Summertime is all about being outdoors and reconnecting with the American passion for grilling. Chef Belinda Smith-Sullivan shares four of her favorite outdoor recipes—and some great grilling advice.
The secret to this delicious recipe is in the sauce.
Photo by Gina Moore
Sweet and spicy chicken skewers with grilled assorted veggies
Serves 4–6
Sauce and Chicken
1 cup ketchup
½ cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1½ tablespoons olive oil
½ cup chopped sweet onions
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cut into large cubes
Vegetables
2 tablespoons garlic olive oil
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon assorted chopped fresh herbs (basil, parsley, thyme)
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
3 zucchini, sliced lengthwise into ½-inch slices
3 yellow squash, sliced lengthwise into ½-inch slices
3 red bell peppers, seeded and quartered
2 red onions, peeled and cut crosswise into ½-inch slices
3 eggplants, sliced lengthwise into ½-inch slices
In a medium saucepan, combine ketchup, sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, honey and red pepper flakes. In a skillet or saute pan, over medium heat, heat oil. Saute onions until translucent; add garlic and cook an additional minute. Stir into sauce mixture, and over medium heat, cook for 8–10 minutes. Set saucepan into a larger pan filled with ice. Cool completely. Soak wooden 6-inch or 12-inch skewers for 30 minutes. Preheat grill to 400 F and oil grill grates.
Reserve ½ cup of cooled sauce in a bowl to serve along with chicken. Place chicken in a large bowl and pour ½ cup sauce over it. Toss to coat completely, using more sauce if necessary. Thread the chicken pieces onto the skewers. When grill is hot, place skewers on grill—crosswise, so they don’t fall through the grates. Grill 4–5 minutes, brushing midway with the leftover sauce. Turn and grill an additional 3–4 minutes. Turn again, brush with more sauce and remove from grill. Keep warm.
In a small measuring cup with a spout, whisk olive oil, vinegar, herbs, salt and pepper. Set aside. Spread vegetables on a few large sheet pans or foil, and brush with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Using same grill pan, working in batches, grill vegetables 4–5 minutes per side, until tender and charred with grill marks. Arrange on a serving platter. Drizzle with additional vinaigrette and serve warm or room temperature with chicken skewers and reserved sauce.
Grouper with Grilled Green Beans and Tomatoes Oregano
A complete meal in one easy grilling session. Let’s fire it up!
Photo by Michael Phillips
Serves 4
Fish
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon dried parsley
2 pounds grouper, 1 whole piece or 4 fillets
1 tablespoon garlic olive oil
1 lemon
Green beans
1 pound green beans, trimmed and left whole
1–2 tablespoons garlic oil
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Tomatoes
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano
4 tablespoons garlic olive oil
4 tomatoes, cut in half
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Preheat grill to medium high; oil grates. Rinse fish and pat dry. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika and parsley. Rub olive oil over fish and sprinkle with seasoning. Cut lemon in half and squeeze juice from one half over fish. Slice remaining half into four thin slices.
Into a fish grill basket, place the whole grouper or fillets. If you do not have a fish grill basket, heat a cast-iron skillet on the grill first, then place fish in hot skillet. Place lemon slices on top. Reduce grill heat to medium-low and close lid. Grill for 4–6 minutes. Remove lemon slices, turn carefully using a spatula and replace slices. Grill an additional 4–6 minutes until flesh is opaque—a sign that fish is done. Remove and keep warm.
Return heat on grill to medium. In a large bowl, toss beans with oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a grill basket and cook, shaking occasionally, about 10 minutes until charred and tender.
In a small bowl, combine lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Brush tomatoes with remaining olive oil. Place cut-side down on grill pan; grill 4 minutes until lightly charred. Turn and grill 2–3 minutes until skin begins to char. Transfer to serving platter and drizzle with oregano-lemon oil, and salt and pepper to taste.
Steak Tacos with Avocado, Scallions and Carrots
This recipe turns outdoor dining into a delicious fiesta.
Photo by Karen Hermann
SERVES 4–6
Pico de gallo
2 cups diced fresh tomatoes
¼ white onion, diced
¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
Kosher salt
Steak
½ cup Worcestershire sauce
½ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
¼ cup fresh squeezed lime juice
Zest of 1 lime
¼ cup chopped yellow onions
3 garlic cloves, crushed
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 pounds skirt steak, or flank steak
2 tablespoons steak rub (your favorite)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Vegetables
2 tablespoons garlic olive oil
3 carrots, peeled and cut into ¼-inch-by-3-inch-long sticks
3 bunches scallions, trimmed
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon tamari sauce
½ teaspoon sugar
Corn tortillas, warmed
2 avocados, sliced into 8 wedges each
Lime wedges, for garnish
In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice and garlic. Season with salt, to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Can be made up to two days ahead.
In a large zip-close plastic bag, combine Worcestershire sauce, orange juice, lime juice, zest, onions, garlic and crushed pepper. Add steak, seal bag and turn several times to coat steak completely. Place bag in a large bowl and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Preheat grill to medium-high; oil grate. Remove steak from marinade and discard any remaining marinade. Pat steak dry and let come to room temperature. Season steak liberally with rub and oil, and grill 3–4 minutes on each side. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain. Keep warm.
In a cast-iron skillet placed on the hot grill, heat oil. Add carrots and saute for 1 minute. Add scallions and saute until tender, 3–4 minutes. Add butter, tamari and sugar and cook 30 seconds more until butter is melted. Remove from grill.
Onto warm tortillas, divide steak, sauteed vegetables and avocado wedges. Serve with pico de gallo and garnish with lime wedges.
Jalapeno Pork Chops with Grilled Broccoli and Pineapple
Grill up this surprising combination of flavors and sit back to enjoy the compliments.
Photo by Gwénaël Le Vot
SERVES 4
Pork Chops
¼ cup tamari (unsalted soy sauce)
¼ cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
4 1-inch, bone-in pork chops
Kosher salt
1 teaspoon chipotle chile pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro, for garnish
2 jalapenos, thinly sliced, for garnish
Broccoli
4 cups broccoli florets
2 tablespoons garlic olive oil
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
Pineapple
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into ½-inch slices
In a small bowl, combine tamari, vinegar and brown sugar. Rinse and pat dry chops and place in a large zip-close plastic bag. Put bag into a large bowl. Pour half the marinade over the chops and seal bag. Turn bag several times to coat chops completely. Refrigerate overnight or at least 1–2 hours. Reserve remaining marinade, cover and chill.
Bring pork chops and reserved marinade to room temperature. Preheat grill to medium; oil grates. Remove chops from overnight marinade and discard the marinade. Season chops lightly with salt and chipotle, and sprinkle with oil. Grill chops, turning and brushing occasionally with the marinade, until cooked through, 6–8 minutes or until interior reaches 140 F on an instant-read thermometer. If chops are cooking too fast, lower heat to medium or move to indirect heat. Remove and keep warm until serving. When ready to serve, garnish chops with cilantro and jalapenos.
In a large bowl, toss broccoli with oil, salt and peppers. Transfer to a grill basket and cook, shaking occasionally, for 8–10 minutes until tender. If you do not have a grill basket, place a large sheet of foil on grill and cook on top of the foil. Remove and keep warm.
In a small bowl, combine oil and syrup. Place pineapple on grill and brush with half of the sauce. Cook 2–3 minutes; turn and brush with remaining sauce and cook until grill marks form on both sides.
Bonus recipe
Garlic olive oil
1 pint extra virgin olive oil
1 large head garlic, peeled
In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, add garlic cloves and oil. Let simmer slowly for 20–30 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. In the meantime, sterilize storage jar in a 275 F oven for 20 minutes. When olive oil is cool, strain into jar and seal. Oil will last 2–3 months in the refrigerator. Be sure to properly label and date before storing.
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Tips and techniques
Grilling is multitasking. In all of these menus, cook meats and vegetables simultaneously, side by side if your grill is large enough. That way, all of the items are ready at approximately the same time and can be served when done.
Constantly monitor grill temp. If your grill does not have a temperature gauge or control, it would be advisable to purchase a freestanding oven thermometer. This will allow you to periodically check the grill temperature to ensure food is maintaining a proper temp throughout the cooking process. Let your eyes and thermometer be your guide. Different grills cook at different temperatures. Stay close to the grill and check the temperature often.
Cooking with gas. I prefer gas grills over charcoal for a variety of reasons:
- High heat. Many gas grills can reach temperatures of 700 to 1,000 F.
- Instant ignition. Just push a button or turn a knob. There is a back-up system in case the primary fails.
- Fast preheat. Gas grills reach the desired temperature relatively quickly.
- Temperature control. Gas grills maintain level heat and spread it evenly across the cooking surface.
- Versatility. Gas grills allow indirect and direct grilling capability, thanks to multiple burners with separate controls.
- Easy to use. There’s no temperature guesswork.
- Customizable. Choose from different styles, configurations, burners and accessories.
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