Tip - Summer Grilling - Long

SUMMER GRILLING
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In case you re a little late in getting that grill out of the garage,
here's what you need to know to enjoy grilling this summer.

One of my favorites on the grill is a butterflied leg of lamb. Have
your butcher remove the bones from a full or partial leg of lamb and
spread the meat out flat as if it were a large steak. This can be
then marinated with seasonings from the Mediterranean (garlic,
rosemary, thyme and olive oil); the Middle East (cumin, garlic and
olive oil), India (yogurt, turmeric, ginger, garlic and fresh chilies)
or the American Southwest (ground chilies, cumin and cilantro).

Grill as you would a steak. The uneven thickness of the meat is actually a
benefit because someone at the table will invariably want his or her
lamb well done while others will want theirs medium-rare to medium.

No matter what the recipe (or the butcher) tells you, stay away from
tougher cuts such as ribs, shoulders and the like. These cuts need
long, slow cooking with indirect heat. A good rule of thumb is that
anything that you can broil or pan fry, you can grill.

Despite all the talk about fat, Americans still love their steaks and
hamburgers on the grill. However, if you re considering smaller
portions, share a large steak of, say 20 ounces or more, among 4
people rather than grilling four six-ounce steaks that could easily
overcook and dry out.

GAME

Game is an underutilized meat on the grill. Quail is excellent when
first split, then lightly marinated. Venison is wonderful as long as
you cook it no more than medium rare. Beyond that, the lack of fat
will render it tough.

POULTRY

Poultry is a real bugaboo on the grill because it always seems to burn
on the outside before the inside is fully cooked. And the idea of
precooking in the microwave is as appealing as parboiling a slab of
ribs.

The best way to approach cooking poultry is the indirect method of
heating, which is best done with a covered grill. For example, if
you re using a charcoal grill, build a fire to one side of the grill.
When the fire is ready, put the chicken everywhere except directly
over the coals. Then cover the grill. You can adjust the temperature
during cooking by opening and closing the vents.

If you re grilling a cut-up chicken, put the dark meat on the grill
about 20 minutes before the light meat.

Cooking chicken - or anything else - with indirect heat minimizes
flare-ups caused by the fat hitting the coals. (You can put an
aluminum pan under the chicken to catch the fat as it drips down.)
Cooking indirectly also allays some fears of carcinogens that form
during direct cooking on the grill, though frankly, you'd have to eat
a whole lot of grilled food to really worry.

You can cook indirectly with a gas grill if you have more than one
burner. Turn one burner off and put the chicken on the grate over
that burner. Then close the lid and adjust the heat with the controls
on the other burner.

You can cook smaller birds like Cornish hens on direct heat as long as
the heat is fairly low and the bird is split and flattened so that it
cooks evenly and as quickly as possible.

Don't add any sauce or marinade - especially ones that contain sugars
or other sweeteners - until the very end of the cooking process.
Sugars caramelize and burn easily. If you can get an accurate
reading, poultry should be at least 160 degrees before it is removed
from the grill.

I think the most boring piece of meat in the world is a boneless,
skinless chicken breast. So I always cook chicken parts with bone and
skin on, even if I don't plan on eating the skin.

SEAFOOD

Fish - whether whole or cut into fillets - is becoming popular on the
grill. But not every fish is a good candidate for the coals. Meaty
fish such as swordfish, tuna, shark and monkfish are best, followed by
grouper, halibut, mahi mahi and salmon. Though I hate messing with
fish bones, they do keep fish moist and in one piece. So choose
steaks over fillets. And with fillets, keep the skin on.

Since fish have less fat than red meat, it is essential that the grill
surface be lubricated or that the fish brushed with oil, or both,
before grilling to prevent sticking. But don't overdo it or you'll
cause flare-ups. Putting the skin side down first also helps to
develop a firm outside crust. And be patient before turning the fish
over. Cooked fish will naturally ease off the grill when it's done on
one side.

Strong marinades obscure the delicate nature of fish, so steer clear
of seasonings such as sesame oil, garlic and rosemary. (Keep seafood
marinades light and short. No more than 30 minutes.) Heavy charring
also masks the subtle flavor of fish. Therefore, you should cook fish
at a lower temperature than red meat.

Knowing when fish is done is almost as tricky as getting poultry just
right, though underdone salmon is less hazardous than rare chicken
legs. For fillets or steaks, use the finger- poking method. When
pressed with your index finger, the fish should spring back. If the
flesh is mushy or leaves a permanent indentation, it's not yet done.
If it flakes, it's overdone.

Whole fish are a little trickier, though the finger poking method
still works. You can also cut and peek by slicing into the thickest
part of the fish and taking a look. Fish is done when it's opaque
rather than translucent. You can also use the so-called Canadian
method of 10 minutes per inch of fish measured at the thickest point.

Shellfish, with their delicate meat, require even more care on the
grill. Shrimp are a natural, the larger the better. Ditto for large
scallops and soft shell crabs. A few minutes on either side is all
you'll need for any of them, unless the shrimp are unusually large.
Mollusks such as oysters, clams and mussels are fun on the grill.
Just scrub the shells and put them on the grate. Remove them when
they open, discarding any that don't.

VEGETABLES

The grill is a great way to handle the summer's bounty. My wife and I
can make a meal out of a platter of grilled vegetables with nothing
more than cruets of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and crusty bread.
In general, dense vegetables such as potatoes should be grilled at
lower heat or they'll char too fast on the outside before they re done
inside. Softer vegetables can tolerate higher heat because they'll
cook through quickly. Here are some ideas:

* Peppers, whether sweet or hot, are magnificent from the grill.
After thoroughly charring them, put them in a plastic bag to cool.
Then peel, seed and slice or chop. The sweet ones are great with fat
anchovies as a first course, in rice or pasta salads or by themselves
marinated in garlic and olive oil. Hot chile peppers can be chopped
for tomato salsas or mixed in other dips such as guacamole. (To
mitigate some of the heat, remove all or part of the seeds and
membranes.)

* If you've ever had sodden eggplant in eggplant Parmesan, grilled
eggplant will be a revelation. Fresher eggplants and smaller
varieties (such as Japanese and Chinese) don't need to be salted.
Just slice, lengthwise. Larger eggplants should be cut crosswise
(don't peel). Brush with oil and put on the grill until nicely
charred. Try making a grilled ratatouille by adding grilled eggplants
to grilled peppers, onions, zucchini and tomatoes.

* What could be more natural than grilled corn on the cob? Pull back
the husk, remove the silk, then soak the corn in water for 20 minutes.
Slather the corn with butter (plain or flavored with chile powder and
scallions) and replace the husk, securing it with string or piece of
husk. Then grill over medium heat, turning a few times, for about 15
to 20 minutes.

* Any member of the onion family (including garlic) is great on the
grill as are tomatoes, mushrooms and summer squash.

FRUIT

Ripe but still firm fruit develops a delicious caramelization on the
grill. But grilling also makes up for the lack of sweetness in
slightly underripe fruit. I especially like stone fruit such as
nectarines and peaches (marinated in rum), bananas (with only a few
brown specks and no green showing), figs, pineapple (marinated in rum
and ginger) and papaya.

Don't think of grilled fruits just for dessert. Figs wrapped with
pancetta or prosciutto or stuffed with semi-soft cheese and nuts make
a great hors d'oeuvre. Grilled pineapple is a terrific salsa
ingredient to accompany grilled seafood. And fruit can go together
with fish or chicken on kebabs.

MARINADES, RUBS, SAUCES AND ACCOMPANIMENTS

The first thing you should know about marinades is that they don't
tenderize. You can soak a chuck steak in olive oil and red wine until
the Cubs win the World Series but all you'll get is a soggy piece of
tough meat. Marinades do flavor, however. Some of the best flavoring
agents are red wine, olive oil, garlic, fresh herbs and freshly
cracked black pepper. I like to create marinades according to the
type of dish I want. Asian calls for sesame oil, soy sauce and rice
wine. Greek says garlic, olive oil and rosemary. And so forth.

Rubs are an even better way to flavor foods (especially meats) for the
grill because they adhere to the flesh or skin. (If you re not going
to eat the chicken skin, but want its moistening effect during
cooking, rub seasonings on the flesh under the skin).

Generally, rubs involve dried herbs and ground spices, which are more
convenient (and intense) than fresh ones. And they can also follow an
ethnic theme. For example, a West Indian rub for chicken or pork
might be: curry powder, cumin, allspice, ginger, cayenne, salt and
pepper.

As for sauces and accompaniments, I say go easy on the former and
heavy on the latter. Nothing ruins the carbonized goodness of
grilling more than cloying barbecue sauces too liberally applied. But
by all means have a full assortment of relishes (especially chutneys
and salsas, whether homemade or store-bought), pickles (large and
small, sweet and sour) and side dishes (homemade coleslaw and bean
salad) on hand to accent your perfectly grilled food.