# Let the flames begin!!



## kimmie (Mar 13, 2001)

May being National Grilling Month, what better time than now to spotlight your hottest grilling and barbecuing recipes.

Let me start with: 
Flank Steak Fajitas on the Grill
(makes 4 to 6 servings)

The Mexican restaurant favorite is exceedingly easy to make-and exceptionally delicious when grilled. The quick cooking, followed by thin slicing across the grain, brings tenderness to a chewy, less expensive cut of beef. 

1 1/2 pounds flank steak
1 teaspoon mild to medium-hot pure chile powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
salt
black pepper
2 red, yellow, or green bell peppers, quartered, stemmed, and seeded
1 yellow or red onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
12 corn tortillas
2 limes, cut into wedges

Preheat the grill.

Meanwhile, trim any excess fat or connective tissue from the surface of the steak. Put the steak in a large, shallow container and sprinkle it on both sides with the chile powder, cumin, and salt and black pepper to taste. Add the bell pepper quarters to the dish. Insert two or three sturdy wooden toothpicks sideways into each onion slice to secure the rings, then add the onions to the dish. Drizzle the olive oil evenly all over both sides of the steak, peppers, and onions. Set aside.

Carefully oil the grill rack. Add the steak, bell pepper quarters, and onions. Grill the vegetables until they are tender and nicely browned on both sides, even slightly charred, 8 to 10 minutes total. Remove them to a clean serving dish and cover them with foil while the steak continues grilling. Cook the steak, turning once, until done to your liking, 15 to 17 minutes for medium. Remove the steak from the grill to a cutting board and cover it with foil to keep warm. Warm the tortillas on the grill, turning them once, just until they soften and give off an aroma of corn. Remove them from the grill when they are done, stacking them on a plate and covering them with foil.

In the kitchen, quickly squeeze a couple of wedges of lime all over the steak. With a sharp knife, cut the steak across the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Remove the toothpicks from the onion slices and cut each slice in half. Cut the peppers into 1/4-inch-thick strips. Toss the steak strips and the vegetables together and serve, passing the fajita mixture and the tortillas for guests to make their own soft tacos.

Quick tips & variations:

* Any other thin cuts of steak, such as top round or London broil, may be used in place of the flank steak.
* If you don't want to go to the trouble of making your own guacamole or salsa to go with, substitute your favorite fresh or bottled tomato salsa or hot chile sauce, along with slices of firm but ripe Hass avocado.
* For further embellishments, offer shredded lettuce, shredded cheddar or Jack cheese, and fresh cilantro.
Excerpt from The Quick Grill Artist : Fast and Fabulous Recipes for Cooking With Fire, Norman Kolpas; publisher: Clarkson Potter, ISBN 0609609513, April 30, 2002.


----------



## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Barbecued Ribs, Phil Style

As with any barbecue recipe, this is still in progress towards nirvana. You'll see some herb mixes in this recipe. I use my own mixes, but any salt free commercial blend should work well. The Mrs. Dash is just a good blend. I have a duplicate recipe for that too... As for the lemonade mix, the citric acid activates the flavor of the anatto and the lemon flavor is nice. You may need more than one batch but it freezes well.

1/4 cup ground sumac
1/4 cup paprika
2 tablespoon ground anatto
1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash, measure first, then grind fine
1 teaspoon italian seasoning mix, measure first, then grind fine
2 tablespoons ground black peper
1 tablespoon lemonade mix
1 teaspoon cocoa powder (not drink mix)
1/2-3/4 cup turbinado sugar to taste
1-2 teaspoon cajun seasoning to taste, for fire and savory lilt
1 tablespoon salt
1/4-3/8 teaspoon smoke powder if you don't have access to real smoke. Optional

Two slabs pork spareribs
dijon mustard as needed, probably about 1 1/2 cups
liquiid smoke if you don't have real smoke available

Grind any coarse items, such as
the Mrs. Dash, pepper and so on. Also break up clumps in the paprika or anatto or anything else before mixing. It helps to grind the turbinado sugar. Otherwise the ribs can occasionally have a grainy crust instead of a fine crust.

Peel off the silverskin. Trim the ribs. This means the small floppy end that would otherwise overcook, the flap on the silverskin side of the ribs and the cartilaginous base of the ribs. I also cut my ribs in half after trimming so they are easier to handle and fit in my smoker better.

Lay out some plastic wrap large enough to hold a slab of ribs.
Put a rib on the wrap. Rub lightly with rub mix. Paint with mustard (and smoke if needed). Sprinkle on a more serious layer of rub. Flip over and repeat on the other side. Be sure to do the edges too. Wrap and refrigerate overnight. Repeat with other ribs and scraps too if you wish.

When you refrigerate these, they will ooze and leak. Place them in a rimmed tray to prevent messes.

Pre-soak your wood chips for real smoke flavor. Fire up your smoker. When at heat, add the chips as appropriate to your smoker and put the ribs on the cooking grate. 

Go mix up the baste or have it already made.

Basting Spray Recipe

some more rub, at least 2 tablespoons. 
1 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup liquid applie juice concentrate
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
juice of 1 lemon and the rest of it too
1 1/2 tablespoons ground black pepper
1 tablespoon salt (optional)
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon cayenne

Combine in a sauce pan and heat to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Don't forget to throw the rest of the lemon into the sauce after you juice it. Let cool a bit and strain well. Pour into a spray bottle. Be sure the bottle is clean and never used for anything else. If you don't strain it well, you'll jam up the sprayer. 

Spray ribs every hour. 

Cook ribs, replenishing wood chips as needed. If you're cooking low and slow in the true barbecue fashion, that's about 6-8 hours in the smoker. No need for fake smoke there. 

You can also do pretty good ones on a gas or charcoal grill with a low and indirect fire. Put your smoker box or foil smoker packets on the hot side, ribs on the cool side. These cook faster than in the smoker. Not as smoky either.

When you remove them, wrap in foil and let steam and rest in a sealed paper sack for 30 minutes to an hour. This helps their texture and moistness and they keep pretty warm in there.


----------



## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Also called Beer Can Chicken. Well, I don't drink, but many carbonated beverages work well: ginger ale, lemon-lime, orange, colas and such. Before attempting this, make sure your grill has the headroom for an upright chicken.

1 whole chicken, about 3 pounds
2 tablespoons of the BBQ rub mix in my above post (or one you like)
1 teaspoon ground sage
1 teaspoon thyme
1 12 oz. can of desired beverage. size matters or it won't stand up right

Combine the rub, thyme and sage. Prep the chicken (rinse, dry). Drink or pour out half the beverage. Rub the bird with spice mix on the skin, under the skin and in the cavity. Pour the extra into the can. With a church key style can opener, poke new holes around the lid of the beverage can.

Heat the grill for indirect cooking on medium; ready some wood chips for smoking. With the chicken upright, insert the can, open end first into the chicken's cavity, just like it was a vertical roasting rack, which it now is.

Put a drip pan or a foil pan underneath the grate on the indirect side of the grill The chicken will lose lots of fat from the skin and it makes a nasty flare-up mess for the next use if you don't catch it all now. Stand the chicken up on the cooking grate moviing the legs around to create a stable tripod with the can as the third leg.

You'll probably need to rotate the chicken 180 degrees every 20-30 minutes for even cooking. 

Very tasty and moist. Better the first time, not as left overs.

Phil


----------



## isa (Apr 4, 2000)

I have to ask Kimmie do you have a BBQ? :lips:


----------



## marmalady (Apr 19, 2001)

Oh, darn, Kimmie - I thought you were starting a flame war!:lol:


----------



## pongi (Jan 11, 2002)

Can't say if this traditional barbecue recipe from Sicily could be admitted in the American Barbecue Kingdom...but these "Braciolette" (it's a regional term as they're not chops as you could think, but meat rolls) are absolutely yummy and I strongly recommend them to you!

Ingredients (serve about 6)
700-800 gr rump of veal, cut in very thin slices (as we do for the "Carpaccio" that you surely know)
100 gr breadcrumbs
150 gr Pecorino Stagionato (the matured one, which can be grated like Parmesan)
1-2 cloves garlic, according to your taste
1 handful fresh flat leaved parsley
Extravergine olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Grate the Pecorino and chop very finely the garlic and parsley (or process them together in a blender). Add the breadcrumbs and season with salt and pepper.
Brush some oil on the meat slices and roll them in the Pecorino-breadcrumbs mix until they're coated on both sides. Roll them up, cut in 1-1 1/2 inch pieces and skewer them. Grill or barbecue the skewers (3-4 mins each side) and serve hot, generously sprinkled with lemon juice.

Important: don't substitute the Pecorino Stagionato with any other cheese! The absolutely special taste of this recipe comes almost entirely from the piquancy and the flavour of Pecorino... :lips: 

Pongi


----------



## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Sounds good Pongi. Might be interesting to try with pork too. Maybe with a little fresh sage mixed in wtih the parsley. Have to add that to my list of things to try.

Phil


----------



## kimmie (Mar 13, 2001)

No BBQ Isa, I use a heavy grill pan on the stove with the air vent at full blast! 

Funny Marm, that would be fun though!


----------



## peachcreek (Sep 21, 2001)

Since my wife is a longtime vegetarian, I bbq a lot of different veggies. Whole corn on the cob I remove the outermost leaves and soak in water for a minute and throw it over direct coals. I soak whole garlic till the paper is a little soggy, then bbq it over indirect heat. BBQing whole peppers is a cinch and doesn't take too long. Firm Roma tomatoes I cut in half lengthwise, remove seeds and bbq over indirect heat, occasionally pouring the juice off as it collects in the tomato. I will soak mushrooms, eggplant, zuchinni or any other firm veggie in a low oil, low sugar marinade so they attain the correct looking grill markings. I haven't tried bbqing firm tofu, but I am sure it would be great. I also marinade and bbq pineapple, melons and bananas. Go figure!


----------



## kimmie (Mar 13, 2001)

Food & Wine (June 2002) is dedicated to grilling.

You will read about the typical dishes from India, China, Japan, Thailand, Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia, along with their respective techniques and key ingredients.

There's also a fact sheet about grill-friendly wines.


----------



## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

In a couple of weeks when the temp is over 100 at dinner time we grill everything outside as not to heat up the house. My familys' favorite, pizza. 
We also like inch thick lenghtwise slices of eggplant grilled,thick garden tomatoes, thick portabella mush. As you pull off the grill place a slice of mozzarella over the eggplant,then tomato, some ricotta and basil , top with the mush. drizzle with olive oil and balsamic. course the basil and the tomatoes are directly from the garden. My son calls this vegie lasagne


----------



## kimmie (Mar 13, 2001)

Grilled Vegetable Antipasto with Braised Garlic Bread
(1 large appetizer plate for 4 to 6 people)

Assembling this antipasto is a lot of fun. Braise the garlic ahead of time, then plan to start cooking this as your guests arrive and let them view all the colors, shapes, and sizes on the grill. It really looks beautiful. Fresh mozzarella or hard provolone makes a smart addition, and adding prosciutto can transform it into a great summer entrée. It's a dish that can sit on a table where people help themselves, and it also makes great leftovers.

8 tablespoons good olive oil 
2 garlic cloves, unpeeled 
1 summer squash 
1 zucchini 
1 yellow onion 
1 red onion 
1 red bell pepper 
1 green bell pepper 
10 medium mushrooms 
Salad oil for rub 
Salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste 
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 
8 sun-dried tomatoes 
1 cup black olives 
2 tablespoons capers 
4 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
French or Italian bread

To braise the garlic:
Put 3 tablespoons of the olive oil with the garlic, wrap in foil, and cook in a medium oven (300 F) for 1/2 hour. The garlic should easily squeeze out of its skin, after which you mix it with the oil in which it was cooked to make a paste. Now you are ready to grill the vegetables.

To prepare the vegetables:
1. Slice the squash and zucchini into 1/4-inch rounds.

2. Cut the onions into quarters.

3. Cut the peppers in half and clean out the seeds and membranes.

4. Rub all the vegetables lightly with the salad oil, sprinkle them lightly with salt and pepper to taste, and grill over high heat.

What you are looking for here is color. With the exception of the onion, all of the vegetables will be cooked properly when the color is right. It's actually fine to have some black parts, because that's the sugar in the vegetables caramelizing, but what you are looking for is really a dark golden brown. Don't overcook them, since you'll want to retain some crispness/ rawness in the vegetables to provide texture.

The onions require special care: Keep them in quarters and grill them well on the cut sides so that when they are removed from the grill and separated, each piece will have some edges with color and grilled flavor

5. When the vegetables have achieved the desired state, toss them in balsamic vinegar and 5 tablespoons of the olive oil and arrange them on a platter along with the tomatoes, olives, and capers. Just before serving, squeeze the lemon juice over everything.

6. Cut 4 to 6 chunks of Italian or French bread. If the grill is hot, toast lightly. Be careful, as bread burns easily over an open grill. If the grill is not hot, use the oven to toast the bread. Spread with garlic paste, add to the platter with vegetables, and chomp.

Excerpt from _The Thrill of the Grill_, Chris Schlesinger


----------



## kimmie (Mar 13, 2001)

Here's a wonderful website www.thesmokering.com/
and a fun article from The Boston Globe

Happy Memorial Day to all! :lips:


----------



## kimmie (Mar 13, 2001)

A Rib-Eye in G (for Grilling) Flat

A spatula-wielding father can always use a new grilling gadget like this steak weight, left, which prevents meat from curling and helps it cook faster. The rectangle of chrome-plated steel, 4 1/2 by 9 inches and just right for a generous strip or rib-eye steak, weighs nearly three pounds. It's terrific to flatten a butterflied chicken on the grill or for Tuscan chicken "al mattone" (under a brick) in a skillet. The weight, made by Vollrath, is $15.70 plus shipping from www.nextdaygourmet.com Express delivery for Father's Day is available.

(NY Times June 12, 2002)


----------



## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

To my knowledge steakweights are used to keep bacon flattened; the device prevents curling.


----------

