Chuck Steak? Really.

Grilled Chuck Steak

I realize that chuck steak does not have the same high regard as, say rib steak. But I don’t care. I love chuck because it has such a robust, beefy flavor and the texture, while not as tender as rib, is satisfying to any lover of beef (which I am!).

You can make chuck steak in a quickie way — seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic powder and grilled outside (or in the broiler or grill pan).

But a marinade really enhances this cut of beef and also helps make it more tender. This recipe for Marinated Chuck Steak — spiked with a bit of Sriracha — is perfect for a summer meal and is an especially good choice if you are observant and have eaten nonmeat meals during the Nine Days.

Grilled, Marinated Chuck Steak

• 2 pounds chuck steak

• 1/4 cup red wine

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 tablespoons orange juice

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger

• 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh orange zest

• 1/2 teaspoon Sriracha

• freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the meat in a deep container. In a bowl, mix the wine, olive oil, orange juice, mustard, thyme, ginger, orange zest and Sriracha and pour over the meat. Turn the meat over once or twice to be sure all surfaces are covered. Marinate for about one hour. Preheat an outdoor grill or oven broiler. Remove the meat from the marinade. Sprinkle with fresh pepper. Grill or broil for 3-6 minutes per side, depending on whether you like the meat rare, medium or medium-well. 

Makes 4-6 servings

Brisket with BBQ Glaze

I was never a big brisket fan. Soft, wet, brown meat just isn’t my thing. My mother, who was a very good cook, and every other woman in the family, served the meat with pan juices and overcooked onions and carrots.

It was one of the only recipes of my Mom’s that I didn’t like.

So when it was my turn as woman of the house this was not a dish I ever cooked for the holidays.

Then my sons-in-law came along and wanted to know “where’s the brisket?”

I had to find a way that satisfied the whole crew.

After a while I discovered Texas style barbecued brisket: tender meat glazed with thick, tangy sauce and crispy ends and outsides. It was a transformative moment, gastronomically speaking

I wish my Mom was here to try it!

Brisket is expensive, so I don’t make it often, but when I do I always pre-cook it to tenderness this way, then glaze it with barbecue sauce (instructions for when to do what are in that post too).

This year, this is the sauce I am using:

Texas Style Brisket

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 large onion, finely chopped

• 1 medium clove garlic, chopped

• 1 teaspoon finely chopped chili pepper

• 2 cups ketchup

• 1/2 cup apricot jam

• 1/2 cup orange juice

• 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup

• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• pinch of ground cloves

• pinch or two of freshly grated nutmeg

Pour the olive oil into a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 2 minutes or until slightly softened. Add the garlic and chili pepper and cook briefly. Add the ketchup, jam, orange juice, honey or maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, cloves and nutmeg and stir to blend them. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to simmer. Cook uncovered, stirring frequently, for about 15 minutes or until thick.

Makes about 2-1/2 cups

Grilled Chicken Breasts with Soy and Honey Marinade

I prefer chicken breast on the bone — it tends to be juicier because the bones protect the meat from the heat. And besides, I am a bone chewer!

On the other hand, when it’s summer and I’m a little less motivated to cook and want an easy dinner, boneless chicken sure comes in handy.

I’ve made this dish many times (changed the sweetener to agave or maple; once used molasses; used pineapple juice instead of orange juice; left out the chili pepper because my sister-in-law, who was coming for dinner, doesn’t like even a hint of spice in her food). It’s easy to prepare the marinade and the good thing is, I can marinate the chicken ahead of time. Cooking takes anywhere from 10 to 16 minutes, max.

Easy peasy.

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Grilled Chicken Breasts with Orange, Soy Sauce and Honey

• 1/4 cup soy sauce

• 1/4 cup orange juice

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 tablespoon honey

• 1 tablespoon grated fresh orange zest

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger

• 2 scallions, finely chopped

• 1 clove garlic, chopped

• 1 teaspoon finely chopped serrano or jalapeno pepper

• 4 skinless and boneless half chicken breasts or 8 small chicken thighs

Combine the soy sauce, orange juice, olive oil, honey, orange zest, ginger, scallions, garlic and chili pepper in a deep dish. Place the chicken in the marinade, refrigerate and let rest for 1-4 hours, turning the pieces occasionally. Preheat an outdoor grill or oven broiler. Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill for 5-8 minutes per side, depending on size and thickness, turning the pieces occasionally, or until cooked through.

Makes 4 servings

Brisket Wings

I don’t wait for Superbowl to serve chicken-wings. They’re one of our favorite foods to eat and are a regular item for dinner.

I make wings in all sorts of ways, with all sorts of seasonings and all levels of sweetness and spiciness. I’ve made them Korean style and Jewish style and East India style.

Recently I made some “brisket wings.”

What?

Here’s what I mean — I recently made brisket, which I slow-cook to tenderness and then light up our outside grill to cook it Texas-style. I use any one of a number of BBQ sauces I’ve developed over the years. BBQ sauce helps the meat come out with those fabulous crispy edges and burnt ends. (During colder months I use the oven broiler.)

I had some of the brisket sauce leftover so I decided to use it for some wings.

PERFECT!

This is a universal sauce! I have since even slathered some on top of some hamburgers, for extra burger goodness.

Here’s the recipe. I cooked the wings on a medium grill (lightly coat them with vegetable oil first), and then, after about 12-15 minutes, coat them with some sauce and cook them until crispy and done.

These wings would be terrific for Father’s Day!

BARBECUE SAUCE FOR BRISKET, WINGS AND MORE

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped

• 1 medium clove garlic, chopped

• 1 teaspoon finely chopped chili pepper

• 2 cups ketchup

• 1/2 cup orange marmalade

• 1/2 cup cold brewed coffee

• 1/4 cup honey

• 1/2 cup Balsamic vinegar

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• pinch of ground cloves

Pour the olive oil into a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 2 minutes or until slightly softened. Add the garlic and chili pepper and cook briefly. Add the ketchup, marmalade, coffee, honey, Balsamic vinegar, brown sugar and cloves and stir to blend them. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to simmer. Cook uncovered, stirring frequently, for 12-15 minutes or until thick.

Makes about 2-1/2 cups

Turkey Burgers

In Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poem, Ode to the West Wind, he asks “If Winter Comes, can Spring be far behind?”

I think of this every year as soon as the weather warms up and the days get longer. In no time I forget the cold, snow and gray skies of just a few short months before.

I take the winter cover off the grill, clean the grates and get ready for months of quick, easy, outdoor cooking.

I light the fire.

It’s burger time!

Sometimes turkey burger time! Like this eggless version that’s so incredibly tender and flavorful and best served with mashed avocado but, hey, if you’re like my husband and insist on ketchup that’s ok too.

It’s a good bet for Father’s Day. Labor Day too.

EGG-FREE Turkey Burgers with Mayo and Mustard

• 1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted

• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

• 20-24 ounces ground turkey

• 1 small onion, grated

• 1 large clove garlic finely chopped

• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs, seasoned or plain

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, optional

• 4 slices lightly toasted bread

• 2 tomatoes, sliced

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat an outdoor grill. Mash the avocado with the lemon juice, cover and set aside. Place the turkey, onion, garlic, mayonnaise, mustard and bread crumbs in a bowl and mix to combine the ingredients evenly. Shape the mixture into 4 burger patties about 3/4-inch thick. Grill the burgers for about 5 minutes per side OR heat the vegetable oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and cook the burgers for about 5 minutes per side or until crispy and cooked through. While the burgers are cooking, toast the bread. Place 4 slices of toasted bread on each of four plates. Spread equal amounts of the avocado on each slice. Place tomato slices over the bread. Top with the burgers. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 4 servings

Pomegranate Chicken Wings

I know that Labor Day is not the end of grilling season, but somehow it's a reminder that so much in our lives is about to change. In the month or so ahead, leaves turn to red and gold. School begins. There's a vague chill in the air at night. The sun sets earlier and nighttime comes sooner.

I also realize that many people continue to grill outdoors throughout the year.

I'm not one of them. If it's below 45 I don't feel like slaving over a hot grill in the cold night air.

So, knowing how way leads on to way, I am making the most of the grilltime that's left.

These wings will be on my menu soon, before I close up shop for the winter.

Fyi, you can use the glaze for other chicken parts and bake the pieces n the oven or broil them in an oven broiler. It’s also fine to use for basting a whole roasting chicken.

 

Pomegranate Wings

• 2 pounds chicken wings

• olive oil (about one tablespoon)

• 1/2 cup pomegranate jelly

• 2 tablespoons orange juice

• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger

• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 2 scallions, chopped

• pinch or two cayenne pepper

• salt to taste

Preheat an outdoor grill or oven broiler. Wash and dry the wings and cut them into separate pieces. Brush with olive oil and grill, turning once, for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. While the wings are cooking, mix the pomegranate jelly, orange juice, cider vinegar, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, scallions cayenne pepper and salt to taste until well blended. Brush this glaze on the wings and cook for another 10-12 minutes, turning the wings occasionally and brushing with remaining glaze, until crispy and fully cooked.

Makes about 24

The Birthday Dinner Dilemma

It's my daughter Gillian's birthday today. A round numbered one. And she asked if, instead of going out to dinner at some fancy shmancy joint to celebrate, whether I would make a special dinner at home.

Of course!

With the fancy shmancy china and silverware and different size wine glasses for different wines for different courses.

Of course!

So, okay, I have the china and silverware and wine glasses. All I have to do there is make sure I have candles for the candlesticks, iron the napkins, fill the salt cellars, set the table and so on. Ed will take care of the wine.

It's all good.

BUT WHAT SHOULD I COOK?

Something new and glamorous? Fancy shmancy?

Or old favorites like Pearly Meatballs? Fried Chicken Wings? Sticky Spicy Chicken Wings? with pre-dinner cocktails.

Should I make a soup? Like Beet Soup with Orange and Mint (even the name sounds fancy doesn't it?).

For the main course I'm thinking maybe lamb. Everyone in the family eats that. But she really does like turkey. Unfortunately turkey is not the universal family favorite, so maybe no? Plus -- Gillian is our family carver, so could I really ask her to do all that slicing and deboning for her birthday dinner?

Another dilemma is that Gillian is not such a big dessert person. Or at least what people consider the usual kinds of dessert. This dessert thing would be easy if the birthday person was my son-in-law Greg. He likes chocolate cake.

Ed would always welcome chef Raymond Oliver's Normandy Ice Cream (coffee with Grand Marnier).

For me, birthday dessert is always apple pie. 

We are celebrating in a few weeks, so I have some time to finalize the menu plus make sure I buy those candles. 

If anyone has suggestions -- I am all ears.

In the meantime, should I also make some candy? Like chocolate dipped dried fruit?

Chocolate Dipped Dried Fruit

• 2-1/2 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons orange-flavored brandy or rum
• 50 pieces (approximately) dried fruit such as crystallized ginger, apricot halves, candied orange peel (about 6 ounces)

Melt the semisweet chocolate, unsweetened chocolate and butter in the top part of a double boiler over barely simmering water. Let the ingredients melt, remove the top part of the pan from the heat, pour in the brandy and stir to make a smooth, uniform mixture. Dip each piece of fruit in the chocolate mixture, shake off the excess and place on waxed paper or parchment paper to dry.

Makes approximately 50 pieces

BEEF RIBS WITH SPICY RIB RUB

I don't have a lot of go-to meals. I like to mix things up, change recipes, add a new ingredient or change a seasoning or try a different sauce and so on.

But when I'm in a hurry or too busy to cook I make something quick and simple, usually something I've done dozens of times. One of my favorite go-to quickie recipes is: beef ribs. I preheat the grill or broiler, sprinkle the ribs with salt, pepper and garlic and that's that. Dinner (add a vegetable or salad or maybe some cut up avocado/tomato) is done.

Before last week I had never made beef ribs with a rub. I know you can buy all sorts of rubs and marinades but I wanted to try my hand at it so I made my own rub mixture. Instead of my usual -- grill the meat for 10-12 minutes -- I let them cook ever so slowly, tightly wrapped in foil, for 3 hours, until they were as soft as .... fill this in for yourself. Then I quickly grilled them until the surfaces were crispy.

Oh my, dinner was awesome. I will make this again.

And by the way, I poured the pan juices into a jar, put it in the refrigerator for a few days, then scooped the fat that rose to the top and used the juices to baste a chicken. So with this rub we got double the flavor, fun and good food.

 

Broiled/Grilled Beef Ribs with Spicy Rib Rub

• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 pounds beef ribs

Combine the brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, cumin, salt, chipotle and cayenne in a bowl and whisk to blend the seasonings evenly. Add the olive oil and mix thoroughly. Spread the mixture all over the ribs. Refrigerate the ribs for at least 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Wrap the ribs tightly in aluminum foil. Place the foil wrapped ribs on a cookie sheet. Bake for 3 hours. Remove the package from the oven. Remove the ribs from the package (there will be pan fluids*).

To broil: preheat the oven broiler. Place the ribs on a cookie sheet. Broil for about 3 minutes per side or until crispy.

To grill: preheat an outdoor grill. Place ribs directly on the grids and grill for about 3 minutes per side or until crispy.

Makes 4 servings

*Pour the pan fluids into a jar, refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until the fat rises to the top. Remove and discard the fat. Use the fluids as a basting sauce for beef or chicken.

Bulgogi

Bulgogi

This is not your grandmother’s flanken. But it is flanken, aka shortribs. And this meat can be tough and chewy, which is why grandma poached it in soup or in a slow-cooker with some good brown gravy or sweet and sour sauce.

I loved grandma’s flanken.

But, maybe because I don’t eat meat that often and yet think of myself as a devoted carnivore, I decided to put flanken and summer together using a grill.

So I made Bulgogi, a Korean dish in which the shortribs marinate in a soy-sesame oil based sauce before being grilled.

Yes, the meat is not as tender as other cuts, like rib. But much cheaper and, for meat lovers, gives quite a satisfying resilience. I served the Bulgogi with sauteed bok choy and steamed rice.

YUM.

Bulgogi

1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons sake (or rice wine or sherry)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 scallions, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, finely crushed
1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 pounds flanken or boneless short rib
toasted sesame seeds for garnish, optional

Place the soy sauce, sugar, sake, vegetable oil, sesame oil, scallion, garlic, sesame seeds and crushed red pepper in a bowl and stir, making sure to dissolve the sugar. Place the beef in a non-reactive dish and turn the pieces to coat all sides. Let marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Preheat the oven broiler or outdoor grill (or use a grill pan), skewer the meat and grill for 3-4 minutes per side or until crispy and done to your liking. Garnish with a small amount of toasted sesame seeds if desired.

Makes 4-6 servings

Grilled “Korean Style” Chicken

Barbecue for Father’s Day: Ribs and Chicken

For years and years on Father’s Day our family, my brothers, parents and I, went to an extended family barbecue (called a “cookout”) at my Aunt Min’s house. All the cousins were there so it was a generally raucous event. My Uncle Herb made hot dogs and hamburgers.

I didn’t like it. I wanted to be with my father and and not everyone else’s. It wasn’t as if we never saw the cousins. There were always plenty of other occasions during the year.

Besides, I wanted my Mom’s delicious food. Uncle Herb was a nice guy and all but he tended to overcook everything so the hot dogs were shriveled and the burgers were like hardened play dough.

So one year I got really brave and told my mother I didn’t want to go.

Wow — she agreed! It was like a miracle. She loved the family thing (it was her family, not my Dad’s) so I was really surprised. Maybe she was looking for an excuse not to go? Maybe all the little, noisy kids were too much for her? Maybe the traffic was a hassle?

In any event, after that our family went solo with our own cookout and that’s the tradition I follow with my own children. It’s raucous enough just with us! 

We change the menu from year to year, but it’s always something on the grill plus a few veggie and grain salads and maybe potato salad.

I just bought some beautiful beef ribs for Sunday. And some boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Here’s the recipe I’m going to use (it’s for the chicken, but you can use the same marinade for the beef ribs).

Grilled “Korean Style” Chicken

• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup agave or honey
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame seed oil
• 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 thick scallions, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 4 large skinless and boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, optional

Combine the soy sauce, agave, brown sugar, vegetable oil, sesame seed oil, garlic, scallions, ginger and black pepper in a dish large enough to hold the chicken breasts. Mix the ingredients well. Immerse the chicken and turn them a few times to coat all surfaces. Marinate for 2-3 hours, turning the meat from time to time. Preheat an outdoor grill or oven broiler. Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill the breasts, brushing occasionally with the marinade, for about 8 minutes, turning once or twice, or until the breasts are cooked through. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds if desired. Makes 4 servings 

Tagged: Father's Day, Grilled Chicken, Korean Barbecue Sauce