Grilling for Labor Day

The last big holiday is coming up which a good time for grilling your holiday meal. In anticipation, here are some tips along with a couple of recommended recipes.

And where do you go for grilling tips?  Of course, to the grill master – Bobby Flay. Here are some of his recommendations:

• Charcoal and gas grills both work fine. Charcoal provides a smokiness that gas cannot imitate.  But gas is quicker, easier to control and easier to clean.
• Never use lighter fluid. Use a chimney starter.
• Be sure the grates are clean.
• Use tongs for most things and do not use a fork. For items the need gentle handling, use a wide spatula.
• For brushing, a good quality paint brush works as good as a pastry brush and is much cheaper. Replace them often.
• Put the food on the grill and give it a chance to cook which will also let it sear on the bottom so that it naturally pulls away from the grates. If you move food too soon, it will stick.
• Don’t cut into your food to check for doneness. This lets the juices pour out and dries it out on the grill.  Test food by poking it with your finger. 
• Meat and poultry should rest for at least several minutes before slicing or serving. If you cut too soon, the hot juices will run out rather than staying within the meat.
• When in doubt, it is better to under cook than over cook. You can always put the food back on the grill if you need to, but you can never un-cook it.

 

Here are the recipes:

Grilled Steak and Asparagus Salad with Hoisin Vinaigrette

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 lb top sirloin steak
• 1 1/4 pounds thin asparagus spears, trimmed
• 3 thin red onion slices
• Orange slices

For vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons hot Chinese-style mustard or Dijon mustard

For salad

• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 1 1-pound top sirloin steak (about 1 inch thick)
• Nonstick olive oil spray

Preparation

Make vinaigrette:

Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Make salad:

Grind peppercorns, coriander seeds and fennel seeds to fine powder.

Meanwhile, spray asparagus and onion slices with nonstick spray; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill asparagus until crisp-tender and slightly charred, turning often, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer asparagus to plate. Keeping slices intact, grill onion until slightly charred and almost tender, about 4 minutes per side; transfer to plate with asparagus.

Cut steak crosswise into thin slices. Arrange steak and asparagus on 6 plates. Drizzle with vinaigrette. Garnish salads with some onion rings and orange slices.

TIPS:

Seasoning & Cooking

A marinade will tenderize and imbue steaks with extra flavor. Place the steaks in the marinade and then cover and refrigerate for at least an hour prior to cooking. Alternately, steaks can be seasoned with dry rub immediately before being placed on the grill.

For grilling, brush oil onto the grilling rack to prevent sticking. The fat will melt into the fire and create smoke that will season and add flavor to the meat. Alternatively, use Pam or another non-stick spray on the grill.

When cooking in a pan, use a seasoned cast-iron skillet or grill pan: Heat olive oil, butter, or some combination of the two, and sear steaks over high heat for about two to three minutes before turning with tongs and cooking for two minutes or so more.  For more well done steaks, cook a minute or more longer or finish in the over at 450 degrees..

Determining Doneness

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. While some of us prefer our meat a rosy medium-rare (145°F), others enjoy it medium (160°F), or even well-done (170°F). An instant-read thermometer will do away with all the guesswork and help ensure that your steak is perfectly cooked to your liking.

When steaks are done, take them off the heat and let rest on a plate for ten minutes before cutting. This will give the meat fibers a chance to absorb juices released during cooking before serving.

Grilled Italian Stuffed Flank Steak

Serves  6

Ingredients

Marinade

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds flank steak
• 2 – 12-ounce jars roasted red peppers
• 3 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
• 10 thin slices prosciutto
• 24 medium-sized basil leaves
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Preparation

Day before:

1. For the marinade: combine all ingredients and mix well. Set it aside.
2. Butterfly flank steak. With one of the long sides not short sides, facing you, run knife through middle thickness leaving ½-inch at the long opposite end as a “hinge.” Do not cut all the way through.
3. Place steak in 9 x 13 pan, exposing all cut sides, and marinate overnight in refrigerator.

Day of:

1. Heat grill to medium heat.
2. Lay steak open. Place 4 pepper halves on steak to cover completely. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon parsley.
3. Cover with prosciutto slices, basil leaves and sprinkle with Parmesan along with the remaining 2 tablespoons parsley and pepper.
4. Roll up from a long side jellyroll style. Tie at 2–3-inch intervals with kitchen string.
5. Place steak on grill, cooking until desired doneness or until internal temperature reaches 145°F, turning frequently.
6. Transfer steak to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes.
7. Remove twine and slice steak, crosswise, into 1/2-inch-thick slices to serve.