Summer Grill

Spice Up Your Meals With Magnificent Marinades

by Bruce Beaty

If June is the month that jump-starts outdoor grilling and entertaining, then July is the month that turbo-charges it. There is surely no bigger grilling day than July 4th and   I will probably not cook another “proper” meal indoors until October.  I thought that it might be helpful to give a grill primer with tips for proper grilling, along with some recipes for quick, versatile sauces, salsas and relishes to accompany just about anything you might wish to cook outdoors this summer. 

The first thing to consider is whether to use a charcoal or gas grill. Each has its advantages. One benefit of a charcoal grill is that, along with being much cheaper than a gas grill, food simply tastes better over charcoal. By charcoal, I am referring to hardwood lump charcoal, not pre-soaked briquettes treated with chemicals that can lend an undesirable aftertaste to foods. (Electric fire-starters or natural fire starters are a much better option than lighter fluid.) One disadvantage to grilling over charcoal is that the fire must be lit well enough in advance to allow it to burn down until the coals are covered with white ash, about 45 minutes. One common mistake when charcoal grilling is cooking over a fire that is still too hot. A good rule of thumb about when your grill is ready is if you can hold your hand 5 inches over the coals for 5 seconds, it has burned down long enough. It is also harder to control the temperature of a charcoal grill . 

The obvious advantages of a gas grill are convenience and temperature control. There is something to be said for turning a knob and grilling 10 minutes later, and turning it off and not worrying about setting your block on fire. The drawback of gas is that, unlike cooking over wood, it imparts nothing to the flavor of foods. You don’t get any of that smoky depth-of-flavor that you do with wood. Nor do you experience the thrill of setting something on fire, which most guys seem powerless to resist.

Another important aspect when grilling is to avoid cooking larger cuts of meat or chicken over direct, high heat, as they will become over-charred before they are cooked to the desired doneness. Anything that will be cooked more than about 15 minutes should be cooked over a cooler part of the grill. This is accomplished on a charcoal grill by pushing the coals to one side of the grill, and cooking the meat over the other. 

The following recipes will enhance your summer arsenal nicely and are great alternatives to store-bought barbecue sauces, marinades and relishes. Following each recipe is a recommendation for what to serve it with, but it can be fun to offer several sauces and condiments at a barbecue and let guests choose their own.      

I’ve included a recipe for simply grilled skirt steaks, which you could serve with  several of the included sauces.      

SIMPLY GRILLED SKIRT STEAKS
Makes 6 main course

3 pounds trimmed skirt steaks
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
Canola oil for oiling grill grate
Any marinade, if using any 

If marinating the steaks, follow the recipe and then proceed as follows.

Light a grill to high. Season the steaks well with salt and pepper. Lightly oil the grill grate and grill the steaks, uncovered for about 3-4 minutes a side for medium rare. Press the steak firmly with your finger, if it feels like you are pressing your cheek, it’s rare, if it feels like the soft part of the end of your nose , it’s medium rare, if it feels like your forehead, it’s well done.

Remove steak to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes, then slice against the grain and serve on a platter with any sauces, salsas, favorite sides, salads or vegetables you like. 

ARGENTINIAN CHIMICHURRI SAUCE
Makes 1 ½ cups, enough for 6-8 servings

Chimichurri is absolutely required for Argentinian beef BBQ, called asado. But don’t limit it to beef, serve it with any broiled or grilled meat, poultry or assertive fish, such as swordfish, tuna or mahimahi. It also makes a nice salad dressing. 

¾ cup very good virgin olive oil
¼ cup plus 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar 
2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped 
2 tablespoons shallot or red onion,  very finely chopped
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¾ cup chopped flat leaf Italian parsley
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped chives
Fine sea salt to taste 

Place all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk together.  Serve in a sauceboat at the table to put on grilled foods. 

MANGO- CHILI-LIME SALSA
Serves 6 main courses

For grilled mahimahi, swordfish, salmon, striped bass, tilapia, shrimp or pork 

3 ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted and cut into small dice ( 2 ¼ cups)
3 tablespoons  finely diced red onion
1/3 red thai chili . with seeds, finely chopped 
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice 3 tablespoons virgin olive oil
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt ( or to taste)
¼  teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Place all of the ingredients in a stainless bowl and stir gently to mix, let sit for 45 minutes to blend flavors. If making ahead ,add the herbs just before serving. Spoon over grilled fish and serve.      

LEMON-GARLIC-THYME MARINADE
Makes 1 ½ cups, 6-8 main courses

For steak, pork, chicken or shrimp 

7 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
1 ½  tablespoons  finely minced shallot
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme
¾ cup plus 1 tablespoons virgin olive oil
1 cup fresh lemon juice
Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a bowl and whisk. Pour enough marinade over meat to lightly marinate. Marinate for 30 minutes, turn and marinate another 30 minutes. Shrimp should marinate for 30 minutes only.  Remove excess marinade before grilling, and serve remaining marinade at the table to sauce meat or shrimp.   

ASIAN GINGER-SOY-SESAME MARINADE
Makes marinade for 6 main courses

Similar to Korean BBQ marinade. Great for pork, steak, short ribs or chicken   

2/3 cup water
6 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons lime juice
½ red Thai chili, very finely chopped with seeds
1 tablespoon soy sauce
¼ cup canola oil
2/3 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce ,available at Asian markets or supermarket
¼ red onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger 

Boil water and sugar to dissolve, place in a bowl and when cool add remaining ingredients. Marinate meat for 3 to 4 hours, scraping off excess marinade before grilling.

IMPORTANT. Be sure to slice the meat to be marinated and grilled no more than ½ inch thick, or the marinade will burn.

NICOISE OLIVE AND BASIL BUTTER
Makes plenty for 6 servings, with leftover

This fabulous butter is a revelation when melted over grilled fish such as salmon, swordfish, tuna, halibut etc. A dollop over grilled lamb is like a taste of Provence. 

¾ cup pitted Nicoise olives
1 large clove garlic, smashed with the side of a large knife
1 salt packed anchovy, finely chopped ( optional)
6 tablespoons ( ¾ of a stick) unsalted sweet butter, softened at room temperature
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 shallot, finely chopped
4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
Freshly ground pepper to taste 

Chop the olives, garlic and anchovy in a food processor, scraping down the sides until very finely chopped add the butter and lemon juice and process until smooth. Remove to a bowl and stir in the basil and shallots and season with pepper. It should not need salt. Serve this or any compound butter at room temperature.  Allow guests to spoon a dollop over grilled or broiled foods.