The Thrill of the Grill

Story by Rita Feutl
Photography by Martin Lipman

What doesn’t taste great on BBQ? Get the most out of your grilling season.

WALK THROUGH ANY NEIGHBOURHOOD ON A SUMMER EVENING AND CHANCES are you’ll be treated to a buffet of great aromas. It’s the season for barbecuing and everyone’s making dinner. Here in Alberta, there’s so much to choose from – whether it’s locally produced beef, pork, chicken or lamb, it all tastes great when it’s grilled. “It’s a low-fat option,” says Lloyd Winters, senior sous chef at Banff ’s Rimrock Resort Hotel. And then there’s that wonderful flavour, “because all your juices are hitting the grill and coming up to re-season the meats.”

MARINADES, RUBS AND SAUCES MAKE IT EASY

Winters has cooked thousands of steaks, chickens and fish over an open flame – “you name it; it’s been grilled.”He says barbecuing is easy, but you have to keep a few things in mind. For instance, learn where the hot spots are on your BBQ so you don’t overcook that medium-rare steak or undercook the chicken burger. And, experiment with different seasonings.Winters prefers to let the taste of the meat come through, aided only by a brush of oil and a dash of salt and pepper. But for something more exotic, he’ll make a spice rub of equal parts salt, cinnamon and chilli, with a liberal addition of freshly ground pepper.

“You have to put a little more oil on your steak first, so the rub is not drying up and burning when it’s on the grill,” he says.Marinades are another way to add flavour, though Winters cautions against using an overly powerful combination for something subtle like a white-fleshed fish. “It all depends on what you like. Fish has a very delicate flavour … don’t marinade it too long.”

Most marinades contain oil, to keep the food from drying out, herbs, spices and an acid ingredient, which tenderizes the meat (such as vinegar, wine, citrus juice, tomato juice or buttermilk).When you’re marinating, avoid metal containers, which can react to acids. Instead, use a glass, stainless-steel or plastic container or even resealable heavy plastic bags. Follow recipe instructions for marinating times, as over marinating will make your food mushy and the taste too strong.Wondering which cuts to marinate? Check out growingalberta.com And if you’re using barbecue sauce, don’t apply it too early, or the sugars in the sauce will scorch. “When your steaks are where you want them, brush it on and do it on the hot spot of your grill to get that caramelization,”Winters says. “Then let the meat rest for a bit so it doesn’t bleed when you cut and serve it.”

DIRECT OR INDIRECT – THAT IS THE QUESTION

Barbecue buffs know there are two ways to go when it comes to grilling – direct and indirect.What’s the difference? When you toss a T-bone onto a grill right over your heat source, that’s the direct method. Cooking temperatures can reach more than 260°C (500°F), which allows your food to sear and produces that lovely, caramelized coating and smoky, intense flavour. It’s perfect for weeknight barbecues when you need to get your family fed in a hurry. Steaks, chops, burgers, hot dogs and most vegetables are great for the direct method of barbecuing.

Indirect grilling takes longer and uses lower temperatures, effectively turning your barbecue into an outdoor oven – great for those days when it’s too hot to cook inside.

For indirect grilling, you turn off one gas burner after preheating the barbecue, or with a charcoal grill push the coals to the edges, and place food away from the heat source. A lid is necessary because heat is reflected inside the unit to allow food to cook slowly and evenly on all sides.Whole chickens, turkeys and roasts can be cooked this way. •

TEN WAYS TO RULE THE BARBECUE WORLD

Great grilling starts with good tools. Looking after your barbecue (especially if it spent most of the winter buried under a snowdrift) means you’ll be able to whip up delicious alfresco dinners effortlessly. Keep these tips in mind before you flick that first flame:

1. Whether it’s a gas or charcoal barbecue, give it a good spring scrub-down before you start.
2. The barbecue people at Weber-Stephen Products Co suggest you inspect the gas hose or supply line for nicks, cuts, cracking or abrasions and replace with the proper parts.
3. To check for leaks, Weber recommends you brush all gas connections with a soap and water solution. Bubbles indicate a leak. Shut off the gas, tighten the fitting and re-test. Rinse off the soap solution once you’re done.
4. Dirt, leaves and cobwebs can affect ventilation or the flow of air. Make sure to check and clean around valves, control knobs and burners. Tighten any loose screws, nuts and bolts.
5. Always light your barbecue with the lid open.
6. Keep a spray bottle filled with water handy to put out flare-ups. If you have too many, consider trimming more fat off the meat.
7. To keep food from sticking, brush it and the hot grill lightly with oil just before cooking.
8. “Never use a fork to turn your food,” says Rimrock Resort Hotel chef Lloyd Winters. He suggests you use tongs, which won’t pierce the meat and drain away juice.
9. After you’ve finished grilling, let meat rest for a few minutes on a warm plate to even temperatures and to prevent juices from seeping out with the first cut.
10. Use a brass bristle brush to clean your grill. If it’s still hot, food residue will come off easily.

TEN TIPS FOR SAFE SIZZLING

Outdoor cooking and dining may be a casual way to entertain, but that doesn’t mean you should relax food-safety. Keep the following suggestions in mind for a summer of safe sizzling:

1. Keep meat and poultry either below 4°C (40°F) or above 60°C (140°F). After purchase, refrigerate or freeze promptly.
2. Cook or freeze freshly ground meat and poultry within 24 hours of purchase.
3. All other poultry and meat cuts can be refrigerated for one to three days. Freeze for longer storage.
4. To thaw frozen meat, place in its freezer wrapping on a tray or plate on the bottom shelf of your fridge so leaking juices do not contaminate other foods. Allow 26-33 hours/kg (12-15 hours/lb.) for meat and 14-20 hours/kg (6-9 hours/kg) for chicken.
5. With hot water and soap, thoroughly wash hands, utensils, cutting boards and work surfaces before, during and after handling raw poultry.
6. Cook ground meat such as hamburgers and meatloaf until they are no longer pink inside and have reached an internal temperature of 71°C (160°F).
7. Never partially cook hamburgers or poultry to finish cooking later.
8. Do not serve your grilled meat on the same platter used to transport it to the barbecue, as bacteria from uncooked meat may linger. Either clean the plate well or use a fresh one.
9. Do not reuse a marinade. Throw it out!
10. If you’d like your marinade to double as a basting or dipping sauce, remove a suitable amount before you marinate meat in it.

Here in Alberta there’s so much to choose from and it all tastes great when grilled.

TURN ON THE FLAME

Here are three sizzlin’ ideas to launch your grilling season.

BASIL STUFFED STEAKS

1.25 L (5 cups) basil leaves tightly packed
75 mL (5 tbsp) olive oil
10 mL (2 tsp) garlic powder
10 mL (2 tsp) onion powder
10 mL (2 tsp) lemon juice
(6) 180g / (6) 6-oz centre-cut tenderloin steaks
cracked black pepper
salt
wooden skewers cut in 3.5 inch (8 cm) lengths

In a medium saucepan, boil lightly salted water. Meanwhile, rinse basil leaves in cold water. Remove the water from heat and add the basil leaves. Steep for 1 minute; drain well. Gently press any excess water out of the leaves; set leaves aside. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, garlic powder, and onion powder; set aside. With a sharp knife, make a pocket in the side of each steak. Stuff the blanched, drained basil leaves in the pockets. Pin the steaks closed with wooden skewers. Brush the steaks with seasoned olive oil. Roll steaks in cracked black pepper; season with salt. Grill or barbecue steaks, brushing with seasoned oil while they cook, until they reach the desired degree of doneness.

GRILLED VEGETABLE AND PORK SALAD

500 g (1 lb) Pork loin centre cut
butterfly steaks, boneless
50 mL (1/4 cup) olive oil
2 mL (1/2 tsp) dried oregano
2 each small zucchini and red onions
2 red or yellow peppers
50 mL (1/4 cup) red wine vinegar
15 mL (1 tbsp) Dijon mustard
1 mL (1/4 tsp) salt
1 mL (1/4 tsp) freshly ground black pepper
1 head romaine lettuce

Preheat barbecue on high; reduce temperature to medium. Lightly brush pork steaks with 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil and sprinkle with oregano. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise; halve onions; halve and seed peppers. Brush vegetables with 1 tbsp (15 mL) oil. Place pork steaks on the grill. Close barbecue cover and grill pork 7 minutes. Turn pork steaks and add veggies to the grill. Close cover and grill 8 to 10 minutes, turning veggies several times. Meanwhile whisk together remaining olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Break romaine into bite size pieces and divide among 4 plates. Remove pork and veggies from the barbecue; cut into bite-size pieces and toss with dressing; then spoon warm over lettuce. Serve with whole grain rolls.

GRILLED MARJORAM CHICKEN WITH TARRAGON SAUCE

(6) 180g / (6) 6-oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
30 mL (2 tbsp) vegetable oil
15 mL (1 tbsp) lime juice
90 mL (6 tbsp) fresh marjoram
5 mL (1 tsp) freshly ground black pepper or lemon pepper

TARRAGON SAUCE
170mL (2/3 cup) sour cream
170mL (2/3 cup) plain, non-fat yogurt
15 mL (1 tbsp) lemon juice
30 mL (2 tbsp) chopped fresh tarragon
85mL (1/3 cup) chopped fresh chives

In a large bowl, coat the chicken breasts with oil. Add the lime juice marjoram, and pepper; mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. In a medium bowl, combine sauce ingredients; mix well. On the barbecue or grill at medium heat, cook the chicken for 6 to 8 minutes on each side. Serve sauce over cooked chicken or on the side.