Fabulicious!: On the Grill (14 page)

Apple and Herb Marinade:

1½ cups apple cider or apple juice

⅓ cup cider vinegar

⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pork Chops:

4 bone-in double-cut pork chops (each about 12 ounces)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 Granny Smith apple, unpeeled, shredded down to the core on the large holes of a box grater

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1.
To make the marinade:
Whisk all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl.

2.
To make the pork chops:
One at a time, using a small sharp knife and starting at the fatty side, cut a deep pocket horizontally into each chop. Put the pork chops into a 1-gallon resealable plastic bag. Pour in the marinade and close the bag. Refrigerate, occasionally turning the bag, for 1 to 2 hours.

3.
Meanwhile, heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 6 minutes. Add the shredded apple and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and let cool.

4.
Remove the chops from the marinade, shaking off the excess, and discard the marinade. Pat the chops dry with paper towels. Fill the pocket in each chop with the apple mixture. Let stand at room temperature while preheating the grill.

5.
Preheat the grill for direct cooking over medium heat (400°F).

6.
Place the chops on the cooking grate and close the grill lid. Cook the chops until the undersides are browned and seared with grill marks, about 7 minutes. Flip the chops and continue cooking, with the lid closed, until the chops show no sign of pink when pierced at the bone with the tip of a sharp knife, 7 to 10 minutes more. Remove the chops from the grill. Let stand 5 minutes. Serve hot.

 

Makes 6 servings

Spareribs don't have to be a sticky, sweet mess. My version is
molto Italiano
(very Italian), with fresh sage, garlic, bay leaves, fennel, and of course red pepper flakes. These are great served with my Patata Rossa (Red Potato) Salad and Summer Salad with Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette on
pages 71
and
74
.

Very Italian Marinade:

1½ cups dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

⅓ cup fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage

1 teaspoon ground fennel seed (crushed with a mortar and pestle or under a heavy skillet)

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 bay leaves

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Spareribs

5 pounds pork spareribs, cut into 4 slabs

1.
To make the marinade:
Whisk all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl.

2.
To make the ribs:
Evenly divide the spareribs and marinade between two 1-gallon resealable plastic bags and close the bags. Refrigerate, turning the bags occasionally, for at least 2 and up to 6 hours. Remove from the refrigerator and let stand for 30 minutes before grilling.

3.
Preheat the grill for indirect cooking with medium-low heat (350°F).

4.
Remove the spareribs from the marinade, shaking off the excess, and discard the marinade. Place the spareribs over the unignited burner(s) and close the grill lid. Cook, turning the ribs every 30 minutes, until browned and tender (the meat will have shrunk from the ends of the bones), about 1¾ hours. Transfer the ribs to a carving board. Let stand 10 minutes. Cut between the bones into individual ribs and transfer to a platter. Serve hot.

 

Makes 6 servings

It's time you learned how to make those big, thick veal chops that you get in a restaurant at home. To save time, you can make the mushrooms in advance. To take this over the top, add a dollop of room-temperature mascarpone or Parmesan curls (shaved right from a block of Parm with a vegetable peeler) over each chop just before serving. This is a great dish to serve when you have company.

Marsala Mushroooms:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

10 ounces cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, sliced

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

½ cup dry Marsala

1 cup reduced-sodium beef broth

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Veal Chops:

6 veal rib chops, each 12 to 14 ounces and cut 1½ inches thick

Extra-virgin olive oil

1¼ teaspoons salt

¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

1.
To make the mushrooms:
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they give off their juices and begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it softens, about 2 minutes.

2.
Sprinkle the flour over the mushroom mixture and stir well. Stir in the Marsala, followed by the broth and parsley, and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring often, until the liquid has thickened and reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat. (The mushrooms can be prepared up to 2 hours ahead, kept at room temperature. Reheat over low heat before serving.)

3.
To make the veal chops:
Brush the veal chops on both sides with oil. Season with the salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature while preparing the grill.

4.
Preheat the grill for direct cooking over medium heat (400°F).

5.
Place the veal on the cooking grate grill and close the grill lid. Cook until the undersides are browned and seared with grill marks, about 7 minutes. Flip the veal
chops and continue cooking, with the lid closed, until the veal shows a hint of pink when pierced at the bone with the tip of a sharp knife, 7 to 10 minutes more. Remove the chops from the grill. Let stand 5 minutes.

6.
For each serving, place a veal chop on a dinner plate and top with parsley and a spoonful of the mushrooms. Serve hot.

 

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Leg of lamb is another meat that just somehow tastes better when it has been treated to a trip to the grill. With lamb marinated in red wine and more red wine in the salad dressing, this dish is definitely Italian! Check out the way the lamb is prepared for grilling. It's very easy to separate the boned leg into three separate “roasts.” They are easier to grill than a butterflied leg, which is thick in some areas and thin in others, so some parts get overcooked. This is one of the longest recipes in the book, but that doesn't mean it's hard. And it's OMG good!

1 boneless leg of lamb (about 4½ pounds)

Red Wine and Rosemary Marinade:

1½ cups hearty red wine, such as Chianti

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, oregano, or mint, or a combination

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Red Wine Vinaigrette:

2 tablespoons hearty red wine, such as Chianti

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 garlic clove, crushed through a press

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Salad:

8 ounces mixed baby greens

½ seedless (English) cucumber, thinly sliced

½ pint (1 cup) grape tomatoes, preferably multicolored

1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese or Italian goat cheese (caprino)

½ cup pitted and coarsely chopped kalamata olives

1.
To make the lamb:
Discard any string or netting on the lamb. Using a thin, sharp knife, trim away the excess fat from the lamb. Place the lamb, smooth-side down, on the work surface. Following the natural shape of the lamb, cut into three large, fairly equal pieces.

2.
To make the marinade:
Whisk all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl.

3.
Put the lamb in a 1-gallon resealable plastic bag. Pour in the marinade and close the bag. Refrigerate, occasionally turning the bag, for at least 4 and up to 8 hours. Remove the bag from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before grilling the lamb.

4.
To make the vinaigrette:
Whisk the wine, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours.

5.
Preheat the grill for direct cooking over very high heat (500°F).

6.
Remove the lamb from the marinade, shaking off the excess, and discard the marinade. Place the lamb on the cooking grate and close the grill lid. Cook, turning occasionally, with the lid closed as much as possible, until the lamb is well browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the lamb reads 130°F for medium-rare, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the lamb to a carving board and let stand for 5 minutes.

7.
Toss the greens, cucumber, and tomatoes with the vinaigrette in a large bowl. Spread on a very large platter. Sprinkle with the feta and olives.

8.
Carve the lamb across the grain on a slight diagonal into thin slices. Arrange in overlapping slices over the salad, drizzle the carving juices on top, and serve immediately.