Get Fired Up For BBQ Season A gourmet meal, prepared under a blue sky in the backyard or deck, is still an affordable luxury.
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Get fired up for BBQ season
The days are getting longer, though the weather has not been particularly spring-like where I live. As I write this column, it is 45 degrees outside!
If you are like me, you are probably looking forward to kicking off BBQ season. For many, it has been delayed, since Mother Nature has not been cooperating.
May is National BBQ Month, plus Memorial Day weekend marked the beginning of grilling season, the unofficial start of summer. And that means it’s time to get fired up for the smoky flavor of food cooked outdoors. There are those who take it up a notch by participating in or attending BBQ competitions. The style and flavor of BBQ is different, depending upon which region of the country you’re in.
A gourmet meal, prepared under a blue sky in the backyard or deck, is still an affordable luxury. It is a time of year that many of us, especially in the Northeast, take to our backyards, patios and decks, lighting up the grill, so we can enjoy the smoky flavor of food, that joyous taste of summer.
Grilling is a popular pastime that brings family and friends together. According to the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, 75% of U.S. adults own a grill or smoker. The top reasons for cooking out? Seventy-one percent say it’s to improve flavor, 54% say it’s for personal enjoyment, and 42% do it to entertain family and friends.
While barbecuing various meats dominates, chefs and home cooks are extending grilling, barbecuing, and smoking to seafood, vegetables, fruits, and desserts, plus even pizza, and mac and cheese. Perhaps you’ve noticed the ever-increasing variety of sauces, marinades, and rubs, often with global influences. And let’s not forget those accompaniments we crave: potato and pasta salad, coleslaw, baked beans, cornbread, and juicy watermelon.
A favorite resource for recipes is http://join.ckbk.com/ckbk?code=BBQ25. That’s where I check out recipes from hundreds of cookbooks. These are a few that I’ll be cooking this year, once the weather is more seasonable.
For the recipe for the Grilled Stuffed French toast, visit https://stephenfries.com/recipes.
Grilled Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus
Recipe from “Food by Fire: Grilling and BBQ” by Derek Wolf of Over the Fire Cooking, Harvard Common Press (2021)
The headnote says: “If you have never had bacon-wrapped asparagus, you have not lived! No, seriously. This recipe takes those two great ingredients and layers on more flavor with lemon and Parmesan. Being wrapped in bacon, this dish was quickly added to our family fire-cooking dinners. Use asparagus on the thicker side so it holds up well once the bacon is wrapped around it and so you have room to skewer it. Also, watch for flare-ups to avoid burnt bacon. It is easy to burn bacon over an open flame, so keep a close eye.”
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
1 bunch (12 or 16 spears) large asparagus, woody ends trimmed
8 ounces thin-sliced cured bacon
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Directions:
Arrange the asparagus into groups of 3 or 4 spears similar in size. Carefully wrap 1 bacon slice around the center of each asparagus bundle, skewering a toothpick at an angle through the loose end of the bacon and through the bundle so the toothpick emerges on the other side. Make sure your toothpick secures the bacon to the bundle, then set aside.
Preheat your fire using the instructions for grilling, bringing it to a medium-high temperature (about 375 degrees). Thoroughly clean your grill grate before cooking.
Once the coals are ready, place the asparagus bundles on the grill. Cook for about 12 minutes, rotating to all sides every 2 to 3 minutes to crisp the bacon all over. Move the bacon-wrapped asparagus away from the flame if it begins to flare. Once the bacon is crispy and the asparagus is soft, pull it off the fire and let rest for 2 minutes to cool.
In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter, Parmesan, lemon juice, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes. Using a basting brush, glaze the top of the bacon-wrapped asparagus with the butter sauce, or serve the sauce on the side for dipping.
Grilled Buffalo Chicken Kebabs
Recipe from “Once Upon a Chef, the Cookbook: 100 Tested, Perfected, and Family-Approved Recipes” by Jennifer Segal, Chronicle Books (2018)
Serve with Basmati Cilantro Rice Pilaf (recipe at https://stephenfries.com/recipes) and a green salad with ranch or blue cheese dressing.
The headnote says: “Both of my parents are from Buffalo, N.Y., so I guess you could say I have Buffalo in my blood. Growing up, my family spent every August in a rented house on Lake Erie — visiting grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, and getting our summertime fill of Buffalo’s finest: Anchor Bar chicken wings, beef on weck, and Sahlen’s hot dogs. This recipe is an ode to buffalo wings. The sauce is relatively mild and family-friendly (and, by the way, kids do love this) but feel free to pump up the heat with more hot sauce or red pepper flakes if you like it spicy.”
Ingredients:
For the chicken:
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup cayenne pepper sauce, such as Frank’s RedHot Original (not the Buffalo flavor)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon sugar
¾ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1½- to 2-inch chunks
For the Buffalo sauce:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1½ tablespoons cayenne pepper sauce, such as Frank’s RedHot Original
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Directions:
To make the chicken: In a large bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients except for the chicken. Add the chicken and stir until evenly coated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 6 to 10 hours (do not marinate longer, as the vinegar in the hot sauce can change the texture of the meat).Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup. Thread the chicken onto metal skewers (you’ll need 4 to 6, depending on the size), folding if the pieces are long and thin, and place on the prepared baking sheet.
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and oil the grates. Grill the chicken, covered, turning the skewers occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through, about 15 minutes. (Keep an eye on them — if they are browning too quickly, turn the heat down.) Transfer the skewers to a platter.
To make the sauce: Combine the melted butter, hot sauce, and red pepper flakes (if using) in a small bowl and whisk until emulsified. It will look greasy at first, but the action of the whisk should thicken the mixture into a smooth orange-colored sauce. Taste and add more hot sauce, if desired. Spoon the sauce over the kebabs or serve on the side.
Allow at least 6 hours for the chicken to marinate.
Don’t be tempted to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts in place of the chicken thighs. There’s a lot of vinegar in Frank’s hot sauce, and the marinade will turn lean chicken breasts to shoe leather before they even hit the grill.
Trim the fat from slippery chicken thighs with kitchen shears; it’s easier than using a knife.
Honey-Mustard Grilled Ribeye Steaks
Recipe from “The Ultimate Guide to Grilling” by Rick Browne, Skyhorse Publishing (2011)
Ingredients:
1 cup yellow mustard
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons crushed rosemary leaves
2 tablespoons crushed thyme
4 tablespoons honey
¼ cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup water
½ teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce
¼ teaspoon coarse black pepper
4 1-inch thick ribeye steaks
4 pats butter
Directions:
Mix first 10 ingredients well in large bowl, reserve ½ resulting liquid and put in small bowl, pour remainder of the liquid over ribeye steaks in a 10-by-12-inch flat Pyrex dish and marinate for 30 minutes, turning the steaks over several times. Poke steaks several times with fork so the marinade gets into the center of the meat.
Put reserved marinade in small saucepan and boil for 10 minutes, then you can safely use it to brush on steaks.
Turn steaks with tongs, not a fork, and cook on hot grill (500 degrees to 600 degrees or higher if using mesquite) or very hot coals for 5-6 minutes a side for medium rare. Brush generously with reserved, boiled marinade once or twice per side.
Drizzle RB’s BBQ Steak sauce on plate, as directed below, place small pat of butter on top of each steak and serve.
RB’s BBQ Steak Sauce
Ingredients:
1 cup Cattleman’s barbecue sauce
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon summer savory
½ teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
Directions:
Mix in large bowl and put in plastic squeeze bottle and drizzle over plates before you put steaks on plates. Serve warm in gravy boat or sauce dish along with steaks.
Bymark Hamburger Sirloin Burger With Porcini Mushrooms, Brie de Meaux and Truffle Aioli
Recipe from “Burgers: From Barbecue Ranch Burger to Miso Salmon Burger” by Paul Gayler, Quarto (2014)
The headnote says: “This wonderful recipe comes courtesy of top Canadian chef Mark McEwan, of Toronto’s trendy North 44 Restaurant. The melting Brie and fat juicy porcini mushrooms work brilliantly together while the truffle aioli adds a touch of elegance.”
Ingredients:
1 ¾ pounds trimmed beef striploin, hand chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil for cooking
4 fresh porcini mushrooms, sliced 1/3 inch thick
4 slices Brie de Meaux cheese
Directions:
Place the chopped striploin in a bowl, season liberally with salt and pepper. Form into 1-inch-thick patties, then brush lightly with olive oil. Heat a chargrill or pan grill until very hot, add the burgers and grill until desired doneness (about 4 minutes per side for rare), remove.
Brush the sliced porcini mushrooms with the olive oil and grill until tender, season with salt and pepper.Finally, grill the burger rolls until golden. Top each burger with a slice of Brie de Meaux cheese.
Place the mushrooms on each burger roll base, then top with the burger and cheese slice. Finally spoon over a little truffle aioli, close the burger with its lid and serve.
To serve: 4 burger rolls, split, Truffle aioli
Stephen Fries is professor emeritus and former coordinator of the Hospitality Management Programs at Gateway Community College in New Haven, Conn. He has been a food and culinary travel columnist for the past 17 years and is co-founder of and host of “Worth Tasting,” a culinary walking tour of downtown New Haven, and three-day culinary adventures around the U.S. He is a board member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Email him at [email protected]. For more, go to stephenfries.com.












