Fire up your summer
Try these recipes from three of the season’s new grilling cookbooks
The food media spotlight seems to shine briefest on the genre I’ll call “grilling cookbooks,” for lack of a better designator. Top 10 lists delivered at year’s end rarely include a title from the annual summer batch, although enough of us grill yearround to warrant sustained interest.
I can understand why the sell is restrictive. Grilling cookbooks must spend considerable real estate laying out basics you either already know or aren’t motivated to learn (i.e., you don’t own a grill of your own): gas vs. charcoal, the outlay for equipment, which woods are best for smoking certain foods, how to start a fire and how to clean up after. Cooking temperatures vary almost from author to author. Recipe boxes must be checked — the burger, the barbecued bird, the ribs. And oh, the slaws.
Anything new to report? For that matter do we want new, or just improved? I’m saying yes to both, because the stack of 2019 titles on my desk is decidedly taller, broader in scope and more satisfyingly niche-y and nerdy than in seasons past.
From that stack on my desk, I’ve pulled some recipes that promise to enhance your summer eating. Yes sir, things are lookin’ up in this part of the cooking universe.
— Grilled Chicken Thighs with Pickled White Barbecue Sauce. If I had to pick a favourite in the group, this might be it. There’s no marinating, and the piquant sauce comes together while the chicken is on the grill.
— Potato and Prosciutto Packets. Nothing’s simpler than foil-packet cooking on the grill, and this side dish infuses tender, yellow-fleshed spuds with the aromatics of herbs, cheese and those lovely, salt-cured wisps of Italian ham.
— Coca-Cola Smoked Beef Tenderloin. If you are up to the tasks of monitoring time and temperature (because overcooking an expensive piece of meat would be a cryin’ shame), this is a splurge worthy of sharing with your dearest carnivores. The marinade lends the subtlest sweetness and a rich mahogany colour to the exterior. You should have enough left over for next-day sandwiches, which would be the envy of your lunchmates.
Grilled Chicken Thighs with Pickled White Barbecue Sauce
One of the best things about this recipe, from the editor of UK BBQ Mag, is that it does not serve a crowd. But it’s easily scalable, if that’s what you need to do. There’s no marinating, and the dish comes together fairly quickly. He prefers using boneless chicken thighs because their skin cooks up crisper, and because they lie flatter and cook more evenly than bone-in. You’ll need a thermometer for monitoring the chicken. Serve with pickles on the side.
Makes 2 servings
For the chicken 4 boneless, skin-on chicken thighs Vegetable oil or cooking oil spray 2 teaspoons dry rub seasoning blend for grilled meats or poultry seasoning blend (your choice) For the sauce
1⁄4 cup plus 2 tablespoons good-quality mayonnaise 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar 3 pickled gherkins, finely chopped, plus 1 tbsp of their jarred liquid 1 tbsp yellow mustard 1 tsp sugar 1 medium clove garlic, mashed to a paste 1 tsp prepared horseradish (white) 2 tsp coarsely ground or cracked black pepper Generous pinch fine sea salt
For the chicken: Prepare the grill for direct heat. Preheat to mediumhigh (375 F).
Lightly coat the chicken thighs with oil, then rub the seasoning blend all over them (meat and skin). Place on the grill, skin sides down; close the lid and cook for about 10 minutes, so the fat renders a bit and the skin becomes crisp. Turn them over; close the lid and cook for an additional five minutes, or until their internal temperature registers 165 F on an instant-read thermometer.
While the chicken is cooking, make the sauce: Stir together the mayonnaise, vinegar, chopped gherkins and their juice, mustard, sugar, garlic, horseradish, pepper and the pinch of salt in a medium bowl, until well incorporated.
Serve the chicken thighs with a drizzle of the pickled white barbecue sauce, and more for passing at the table.
Nutrition (using half the sauce): 570 calories; 51 grams fat (11 g saturated fat); 145 milligrams cholesterol; 420 mg sodium; 4 g carbohydrates; 2 g sugar; 25 g protein.
(Adapted from “Food and Fire: Create Bold Dishes with 65 Recipes to Cook Outdoors” by Marcus Bawdon. Cico Books, 2019.)
Potato and Prosciutto Packets
Here, Yukon Gold potatoes are paired with salty prosciutto and creamy goat cheese in a classic and easy example of foil-packet cooking.
Makes 4 servings
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1⁄4-inch rounds 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 tbsp minced fresh rosemary Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 4 slices prosciutto (about 2 ounces) 4 ounces plain goat cheese
Prepare a grill for direct heat: Preheat to medium-high (375 F). Cut 4 sheets of aluminum foil that are at least 14 inches long.
Meanwhile, toss the potatoes with the oil, rosemary and a few pinches of salt and pepper in a mixing bowl until evenly coated.
Spray the dull side of each sheet of foil with cooking oil spray. Place equal amounts of the seasoned potatoes on each sheet, creating a mound at the centre. Lay a slice of prosciutto over each mound. Top each with a few dollops of goat cheese, then seal each packet by bringing together the long sides and folding their edges over together, twice. Fold in each short end, twice, leaving enough room inside for some air to circulate.
Place the packets on the grill grate; close the lid and cook for about 35 minutes, using tongs to rotate them every 10 minutes. Transfer the packets to a rimmed baking sheet; the potatoes are done when you can pierce them easily with a fork.
Per serving: 330 calories, 14 grams protein, 41 g carbohydrates, 11 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 35 milligrams cholesterol, 420 mg sodium, 3 g dietary fibre, 1 g sugar
(Adapted from “The Backyard Fire Cookbook” by Linda Ly. Harvard Common Press, 2019.)
Coca-Cola Smoked Beef Tenderloin
This is a showstopper, as delicate as it is flavourful. So be careful not to overcook it.
You’ll need thermometer for monitoring the meat. Soak your oak wood chips for 30 minutes before you use them.
Make ahead: The meat needs to marinate in the refrigerator for at least four hours, and up to overnight.
Makes 6 servings
One 2 3⁄4- to 3-pound beef tenderloin roast 2 cups beef broth, preferably low-sodium
1⁄2 cup distilled white vinegar 1 cup packed dark brown sugar 12 ounces plain Coca-Cola (do not use Diet Coke or Coke Zero)
Use paper towels to pat the meat dry all over. Stir together the broth, vinegar, brown sugar and Coke in an aluminum/smoker-friendly pan that is deep enough for the meat to be submerged (or you can use a gallonsize or 3.78 litre resealable zip-top bag). Add the tenderloin and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least four hours, and up to overnight.
When you are ready to cook, prepare your smoker or grill (for indirect heat). Preheat to 275 F. (About 10 minutes before you begin to cook on your grill, drain the chips and place them on the coals.)
Discard the marinade, clean the pan and return the meat to it. Place in your grill or smoker and close the lid. Cook for about 1½ hours, or until the internal temperature of the meat registers 155 F (medium-rare) on an instant-read thermometer. Transfer the tenderloin to a cutting board to rest for 10 minutes before cutting into 1/2-inch slices for serving.
Per serving (with low sodium beef broth): 460 calories, 46 grams protein, 40 g carbohydrates, 14 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 125 milligrams cholesterol, 250 mg sodium, 39 g sugar
(Adapted from “BBQ&A with Myron Mixon: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Barbecue,” with Kelly Alexander. Abrams, 2019.)