Now that you are all alone, just douse the fire and pay attention. Here are some tips to help get your grill grove on.
First of wear comfortable clothes for the grilling will make you hot. Natural fibers and breezy shirts are the way to go, avoid flowing sleeves unless you want the Joan of Arc thing...but we much rather you flame here than in person.
Start with a good grill, a good grill is the ticket for well cooked food. You don't want the poached look. If you use gas use 15 thousand or 20 thousand BTUs. If you use coals, mound them into a hot section and a medium heat section. Here are some recipes to try.
3/4 cup olive oil
6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 ancho chile, coarsely chopped
1 New Mexican chile, coarsely chopped
1 lime, zested and coarsely chopped
1 pound flank steak
Salt and freshly ground pepper
12 (6-inch) flour tortillas
1 pound white cheddar, coarsely grated
Grilled Onions, recipe follows
8 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
Ancho chile powder
Wild Mushroom Relish, recipe follows
Chopped cilantro
Roasted Red Pepper Sauce, recipe follows
Combine oil, garlic, chiles, and lime zest in a large shallow baking dish. Add steak and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Preheat grill or grill pan over high heat. Remove steak from marinade, season with salt and pepper and grill for 2 to 3 minutes on either side until golden brown and cooked to medium-rare doneness. Let rest 5 minutes and slice on the bias into 1/2 inch thick slices. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place 8 tortillas on a flat work surface. Top each tortilla with 2 ounces of the cheddar. Divide the onions and steak over the cheese. Crumble 1 ounce of the blue cheese on top of the steak. Stack the tortillas to make 4 (2-layer) quesadillas and top each with the remaining tortillas. Brush the tops with olive oil and sprinkle with about 1/2 teaspoon of ancho chile powder. Carefully transfer the quesadillas to a baking sheet and bake in the oven until golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 5 to 7 minutes. Serve each with a large dollop of the Mushroom Relish on top and garnish with chopped cilantro and Roasted Red Pepper Sauce.
Grilled Onions:
Olive oil
2 red onions, peeled and thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
Wild Mushroom Relish:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds mushrooms (cremini, shiitake, oyster) coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
For the grilled onions: Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper and cook until soft and caramelized, about 25 to 30 minutes. For the wild mushroom relish: Heat oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until golden brown. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until completely reduced. Stir in the vinegar, thyme and parsley and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Roasted Red Pepper Sauce:
2 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons chopped red onion
2 teaspoons chipotle puree
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons honey
3/4 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Place peppers, onion, chipotle, lime juice and honey in a blender and blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the oil and blend until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Wild Mushroom Relish:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds mushrooms (cremini, shiitake, oyster) coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Heat oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until golden brown. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until completely reduced. Stir in the vinegar, thyme and parsley and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Kosher salt for its complex flavor,freshly ground coarse black pepper, which has a certain kicky flavor imparted from the oil in the peppercorns, extra-virgin olive oil. A well-stocked grilling pantry should also have Worcestershire sauce, a variety of mustards, and fresh garlic in addition to a well-rounded spice rack. For international flavor, throw in fish sauce, chili oil, and sriracha, etc.
Useful for hamburgers, too, a wide spatula can turn the whole fish while keeping it intact. I suggest for those who want to be more adventurous with the grilling to start with vegetables. Go to a farmer's market and don't be shy to purchase new things. Try it all out. Zucchini, yellow squash, Roma tomatoes, beefsteak tomatoes, leeks, onions, eggplant,—slice 'em up, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Texas Signature Steak Rub
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons granulated garlic
- 2 tablespoons chipotle powder
- 1/3 cup hickory smoke seasoning
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup dark chili powder
- 2 tablespoons ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons cumin powder
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/4 cup Hungarian paprika
Preparation
Mix all ingredients together thoroughly. Generously rub on steaks and grill away. 1 pound ground beef
Garlic salt and black pepper
4 hamburger buns
Mustard
Mayonnaise
Ketchup
1 whole tomato, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
Dill pickles, as many as desired
1 head lettuce, shredded
4 slices American or Swiss cheese
Preheat a grill or a griddle. Divide the ground beef to 4 (4-ounce) patties. Each portion of the beef should be hand patted. Cook on the grill or griddle until the meat is done to your liking. Season with garlic salt and black pepper. Toast the bun on the grill or griddle and dress it up with mustard, mayonnaise, and ketchup. Put the vegetables and cheese over burger.
Heaven!
/4 cup olive oil
6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 ancho chile, coarsely chopped
1 New Mexican chile, coarsely chopped
1 lime, zested and coarsely chopped
1 pound flank steak
Salt and freshly ground pepper
12 (6-inch) flour tortillas
1 pound white cheddar, coarsely grated
Grilled Onions, recipe follows
8 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
Ancho chile powder
Wild Mushroom Relish, recipe follows
Chopped cilantro
Roasted Red Pepper Sauce, recipe follows
Combine oil, garlic, chiles, and lime zest in a large shallow baking dish. Add steak and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Preheat grill or grill pan over high heat. Remove steak from marinade, season with salt and pepper and grill for 2 to 3 minutes on either side until golden brown and cooked to medium-rare doneness. Let rest 5 minutes and slice on the bias into 1/2 inch thick slices. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place 8 tortillas on a flat work surface. Top each tortilla with 2 ounces of the cheddar. Divide the onions and steak over the cheese. Crumble 1 ounce of the blue cheese on top of the steak. Stack the tortillas to make 4 (2-layer) quesadillas and top each with the remaining tortillas. Brush the tops with olive oil and sprinkle with about 1/2 teaspoon of ancho chile powder. Carefully transfer the quesadillas to a baking sheet and bake in the oven until golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 5 to 7 minutes. Serve each with a large dollop of the Mushroom Relish on top and garnish with chopped cilantro and Roasted Red Pepper Sauce.
Grilled Onions:
Olive oil
2 red onions, peeled and thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
Wild Mushroom Relish:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds mushrooms (cremini, shiitake, oyster) coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
For the grilled onions: Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper and cook until soft and caramelized, about 25 to 30 minutes. For the wild mushroom relish: Heat oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until golden brown. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until completely reduced. Stir in the vinegar, thyme and parsley and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Roasted Red Pepper Sauce:
2 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons chopped red onion
2 teaspoons chipotle puree
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons honey
3/4 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Place peppers, onion, chipotle, lime juice and honey in a blender and blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the oil and blend until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Wild Mushroom Relish:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds mushrooms (cremini, shiitake, oyster) coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Heat oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until golden brown. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until completely reduced. Stir in the vinegar, thyme and parsley and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Feel the Heat
Light coals about 30 minutes in advance of cooking time. To determine if the coals are ready, hold your palm five inches over the fire. If you can hold it there for two to three seconds, the fire is hot; if you can stand four to five seconds, the fire is medium; and tolerating a full six seconds means the fire is low.
Stop the Stick
Use high heat--and patience--to prevent food from sticking to the grill. "A lot of guys think that grilling means turning everything 40 times," says Flay. "I use really high heat, turn it once and let a nice crust form. It sears in the flavor and keeps food from sticking." Repeated turning cools the meat so that it steams instead of searing.
Cook Ahead
To speed up grilling time, partially pre-cook chicken, spare ribs, potatoes, carrots and other slow-cooking food in the oven or microwave.
Fallout Solutions
When using skewers, cut food into chunks that are too large to fall through the grate. Or grill foods whole, then cut them before serving.
Give Up the Gadgets
"Forget the bells and whistles and keep your equipment simple," says Flay. All that's required are a strong pair of tongs, a sturdy spatula, some heavy-duty potholders or mitts and a strong wire scraper.
Climate Control
If you need more than one cooking temperature, mound some coals on one side to create a hot section and spread coals out on the other side for a cooler section. Other ways to control heat are to raise and lower the grill rack. The closer the rack is to the fire, the hotter it will be. And opening vents will raise heat, while closing them will lower it.
Avoid Overgrill
Brush the foods you are grilling with sauces during the last 20 minutes of cooking to prevent overbrowning or burning.
Quick Cleanup
"Before you shut your grill off, brush it when it's still hot and all the crusts will come away and burn in the coals," instructs Flay. He recommends a good quality grill brush with metal bristles to scrape the grate clean.
Happy Grilling!
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