5 dishes everyone should know how to grill
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By Steven Raichlen, The New York Times
Grilling may be the world’s oldest, most universal cooking method, but that doesn’t guarantee automatic success. Just ask the person who routinely burns the burgers or whose fish always sticks to the grate.
Suppose you’re a newcomer to the world of grilling or you just want a refresher. You don’t need to start with the thermodynamics of fire, the physics of fuels, the architecture of grills.
Focus instead on the basics and a handful of dishes to put into your summer rotation: a tender, juicy steak; grilled chicken breast that actually tastes interesting; pork chops that evoke the spice and smoky flavors of your favorite barbecue joint; juicy burgers safely cooked; and fish that easily release from the grate.
There are five methods of live-fire cooking: direct grilling, indirect, smoking, spit-roasting and on the embers, but direct grilling is the most universal. This means cooking tender, small or thin foods, like steaks or chops, directly over a hot fire. Don’t confuse it with barbecue, which uses low, slow heat away from the food to smoke things such as Texas brisket and Carolina pork shoulder.
How to Start and Heat a Grill
When using a charcoal grill, light the coals in a chimney starter. You’ll have glowing embers in 15 to 20 minutes, no oily lighter fluid required. When using a gas grill, be sure to have the lid open when you light it to prevent a potentially dangerous buildup of propane. Use that waiting time to marinate your steaks or apply a rub to pork.
Build a tiered fire to control the heat: Rake the coals into a thicker layer in the back of the grill (your searing zone) and a thinner layer in the center (your cooking zone), with no coals in the front third of the grill (your safety zone). On a gas grill, set one burner on high and one on medium, leaving the third burner off (your safety zone). If your grill lacks a third burner, use the warming rack as your safety zone. Control the heat — and the cooking — simply by moving the food between the hotter and cooler zones.
Begin With a Hot, Clean Grate
Clean hot grates with a stiff wire brush or wooden scraper (many people use the latter to avoid the slim but documented risk of ingesting a stray bristle). Oiling the grate minimizes sticking and gives you better grill marks. Use a paper towel folded into a tight pad, dipped in vegetable oil and drawn across the grate. Alternatively, use a chunk of bacon or steak fat, or half an onion impaled on a carving fork (a move that never fails to impress).
Cook Evenly and Accurately
Avoid overcrowding. Leave at least 1 inch between each piece of food for better heat circulation, and leave at least 25% of your grill grate free of food so you have room to maneuver and dodge flare-ups.
Use an instant-read meat thermometer to check for doneness. Insert it through the side of a burger or chicken breast, not through the top, to get an accurate reading.
Let the Meat Rest
Transfer your perfectly grilled steak or chop to a wire rack over a sheet pan (this keeps the bottom from getting soggy) or directly onto a platter or plates and let it rest for 1 minute before serving. This allows the meat to “relax” and the juices to redistribute, resulting in juicier, more tender meat.
If you know how to grill these five fail-proof dishes, you’ll have meals that look and taste great and make you look like a pro at the grill.
Contents
Recipe: Grilled Steak
By Steven Raichlen
Admit it: The one dish you really want to grill well is steak. The one steak you should know how to grill is skirt steak. Rich and beefy, it’s relatively affordable and quick to grill. When possible, buy the outside skirt (which comes from the diaphragm) as opposed to the tougher inside skirt (which comes from the transverse abdominal muscle). When in doubt, ask your butcher. Marinating the steak, even just briefly, allows it to soak up flavor while you light your grill.
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup bourbon
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 to 2 pounds skirt steaks
- Neutral oil, as needed
Preparation
1. Place the bourbon, maple syrup, soy sauce and pepper in a large baking dish; whisk to mix. Add the skirt steaks (cut in half if needed to fit) and turn a couple times to coat. Marinate the steaks at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes.
2. While the steaks marinate, light your grill and heat to high. Brush or scrape the grill grate clean. To oil your grate, fold a paper towel into a tight pad. Dip it in a small bowl of oil and, holding it at the end of your grill tongs, draw it over the bars of the grate.
3. Drain the skirt steaks well, saving the marinade to prepare an easy sauce, if desired (see Tip). Blot steaks dry with paper towels, then lightly drizzle them with oil on both sides.
4. Arrange the steaks diagonally on the grill grates. Grill for 1 1/2 minutes, then rotate each skirt steak a quarter turn and grill for another 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. (This gives the steaks a handsome crosshatch of grill marks and helps them cook more evenly.) If any flare-ups occur, move the steaks to a cooler section of the grill.
5. When the steaks are browned underneath and blood starts to bead on top, invert the steaks and grill the other side the same way. The total cooking time will be 3 minutes or so per side for medium-rare. (Insert the thermometer probe through the side of the steak; 135 degrees is ideal for medium-rare, 145 for medium and 155 for medium-well.)
6. Transfer the steaks to a platter or plates and let rest for 1 minute. Divide into 4 portions and serve at once.
Tip: If you’re feeling ambitious enough to make a sauce, reserve the marinade when you drain the steaks. Transfer it to a saucepan and boil until reduced by half, 3 to 6 minutes. Whisk in 2 tablespoons butter; season to taste with salt and pepper.
Recipe: Grilled Pork Chops
By Steven Raichlen
Pulled pork is one of the glories of American barbecue. Unfortunately, smoking a pork shoulder requires a smoker — and a substantial part of the day to cook. What if you could capture some of that sweet, salty, spicy flavor in pork chops that grill in mere minutes? You can, and it comes down to the pitmaster’s secret weapon: a rub. Four seasonings are all it takes to make a classic barbecue rub, and you may have all of them at hand in your kitchen: salt, pepper, paprika and brown sugar. For extra smokiness, use pimentón (Spanish smoked paprika). As for the pork chops, aim for 3/4- to 1-inch thick pieces that are as generously marbled as you can find.
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 teaspoons sweet or hot paprika (or pimentón)
- 2 packed teaspoons light or dark brown sugar
- 4 bone-in or boneless pork chops (each 3/4- to 1-inch thick)
- Neutral oil, as needed
Preparation
1. Mix the salt, pepper, paprika and brown sugar in a small bowl. Blot the pork chops dry with paper towels, then set on a sheet pan. Season on both sides with the spice rub, patting the seasonings into the meat with the flat of a fork. Lightly drizzle the chops with oil on both sides. Let sit at room temperature while you light the grill.
2. Light your grill and heat to high. (Note: If grilling pork chops that are thicker than 1 inch, heat the grill to medium-high so they have enough time on the grill to cook through without burning on the outside.) Brush or scrape the grill grate clean and oil it well: Fold a paper towel into a tight pad. Dip it in a small bowl of oil and, holding it at the end of your grill tongs, draw it over the bars of the grate.
3. Arrange the pork chops diagonally on the grill grates. Close the lid and grill for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, then rotate each chop a quarter turn and grill for another 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. (This gives the chops a handsome crosshatch of grill marks and helps them cook more evenly.) If any flare-ups occur, simply move the chops to a cooler section of the grill.
4. When the bottoms of the chops are browned, flip and grill the other side the same way, closing the grill again. The total cooking time will be 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium (about 145 degrees).
5. Transfer the chops to a platter or plates and let rest for 3 to 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe: Inside-Out Cheeseburgers
By Steven Raichlen
The perfect burger is every griller’s aspiration and challenge: luscious, smoky and charred on the outside, moist and tender on the inside. That ideal is a challenge, because cooking the burger to a safe internal temperature of 160 degrees, as recommended by the USDA, generally yields meat that many might consider overcooked. The solution involves turning a cheeseburger inside out: Instead of laying a slice of cheese on top, you fold grated cheese into the ground beef. The cheese melts, keeping the meat moist. The other secret is to choose a richly flavored ground beef (ideally from the chuck, or a mixture of chuck, short ribs and brisket) with a relatively high fat content (15% to 20%). For best results, don’t forget to grill the bun.
Yield: 4 burgers
Total time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chilled ground beef (ideally 15% to 20% fat)
- 8 ounces aged provolone, sharp cheddar or pepper jack, coarsely grated
- Neutral oil, as needed
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 brioche hamburger buns
- Condiments (such as mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, Sriracha, etc.)
- Lettuce leaves
- Sliced tomatoes
- Thinly sliced onions
- Sliced pickles
Preparation:
1. Combine the ground beef and cheese in a bowl and mix with a wooden spoon. Rinse your hands under cold water. Form the mixture into 4 burgers, each about 1 inch thick, and use your thumb to form a slight depression in the center of each. Place the burgers on a platter or small baking sheet lined with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to grill.
2. Light your grill and heat to high. Brush or scrape the grill grate clean. To oil your grate, fold a paper towel into a tight pad. Dip it in a small bowl of oil and, holding it at the end of your grill tongs, draw it over the bars of the grate.
3. Just before grilling, season the burgers on both sides with salt and pepper. Arrange the burgers on the grate, cover with grill lid and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes; then, using a metal spatula, rotate each burger a quarter turn (this will help them cook more evenly). Cook until sizzling and browned on the bottom, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes longer. Flip the burgers and cook the other side the same way, with lid closed. To test for doneness, insert the probe of an instant-read thermometer through the side of the burger; you’re looking for a safe temperature of 160 degrees.
4. Meanwhile, open the buns and toast the cut sides on the grill as well, about 1 minute. (Watch carefully.)
5. Assemble the burgers: Slather the buns with your favorite condiments. Place a lettuce leaf on the bottom. (This keeps the meat juices from making the bun soggy.) Add the burger, tomatoes, onions, pickles and, finally, the top bun.
Recipe: Grilled Chicken Breasts
By Steven Raichlen
Depending on your perspective, a chicken breast can be a bland protein requiring bold external seasonings to make it palatable — but it’s also a blank canvas awaiting your culinary creativity. Either way, it has the advantage of cooking quickly and the disadvantage of potentially drying out on the grill. Enter a simple olive oil, lemon and herb marinade, which adds flavor, keeps the bird moist and doubles as the sauce.
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 1/2 to 2 pounds)
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice plus 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup minced fresh, stemmed herbs (can include basil, rosemary, sage, tarragon, dill, cilantro and flat-leaf parsley or a mix)
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling the grill grate
Preparation
1. Arrange the chicken breasts in a baking dish just large enough to hold them in a single layer.
2. Make the marinade: Place the lemon juice and zest in a bowl and whisk in 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in the fresh herbs and olive oil. Correct the seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste. Set half the marinade aside for serving as sauce.
3. Pour the remaining mixture over the chicken breasts, turning to coat both sides. Marinate the chicken at room temperature while you light your grill.
4. Light your grill and heat to high. Brush or scrape the grill grate clean and oil it well: Fold a paper towel into a tight pad. Dip it in a small bowl of oil and, holding it at the end of your grill tongs, draw it over the bars of the grate.
5. Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade, shaking off any excess and discarding the used marinade. Arrange the chicken breasts diagonally on the grill grates, close the grill lid and grill the chicken for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, then give each breast a quarter turn and grill for another 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. (This gives the breasts a handsome crosshatch of grill marks and helps them cook more evenly.) If any flare-ups occur, simply move the chicken to a cooler section of the grill.
6. When the chicken breasts are browned underneath, invert and grill the other side the same way, covering the grill again. The internal temperature of the chicken breasts should be 165 degrees; insert the probe of your thermometer through the side.
7. Transfer the chicken breasts to a platter or plates. Spoon the reserved marinade over them and serve at once. Season to taste.
Recipe: Grilled Salmon
By Steven Raichlen
Salmon is the perfect fish for grilling: It’s rich-flavored and intrinsically fatty, which keeps it from drying out when exposed to the high, dry heat of the fire. So why do so many cooks leave half the fish stuck to the grate when grilling it? Nerves are part of it: The moment you put the fish on the grill, you may feel compelled to move it, thereby proving to yourself it hasn’t stuck. When fish first hits the grill, it will stick; that’s the nature of piscine protein. The secret is to let it grill for a few minutes without touching it, after which the proteins will release from the hot metal. These two other techniques guarantee stick-free fish: First, select fish steaks, which are less prone to falling apart than fillets. Second, slather the fish with mayonnaise-mustard sauce before grilling. The mayonnaise acts as a lubricant to keep the fish from sticking.
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 center-cut salmon steaks, each 3/4- to 1-inch thick
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup grainy mustard or Dijon-style mustard
- Neutral oil, for greasing the grill grate
Preparation
1. Season the salmon steaks on both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Combine the mayonnaise and mustard in a small bowl and whisk to mix. Using a spoon, spread some of the mixture on the fish on both sides (about 2 tablespoons per side).
3. Light your grill and heat to high. Brush or scrape the grill grate clean and oil it well: Fold a paper towel into a tight pad. Dip it in a small bowl of oil and, holding it at the end of your grill tongs, draw it over the bars of the grate.
4. Arrange the salmon steaks diagonally on the hot grill grates and lower the lid to cover. Grill the fish on one side, undisturbed, for 3 to 4 minutes. By the time the bottoms of the salmon steaks show grill marks, they will release easily from the hot grates; turn them over with a thin-bladed spatula.
5. Spoon the remaining mustard mayonnaise on top, in the center of each salmon steak. Close the grill lid and grill the second side until the grill marks are browned on top and the salmon feels semi-firm when pinched between your thumb and forefinger on the sides.
6. Transfer the salmon to a platter or plates and serve.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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