In many places—Texas, Tuscany, and just about all of Argentina, to name a few—beef is the soul of barbecue. And grilling beef indoors is a widespread tradition. Think of English spit-roasted prime rib, French steak au poivre, or a rib steak smokily seared in the fireplace. While we’re on the subject of smoke, did you know you can prepare pastrami and brisket in a stove-top smoker? Indoor grilling gives a whole new spin to beef and veal dishes, from Magyar beef rolls to Italian saltimbocca. And did I mention three sorts of beef ribs in the rotisserie?
Prime rib is a guaranteed showstopper—expensive, impressive, and one of the tastiest roasts from the steer. It turns Saturday night into New Year’s. What you may not realize is how unbelievably easy it is to make, especially on a rotisserie. This recipe features a fragrant paste of garlic, fresh herbs, and lemon zest. To make the roast even more flavorful, half of the paste goes in slits in the meat. SERVES 4 TO 6
• A full prime rib has seven ribs and tips the scales at 16 to 18 pounds. This recipe calls for a two-rib roast, which is small enough to fit in most countertop rotisseries but still large enough to make an impressive centerpiece.
• You can also cook the meat on a fireplace rotisserie (see page 11). Trim off any excess fat before placing it in the spit. Cook over a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. It will take from 1 to 1¼ hours, depending on your fireplace.
• For an awesome French dip sandwich, pile thinly sliced roast beef on a French roll or slice of bread, then dip the sandwich in the Garlic Jus.
FOR THE HERB PASTE:
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
⅓ packed cup stemmed mixed fresh herbs, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon coarse salt (kosher or sea)
1 tablespoon cracked black peppercorns
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lemon zest
About 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 prime rib beef roast (2 ribs; 4 to 4½ pounds)
Garlic Jus (recipe follows)
1. Make the herb paste: Place the garlic, herbs, salt, peppercorns, and lemon zest in a mortar and, using the pestle, pound them to a coarse paste. Gradually work in the olive oil and pound to a smooth paste. Alternatively, place the garlic, herbs, salt, peppercorns, and lemon zest in a food processor and finely chop. Add enough olive oil to process to a smooth paste, scraping down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
2. Using the tip of a paring knife, make small slits on all sides of the roast about ½ inch deep and 1½ inches apart. Using the tip of your index finger, widen the holes. Place a tiny spoonful of herb paste in each hole, forcing it in with your finger. This will use up about half of the herb paste. Spread the remaining herb paste over the roast on all sides. You can cook the roast right away, but it will have even more flavor if you let it marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for 1 to 2 hours.
3. When ready to cook, place the drip pan in the bottom of the rotisserie. Skewer the roast on the rotisserie by inserting the spit between the ribs. Attach the spit to the rotisserie and turn on the motor. If your rotisserie has a temperature control, set it to 400°F (for instructions for using a rotisserie, see page 14).
4. Cook the roast until it is darkly browned on all sides and cooked to taste, 1¼ to 1½ hours for medium-rare. Use an instant-read meat thermometer to test for doneness; don’t let the thermometer touch the spit or a bone. Medium-rare beef will have an internal temperature of 145°F. If your rotisserie has a pause button, after the roast has cooked for about 1 hour, stop the spit so that a flat side of the roast faces the heating element and let the meat brown for a few minutes. Then advance the spit until the other flat side faces the heating element and let it brown for a few minutes.
5. Transfer the roast to a platter or cutting board, remove the spit, and let the meat rest for about 10 minutes. Reserve the meat drippings for the sauce. To carve, cut the meat off the ribs, running your knife along the inside of the bones. Cut the 2 ribs apart and let people fight over them at the table (or keep them for yourself to gnaw on in the kitchen). Thinly slice the roast crosswise and serve with the Garlic Jus.
A jus, from the French word for juice, is nothing more than meat drippings enriched with a little veal or beef stock. This one is flavored with fragrant chips of fried garlic. It’s heaven-sent with beef (for the best results, use homemade stock). MAKES ABOUT 1½ CUPS
Drippings from the Spit-Roasted Prime Rib with Garlic and Herbs (page 54)
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced crosswise
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary or flat-leaf parsley
About 1 cup veal, beef, or chicken stock, or more as needed
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
1. Pour the drippings from the roast into a fat separator (see sidebar on page 178). Let stand for 5 minutes. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the beef fat from the top of the separator into a saucepan and place over medium heat. Add the garlic and rosemary and cook until lightly browned, stirring with a wooden spoon, 3 to 4 minutes. Do not let the garlic burn.
2. Pour the meat juices from the bottom of the fat separator through a strainer into a large measuring cup, stopping when the fat starts to come out. Add enough veal stock to obtain 1½ cups. Add the meat juice mixture to the saucepan. Increase the heat to high, bring to a boil, and let boil about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Countertop rotisseries are great for cooking cylindrical roasts, like leg of lamb, and whole chickens. But what about flat cuts of meat, like a two-bone rib roast? That’s where the pause button found on rotisseries like the Showtime comes in. The pause button enables you to stop the rotation of the spit and expose a flat side of a roast to the heating element so it can brown. This turns the rotisserie into a sort of lateral broiler.
Simply wait for one side of the roast to line up with the heating element, then push the pause button. Generally 3 to 5 minutes per side is enough to achieve the requisite browned crust. Then, let the spit make a half turn to line up the other side of the roast with the heat and press the pause button again. This is best done toward the end of the cooking process, so you can control the degree of browning.
OK, it may smack of heresy, especially if you’re a Texan, but it is possible to make a credible—even delectable—Texas-style brisket indoors. The secret is to use a stove-stop smoker to lay on the smoke flavor, then slow roast the brisket in the oven until it’s tender enough to cut with the side of a fork. Despite the general association of mesquite with Texas, the preferred wood for smoking brisket in the state is actually oak, what’s called for here. If you like your brisket smoky and tender, with not one iota of sugar but plenty of spice, this one’s just about as good as what comes off a pit. SERVES 6 TO 8
The recipe calls for a piece of brisket cut from the “flat,” the flat rectangular center portion. It’s the part of the brisket most commonly sold at supermarkets. Most of the fat will probably have been trimmed off, but try to find a piece that has at least ⅛ inch. The fat melts during cooking, basting the meat and keeping it moist.
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons coarse salt (kosher or sea)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 center-cut piece beef brisket (3½ to 4 pounds)
Cooking oil spray (optional)
Texas Barbecue Sauce (recipe follows)
YOU’LL ALSO NEED:
3 tablespoons oak sawdust
1. Place the paprika, chili powder, salt, black pepper, cumin, cayenne, and cinnamon in a small bowl and whisk to mix.
2. Place the brisket on a baking sheet and sprinkle the rub over both sides, patting it onto the meat with your fingertips. You can smoke the brisket right away, but it will have even more flavor if you let it cure in the refrigerator, covered, for 2 to 4 hours before smoking.
3. When ready to cook, set up the smoker (for instructions for using a stove-top smoker, see page 16). Place the sawdust in the center of the bottom of the smoker. Line the drip pan with aluminum foil and place it in the smoker. Lightly coat the smoker rack with cooking oil spray, or use a paper towel dipped in oil, and place the rack in the smoker. Place the brisket, fat side up, on the rack. Cover the smoker and place the rack over high heat for 3 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium. Smoke the brisket until it has a good smoke flavor, about 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 275°F.
5. Spread out a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil shiny side down on a work surface. Place the brisket on the foil. Reserve any juices in the smoker drip pan for the Texas Barbecue Sauce. Tightly wrap the brisket in the foil, pleating the edges to make a tight seal. Place the foil-wrapped brisket on a baking sheet with the seam on top and bake until very tender, 2½ to 3 hours. When done the internal temperature will be about 190°F (unwrap one end of the brisket and insert an instant-read meat thermometer in the side of the brisket).
6. Transfer the brisket in the foil to a cutting board and carefully unwrap it. Pour the juices that have collected in the foil and those in the smoker drip pan into a fat separator (you’ll have about 1¼ cups). Set the drippings aside for the Texas Barbecue Sauce. Rewrap the brisket and let it rest for about 10 minutes while you make the barbecue sauce.
7. Unwrap the brisket and add any additional juices to the barbecue sauce. Place the brisket on a cutting board and thinly slice it across the grain. Serve the barbecue sauce on the side, please; no self-respecting Texan would drown his brisket in barbecue sauce.
Texas barbecue sauce is more about what it isn’t than what it is—not thick, not overly sweet, and not particularly complex. Traditional barbecue sauce in the Lone Star State is more of an afterthought, just meat drippings reddened with a little tomato sauce or ketchup. This sauce is a little more elaborate (just a little). It won’t distract you from the flavor of the brisket, living proof of the adage that sometimes less is more. MAKES ABOUT 2¼ CUPS
1 tablespoon butter
1 slice bacon, cut crosswise into ¼-inch slivers
1 small onion, finely chopped
Drippings from Texas Brisket Indoors (page 56)
½ to 1 cup beef or veal stock (preferably homemade)
⅓ cup ketchup or tomato sauce
2 tablespoons dark corn syrup, or more to taste
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar or cider vinegar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the bacon and onion and cook until both are lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes.
2. Pour the drippings into a fat separator. After the drippings have stood for at least 3 minutes, pour the meat juices from the bottom of the separator through a strainer into a 2-cup measuring cup, stopping when the fat starts to come out. Add enough beef stock to obtain 2 cups. Add the meat juice mixture to the bacon and onions, increase the heat to high, and bring to a brisk simmer.
3. Add the ketchup, corn syrup, lemon juice, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce to the saucepan, bring to a simmer, and let the sauce cook until slightly thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. The sauce should remain fairly liquid and be thinner than conventional barbecue sauce, about the consistency of half-and-half. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If a sweeter sauce is desired, add a little more corn syrup. For a more tart sauce, add a little more lemon juice.
• I’ve streamlined this pastrami recipe, making it practical for the indoor pit master by calling for a 3½-to 4-pound piece of brisket cut from the “flat” rather than a full 18-pound brisket. This is the cut and weight you’re most likely to find at the supermarket.
• You may be surprised by the color of the pastrami after it’s smoked. It won’t have a reddish hue like delicatessen pastramis. That color comes from the nitrates commercial meat processors use; this pastrami will taste just fine without them.
Pastrami is such a mainstay of American delicatessens that you may be surprised to learn it originated in central Asia, where it goes by the name of pastirma or basturma. Visit a market in Turkey or Aleppo, Syria, and you’ll find long, fragrant orange strips of spice-crusted beef hanging from the rafters of market stalls. From the Near East, basturma migrated to eastern Europe, and from there to America. Somewhere along the way, it came to be made with brisket and, more important, it began to be smoked. For me, pastrami is less a particular dish than a process—curing meat, poultry, or even seafood with a pungent sweet-salty blend of aromatics, principally garlic, coriander, mustard, and pepper, and then smoking the cured meat over hardwood. SERVES 6 TO 8
1 tablespoon coarse salt (kosher or sea)
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1½ teaspoons cracked black peppercorns
1½ teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
½ teaspoon ground mace (see Note)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 center-cut piece beef brisket (3½ to 4 pounds; leave the fat on)
Cooking oil spray (optional)
YOU’LL ALSO NEED:
3 tablespoons oak or hickory sawdust
1. Place the salt, brown sugar, paprika, peppercorns, coriander, ginger, mustard seeds, mace, and garlic in a small bowl and whisk to mix. Set the rub aside.
2. Lightly score the brisket on both sides in a crosshatch pattern, making very shallow (1/16 inch deep) cuts about ¼ inch apart (this helps the meat absorb the spices). Place the brisket on a baking sheet and sprinkle the rub over both sides, patting it onto the meat with your fingertips. Let the brisket cure in the refrigerator, covered, for 12 to 24 hours. You can also cure the brisket in a resealable plastic bag.
3. When ready to cook, set up the smoker (for instructions for using a stove-top smoker, see page 16). Place the sawdust in the center of the bottom of the smoker. Line the drip pan with aluminum foil and place it in the smoker. Lightly coat the smoker rack with cooking oil spray, or use a paper towel dipped in oil, and place the rack in the smoker. Place the brisket, fat side up, on the rack. Cover the smoker and place it over high heat for 3 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium. Smoke the brisket until it has a good smoke flavor, about 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 275°F.
5. Spread out a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil shiny side down on a work surface. Place the brisket on the foil. Tightly wrap the brisket in the foil, pleating the edges to make a tight seal. Place the foil-wrapped brisket on a baking sheet and bake until very tender, 2½ to 3 hours. When done the internal temperature of the brisket will be about 190°F (unwrap one end of the brisket and insert an instant-read meat thermometer in the side of the brisket).
6. Transfer the brisket in the foil to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes. If you like your pastrami hot, unwrap the brisket and thinly slice it crosswise. If you prefer your pastrami cold, let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate it until ready to serve.
NOTE: Mace is an orangish-brown spice that grows as a lacelike covering on the outer shell of nutmeg. You can use ½ teaspoon of ground nutmeg as a substitute.
VARIATIONS: Once you get the hang of making pastrami, just about any food is fair game, including turkey breast, salmon fillet, and tofu. Each of these is smaller and doesn’t have as much fat as brisket, so you’ll need to use less rub and add some canola oil to it. And, they’ll be done right out of the smoker—you don’t need to bake them, the way you do with brisket. Follow the instructions in Step 1 on page 59 for making the rub. The leftover rub will keep well in the refrigerator for several weeks and make a great seasoning for meats, poultry, even seafood.
To make turkey pastrami, start with a 1½- to 2-pound boneless turkey breast half. Make the rub as described in Step 1 on page 59. Mix about 2 tablespoons of the rub with 2 tablespoons of canola oil, spread this all over the turkey breast, and let it cure in the refrigerator, covered, for 6 to 12 hours. The turkey breast will be done after it smokes for 25 to 30 minutes; the internal temperature on an instant-read meat thermometer will be about 160°F when the turkey is fully cooked.
To make salmon pastrami, substitute a 1½-pound piece of skinless salmon fillet for the brisket. Run your fingers over the top of the salmon and, using tweezers or needle-nose pliers, pull out any bones you find, then rinse the salmon under cold running water and pat it dry with paper towels. Make the rub as described in Step 1 on page 59. Mix about 1½ tablespoons of the rub with 1½ tablespoons of canola oil, spread this all over the salmon, and let it cure in the refrigerator, covered, for 4 to 6 hours. The salmon will be done after it smokes for about 18 minutes.
To make tofu pastrami, use 2 pounds of extra-firm or firm tofu. Make the rub as described in Step 1 on page 59. Mix about 1½ tablespoons of the rub with 1½ tablespoons of canola oil, spread this all over the tofu, and let it cure in the refrigerator, covered, for 4 to 8 hours. The tofu will be done after it smokes for about 20 minutes.
The elusive tri-tip is popular barbecue in California, and virtually ignored in the rest of the United States. The roast takes its name from its distinctive shape, a triangular slab of beef sirloin that slices like brisket and cooks up and eats like steak. Its birthplace is the town of Santa Maria, situated between Los Angeles and San Francisco. These days most of the tri-tip at barbecue joints is grilled over oak embers, but the original version was spit roasted. That’s how a butcher named Bob Schutz did it back in 1952, and he’s the man credited with popularizing this California classic. A countertop rotisserie produces a superb tri-tip, but you can also grill it using the methods in the box below. Tri-tip is traditionally served with a flavorful salsa and garlic bread (see page 281). SERVES 4 TO 6
Finding a tri-tip can be a challenge. If you live in central or southern California, it will require nothing more than a trip to your local supermarket meat department. If you live elsewhere, you can special order it from your local butcher. Tri-tips are cut from the bottom sirloin. There’s no exact substitute, but a 2-inch-thick slab of sirloin or bottom round will get you in the ballpark.
Garlic powder
Coarse salt (kosher or sea)
Cracked black peppercorns or freshly ground black pepper
1 tri-tip (2 to 2½ pounds)
Santa Maria Salsa (recipe follows)
CONTACT GRILL: The smaller and thinner the tri-tip, the better the results you’ll get on a contact grill (thick pieces of meat tend to burn on the outside before becoming fully cooked in the center). Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Arrange the tri-tip on the hot grill, placing pieces of aluminum foil between the grill plates and the meat; this will slow the burning process. Close the lid. The tri-tip will be cooked to medium-rare after 8 to 10 minutes.
BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to medium-high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the tri-tip on the hot grate. It will be cooked to medium-rare after 8 to 10 minutes per side.
FREESTANDING GRILL: If you like your tri-tip very rare, you can cook it on a freestanding grill. Preheat the grill to high; there’s no need to oil the grate. Place the tri-tip on the hot grill, then place a heavy skillet on top of the meat to keep it flat. The tri-tip will be cooked to rare after 10 to 12 minutes per side (it takes forever to get to medium or well done).
FIREPLACE GRILL: Tri-tip is great grilled in the fireplace, especially over red oak or post oak. Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a medium-high, 4 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the tri-tip on the hot grate. It will be cooked to medium-rare after 8 to 10 minutes per side.
1. Generously sprinkle the garlic powder, salt, and pepper on both sides of the tri-tip.
2. When ready to cook, place the tri-tip in the rotisserie basket. Place the drip pan in the bottom of the rotisserie. Attach the basket to the rotisserie, then attach the spit to the rotisserie and turn on the motor. If your rotisserie has a temperature control, set it to 400°F (for instructions for using a rotisserie, see page 14).
3. Cook the tri-tip until it is darkly browned on the outside and cooked to taste, about 40 minutes for medium-rare. To test for doneness, insert an instant-read meat thermometer through the side of the tri-tip but not so that it touches the spit. The internal temperature should be about 145°F for medium-rare. If your rotisserie has a pause button, after the tri-tip has cooked for 30 minutes, stop the spit so that a flat side of the tri-tip faces the heating element and let the meat brown for 5 minutes. Then, advance the spit a half turn and brown the other side for 5 minutes.
4. Transfer the tri-tip to a platter or cutting board, remove the spit, and let the meat rest for 5 minutes (loosely cover it with aluminum foil to keep it warm). Thinly slice the tri-tip crosswise, across the grain, and serve with the Santa Maria Salsa.
In true Californian fashion, tri-tip is served with salsa. Italian immigrants succeeded the Mexicans in these parts. Their influence can be seen in the use of celery, oregano, and red wine vinegar here. MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS
3 scallions, trimmed and coarsely chopped
2 celery ribs, peeled with a vegetable peeler and coarsely chopped
2 to 4 jalapeño peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped (for a hotter salsa, leave the seeds in)
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
½ teaspoon dried oregano
6 to 8 ripe plum tomatoes (1¼ to 1½ pounds), coarsely chopped, with their juices
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
Place the scallions, celery, jalapeños, garlic, and oregano in a food processor fitted with a chopping blade and finely chop. Add the tomatoes, running the processor in short bursts so as not to purée the salsa too finely. Add the cilantro, vinegar, and lime juice, then season with salt and pepper to taste; the salsa should be highly seasoned. The salsa can be made up to 2 hours ahead.
If you are shopping at an Italian meat market, ask for a braciole steak—a broad thin slice of bottom round. You could also use thinly sliced top round, beef round tips, or sirloin. The key is to have a butcher slice it thinly across the grain on a meat slicer.
Here’s an Italian “cheese steak” for the low-carb generation. There’s no roll—the “sandwich” consists of two broad thin pieces of bottom round stuffed with Fontina cheese and prosciutto. Thin is the operative word here, as the thinness is what makes a normally tough steak tender. SERVES 2
2 pieces thinly sliced beef top or bottom round, or sirloin (each 6 ounces and about 8 inches long, 4 inches wide, and just shy of ¼ inch thick)
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces thinly sliced imported Italian Fontina cheese
2 slices prosciutto (about 1½ ounces in all)
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
YOU’LL ALSO NEED:
Wooden toothpicks
1. Place a steak on a work surface with a long edge toward you. Using a sharp knife and making a cut that is perpendicular to the long edge, score the steak down the middle by cutting about halfway through the meat (this will enable you to fold the steak closed like a book). Repeat with the remaining steak. Season the steaks on both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Place a steak on the work surface, cut side down. Arrange half of the slices of Fontina on top of one half of the steak so that they are parallel to the cut. Top the Fontina with a slice of prosciutto, then sprinkle 1½ tablespoons of the Parmesan over it. Folding the steak along the cut edge, cover the cheese and prosciutto with the bare half of the steak. Secure the open end with toothpicks. Repeat with the remaining steak, Fontina, prosciutto, and Parmesan. The steaks can be prepared up to this stage several hours ahead and refrigerated, covered.
3. Cook the stuffed steaks, following the instructions for any of the grills in the box below, until the cheese is melted and the steaks are nicely browned on the outside and cooked through.
4. Transfer the stuffed steaks to a platter or plates. Remove and discard the toothpicks, then serve the steaks at once.
VARIATION: To make an Alpine cheese steak, substitute thinly sliced Gruyère, Appenzeller, or a raclette cheese for the Fontina and bresaola, salt-cured, air-dried beef, for the proscuitto.
CONTACT GRILL: Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the stuffed steaks on the hot grill, then close the lid. The steaks will be done after cooking 4 to 6 minutes.
GRILL PAN: Place the grill pan on the stove and preheat it to medium-high over medium heat. When the grill pan is hot a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan. Place the stuffed steaks in the hot grill pan. They will be done after cooking 2 to 3 minutes per side.
BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to medium-high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the stuffed steaks on the hot grate. They will be done after cooking 2 to 3 minutes per side.
FREESTANDING GRILL: Preheat the grill to high; there’s no need to oil the grate. Place the stuffed steaks on the hot grill. They will be done after cooking 3 to 5 minutes per side.
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the stuffed steaks on the hot grate. The steaks will be done after cooking 2 to 3 minutes per side.
The stuffed beef roll is a staple throughout eastern Europe—to the point where it played a leading role in a haunting movie called Gloomy Sunday, set at a Budapest restaurant during World War II. The recipe varies from country to country and kitchen to kitchen: here the steaks might be stuffed with ham (cured, smoked, or cooked) and/or cheese; there filled with bacon, pickles, capers, or wedges of onion. Being a “more is more” sort of guy, I’ve created a super beef roll by incorporating most of these ingredients into the filling. You can certainly opt for fewer ingredients or vary the filling to suit your taste. In eastern Europe, they’d pan-fry the rolls, but an indoor grill can do a great job of searing the crust and melting the filling. SERVES 4
You don’t need an expensive steak for these beef rolls. Top or bottom round or sirloin will work fine. What you do need is an extremely thin steak, which is best cut on a meat slicer by a butcher. When I make this dish, I use beef round tips sliced slightly under ¼ inch thick.
8 pieces thinly sliced beef top round, bottom round, or sirloin (each about 4 ounces, 4 inches square, and just shy of ¼ inch thick)
1 tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
8 thin slices Provolone or Cheddar cheese (about 6 ounces), cut into 3-by-3-inch pieces
8 thin slices smoked ham, such as Westphalian ham (4 to 6 ounces), cut into 3-by-4-inch pieces
1 dill pickle, cut into 8 thin wedges
8 slices bacon
Cooking oil spray
YOU’LL ALSO NEED:
Wooden toothpicks or butcher’s string
1. Place the pieces of beef on a work surface. Season each on both sides with the paprika and salt and pepper. Spread the mustard over the tops of the meat. Arrange a slice of cheese on each piece and top with a slice of ham. Place a pickle wedge at the widest end of once piece and roll up the beef, cheese, and ham around it to form a sort of mini jelly roll. Repeat with the remaining pieces of beef. Wrap a slice of bacon around each beef roll, angling it on a diagonal, like the stripe on a candy cane.
2. Cook the beef rolls, following the instructions for any of the grills in the box at right, until the cheese is melted and the meat is nicely browned on the outside and cooked through (you may need to do this in batches). Serve at once, removing and discarding the toothpicks or string.
CONTACT GRILL: Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the beef rolls on the hot grill, then close the lid. The beef rolls will be done after cooking 5 to 8 minutes.
GRILL PAN: Place the grill pan on the stove and preheat it to medium-high over medium heat. When the grill pan is hot a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan. Place the beef rolls in the hot grill pan. They will be done after cooking 1½ to 2 minutes per side (6 to 8 minutes in all).
BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to medium-high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Arrange the beef rolls on the hot grate; to avoid flare-ups, don’t crowd the grill. The beef rolls will be done after cooking 1½ to 2 minutes per side (6 to 8 minutes in all).
FREESTANDING GRILL: Preheat the grill to high; there’s no need to oil the grate. Place the beef rolls on the hot grill. They will be done after cooking 2½ to 3 minutes per side (10 to 12 minutes in all).
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a medium-high, 4 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the beef rolls on the hot grate; to avoid flare-ups, don’t crowd the grill. They will be done after cooking 1½ to 2 minutes per side (6 to 8 minutes in all). Should flare-ups occur, move the beef rolls to another section of the grill.
ROTISSERIE: Place the beef rolls in the rotisserie basket. Place the drip pan in the bottom of the rotisserie. Attach the basket to the spit, then attach the spit to the rotisserie and turn it on (if your rotisserie has a temperature control, set it to 400°F). The beef rolls will be done after 20 to 30 minutes.
Food, like fashion, has its rising and falling hemlines. Take London broil: When I was growing up, it was common currency at local restaurants. But I can’t remember seeing London broil on a menu in a while. This is a shame, as it’s an excellent way of preparing economical cuts of beef. Slicing the meat thinly on the diagonal produces tender slices of steak. So, in the interests of reviving this chophouse classic, here’s a London broil with an East-West marinade. SERVES 4
1 flank steak or piece of sirloin or top or bottom round steak (1½ to 1¾ pounds)
1 tablespoon cracked black peppercorns
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 shallot, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
CONTACT GRILL: When cooking on a contact grill, you’re best off using a thick cut of steak, like sirloin or round (flank steak will most likely turn out well-done). Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the beef on the hot grill, then close the lid. A thick slab of sirloin or round steak will be cooked to medium-rare after 7 to 10 minutes; flank steak will be cooked to medium after 3 to 5 minutes.
GRILL PAN: Place the grill pan on the stove and preheat it to medium-high over medium heat. When the grill pan is hot a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan. Place the beef in the hot grill pan. Sirloin or round steak will be cooked to medium-rare after 5 to 8 minutes per side; flank steak will be cooked to medium-rare after 4 to 6 minutes per side.
BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the beef on the hot grate. Sirloin or round steak will be cooked to medium-rare after 5 to 8 minutes per side; flank steak will be cooked to medium-rare after 4 to 6 minutes per side.
FREESTANDING GRILL: Preheat the grill to high; there’s no need to oil the grate. Place the beef on the hot grill. Sirloin or round steak will be cooked to medium-rare after 6 to 9 minutes per side; flank steak will be cooked to medium-rare after 5 to 7 minutes per side.
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the beef on the hot grate. Sirloin or round steak will be cooked to medium-rare after 5 to 8 minutes per side; flank steak will be cooked to medium-rare after 4 to 6 minutes per side.
1. If using flank steak, score it on both sides in a crosshatch pattern, making shallow cuts on the diagonal no deeper than ⅛ inch and about ¼ inch apart. This will keep the flank steak from curling as it cooks; you don’t have to score sirloin or top or bottom round.
2. Place the peppercorns, lemon zest, garlic, and shallot in a food processor and process to a coarse paste. Add the soy sauce, mustard, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of the oil. Spread half of the soy sauce mixture in the bottom of a nonreactive baking dish just large enough to hold the beef. Place the meat on top and spread the remaining soy sauce mixture over it. Let the meat marinate for at least 4 hours or as long as overnight. You can also marinate the beef in a resealable plastic bag.
3. When ready to cook, drain the meat, scraping off most of the marinade with a rubber spatula. (Scraping off the marinade will help the steak to sear better and makes less of a mess on the grill.) Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil over the beef on both sides, spreading it over the meat with your fingertips.
4. Cook the beef, following the instructions for any of the grills in the box, until cooked to taste. To test for doneness, use the poke method; when cooked to medium-rare the meat should be gently yielding.
5. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and let rest for 3 minutes. To serve, thinly slice the meat against the grain on a sharp diagonal. Fan out the slices on a platter or plate and serve at once.
NOTE: You won’t find London broil on a meat cutter’s chart—it can refer to any of four beef steaks that ordinarily tend to be on the tough side: flank steak, sirloin, top round, or bottom round. When thinly sliced against the grain on a sharp diagonal, all of these give you tender ribbons of meat. To make London broil with a flank steak, pick one that’s about ¾ inch thick. If you prefer sirloin or top or bottom round, it should be between 1 and 1½ inches thick.
Rodolfo Lagua, a thirty-year California barbecue veteran of Filipino heritage, was the inspiration for this recipe. Lagua learned this way of preparing tri-tips from his friend Sammy Ariola, one of the area’s first Filipino immigrants. “I have no money for you to inherit,” said Ariola, as he lay on his deathbed, “but I’ll give you the recipe for my marinade.” Since then Lagua has won numerous barbecue contests with his Filipino-style tri-tips, raising thousands of dollars for Filipino community charities. He’s now working on bottling the sauce commercially, once again as a fund-raiser. The interplay of salty, sweet, and sour is pure Filipino, and the lemon rind adds an intense blast of citrus flavor. I’ve adapted my approximation of Lagua’s recipe to London broil; in the Tip you’ll find instructions for making tri-tips with this marinade. Lagua would serve the meat with boiled rice. SERVES 4 TO 6
2 medium-size lemons
1 cup soy sauce
½ cup distilled white vinegar
½ cup vegetable oil
1 medium-size onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 bay leaves, crumbled
1 tablespoon coriander seed
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 flank steak or piece of sirloin or top or bottom round steak (1½ to 1¾ pounds; see Note)
CONTACT GRILL: When cooking on a contact grill, you’re best off using a thick cut of steak, like sirloin or round (flank steak will most likely turn out well-done). Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the beef on the hot grill, then close the lid. A thick slab of sirloin or round steak will be cooked to medium-rare after 7 to 10 minutes; flank steak will be cooked to medium after 3 to 5 minutes.
GRILL PAN: Place the grill pan on the stove and preheat it to medium-high over medium heat. When the grill pan is hot a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan. Place the beef in the hot grill pan. Sirloin or round steak will be cooked to medium-rare after 5 to 8 minutes per side; flank steak will be cooked to medium-rare after 4 to 6 minutes per side.
BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the beef on the hot grate. Sirloin or round steak will be cooked to medium-rare after 5 to 8 minutes per side; flank steak will be cooked to medium-rare after 4 to 6 minutes per side.
FREESTANDING GRILL: Preheat the grill to high; there’s no need to oil the grate. Place the beef on the hot grill. Sirloin or round steak will be cooked to medium-rare after 6 to 9 minutes per side; flank steak will be cooked to medium-rare after 5 to 7 minutes per side.
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the beef on the hot grate. Sirloin or round steak will be cooked to medium-rare after 5 to 8 minutes per side; flank steak will be cooked to medium-rare after 4 to 6 minutes per side.
1. Rinse the lemons. Cut each in half and squeeze out the juice with a citrus press. Place the lemon juice in a large nonreactive mixing bowl. Cut the rind of 1 lemon into ¼-inch dice and add it to the juice. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, oil, onion, garlic, bay leaves, coriander seed, and pepper and whisk to mix. Set aside half of the lemon juice mixture to use as a sauce.
2. If using flank steak, score it on both sides in a crosshatch pattern, making shallow cuts on the diagonal no deeper than ⅛ inch and about ¼ inch apart. This will keep the flank steak from curling as it cooks; you don’t have to score sirloin or top or bottom round.
3. Spread half of the remaining lemon juice mixture in the bottom of a nonreactive baking dish just large enough to hold the meat. Place the meat on top and spread the other half of the lemon juice mixture over it. Let the steak marinate for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight. The beef can also be marinated in a resealable plastic bag.
4. When ready to cook, drain the meat, scraping off most of the marinade with a rubber spatula. Cook the beef, following the instructions for any of the grills in the box, until cooked to taste. To test for doneness, use the poke method; when cooked to medium-rare the meat should be gently yielding.
5. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and let sit for 5 minutes. Cut the meat into broad thin slices, holding a sharp knife blade at a 45-degree angle to the top of the meat. Spoon the reserved sauce over the slices and serve at once.
Rodolfo Lagua uses a marinade like this one when preparing tri-tips. To do this, start with a tri-tip that’s between 2 and 2½ pounds. Make the marinade following the directions in Step 1, then let the meat marinate for 12 to 24 hours. You can grill the tri-tip in the rotisserie following Steps 2 and 3 in the tri-tip recipe on page 61 or use one of the alternative grilling methods on page61.
This Sicilian-style stuffed beef roll takes me back to my restaurant reviewing days, when I was the restaurant critic for Boston magazine. One of my beats was Boston’s North End or Little Italy, where I would do an annual roundup of the best places to eat and grocery shop. It was there, at a butcher shop that’s long since defunct, that I first found braciole, which the locals pronounced “brash-ohl.” What you got was a roll of beef stuffed with prosciutto, salami, mortadella, and other Italian cold cuts, not to mention Italian hot peppers and Provolone cheese. You’d buy it already stuffed and bake it at home according to the butcher’s instructions. What emerged from the oven was about the tastiest dish ever to clog your arteries. It was great hot. It was great cold. It was great served as an appetizer or main course. Here’s a not strictly traditional braciole made with flank steak and cooked on a rotisserie. SERVES 8 TO 10 AS AN APPETIZER; 4 TO 6 AS A MAIN COURSE
• I like to use flank steak for braciole. It’s easy to butterfly; that is, split crosswise almost in half so you can open it out to add the fillings (if you like, a butcher can do this for you). And it rolls up into a compact cylinder, which is handy for skewering, spit roasting, and slicing. You can also use very thin slices of top or bottom round. You’ll need about 1½ pounds, and the slices should be not quite ¼ inch thick—ask the butcher to slice them on a meat slicer. Either way, putting slices of pancetta or bacon on the outside of the beef roll will help it stay moist and tender.
• Mortadella is a large cooked Italian pork sausage studded with chunks of fat and flavored with cracked black peppercorns and frequently pistachios. It’s similar in texture and taste to bologna. You’ll find it wherever Italian cold cuts are sold.
1 flank steak (1½ to 1¾ pounds)
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
4 ounces thinly sliced aged Provolone cheese
1½ ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
1½ ounces thinly sliced Genoa salami or other Italian salami
1½ ounces thinly sliced pepperoni
1½ ounces thinly sliced mortadella (optional)
½ cup Italian pickled hot peppers (optional), drained and finely chopped
4 slices pancetta (3 to 4 ounces) unrolled, or 4 slices bacon
YOU’LL ALSO NEED:
Butcher’s string
1. Butterfly the flank steak: Trim the edges of the flank steak so that they are straight and the meat is an even rectangle. Position the flank steak lengthwise along the edge of the cutting board. Using a very sharp, long, slender knife, make a horizontal cut through a long side, slicing the meat almost in half (stop about ½ inch from the opposite side). Open the flank steak up like a book, then pound the center flat with a meat pounder or the side of a cleaver. The idea is to create a piece of meat that’s 12 to 15 inches long and wide.
2. Season the meat on both sides with salt and pepper. Arrange the butterflied flank steak cut side up on the work surface so that a short side is closest to you. Sprinkle the oregano over the meat.
3. Arrange the slices of Provolone, prosciutto, salami, pepperoni, and mortadella, if using, in layers on top of the flank steak, placing them ½ inch from the bottom and sides of the meat. Leave the top 2 inches of the flank steak bare. Sprinkle the peppers, if using, on top. Starting with the edge of the flank steak closest to you, roll up the meat into a tight cylinder. Carefully move it to the side.
4. Cut four 15-inch-long pieces of butcher’s string. Position the strings on the cutting board so that they are parallel to each other and roughly 2 inches apart. Place 1 slice of pancetta across the center of the strings so that it is perpendicular to them.
5. Place the rolled-up meat on top of the slice of pancetta so that it is perpendicular to the strings. Place a slice of pancetta lengthwise on top of the rolled meat. Press the remaining 2 slices of pancetta against either side of the rolled flank steak. Tie the pieces of string together around the meat so that they hold the slices of pancetta tightly against it. The braciole can be prepared up to this stage several hours ahead and refrigerated, covered.
6. When ready to cook, place the drip pan in the bottom of the rotisserie. Gently flatten the flank steak roll with your hand so that it will fit in the rotisserie basket, then place it in the basket so that the spit will pass through it crosswise. Close the basket tightly and attach it to the rotisserie spit. Attach the spit to the rotisserie, then turn on the motor. If your rotisserie has a temperature control, set it to 400°F (for instructions for using a rotisserie, see page 14). Cook the braciole until crusty and brown on the outside and cooked through. To test for doneness, use an instant-read meat thermometer: Insert it into the center of the braciole but not so that it touches the spit. The internal temperature should be about 190°F.
7. Transfer the braciole to a cutting board and let cool for a few minutes. Remove and discard the strings. Cut the roll crosswise into ½-inch slices and serve. The braciole is also pretty tasty served at room temperature or even cold.
Steak, cheese, and peppers. It’s a time-honored combination that turns up in the Old World as well as in the New: Italians have braciole (page 69); in Philadelphia it’s cheese steak. Here’s the Mexican version—or I should say one of the Mexican versions—as in many regions there grilled beef is topped with roasted peppers and cheese. The steak in question here is skirt steak. The peppers are fresh and smoked jalapeños (called chipotles), while the cheese is a salty, sharp-flavored one called cotija. Put them all together and you get a dish with shockingly vivid colors, textures, and tastes. SERVES 4
Cotija cheese (pronounced “ko-TEE-ha”) is available at Mexican and Hispanic markets. In a pinch you can substitute feta cheese.
1½ pounds skirt steaks, cut into 4 even portions
Garlic salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Two-Pepper Salsa (recipe follows)
2 ounces cotija cheese
4 fresh cilantro sprigs, for garnish
1. Season the skirt steaks on both sides with garlic salt and black pepper. Cook the steaks, following the instructions for any of the grills in the box below, until cooked to taste, rotating each a quarter turn after 1½ minutes to create a handsome crosshatch of grill marks. To test for doneness, use the poke method; when cooked to medium-rare the meat should be gently yielding.
2. Spoon the Two-Pepper Salsa onto a platter or plates. Arrange the steaks on top. Coarsely grate or crumble some of the cotija cheese on top of each steak and garnish with a sprig of cilantro. Serve at once.
CONTACT GRILL: Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the strip steaks on the hot grill, then close the lid. The steaks will be cooked to medium after 3 to 4 minutes.
GRILL PAN: Place the grill pan on the stove and preheat it to medium-high over medium heat. When the grill pan is hot a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan. Place the strip steaks in the hot grill pan. They will be cooked to medium-rare after 3 to 4 minutes per side.
BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the strip steaks on the hot grate. They will be cooked to medium-rare after 3 to 4 minutes per side.
FREESTANDING GRILL: Preheat the grill to high; there’s no need to oil the grate. Place the strip steaks on the hot grill. They will be cooked to medium-rare after about 4 minutes per side.
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the strip steaks on the hot grate. They will be cooked to medium-rare after 3 to 4 minutes per side.
Tomatillos look like green cherry tomatoes that are covered with a tan papery husk. They have a tart and fruity flavor. You can grill them and the other vegetables for the salsa a day or two ahead of when you plan to serve the skirt steaks. Or, if you prefer, rather than grill them, roast the vegetables in a cast-iron skillet. MAKES ABOUT 1½ CUPS
4 large tomatillos (5 to 6 ounces total), husked
3 plum tomatoes (8 to 10 ounces total)
2 jalapeño peppers
4 scallions, both white and green parts, trimmed
3 cloves garlic, skewered on a wooden toothpick
1 to 2 canned chipotle peppers (see Note), coarsely chopped, with 1 tablespoon of their adobo sauce, or more to taste
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, or more as necessary
A pinch of sugar
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
1. Cook the tomatillos, plum tomatoes, jalapeños, scallions, and garlic, following the instructions for any of the grills in the box at right, until partially browned on all sides, turning with tongs.
2. Transfer the grilled vegetables to a plate to cool, then, if a milder salsa is desired, seed the jalapeños.
3. Cut the vegetables into 1-inch pieces and place in a food processor. Add the chipotle(s) with the 1 tablespoon of adobo sauce and the cilantro and process to a coarse paste. Add the lime juice and sugar. Taste for seasoning, adding more adobo sauce as necessary and salt and black pepper to taste; the salsa should be highly seasoned. If necessary, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water; the salsa should be thick but pourable. The salsa can be made up to 2 days ahead of time and refrigerated, covered, in a nonreactive container. Let it return to room temperature, then taste for seasoning, adding more lime juice and/or salt as necessary.
NOTE: Chipotle peppers (smoked jalapeño peppers) come both dried and canned. I recommend using canned chipotles because their juices, called adobo, are loaded with flavor.
CONTACT GRILL: Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the vegetables on the hot grill, then close the lid (see Timing, below).
GRILL PAN: Place the grill pan on the stove and preheat it to medium-high over medium heat. When the grill pan is hot a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan, then place the vegetables in the hot grill pan (see Timing, below).
BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate and place the vegetables on the hot grate (see Timing, below).
FREESTANDING GRILL: Preheat the grill to high, then place the vegetables on the hot grill; there’s no need to oil the grate (see Timing, below).
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron, then place the vegetables on the hot grate (see Timing, below).
TIMING: On all grills the tomatillos, plum tomatoes, and jalapeños will be done in 6 to 8 minutes; the scallions and garlic will take 4 to 5 minutes.
A paillard is a steak that has been pounded paper-thin and flash grilled. (You can also do this with chicken breasts; there’s a recipe for these on page 195.) The pounding achieves several things: It increases the surface area exposed to the heat so the meat can sear better. It shortens the cooking time to a minute or two. It also tenderizes the meat. This is not an issue here, as I call for beef tenderloin, but it’s a bonus if you want to use a tougher cut of meat, like top or bottom round steak. And paillards certainly look impressive. These are topped with a fresh herb and asparagus salad. SERVES 4
1 piece trimmed center-cut beef tenderloin (about 1½ pounds)
8 asparagus stalks
2 cups fresh herbs, including whole tarragon, chervil, mint, flat-leaf parsley, and/or cilantro leaves and/or torn basil leaves
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
1 bunch arugula, rinsed, spun dry, and torn into 2-inch pieces
16 grape tomatoes, or 8 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
3½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Lemon wedges, for serving
CONTACT GRILL: Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the beef slices on the hot grill, then close the lid. The paillards will be cooked to medium after 2 to 3 minutes.
GRILL PAN: Place the grill pan on the stove and preheat it to medium-high over medium heat. When the grill pan is hot a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan. Place the beef slices in the hot grill pan. They will be cooked to medium-rare after 1 to 2 minutes per side.
BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the beef slices on the hot grate. They will be cooked to medium-rare after 1 to 2 minutes per side.
FREESTANDING GRILL: Preheat the grill to high; there’s no need to oil the grate. Place the beef slices on the hot grill. They will be cooked to medium-rare after 2 to 3 minutes per side.
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the beef slices on the hot grate. They will be cooked to medium-rare after 1 to 2 minutes per side.
1. Place the tenderloin flat on a work surface. Using a sharp carving knife held parallel to the work surface, cut the tenderloin into four even flat slices. You can hold the meat steady by pressing on it with the palm of one hand. (If you prefer, ask the butcher to do this for you.) Place a slice of beef between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and gently pound it with a meat pounder or the side of a cleaver until it is about ¼ inch thick. Repeat with the remaining slices of beef.
2. Snap the fibrous ends off the asparagus. The easiest way to do this is to hold an asparagus stalk at the base with one hand and bend it with your other hand. The asparagus will snap where the woody part ends. Slice the asparagus as thinly as possible on the diagonal.
3. Place the sliced asparagus and the herbs, chives, arugula, and tomatoes in a nonreactive mixing bowl and set aside without tossing.
4. Brush the slices of beef on both sides with 1½ tablespoons of the olive oil and season them on both sides with salt and pepper. Cook the beef slices, following the instructions for any of the grills in the box, until cooked to taste (you may need to cook the paillards in more than one batch). To test for doneness, use the poke method; when cooked to medium-rare the meat should be gently yielding. This is so quick, the paillards will be done before you know it.
5. Transfer the paillards to a platter or plates. Add the lemon juice and remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the salad and toss it. Mound the salad on top of the paillards and serve at once, with lemon wedges.
• Let freshness and seasonal availability be your guide when you choose the salad ingredients. Feel free to replace any of the herbs or vegetables listed here with others that look fresher. You could substitute baby salad greens, for example, for the arugula.
• You can use the beef paillard recipe to prepare top or bottom round steak. The cooking time will be the same.
The rib steak is for the true beef lover, combining the meaty chew of an expertly grilled steak and the sanguine succulence of roast beef. It’s a monster consisting of a Bible-thick rib eye with a whole rib attached. A typical rib steak tips the scales at around 2 pounds and will comfortably serve two to three. I always think of rib steak as fireplace fare, since the first one I ever tasted was cooked over wood embers in a fireplace in France. At Barbecue University at the Greenbrier, we prepare it in the manorial hearth of our mountainside “campus,” Kate’s Mountain Lodge. Everyone loves the gutsy presentation and robust flavor—not to mention the drama of grilling in the fireplace. The steak is particularly good when grilled over oak or hickory logs, but the other indoor grills handle the job well too. SERVES 2 OR 3
1 bone-in beef rib steak (1½ to 2 inches thick; about 2 pounds; see Note)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons crumbled dried rosemary (crumble it between your fingers)
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and cracked black peppercorns
Shiitake Syrah Sauce (recipe follows)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
CONTACT GRILL: The rib makes it tough to cook this steak on a contact grill. Pick 2 boneless rib-eye steaks that are 1 to 1¼ inches thick instead. The bigger your machine and the higher its wattage, the better your chance of getting proper searing. Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the steaks on the hot grill, then close the lid. They will be cooked to medium-rare after 7 to 10 minutes.
GRILL PAN: You’re better off using thinner steaks here; choose 2 boneless rib eyes that are about ¾ inch thick. Place the grill pan on the stove and preheat it to medium-high over medium heat. When the grill pan is hot a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan. Place the steaks in the hot grill pan. They will be cooked to medium-rare after 4 to 6 minutes per side. To create a crosshatch of grill marks, rotate the steaks after 2 minutes on each side. These steaks can be served whole.
BUILT-IN GRILL: Although a built-in grill won’t give you the heady flavor of wood smoke, it will give you a nice crust. Preheat the grill to medium-high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the steak on the hot grate. It will be cooked to medium-rare after 7 to 9 minutes per side.
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a medium-hot, 4 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the steak on the hot grate. It will be cooked to medium-rare after 7 to 9 minutes per side.
1. Brush the steak on both sides with the olive oil. Thickly crust each side with the garlic and rosemary, then season it with salt and cracked peppercorns. Refrigerate the seasoned steak, covered, until ready to cook.
2. Cook the steak following the instructions for any of the grills in the box at left, until cooked to taste. To test for doneness, use the poke method; when cooked to medium-rare the meat should be gently yielding. Or use an instant-read meat thermometer: Insert it in the side of the steak but not so that it touches the bone. The internal temperature should be about 145°F for medium-rare. Turn the steak over when the bottom side is darkly browned and beads of juice begin to appear on top and rotate it a quarter turn after cooking 3 minutes on each side to create a handsome crosshatch of grill marks.
3. Transfer the steak to a platter or cutting board and let it rest for 3 minutes. Cut off the bone and set it aside (if the meat on the bone is too rare, put the bone back on the grill to cook a little more). Thinly slice the steak crosswise. Serve the steak fanned out on plates with the Shiitake Syrah Sauce spooned on top. Sprinkle the parsley over the steak and serve at once.
NOTE: You’ll probably need to buy the rib steak at a butcher shop or order it ahead from the supermarket meat cutter, as most prime rib in the United States is sold in the form of roasts, not steaks.
Beef and mushrooms are made for each other. Here they come together in a rich, meaty sauce that’s robust enough to stand up to the rib eye. Feel free to substitute different kinds of wild mushrooms. MAKES ABOUT 1¼ CUPS
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 to 4 shallots, minced (about ¾ cup)
6 ounces shiitake or other mushrooms, stemmed, caps wiped clean with a damp paper towel and thinly sliced
About 2 cups syrah or other full-bodied dry red wine
1 cup beef, veal, or chicken stock (preferably homemade)
1 teaspoon cornstarch (optional)
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
1. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a heavy nonreactive saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft but not brown, about 3 minutes, stirring often. Add the shiitakes and cook until browned and most of the mushroom liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add 2 cups of the wine, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Let simmer briskly until the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the stock to the saucepan. Let the mixture simmer briskly until it is reduced to about 1¼ cups, 5 to 10 minutes. If you start with very good homemade stock, the mixture may be thick enough to serve as a sauce without adding the cornstarch. If not, place the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of wine in a small nonreactive bowl and stir until the cornstarch dissolves. Whisk the cornstarch mixture into the sauce, let come to a boil, and cook until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
3. Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste; it should be highly seasoned.
Impetuous. Bold. Extreme. These may be odd words to use to describe a steak, but they certainly describe my mother, who was a ballet dancer. Whatever she did, she did boldly, even recklessly. Whether executing a complicated dance routine or grilling a steak, she did it with grand gestures and a blithe disregard for convention. No handsome crosshatch of grill marks. No carefully monitored cooking times or instant-read meat thermometers. She’d throw the meat on the grill, char it until the outside was only a little paler than the color of coal and the inside was just shy of still mooing, and slap it onto a plate. The name for this style of steak in the 1950s was Pittsburgh rare: The black outside evoked the smoke or perhaps coal of the Pittsburgh steel mills. If you love the sanguine flavor of beef, there’s no better way to grill it—carcinogens be damned. My mother used nothing more than salt and pepper for seasoning, but I think she would have approved of the brash Roquefort butter I’ve added. SERVES 2
CONTACT GRILL: The bone makes it tough to cook these steaks on a contact grill. Pick boneless rib-eye steaks that are about 1 to 1¼ inches thick instead. Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the steaks on the hot grill, then close the lid. They will be cooked to rare after 5 to 8 minutes.
GRILL PAN: You’re better off using thinner steaks here, ones that are about ¾ inch thick. Place the grill pan on the stove and preheat it to medium-high over medium heat. When the grill pan is hot a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan. Place the steaks in the hot grill pan. They will be cooked to rare after about 3 minutes per side.
BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the steaks on the hot grate. They will be cooked to rare after about 4 minutes per side.
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a very hot, 2 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the steaks on the grate. They will be cooked to rare after about 4 minutes per side.
1 ounce Roquefort cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons (¼ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 T-bone steaks (each 1 to 1¼ inch thick and 10 to 12 ounces)
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and cracked black peppercorns
1. Place the Roquefort in a bowl and mash it to a paste with the back of a fork. Add the butter and stir to mix. Set the Roquefort butter aside.
2. Very generously season the steaks on both sides with salt and peppercorns. Cook the steaks, following the instructions for any of the grills in the box, until darkly browned, even charred black on the outside but still very rare in the center. To test for doneness, use the poke method; when cooked to rare the meat should be soft.
3. Transfer the steaks to a platter or plates and let rest for 2 minutes. Place a dollop of Roquefort butter in the center of each and serve at once.
To get a proper Pittsburgh char on a 1-inch T-bone steak, you need a fireplace grill or a built-in grill that delivers a lot of heat. If you’re using a grill pan or freestanding grill, select a thinner steak. A contact grill won’t really give you a Pittsburgh char, but there’s still something to be said for steak and Roquefort.
Contact grills are well suited to cooking many foods. Steak is not normally one of them. Few models get hot enough, and the meat tends to stew and overcook between the plates of the grill. One way to avoid this is to start with a thick steak, so the meat retains its sanguine succulence in the center. Another way is to use a sweetish rub or marinade to speed up the browning. That’s what I’ve done with this sesame and soy flavored steak, which takes its flavorings from the bool kogi—flash-seared beef—of Korea. Of course if you have access to a fireplace grill or a good built-in, your steaks will sear all the better. I’ve called for rib eyes here, but any steak will benefit from this treatment, from New York strip to filet mignon. SERVES 2
2 rib-eye steaks (each 1 to 1¼ inches thick, the thicker the better, and 8 to 10 ounces)
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
About 3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons Asian (dark) sesame oil
1. Place the steaks in a baking dish just large enough to hold them. Season them on both sides with salt and pepper (somewhat sparingly with the salt, very generously with the pepper). Sprinkle 1½ teaspoons of the brown sugar on each side of the steaks, patting it onto the meat with the back of a fork. Drizzle a little soy sauce over one side of each steak and pat it onto the meat with the fork to make a paste with the brown sugar. Repeat on the other side, then let stand for 5 minutes. Pour 3 tablespoons of soy sauce and the sesame oil over the steaks and turn them several times to coat both sides. Let the steaks marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for 1 to 4 hours, turning them once or twice; the longer they marinate, the richer the flavor will be.
2. Drain the steaks well, then cook them, following the instructions for any of the grills in the box at left, until cooked to taste. To test for doneness, use the poke method; when cooked to medium-rare the meat should be gently yielding.
3. Transfer the steaks to a platter or plates and serve at once.
CONTACT GRILL: Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the steaks on the hot grill, then close the lid. They will be cooked to medium-rare after 6 to 10 minutes.
GRILL PAN: Place the grill pan on the stove and preheat it to medium-high over medium heat. When the grill pan is hot a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan. Place the steaks in the hot grill pan. They will be cooked to medium-rare after 4 to 6 minutes per side.
BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the steaks on the hot grate. They will be cooked to medium-rare after 4 to 6 minutes per side.
FREESTANDING GRILL: You’re better off using thinner steaks here, ones that are ¾ inch thick. Preheat the grill to high; there’s no need to oil the grate. Place the steaks on the hot grill. They will be cooked to medium-rare after 4 to 6 minutes per side.
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the steaks on the hot grate. They will be cooked to medium-rare after about 4 to 6 minutes per side.
Steak au poivre is one of the glories of the French bistro. In recent years, there’s been a tendency to gussy it up, to see, for example, how many different kinds of peppercorns you can fit on a steak. (Black, white, green, pink, cayenne, Szechuan, anyone?) This is all well and good unless you lose sight of just what steak au poivre is supposed to be—a great slab of meat in a flavorful peppery crust, not the edible equivalent of napalm. You may be intrigued to learn that this is the first of my barbecue books to feature steak au poivre. The reason is simple: The dish is traditionally cooked in a frying pan, which presses the peppercorns into the meat (they tend to fall off on a grill grate). A contact grill achieves a similar effect and gives you handsome grill marks to boot. You can certainly cook steak au poivre on other kinds of indoor grills. You may lose some of the peppercorns, but you’ll still get a pronounced pepper flavor coupled with the sophisticated Cognac cream sauce. SERVES 2; CAN BE MULTIPLIED AS DESIRED
Contact grills cook many things well, including fish, burgers, and sandwiches.
Unfortunately, steak isn’t one of them. The low heat and confined grilling environment tend to stew steaks rather than sear them, resulting in meat that’s overcooked and gray.
There are a few exceptions. The contact grill does an acceptable job with steak dishes where the meat is traditionally cooked until relatively well done, like the Italian cheese steak on page 62 or the Magyar Beef Rolls on page 64. But if you crave a rare, juicy T-bone, it’s best to cook it on another type of indoor grill, like a fireplace grill, a built-in grill, or a grill pan.
If you’re using a contact grill, be mindful of the following:
1. You’ll need one with the highest wattage possible, ideally 1,400 watts. (Low-wattage models simply don’t get hot enough.)
2. It’s good if the grill has sharply defined grill ridges (the sort you find in a panini machine). These are more likely to sear the meat and reduce the tendency to stew.
3. Preheat the grill well.
4. Grill a thick steak, preferably one that’s 1 to 1½ inches thick. That way, the center will stay red and juicy, even with the slow searing of the exterior.
5. Sprinkle a little sugar or sweet barbecue rub on the steak just before you grill it. As the sugar caramelizes, it will help brown the crust.
2 New York strip steaks (each about 1¼ inches thick and 10 to 12 ounces), or 4 thick filets mignons (each about 1¼ inches thick and about 6 ounces)
Coarse salt (kosher or sea)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon dry mustard
2 to 4 tablespoons cracked black peppercorns
Cognac Sauce (recipe follows)
1. Season the steaks with salt generously on both sides, then brush both sides with the olive oil. Sprinkle the mustard over the steaks, patting it onto the meat with a fork. Sprinkle the peppercorns over the steaks, then press them into the meat.
2. Cook the steaks, following the instructions for any of the grills in the box at left, until cooked to taste (you may need to work in batches). To test for doneness, use the poke method; when cooked to medium-rare the meat should be gently yielding.
3. Transfer the steaks to a platter or plates. Pour the Cognac Sauce over them and serve at once.
CONTACT GRILL: Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the steaks on the hot grill, then close the lid. Both strip steaks and fillets will be medium-rare after 6 to 10 minutes.
GRILL PAN: You’ll need thinner steaks if you are cooking in a grill pan; buy ones that are ¾ inch thick. Place the grill pan on the stove and preheat it to medium-high over medium heat. When the grill pan is hot a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan. Place the steaks in the hot grill pan. Both strip steaks and fillets will be medium-rare after about 4 minutes per side.
BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the steaks on the hot grate. Both strip steaks and fillets will be medium-rare after 6 to 8 minutes per side.
FREESTANDING GRILL: You’re better off using thinner steaks here, ones that are ¾ inch thick. Preheat the grill to high; there’s no need to oil the grate. Place the steaks on the hot grill. Both strip steaks and fillets will be medium-rare after about 5 minutes per side.
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the steaks on the hot grate. Both strip steaks and fillets will be medium-rare after 6 to 8 minutes per side.
Cognac, cream, and shallots make the French roots of this sauce unmistakable. For the best results, use a homemade stock (canned stocks and broths tend to be high in sodium, so by the time they cook down, the sauce becomes unpalatably salty). Veal, beef, or chicken stock will all work. The Cognac Sauce would be pretty terrific over grilled chicken or pork, too. It’s so tasty, you’ll want extra for dunking your bread. MAKES ABOUT ¾ CUP
1½ tablespoons unsalted butter
2 shallots, peeled and minced (about ½ cup)
3 tablespoons Cognac
1 cup veal, beef, or chicken stock (preferably homemade)
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
1. Melt the butter in a saucepan (see Note) over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft and translucent but not brown, about 3 minutes.
2. Add the Cognac and increase the heat to high. Let boil until only about 1 tablespoon of the liquid remains, about 2 minutes. Add the stock, let come to a boil, and cook until only about ⅓ cup of the liquid remains, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the cream, let come to a boil, and cook until the sauce is thick and creamy and reduced to about ¾ cup, 5 to 8 minutes. Whisk in the mustard and season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. The sauce can be made up to a day ahead and refrigerated, covered. Reheat it over low heat just before serving.
NOTE: If you’re cooking the steaks in a grill pan, you can make the sauce right in the pan and take advantage of the meat juices.
Some people prefer to make steak au poivre with filet mignon. Personally, I like a steak with more chew to it, but you can certainly use filet mignon if you prefer. And, it’s not traditional, but thick pork loin chops prepared this way are terrific; you’ll need 1½ to 1¾ pounds.
Argentinean grilling burst onto the North American dining scene in the 1990s. The bold use of fire and robustly grilled beef struck a sympathetic cord among steak lovers. So did a family of simple, vibrant garlic, herb, and vinegar sauces known collectively as chimichurri. In its country of origin (unlike the chimichurri you’ll find at most restaurants in the States), the gaucho chimichurri is made with dried, not fresh, herbs and it is spooned somewhat sparingly over all manner of grilled meats. Here this simple “cowboy” sauce accompanies lavish grilled filets mignons. SERVES 4
Although I’ve called for olive oil here, most Argentineans would use plain vegetable oil.
1 clove garlic, minced
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried sage
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar or wine vinegar, or more to taste
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons boiling water
1½ pounds filet mignon (see Note)
1. Place the garlic, 1 teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of pepper in a small, heatproof, nonreactive bowl and mash to a paste with the back of a spoon. Add the oregano and sage and continue mashing until combined. Add the vinegar and whisk to mix. Whisk in the olive oil, followed by the boiling water. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt, pepper, and/or vinegar as necessary; the sauce should be highly seasoned.
2. Season the fillets with salt and pepper, then cook them, following the instructions for any of the grills in the box at left, until cooked to taste. To test for doneness, use the poke method; when cooked to medium-rare the meat should be gently yielding.
NOTE: The thickness of the filets mignons will depend on your choice of indoor grill. Choose 1¼-to 1½-inch-thick fillets if you are cooking on a contact grill. When cooking in a grill pan, you want fillets that are about ¾ inch thick. If you are using a built-in grill or fireplace grill, select fillets that are 1 to 1¼ inches thick.
CONTACT GRILL: Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. Place the fillets on the hot grill, then close the lid. They will be cooked to medium-rare after 6 to 10 minutes. (You will get the best results with a powerful panini machine.)
GRILL PAN: Place the grill pan on the stove and preheat it to medium-high over medium heat. When the grill pan is hot a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan. Place the fillets in the hot grill pan. They will be cooked to medium-rare after about 4 minutes per side.
BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the fillets on the hot grate. They will be cooked to medium-rare after 6 to 8 minutes per side. You’ll probably need to turn the fillets on their sides to grill the edges.
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a high, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the fillets on the hot grate. They will be cooked to medium-rare after 6 to 8 minutes per side. You’ll probably need to turn the fillets on their sides to grill the edges.
As a rule, ribs are grilled or smoked, but they’re also great for spit roasting, a fact that is much appreciated by the French, Italians, and Chinese. The gentle heat cooks the meat without making it tough, and as the ribs slowly rotate the fat melts, basting the ribs and forming a crackling crisp crust. Case in point, these ribs, seasoned with a classic American barbecue rub and served “dry” (not slathered with sauce), in the style of Memphis. You even get a hint of smoke flavor, thanks to a shot of liquid smoke. You’ll find two more ways to spit roast beef ribs on pages 86 and 87. SERVES 2 TO 3
Choose the long slender back ribs, not short ribs, for this recipe—they’re more tender. You can use the basket attachment of the rotisserie to hold the ribs as they cook.
3 pounds beef back ribs (1 rack or 6 to 8 individual ribs)
3 tablespoons Basic Barbecue Rub (page 362) or your favorite barbecue rub
1½ tablespoons liquid smoke
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Your favorite barbecue sauce (optional), for serving
1. Rinse the ribs under cold running water and blot dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the rub all over the ribs on both sides, patting it onto the meat with your fingertips.
2. Place the liquid smoke and the oil in a small bowl and whisk to mix. Brush the mixture all over the ribs on both sides. You can cook the ribs right away and they’ll taste great, but they’ll have even more flavor if you let them cure in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours.
3. When ready to cook, place the drip pan in the bottom of the rotisserie. Place the ribs in the rotisserie basket and tightly close the lid. Attach the basket to the rotisserie spit, then attach the spit to the rotisserie and turn on the motor. If your rotisserie has a temperature control, set it to 400°F (for instructions for using a rotisserie, see page 14). Cook the ribs until they are dark brown and crusty and the meat has shrunk back about ½ inch from the ends of the bones, about 40 minutes.
4. Transfer the ribs to a platter and serve at once with your favorite barbecue sauce on the side, if desired.
Here’s a Southeast Asian version of a spit-roasted beef rib. It takes advantage of beef’s affinity for the herbaceous, lemony flavor of lemongrass. To complete the Southeast Asian theme, sprinkle the ribs with chopped roasted peanuts. The combination will be familiar to anyone who’s eaten Vietnam’s national grilled beef dish, bo bun. SERVES 4
Lemongrass once required a special trip to an Asian market. Today it’s available at specialty food stores and natural foods stores and most likely in your supermarket. To prepare lemongrass, trim off the root end and dark green leaves—the edible part is the creamy pale green core that comprises the bottom third of the stalk.
2 stalks fresh lemongrass, trimmed and coarsely chopped
1 shallot, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 to 2 jalapeño peppers or serrano peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped (for hotter ribs, leave the seeds in)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus ¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, for serving
2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce or soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 pounds beef back ribs (1 rack or 6 to 8 individual ribs)
1¼ cup finely chopped roasted peanuts, for serving
1. Place the lemongrass, shallot, garlic, jalapeño(s), and 3 tablespoons of chopped cilantro in a food processor and finely chop. Add the fish sauce, lemon juice, oil, and black pepper and process to a smooth paste.
2. Rinse the ribs under cold running water and blot dry with paper towels, then place in a large nonreactive bowl. Spread the lemongrass mixture all over the ribs. Let the ribs marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
3. When ready to cook, place the drip pan in the bottom of the rotisserie. Place the ribs in the rotisserie basket and tightly close the lid. Attach the basket to the rotisserie spit, then attach the spit to the rotisserie and turn on the motor. If your rotisserie has a temperature control, set it to 400°F (for instructions for using a rotisserie, see page 14). Cook the ribs until they are dark brown and crusty and the meat has shrunk back about ½ inch from the ends of the bone, about 40 minutes.
4. Transfer the ribs to a platter, sprinkle the peanuts and the ¼ cup cilantro over them, and serve at once.
Being an outdoor barbecue guy at heart, I’m obsessed with how to obtain a similar smoke flavor when grilling or spit-roasting indoors. In Dry Rub Beef Ribs (page 85), I resorted to an American solution—a shot of liquid smoke. This recipe features one of the hottest ingredients to be imported from Spain: pimentón, smoked paprika. The peppers are smoked over smoldering oak before being ground, and they impart an utterly delicious flavor. SERVES 4
Smoked paprika is available at Spanish markets and gourmet shops; one good brand is La Chinata. Or you can order it online from companies like Tienda (see Mail-Order Sources on page 396). There are at least three different types: sweet smoked paprika, bittersweet smoked paprika, and hot smoked paprika. The choice is up to you.
3 pounds beef back ribs (1 rack or 6 to 8 individual ribs)
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1½ teaspoons coarse salt (kosher or sea)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Smoked Paprika Sauce (optional; recipe follows)
1. Rinse the ribs under cold running water and blot dry with paper towels.
2. Place the paprika, salt, pepper, onion and garlic powders, cumin, coriander, oregano, ginger, and hot pepper flakes in a small bowl and whisk to mix. Sprinkle the rub all over the ribs on both sides, patting it onto the meat with your fingertips. Brush the olive oil all over the ribs on both sides. You can cook the ribs right away and they’ll taste great, but they’ll have even more flavor if you let them cure in the refrigerator, covered, overnight.
3. When ready to cook, place the drip pan in the bottom of the rotisserie. Place the ribs in the rotisserie basket and tightly close the lid. Attach the basket to the rotisserie spit, then attach the spit to the rotisserie and turn on the motor. If your rotisserie has a temperature control, set it to 400°F (for instructions for using a rotisserie, see page 14). Cook the ribs until they are dark brown and crusty and the meat has shrunk back about ½ inch from the ends of the bones, about 40 minutes.
4. Transfer the ribs to a platter and serve at once with the Smoked Paprika Sauce, if desired.
Catalans call it allioli. The French call it aïoli. Whatever you call it, this garlicky mayonnaise is irresistible. And, when spiked with smoked paprika, it makes an unexpected and delectable dip for ribs. You can use sweet, bittersweet, or hot smoked paprika in the sauce. MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea)
1 cup mayonnaise
½ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
Place the garlic and salt in a nonreactive mixing bowl and mash to a paste with the back of a spoon. Stir in the mayonnaise, white pepper, paprika, and lemon juice. Taste for seasoning, adding more lemon juice as necessary. For the best flavor, let the sauce stand for 30 minutes before serving. The sauce can be refrigerated, covered, for several days.
• You may be surprised to see gin listed as a substitute for juniper, but this purple-blue berry is the spirit’s most prominent flavoring.
• When buying venison, the leg is probably the most economical cut, the back strap or tenderloin the most tender. If you can’t find venison, you can marinate and grill beef, pork, or lamb the same way.
Grilling venison presents an interesting challenge to the grill jockey. The rich meat benefits from a high, dry heat, but because like most game it’s quite lean, it has a tendency to dry out. That’s where the marinade and a few slices of bacon come in—both add flavor (in this case a piquant mix of juniper and spices) and help to keep the meat moist. SERVES 4
1 tablespoon juniper berries, or 2 tablespoons gin
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
1 teaspoon allspice berries
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped, or 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
3 cloves garlic, peeled and gently crushed with the side of a cleaver
3 strips lemon zest (each ½ by 1½ inches)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons dry white vermouth or white wine
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium-size onions
1½ pounds venison, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 thick slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
YOU’LL ALSO NEED:
8 metal or bamboo skewers (8 inches long)
CONTACT GRILL: Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the kebabs on the hot grill, then close the lid. Give each kebab a quarter turn after 2 minutes. The kebabs will be cooked to medium-rare after 3 to 4 minutes; they will be cooked to medium after 5 to 6 minutes.
GRILL PAN: Place the grill pan on the stove and preheat it to medium-high over medium heat. When the grill pan is hot a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan. Place the kebabs in the hot grill pan. The kebabs will be cooked to medium-rare after about 1½ minutes per side (6 minutes in all); they will be cooked to medium after 2 to 3 minutes per side (8 to 12 minutes in all). Use the boiled marinade sparingly when basting, taking care not to drip a lot of it into the grill pan. After it has cooled down, soak the grill pan in hot water to loosen any burnt-on marinade.
BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the kebabs on the hot grate so that the exposed ends of the skewers extend off the grate. The kebabs will be cooked to medium-rare after about 1½ minutes per side (6 minutes in all); they will be cooked to medium after 2 to 3 minutes per side (8 to 12 minutes in all).
FREESTANDING GRILL: Preheat the grill to high; there’s no need to oil the grate. Place the kebabs on the hot grill. They will be cooked to medium-rare after about 2½ minutes per side (10 minutes in all); they will be cooked to medium after 3 to 4 minutes per side (12 to 16 minutes in all).
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the kebabs on the hot grate. The kebabs will be cooked to medium-rare after about 1½ minutes per side (6 minutes in all); they will be cooked to medium after 2 to 3 minutes per side (8 to 12 minutes in all).
1. Place the juniper berries, peppercorns, allspice berries, and rosemary in a large nonreactive bowl and crush them with the back of a wooden spoon to release the aromatic oils. Add the garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, vermouth, and olive oil and stir to mix. Set the marinade aside.
2. Cut each onion lengthwise into quarters, then cut each quarter in half crosswise. Add the smallest center pieces to the marinade. Set the remaining pieces of onion aside.
3. Add the venison to the bowl with the marinade and stir to coat evenly. Let the venison marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for at least 4 hours or as long as overnight.
4. Drain the venison in a strainer over a small nonreactive saucepan. Bring the marinade to a boil over high heat and let boil briskly until the flavors are concentrated, about 3 minutes. Thread the venison onto skewers, placing a piece of reserved onion and a piece of bacon between each cube of meat. The kebabs can be prepared up to this stage several hours ahead and refrigerated, covered.
5. Season the kebabs generously with salt and pepper, then cook them, following the instructions for any of the grills in the box, until the meat is nicely browned and cooked to taste. For medium-rare, a meat cube will feel gently yielding when squeezed between thumb and forefinger; medium will feel firmly yielding. Once the kebabs have begun to brown, baste them with the boiled marinade (if you are using a contact grill, there is no need to baste the kebabs).
6. Transfer the grilled kebabs to a platter or plates and serve at once. If you have used metal skewers, warn everyone to take the kebabs off the skewers before eating, as they will be very hot.
Saltimbocca, small rolls of veal stuffed with fresh sage leaves and slices of prosciutto, is one of Rome’s great gifts to veal lovers. Traditionally it’s sautéed, but grilling produces crusty roulades with considerably less fat and effort, and it can give you grill marks to boot. The result lives up to the dish’s name—so delectable, it literally leaps into (salt im) your mouth (bocca). SERVES 4
• A sliver of cheese in the saltimbocca is my contribution; it helps hold the roulades together. I suggest using Taleggio, a soft buttery cow’s milk cheese from Lombardy in northern Italy. Look for it in Italian markets, cheese shops, and specialty food stores. You can also use Fontina, Provolone, or fresh mozzarella.
• Want to heat things up a little? A Texan I know likes to put a slice of jalapeño pepper in the center of each saltimbocca.
1½ pounds thinly sliced veal cutlets
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
4 thin slices prosciutto (about 3 ounces total), each cut crosswise into 4 pieces
1 bunch fresh sage leaves, rinsed, stemmed, and blotted dry
3 ounces Taleggio or other cheese, cut into ¼-by-½ -by-1-inch strips
Olive oil
YOU’LL ALSO NEED:
About 16 wooden toothpicks
1. Place a piece of veal between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and, using a meat pounder or the side of a heavy cleaver, pound it until it is about ⅛ inch thick. Repeat with the remaining pieces of veal, then cut each into pieces that are about 3 inches long and 2 inches wide. Season the veal on both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Place a piece of veal on a work surface and top it with a piece of prosciutto. Place a whole sage leaf and a piece of cheese at one short end and roll up the veal to make a small roulade. Secure the roll closed with a toothpick. Repeat with the remaining pieces of veal; you should have about 16 rolls. The roulades can be prepared up to this stage several hours ahead and refrigerated, covered.
3. Brush the veal rolls all over with olive oil and season them with salt and pepper. Cook the roulades, following the instructions for any of the grills in the box at right, until nicely browned on the outside and cooked through. Unless you are cooking the roulades on a contact grill, you’ll need to turn them with tongs often so that they brown evenly.
4. Transfer the saltimbocca to a platter or plates, remove and discard the toothpicks, then serve at once.
CONTACT GRILL: Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the roulades on the hot grill, then close the lid. The saltimbocca will be done after cooking 3 to 5 minutes.
GRILL PAN: Place the grill pan on the stove and preheat it to medium-high over medium heat. When the grill pan is hot a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan. Place the roulades in the hot grill pan. They will be done after cooking 2 to 3 minutes per side (4 to 6 minutes in all).
BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to medium-high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the roulades on the hot grate. They will be done after cooking 2 to 3 minutes per side (4 to 6 minutes in all).
FREESTANDING GRILL: Preheat the grill to high; there’s no need to oil the grate. Place the roulades on the hot grill. They will be done after cooking 3 to 4 minutes per side (6 to 8 minutes in all).
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the roulades on the hot grate. They will be done after cooking 2 to 3 minutes per side (4 to 6 minutes in all).
Mild and tender, with just a hint of sweetness, calf’s liver is delicious when quickly seared over a wood fire. That’s the way they prepare it at Da Toso, a nearly century-old restaurant in the town of Leonacco near Udine in the northwestern Italian region of Friuli. The centerpiece of the restaurant is the fogolar, or freestanding hearth. Once off the grill, the liver is topped with another Italian delicacy—paper-thin shavings of white truffle. This could be the most elegant calf’s liver you’ll ever taste. SERVES 4
4 thin slices calf’s liver (no less than ¼ inch and no more than ½ inch thick; about 1½ pounds total)
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small white truffle (½ to 1 ounce), wiped clean with a damp paper towel (see Notes)
1. Generously season each piece of liver on both sides with salt and pepper. Cook the liver, following the instructions for any of the grills in the box below, until cooked to taste. To test for doneness, use the poke method; when cooked to medium-rare the meat should be gently yielding.
2. Transfer the grilled liver to a platter or plates. Drizzle olive oil over each slice and shave paper-thin slices of truffle on top. Serve at once.
• The best place to buy calf’s liver is from a butcher shop. Be sure it’s real calf’s liver, not strong-flavored beef liver.
• Intensely aromatic, scarce white truffles cost a proverbial king’s ransom and are served sliced tissue thin (there are truffle shavers specifically for this purpose). The truffles are in season in the fall. If you’re not feeling quite so indulgent—or wealthy—you can sprinkle the liver with a few drops of truffle oil, which is available at specialty food stores. To substitute truffle oil for the truffle, omit the olive oil and drizzle ½ teaspoon truffle oil over each slice of liver.
CONTACT GRILL: Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the slices of liver on the hot grill, then close the lid. They will be cooked to medium-rare after 2 to 3 minutes.
GRILL PAN: Place the grill pan on the stove and preheat it to medium-high over medium heat. When the grill pan is hot a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan. Place the slices of liver in the hot grill pan. They will be cooked to medium-rare after 2 to 3 minutes per side.
BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the slices of liver on the hot grate. They will be cooked to medium-rare after 2 to 3 minutes per side.
FREESTANDING GRILL: Preheat the grill to high; there’s no need to oil the grate. Place the slices of liver on the hot grill. They will be cooked to medium-rare after 3 to 4 minutes per side.
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the slices of liver on the hot grate. They will be cooked to medium-rare after 2 to 3 minutes per side.