Glen Arbor Sun

The call to fire may be embedded in our very bone and fiber but we can always use a little help in getting the grilling thing just right. Influences of brilliant chefs and their fancy new recipes are moving us beyond slabs of meat charred on the grill and slashed with gooey, sweet barbecue sauce to a newer, gentler world of grilled peaches basted with butter and balsamic, and pizzas tender with olive oil.

Whether you use the more elemental charcoal or a modern gas grill, first and foremost you need to know how to check the temperature of your fire. Once your coals are covered with a gray ash you can level them and replace the grate — let it heat for 5 minutes. The gas grill needs to preheat with the lid down on high heat for 15 minutes. Then use the hand-testing method: hold your hand five inches above the cooking grate. A hot fire will get you yelping in two seconds, medium-hot in three to four seconds, medium in five to six seconds and medium-low in seven seconds.

There are two ways to grill: with direct or indirect heat. Direct heat cooks food over the heat source. With indirect heat, move the coals to the outer perimeter of the grill or to two sides and place a heatproof pan in the center to catch drippings. Place the food over the pan and cover the grill with its lid. Indirect cooking is perfect for slow roast-grilling large pieces like a whole turkey or chicken into heavenly, smoked tenderness — without the pesky flames leaping up to char your grilled gems.

Ten Rules of the Grill

1. Clean your grate and lid religiously. A rag dipped in oil and a wire-bristled brush do wonders. Dirty grates not only stick, they will leave your food tasting like last week’s meal. Dirty lids can rain down a shower of bitter black flecks.

2. Preheat your grate. You may lightly oil the clean grate with a paper towel dipped in oil.

3. Food should not be fresh out of the refrigerator. Cold food sticks more readily and cooks unevenly. Let meat, vegetables and fish sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. However if you want rare tuna you may freeze your fish, steaks or burgers briefly (15 minutes) so they stay cold and rare in the center while the outside sears and browns.

4. Trim excess fats from meat and scrape excess marinades to prevent flare-ups. Blot just washed food dry.

5. Oil the food lightly to keep it moist.

6. Salt meat just before it goes on the grill. Salt tends to pull moisture out of food (during short periods of direct contact) and so can toughen a piece of meat or fish.

7. Salt-brine or marinate chicken, turkey and pork for more flavor and juiciness.

8. To create grill marks, don’t move food until it is seared and releases naturally — about 2 minutes. Rotate the food 45 degrees to create crosshatch.

9. Don’t nervously press and flip your food. Have patience and pay attention. Rest meat after grilling to allow the heat to equalize throughout and finish cooking.

10. Prep ahead and have everything you need on a nearby table: charcoal chimney starter, long-handled tongs and spatula, clean platters, brushes, fork, instant-read thermometer for checking internal temperature of meat, oiled paper toweling, prepped food, seasonings like salt and pepper.

Internal temperatures of meat

RARE — internal temperature 120F to 130F. Soft and wobbly to the touch.
MEDIUM RARE — internal temperature 130F to 140F.
MEDIUM — internal temperature 140F to 150F. Spongy and firm ish.
MEDIUM WELL — internal temperature 150F to 160F
WELL DONE — internal temperature 160 to 185F. Firm like the tip of your nose.

Grilled fruit and vegetables

Grilling vegetables properly requires a medium-hot fire. The vegetables should be cooked separately and cut to expose maximum surface area to the grill. Skewer or place smaller vegetables on a portable mesh grate. Toss vegetables with a light coating of extra virgin olive oil or seasoned oil and salt just before grilling. Try preparing other dishes with grilled vegetables and fruits: salad, potato salad, mixed vegetable or fruit platter with dipping sauce, grilled corn salsa or grilled peach, grilled fennel and sardine or tomato-basil bruschetta on slices of oiled and grilled Stonehouse ciabatta.

Bell peppers — quarter them and remove seeds and ribs — seven to nine minutes turning once
Corn on the cob — remove all but innermost layer of husk, remove silkies — eight to 10 minutes — turn four times
Eggplant—slice into 1/2 inch rounds — salt for 20 minutes and dry — oil and grill eight to 10 minutes
Fennel bulb — remove stems and fronds — cut into 1/4 inch slices with root attached — oil and cook seven to nine minutes turning once
Potatoes — cut into small wedges—salt and oil and cook over medium low heat 10 minutes or more till golden turning two to three times
Portobello mushrooms — scrape out black gills with spoon — lightly oil and cook till soft — 10 to 15 minutes depending on size—turn once
Red onions — slice 1/2 inch thick into rounds and skewer with two parallel skewers — oil and grill 10 to 12 minutes
Asparagus — toss with oil and salt — grill five to eight minutes turning twice
Green beans — toss with oil and salt — grill four to six minutes turning once
Endive and radicchio — cut endive in half and radicchio into wedges through the core — brush with oil and grill four to six minutes
Summer squash and zucchini — cut lengthwise into 1/2 inch thick sticks — oil and salt and grill turning once eight to 10 minutes.
Scallions and leeks — trim off 1/4 to 1/2 of the green and the root end (don’t cut off the root completely, it holds the onion together. Toss in olive oil and salt. Grill until tender.

Marcella Hazan first inspired me to grill fruit. Grill fruit when the coals are nearing their finish. Choose fruit that is slightly firm. You can oil or butter the fruit and sprinkle with a 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. Lay a mesh grate or hinged grate on the grill and place the fruit on its cut side on either. Grill 12 inches above the heat until the fruit skin is charred, about seven or eight minutes. Turn and cook two to three minutes then flip again and grill the fruit, skin side down another couple of minutes. At this point you can pour rum or Grand Marnier into the bananas or liqueur onto any fruit, more sugar, honey, or a dash of balsamic vinegar. Apple and pears will take six to eight minutes longer to cook.

Peaches, apricots, plums and nectarines — cut in half and remove pit — place a 1/2 teaspoon sugar in cavity.
Apples and pears — cut in half, core out seeds with melon baller and score flesh with crosshatch of three or four cuts — sprinkle with a half teaspoon of brown sugar
Bananas — make an incision the length of the banana but don’t cut it in half and don’t peel it — sprinkle incision with a teaspoon of sugar
Pineapple — remove bottom and top — trim skin from outside of pineapple — slice into 1/4 inch rounds and butter or oil lightly — grill till tender about two to three minutes per side.

Greek lamb kebabs
Serves 4 to 6

Marinade
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons dried oregano or 1/4 cup fresh
3 to 4 cloves garlic
2 pounds boneless lamb from sirloin, leg, shoulder; fat removed, 1 to 1 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt

Puree together marinade in blender and scrape it into a bowl. Toss in the lamb cubes and coat each well with the marinade. Allow the lamb to sit and marinate at room temperature for 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

Heat a grill. Bring the lamb to room temperature. Scrape off excess marinade and skewer the lamb onto wooden or metal skewers. Grill until the meat reaches 130 to 135F for medium rare to medium. Serve this with rice or even folded into pita bread with the grape leaf and mint sauce. You may alternate meat with pieces of 1/2 inch diced zucchini tossed in olive oil and salt. Try this marinade on your next grilled leg of lamb. If you don’t like lamb, try chicken. These are great stuffed into a pita with a cucumber salad.

Greek grape leaf and mint sauce
2 cups, enough for 8 servings

1/2 cup Greek grape leaves, stems removed and rinsed well, chopped
3 tablespoons fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons fresh oregano
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup flat leaf parsley leaves
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons drained capers
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Place all the ingredients except the olive oil in a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth, adding the oil as is necessary to get the mixture to puree nicely. Serve with grilled lamb or pork. Keep refrigerated in a tightly closed jar for up to 1 week.

Adapted from The Complete Meat Cookbook.