Photo by Gwénaël Le Vot
Summer is here, and it’s time to start thinking outside the house. This season is all about outdoor fun and relaxation. Get ready to fire up the grill, chill the drinks and invite your friends and neighbors to join in!
DOUBLE-THICK PORK CHOPS WITH PEACH BARBECUE SAUCE
Serves 4
Sauce
¼ cup oil
1 sweet onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
6 medium peaches, peeled and chopped
¾ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup bourbon
½ cup Worcestershire sauce
½ cup tomato sauce
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
½ tablespoon chili powder
Kosher salt
Fresh coarse-ground black pepper
Juice from ½ lemon
Chops
4 thick (1½-inch) pork chops
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons smoked paprika (aka Spanish paprika)
Canola oil, for grill
Sauce
Warm oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally until tender, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in peaches, sugar, vinegar and bourbon (or water). Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium. Add Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce, red pepper, chili powder, salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until peaches and onion are very tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and let cool. Working in batches, transfer the peach mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Pour into clean jars and refrigerate up to two weeks.
Chops
Rinse and pat dry chops. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, sugar and paprika. Rub a generous amount of seasoning all over chops. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate for 1–2 hours or overnight.
Preheat grill to medium-high and brush with oil. Place chops on direct heat side of grill, and cook about 15 minutes until grill marks appear. Turn and move to indirect heated side of grill, and cook until chops register 140 F on an instant-read thermometer, about 15–20 minutes. Brush chops with sauce on all sides, cover and cook about 5–10 minutes. Remove to a platter, brush with more sauce and tent with foil until ready to serve. Serve with additional sauce.
Chef’s tip: Direct and indirect heat
Generally, on a large grill, only half the burners are turned on. The fire-producing burners provide direct heat, while the dormant burners provide indirect heat.
Spatchcocked chicken with lemon garlic marinade
Photo by Iuliia Nedrygailova
Serves 4–6
1 small fryer (3 pounds), spatchcocked
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice (about ½ lemon)
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon fresh coarse-ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning or herbes de Provence
2 lemons, halved, for garnish
Pat dry chicken and place on a large sheet pan. In a small bowl, combine oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Rub seasoning all over chicken, gently loosening the breast skin and rubbing the seasoning under the skin.
Allow chicken to marinate while grill is heating to medium-high, and brush grill with oil. Grill chicken, skin side down, over direct heat until grill marks form and skin is crispy brown, about 20 minutes. Flip and cook, skin side up, until that side is brown and crispy, about another 20 minutes. (Cook longer if chicken is bigger). Move chicken to indirect heat side of grill and continue to cook until temperature on an instant-read thermometer reaches 160–165 F. Remove from grill, place on a platter or cutting board and cover loosely with foil. The heat generated from grilling will continue to cook the chicken until it reaches 165 F, about 10 minutes. Grill lemons, cut side down, until grill marks form. Cut chicken into desired pieces. Serve on platter with grilled lemon halves.
Chef’s tip: How to spatchcock a chicken
Spatchcocking a chicken allows it to cook more evenly throughout the thigh and breast areas. Using a sturdy pair of kitchen shears, remove the backbone from the chicken by cutting down each side of the backbone from top to bottom. Open the chicken up, like a book, and flip over onto a clean cutting board. Holding the heel of your palm over the breast of the chicken, press down firmly to crack the breastbone (also known as the sternum) so the chicken will lie flat. (Alternatively, ask your butcher to do this for you.)
Citrus skirt steak fajitas
Photo by Karen Hermann
Serves 4
Marinade for steak
1 orange, juiced
1 lime, juiced
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
½ cup olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon cumin
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
1 skirt steak, 1½–2 pounds
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
For serving
1 onion, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
2 red bell peppers, sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
Lime wedges
6-inch tortillas
Guacamole
Salsa
Pico de gallo
Sour cream
Sliced avocado
In a small bowl, combine orange juice, lime juice, garlic, cilantro, olive oil, cumin and jalapeño. Dry off the steak with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper. Put steak along with marinade in a zip-top bag and refrigerate up to 4 hours, turning occasionally. Preheat grill to medium-high and brush with oil. (This can also be done on the indoor stove with a grill pan.) Toss onions and peppers in oil and sauté, turning occasionally, until slightly charred. Remove from heat to a bowl or platter, cover with foil and keep warm.
Remove steak from marinade, pat dry, and discard marinade. Grill steak for 3–4 minutes for medium rare. Transfer to a cutting board and tent with foil, allowing meat to rest before cutting. Warm the tortillas in a hot cast-iron skillet until warm on each side, then wrap them in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm. Thinly slice steak against the grain and place on a large platter. Surround with peppers, onions and lime wedges. Serve alongside tortillas, guacamole, salsa, pico de gallo, sour cream and avocado.
Halibut steaks with mango salsa
Photo by Gina Moore
Salsa
1 large mango, peeled, pitted and small diced
¼ small red onion, peeled and small diced
1 tablespoon jalapeño, finely diced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Fish
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon paprika
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
4 halibut steaks (or flounder, haddock or cod)
Lemon wedges, for garnish
In a medium bowl, combine mango, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate. (Make a day ahead, if possible, to enhance the flavor.)
Preheat grill to high and brush with oil. In a medium bowl, combine butter, garlic powder, paprika, salt, pepper, dill, parsley and lemon juice. Spread evenly on halibut steaks. Cook on preheated grill until flaky, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Remove to a platter and serve with salsa and lemon wedges.