Who knows why men took over the grill? Maybe because they like to play with fire? Maybe it’s that primal “hunter” thing? Or just because they want to protect us, ladies, from a 700 degrees grill on a 90 degrees day?
This doesn’t mean that women cannot claim the grill (at least while the weather is lovely) and give it a feminine touch–grilling up lighter, flavorful fare. Stuff that girls eat.
With Memorial Day coming up — the 2nd biggest grilling day of the year — here are some tricks, tips, and recipes for a feminine takeover of the grill.
1. Before we start, get long tongues and practice using them. They will become your best friend. Get one for raw food and one for cooked food.
2. If you have long nails, get large grilling mittens to protect them.
3. I can’t stress this one enough: tie-up anything that is loose — hair, floaty clothing, dangling necklace. Safety trumps glamor.
4. Simple marinade and spice rub recipes make the perfect dressing for whatever’s on the menu. Especially if you are grilling a low-fat fare. They add flavor and prevent the food from drying out.
5. Fruits and vegetables are great on the grill too–the intense heat brings out their natural sweetness. Now is the time to grill asparagus. See recipe below.
6. Use a grilling basket that holds delicate food together and prevent sticking. For example, Weber grill has this nifty grilling basket. It allows you to cook delicate fish, seafood, chopped and sliced vegetables. Call 609-882-1444 to speak to a team member about availability.
7. Wrap your food to add flavor and seal in flavor and juice. Wraps keep the food together and prevents sticking. My favorites “wraps” are bacon and grape leaves.
8. Wrap with what? Bacon adds that irresistible smokiness and sweetness. If you heard bad things about bacon, worry not. Naturally cured bacon is made without preservative and is safe and delicious.
9. Having grown up in the Eastern Mediterranean, I’m a sucker for grape leaves. You can wrap delicate food such as fish. Drizzle some olive oil, salt, pepper, and other seasoning on the food. Tie the package in a wet kitchen twine, brush with oil and grill on a moderate heat. The leaves may char a bit, but don’t worry; they’ll taste delicious.
10. Use kitchen twine to secure everything. Soak it in water before you wrap your food and cook on medium low heat. Don’t let it dry out between wrapping and cooking.
Grilling Recipes
On Saturday, May 9th, we had a Farm 2 Grill 4 Mom event, where we grilled bacon-wrapped asparagus. You can find the recipe bellow. I also included recipes for homemade chipotle BBQ sauce and grilled pork tenderloin. Check out a video of the rotisserie pork in action on the grill on Mrs. G’s Instagram page, and make sure to follow Appliance Chef too!
Source: Weber
- • 1/2 pounds asparagus spears, trimmed
- • Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- • A few grinds black pepper
- • Four slices center cut bacon or pancetta
- 1. Preheat the grill
- 2. Lightly coat asparagus spears in extra-virgin olive oil. Season the asparagus with black pepper. Create bundles of four spears each and use a slice of bacon to wrap the package. Secure with a wet kitchen twine. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
- 3. To grill, place bundles on a medium-hot grill and cover. Cook 10 to 12 minutes until bacon is crisp, and asparagus bundles are tender.
- 4. Serve with Orange Mayonnaise (recipe courtesy of Weber). See below.
- • ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- • ½ teaspoon finely grated orange zest
- • 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
- • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- • ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- Mix everything together and keep chilled until ready to serve.
- • Two chipotles in adobo seeded
- • 1 cup ketchup
- • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- • Six tablespoons cider vinegar
- • One tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- • Two tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 1. In a food processor, combine all of the ingredients and pulse until smooth.
- 2. Scrape into a small saucepan and simmer for 2 minutes, until glossy.
- 3. Use with chicken, pork and beef.
- 2 pork tenderloins
- 1. Coat tenderloins with one cup of the BBQ sauce.
- 2. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours.
- 3. Follow grill instructions to place tenderloins securely on the spit.
- 4. Turn on rotisserie and grill roasts over indirect heat. Cook for 30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 155 to 160 degrees.
- 5. Let the meat rest 8-10 minutes before slicing. Slice thin and serve warm with the remaining BBQ Sauce.
