Enjoy grilled food on Labor Day weekend

With Labor Day weekend coming up, the official grilling season is nearing an end.

Grilled food is delicious year-round, but there’s something about the smell and taste of foods cooked over fire that evokes summer.

Ignoring the debate over whether cooking foods over a gas or charcoal-fueled fire is best, there’s little question that the smoke adds a special flavor to foods.

All types of food, from appetizers to desserts and everything in between, can be made on a grill. Vegetables, fruits, meats and cakes can all benefit from a trip to the grill.

There are three basic ways to cook on a grill:

n Using direct heat – For grilling chops, burgers, tenderloins and kabobs, use direct heat. Place the meat on the cooking grate over the coals. The hottest heat will be found above the center of the coals.  

For gas grilling, turn all burners to high.  After preheating, adjust the temperature according to your recipe. Place food on the cooking grate and close the lid. Turn food according to the recipe.

n Using indirect heat – For roasts and ribs, use indirect heat. Place the coals on one side of the charcoal grate and a drip pan filled with a small amount of water on the other side. Or, arrange the coals on both sides of the grill, with the drip pan in the middle. 

On a gas grill, after preheating, turn off burners directly below the food. The burners on both sides of the food should be adjusted to equal amounts of heat, medium or low, as indicated in the recipe. 

n Using a combination of the two – This method is used to sear foods before cooking them slowly by the indirect method. Place food directly over coals for a few minutes, then move them to the center or other side of the cooking grate to complete cooking. This method is good for extra-thick chops and larger tenderloins, which will be nicely browned on the outside and juicy and tender on the inside.

When grilling, trim visible fat from meat and poultry to help prevent flare-ups. 

Use an instant-read thermometer inserted horizontally into the side of the meat to check if it is done. Thermometers should penetrate the thickest part or center of the meat and not touch bone, fat or the grill.

Following are recipes from www.goodhousekeeping.com.

 

 

Grilled Chicken Sandwiches

4 thin chicken cutlets

1/2 cup pesto

8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced

2 small ciabatta rolls, split

1 large ripe tomato, sliced

Coat chicken with 1/4 cup pesto and grill over medium heat two minutes. Flip cutlets, top with tomato and mozzarella and grill two to three minutes, covered, until chicken is cooked through and mozzarella has melted. 

Grill bread one to two minutes, until lightly charred. Brush with remaining pesto and make sandwich with chicken and tomatoes.

For pesto: In food processor, pulse 3 cups fresh basil leaves, 1/3 cup grated Parmesan, 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest, two teaspoons lemon juice, 1 grated clove garlic, 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil until almost smooth.

 

 

Tomato-Ricotta Grilled Pizza

Flour, for dusting

1 pound pizza dough, room temperature

1 tablespoon plus 4 teaspoons olive oil

1 tablespoon champagne vinegar

1 small shallot, finely chopped

1 teaspoon fresh oregano, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon honey

Kosher salt 

Pepper

3/4 cup fresh ricotta cheese

1 ounce Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated

3 medium to large mixed-color heirloom tomatoes

Fresh basil, for sprinkling

Heat grill to medium-high and arrange so half will give direct heat and other half will give indirect heat.

Working on floured surface, shape pizza dough into a 12 to 14-inch round and place on flour-dusted baking sheet. Brush top with two teaspoons oil. Transfer pizza dough to grill over direct heat, oiled side down, and grill, two minutes covered, until top begins to bubble and bottom is crisp — use tongs to peek underneath.

Working quickly, brush top of dough with two teaspoons oil.

Flip dough to indirect-heat side of grill, then grill three to five minutes, covered, until dough is cooked through and charred in spots on bottom. Transfer to cutting board. 

In bowl, combine vinegar, shallot, oregano, honey, remaining oil and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper.

In second bowl, mix ricotta until smooth, then stir in Pecorino and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Spread onto pizza crust. Slice tomatoes and arrange on top of ricotta and drizzle with vinaigrette. Sprinkle with basil if desired.

 

 

Cheddar-Stuffed Cheeseburgers

2-1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1-1/2 tablespoons ketchup

1-1/2 pounds ground beef

3 ounces cheddar cheese, coarsely grated Kosher salt 

Pepper

4 hamburger buns

Green leaf lettuce leaves

2 tomatoes, sliced

1/2 pound sliced bacon, cooked until crisp

In small bowl, stir together mayonnaise and ketchup. Set aside.

Divide ground beef into eight equal portions. Shape four into 1/4-inch-thick patties. Shape remaining four into 1/2-inch-thick patties, then use thumbs to make shallow two-inch-wide indent in top of each patty.

Divide cheese among indents, then top with remaining patties. Firmly pinch edges together, reshaping into round patties if needed. Season both sides with a pinch of salt and pepper. 

Grill over medium heat three to four minutes per side, covered. 

Spread buns with mayonnaise mixture, top with burgers and add toppings as desired.

 

 

Blackberry-Glazed Ribs

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Kosher salt 

Pepper

3 to 4 pounds baby back ribs, membrane removed

1-1/4 cups blackberry jam

3/4 cup barbecue sauce

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

In small bowl, combine chili powder, garlic powder, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Working on rimmed baking sheet lined with foil, sprinkle ribs with spice mixture, then wrap ribs tightly in foil and bake in a 350-degree oven 45 minutes.

In blender, puree jam, barbecue sauce and lime juice until smooth. Transfer one cup to small bowl and set aside for serving.

Reduce oven temp to 275 degrees and continue baking 60 to 90 minutes, until meat is tender and pulling away from bones.

Heat grill to medium-high. Brush ribs with some of remaining glaze and grill five to eight minutes, meat side down, basting with remaining glaze and flipping occasionally, until sticky and caramelized. Transfer ribs to cutting board and cut into pieces. Serve with reserved sauce.

 

 

Grilled Lemon-Lime Corn Salad

4 scallions

4 ears corn, shucked

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1 teaspoon lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon lime zest plus 1 tablespoon lime juice

Kosher salt 

Pepper

Thinly slice two inches of dark green parts from each scallion and set aside.

Brush corn and remaining scallions with oil. Grill over medium-high heat two to three minutes for scallions and three to five minutes for corn, turning occasionally, until tender and charred. Transfer to cutting board.

Thinly slice scallions and cut kernels from cobs, then transfer to large bowl. Add herbs, zest and juices, reserved scallion greens and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

 

 

Grilled Shrimp Cocktail

1/2 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons prepared horseradish, squeezed of excess moisture

1-1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon hot sauce, optional

1 pound large peeled and deveined shrimp (26 to 30-count)

Kosher salt

In a bowl, combine ketchup, horseradish, lemon zest and juice, one teaspoon Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Transfer to serving bowl.

In large bowl, toss shrimp with one tablespoon Worcestershire sauce and 1/2 teaspoon salt, then thread onto skewers (two to three shrimp per skewer). Grill over medium-high heat two to three minutes per side, basting with remaining Worcestershire sauce, until opaque throughout. Serve with cocktail sauce.

 

 

BBQ-Glazed Hot Dogs with Spicy Slaw

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard

3 tablespoons pickled jalapeños, finely chopped, plus 1-1/2 teaspoon pickling liquid

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoon barbecue sauce

1/4 medium red cabbage, cored and thinly sliced

1/4 medium green cabbage, cored and thinly sliced

1 medium carrot, coarsely grated

2 scallions, thinly sliced

4 hot dogs

4 hot dog buns, toasted

In large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, mustard, pickling liquid and two teaspoons barbecue sauce. Add cabbages, carrot, scallions and jalapeños and toss to combine.

Using paring knife, make three diagonal slits across top of each hot dog, then three more in opposite direction to create diamond pattern. Grill over medium heat three to five minutes, rotating and glazing with remaining barbecue sauce, until charred.

Transfer to plate and glaze with any remaining barbecue sauce. Serve each in bun, topped with 1/4 cup slaw and remaining slaw on side.

When grilling, trim visible fat from meat and poultry to help prevent flare-ups. 

Use an instant-read thermometer inserted horizontally into the side of the meat to check if it is done. Thermometers should penetrate the thickest part or center of the meat and not touch bone, fat or the grill.

Following are recipes from www.goodhousekeeping.com.