It’s Memorial Day – Lets go outside
This year is flying by! We’re up to the holiday that starts summer
and prompts chefs in the Frost Belt to dust off their grills. Not a bad time,
either, for those who can cook out all year to give their equipment a check-up.
Truth is backyard grills should be cleaned before and after each use the same
as indoor ones areI use a layer of tiles then lava
rocks in my gas grill, and I like to put all new ones in each year. Every few
months, depending on use and yard dust, I change the top layer to get rid of
any accumulated grease that can cause flare-ups. Charcoal is fresh each time,
but it’s important to clean out the ashes after each use. The ashes attract
moisture that promotes rust and causes a cement-like crust to form in the basin
which inhibits new fires. Be sure to dump the ashes away from anything
flammable, because tiny embers can live in them for hours. Flare-ups are less
of a concern with charcoal, unless the rack is dirty. In both types of
grilling, fragments of meat and fat stick to the rack clogging it. These
charred bits can adhere to the fresh meat, giving it a burnt, bitter taste, or
can fall into the fire prompting a flare-up. Not only are flare-ups fire
hazards and can ruin a meal, but their smoke carries carcinogens. This gave
grilling, generally, a bad rep several years ago until it was proven that clean
grills are no threat. So take care of one, eliminate the other.
Cleaning a rack isn’t hard. All
it requires are a grill mitt, tongs and a wire brush. For gas grills, you turn
the flame to high and close the cover for 5 to 10 mins., depending on the need.
If you don’t have a cover, a disposable foil pan will do. Then, using the
tongs, remove the rack, hold it on end with the mitt and scrape it with the
wire brush. For charcoal grills, you leave the rack in place as the coals burn
high, then, as they turn grey, just before you begin to cook you clean the rack
as for a gas grill. In difficult cases, you may have to repeat the process a
couple of times, or get a new rack. One way to make the task easier is to trim
the meat well before cooking, and buy leaner cuts. Just a note: the leaner cuts
are usually less expensive. Save money and save labor–sounds good!
Once the rack is clean, to
prevent meat from sticking, using tongs, you can swipe it with an oil dipped
paper towel. For items which can slip through the rack as they cook, I have
grill baskets, which I lightly spray with oil instead. There’s a flat
rectangular one for delicate foods like fish, eggplant and pineapple rings and
a shoe-box shaped one for vegetables, which are added in the order of the time
they need to cook.
So now, let’s turn to actual
cooking. To clarify terms: Grilling is cooking a smaller item, quickly, on both
sides over high heat, openly. Barbequing is slow cooking a larger cut over a
low fire for hours, usually covered. The term Jerk is associated with a rub of
Caribbean spices but is actually a method of grilling where the pieces of meat
are yanked across the grill rack, flipping them to turn. Pulled applies to meat
that is so well done, it can be easily separated with two forks.
There are several ways you can
alter the taste of food by changing the fire. Charcoal imparts a different
flavor than gas. In fact, it’s considered a flavor in itself. Mesquite charcoal
is spicier and burns hotter. Soaking wood chips, cedar, hickory, apple, for
example, and adding them to the briquettes, or putting them on top of the gas
coals in a foil packet changes the flavor of the meat by affecting the smoke. I
recently gifted a relative with a sample pack of planks, and his response has
me wanting some for myself. A word of caution, though, if you want to get
planks, make sure they’re intended for food preparation with no pesticides or
preservatives. Don’t go to a lumberyard! Saving the stems from herbs you have
used either by drying or freezing, and throwing them on the fire as you grill
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The flavorings we are most
familiar with, however, are those we add to food before, during and after
cooking. Before cooking, rubs, which are dry mixtures of herbs, spices and salt
are applied to meat to season it. If oil is added to the rub, it becomes a
paste. When applied shortly before cooking, rubs and pastes are just a
seasoning, but left on for longer periods they become a cure and are especially
suited to fattier cuts. They usually remain on during cooking. Brines are
simple solutions of water, salt and sugar used to soak meat before cooking to
keep it moist, then discarded. Marinades are also applied before cooking.
Marinades are liquids, containing salt, oil, and/or herbs and/or spices and/or
aromatics such as garlic and onion, perhaps condiments like mustard and
Worchestershire, and an acidic fluid such as wine, beer, wine or cider vinegar
or citrus juice. Again, if the food is immersed in the marinade for only a
short time before cooking, it’s a seasoning, but for longer periods, the acid
breaks down the fibers in the meat and it becomes a tenderizer.
A marinade, often with the
addition of more oil or butter, or fruit juice for those wanting less fat, can
also act as a basting, and be applied frequently to the food for added flavor
as it cooks. Mops are like bastings swabbed on as meat cooks, but are thinner
liquids based on beer, wine, coffee or vinegar and minimal sugar, because sugar
burns easily and mops are used for slow grilling of larger cuts of meat. Glazes
are thicker, with high sugar content, added toward the end of cooking to give
food a glossy, sweet crust. Grill Pans are recommended, especially with foods
requiring longer cooking times, when using bastings.
Finishings include herb butters,
salsas, sauces and gravies, even barbeque sauce. They are intended to heighten
taste of the finished dish by complimenting it or contrasting to it in flavor,
texture and/or temperature. Extra marinade can also be a finishing, but don’t
serve it without first bringing it to a boil.
I often use left-over marinade as part of the liquid called for in
making a side like rice or couscous. NEVER eat any substance that has been used
to treat raw meat without first cooking it.
There are many commercial rubs,
marinades and finishings on the market, with different ethnic flavorings,
Jamaican, Cajon, East Indian, and South Western to name a few. If you’re
looking for a starting place, this is a good one. Just pick your preference. On
the other hand, if you’re more cautious, use a vinaigrette salad dressing you
know you like, as a quick marinade and/or basting. In a pinch, I’ve successfully used both
French and Caesar dressings, but don’t pick one with a lot of sugar. It’s apt
to burn on the food. Check the label on the bottle.
If you want to start from
scratch, choose herbs compatible with the food you’re cooking. There’s a chart
for free download on my book web site dinnerswithjoy.com. Most marinades
contain a ratio of 2 to 3 Tbs. of the acidic component, depending on its
strength, to ½ cup oil. The oil should be one with a high smoke point and
little taste, like canola. The aromatics are your choice, whatever seems to
suit the character of the dish you’re creating. Just be sure everything is well
mixed. You don’t want any globs falling onto the coals or sticking to the food.
Above all, always remember the
main point of outdoor grilling is to enjoy the cooking experience, enjoy the
food, enjoy the company and to, well, to be outdoors. Happy Memorial Day and
here’s to a wonderful summer ahead!
