Think thin for easy grilling
Empty-nesting opens new doors. I’ve come to appreciate a mostly empty fridge: no pressure to cook. Grocery shopping takes less time, especially with an expanded budget. The menu contains new additions, all quick-cooking and much of it indulgent. What has not changed is the preferred cooking method: the grill.
BK (before kids), my husband and I toted our hibachi grill on driving vacations. We’d pull into a picnic grove, fire up the coals and sear a steak or two while sipping wine and tossing a salad. Once in a while, freshly caught fish graced the grates. As the family grew, we traded in the hibachi for a large, covered kettle grill. Our deck houses a huge gas grill complete with side burner and electronic ignition.
An evening in Japan fueled with chuhai (shochu and soda) rekindled my affection for the hibachi. My brother ignited small piles of binchotan (Japanese charcoal) in the bottom of his hibachi in short order. Then we spent the evening leisurely grilling yakitori: skewers of tender beef and asparagus. The hot coals made quick work of browning the beef into memorable goodness.
Now we employ a small, open grill for dinner for two on weeknights. Our hibachi takes center stage for grilled appetizers for friends before a night on the town. I even fire it up for the occasional meal for one.
Small grills, uncovered grills and makeshift fire pits are perfectly suited for quick-cooking foods that embrace the golden flavors rendered by high-heat cooking. Without a lid, open-grilling adds char and browning. Fast. More airflow encourages a hotter fire. Therefore, the foods best-suited to uncovered grilling include tender steaks, thin boneless cuts, delicate vegetables and seafood.
Lobster tails, an indulgent treat, take less than 10 minutes when butterflied open. I serve them with a pat of herb butter.
Skewers of tender beef steak and asparagus now make our go-to list of appetizers. For ease, I use bottled teriyaki sauce laced with garlic and sesame seeds.
Chilled chuhai or sake transport me back to the party back in Japan. Especially when it’s a party of two.