We may grill all year round, but summer traditionally signals the start to barbecue season. And something about that barbecue grill, says Food Network star Guy Fieri, conjures up all the best parts of summer.
“I think we all have an addiction to grilling,” the Santa Rosa, Calif., chef says by phone, halfway through a national tour that is equal parts raucous rock concert and cooking show. “I was explaining this to one of my compadres on the tour: If you think about when you grill, you grill at happy times -- during the summer, at camp, the beach, with families and kids around. Whatever we’re cooking outdoors evokes positive memories.”
The aroma and sizzle of barbecued chicken and grilled steaks excite not only the senses, but the emotions as well, he adds. But it takes more than meat and heat to please the palate. Fieri and his colleagues have plenty of suggestions for amping up flavor via dry rubs, brines, slathers and sauces.
For San Francisco chef Jan Birnbaum, rubs are the perfect way to add flavor and complexity to grilled meats. He has several in his arsenal, including a coffee rub for steaks and the rub his staff at Epic Roasthouse affectionately calls “Jan’s Generic.” This all-purpose rub is such a utility player, it pops up on all kinds of grilled protein, even, occasionally, in Bloody Marys.
“I have probably six others we use,” Birnbaum says. “In a little package, it’s a real opportunity to put some interesting character into meat, fish, poultry.”
At first glance, coffee may be an unusual ingredient to pair with meat, but both Birnbaum and grilling expert Andrew Schloss say that’s only because we think of ingredients such as coffee, chocolate and sugar by themselves. Coffee and chocolate are roasted, fermented products, Schloss says, that “transmit the roasty flavor of browned deliciousness.”
For New Orleans native Birnbaum, coffee -- and cracked peppercorns, salt and coriander -- is a perfect match for steak.
“I’m kind of a freak for coffee,” Birnbaum says. “In New Orleans, it’s used for a lot of things. It’s got an obvious something that lends itself to the richness of the flavors of beef, venison or game. Coriander adds a higher note, a cleaner citrusy thing going on, and black peppercorns -- together these three work really well on beef.”
Schloss and David Joachim, co-authors of the just-published “Fire It Up” (Chronicle Books, 416 pp., $24.95), use coffee in a variety of ways -- as a rub, a brine, in an espresso grilling sauce and paired with cherry preserves for grilled duck.
“Rubs are our favorite flavoring method of all,” Joachim says. “They’re the most effective because you’re actually eating the seasoning. People marinate too much. But a rub with a really well-balanced blend of flavors -- salt, sugar and some kind of chile, even if it’s mild, like paprika -- the sky’s the limit after that.”
The added bonus is that a rub breaks down the surface proteins on a steak, for example. Once it hits the heat, those flavorings become a part of the seared crust.
“It’s not just a crust of granules,” Schloss says. “It’s a literal lacquer.”
And sugar doesn’t just have sweet flavors. As it caramelizes, its flavors turn savory.
Fieri believes in layering, too. His latest cookbook, “Guy Fieri Food: Cookin’ It, Livin’ It, Lovin’ It” (Harper Collins, 408 pp., $29.99), includes one of his favorite recipes, gaucho-style skirt steak, whose flavors stem from both a marinade and sauce. The steak spends an hour or two in a marinade of garlic, cilantro, tequila and lime before it’s grilled and served with a four-herb chimichurri. It’s all about the layering, he says.
“I’m not just playing one song,” Fieri says. “We’re going to play the whole album. We’re going to brine it, rub it and low-and-slow it six ways to Sunday.”
Espresso Grilling Sauce
q 1 cup brewed dark-roast coffee
q 1 cup ketchup
q 1/4 cup dark brown mustard
q 1/3 cup honey
q 2 tablespoons citrus juice (orange, lemon or lime)
q 2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce
q 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
q 2 teaspoons coarse salt
n Mix everything together in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
n Store in a tightly closed container for up to 1 month. Use it to baste or accompany beef, lamb, duck and wild game.
n Makes about 2-1/3 cups.
-- Andrew Schloss and David Joachim, “Fire It Up” (Chronicle Books, 416 pp., $24.95)
Coffee Rub For Steaks
q 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
q 1 teaspoon coarse ground coriander seed
q 1 teaspoon coarse ground coffee beans
q 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper corns
n Mix ingredients. Rub over steaks before grilling.
n Makes 2 tablespoons.
--Jan Birnbaum, Epic Roasthouse
Gaucho Steak With Four-Herb Chimichurri
For the steak:
q 1 teaspoon minced garlic
q 1 teaspoon chopped cilantro
q 2 tablespoons olive oil
q 3 tablespoons white or silver tequila
q 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
q 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
q 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
q 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
q 1-1/2 pounds skirt steak
For the chimichurri:
q 2 tablespoons each chopped cilantro and flat-leaf parsley
q 1 tablespoon each chopped fresh basil and oregano
q 3 tablespoons each rough-chopped white onion and red bell pepper
q 4 large garlic cloves, smashed
q 1 teaspoon kosher salt
q 1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
q 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
q 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
q 1 tablespoon crushed dried pasilla chile
q 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
n Combine all the steak ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 1-3 hours.
n Pulse all the chimichurri ingredients lightly in a food processor until a coarse sauce forms. Cover and set aside in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
n Preheat a grill to high or heat a large skillet over high heat. Drain the marinade and cook the steak to medium-rare, 4-6 minutes per side. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, then cut against the grain in 1/4-inch slices and top with chimichurri sauce.
n Serves 4-6.
-- Guy Fieri, “Guy Fieri Food: Cookin’ It, Livin’ It, Loving’ It” (William Morrow/Harper Collins, 408 pp., $29.99)
Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp With Chipotle Barbecue Sauce
q 10 bacon slices, cut in half crosswise
q 20 shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tail on
Sauce:
q 1 cup Kansas City-style barbecue sauce
q 1/2 cup canola oil
q 1/4 cup lemon juice
q 1 tablespoons Dijon mustard
q 1/4 cup chipotle paste
q 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
q 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
q 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
n Soak bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes. Preheat grill to medium
n In a large skillet, cook the bacon halfway to crispy, but still pliable. Set aside on paper towels to cool.
n Wrap a piece of bacon around each shrimp and skewer through the point where the bacon ends meet, to keep it intact. Spear 4 shrimp per skewer.
n Puree all the sauce ingredients in a blender. Divide the sauce in half, one batch for basting and one for dipping.
n Grill shrimp until they begin to turn pink, 5 minutes. Baste with sauce until the shrimp are cooked through, about 6-8 minutes in all. Serve with reserved dipping sauce.
n Serves 4-6.
-- Guy Fieri, “Guy Fieri Food: Cookin’ It, Livin’ It, Loving’ It” (William Morrow/Harper Collins, 408 pp., $29.99)
Grilled Coriander Chicken With Margarita Butter
Coriander brine:
q 1/4 cup coriander seeds
q 2 tablespoons coarse salt
q 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
q 1 tablespoon brown sugar
q Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
q 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
q 1/4 cup tequila
q 1-1/2 cups water
Chicken:
q 1 chicken, about 4 pounds, split in half lengthwise
q 1 tablespoon olive oil
Margarita butter:
q 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
q 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
q 1 tablespoon coriander
q 1 tablespoon ground cumin
q 3 tablespoons tequila
q Finely grated zest and juice of 2 limes
q 1 teaspoon coarse salt
q 1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper
q 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
n Heat a small skillet over high heat until smoking hot. Remove from heat, add coriander seeds and stir until aromatic and lightly toasted, 30 seconds. Grind in a spice grinder. Mix with remaining brine ingredients, stirring until salt and sugar dissolve.
n Combine chicken and brine in a zipper-style plastic bag. Chill 6 hours or overnight.
n Preheat grill for direct medium heat. Pat chicken dry with paper towels; coat with oil. Discard brine. Brush grill grate with oil. Grill the chicken, bone-side down, covered, until deeply browned, 15 minutes. Flip chicken and cook 10 minutes more.
n Meanwhile, make the margarita butter. Melt the butter in a small skillet. Add jalapeno and saute until tender, 2 minutes. Add coriander and cumin; saute 30 seconds. Stir in tequila and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients.
n Turn the chicken skin-side up and baste with margarita butter. Grill about 10 minutes more, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees, basting twice more. Let rest 5 minutes, then cut into pieces and serve.
n Serves 4.
-- Andrew Schloss and David Joachim, “Fire It Up” (Chronicle Books, 416 pp., $24.95)
Smoked Paprika Rub
q 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
q 1 tablespoon coarse salt
q 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
q 2 teaspoons ground ancho chile
q 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
n Mix everything together. Store in a tightly closed container for up to 1 month. Use with beef, veal, pork, lamb, chicken or turkey.
n Makes1/4 cup.
-- Andrew Schloss and David Joachim, “Fire It Up” (Chronicle Books, 416 pp., $24.95)
Jan’s All-Around Grilling Rub
q 15 tablespoons kosher salt
q 3-1/2 tablespoons ground black pepper
q 1-1/2 tablespoons ground white pepper
q 4 tablespoons paprika
q 1-1/2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
q 1-1/2 tablespoons ground coriander seed
q 1-1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
q 2 tablespoons chili powder
q 1-1/2 tablespoons dry mustard
n Mix ingredients. Use as a dry rub to season any meat, including fish and chicken.
n Makes 2 cups.
-- Jan Birnbaum, Epic Roasthouse
