Savoring cooking outdoors on Memorial Day

It is Memorial Day weekend, time to take the barbecues out of hiding, cleaned and scrubbed and readied for the summer months of outdoor eating.

I love grilling. I love the smoky flavors the perfume of chicken or meat sizzling away and the sweet smell of grilled pineapple, a family favorite. It seems that backyard barbecues have been around forever.

For millions of years, our cave men ancestors ate their food raw until our more intelligent cave relatives discovered that taking the raw meat and placing it in recently discovered fire resulted in food that was easier to chew and tasted really good. Backyard cooking began!

Fast forward to post WWII when young families moved out of the cities into the ’burbs. They worked hard all week and on the weekends they wanted to relax and get to know their next- door neighbors.

Picnics were the rage until, in 1951, a young man named George Stevens, controlling owner of a little company in Chicago that made harbor buoys, took one of those round metal buoys, cut it across the middle, added a wire grate to hold the food and created (drum roll please!) the Weber Kettle. His friends called the domed grill “sputnik” and George could not keep up with the requests for these uniquely shaped outdoor “stoves.”

Within ten years, Weber had become the gold standard for backyard barbecues and the kettle shape became the iconic symbol of suburban summer living. The rest is history and that little company that made round metal buoys is now the nation’s leading maker of all kinds of barbecues and smokers.

Today Americans grill on everything from small grills that use briquets to elaborate built-in pits that rival our indoor kitchens. However, whether you grill on a $40 kettle or $40,000 outdoor kitchen, the recipe is still key, so enjoy the summer and let’s hope for lots of grillin’ weather in the next few months.

Grilled Steak with Bloody Mary Salsa (Meat)

The hint of vodka in this amazing steak recipe adds just the right touch to an adult late night barbecue. Leave out the vodka for a kid-friendly version.

4 boneless rib steaks, each about 3/4 to 1-inch thick

MARINADE:

2 Tbsp. Tamari sauce

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. dark brown sugar

2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and pepper to taste

BLOODY MARY SALSA:

2 lbs. very ripe tomatoes (plum work best)

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped

1 Tbsp. cilantro, minced (leave it out if you don’t like cilantro)

2 scallions, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

1/2 cup beef consommé or broth or bouillon

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce

1/4 cup, more or less, to taste) vodka

Salt and Pepper to taste

OPTIONALS: 1 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 to 1 tsp. cayenne pepper to taste for heat

Place the steaks on a flat plate. Place the marinade ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until the garlic is finely minced. Pour over the meat and turn the steaks so both sides are covered with the marinade. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for about 2 to 3 hours. Bring to room temperature before grilling.

SALSA:

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Cut a shallow X in each tomato and place a few tomatoes at a time in the water. Cook just until the skins split. Remove to a bowl of cold water and then peel the tomatoes. Chop them coarsely and place them in the bowl of a food processor. Repeat until all the tomatoes are used. Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor and process until as smooth or chunky as you like. Place the sauce in a sauce pan, bring to a boil and then simmer for about 5 to 7 minutes. Turn off the heat, taste, and adjust seasonings.

Remove the steaks from the refrigerator. Place them on a grill over medium heat. Discard the rest of the marinade. Cooke to desired doneness. Serve with the salsa. Serves 4.

Great Grilled Steak with Easy Hot Chili ‘Mop’ (Meat)

A “Mop” is a spicy liquid that is literally mopped or brushed onto grilling meat.

4 steaks, your choice with or without bone

1 stick pareve, trans-fat free margarine

2 Tbsp. Canola oil

2 to 4 large cloves garlic, pressed

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 small chili pepper, seeded and finely minced

Pinch cayenne pepper, more or less, to taste

1 tsp. paprika

Salt and pepper to taste

OPTIONAL: 1 to 2 tsp. molasses

Melt the margarine and add the pressed garlic. Add the Canola oil and the remaining ingredients. Whisk and set aside until needed.

Brush the grill with Canola oil and heat to high.

Place about two-thirds of the marinade into a shallow flat bowl and retain the rest. Using a grilling “mop” or a long handled grilling brush, brush the meat with the marinade and place it brushed side down on the grill. Brush the other side and sear the steaks, about 2 to 4 minutes.

Brush the top again and turn the steaks. Mop the grilled side 4 or 5 times while the other side cooks. Discard the marinade used to “mop” the meat.

Remove the steaks to a plate and, using a clean brush, brush the reserved marinade once across the top of the steak. Serves 4.

Beef Burgers with Red Onion Sauce (Meat)

1-1/2 to 2 lbs. hamburger meat

1 onion

1/2 to 3/4 cup bread crumbs

2 cloves garlic

1 Tbsp. tamari sauce

1 tsp. dark brown sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

RED ONION SAUCE:

3 large red onions

10 large shallots

1 cup beef stock

1/4 to 1/2 cup dry red wine

1 to 2 Tbsp red currant jelly

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

BURGERS:

Peel the onion and garlic and chop the onion into several pieces. Place into the bowl of a food processor. Add the garlic, bread crumbs, tamari sauce and sugar and process until finely chopped and well blended. Mix with the meat and form 4 to 6 patties. Place on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

RED ONION SAUCE:

Peel and slice the red onions and the shallots. Heat a large deep sided skillet and add the olive oil. Add the onions and shallots and cook over low heat until they begin to turn golden brown. Turn and gently break apart the rings.

When evenly golden, but not caramelized, add the stock and the wine and reduce the heat. Add the jelly and simmer until the liquid is reduced by about half, 20 to 35 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and a bit more jelly for sweetness, if you like.

Meanwhile, grill the burgers to desired doneness and serve with the hot onion sauce. Serves 4 to 6.

Citrus Pineapple Chicken Kabobs (Meat)

The marinade is all about tasting and adjusting flavors to get the one you like. You can add sweetness or heat, some middle-eastern flavor or even a hint of mint. Your choice!!

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces for skewering

1 fresh, very ripe pineapple, peeled and cut into inch-thick rings, each ring cut into 4 to 6 pieces

2 oranges cut in half, each half cut into 3 wedges

2 Red Bell peppers

MARINADE:

Juice of one orange

1 to 2 tsp. freshly grated orange zest

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Freshly grated zest of 1/2 lemon

Juice of 1/2 lime

Freshly grated zest of 1/2 lime

2 to 3 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 to 3 Tbsp. Pure Cane Sugar Syrup OR Pure Maple Syrup OR Honey (more to taste)

1 tsp. Tamari Sauce

OPTIONALS: 1/4 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes

1/4 cup pineapple juice

1 to 2 tsp. finely minced fresh mint leaves

Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a small bowl and mix well. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add any of the optional ingredients, taste and adjust.

Cut the chicken into large chunks and place in a shallow glass baking dish. Cut the peppers in half, remove the seeds and cut into uniform pieces. Set aside in a small bowl. Peel and slice the pineapple. Cut into pieces and set aside in a small bowl.

Pour about 2/3 of the marinade over the chicken, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Store the rest of the marinade, covered, in the refrigerator Cover the pineapple and peppers and refrigerate. Place the pepper pieces in a bowl and refrigerate.

Remove the chicken, peppers and pineapple from the refrigerator.

Cut the oranges into 6 wedges each and place one wedge at the beginning and ending of each skewer. Divide the chicken, peppers and pineapple pieces evenly among 4 to 6 skewers, threading them carefully. Discard the marinade in which the chicken soaked.

Place the skewers on a hot grill and baste with the reserved marinade. Cook until the chicken juices run clear and the peppers are a bit charred at the edges. Serves 4 to 6.

Grilled Salmon with Rhubarb Salsa (Pareve)

The sweetness of the salmon blends nicely with the sweet and sour rhubarb, which is in abundance this time of year. Use on any other firm-fleshed fish you like. Great over tuna or Halibut.

4 salmon fillets or steaks, about 6 to 8 oz each

1 Tbsp. canola oil

1 tsp. Extra Virgin Olive oil

1 small red onion, chopped

1 to 2 small shallots, minced

4 to 6 stalks rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 to 2 Tbsp. dark brown sugar (to taste)

1/4 cup water

1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp. garlic wine vinegar

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme

1 tsp. chopped fresh parsley

1/3 cup raisins

OPTIONAL: Add 1/4 cup drained crushed pineapple.

Heat a small saucepan and add the oil. Add the chopped onion and shallots and stir over medium heat. Cook until translucent and soft, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Add the rhubarb, water, and sugars, using half the brown sugar. Stir well. Add the raisins and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often, until the rhubarb is very soft. Add the vinegars, parsley and thyme. Cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add salt, pepper and more brown sugar, if needed, to taste.

Meanwhile, broil or grill salmon steaks as desired. Place a piece of fish on each plate and top with sauce or place sauce on the side. Serves 4.

Write: Columnist@TheJewishStar.com