Time to Grill
From steak and veggies to bananas, you can put the heat to a slew of food options
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Spring seems to be the perfect time for us to start tapping into our inner caveman by cooking outdoors with fire.
Whether you’re a newbie to grilling or a seasoned pro, we rounded up a few out-of-the ordinary recipes featuring bananas, coconut and steaks, and several essential tips to make your cooking escapades better than you thought possible.
Make it Foolproof
Ready to grill? Try these 8 tips from Weber Grill on making your cookout a success.
1. Plan your route. Direct, indirect or a little of both? Read the recipe and look for the instructions for setting up your grill.
2. Don’t rush it. Don’t try to shave off time by placing food on a grill that’s not quite ready, particularly a charcoal grill. Let charcoal burn until it has a light gray/ash coating (keep the vents open so the fire doesn’t go out). Make sure your gas grill has reached a temperature of at least 500°F before starting to cook.
3. Forego the fork. You’ve probably seen people poking their meat with it. Maybe you’ve done it too. If so, please stop. It causes juices and flavor to escape, and that can dry out your food.
4. Keep a lid on it. Resist the urge to open the lid to check on your dinner every couple of minutes. Every time you lift the lid, heat escapes, which means it will take longer to get dinner on the table.
5. Don’t flip out. Unless the recipe calls for it, only flip your food once.
6. Keep control. You will control flare-ups, reduce cooking time and get altogether better results if you grill with the lid down.
7. Easy on the squeeze. Resist the urge to use your spatula to press down on foods such as burgers. You’ll squeeze out all that wonderful flavor.
8. Moisturize. A light coating of oil will help brown your food evenly and keep it from sticking to the cooking grate. Always brush or spray oil on your food, not the cooking grate.
Direct or Indirect?
After you’ve determined your grill is hot, the next step is to set up the grill for direct or indirect cooking. This step is essential for great results.
Direct: The direct method, or cooking food directly over the heat source, is used for foods that take less than 25 minutes to cook, like steaks and vegetables. For a charcoal grill, spread prepared coals evenly across the grate. With a gas grill, preheat with all burners on high for 10 to 15 minutes. Then adjust the burners to the temperature noted in the recipe.
Indirect: This method, which allows for heat on either side of the food, is for foods that require 25 minutes or more of grilling time like roasts. For a charcoal grill, make sure coals are covered with a light coating of gray ash. Carefully pile burning charcoal briquets into two equal piles — one on each side of the charcoal grate — and place a disposable drip pan between them. Charcoal should be added to the fire every hour to maintain an even cooking temperature. For indirect cooking on a gas grill, turn off any burners that are directly below the food. — Weber Grill
Recipes:
Grilled Banana Satay
Grilled Banana Satay
Bananas are rich and meaty by a fruit’s standards. So why not put them on a grill? This recipe in Fire It Up! More than 400 Recipes for Grilling Everything by Andrew Schloss and David Joachim features a sweet peanut sauce and shredded coconut.
4 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
4 fat, barely ripe bananas, peeled
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut
Light a grill for direct medium-high heat, about 400ºF. Slice the bananas crosswise into medallions about 1 inch thick. Skewer the banana pieces through the edges so that the flat sides can be grilled, threading 6 to 8 pieces on each skewer.
Whisk together the peanut butter, coconut milk, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, salt, and cayenne pepper in a bowl. Pour half of the peanut sauce into a wide shallow dish.
Brush the grill grate and coat with oil. Grill the banana skewers directly over the heat until nicely grill-marked, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Dip the flat sides of the bananas in the peanut sauce. Sprinkle with the coconut to coat. Return to the grill and cook until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Serve with the remaining sauce for dipping.
Rosemary Hanger Steaks Crusted in Mustard and Gruyère
Makes 4 servings
Hanger steaks, which are relatively narrow, long strips of meat with a chewy texture and rich, beefy taste, can present a nice challenge to the experienced griller. This recipe features a full-bodied red wine marinade that intensifies the flavor. To keep the meat from toughening, hanger steak is best grilled quickly over a hot fire. It also calls for enveloping the steak in herbed mustard with a little Gruyère cheese, which melts, dries and forms a delicious crust.
1 cup Rosemary Red Wine Marinade
1 large hanger steak (about 1 1/2 pounds)
Gruyère Paste
1/3 cup finely grated Gruyère cheese
1/4 cup whole-grain mustard
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 shallots, thinly sliced
Rosemary Hanger Steaks
Light a grill for direct high heat, about 475ºF. Remove the steak from the marinade and reserve the marinade. Pat the steak dry and coat all over with the paste.
Brush the grill grate and coat with oil. Grill the steak directly over the heat for 5 to 7 minutes per side for rare to medium-rare (125 to 135ºF on an instant-read thermometer). Remove and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice across the grain on a diagonal into thin strips.
While the steak is grilling, heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté until tender but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved marinade and boil until reduced by about half, at least 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Serve with the steak.
Rosemary Red Wine Marinade
Makes about 1 cup
Best with beef, lamb or game meats
1 cup full-bodied red wine, such as cabernet sauvignon
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Mix everything together and use as directed in a recipe.
