If you haven’t done it already, it’s time to fire up your grill, burn off last year’s grunge and dust off your favorite recipes for some outdoor eating. And while you’re at it, you might think of creating a few new recipes, and sending them to a grilling contest. One of those contests (see details below) is hosted by this very column.
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Betterrecipes.com is also sponsoring a grilling contest, and the winner will get $500 — not quite a picnic with Ray, but not too shabby. Go to the Web site and check out the rules. The contest ends May 31.
And then there’s this column’s first-ever recipe contest. The deadline is June 15, and the winner — to be announced mid-July — gets neither a tailgating party with celebrities nor a check for five big ones but ... his or her name and recipe in this column.
To enter, submit your own original recipe for a Grilled Main Course, your name, postal mail and e-mail addresses and phone number to: grillcontest@gmail.com. Recipes submitted must: 1) be original (not previously published in any medium); 2) be received by midnight, Eastern Daylight Time, June 15, 2008; 3) consist of a recipe for a grilled main-course dish that can be done on an outdoor gas or charcoal grill; 4) specify method of grilling (direct or indirect) and level of heat (low, medium, etc.); and 5) serve four to six people. The first-place winner will have his or her recipe published, with his or her name, hometown and a brief personal interview, in this column. In addition, second- or third-place winners may be selected and published, as space permits. Winners will be judged on the basis of taste, appearance, creativity and ease of preparation. Each of these criteria will be weighted equally.
A few hints: Note that this is a grilling contest, not a barbecue contest. Think about quicker grilled recipes rather than labor-intensive, slow-cooked dishes. Avoid recipes that require ingredients not available in the average large supermarket.
The recipes below come from Batali’s new book, and from a grilling book that I helped develop recipes for: “Al Roker’s Big Bad Book of Barbecue” by Al Roker (Scribner, 2002).
T-BONE FIORENTINA WITH SAUTEED SPINACH
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more as needed for seasoning finished steak
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed for seasoning finished steak
1 (3- to 3-1/2-pound) T-bone steak, about 3 inches thick
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling on finished steak
6 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
2 pounds trimmed baby spinach, washed and spun dry
grated zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon or more to taste
In a small bowl, combine the rosemary, sage and thyme and the 2 tablespoons each of salt and pepper and mix well. Pat the steak dry and coat one side with half the herb mix. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over the seasoned side of the steak to moisten the herb mixture and rub it gently into the mixture so it will adhere to the meat. Turn the steak over and repeat on the other side with remaining herb mix and another tablespoon of oil. Place on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 30 minutes to 1 hour to come to room temperature.
Meanwhile, preheat gas or charcoal grill for direct grilling over high heat.
Place the steak on the grill, cover the grill and cook until the meat is well charred on the first side, at least 12 minutes. Turn and cook on the other side until desired doneness is reached. This steak is traditionally served rare. Batali says to cook it until the internal temperature reaches 120 F to 125 F. Food-safety experts, however, say that steak should be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 145 F. It’s up to you, but remember, the internal temperature will continue to rise as it rests, so judge accordingly. When done to your liking, remove the meat from the grill and let sit, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large, heavy pot, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat until very hot. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, just until golden. Add a few big handfuls of the spinach, sprinkle with salt and cook, stirring or turning with tongs, until just wilted. Add the remaining spinach in batches, lightly seasoning each batch and stirring or turning until just wilted. Remove from heat and add the lemon zest, juice and salt and pepper to taste.
Carve the fillet and strip steak from the bone and slice the meat. Divide the steak among four plates, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt. Place the spinach next to the steak and serve immediately.
Recipe from “Italian Grill” by Mario Batali (Ecco, 2008)
Serves 4.
KOREAN BARBECUED SHORT RIBS
1/2 cup peanut oil
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon hot Asian chili paste (available in supermarkets)
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil (made with toasted sesame seeds)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)
6 pounds beef short ribs, cut cross-wise across a rack of 4 ribs, as thinly as possible, 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick (Ask the butcher to do this.)
In a nonreactive pan or bowl just large enough to hold the meat, mix together all of the ingredients except the short ribs.
Toss the meat gently in the bowl until lightly coated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 24, turning the meat gently once during this time.
Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for direct grilling over high heat.
Remove the ribs from the bowl and discard the marinade. Grill the meat until well browned and beginning to get quite crispy on the outside, about 5 minutes per side. Serve immediately.
Yield: 6 servings
Recipe from “Al Roker’s Big Bad Book of Barbecue” by Al Roker (Scribner, 2002)
Marialisa Calta is the author of “Barbarians at the Plate: Taming and Feeding the American Family” (Perigee, 2005). For more information, go to www.marialisacalta.com.
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