Category: On the Grill

Grilled Fish Tacos

These Fish Tacos are as simple as they are delicious.  The thing that really, really makes them is the toppings – Fresh Homemade Guacamole, Homemade Pico De Gallo, Chipotle Mayo –  and Cotija cheese.  The perfect treat for a summer evening.

Ingredients

  1. 2-3 lbs Mahi Mahi (figure 8-12 oz per person)
  2. Medium sized corn tortillas
  3. 3 tomatoes, diced
  4. 1/2 medium red onion, finely diced
  5. 4-5 jalapeño peppers, finely diced
  6. 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
  7. 4 ripe avocados
  8. Hatch green chiles (optional)
  9. 8-10 limes
  10. 1/2 cup mayo (homemade is best)
  11. 2 Tablespoons sour cream
  12. 2 chipotle chiles from a can of chipotles in adobo, seeded and finely minced
  13. 1 teaspoon adobo sauce from the same can in (12)
  14. Juice and zest of one lime.
  15. Cotija cheese

Instructions

For the Pico de Gallo

  1. Begin by dicing up the tomatoes.  Transfer diced tomatoes to a colander, season very generously with Kosher salt, toss, and transfer to the sink to drain.  Doing this first while prepping the other ingredients will allow time for the salt to pull the moisture out of the tomatoes, which will ensure that you don’t have a watery salsa at the end.
  2. Dice jalapeños (reserving half for the guacamole)
  3. Dice onion
  4. Chop cilantro (use 1/3 for the Pico, 1/3 for the guacamole, and 1/3)
  5. Retrieve tomatoes from colander.  Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl.  Squeeze the juice of 1 lime over mixture.  Toss, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

For the Guacamole

  1. Peel and pit avocados.  Place in a medium bowl.
  2. Squeeze the juice of 1 lime over avocado flesh and season with Kosher salt
  3. Add the remaining jalapeños and 1/3 of the cilantro and mash together until smooth, using two forks or a potato masher

For the Chipotle Mayo

  1. Combine Mayo, sour cream, chipotle chiles, adobo sauce, lime juice and lime zest together in a blender or food processor
  2. Process until smooth.
  3. Transfer to a squeeze bottle for easy use.  Will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

For the Mahi Mahi

  1. Brush mahi-mahi steaks lightly with olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper (or whatever other seasoning you feel like).  Grill fish over medium-high heat until center registers 145°F on an instant read thermometer.
  2. Cut mahi-mahi steaks in half lengthwise

For the Tortillas

  1. Sprinkle tortillas with cotija cheese.
  2. Warm tortillas on a hot griddle or frying pan until cheese is melted.

Final Assembly

Place 1-2 fish strips on each tortilla.  Top with Pico de Gallo, guacamole, chipotle mayo, extra cotija cheese, and a squeeze of fresh lime.

Grilled Mahi Mahi with Rice Pilaf and Summer Greens

Other than salmon, Mahi Mahi is my favorite fish to cook with.  It is firm, but not too firm, flaky, but not too flaky.  Meaty like swordfish but tender like cod.  Really, it’s the perfect fish.  Perhaps most important, it is currently not over-fished and is therefore a sustainable option.  It works well pan fried, crusted – however you want it; it work’s so well it really deserves a blog post all of its own.  But this post is on grilling – in and out in 30 minutes or less, the perfect dinner for a summer evening.  The main point of this post?  This is a hard one to screw up, so exercise those creative genes and do what makes you happy.

Ingredients

For the Pilaf

  1. 2 cups white rice
  2. 1/2 cup orzo (it’s pasta, technically, but it looks like rice – you’ll find it with pasta in the grocery store)
  3. 1-2 tablespoons butter or oil
  4. 1 small shallot, minced
  5. 2 cloves garlic, minced
  6. 1 tsp turmeric (or whatever other combination of herbs and spices make you happy).
  7. 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
  8. 5 cups liquid (water, chicken stock, whatever)

For the Summer Greens

I like a mixture of whatever mixed greens look good at the store – baby spinach, arugala, kale… whatever works.  To these I would add something on the order of 1/4 cup of dried cranberries, 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, perhaps some sliced oranges and this chili-lime and mango dressing – whatever makes you happy.

For the Mahi Mahi

  1. Mahi Mahi steaks (figure on 1-2 per person, depending on their appetites)
  2. 1 tablespoon olive oil
  3. You favorite fish seasoning (the poultry rub found in this post works surprisingly well on a lot of things, including fish.  Or you could use your favorite cajun seasoning for a blackened version.  Point is – do whatever makes you happy.  You’re getting this gist of this post now =D).

Method

For the Pilaf

  1. Heat oil and butter in whatever saucepan you’re going to use to make the rice.  Once butter is melted but still foamy, add shallots.
  2. Add garlic and sauté, 30 seconds
  3. Add orzo and, stirring constantly, toast until aroma is lightly nutty, 30 seconds to 1 minute
  4. Add liquid
  5. Add salt
  6. Add Turmeric, or whatever other herbs you’re using
  7. Add rice, cover and bring to a boil.
  8. Reduce to a simmer and simmer, covered, until all the liquid is absorbed, approximately 25 minutes

For the Summer Greens

Mix all dry ingredients together.  Dress salad right before serving.

For the Mahi Mahi

  1. Preheat grill to high heat.  Make sure the grill grates are clean.  Fish is notorious for sticking to the grill.
  2. Lightly brush mahi mahi steaks on both sides with olive oil
  3. Season steaks with seasoning of choice on both sides
  4. Lay steaks on hot grill, presentation side down, and grill for 3-5 minutes.  Using a metal spatula (use a fish spatula if you have one), turn the steaks over and grill for another 2-3 minutes, or until internal temperature reads 140°F.  Do not overcook.
  5. Remove from grill and place on platter; tent loosely with foil and allow to rest, not more than 5 minutes.

Steak Fajitas

Steak soaked in a zesty citrus marinade and then grilled to perfection; serve with pico de gallo, homemade gaucamole, sour cream, roasted peppers and onions and Mexican cheese.  Easy, cheap and delicious.

Ingredients:

For the Steak

  1. 2.5lb London Broil or Tri-Tip Roast
  2. 1/2 cup orange juice
  3. 1/2 cup lime juice (approximately 6 limes)
  4. Zest of 1 lime
  5. 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  6. 2 tsp chile powder
  7. 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  8. 1 TBSP kosher salt
  9. 1 TBSP coarsely ground black pepper.
  10. 1 cup mesquite wood chips (optional)

For the Pico de Gallo

  1. 1 Large yellow onion, finely diced
  2. 2-3 Roma tomatoes, finely diced
  3. Large pinch Kosher salt
  4. 2 jalapeño peppers, minced
  5. juice of one lime
  6. 2-3 TBSP cilantro, finely chopped

For the Guacamole

  1. 3-4 large, ripe Haas avocados (or 6-7 little organic ones)
  2. 1 jalapeño pepper, minced
  3. 1 3.5oz can hatch green chiles (optional)
  4. 4 TBSP pico de gallo (above)

For the Fajita Mix (peppers and onions)

  1. 2 TBSP olive oil
  2. 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  3. 1 each: Red bell pepper, green bell pepper, yellow bell pepper
  4. 1 large yellow onion, halved and sliced into half-rings

For Serving

  1. Medium size yellow corn tortillas, 3-4 per person
  2. Freshly grated Cotijá cheese
  3. Shredded Mexican Cheese
  4. Sour Cream

Prep:

For the Steak

  1.  Whisk ingredients 2-9 together in a medium size mixing bowl.
  2. Transfer steak to large 1-2 gallon ziplock bag.  Add marinade to bag with steak and massage to incorporate well.  Refrigerate for 2-4 hours, or up to 8 hours.  Flip bag over half way through marinating process if possible.

For the Pico de Gallo

  1. Dice tomatoes first.  Add to colander and sprinkle with Kosher salt.  Toss gently to season and allow to sit in the sink 20 minutes.  Tomatoes will give up much of their moisture making your pico less watery.
  2. Prepare onions, jalapeños, lime and cilantro.  Stir to combine.
  3. Add tomatoes to mixture and stir to combine again.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

For the Guacamole

  1.  Halve avocados and remove pits.  Spoon avocado out of shells into a medium to large mixing bowl.
  2. Add ingredients 2-4 and mash well using a potato masher.  (Note:  Guacomole is best served right away.  If left in contact with air too long it will oxidize and turn brown.  If preparing a couple hours in advance, smooth guacomole in bowl, drizzle with lime juice, and cover with plastic wrap with the plastic wrap in full contact with the guacamole).

For the Fajita Mix (peppers and onions)

  1. Prepare all ingredients as directed
  2. Add to a 10-12 inch cast iron skillet and stir (or toss if you’re strong enough; cast iron is heavy) to combine.

Cook

  1. Light 1 or 2 burners if using gas; if using charcoal light 1 chimney starter full of lump charcoal and set grill up for 2-zone cooking.  Make sure the grill is good and hot.  Just prior to grilling steak, add 1 cup mesquite wood chips, if using.  Click HERE for more information on grilling and smoking.
  2. Remove steak from marinade and pat dry.  Discard leftover marinade.
  3. Place steak down on hot side of grill and sear, approximately 5 minutes per side, until nicely browned.  Transfer to cool side of grill.
  4. Add cast iron skillet to hot side of grill and close the lid.  Sauté fajita mixture in cast iron until nicely caramelized and soft, 15 – 20 minutes.  Stir occasionally.  Steak and vegetables should finish at roughly the same time, but if they don’t just remove the one that is done and tent with aluminum foil.
  5. Once steak and Fajita mixture are done, remove and allow to rest for a few minutes
  6. Warm tortillas on a griddle or in a frying pan.  Sprinkle with cotijá cheese and continue to toast until cheese is melted.
  7. Slice steak thinly across the grain on the bias using a sharp knife

Serve

Plate Steak, Pico de Gallo, Guacamole, Fajita mixture, shredded Mexican cheese and sour cream together.  Have eaters assemble fajitas at table as desired.

 

 

Honey Glazed Chipotlé-Lime BBQ Chicken

This BBQ Chicken is tangy, sweet, spicy and fresh.  All the right flavors and a unique twist on classic BBQ chicken.  Searing the chicken in a hot skillet ahead of time renders out a good bit of fat and leads to perfectly crispy skin.  Finish either on the grill or in the oven and follow the instructions below to get perfect, bite-through skin and a beautiful end product.

Time: 60 minutes
Level: Easy
Cost: About $4/plate (depending on which pantry essentials you have on hand)
Serves: 3-6

Ingredients

For the Glaze

  1. 1 small onion or normal sized shallot, finely diced
  2. 3-5 cloves garlic, minced
  3. 1 TBSP unsalted butter
  4. 1 can Adobo Chiles in sauce
  5. 1 7oz can tomato sauce
  6. Juice of 4 limes
  7. 1 TBSP low sodium soy sauce
  8. 1/4 cup honey

For the Chicken

  1. 1 or 2 4-5lb fryer chickens, broken down into 8-10 parts, depending on how many you’re feeding  (figure that a chicken will feed 3-4 people)
  2. 1/4 cup Kosher salt
  3. Drizzle of Olive Oil
  4. 3-6 TBSP flour
  5. 2-4 TBSP paprika
  6. Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

PART ONE:  Begin by brining your chicken:

Once you’ve got your chicken broken down into parts, place the chicken parts in a large bowl and cover with cold water.  Add about 1/4 cup salt and mix around with your hands until the salt is mostly dissolved in the water.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours.

Cook’s Note:  You can skip this step if you’re in a rush, but even 30 minutes in a light brine will lead to a considerably juicer and product.

PART TWO:  While the chicken is brining, make your glaze:

  1. Melt butter in a sauté pan or large frying pan over medium heat until foamy but not browned (use non-stick here if you like).
  2. Add onion and garlic and sauté until fragrant and onions are mostly translucent, 3-5 minutes
  3. Add can of chiles, along with their sauce, and sauté with onions and garlic, another 3 minutes, or until chiles barely being to caramelize
  4. Add tomato sauce, lime juice and soy sauce and stir to incorporate well
  5. Stir in honey and reduce, stirring continually, until mixture has thickened and a light glaze begins to appear.
  6. Off the heat and allow to cool

PART THREE:  While your glaze is cooling off, prepare the chicken:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F or begin preheating grill (see Part 5, below).
  2. Remove chicken from the brine and pat dry with paper towels.  Place chicken in large mixing or tossing bowl and drizzle with olive oil.  Toss to coat.
  3. Add flour, paprika and pepper to the bowl with the chicken (if you didn’t brine ahead of time, add a generous pinch of kosher salt here as well).  Toss again to coat and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.

PART FOUR:  While your chicken is standing, finish your glaze

  1. Add your glaze to a blender or food processor and pureé until mixture has the consistency of marinara sauce
  2. Divide your mixture into two separate bowls (for two batches) and reserve

PART FIVE:  Cook the chicken

  1. Begin by heating 3 tablespoons ghee, clarified butter, grapeseed oil, vegetable oil or Canola oil in a cast iron or stainless steel skillet until shimmering and very hot (any oil or fat with a high smoke point will work fine here)
  2. Add half the chicken pieces to the hot skillet, skin side down, and brown, 5-6 minutes.  Flip and continue to brown the other side, another 3-4 minutes.  (Note:  If your chicken is still stuck to the pan when you try to flip it, it isn’t ready.  Wait until a light prodding with a set of tongs sets it free and flip).  Remove, reserve, and repeat with remaining chicken pieces.

If Finishing On The Grill

  1. Light a gas grill on one side only, or alternatively bank charcoal on a charcoal grill to one side, creating a hot side and cool side of the grill.  Add a few wood chips for extra smokey flavor.
  2. Place seared chicken on the cool side of the grill, skin side down.  Place the breasts farthest away from the heat and the dark meat closer to the heat.  Baste chicken with first batch of glaze.  Flip, so that the chicken is skin side up, and baste again.  Discard any glaze that remains from this batch.
  3. Cover the grill and cook until breasts reach an internal temperature of 150° – 160°F and thighs and legs are 160° – 170°F.
  4. After about 15 minutes, use the second batch of glaze to baste your chicken a second time.  Use this opportunity with the grill open to take your chicken’s temperature with an instant read thermometer.  Be sure to leave chicken skin side up.
  5. When chicken is up temp, move chicken over to hot side of grill and cook, starting skin side down, until nicely charred.  Repeat on the other side.
  6. Remove, and allow to rest, skin side up, for 10 minutes before serving.  DO NOT COVER WHILE RESTING – your perfectly crispy skin will get all soggy!

If Finishing in the Oven

  1. Set chicken on a wire rack over a baking sheet, skin side down.  Baste chicken with first batch of glaze.  Flip, so that the chicken is skin side up, and baste again.  Discard any glaze that remains from this batch.
  2. Bake in 350°F oven until breasts reach an internal temperature of 150° – 160°F and thighs and legs are 160° – 170°F.
  3. After about 15 minutes, use the second batch of glaze to baste your chicken a second time.  Use this opportunity with the oven open to take your chicken’s temperature with an instant read thermometer.  Be sure to leave chicken skin side up.
  4. When chicken is up temp, switch oven to BROIL – HIGH and cook for 2-3 minutes, until nicely darkened.  Watch carefully that it does not burn.
  5. Remove, and allow to rest, skin side up, for 10 minutes before serving.  DO NOT COVER WHILE RESTING – your perfectly crispy skin will get all soggy!

 

 

Argentine Steak with Chimichurri on Crostinis

This classic gaucho-style steak is a sure crowd-pleaser and is a unique way to serve grilled steak on a warm summer evening.  Because it uses an inexpensive cut of meat, it’s also easy on the wallet.

Time: 60 – 90 Minutes
Level: Easy
Cost: $6-8/plate
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

For the Chimichurri Sauce:

  • 1 bunch flat leaf Italian parsley, leafless part of stems removed
  • 4-6 cloves fresh garlic, pressed or minced into a chunky paste
  • 1 heaping tablespoon powdered dry oregano (I actually prefer the powdered version better for this recipe as it mixes into the sauce more easily)
  • 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or less, if you want to tone it down)
  • juice of 2 lemons
  • 2-3 TBSP red wine vinegar
  • 1 small shallot, minced
  • 2-3 grinds each salt and freshly ground pepper
  • About 1/2 cup olive oil

For the Bread:

  • 1 long french sourdough baguette, sliced into 1/4 inch thick pieces
  • 2 garlic cloves, halved
  • Drizzle of olive oil
  • Freshly ground course salt (or in a pinch Kosher salt)

For the Steak:

  • 1-2 London Broil steaks, depending number of people and their appetites.
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Dash of cayenne pepper
  • Drizzle of olive oil

 

Directions

For the Chimichurri Sauce:

Combine all ingredients EXCEPT olive oil into a food processor or blender.  Hit ‘pulse 5 or 6 times to give everything a few good chops.  Add about 1/3 of the olive oil and hit pulse 5 or 6 more times.  Then, with the motor running, slowly drizzle the remaining olive oil into the mixture until desired consistency is achieved.  Pour into a serving bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.  Can be made up to two days in advance.

For the Bread:

Slice bread into 1/4 inch thick slices.  Brush both sides with olive oil.  Toast bread on both sides on grill until golden brown, or alternatively, place on a baking sheet and broil on high for 1-2 minutes each side (if you choose the broiling method, watch it like a hawk – I’ve incinerated my fair share of crostini’s this way).  While bread is still warm, salt with freshly ground coarse sea salt or Kosher salt and rub both sides of crostinis generously with cut side of garlic halves.

For the Steak:

Preheat grill to high heat on one side (1 to 2 burners lit).  Pat steaks dry on both sides with paper towels. Again, on both sides, brush steaks lightly with olive oil and season generously with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Add a light dusting of cayenne pepper if desired.  Grill steaks over direct, high heat, about 6 minutes per side for a 1 inch thick London Broil, or until internal temp reaches 115F- 120F.

Note: Trust me on the temperature thing here, this piece of meat is best served on the rare end, and its density picks up a lot of heat resulting in a surprising amount of carry-over cooking for such a small piece of meat.  I’ve turned a lot of them into shoe leather because I took my eye off of them for a mere second.  With this cut, over 125F = ruined. 

Let rest for 10 minutes and slice thinly across the grain.

Final Assembly:

Place 1-2 strips of steak onto each crostini and top with chimichurri sauce (or allow guests to do this for themselves).  Serve with Arugula Salad and a strong red wine, such as Malbec, Shiraz or Cabernet