Cooking on the Grill

The charcoal grill is an easy cooking tool if you know what you are doing. Here are a few tips:
Prepare the fire a half hour or more before grilling. Stack the charcoal in a pyramid shape and light with a liquid start.

The fire should be medium-hot with a single, even layer of coals lightly covered with grey ash.

Avoid the self-igniting briquettes. They are easy to burn, but can give the food a petroleum flavor.

Have all your cooking tools ready and standing by. This not only includes apron and utensils, but seasonings and basting sauces as well.

And be sure to have a spray water bottle on hand in case of flare-ups.

Make sure whatever you are cooking isn't too thick or it will burn on the exterior by the time the inside is done.

Aluminum foil is your friend. I like the heavy duty foil. Cover the rack with the foil and poke little fork holes in it to let the smoke flavor come through slowly. It's also great for wrapping and grilling vegetables.

Marinating:

Marinate meats in the refrigerator, not on the counter, so bacteria won't have a chance to grow. If you want to use some marinade for a dip or basting sauce, reserve a portion in advance. Don't reuse marinade that's been used on raw meat.

Zip-lock plastic storage bags are convenient for marinating foods; just turn the whole bag over a few times to spread the marinade.

I like to marinate meat in store-bought Italian or oil/vinegar salad dressing. Delicious on beef, fish, pork, and chicken!

My favorite menu for outdoor barbeques is hamburgers and hot dogs or brats, seasoned only with salt and pepper and basted during the last few minutes of cooking time with Bull's-Eye brand barbeque sauce.

Add homemade potato salad, baked beans, and garden-fresh sliced tomatoes for side dishes; plus sliced onions, catsup, mustard, pickles, lettuce, and cheese for fixins on the hamburger buns. Simple but delicious!

However, from time to time I do try something different. Below are a few recipes that I have tried with great success. All great choices!

Mexicali Marinade

1/3 cup oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup apple juice
1 teaspoon chili powder

In a small saucepan, heat oil and cook garlic 2-3 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients and heat through, stirring until smooth. Cool in refrigerator. Excellent for tenderizing less expensive cuts of beef, pork or veal. Marinate strips/cubes of meat 2 hours prior to grilling; chops or ribs 3 hours prior to grilling, and steaks at least 4 hours prior to grilling. Always marinate foods in the refrigerator turning meat occasionally.

Hamburgers on the Grill:

1 pound ground beef
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons sour cream
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh dill
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Hamburger buns

Preheat grill for medium-high heat. Combine meat with mustard, sour cream, garlic, dill, and black pepper. Form into 4 equal sized patties. Place on grill and cook for about 6-7 minutes per side. Once cooked, remove from heat and place on burger bun with desired condiments

Vegetable Kabobs

2 large green peppers, cut into 1 " squares
2 medium onions, quartered, separated into sections
4 small zucchini cut into 1 " pieces
4 small yellow squash, cut into 1" pieces
12 whole mushrooms
1 bottle fat-free Italian salad dressing

Place vegetables in a non-metal dish, pour Italian salad dressing over all and mix. Marinate vegetables in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Drain vegetables and thread alternately on skewers. Grill kabobs 15-20 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Additional Italian salad dressing can be used to brush over kabobs while cooking. Makes 4-6 kabobs.

Grilled Potatoes

3 pounds potatoes, skinned and cut into quarters
1 cup minced onions
4 tablespoons cooking oil
4 tablespoons grated cheese, cheddar or parmesan
salt and pepper

Cook potatoes in boiling water until tender. Drain and cool. Place potatoes into bowl add oil and toss. Toss in remaining ingredients. Place potatoes on large piece of aluminum foil and fold, Bring longer sides of foil together over food. Fold down loosely in locked folds, allowing for heat circulation and expansion. Fold up short ends; crimp to seal. Serves 4.

Pork Kabobs:

1/2 pound pork tenderloin
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 tablespoon grated fresh onion
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
Dash of pepper
1 bay leaf
8 (1-inch) cubes fresh pineapple
8 (1-inch) pieces red bell pepper
Vegetable cooking spray

Trim the fat from pork, and cut the pork into 8 (1-inch) cubes. Combine brown sugar and the next 7 ingredients (brown sugar through bay leaf) in a large zip-top heavy-duty plastic bag; add the pork cubes. Seal the bag, and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour, turning bag occasionally. (To keep the texture of the pork from becoming mushy, marinate it for no more than 1 hour.)
Remove pork from bag, reserving marinade. Discard bay leaf. Thread 4 pork cubes, 4 pineapple cubes, and 4 bell pepper pieces alternately onto each of 2 (10-inch) skewers.

Prepare grill. Place kebabs on grill rack coated with cooking spray, and cook 14 minutes or until done, turning and basting frequently with reserved marinade.

Note: Canned pineapple can be substituted for fresh. Drain 1 (8-ounce) can unsweetened pineapple chunks, reserving 16 chunks.
Yield
2 servings

Banana Boats

4 medium bananas, unpeeled
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup peanut butter chips
2 tablespoons chopped peanuts (if desired)

Cut along inside curve of each banana; press ends of peel to open. Fill each banana evenly with chocolate and peanut butter chips. Wrap each banana in foil. Place over heat and cook for about 5 minutes until bananas are heated through and chips are melted.