Sherried Porcini Marinade

This is delicious. Really delicious. I've used it on boneless pork chops and thin steaks. So savory. The original recipe, from one of my favorite cookbooks for grilling, uses dried shiitake mushrooms. I have lots of dried porcinis (photo above shows a good haul before drying) so I used them instead. Unlike many marinades, it's a quick one. You only need an hour or so. Packs a ton of umami into a small span of time.

Sherried Shiitake (or Porcini) Marinade
(makes enough for 1 1/2 - 2 pounds of meat)

½ cup dry sherry
½ oz. dried shiitakes or porcini mushrooms
1 small shallot, peeled and cut into quarters
1 large clove to garlic, peeled
¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
salt

In a small saucepan, heat the sherry until simmering. Put the mushrooms in a small bowl and pout the sherry over the mushrooms. Smush down so most of the mushrooms are covered with sherry. Let soak for 20 minutes. Remove the mushrooms, reserving the sherry. Strain the sherry through cheesecloth to get rid of any sand. Add the mushrooms and strained sherry to the bowl of a food processor. Turn on the processor. Drop in the shallot pieces and garlic. Process until everything is chopped finely. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the soy, vinegar, tarragon, and black pepper. Process again until mixed. Place the meat in a shallow glass dish. Pour over the marinade, turning the meat to coat. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Before grilling, season meat well with salt. Grill on a very hot grill.

From Marinades: The Secret of Great Grilling by Melanie Barnard, HarperPerennial, 1997.

Spicy Lamb Burgers

"Paul Gauguin - La bergère bretonne" by Paul Gauguin - Sotheby's (not for sale, only as a reference). Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.

Lamb is one of my favorite meats, which is pretty obvious  if you look at recipes posted on this blog (like lamb espresso, Scotch broth, or a lamb-lentil stew). Most Americans do not share my love of lamb; yearly consumption is so small it barely shows up next to other meats. Hey, that doesn't deter me! I'll keep posting my favorite lamb recipes for you few "dyed in the wool" lamb lovers (yes, pun intended).

Ground lamb is often fairly fatty. If you grind it yourself, you can get a leaner mix. The added fat does add to the unctousness of the burgers, however.

Spicy Lamb Burgers
(serves 4)

1 pound ground lamb
¼ cup panko bread crumbs
2 Tablespoons dried minced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 serrano or other hot green chile, minced
¼ cup minced parsley or cilantro
1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne
½ teaspoon ground cumin

Combine everything in a bowl and mix thoroughly with your hands. Form into 4 burgers. Let rest for 10 minutes - use this time to get your grill smokin' hot. Grill or sear in a very hot cast-iron pan until done to your liking. I wouldn't go past medium and medium-rare is even better. For medium-rare, 4 minutes per side will be enough if you use a very hot grill or pan.

Though very much mixing up ethnic origins, this burger(Pakistani) is delicious with Romesco Sauce (Spanish).

Adapted from The Barbecue Bible by Steve Raichlen, Workman Publishing Company, Inc, 1998.

Tamarind Sauce

Tamarind pods. The sticky flesh inside is removed and usually sold in a block.

We ate this sauce on lamb chops but I think it would be wonderful on just about anything grilled: chicken, duck, beef, or shrimp (which is what the original recipe from epicurious.com used it on). It is very intense with the tamarind and the fish sauce. It's not so different from many steak sauces or Worcestershire sauce which are flavored with tamarind and anchovies.

I used tamarind sauce from my local Savory Spice Shop but that's not necessary. If you have tamarind pulp - usually sold in a block  - you can make your own sauce. Look for it in Asian markets, especially Indian ones.

Tamarind Sauce
(makes about ½ cup)

1 Tablespoon tamarind pulp
⅓ cup warm water
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon finely minced cilantro
1 Tablespoon minced garlic (3-4 cloves)
1 Tablespoon Siracha sauce
1 ½ Tablespoon turbinado or dark brown sugar
1 Tablespoon fish sauce

Combine tamarind pulp and water in a small bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes to soften pulp, Using your fingers, rub the pulp in the water to dissolve. Tamarind can have lots of fiber and big seeds so don't be surprised if it doesn't all dissolve. Push through a strainer into another bowl to remove the solids. You should have about 3 Tablespoons tamarind sauce.

Heat oil in a small saucepan until hot but not smoking. Add cilantro and garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Serve with grilled meat, chicken, or shrimp. It's intense; one recipe is enough for 4 people.

Photo: pictures of the tamarind-fruit {{cc-by}} Clemens PFEIFFER, 1190 Wien, licensed under Creative Commons from WikiCommons

Beer Can Chicken, without the Beer

We really like beer can chicken, where you prop a whole chicken on a half-full can of beer or some other liquid enhanced with some aromatics. You also rub the chicken with a dry rub to make it extra yummy. It's a rather foolproof method for chicken because you cook it using indirect heat. The chicken sits off to the side of the hot element (or if you have a charcoal grill, away from the live coals) so you don't need to worry about flare-ups. Flare-ups are the bane of chicken grillers. With this method, you can set it and forget it for about an hour.

I have a can holder that provides a bit more support so the bird doesn't tip over. It's not that hard to balance the chicken on the can (you shove the can up the bird's butt and balance it on its legs and the can) but the can holder makes it really easy. Here's what it looks like without the chicken and can in place.

You can find these in kitchen stores and any store that carries a lot of BBQ accessories.

Though beer can chicken is traditional, many other liquids are used to add flavor and moisture. This recipe is from Beer Can Chicken and 74 Other Offbeat Recipes for the Grill by Steven Raichlen. Raichlen is one of the giants in the field of BBQ and grilling. I have a bunch of his books and they are all fantastic: comprehensive, detailed, and full of delicious recipes. The North Carolina pulled pork recipe I posted a couple of years ago is from his excellent BBQ USA. If you are into grilling, BBQ, and live fire cooking, you need his books. I met him here in Boulder during a book signing, and he's a real nice guy too!

This recipe calls for peach nectar but I didn't have any. I used guava nectar. That works too. So, feel free to substitute apricot, guava, or mango nectar instead of the peach in both the can liquid and the sauce. The sauce reminds me of the duck sauce we used to get when we ordered spareribs at the Chinese restaurant. It's pretty sweet but totally addictive. It would also be delicious as a glaze on salmon.

Peach Nectar Chicken
(serves 4-6)

2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

12 ounces peach nectar (or some similarly fruity nectar like guava or mango)
1 3" cinnamon stick
1 chicken, 3 ½ to 4 ½ pounds

2 cups of fruity wood chips (applewood or grape prunings)

Place the wood chips in a bowl and cover with water. Soak for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour.

Combine the brown sugar, paprika, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, cinnamon, and cardamom in a small bowl and stir to mix.

Measure out ¾ cup of peach nectar into a small saucepan for the BBQ sauce. Make 2 extra holes in the top of the can with a church key type opener. Put the cinnamon stick in the can and set aside.

Remove the giblets from the cavity of the chicken. Blot the inside and outside of the chicken dry with paper towels. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of the rub in the body cavity. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of the dry rub in the neck cavity. Sprinkle 1 Tablespoon of the rub on the outside of the chicken. Spoon the rest of the rub into the can. Place the chicken on top of the can. If using the can stand, put the can in the stand, then the chicken on the can. Tuck the wings behind the chicken's back.

If using a gas grill, turn one or two elements on to high and leave one element off. That's where the chicken will go. If using a charcoal grill, get a batch of coals hot and when they are glowing, push them all off to one side. Drain the wood chips and put in a metal pie plate covered with foil and punched with a few holes or the smoker box. Place the chips on the hot side of the grill to get them smoking. Once the chips get smoking and the grill is hot (350-400°F), reduce the temperature to medium so you maintain the temperature, and place the chicken on the side of the grill that is off (or without any coals). Cover and cook for 1 ¼ to 1 ½ hours until the internal temperature in the meaty part of the thigh registers 180°F. While the chicken is cooking, make the Peach Barbecue Sauce.

Peach Barbecue Sauce

¾ cup peach nectar (that you put in the saucepan above)
½ cup ketchup
2 Tablespoons peach or apricot preserves
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon dark rum
½ teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
¼ cup water
salt and pepper to taste

Put all the ingredients except the salt and pepper in the saucepan with the peach nectar you reserved from above. Heat over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until thick. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature with chicken. Store any leftover sauce in the fridge for up to 1 week. Reheat before serving.

Lamb Chops with Gyro Marinade

This recipe was inspired by my daughter who loves gyros. Gyros are a combination of ground meats, beef and lamb usually, with some nice herbs mixed in. I think the secret ingredients are lemon and a generous amount of garlic. I found a recipe in The New Look of American Lamb from the American Lamb Council (thanks Kasja!) for lamb gyros and ran with that. They turned out mighty tasty!

Lamb Chops with Gyro Marinade
(serves 4)

3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons dried lemon peel or the zest of 1 fresh lemon
¾ teaspoon dried basil
¾ teaspoon dried marjoram
1 ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
8 lamb rib chops or 4 lamb shoulder chops
salt and black pepper

Mix together garlic, olive oil, and lemon zest in a non-reactive pan that will hold all the lamb chops in one layer. Crumble up the dried herbs in your palm and add to the garlic mixture. Add the parsley and mix to combine. Put the chops in the dish and rub the herb mixture all over the lamb. Cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours.

Season lamb chops with salt and black pepper. Broil or grill to desired doneness. We like our lamb medium-rare but you do what you got to do to keep your diners happy.

Salmon on a Plank

I decided to try something new with the salmon. Grill it on a plank. Grill isn't really correct because the planks aren't put directly over the heat. Cooking on a plank is a moist heat method. The planks are soaked in water first. When the planks are placed in a hot grill, the planks start to steam, cooking the salmon. Since the planks themselves have aromatic properties, the steam is imbued with this delicious, interesting scent of woodsy-ness. And, it's quite yummy and wonderfully moist.

As I said, this is an indirect grilling method. You need a grill with at least 2 heating elements, or a charcoal grill that is big enough to put the hot coals on one side and room for the planks on the unheated side.

I used cedar planks, but alder planks work well too. The planks are reusable. You don't put them over a direct flame so they don't get charred, particularly when cooking fast-cooking salmon. A single plank is big enough to hold 2 fillets of about 6 oz. each which is enough for 2 servings.

Cedar Planked Salmon
(serves 4)

The Zucchini Glut Continues...

These are zucchini, a French variety called Ronde de Nice. It's my absolute favorite.

Oh, the glut of zucchini continues! I have one zucchini plant. As you can see from the photo, I pick them when they are pretty small. And still...there are way too many of them!!! Talk about prolific.

Inspired by this video by Jamie Oliver (filmed in less-than-ideal grilling weather), I switched up my usual zucchini grilling method. And, I have to say Jamie is right. Grill them dry, no oil at all, and they seem to take on more smokey, grilled notes. You dress them with oil after they are grilled, which gives you better options for oil. You can choose any number of delicious but fragile oils, such as walnut, hazelnut, almond, or fine extra virgin olive. As Jamie would say, "Brilliant!"

Grilled zucchini

There isn't a recipe here. More a basic process:

1. Slice the vegetables about ½" thick. Much thicker and they take too long to cook. Much thinner and they dry out.
2. Grill over high heat with no oil until you get nice grill marks on both sides.
3. Cut into bite-sized pieces.
4. Dress with a tasty oil and season with salt and black pepper.
5. Add other seasonings as desired. I tossed in some sliced grilled cherry peppers and some lemon thyme. Basil certainly is another great choice this time of year.