Tuesday: The Cornucopia: Grilling

It's that time of year--barbecue season. I happen to like charcoal better than gas for grilling, so that's what we use, but whatever your method, nothing beats a backyard cookout with your family and friends.

(Page from Better Homes & Gardens Barbecue Cookbook, circa 1960s. Click on the image to enlarge)

We grill just about everything--steaks, chicken, burgers, brats, tofu, and pork chops. I also love to eat grilled vegetables, so summer squash, mushrooms, red onions, and sweet peppers (green, yellow and red) all get skewered and grilled. So does sweet corn.

I found a great way to grill corn. Peel the husks off down to the very last thin layer. Steam the corn cobs for about 5 minutes before grilling. Put over the coals/heat and turn as needed until you have nice grill marks all around. Here's a recipe I came up with for a grilled corn salsa (it actually was a finalist in a "Taste of Home" corn recipe competition a few years back).
http://www.food.com/recipe/grilled-corn-salsa-359612


Marinating is essential to tasty dishes, grilled or not. As soon as I come home from the market with meat or tofu, I open the packages and put the food into marinades, each in a separate plastic bag or container. Chinese Five Spice powder, with some oil and rice vinegar, makes a fast marinade for chicken. I like Worchestshire sauce and garlic powder on London Broil steak. Pork chops and roasts I keep simple--olive oil, garlic, a splash of soy sauce, and some crushed fennel seeds, which I make sure to rub into the meat.


This is a very simple recipe for lime marinade that I found in an old New York Times cookbook. I cheat and use bottled lime juice when fresh limes aren't around, and it works just fine.
http://www.food.com/recipe/summertime-lime-marinade-barbecue-sauce-303434