by Chef Robert Bell
I never thought of cooking outdoors when growing up in Brooklyn. The houses typically had very small backyards. Summers were hot and humid with mosquitos looking for a bite to eat. We were grateful to have had a window air conditioner. On hot days we stayed as close to it as we could.
I had an uncle, who lived in the country, on Long Island, and had a huge backyard. He loved cooking outdoors during good weather. One of his favorite items to grill was Pork Liver wrapped in Caul fat with tons of bay Leaves. This was usually served with just picked corn, grilled with the husks intact. Aunt Marie, at this time would be inside making pasta. Aunt Marie and uncle Bobby loved to eat outdoors with the kids and the mosquitos. Back then very few repellents were available, they all stunk. Surely you don’t want to smell the repellent while Bobby was cooking on the grill especially with the wonderful aromas drifting around the backyard.
As a young teenager my family moved to Southern California. One of the first things that made a big impact on me was the weather. There was virtually no winter. Folks ate out-side all the time. There was no need for stinky repellents. No mosquitos and very few bugs. Seldom does the humidity get to the point where it even becomes noticeable.
My friend’s dads were the ones doing the outdoor cooking. Typically, the mom’s do the cooking, except it seems when it’s something on the Bar-B-Que. Apparently that’s a Man’s job. Whichever fuel, gas, propane, wood or charcoal the man usually does the grilling.
Cooking with fire began in the Neolithic times. Cooking meat on an open flame is still a very popular way of cooking.
Bar-B-Que in the Carolinas is a very different way of cooking than Bar-B-Que in Southern California. It seems people here refer to BBQ as grilling outdoors, as long as the protein is brushed with BBQ sauce. Real Bar-B-Que is slow cooking while smoking.
A quote by Anthony Bourdain: “Bar-B-Que may not be the road to world peace, but it’s a start”.
As I expressed here in a previous article on picnics, there is something very special about having a meal outdoors. Food seems to taste better when eaten outdoors, yeah for dining alfresco. I believe the many visuals outdoors are part of the wonderful experience. This is especially so during the summer months when the days last well into the evening. Being alone with the elements, enjoying a cocktail and listening to a Dodger game while turning the chicken on the grill is a very nice way to spend a leisurely summer evening.
Besides marinades, rubs, and sauces there are basically two things which we all seem to love about the tastes created by grilling.
The first is the browning of the protein sugars, or simply known as the Maillard process or as Chef’s call it, caramelizing. This provides the browning or the char which brings about the wonderful grilled flavors.
The second, is whether you grill on charcoal or gas, most of the smokey flavor is achieved by the natural occurrence of the rendering of fat from off the meat, then dripping down to a hot surface creating smoke and flavor.
While working on ideas for what to grill on Labor Day, I will make some suggestions. Hopefully some dishes you have not done before. Followed by pointers you may find helpful this grilling season.
First and foremost, a few things about equipment. I have two outdoor grills.
A gas fueled grill and a charcoal fueled grill. The charcoal grill is a Kamado or Green Egg ceramic grill that works well for smoking as well.
When I have work at other people’s homes cooking outside, I generally notice a lack of illumination. Portable battery-operated lighting helps a lot.
Although I use both Briquettes and Lump Charcoal, I do prefer the Lump because it produces a hotter fire.
I always use a charcoal chimney to start the charcoal fire. You only need a few sheets of newspaper and about 15 to 20 minutes and the charcoal is ready for your Weber Kettle or whatever type you may have. For the gas grill, I like to turn the flames up about 20 minutes early to get the grates really hot. This way, I can easily brush off the debris from the last usage.
I believe a hotter fire is produced from charcoal, not gas. This says a lot for the charcoal grill.
To prevent sticking, I recommend putting oil on the grates with a paper towel as well as the protein. Many times, fish skin will stick no matter what you do! So be it, the fish will still taste great.
One of the many reasons grills are equipped with lids, is so you can close the lid when you get flareups. A spray bottle of water also works well on your charcoal flareups.
When using bamboo skewers, they should be soaked in water for about 15 to 20 minutes, so as not to burn. Usually two bamboo skewers are needed for each kabob. If you are using a flat metal skewer one is generally sufficient.
When I am outdoors grilling, I enjoy having a cast iron skillet on the grill so I can cook another way rather than grilling the entire meal. I like to cook potatoes in a cast iron skillet.
A few food tips –
Brining: I don’t. Many people swear by it. I don’t. Brine is salt, sugar and water. I found that if you purchase a really good quality meat to begin with you will not need to brine it. Enough said.
Steaks: Most book authors on meat say “all you need to make a good steak is salt and heat”. Indeed, I do agree with this statement. But also, turn the steak frequently every minute or so and make sure you have a very hot fire.
Something to consider when you purchase beef, and that is the USDA Grade. The USDA basically has three grades. The grading is accomplished by the amount of Marbling visual to the inspector doing the grading. From top down, USDA Prime, USDA Choice and USDA Good. Prime is rare and expensive. Is the cost of Prime worth the extra money? That depends where the Prime of that piece of meat falls on the visual chart of the inspector. CAB Certified Angus Beef is a grade of its own. Generally falling at the very top of the choice category and usually worth the price. Jon’s Market in Torrance carries CAB meat. However, there are some secondary cuts of meat well worth purchasing in the prime grade and not too pricey. A few suggestions are Hanger Steak, Flatiron, Skirt, Sirloin Cap and Flap Meat. These are all very tasty and much less than the New Yorks, Rib Eyes or Tenderloins. When I have company over for a grill I like to use a large Porterhouse Steak, with both the Tenderloin and the New York attached to the bone. A two pound Porterhouse will be plenty for four people.
Here are a few thoughts for you on grilling steaks that may be worth you trying.
Season the steak [especially Flank] with both salt and sugar.
Mayonnaise and honey produce a well flavored crust.
Coca-Cola as part of your marinade for beef or pork comes out well glazed and spiced.
Kabobs: A favorite of most people. This is a nice way of cooking more than one item together, achieving multi-flavors in each Kabob. A few I have done that you may want to try yourself.
- Italian Sausage, Orange, Onion and Bay Leaf.
- Basil Pesto rubbed Chicken, Radicchio, Bread and Onion
- Shrimp, Bacon, Mushroom and Tomato
Seafood: I very much enjoy Octopus and Lobster on the grill. Fish that tend to do well on the grill are Sea Bass, Salmon, Sword Fish, Chilian Sea Bass, Tuna and Yellow Tail. Many types of fish fall apart on the grill. I would not grill Local Halibut, Black Cod, or Sole.
Poultry: When I grill Chicken, I always use Bone-in. The finished chicken is juicier and more flavorful. Quail is nice on the grill as well. Buy semi-boneless whole quails, stuff them with Italian sausage, wrap each quail with bacon and slowly grill making sure the sausage is fully cooked.
Breads: Pizza is always a fun thing to do for company. Brush the flattened dough with olive oil, place on the grate until partially cooked, turn over, add the toppings, briefly cook until ready. Bruschetta is a natural. Rub the bread with garlic, brush with EVOO, top with your favorite topping. Viola. Pan Tomat is very popular in Spain. Grill bread [like Ciabatta], then drizzle with EVOO and top with grated ripe tomato pulp and flake salt.
Mushrooms: Aside from the usual Portobello, Oyster, Maitake, King Oyster and others are fabulous grilled with garlic and oil.
To Finish with: Compound butters which are butters with added flavorings, rolled in plastic wrap and frozen until needed are a great way to finish grilled fish with. Matre’d Hotel compound butter is especially nice on a New York steak. When topping a fatty steak, Argentine Chimichurri sauce is always a good choice. An aged Balsamic vinegar is an Italian classic. The Greeks squeeze lemon on just about everything, and it works! Grilled Halloumi cheese with a squeeze of lemon is great.
Grilled stone fruit to finish off a Bar-B-Que meal is natural in summer. Try Peach Halves with Mayo, Sugar and Cinnamon.
Do not forget to have a bowl of Punch or a pitcher of Sangria on hand. PEN
