Take It Outside!

Every since I was a child I thought food tasted better when you ate it outside. From camping trips to eating a vine ripe tomato with a shaker of salt while watering the garden, it just tasted more real outside. Now the summer season is almost upon us and I am so excited to start grilling everything I can get my hands on. Grilling is not just for meats; veggies and fruit are great on the grill too! Grilling makes everything taste better and the cleanup is a breeze.

There are a few essentials that will make you a pro:

Dry Rub

Adding a favorite spice or herb to your rub recipe makes it personal. Add a little more heat for the more daring taste buds in your crowd, add a little more brown sugar for your favorite aunt or if you’re feeling exotic, add a little curry or coffee. The most important thing is to start with a basic dry rub and customize it to suit your theme and guests.

Alton Brown, the “scientist of cooking”, swears by the 8:3:1:1 Ratio for the perfect dry rub. So the basic idea is 8 parts sugar to 3 parts salt to 2 parts (the 1:1) of various other spices with no more than half being a single thing.

Basic Rub

8 tablespoons light brown sugar, tightly packed (1/2 cup)

3 tablespoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon Old Bay

Directions:

In a bowl, combine all dry ingredients and mix well. Sprinkle each side of the meat generously with the dry rub. Pat the dry rub into the meat. Refrigerate the meat for a minimum of 1 hour to overnight. Bring meat to room temperature and grill.

Chimichurri

There are as many versions of Chimichurri as there are people who make it. The basic ingredients are the same and then they are embellished with flavors that make each cook happy. Typically used on grilled beef, it is also good spooned over lamb or pork chops and pairs well with the smokiness of grilled vegetables, cut the richness of fried foods, or revs up the flavor of a mild dish.

Ingredients:

1 cup firmly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, no stems

3-4 garlic cloves

2 Tbs fresh oregano leaves or 2 teaspoons dried oregano

1/2 cup olive oil

2 Tbsp red or white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 1/2 Tbs capers, chopped

2 oil-packed anchovy fillets, chopped (optional) 

Directions:

Finely chop the parsley, fresh oregano, and garlic or place in food processor several pulses. Place in a small bowl.

Stir in the olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, capers and anchovies. Let rest for 15 minutes and adjust salt, pepper and vinegar to taste.

Serve immediately or refrigerate. If chilled, return to room temperature before serving. Chimichurri will keep for one to two days in the refrigerator.

Serves 4.

Grilled Fruit

Begin or end your outdoor meal with grilled fruit. With many fruits you can simply cut them in half. Split bananas lengthwise leaving the peels on to hold them together and cut apples, pears and stone fruits like peaches, plums and nectarines, down the middle and remove the seeds and core. Typically, with most fruits you can leave the peels on and this will help hold them together while grilling. Pineapple is cut in rings and grilled.

For an appetizer: Grill your favorite crusty bread, spread with goat cheese, ricotta, crème fraîche or brie and then top with your choice of grilled fruit and some chopped herbs like chives, mint or basil.

For Dessert: Grill the fruit and serve with ice cream, frozen or fresh yogurt and a handful of crunchy granola sprinkled over the top. Grilled slices of pound cake topped with grilled fruit and ice cream is also fantastic!

Hot Tip: Always have a festive drink of choice in hand while cooking!