Stand on your back porch any evening these days, and that sound you hear is folks firing up their grills. Wait a little while and that aroma that comes wafting through the air is the succulent smell of food roasting over a hot fire. Chef Jerry Pellegrino is a master griller and before he slaps that steak down on the grill there are a few things he does in preparation.
Many cuts of meat are on the tough side, and need to be tenderized before they are grilled. This is the job of the marinade; a flavorful, acidic liquid that bathes the meat and breaks down the toughness. Some proteins, like fish, only need a short time in a marinade, less than an hour. But tough cuts of beef, for instance, require the overnight treatment.
One thing Jerry emphasizes is despite what many marinade recipes say, never use olive oil. The best result of using a marinade is that it will keep the protein moist during grilling. This requires penetration of the marinade into the product. Remember, the tissue of proteins is water based. Oil is oil, and the two do not mix. Olive oil will just sit on the surface of a protein and never penetrate it. So forget about anything that calls for EVOO.
Often the most convenient way to do a marinade is to use a zip-lock plastic bag. This prevents the marinade from reacting chemically to a container such as an aluminum bowl.
And once you've used the marinade on your food, discard it! Do not try to make a sauce out of it. All that contact with raw fish or meat reduces its desirability as a sauce base.
Jerry is also a big fan of using rubs. Here the object is to put some good flavor into the crust of a barbecued piece of meat. Notice we said "barbecue.” Grilling is a fast, high temperature mode of cooking that can scorch and ruin your rubs. Barbecue is a long, slow, low temp cooking process that will respect the rub and treat it right.
Here are some ideas Jerry wants to share with you.
General Rules About Marinades
It’s best to avoid salt in marinades. Salt pulls moisture out of food and it will cause whatever you are marinating in it to be less juicy. But remember to always salt the product just before cooking.
The more delicate the product, the shorter the marinating times – shrimp are good after just 30 minutes, lamb chops may need at least 1 to 2 hours in the marinade.
If the reason for using a marinade is to tenderize tough cuts of meat, make sure there is a substantial amount of acid present…red wine is good, red wine vinegar is better and marinate overnight.
Zip-lock bags work great for marinating food. Try to push as much air out as possible before you seal the bag. You can also use covered glass baking dishes.
Never reuse marinades. Some marinades also make great sauces, but don’t use the marinade that has had product in it. Make a separate batch to use as the sauce.
Garlic Lemon Marinade for Shrimp or Fish
Ingredients - will marinate up to 2 lbs. of shrimp or fish
2 lemons, juice & zest
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup fresh Parsley, finely chopped
¼ cup fresh Cilantro, finely chopped
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl and marinate the shrimp or fish for 30 minutes in the refrigerator before roasting or grilling.
Asian Salmon Marinade
Ingredients – makes enough to marinate one large side of salmon or 4 lbs of salmon fillets.
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
½ cup brown sugar
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small knob ginger, finely grated
4 green onions, green and white parts cut into ¼ inch disks
2 tablespoons Sambal, or other garlic chili pasta
Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl and marinate the salmon for up to one hour in the refrigerator before roasting or grilling.
A Few Things About Rubs
Rubs are mixes of spices and seasoning that add flavor but don’t tenderize. Dry rubs are, in fact, dry and powdery. Paste rubs are mixed with enough of a wet ingredient to form a paste. Both kinds of rubs should be patted onto the meat to form a coating or crust — remember to pat gently; don’t rub hard.
Again, avoid lots of salt in rubs that will be applied more than a few hours before cooking. There is an entire family of heavily salted rubs but these are for curing meats such as bacon and pork for dried coppa.
The more sugar in the rub the more likely it will be to first caramelize but then burn on the grill or in the oven. So with thick pieces of meat that will need to cook for long periods of time use much less sugar or cook at very low temperatures.
Coffee Brown Sugar Rub
Ingredients – makes enough to marinate 4 lbs. of beef
2 cups finely ground coffee
2 cups dark brown sugar
¼ cup dried thyme
¼ cup ground black pepper
Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Gently pat the rub onto the meat and allow to sit, covered in the refrigerator for up to one hour. Scrape most of rub from the meat and season with salt before roasting or grilling.
Cuban Pork Rub
Ingredients – makes enough to rub a 4 lbs. pork loin
20 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
5 oranges, zested plus ¼ cup juice
5 limes, zested plus 2 tablespoons juice
¼ cup fresh oregano leaves or 2 tablespoons dry oregano
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more if you’d like
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor fitted with the chopping blade and purée until smooth. Gently pat the rub onto the meat and allow to sit, covered in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight. Season the pork with salt before roasting or grilling.
Sauces – these can be used just on the table for a variety of poultry and meat but many are best brushed on just as the meat is finished cooking to add a bit of caramelization to the sauce and extra smoky flavor.
Francis Mallmann’s Chimichurri (this sauce is used purely as a condiment)
Ingredients
2 tablespoons water
1 tbs. coarse salt
1 head garlic, separated into cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
1 cup fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped
2 tsp. crushed red- pepper flakes
¼ cup red-wine vinegar
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Place the water and salt in the microwave and heat briefly to dissolve the salt. Add the salt mixture and all of the remaining ingredients to a mason jar. Firmly screw on the lid and shake to combine. This can be used immediately, but gets better if allowed to rest in the refrigerator overnight.
Schola’s BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
2 tablespoons dark chili powder
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon table salt
1 16 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup Dijon mustard
½ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
1 cup dark brown sugar
½ cup molasses
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons hot sauce
1 cup raisins
1 large yellow onion, cut into ¼ inch dice
6 whole cloves of garlic, crushed or minced
In a sauce pan set over medium high heat, cook the onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft and translucent. Add the tomato paste and raisins and cook an additional two minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Using an immersion blender, purée the sauce until smooth. The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Spicy Peach BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
6 cups finely chopped pitted peeled peaches (about 3 lb or 9 medium)
1 cup finely chopped seeded roasted red bell pepper (about 1 large)
1 cup finely chopped onion (about 1 large)
3 tablespoons finely chopped garlic (about 14 cloves)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ¼ cups honey
¾ cup cider vinegar
Peach BBQ Sauce – cont’d
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 fresh cayenne pepper, chopped or 2 teaspoons hot pepper flakes
2 teaspoons dry mustard
Salt to taste
In a saucepan set over medium high heat, cook the onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft and translucent. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Using an immersion blender, purée the sauce until smooth. The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Maple Mustard BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
½ cup yellow mustard
½ cup Dijon mustard
½ cup balsamic vinegar
½ cup Vermont maple syrup
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon cayenne (use more only if you want a hotter sauce)
Combine all of the ingredients in a saucepan set over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes with occasional stirring or until the sauce thickens. The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week.
