One last chance for summer grilling

It can’t be the end of summer. I’m not ready for summer to end.

So I did what any normal American male does when confronted with the sudden realization that his favorite season is about to end: I pouted.

But only for a short time. Then I bought a bag of charcoal and fired up the grill. There is nothing like grilling a lump of meat or a hearty vegetable to extend the pleasures of the summer and keep at bay the dying chill of autumn.

Grilling is primal; it is elementary. Thousands of years ago, our ancestors were grilling fatted calves and roasting whole lambs over a fire. They were not preparing a demiglace with champagne vinegar and shallots to use as a sauce.

So I decided to keep my end-ofsummer grilling simple and basic, or at least simple.

Also, a reader asked for easy recipes. I may be distraught that the dog days of summer are reaching their tail end, but at least I’m accommodating.

I started with a cheeseburger. Yes, everybody knows how to make a cheeseburger, but I have a trick (because I read it in a book) for making it even better: You grate the cheese directly into the ground beef, along with salt and pepper.

The advantage to this method is

is in the timing, which is directly related to the temperature.

Ordinarily, in order to get the cheese properly melted on top of the burger, you have to put it on when the meat is still slightly undercooked. That way, the cheese finishes semi-melting just when the meat is perfectly done.

It isn’t easy to get right. But with the cheese already mixed into the burger, it melts into the meat, which you can cook to the exact temperature that you like. When you eat it, you get a delightful pop of cheese flavor in nearly every bite.

I next made one of my favorite ways to make steak. It’s called Mustard Lime Steak because the steak is coated with a crust made from dry mustard, lime juice and Worcestershire sauce — and yes, I know that sounds awful.

But it isn’t. It really isn’t. The sharpness of the mustard is softened by the umami earthiness of the Worcestershire sauce, with bright notes provided by the lime. It’s actually kind of genius, and is as delicious as it is unexpected. And because you slice the meat thin to serve it, you can use it on almost any kind of steak.

For a vegetable dish, I went with Grilled Asparagus With Olive Oil and Parmesan, an extraordinary dish from the restaurant Chez Panisse. That’s the Berkeley, California, establishment that basically started the food revolution in this country and is still cherished as one of the best in the land.

Many of its recipes are difficult,

but this one is simple. Just coat asparagus spears in olive oil, and season them with salt and pepper. Grill them until they are done, sprinkle with lemon juice and then top them with crispy pancetta and chopped egg.

Leave it to Chez Panisse to come up with a perfect balance of the dissimilar flavors. Thin shavings of salty Parmesan cheese on top thrillingly bring the dish to life.

Cheeseburgers Yield: 4 servings

1 1/2 pounds 80% lean ground

chuck

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

4 ounces grated cheese (cheddar, Swiss, Jack, blue or other)

Prepare a grill for direct heat.

Break up the chuck to increase the surface area for the seasoning and cheese. Sprinkle the salt, pepper and cheese over the meat; toss lightly with your hands to distribute evenly. Divide the meat into 4 equal portions; with cupped hands, toss one portion of meat back and forth to form a loose ball.

Pat lightly to flatten meat into 3/4-inch-thick burger that measures about 4 1/2 inches across. Press the center of the patty down with your fingertips until it is about 1/2 inch thick, creating a well or divot in the center of the patty. Repeat with the remaining portions of meat.

Grill the burgers, divot side up, uncovered and without pressing down on them, until well seared on the bottom, about 2 1/2 minutes. Flip the burgers, and continue grilling to the desired doneness, about 2 minutes for rare, 2 1/2 minutes for medium-rare, 3 minutes for medium and 4 minutes for well done.

Per serving: 546 calories; 43 grams fat; 19 grams saturated fat; 148 milligrams cholesterol; 36 grams protein; 1 gram carbohydrate; no sugar; no fiber; 878 milligrams sodium; 233 milligrams calcium.

— Recipe from “Steaks, Chops, Roasts and Ribs” by the editors of Cook’s Illustrated Magazine

Mustard Lime Steaks

Yield: 4 servings

4 steaks (sirloin, T-bone, ribeye,

New York strip or skirt)

1/4 cup dry mustard, such as

Colman’s

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce 1 large, juicy lime

Coarse salt

White pepper

Place steaks on a platter, and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the dry mustard over them. Pat the steaks with the flat part of a fork to spread the mustard evenly. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the Worcestershire sauce, then squeeze half the lime juice over them. Pat the steaks with the fork. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Turn the steaks over, and repeat on the other side. Let the steaks marinate for 15 to 20 minutes while you preheat the grill.

Set up the grill for direct grilling, and preheat to high.

Brush and oil the grill grate. Place the steaks on the hot grate and grill, turning with tongs, until cooked to taste, 4 to 6 minutes per side for medium-rare. Do not rotate the steaks, or you will knock off the mustard mixture. Transfer to a platter, and let rest 3 minutes.

Slice the steaks thinly on the diagonal, as you would for London broil. Let the slices marinate in the meat juices for a minute or two, then serve.

Per serving: 808 calories; 55 grams fat; 24 grams saturated fat; 182 milligrams cholesterol; 71 grams protein; 7 grams carbohydrate; 2 grams sugar; 1 gram fiber; 960 milligrams sodium; 55 milligrams calcium.

— Recipe from “The Barbecue! Bible” by Steven Raichlen

Grilled Asparagus With Olive Oil and Parmesan

Yield: 2 servings

8 fat asparagus spears 1 tablespoon pure olive oil Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive

oil

1/2 lemon

6 thin slices pancetta

1 large egg, hard-cooked and

chopped

Fresh Parmesan cheese

Prepare a charcoal fire.

Toss the asparagus in the pure olive oil, and salt and pepper them lightly. Grill the asparagus over a medium-hot fire for about 5 minutes, turning the spears until the skin is shriveled and slightly charred all over. Test the asparagus for doneness at its thickest point with the tip of a knife; the asparagus should feel soft in the center. Transfer to warm plates, and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and juice from 1/2 lemon.

Grill the pancetta for several minutes until it renders some of its fat and just begins to crisp. Coarsely chop the pancetta, and strew it over the asparagus while still warm; sprinkle with the chopped egg. Top with thin slices of Parmesan. Serve immediately.

Per serving: 507 calories; 48 grams fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 133 milligrams cholesterol; 23 grams protein; 8 grams carbohydrate; 2 grams sugar; 4 grams fiber; 1,650 milligrams sodium; 70 milligrams calcium.

— Recipe from “Chez Panisse Cooking” by Paul Bertolli and Alice Waters

PHOTOS BY COLTER PETERSON/ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH/TNS The secret to this cheeseburger is to add grated cheese into the raw meat so that the cheese melts as the meat cooks.

PHOTO BY COLTER PETERSON/ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH/TNS Because you slice the meat thin to serve it, Mustard-Lime Steak can be made with almost any kind of steak.