Hot Off the Grill
Here are some more recipes from newly released grilling cookbooks I wrote about in the Journal May 25.
To see the story, click here.
Sticky Sweet Ribs
Makes 4 servings.
1½ cups plain barbecue sauce
¼ cup pancake syrup
¼ cup brown sugar
2 racks pork back ribs (about 4 pounds)
¼ cup white vinegar
1. Mix the barbecue sauce, syrup and brown sugar. Set aside.
2. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
3. Place ribs on a rimmed baking sheet or shallow casserole dish large enough to hold them in a single layer. Add vinegar to pan and tightly cover with foil.
4. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until very tender. Remove from oven, carefully lift off foil and pour out liquid. Be careful of the steam.
5. Heat grill to medium-high.
6. Place ribs on grill, meaty side down. Baste with the reserved sauce. Cook 5 minutes, until ribs start to get grill marks, then flip. Baste and cook 3 to 5 minutes more.
7. Remove ribs from heat. Baste one more time, then serve.
Recipe adapted from “Sam the Cooking Guy” (Wiley).
Grilled Corn and Quinoa Salad
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
5 ears corn, husk on but silks removed
4 green onions, rottos and tops trimmed
2 cups quinoa, well rinsed
3¼ cups water
Salt
4 plum tomatoes, cored, seeded and diced
1 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped
Juice of 3 limes (about ¼ cup)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Black pepper
1. Soak the corn in a large pot of water for 20 minutes. Remove, shake well, and squeeze to remove excess water.
2. While the corn soaks, rinse quinoa in water and drain. Then place quinoa, the 3¼ cups water and the salt in a pan. Bring to a boil, cover and cook 15 minutes. Transfer quinoa to a large bowl and cool to room temperature.
3. Meanwhile heat grill to heat (550 degrees).
4. Grill corn for 5 minutes with lid closed. Turn corn and grill 5 more minutes with lid closed. Remove corn and let rest 5 minutes.
5. Place sheets of foil on grill rack. Pull back the husks to expose the corn kernels, then place the ears on the foil on the grill. Cook with lid closed about 5 minutes to slightly char the kernels. Add green onions, close lid and cook 3 minutes. Remove corn and onions.
6. When cool enough to handle, slice the green onions and cut the kernels off the corn cobs. Add sliced onions and kernels to quinoa. Add tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice and oil. Add salt and pepper, toss well, taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Recipe adapted from “Latin Grilling” (Ten Speed Press).
Tuna with Avocado-Wasabi Puree
Makes 4 servings.
2 avocadoes, pitted, peeled, and cut into small chunks
1 tablespoons wasabi
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives (or finely chopped scallions)
½ cup Garlic-Soy Sauce Marinade (recipe below)
4 tuna steaks (about 2 pound), about ¾ inch thick
1. In a bowl, combine avocado, wasabi, lime juice, salt and chives. Mash with a fork. Set aside.
2. Pour marinade into a baking dish or rimmed sheet pan. Lay tuna steaks in the marinade and gently flip four times until well coated.
3. Heat a grill to medium. Brush cooking grate clean and oil it well. Grill the tuna quickly, about 2 minutes, turning once. You want to just sear the tuna; it should still be rare, almost raw, inside. Remove from grill, top with avocado-wasabi puree and serve.
Recipe adapted from “The Japanese Grill” (Ten Speed Press).
Garlic-Soy Sauce Marinade
This versatile marinade can be used on everything from fish to steak. The recipe can be doubled or tripled.
Makes ½ cup.
¼ cup soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Whisk all ingredients together. Keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Mix again before using.
Recipe adapted from “The Japanese Grill” (Ten Speed Press).
