heat. Grilling seafood like fish and shrimp is a little more delicate. I typically do not season fish prior to grilling. Spray it with oil to keep it from sticking and then top it with a fresh salsa as you plate it. Shrimp are easily abused on the grill. Use large shrimp to avoid overcooking them too quickly. Be careful if you marinate shrimp prior to grilling, as the acids in the marinade may toughen the shrimp. Rather, brush the shrimp with the marinade both during and after the cooking process.

Grilling Veggies

What can you grill?  So many vegetables, so little time. Let us start with corn. I have read many accounts of how to grill corn. Most of these methods make a simple job more difficult. Keep it simple: shuck the corn; remove the silk; spray with oil; place on the grill over the hot area. Watch carefully. You want most of the kernels to brown. The color of the rest of the kernels will alter from a dull yellow to a brighter yellow. Over a hot fire, an ear of corn will cook in about five to10 minutes. Allow it to cool briefly, then cut the kernels off using a serrated knife. Only salt and pepper are needed to finish this dish.
            Most other veggie preparations are similarly simple. Suggestions include zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, Vidalia onion, asparagus and tomato, to name a few. Just slice them fairly thickly, say one-half inch thick, then toss them in a large bowl with some good olive oil. Dump them from the bowl right onto the grill and arrange them using tongs into a single layer. This method is quick but brutal. Say goodbye to the pieces that fall through the grill grates. On a hot grill, as fast as you can turn them, they will be done. Just remove them to the same oiled bowl they came out of, then plate them and finish with a drizzle of more olive oil, or even better, good balsamic vinegar.
            For your starch, potatoes are the way to go. Foil packs are the simplest method. Using heavy duty aluminum foil, tear a piece about two feet long. Wash and cut some Yukon golds or russet potatoes into one-inch chunks; place them on one end of the foil sheet. Season and add some butter or oil. Add some fresh herbs, like chive or rosemary. Garlic or some kind of onion is also welcome. Fold the sheet over the potatoes and tightly crimp the edges so that steam will not escape. Put this package on the fire before cooking anything else. When the pack swells due to the steam, remove and leave it as is. Cook everything else, and later pop the pack back on the grill at the last minute just to heat through.

Dessert

Grilled fruit like pineapple, apples, bananas, peaches and oranges are a wonderful finish on a hot evening. Give them a quick marinade with some dark brown sugar and dark rum, or your favorite liqueur, and grill them just as you would vegetables. Plate them with some quality ice cream, and drizzle some of the reserved marinade over this, and your guests will think that Wolfgang Puck is in your kitchen.
            Grilled items are easily finished with a slice of compound butter. Variations are infinite, but here are two examples:

Herb Butter

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 TB olive oil
1 TB fresh basil, chopped
1 TB fresh oregano, chopped
dash of salt & pepper

Combine all ingredients thoroughly. Lay out a piece of waxed paper about 12 inches long. Dispense butter with a spatula shaping into a log about 4-5 inches long. Roll the paper around it and twist the ends, like a big tootsie roll. Freeze. When solid, label and keep in a freezer-grade zip-top bag. For use, remove from freezer and slice through the paper to yield ¼-inch thick slices. Remove paper from slices, and place butter on items as they come off the grill.

Sweet Orange Butter

One stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 TB orange zest, grated
1 TB orange liqueur
2 TB light brown sugar or honey

Follow same procedure as above. This goes well with grilled fruit.