Nothing-not even apple pie-is as American as a juicy, two-fisted burger from the grill. It’s where grilling began in this country, from the early days of spindly three-legged braziers, and where masters of the craft still stake their claim. If you can’t make a great burger that oozes its essence over your fingers, lips, and soul, you might as well turn in your tongs.
Other types of grilled and smoked sandwiches carry less cachet, but many of them work as well or even better as tasty party fare. Elevate the common frank to a haute dog through the magic of outdoor cooking. Take the taco on a new ride around the block, shaming the fast-food purveyors who make a mockery of the glorious possibilities. Fix a pulled-pork sandwich as good as any in the Carolinas or an oyster po’boy that will rival the best of New Orleans. Whether you opt for burgers or brats, grilled salmon or smoked turkey, pile it on the bread for a simple but exceptionally satisfying feast.
Americans grill everything today, from artichokes to zucchini, but the classic burger remains the favorite. As our founding fathers of the grill knew, you can make them better at home than any fast-food flipper or restaurant chef. Start at the best meat market in town, order beef chuck with 15 to 20 percent fat content, have it freshly ground, and cook it the same day. Grill the hamburger right, starting over high heat and finishing over medium. It’s all about the meat, so go ahead and substitute mustard if you must for our mayonnaise-ketchup mixture. If you haven’t traveled this route before, prepare for an epiphany.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons ketchup or tomato-based barbecue sauce
1 canned chipotle chile, minced, with 1 teaspoon adobo sauce from the can, optional
2¼ to 2½ pounds freshly ground chuck
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 large soft hamburger buns
6 thick slices large red-ripe tomato (skip them rather than use poor quality)
Crisp iceberg lettuce leaves
Slices of mild onion, dill pickles, bread and butter pickles, spoonfuls of pickle relish, or crisp bacon, optional
Fire up the grill for a two-level fire capable of cooking first on high heat (1 to 2 seconds with the hand test) and then on medium heat (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Combine the mayonnaise and ketchup with the chipotle and adobo sauce if desired in a small bowl and reserve.
Mix together the ground chuck, salt, and pepper. Gently form the mixture into 6 patties ½ to ¾ inch thick. The patties should hold together firmly, but avoid handling them any longer than necessary.
Grill the burgers uncovered over high heat for 1½ minutes per side. Move the burgers to medium heat and rotate a half turn for crisscross grill marks. Don’t under any cirumstance mash the burgers with the spatula. Cook for 3½ to 4 minutes more per side for medium doneness, until crusty and richly brown with a bare hint of pink at the center. Toast the buns at the edge of the grill if you wish.
Sunday Evening Neighborhood Cook-out
Toasted Onion Dip (page 93)
The Big Crudité Basket (page 88)
All-American Burgers and All-American Cheeseburgers
Flame-Seared Corn on the Cob (page 456)
Picnic Pea Salad (page 480)
ley melon slices
* Start with freshly ground meat and cook it within a few hours of being ground. If the wait is likely to be longer, take home a chunk to grind in your food processor, as we often do. It’s dead simple. Cut the chilled meat into smallish cubes, about one burger’s worth at a time, then whir away, being sure to avoid pureeing the beef.
* For hamburgers, we favor ground chuck and a fat content of 15 to 20 percent You can also opt for a combination of chuck and round or chuck and sirloin. Cutting back on fat a little will cut back on flavor a lot, without providing much savings in calories and cholesterol. Opting for a lighter meal before or afterward makes much more sense to us.
* Always season the meat before cooking.
* Handle the meat lightly and compact it only lightly when forming it into ½- to ¾-inch-thick patties. Have you noticed how burgers, as they’re cooking, balloon up a bit in the center? To keep the muscle fibers from shrinking into a rounded mass, make the patties completely flat or even slightly concave.
* Start on really high heat for beef. Grill burgers over a two-level fire, first on high heat for 1½ minutes per side and then on medium heat for 4 minutes or a little less per side. For venison or buffalo burgers, use a similar two-level fire, but remove the burgers after just about 3 minutes per side over medium heat For lamb, turkey, and fish, a steady medium is perfect.
* Never squash down the burgers with the spatula while grilling.
* Eat the burgers immediately, hot off the grill, relishing that distinctive mingling of juicy flavors that makes this the world’s premier sandwich.
Spoon the mayonnaise-ketchup mixture generously on both sides of a bun. Add the burger, tomato, some lettuce, and any toppings you like. Repeat with the remaining burgers and ingredients. Eat the burgers hot from the grill, squeezing the buns gently to mingle all the juices together. It’s hard to dine better than this on a star-filled August night-or even on an icy February evening.
All-American Cheeseburgers The common Cheddar or Jack topping works well, but break away from the ordinary sometimes, adding a little more character with a creamy goat cheese, a pungent blue, a mild provolone or asadero, or manchego with some tang. A current favorite of ours is horseradish Cheddar. Whatever cheese you choose, slice it while cold-thicker for creamy cheeses, thinner for sharper-and let it sit out for a few minutes at room temperature to soften. Lay the cheese slices over the burgers right after you turn them upward for the last time.
Jalapeño Cheeseburgers Use Cheddar or Jack. As the cheese is melting, dot it heavily with pickled jalapeño slices. A little guacamole is always welcome too. Skip dill pickles on these.
Bacon Burgers with Serendipity Sauce Forget the mayo-ketchup mixture and top each burger with some bourbon-laced Serendipity Sauce (page 54) and a layer of crispy halved bacon strips.
A Bona Fide Barbecued Burger In the burger mixture, reduce the salt to ½ teaspoon and eliminate the pepper. Sprinkle each burger with about 1 teaspoon Wild Willy’s Number One-derful Rub (page 23). Fire up your smoker to 180°F to 220°F degrees. Place the burgers directly into the smoker or on a piece of perforated foil. Smoke for about 50 to 60 minutes. Top as in the main recipe or first variation. Another epiphany.
A well-done fried egg should have a yolk that doesn’t run when you puncture it, but it shouldn’t be the texture of a hard-boiled egg. You want a touch of ooze quality to remain. Fry the eggs with a bit of olive oil, butter, or bacon fat in a large skillet over low heat. You can do this on a side burner while you prepare the burgers, or fry the eggs in your kitchen before the burgers, just to the over-easy stage, then turn off the heat and cover the skillet. The eggs should be perfectly done when you’re ready for them. If you’re really hesitant about the egg idea, the burgers are pretty magnifique alone.
One of the things we love about casual French cooking is the idea that just about anything can be topped with a poached or fried egg. If you’ve never tried an egg on a burger, now’s the time to check it out. It makes timing très important, but the ambitious will have no problem. Also plumped with shallots and briny peppercorns, the burgers brim with savoir faire.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6
1 tablespoon olive oil or bacon drippings
¼ cup minced shallot
2¼ pounds freshly ground chuck
2 tablespoons drained green peppercorns or capers, rinsed, drained, and chopped
2 tablespoons Serious Salt-and-Pepper Rub (page 22)
6 onion rolls, split, or 12 slices specialty bread such as black olive
Garlic or Basil Mayonnaise (page 66 or 65)
6 well-done fried eggs
Thinly sliced red-ripe tomato
Butter lettuce leaves
* Tortilla Burgers with Salsa and Avocado Mayonnaise. Dust burgers before grilling with Southwest Sizzler (page 26). Arrange grilled burgers on warm flour tortillas, dress with Avocado Mayonnaise (page 66), and fold each tortilla up and over, in quarters, to surround a burger.
* Horseradish Burgers. Mix 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish into the ground chuck. Dress the burgers with Horseradish Rapture (page 62). Serve on onion rolls or buns.
* Southern Pimiento Cheese Burgers. Yes, that Technicolor staple of southern childhoods, creamy pimiento cheese, can be found at loads of supermarkets nationwide-even at Whole Foods. Scoop the softened mixture atop grilled burgers on spongy white bread buns. Garlic Mayonnaise (page 66) sends these over the top.
* Green Chile Cheeseburgers. Like all New Mexicans, we are required by the state constitution to love green chile cheeseburgers. It ain’t hard. Blacken and blister some mild long green chiles (sometimes called Anaheims) over medium to high heat on your grill, steam briefly in a plastic bag, strip off the skin, and chop the chiles. Spoon onto the bottom halves of the buns before adding the burgers. Use a mild cheese such as Cheddar, Jack, asadero, or smoked mozzarella.
* Burgers with Wasabi-Scallion Mayonnaise and Pickled Ginger. Whip up some Wasabi-Scallion Mayonnaise (page 66). Top each burger with the mayo and about 1 tablespoon pickled young ginger (the condiment used for sushi) and serve on toasted and split onion rolls.
* Teriyaki Burgers with Pickled Ginger. Mix ¼ cup teriyaki sauce into the raw burger meat Brush more teriyaki sauce over both sides of the burgers in the last few minutes of grilling. Dress each burger with about 1 tablespoon pickled young ginger (the condiment used for sushi).
* Grecian Burger. Mix ½ cup Greek Islands Paste (page 36) into the ground chuck. Top the burgers with roasted red bell pepper strips and feta crumbles and serve if you like in pita pockets.
* Burgers with Zesty Tomato-Olive Relish. Combine 3 chopped large red-ripe tomatoes, ¼ cup chopped briny black olives, ¼ cup chopped green pimiento-stuffed olives, 3 thinly sliced scallions, 2 minced garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, and ¼ teaspoon Caribbean-style Scotch bonnet or habanero hot sauce, or more to taste. Top grilled burgers with the relish.
* Garlic and Mushroom Burgers. Sauté 1½ cups thinly-sliced portobello or button mushrooms in several tablespoons of garlic-flavored oil until tender. Top burgers with the mushrooms and Garlic Mayonnaise (page 66).
* Pepper-Rubbed Burgers. Before grilling, salt the meat and then coat the patties thickly with cracked pepper, up to a couple of teaspoons per burger. If your pepper mill doesn’t offer a very coarse setting, place peppercorns in a small plastic bag and whack a few times with a meat mallet.
* Pepper-Rubbed Burgers with Beer-Braised Onions. Make the burgers as in the preceding variation. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large shallow pan or high-sided skillet Add 2 thinly sliced medium onions to the pan and sauté over medium-high heat, until tender and lightly colored, 5 to 7 minutes. Add 1½ teaspoons sugar and 1 teaspoon salt, then pour in a 12-ounce bottle or can of medium-bodied beer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered until the beer has been reduced and absorbed by the onions and the onions have browned a bit, 15 to 18 minutes more. The mixture should remain moist.
* Gorgonzola and Crispy Prosciutto Burgers. Horizontally halve 8 thin slices of prosciutto. Grill over medium heat along with the burgers. When the prosciutto is crisp, remove it from the grill. Top each burger with room-temperature Gorgonzola crumbles and 2 pieces of prosciutto. Serve if you like on split toasted focaccia squares.
Fire up the grill for a two-level fire capable of cooking first on high heat (1 to 2 seconds with the hand test) and then on medium heat (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Warm the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Stir in the shallot and sauté briefly until tender. Scrape the mixture into a large bowl and add the ground chuck, peppercorns, and 1 teaspoon of the dry rub.
Gently form the mixture into 6 patties ½ to ¾ inch thick. The patties should hold together firmly, but avoid handling them any longer than necessary. Coat the patties with the remaining dry rub.
Grill the burgers uncovered over high heat for 1½ minutes per side. Move the burgers to medium heat and rotate a half turn for crisscross grill marks. Cook for 3½ to 4 minutes more per side for medium doneness, until crusty and richly brown with a bare hint of pink at the center. Toast the rolls at the edge of the grill while the burgers cook. Lay the burgers side by side after preparation rather than on top of one another.
Serve the burgers hot, topped with eggs, tomato slices, and lettuce, on the toasted rolls with smears of mayo.
We’ve always loved lamb because of its earthy taste, hinting of grass, clover, or other grazing pastures. We gained a greater appreciation of it as a party meat when a diplomat friend told us that she served it frequently at official functions, since it’s rarely taboo for any religious or cultural group. It makes very tasty burgers that are enhanced here by two of the meat’s frequent sidekicks, fresh mint and curry.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6
Curried Chutney Sauce
⅔ cup sour cream
⅔ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons mango chutney, any large chunks chopped
1 tablespoon curry powder, or more to taste
2 pounds freshly ground lamb shoulder
½ cup minced fresh mint
1 to 1½ teaspoons coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
6 thick slices red onion
Vegetable oil
12 slices sourdough bread
Pickapeppa hot sauce, optional
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Stir the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.
Mix the ground lamb, mint, and salt together in a medium bowl. Gently form the mixture into 4 patties about ½ to ¾ inch thick. The patties should hold together firmly, but don’t compact them or handle them any longer than necessary.
a Grown-Ups’ Cookout
Charred Eggplant-Pepper Spread (page 100) with pita triangles and cucumber rounds
Curry and Chutney Lamb Burgers with Mini
Green salad with Orange-Cumin Vinaigrette (page 64)
Berries with Champagne Syrup (page 517)
Coat the onion slices with oil.
Grill the burgers uncovered over medium heat for a total of 5 to 5½ minutes per side for medium-rare. Turn so that each side faces the fire twice, rotating a half turn each time for crisscross grill marks. Grill the onion slices along with the burgers for about the same amount of time until crisp-tender. Toast the bread at the edge of the grill if you wish.
Arrange each burger on a slice of sourdough, topped with a grilled onion slice, a slather of sauce, and another slice of sourdough. For more piquant burgers, add a spoonful of Pickapeppa sauce to one slice of bread. Serve immediately.
Lamb Burgers with Green Chile Chutney Eliminate the mint from the ground lamb. Replace the Curried Chutney Sauce with Green Chile Chutney (page 70).
Herbed Grilled Lamb Burgers Mix 3 tablespoons finely minced fresh rosemary or 1½ tablespoons finely crumbled dried rosemary into the ground lamb with or without the mint. As an alternative to the rosemary and mint, simply coat the formed burgers with Classic Herbes de Provence Rub (page 30). Replace the sauce with Garlic Mayonnaise (page 66) or Dill Mayonnaise (page 65) or your favorite tapenade.
Turkish Lamb Burgers Eliminate the Curried Chutney Sauce. Stir minced parsley instead of mint into the burger mixture, along with a minced clove or two of garlic, and shape the patties as ovals. For toppings, skip the Pickapeppa sauce and chop the grilled red onions before mixing them with 1 chopped medium tomato and ½ chopped bell pepper. Place burgers and vegetable toppings inside split sections of baguette, hollowed out a bit to help everything stay inside.
* Specify shoulder for the ground meat, the approximate lamb equivalent of beef chuck.
* Select lamb that’s moist and pinkish red with white fat.
* We always opt for fresh American lamb rather than meat shipped frozen from halfway around the world. We also prefer pasture-grazed lamb to that finished on grain in a feed lot, which seems to us to mask the most interesting elements of the flavor. If you need a source, Jamison Lamb (no relation, but nice folks!) delivers a wonderful natural Pennsylvania-grazed product (jamisonfarm.com, 800-237-5262). It’s the most tender lamb we’ve ever experienced, in addition to having remarkable taste.
* As with beef, we prefer our lamb ground fresh. We have our butcher grind it for us if we will be using it within a few hours. Otherwise we bring it home in a chunk to chop in our food processor just before making the burgers. Preground lamb in the meat case is often from especially fatty sections of the lamb that don’t get sold as cuts and may cause more flare-ups when grilling. Also, an abundance of burning lamb fat leaves an unpleasant taste in the meat.
* Cook a bit more gently than beef, over a steady medium fire.
No one should suffer through dry, flavorless turkey burgers in some misguided notion of health. Turkey burgers can be as tasty as those made from beef and more appealing to some diners if you know a few secrets. Use thigh meat for maximum flavor and moistness. As with beef and lamb, it’s best for the turkey to be freshly ground, by you or your market. Mix with a little Worcestershire sauce to deepen the flavor and orange juice to give it spark. Cover the burgers with a dry spice rub before cooking for extra crispness on the surface. Turkey burgers should be grilled nearly well done, but when cooked over a steady medium flame, they will remain juicy.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6
½ cup mayonnaise
2 to 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Thyme Dry Rub
1 tablespoon crumbled dried thyme
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1½ teaspoons crumbled dried sage
1½ teaspoons coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
2¼ pounds freshly ground turkey thighs
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon orange juice
6 onion rolls, split or hamburger buns, preferably bakery-made
Crisp lettuce leaves
Thinly sliced red onion
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Combine the mayonnaise and mustard in a small bowl and reserve.
Prepare the burgers, first stirring together the dry rub ingredients. Combine the ground turkey, Worcestershire sauce, and orange juice. Gently form the mixture into 6 patties about ½ inch thick. The patties should hold together firmly, but don’t compact them or handle them any longer than necessary. The meat tends to be soft, and if it becomes too soft to form, return it to the refrigerator or freezer briefly. Sprinkle the rub evenly over both sides of the burgers, patting it in lightly.
Grill the burgers uncovered over medium heat for about 8 to 9 minutes per side, until medium-brown and crisp with a fully cooked interior, 165°F on an instant-read thermometer inserted into a burger from its side. Rotate a half-turn midway through cooking on each side for crisscross grill marks. Toast the rolls at the edge of the grill if you wish.
Spread the mayonnaise mixture on both sides of the rolls. Arrange some lettuce leaves on the bottom portion of each roll, then add burgers, onion slices, and the tops. Serve immediately.
Sage-Scented Turkey Burgers with Grilled Apples Reverse the proportions of thyme and sage in the dry rub. Replace the orange juice in the burgers with Dijon mustard. Slice a large apple into ⅓-inch-thick slices and coat with vegetable oil. Grill the slices along with the burgers, removing each as it softens a bit and takes on grill marks. Arrange apple slices over the lettuce when assembling the burgers.
Open-Face Turkey Burgers with Fresh Mint Sauce Replace the dry rub with another option, perhaps Smoked Salt (page 34), Vibrant Lemon Pepper (page 23), or Wednesday Night Rub (page 26). Place each burger over a slice of lightly toasted sourdough. Leave off the lettuce and onions. Substitute Fresh Mint Sauce (page 59) for the mustard-mayo, spooned over and around the burgers.
Chicken Burgers with Garlic-Orange Barbecue Vinaigrette Substitute ground chicken thighs for the turkey. In the meat mixture, replace the orange juice with 1 tablespoon Garlic-Orange Barbecue Vinaigrette (page 63), then use additional vinaigrette to top the burgers instead of the mayonnaise mixture.
Chicken Burgers with Lemon Pepper Substitute ground chicken thighs for the turkey. In the meat mixture, replace the orange juice with 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard and reduce the salt to ½ teaspoon. Pat Vibrant Lemon Pepper (page 23) or other lemon pepper thoroughly over the burgers’ surfaces before grilling.
Chicken thighs ground for burgers grill in a fashion similar to turkey. Feel free to substitute one for the other, depending on what is more readily available, affordable, or personally appealing.
Chicken Burgers with Romesco Substitute ground chicken thighs for the turkey. In the meat mixture, replace the orange juice with 1 tablespoon Romesco Sauce (page 60). Instead of topping the finished burgers with the mayo mixture, dress each with a tablespoon more Romesco Sauce as they come off the grill.
Heartily seasoned smoked Cajun an-douille adds zest to these pork burgers and helps keep them moist. Creole mustard and Cajun seasoning chime in with their own lively notes.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup Creole or other spicy brown mustard
6 ounces cooked andouille sausage links or other spicy pork sausage
1¾ pounds ground pork, preferably from the shoulder
2 tablespoons buttermilk or milk
2 tablespoons Cajun Zydeco Rub and Boil (page 29) or other Cajun seasoning blend
6 hamburger buns, preferably topped with sesame or poppy seeds, split
Crisp lettuce leaves
Sliced red-ripe tomato
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
While the grill heats, prepare the burgers. First, stir together the mayonnaise and mustard in a small bowl. Reserve.
Remove the andouille casing if it’s thick enough to strip away from the sausage. Pull it off with your fingers or use a paring knife. Don’t worry about the casing if it’s extremely thin. Finely chop the sausage in a food processor. Stir the andouille into the pork along with the buttermilk and 1 teaspoon of the dry rub. Gently form the mixture into 6 patties about ½ inch thick. The patties should hold together firmly, but don’t compact them or handle them any longer than necessary. Sprinkle them on both sides with the remaining dry rub, patting it in lightly.
Grill the burgers uncovered over medium heat for 5½ to 6 minutes per side, rotating a half turn on each side to get crisscross grill marks. The burgers are done when medium-brown and crisp with a fully cooked interior. Toast the buns at the edge of the grill if you wish. Spread the mayonnaise-mustard on the bun tops and bottoms. Slap some lettuce on the bun bottoms, then build upward with burgers, tomato slices, and bun tops. Serve immediately.
Big Jerk Pork Burgers Use 2¼ pounds ground pork and omit the sausage. Replace the Creole mustard with commercial jerk sauce, such as Busha Browne’s. Add a tablespoon of the jerk sauce to the meat when you add the buttermilk or milk. Use store-bought jerk seasoning in place of the Cajun rub. Pass more jerk sauce at the table if you like.
You can now find preroasted garlic in jars in the supermarket produce section, beside jars of raw cloves and minced fresh garlic Unlike most of the cousins on the shelf, the roasted garlic we’ve tasted has pretty good flavor, particularly for the amount of time saved. Just be sure to keep it refrigerated when not in use.
Porkers Reminiscent of the South’s noble pulled pork sandwiches. Instead of dressing the sandwiches with the mayo-mustard, use Southern Pig-Pickin’ Sauce (page 52) or Smokin’ Southern Pig-Pickin’ Sauce (page 52). Replace the lettuce and tomato with coleslaw, either Lexington Red Coleslaw (page 476), Creamy Coleslaw (page 476), or another favorite.
Veal makes a fine burger, but because its flavor is milder than beef, we like it with creamy toppings. Here we pair it with ranch dressing and mellow roasted garlic The meat is a bit softer than beef, so form the patties as quickly as possible while the meat is still cold.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6
2¼ pounds freshly ground veal, well chilled
2 tablespoons ranch dressing, plus more for the bread
1 tablespoon minced roasted garlic, or more to taste
1 generous teaspoon coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 slices sourdough bread
Thinly sliced red-ripe tomato
Butter lettuce leaves
Mix together the ground veal, 2 tablespoons ranch dressing, garlic, salt, and pepper. Gently form the mixture into 6 patties ¼ to ¾ inch thick. The patties should hold together firmly, but avoid handling them any longer than necessary. Let them sit at room temperature while you get die grill going.
Fire up the grill for a two-level fire capable of cooking first on high heat (1 to 2 seconds with the hand test) and then on medium heat (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Grill the burgers uncovered over high heat for 1½ minutes per side. Move the burgers to medium heat and rotate a half turn for crisscross grill marks. Resist the urge to mash the burgers with the spatula. Cook for 3 to 3½ minutes more per side for medium doneness, until richly brown with a bare hint of pink at the center. Toast die bread slices on die edge of the grill.
Spoon ranch dressing generously on the toast Add a burger to half of the slices, then some tomato and a couple of lettuce leaves, and top with the remaining toast Serve immediately.
The American bison, popularly known as the buffalo, is making a strong comeback in the West and throughout the Great Plains, often through the stewardship of Native Americans. The lean beefy meat requires close attention to prevent overcooking, but only for the brief few minutes that it’s on the grill. Adding some juicy grilled onions and sage-scented mayo makes for a moist and mouthwatering burger.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6
Sage Mayo
⅔ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1½ teaspoons to 2 tablespoons minced fresh sage or 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon crumbled dried
Smoky Salt-and-Pepper Rub
3 tablespoons Smoked Salt (page 34) or store-bought smoked salt
1½ tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper, preferably Tellicherry
2¼ pounds ground buffalo (bison)
6 red onion slices, about inch thick
Vegetable oil spray
6 hamburger buns, preferably onion topped
Butter lettuce leaves
Fire up the grill for a two-level fire capable of cooking first on high heat (1 to 2 seconds with the hand test) and then on medium heat (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Combine the ingredients for the sage mayo in a small bowl and reserve.
Mix 1 teaspoon of the dry rub into the buffalo. Gently form the buffalo into 6 patties ½ to ¾ inch thick. The patties should hold together firmly, but avoid handling them any longer than necessary. Pat with the remaining dry rub.
Spray the onions slices with oil. Arrange the onions over medium heat, cooking them for about 12 to 15 minutes total, turning them 3 times and rotating a half turn for crisscross grill marks. If you have enough grate space, you can begin cooking the burgers while the onions finish.
For the best-looking onion slices, run a soaked bamboo skewer through each one, lollipop style, then spray with oil. Especially when you’re grilling a lot of onions at once, or watching them at the same time as other grilled food, the skewers make for easier moving and flipping. Just keep the handles away from the heat. Thicker metal skewers may split the slices.
A Big Sky Country Cookout
Smoked Trout Nibbles (page 114)
Buffalo Burgers with Sage Maya
Pintos with Black Pepper and Beer (page 494)
Corn salad
Blackberry or huckleberry cobbler
Grill the burgers uncovered over high heat for 1 minute per side. Move the burgers to medium, rotating a half turn on each side for crisscross grill marks. Continue grilling for 2½ to 3 minutes per side, until richly brown with a pink center. Toast the buns at the edge of the grill.
Spoon mayonnaise generously on both sides of the buns. Add a burger to the bottoms, then a grilled onion slice, a couple of lettuce leaves, and the bun top. Serve immediately.
Buffalo Burgers with Horseradish Rapture Buffalo’s beefy characteristics make it hold up to a pungent sauce like Horseradish Rapture (page 62). Replace the sage mayo with it. Start out lightly with the sauce to make sure you can still taste the meat.
Buffalo Burgers with Grilled Mushrooms Use buffalo instead of venison in the following recipe. Since they are of similar leanness, no further adjustments are needed.
Smoked Buffalo Burgers When Hugh Fitzsimmons first introduced his grass-fed South Texas Thunder Heart Bison (thunder-heartbison.com, 210-930-0841) to our local market, we smoked burgers for him in this fashion. Coat the burgers very lightly with the dry rub. Sear both sides over medium heat in a skillet with the slightest coating of oil (Hugh prefers grapeseed oil) or on the grill, then smoke the burgers at 200°F to 250°F for 25 to 30 minutes for medium-rare. A light amount of smoke is best.
Like buffalo, venison is lean enough to turn leathery over a hot fire unless you’re watching it well. A little red wine and a touch of flavorful fat in the burgers provide some insurance here, but if you don’t want the extra fat, you can replace it with an additional tablespoon of red wine. A short stint over a two-level fire cooks the meat to perfection. Serve instantly, giving the burgers no time to dry out
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6
Grilled Mushrooms
1 tablespoon unsalted butter or bacon fat, melted
2 tablespoons dry red wine
½ teaspoon coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
2 large portobello caps, about 6 ounces each
2¼ pounds ground venison
2 tablespoons dry red wine
1 tablespoon unsalted butter or bacon fat, melted and cooled briefly
1 generous teaspoon coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 slices whole grain or herbed sourdough bread
Tomato-based barbecue sauce
Prepare the mushroom topping, stirring together the butter, wine, and salL Brush over both sides of the mushrooms, then place them on a baking sheet cap side down.
Fire up the grill for a two-level fire capable of cooking first on high heat (1 to 2 seconds with the hand test) and then on medium heat (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Prepare the burgers, combining the venison, wine, butter, salt, and pepper. Gently form the mixture into 6 patties about ½ to ¾ inch thick. The patties should hold together firmly, but don’t compact them or handle them any longer than necessary.
Grill the mushrooms uncovered over medium heat, starting cap side up, to immediately sear some of the accumulated juice on their undersides. Grill for 4 to 5 minutes per side, rotating a half turn on each side for crisscross grill marks. Slice the mushrooms thinly, combine with any accumulated juices, and reserve.
If you have enough grate space, you can begin to grill the burgers while the mushrooms finish cooking. Grill the burgers uncovered over high heat for 1 minute per side. Move the burgers to medium, rotating a half turn on each side for crisscross grill marks. Continue grilling for 2½ to 3 minutes per side, until richly browned with a pink center. Toast the bread at the edge of the grill.
Brush all of the toast slices with barbecue sauce, then place a burger on half the slices and add a portion of the mushrooms and another piece of toast. Serve and eat immediately.
Open-Face Venison Burgers with Grilled Mushrooms and Porcini Butter The basic recipe is special enough to serve plated and open face, using a single piece of bread brushed lightly with barbecue sauce and topped with a burger and some mushrooms. If you can find any meaty fresh wild mushrooms, such as porcini, substitute them for the portobellos. Spoon Porcini Butter (page 65) over the top. A few bruised juniper berries scattered on each plate are a nice finishing touch.
These sizzling burgers combine two of our favorite sea creatures, shrimp and scallops. The burgers are a bit fragile on the grill, but no major challenge. A thirty-minute chill in the fridge before going to the grill helps to hold them together. Also, be sure to start with a sparkling-clean grate and oil it just before the burgers go on. The finishing Gribiche Mayonnaise, with its blend of capers, chives, and herbs, is pretty similar to a tartar sauce, which you can substitute if you prefer.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6
1 pound plus 2 ounces medium to large shrimp, peeled and, if you wish, deveined
1 pound plus 2 ounces bay or sea scallops
1 large egg
¼ cup minced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
Caribbean-style hot sauce
About 1 cup dried bread crumbs
Vegetable oil spray
6 large soft hamburger buns
Gribiche Mayonnaise (page 66) or tartar sauce
Watercress, arugula, or lettuce leaves
Chop half of the shrimp into small bite-sized bits. Scoop it into a large bowl. Chop half of the scallops in similar fashion, adding them to the bowl. With a food processor, finely chop the remaining shrimp and scallops with the egg. Spoon the mixture into the bowl and add the bell pepper, parsley, salt, and a splash or two of hot sauce. Gently form the mixture into 6 patties about ½ to ¾ inch thick. The patties should hold together, but don’t compact them or handle them any longer than necessary.
Pour the bread crumbs out on a plate. Lay a burger on the crumbs, leaving the burger in place and patting crumbs onto all of its surfaces. Arrange the burger on a small baking sheet or platter. Repeat with the remaining burgers. Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Spray the burgers lightly but thoroughly with oil. Grill the burgers uncovered for 5 to 6 minutes per side, rotating a half turn on each side for crisscross grill marks. The burgers are ready when lightly brown and crisp with opaque centers. Peek with a small knife. Toast the buns on the edge of the grill if you wish. Spread mayonnaise on each bun, top with burgers and some salad greens, and serve hot, passing more Caribbean hot sauce at the table.
When pureed or finely chopped in a food processor, shrimp get strangely firm and gelatinous. Finely chopping only a portion of the shrimp and combining them with scallops ensures the mixture stays moist and creamy.
We throw a few portobello mushrooms on the grill whenever we’re having a sizable burger cookout. There’s always someone who would prefer not to eat meat, and even for the rest of us they’re a pleasant change of pace. These flying saucers of the mushroom world have a beefiness that is satisfying to carnivores and vegetarians alike, enhanced here by steak and barbecue sauces in the marinade. Choose the heftiest portobellos you can find.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6
Marinade
¼ cup steak sauce, such as A.1. Original or Heinz 57
¼ cup tomato-based barbecue sauce
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons inexpensive balsamic vinegar
¼ cup flavorful olive oil
3 plump garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
Six ½-pound portobello mushroom caps, each about 5 inches in diameter
6 large soft hamburger buns, preferably with sesame seeds
6 thin slices large red-ripe tomato
Crisp lettuce leaves
Sliced mild onion, separated into rings
At least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours before you plan to grill, prepare the marinade, combining the ingredients in a small bowl. Arrange the mushrooms in a large baking dish or on a baking sheet cap side down. Pour at least 1 tablespoon of the marinade into each mushroom, then pour the rest around them and massage a bit to coat all surfaces with the marinade.
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Drain the mushrooms, reserving the marinade.
Grill the mushrooms uncovered, starting cap side up to immediately caramelize some of the accumulated juice on their undersides. Grill for 4 to 5 minutes per side, rotating a half turn on each side for crisscross grill marks. Brush lighdy with the marinade once on each side while cooking. Toast the buns on the side of the grill while the mushrooms cook.
Place each mushroom on a toasted bun and add some tomato, lettuce, and onion rings. Eat right away.
Portobello Burgers with Grilled Onions and Blue Cheese Dressing You’ll want six ⅓-inch-thick onion slices for these. Don’t separate the onion slices into rings. If you want, run a soaked bamboo skewer through each one to hold the rings together. Brush with olive oil or vegetable oil and grill them along with the mushrooms for about the same amount of time. Dress the burgers with your favorite thick creamy blue cheese dressing, store-bought or homemade.
Smoked Portobello Burgers Mushrooms are among the most tasty of smoked vegetables. Instead of grilling the marinated mushroom caps, smoke them in a 200°F to 250°F smoker for about 20 to 25 minutes. You may even be able to fool someone into thinking this is a steak, at least for the first bite or two.
This is southern feasting at its finest. While the pork is still warm from the smoker, shred it in natural uneven shards with your fingers or a fork. Mix together some of the crisp dark outer pork with the moister interior meat for each sandwich and pile it high on spongy white bread buns. The buns can have sesame seeds, but don’t get any fancier than that. The slaw and sauce that go inside can be made a day ahead of serving if desired.
COOKING METHOD | BARBECUE SMOKING
Sandwich Slaw
2 cups chopped green cabbage
2 tablespoons minced onion
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1½ tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
Generous grinding of black pepper
Southern Pig-Pickin’ Sauce
1 cup white vinegar
1½ tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes or cayenne
About 5 cups pulled or chopped smoked pork shoulder, such as from Pulled Pork Butt (page 328) or Memphis in May Whole Hog (page 325), warmed
6 or 8 spongy white bread buns
Prepare the slaw, mixing all the ingredients together in a bowl. Refrigerate covered for at least 30 minutes.
Combine all the sauce ingredients in a saucepan with ¼ cup water and bring just to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Use warm, at room temperature, or chilled.
Place the pork on a serving platter along with the buns. Let each person make his or her own sandwich, piling portions of the coleslaw, pork, and sauce on the bun and then squishing the bun together so that the meat juices mingle with their partners. Devour immediately.
Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Carolina Style Replace the slaw with Lexington Red Coleslaw (page 476). If you like, mix about ¼ cup tomato sauce or ketchup into the sauce.
Mustardy Pulled Pork Sandwich Modify the slaw by eliminating the mayonnaise and replacing it with mustard. Add a few more tablespoons of onion to the slaw if you wish. For the sauce, substitute Mustard and Honey Sauce (page 54), Serendipity Sauce (page 53), or Black Magic (page 53).
Pulled Pork Sandwich with Salmoriglio and Caramelized Onions Eliminate the slaw and sauce. To make the onions, start with 2 large yellow onions, halved and sliced into ¼-inch-thick half-moons. Cook down in a large skillet with 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and 2 tablespoons flavorful olive oil over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, turning them over carefully with tongs from time to time. The tangle of onions should reduce by about half during this time. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons sugar over the onions and continue cooking for about 15 minutes more, until golden-brown and very soft. Use toasted split crusty rolls instead of spongy buns. Pile the onions over the pork. Top with the Salmoriglio Sauce used in Charred Beef Carpaccio (page 123).
Pulled Pork Sandwich with Tabasco Caramelized Onions Eliminate the slaw and sauce. Make the onions as in the preceding variation, but stir in at least 2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce when you add the sugar. Use toasted split crusty rolls instead of spongy buns here, too. Pile the onions over the pork and serve.
We are a mixed marriage. Bill is a native Texan; Cheryl is not. Bill thinks you eat brisket only as God intended, heavily smoked and very naked. Cheryl is OK with the heavily smoked, and naked has its place, but she agrees with many others that the meat makes a fine sandwich doused in good barbecue sauce. Just be sure to use a home-concocted sauce to do the brisket justice.
COOKING METHOD | BARBECUE SMOKING
Serves 6
About 2½ pounds smoked brisket, such as Lone Star Barbecued Brisket (page 582), warm
Texas Ranch Barbecue Sauce (page 51), Dr P. ‘Cue Sauce (page 51), warm, or Horseradish Rapture (page 62)
6 soft onion rolls, split, or large onion-topped hamburger buns
Sliced onions
Sliced pickled jalapeños, optional
Slice the brisket or pull it into bite-sized shreds. Toss together with ½ to 1 cup of the sauce. Pile meat and sauce on each bun. Let guests add onions, jalapeños, and additional sauce as they wish. Eat right away.
Robb’s Rafter-L Beef Brisket Sandwiches Our fellow author and compadre in barbecue passion Robb Walsh reminisces about a sandwich from a long-closed joint called the Rafter-L. To make something similar, spread the barbecue sauce on both sides of the split buns. Put brisket on the bottom halves. Instead of onions or jalapeños, zip up the sandwiches with strips of fresh roasted New Mexican or Anaheim chile, one pod per sandwich. Place the chile on the bun tops and cover each one with a couple of slices of Monterey Jack. Toast under the broiler until the cheese melts. Combine tops and bottoms and serve immediately. For more great Lone Star brisket ideas, pick up Robb’s Legends of Texas Barbecue Cookbook (Chronicle Books, 2002).
The tri-tip, a favorite beef cut in California, is a savory triangular section of the bottom sirloin. If you don’t find it readily, simply ask your butcher to cut a slab of bottom sirloin to the appropriate size, 2 to 2¼ pounds and about 2 inches thick. Much more lightly smoked than the Texas brisket in the preceding sandwiches, the meat is also cooked only to medium-rare, meaning you’ll have a cowboy dinner on the table in less than an hour instead of a day. We favor using oak for the wood chips or chunks.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING AND COVERED GRILL SMOKE ROASTING
Serves 6
Beer-Garlic Marinade
One 12-ounce bottle or can beer, preferably a medium-bodied one such as Bohemia or Dos Equis
Juice of 1 large orange
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tri-tip steak, 2 to 2¼ pounds and about 2 inches thick
2 to 5 cups soaked wood chips or chunks
Loaves of supermarket-style French bread, enough for 6 sandwiches each about 6 inches long, split
½ cup store-bought tomato salsa, preferably a chunky variety
½ cup tomato-based barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Thinly sliced onion, optional
Prepare the marinade, stirring the ingredients together in a medium bowl. Place the tri-tip in a large zippered plastic bag and pour the marinade over i t Seal and toss back and forth to coat the meat evenly. Refrigerate for at least 8 and up to 24 hours.
About 30 minutes before you plan to grill, drain the meat, pat it dry with paper towels, and let it sit uncovered at room temperature while you get the grill going.
Fire up the grill for a two-level Fire capable of cooking first on high heat (1 to 2 seconds with the hand test) and then on medium heat (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
If you’re using a gas grill without a smoker box, wrap the wood loosely in foil, then poke holes in the foil with a fork in a half dozen spots. Place the foil pouch on a burner or the wood chips in a gas grill’s smoker box before you begin cooking. If you’re using a charcoal grill, simply toss the wood on the fire when instructed below.
* Select a steak that’s well marbled throughout It should also have an even, thin layer of fat over one side. Slash down through the fat, but not into the meat, before marinating.
* In the tri-tip capital of Santa Maria, California, the meat is simply seasoned with salt pepper, and garlic salt If you want to marinate it instead, give it a soak of at least 8 and up to 24 hours.
* Start cooking over high heat on an open grill, then close the cover and reduce the heat to medium, using wood chunks or chips to perfume the meat with a hint of smoke.
* Cook to no more than medium-rare.
* Carve into the thinnest slices you can manage, cutting across the grain and slightly on the diagonal.
Grill the steak uncovered over high heat for about 6 minutes, starting fat side down, turning at least 3 times. Move the steak or adjust the fire to medium heat. If you’re using a charcoal grill, toss the wood on the fire now. Close the grill and cook for about 12 to 15 minutes more, turning the steak once about midway. The tri-tip should be darkly crusty on the surface. Cover loosely with foil and let sit for 15 minutes for the juices to redistribute. While the meat sits, toast the bread on the open grill.
Mix the salsa, barbecue sauce, and Worcestershire sauce together in a small bowl.
Slice off the layer of fat from the top of the tri-tip. Cut the meat across the grain and diagonally, into the thinnest slices you can manage. Pile the meat on half of the toasted bread sections, spoon some of the salsa mixture over it, add onion if you wish, and top with more toasted bread. Serve right away.
Yes, this is for real and really dandy. If you need to reel in snootier friends, tell them it’s your home-smoked mortadella and throw in a few lies about your chef buddy, Italian impresario and charcuterie authority Mario Batali. For a source of good bologna, contact Usinger’s (usinger.com, 800-558-9998).
COOKING METHOD | BARBECUE SMOKING
One 2-pound chunk fully cooked bologna
12 to 16 slices soft white sandwich bread
Yellow mustard
Chopped onion
Dill pickle slices
Fire up the smoker, bringing the temperature to 180°F to 220°F.
Score the bologna with wide crisscross cuts, about ¼ inch deep.
Smoke the bologna for 1½ to 2 hours, until heated through with a crisp surface. Serve warm or chilled, slicing just before making the sandwiches. Cut into thin pieces, at least a couple per sandwich, and pile it on bread along with ample amounts of mustard, onion, and pickle slices. Bet you’ll want another.
Pork “tenderloin” sandwiches-actually made from loin chops-are one of the greatest treasures of the middle American states. Frying the meat inside makes a mighty mess, so we move the job outdoors. To the uninitiated, pork pounded thin, breaded, and fried may not sound too promising, but you’ll learn better if you give it a try. This is awfully close to porcine heaven.
COOKING METHOD | BIG-POT FRYING
Eight 6- to 7-ounce boneless center-cut pork loin chops
1 cup stone-ground cornmeal, preferably yellow
½ cup all-purpose unbleached flour
1 tablespoon salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil for deep-frying
8 soft hamburger buns
Lettuce leaves
Ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, or a combination
Dill pickle slices
Place a pork chop between 2 sheets of wax paper and pound with a mallet to ¼-inch thickness or less. The chop should be close to plate size, round, and lacy edged. You should be able to see through the tenderloin in places. Repeat with the remaining chops.
Stir the cornmeal, flour, salt, and pepper together on a plate.
Pour at least 3 inches of oil into a large, heavy fry pot and heat it to 365°F. Dredge a pair of the tenderloins heavily in the cornmeal-flour mixture and slip each into the hot oil. Fry until golden and crisp, about 4 minutes. The meat may shrink by a couple of inches while frying, but it will remain large. Keep an eye on the tenderloins to make sure they fry flat Drain and repeat with the remaining meat, checking the temperature of the oil each time.
Serve hot on buns (which won’t come close to covering a tenderloin). Dress with lettuce, goodly amounts of ketchup or other condiments, and pickles on the side.
If we had to pick the three best international contributions to American pork cooking in recent decades, all three would be sandwiches of a sort: tacos al pastor from Mexico, the Cuban sandwich, and Vietnamese banh mi, featured here in all its glory. With grilled tenderloin, mayonnaise, marinated carrots or cucumbers, cilantro or other fresh herbs, sliced jalapeño-style chiles, and maybe some pork pâté, all stacked on a baguette, these seamlessly blend tropical verve and French style. Don’t be put off by the malodorous fish sauce; its salty tang will blend in well when the meat is cooked.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6
Tenderloins
2 small pork tenderloins, about ¾ pound each
2 tablespoons Vietnamese or other Asian fish sauce
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Loaves of French bread, enough to make 6 sandwiches each about 6 inches in length
Store-bought pork pâté, optional
Mayonnaise, about ½ cup
Asian chile sauce, pickled jalapeños, or both
Cucumber Relish (page 70)
About ⅓ cup fresh cilantro leaves
Coat the tenderloins with fish sauce and let sit uncovered at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes.
Fire up the grill for a two-level fire capable of cooking first on high heat (1 to 2 seconds with the hand test) and then on medium heat (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Drain the tenderloins and sprinkle them with pepper.
Arrange the tenderloins on the grill over high heat, angling their thinner ends away from the hottest part of the fire. Grill uncovered for 5 minutes, rolling them on all sides. Move the tenderloins to medium heat and estimate the rest of the cooking time by the thickness of the meat. Skinny tenderloins (about 1½ inches in diameter) require an additional 8 to 10 minutes over medium heat. Add a few minutes over medium heat if the tenderloins are thicker. Continue rolling on all sides for even cooking. The pork is ready when its internal temperature reaches 155°F. Let it rest for 5 minutes, covered with foil, before carving into thin slices.
While the tenderloin rests, split the French bread sections. Spread one side of each thickly with pâté if you wish, then spread the other side of the bread with mayonnaise. If not using pâté, spread mayonnaise over both interior sides. Divide the pork slices between the sandwiches, then add a smear of chile sauce or a sprinkling of jalapeños. Use a slotted spoon to layer on cucumber relish and then scatter cilantro over. Close the sandwiches and you’re good to go.
Vietnamese Grilled Pork Sandwiches with Lemongrass Mayonnaise One day we had fragrant Lemongrass Mayonnaise (page 66) in the refrigerator at the same time we were assembling Vietnamese sandwiches. A natural match, replacing the plain mayonnaise.
Vietnamese Grilled Chicken Sandwiches with Lemongrass Mayonnaise The lemongrass flavor of the mayo comes through even more strongly than with pork. Substitute 1½ pounds sliced grilled boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs for the pork.
This makes a lovely sandwich, a mélange of green and white, fragrant with herbs and tangy, creamy ingredients. If you like, the chicken can be grilled in advance, shredded while still warm, and then chilled to serve later.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6
Creamy Tarragon Dressing
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar
1 scallion, trimmed
1 anchovy fillet, optional
Salt, optional
4 large individual boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to ½-inch thickness
Vibrant Lemon Pepper (page 23), other lemon pepper, or coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt, plus freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
6 flour tortillas or other wrap bread
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into large matchsticks
1 large avocado, thinly sliced
About 2 cups shredded iceberg or romaine lettuce
Fresh tarragon sprigs, optional
Combine the dressing ingredients in a blender with 1 tablespoon water. When smooth, add salt to taste. Cover and refrigerate.
Turn any party into a picnic. Wrap sandwiches in wax paper or parchment and tie them with string or raffia. Serve the sandwiches and suitable sides from a picnic basket and offer drinks from a portable cooler. Spread blankets on the grass for primary or supplementary seating.
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Season the chicken with lemon pepper, then brush with melted butter. Grill the chicken uncovered over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes total. Turn onto each side twice, rotating the breasts a half turn each time to get crisscross grill marks. The chicken is ready when white throughout but still juicy.
When just cool enough to handle, pull the chicken into thick shreds. Warm the tortillas on the edge of the grill, brushing the top of each lightly with some of the dressing. When soft and pliable, spoon an equal portion of the chicken down the center of each tortilla. Sprinkle with cucumber, avocado, and lettuce, then spoon more dressing lightly but evenly over all. Roll up snugly and serve, toothpicked if you wish. For a fancier presentation, cut into at least 2 sections on the diagonal, arrange one piece over the other, and garnish with tarragon sprigs.
Tarragon Lettuce Wraps Lose the tortillas. Offer all the ingredients on a platter along with stacks of crisp butter lettuce leaves. Let everyone spoon fillings onto lettuce, drizzle with dressing, fold up, and eat as you go.
Green Goddess Tortilla Roll-Up Tidbits Substitute Green Goddess Dip (page 96) for the dressing, smearing it thickly over the tortillas. Roll up snugly, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Slice with a sharp knife into small rounds, about an inch or two thick, on the diagonal if you wish. Serve as finger food.
We’ll make major detours for a good turkey sandwich, like driving from Dallas to Fort Worth through Louisville, Kentucky, for a Hot Brown and then dropping into Springfield, Illinois, for a Horseshoe. This is our favorite everyday version, using our home-smoked turkey when we have leftovers or even a good store-bought substitute.
COOKING METHOD | BARBECUE SMOKING
Serves 6
12 slices good white or whole wheat sandwich bread
Plain mayonnaise or Garlic, Avocado, or Tabasco Mayonnaise (page 66, 66, or 66)
1½ pounds thinly sliced smoked turkey
6 or 12 strips bacon, cooked until crisp
1 large avocado, thinly sliced
Thinly sliced Monterey Jack, pepper Jack, provolone, or Cheddar cheese
Butter lettuce leaves or sunflower sprouts
Spread the bread slices with mayonnaise. Top half with portions of turkey, bacon, avocado, cheese, and lettuce. Add the remaining slices of bread to the sandwiches, halve, and serve.
Our friend Bill Ackerman, who has one of the most amazing outdoor kitchens we’ve ever seen, created this gem. The dark thigh meat he uses comes out much heartier and moister than breast meat. For proper smoking, it’s important that the thighs be of similar size. If you can find only larger thighs, they’ll work fine too, but add to the cooking time, adjusting it to reach the desired internal temperature. The thighs soak in a flavorful brine for about 8 hours, so plan accordingly.
COOKING METHOD | SMOKING
Serves 8 generously
Brine
⅓ cup kosher flake salt
⅓ cup sugar
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
4 turkey thighs, about 1 pound each
1 cup mayonnaise
1 or 2 canned chipotle chiles, minced, and 1 to 2 teaspoons adobo sauce from the can
8 soft hamburger buns
One 15-ounce can jellied cranberry sauce, sliced into at least 8 rounds
Combine the brine ingredients with 2 quarts water in a large bowl or pan. Stir until the salt and sugar are dissolved.
Remove the bones from the turkey thighs with a boning knife or sharp paring knife. Take care to remove any cartilage. Immerse the thighs in the brine, refrigerate, and soak for about 8 hours.
Drain the turkey thighs, discarding the brine. Rinse the brine off the thighs and dry completely with paper towels.
Place a thigh skin side down and place another on top of it skin side up. Using kitchen twine, tie the two together, running the twine in both directions around the “package.” The skin should cover the meat as much as possible. Repeat with the remaining thighs.
Fire up the smoker, bringing the temperature to 275°F to 300°F.
Smoke the thighs for about 1¾ to 2 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Cover the cooked thighs loosely with foil and allow them to rest for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, stir the mayonnaise and chipotle chiles and adobo sauce together in a small bowl.
Remove the twine and slice across the shorter side of the thigh “packages” into thick medallions. Slather mayonnaise on both sides of the buns. Arrange a slice of cranberry sauce on a bun, then add a turkey medallion and the bun top. Repeat to make the rest of the sandwiches. Serve immediately accompanied by any remaining mayonnaise.
Bill smokes his turkey thighs at a higher temperature than we employ for barbecued turkey to make sure that the flavor of the dark meat shines through the smoke tang. The temperature is also high enough for the skin to crisp a little, which provides an appealing textural contrast to the other tastes.
These Indian-inspired flatbread wraps get nice and messy, a signature feature of many great sandwiches. We make them with lamb loin chops, but if you’ve got leftovers from a leg-of-lamb feast, you can substitute that meat instead.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6
1 medium red onion, slivered
Raita Sauce
1 cup yogurt
½ large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
¼ cup mango chutney
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
6 lamb loin chops, about 6 ounces each and ¾ inch to 1 inch thick
Coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
6 roti or chapati breads, Curried Naan (page 142), or thin whole wheat tortillas, warmed
½ large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and sliced into thin matchsticks
Place the onion in a small bowl and cover with cold water. Let sit for 10 minutes, then drain and reserve.
Fire up the grill for a two-level fire capable of cooking first on high heat (1 to 2 seconds with the hand test) and then on medium heat (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Puree the sauce ingredients in a food processor and chill until needed.
Sprinkle the lamb chops with salt.
Grill the chops uncovered over high heat for 1 to 1½ minutes per side. Move the chops to medium heat, rotating a half turn on each side for crisscross grill marks. Grill over medium heat for 2 to 2½ minutes more per side for medium-rare.
The bread you choose for burgers and other sandwiches can make a real party statement. Today even mainstream supermarkets offer lots of possibilities with different grains, shapes, textures, and sizes. We also keep some bread stashed in the freezer for spur-of-the-moment grill parties. Most loaves freeze well, and there are also some good choices in the store freezer section, such as La Brea. We think toasting the bread adds to many sandwiches, but be careful to avoid the brittle and dried-out stage.
Let the chops sit for 5 minutes covered loosely with foil, then cut into thin slices, discarding bones and any large pieces of fat. Divide the lamb between the flatbreads, drizzle with sauce, scatter with onion and cucumber, roll up, and eat right away.
Salmon loses nothing when put between two slices of bread. Green Chile Chutney brings out the best in the fish, but other chutneys also work well as substitutes. Pickled Red Onions (page 71) are another great topping option, replacing the sautéed onions.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6
Six 5- to 6-ounce sections skin-on salmon fillet, each preferably ½ to ¾ inch thick
6 strips bacon
1 small red onion, slivered
12 thin slices sourdough or country bread
Green Chile Chutney (page 70) or other chutney
Butter lettuce leaves
Stroke the surface of the salmon, feeling for tiny pin bones. Use tweezers to remove any that you find.
Fry the bacon in a small skillet over medium heat until brown and crisp. Remove the bacon and drain it, leaving the drippings in the pan. Sauté the onion in the drippings over medium heat until tender. Drain the onion and reserve.
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to high (1 to 2 seconds with the hand test).
Transfer the fillets skin side up to the well-oiled grate. Grill uncovered over high heat for 2 minutes, rotating the fillets after 1 minute to get crisscross grill marks. (If the fillets are thicker than 1 inch, keep them skin side up for an additional minute, rotating after 1½ minutes.) Don’t touch or move the fillets except when it’s time to rotate or turn, because getting a good sear where the fish touches the grate is essential to help prevent sticking. If you get any resistance when you rotate the fish, reoil the grate. Gently turn the fillets skin side down and continue cooking for about 4 more minutes, until the skin is very dark and crisp. The salmon is done when just barely opaque, with a touch of darker translucence remaining at the center. Toast the bread at the edge of the grill.
Remove the skin, if you wish, from each fillet section. It should easily strip away.
Slather chutney on one side of each slice of toasted bread. Place a salmon fillet on half of the bread slices. Add some of the sautéed onion and a bacon strip to each. Then top with some lettuce and another slice of bread. Serve immediately.
a Knockout Homey Supper
Tomato soup made with grilled tomatoes
Supreme Grilled Tuna Salad Sandwiches
Marinated Carrots (page 87)
Peanut Butter-Chocolate Pudding Parfaits (page 523)
Tuna steaks strike people as delightfully extravagant at a casual gathering, but they’re actually simpler than hamburgers to grill because you need only a single-level fire. The steaks make super sandwiches, especially awash in Mediterranean seasonings. Because you’re working with fairly thin cuts, start with cold tuna, to make sure it doesn’t get too cooked in the center before the surface is nicely colored.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6
Three 1-inch-thick tuna steaks, cut in half horizontally to create six ½-inch-thick steaks, chilled
Garlic-flavored oil
Coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
12 slices good white bread
Garlic Mayonnaise (page 66) or plain mayonnaise
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons slivered black olives, such as Niçoise
Roasted piquillo or red bell peppers
Crisp watercress, arugula, butter lettuce leaves, or shredded romaine
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to medium-high (3 seconds with the hand test).
Coat the tuna steaks lightly with oil, then sprinkle with salt.
Transfer the steaks to a well-oiled grate. Grill uncovered for 2 to 2½ minutes per side, until lightly browned with a touch of pink at the very center. Rotate a half turn on each side for crisscross grill marks. Toast the bread at the edge of the grill if you wish.
Spread mayonnaise on the bread slices. Scatter a tablespoon of olives over half the bread slices. Top those with the tuna steaks, a layer of roasted peppers, and watercress. Crown with the remaining bread slices. Serve hot.
Supreme Tuna Sandwiches with Green Olives and Anchovies Replace the black olives with green and mix anchovy paste or cream to taste into the mayonnaise. Replace the peppers with juicy tomato slices. If you like, substitute split onion rolls for the bread.
an Island Barbecue
Batiaa de Pifia (page 76) or Yellow Bird (page 76)
Grilled Fish Fillet Sandwiches, Martinique Style
Cubano Sandwiches (page 337)
Store-bought sweet potato chips
Grand Fruit Salad (page 485)
Passion Fruit Squares (page 522) or coconut cake
Supreme Grilled Tuna Salad Sandwiches Chop the grilled tuna and peppers. Mix with the olives and enough mayonnaise to bind everything together. Add minced celery or capers or a grated hard-cooked egg if you like and spread on the bread with watercress tucked inside.
Supreme Tuna Sandwiches with Wasabi-Scallion Mayonnaise Replace the garlic oil with a mixture of 1 tablespoon teriyaki sauce and 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil. Eliminate the olives and peppers and dress the sandwiches instead with Wasabi-Scallion Mayonnaise (page 66).
If this doesn’t send you sailing to the Caribbean, you better replace your rudder.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6
Fiery Creole Relish
⅓ cup light-flavored olive oil
Juice of 2 medium limes
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 medium onion, chopped by hand
1 medium carrot, very finely chopped by hand
3 or 4 scallions, very finely chopped by hand
½ to 1½ teaspoons Caribbean-style scotch bonnet or habanero hot sauce
1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
¾ teaspoon coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds mahi mahi, grouper, or red snapper fillets, skinned and cut into 6 equal portions
6 hamburger buns, preferably with sesame or poppy seeds
Butter lettuce leaves
Prepare the relish. Whisk together the oil, lime juice, and vinegar in a medium bowl. Mix in the rest of the ingredients. Let sit for about 30 minutes at room temperature for the flavors to mingle. Set aside half of the relish.
Shortly before you fire up the grill, arrange the fillet sections in a shallow dish. Spoon half of the relish over the fish, turning to coat both sides.
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to medium-high (3 seconds with the hand test). Be sure to oil the grate well.
Grill the fish uncovered for a total of 4 to 5 minutes per ½ inch of thickness. Turn on both sides twice, rotating a half turn for crisscross grill marks. If there is any resistance when you move the fish, reoil the grate. Toast the buns at the edge of the grill if you like. Place a fish fillet on a bun, then drizzle with the reserved relish, lay on some lettuce, and add the bun top. Repeat for the remaining sandwiches. Serve hot.
Grilled Fish Fillet Sandwiches with Dill Mayonnaise If you don’t care much for spice, or are just in a different mood, skip the Creole relish and instead brush the fillets with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper before cooking. Serve with cool Dill Mayonnaise (page 65).
For a poker game, a football playoff party, or any similar occasion, consider serving one or more giant sandwiches for guests to slice into portions appropriate for their appetites. Many bakeries and sandwich shops can make oversized loaves with a little advance notice. Even supermarkets carry enough varieties of bread today to offer a spur-of-the-minute possibility. Whether long or round or in between, they can be packed with an alluring selection of fillings. We sometimes make one sandwich without meat, layering just grilled vegetables with provolone slices or a good smear of goat cheese over the bread. The other will include a variety of good-quality cold cuts, sometimes including our home-smoked ham or turkey breast. Depending on the group and your knowledge of their tastes, you may want to dress the sandwich complete with a relish like the black olive and lemon one (see page 178) or set out pots of mustard and mayonnaise and other options like onion, bell pepper, and tomato slices for your guests to choose for themselves.
We love almost everything about New Orleans cooking, but the local po’boys in particular hold a front-row reservation on our palate when we visit the city. Loaded with crispy oysters, they make wonderful party sandwiches, especially when you offer the fried shrimp variation for guests timid about the original. Serve both in generous portions, as they always do in southern Louisiana. It’s easy to scale this up or down by planning a half pound of seafood per eight-inch (plus or minus) section of French bread for each guest. Enlist a friend or two to assemble the sandwiches while you fry.
COOKING METHOD | BIG-POT FRYING
Serves 6
Loaves of French bread, enough to make 6 sandwiches each about 8 inches long
Toppings
About ¼ cup Creole or other spicy brown mustard
About 1 cup mayonnaise
Dill pickle slices, at least 6 per sandwich
Thin red-ripe tomato slices, at least 4 per sandwich
At least 4 cups shredded iceberg or romaine lettuce
Louisiana hot sauce
Fried Oysters
1½ cups coarsely ground cornmeal
cup corn flour (fine cornmeal) or coarsely ground cornmeal
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon salt
1½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
¾ teaspoon cayenne
3 pounds shucked oysters, preferably smaller oysters if you have a choice
Vegetable oil for deep-frying
a Po’boy Party
Deviled Eggs with Herbs (page 86)
Fried Oyster Po’boys
Fried Shrimp Po’boys
A-selection of Louisiana hot sauces
One seriously large platter of sliced tomatoes
Praline Bars (page 521)
Parfait glasses of sliced peaches sprinkled with turbinado sugar
Prepare the bread, cutting the loaves first into segments 8 to 10 inches long. Then slice each section in half horizontally and toast both portions on a griddle or grill. Arrange the mustard, mayonnaise, and other toppings nearby.
Stir the cornmeal, corn flour, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne together in a shallow dish. Drain the oysters of any accumulated liquid.
Pour about 6 inches of oil into a large stockpot or other large heavy pot suitable for deep-frying. Warm the oil to 360°F. Dunk the oysters into the cornmeal mixture a few at a time, coating each thoroughly and then placing them directly into the oil. Keep adding oysters to the oil as space allows, keeping the temperature at 355°F to 360°F. Fry the oysters for about 2 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. They may pop a bit as they fry. Drain the oysters briefly on a wire rack, keeping them in a single layer.
Quickly smear the bread lightly with mustard and heavily with mayonnaise on both sides. Line the bottom of each sandwich with pickles. Pile portions of oysters over the pickles, then garnish with a full row of tomato slices and a generous handful of lettuce. Encourage guests to add hot sauce as they wish. Balance the top sections of bread over the precarious mounds and eat immediately.
Fried Shrimp Po’boys Substitute shelled medium shrimp (about 36 per pound, deveined if you wish) for the oysters. Before dunking them in the cornmeal mixture, toss them with a mixture of 3 large eggs beaten with 1 cup milk. Drain the shrimp and then proceed with the cornmeal coating.
New England Fried Scallop Rolls This fried seafood sandwich hails from colder northern waters around Cape Cod and up the coast to Maine. Use French bread sections if you can’t locate the more traditional top-split hot dog buns. If you find the buns, serve two to a person. As with the fried shrimp variation, dip bay scallops in a mixture of 3 large eggs beaten with 1 cup milk. Replace the coarsely ground cornmeal in the coating with all-purpose flour. Skip the dill pickles and Creole mustard, but use any of the other toppings or replace the mayonnaise with tartar sauce.
It’s easy to serve po’boys for a crowd-provided you get prepared in advance. Plan on a buffet setup, with you and your big fry pot to one side. Keep the shucked oysters and peeled shrimp chilled until the last minute. Stir together the cornmeal coating in shallow pans right beside your fryer and have a long-handled strainer, preferably, or a longhandled slotted spoon handy. Pile toasted sections of French bread in a basket. Set mayo, mustard, and pickles near the bread. Direct people to them first, as well as to any side dishes you’re offering. Then fry up the seafood to order and pile it over the prepared bread. Let guests add tomatoes, lettuce, and hot sauce and tell them to dive in right away. Don’t forget the spicy music, maybe from Queen Ida and Her Bon Ton Zydeco Band or Clifton Chenier and His Red Hot Louisiana Band.
Even avid meat eaters can be tempted by a well-made vegetable sandwich, especially when the veggies are fire-charred and topped with a tangy olive relish. Our choice of vegetables is meant to give you a place to begin, but feel free to add and subtract as you like and the season inspires. Bell peppers, mild chiles, meaty mushrooms, plum tomatoes, even asparagus spears are good additions or replacements. The vegetables can be piled together while warm or cooled to room temperature, as you prefer.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6
Black Olive and Lemon Relish
1½ cups pitted briny black olives, such as Kalamata, coarsely chopped
Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
1 tablespoon flavorful olive oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil or 1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano
¼ cup capers, drained and rinsed
1 large sweet or red onion, cut into ⅓-inch-thick rounds
½ pound zucchini, sliced in ⅓-inch-thick lengths
½ pound yellow summer squash, sliced in ⅓-inch-thick lengths
One 12- to 14-ounce eggplant, sliced in ⅓-inch-thick rounds
3 small to medium heads of endive, halved lengthwise
Flavorful olive oil
2 teaspoons coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt, or more to taste
Slices of provolone or baby Swiss cheese, or creamy fresh goat cheese, optional
6 demi-baguettes, split, or loaves of French bread cut into 4- to 6-inch lengths, split
Prepare the relish. Stir the ingredients together in a medium bowl. Let stand for 30 minutes at room temperature for the flavors to blend.
Place the vegetables in a large shallow dish or baking pan. Coat all of the vegetables with oil, rubbing the eggplant slices the most heavily. Sprinkle with at least 2 teaspoons of salt.
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Grill the vegetables, in batches if necessary, until tender. Turn each to face the fire twice, rotating a half turn for crisscross grill marks. Grill the onion for 16 to 18 minutes, the squashes for 12 to 15 minutes, the eggplant for 10 to 12 minutes, and the endive for 8 to 10 minutes. Brush with a little more oil if any of the vegetables looks dry while cooking. Remove the vegetable slices as each is done.
On one bottom slice of bread, spoon a couple of tablespoons of the relish, then layer portions of each vegetable. Add cheese if you wish. Spoon on another tablespoon of relish before adding the top section of bread. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Serve warm or at room temperature.
From country wiener roasts to big-city baseball stadiums, the hot dog is an American institution, esteemed over the years by Humphrey Bogart, Babe Ruth, the real Oscar Mayer, and even, at least occasionally, the late Julia Child. For superb grilled dogs in our backyard, we prefer this chunky-style relish over commercial pickle relish or store-bought relish-and-mustard blends. Set out pots of different mustards and lots of chopped onion for additional embellishments.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6 or more
Relish
One 10-ounce jar sweet gherkin pickles, drained, with 2 tablespoons syrup reserved
One 8-ounce jar pickled mixed vegetables, such as Italian giardiniera, drained, rinsed, and drained again
½ cup yellow mustard
12 old-fashioned casing-stuffed smoked wieners, or high-quality hot dogs such as Hebrew National, Vienna Beef, or Oscar Mayer Original
12 hot dog buns, preferably bakery made Chopped onion and additional mustard, optional
Make the relish. Chop the pickles and vegetables into small bite-sized pieces. Stir the ingredients together in a medium bowl and chill covered until needed. (Any leftover relish can be refrigerated and kept for up to several weeks.)
a Baseball All-Star Game Party
Green Chile-Scallion Dip (page 94) with tortilla chips and crudités
Great Grilled Dogs with Homemade Mustard Relish
Creamy Coleslaw (page 476)
Platter of mixed grilled vegetables
Ice Crema (page 512) or store-bought vanilla ice cream with sliced
superripe nectarines and caramel sauce
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to high (1 to 2 seconds with the hand test).
Grill the wieners uncovered over high heat for 3 to 5 minutes, until deeply browned, rolling to crisp all surfaces. Toast the buns on the edge of the grill if you wish.
Arrange the wieners in the buns and spoon the relish on top, enhanced by onions and mustard if diners wish. Plate for a sit-down occasion or just eat standing by the grill.
Chicago Dogs A Windy City street-vendor tour de force, Chicago’s rightly famous dogs are typically griddled, but we like them even better hot off the grill. After cooking, top the dogs with our mustard relish and the chopped onion. Then supplement with chopped cucumber, tomato, and pickled “sport” peppers or other hot peppers. Nestle a dill pickle spear along the length of the dog and sprinkle the whole extravaganza with celery salt. You can see why the dogs are sometimes described as “dragged through the garden.” In Chicago, the buns are dotted with poppy seeds. If you like the idea of a little extra crunch, but don’t have a source for the buns, sprinkle a few poppy seeds over each dressed dog.
Bacon, Kraut, and Thousand Island DogsTo make these, drop the mustard relish. We usually don’t care for ketchup with dogs, but when blended into Thousand Island dressing, it seems transformed. To make your own dressing, combine 2 tablespoons ketchup with ½ cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon minced sweet or dill pickle, 1 tablespoon minced onion, and 1 tablespoon minced green bell pepper. Add about 1½ cups drained sauerkraut to the Thousand Island and spread it over the dogs. Then sprinkle each dog with crumbled bacon to taste.
Crunchy Kraut Dogs You’ll need 1 to 1½ cups drained sauerkraut, warm or chilled, to replace the mustard relish. Then top with coarsely chopped canned French-fried onion rings to taste, in place of chopped onion.
Set up a real old-fashioned “wienie” roast some crisp fall evening with a full moon. You’ll need a safe clear spot or portable fire pit to build a small log fire. For skewers, strip some branches from a tree or sturdy shrub (avoiding anything potentially harmful, like oleander). You’ll want the skewers to be 2 to 3 feet long. If you’re fresh out of trees, you can unwind a few unpainted wire coat hangers instead. Skewer dogs crosswise and let people cook their own over the fire, until lightly colored or to the blackened stage that kids seem to love. After you’ve finished the hot dogs, toast marshmallows on the sticks over the coals of the fire, turning them into s’mores if you wish. When finished, make sure the fire is really out, like Smokey the Bear has always taught us.
Sonoran Hot Dogs In Tucson style, wrap each dog with a bacon strip before grilling. Cook over medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test) instead of high heat, so that the bacon doesn’t blacken before it cooks through. Eliminate the mustard relish. Top the dogs in buns with pinto beans, salsa, mustard, and mayo.
Slaw Dogs A fresh twist on the old sauerkraut idea. Make a tangy coleslaw dressing of cup white or rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, and black pepper to taste. Toss with 2 cups grated cabbage. Let sit for about 15 minutes at room temperature, toss again, then drain and spoon onto the dogs.
For a kids’ party or for a bunch of adults with active childhood memories, fry up a pot of this state-fair favorite. If you’d rather get the frying out of the way before your event, these can be cooked up to a couple of hours ahead, placed on baking sheets, and reheated in a 400°F oven for 5 to 8 minutes. For Cheryl, this is an exception to the rule about no ketchup on a hot dog.
COOKING METHOD | BIG-POT FRYING
Serves up to 8
8 all-beef hot dogs, such as Hebrew National, Vienna Beef, or Oscar Mayer Original, bun length if desired
8 sturdy wooden or bamboo skewers, about 8 to 10 inches long
½ cup all-purpose flour, preferably unbleached
⅔ cup coarsely ground yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup whole or 2% milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large egg, lightly whisked
Vegetable oil for deep-frying
Ketchup, chili sauce, or mustard, optional
a Kid’s Birthday Party
Old-Fashioned Corn Dogs with ketchup and mustard in squirt bottles
Carrot sticks
Chocolate cupcakes with lots of sprinkles
Half-Size Grilled Banana Split with Dark Chocolate Sauce (page 510)
Sparkling juice drinks or sparkling water over cubes of frozen juice
Thread a hot dog onto a skewer from one of the dog’s ends, leaving enough of each skewer exposed to make a good handle.
Place 3 tablespoons of the flour on a large plate or in a shallow dish large enough for the skewered hot dogs.
In another shallow dish large enough to hold the dogs, or in a deep bowl, combine the remaining flour, cornmeal, and salt, then mix in the milk, oil, and egg. Stir together thoroughly.
Warm at least 3 inches of oil to 375°F in a large heavy pot.
Roll a hot dog in the plated flour, then dunk in the batter, coating it lightly but completely. The kind of thin spatula used to spread cake frosting will be helpful in coating, but a table knife or spoon will work also. Wipe off any batter that extends down the skewer and then gently lower the dog into the oil. Repeat with the remaining dogs, in batches if necessary, cooking for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Drain on a rack for about 1 minute. Serve immediately, decorated with a squirt or two of ketchup, chili sauce, or mustard if you wish.
New-Fashioned Com Dogs We’ve heard of people using tofu dogs for these, but that goes too far for us. Substituting turkey franks for some or all of the dogs is acceptable, though, without a big loss in flavor. If you like, add some Southwest Sizzler (page 26), Southwest Spice (page 26), David’s Special Spices (page 27), or chili powder to the batter, reducing the salt if you opt for a lot.
Check out the length of the dogs on skewers relative to the width of the pot you plan to use to fry them. If the dogs are too long, you have a bit of a problem Cook them sans skewers, then carefully and quickly thread the fried dogs onto the skewers before serving. When serving the dogs to kids, snip off the pointed end of each skewer before threading or substitute Popsicle sticks if you like.
It’s not a Packets’ tailgate party without these, but they taste just as good even if you don’t know a touchdown from a hoedown.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6
Marinade
One 12-ounce bottle or can full-bodied beer
½ large white onion, chopped
3 tablespoons hearty brown mustard
½ teaspoon caraway seeds
Twelve 4- to 5-ounce fresh bratwursts, butterflied
Topping
2 tablespoons bacon drippings or unsalted butter
½ large white onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
2 cups drained sauerkraut
2 teaspoons hearty brown mustard
Additional hearty brown mustard
6 kaiser or other large rolls or 6 halved large slices rye or pumpernickel bread
6 thin slices Swiss, Gruyère, or Gouda cheese, optional
Onion or dill pickle slices or both
Prepare the marinade, combining the ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the brats, cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes. Uncover, but leave the brats steeping in the marinade while you prepare the grill.
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to high (1 to 2 seconds with the hand test).
Prepare the topping, first melting the bacon drippings in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and caraway and cook for about 2 minutes, until the onion turns translucent Add the remaining ingredients, warm through, and reserve.
Drain the brats, discarding the marinade.
Grill the brats uncovered over high heat until well browned and a bit crusty, about 2 minutes per side. Toast the rolls on the side of the grill.
Smear mustard over the inside of the rolls. Lay cheese on each roll bottom if desired and top with a pair of brats, the sauer-kraut toppings, slices of onion, pickle, or both, and the roll top. Serve hot.
* For a real taste revelation, look for handcrafted wieners made with ground beef (and maybe pork) stuffed into natural casings and then smoked lightly. You might find them at a local meat market, or you can mail-order a supply from sources such as Niman Ranch (niman-ranch.com, 866-808-0340) and Usinger’s (usinger.com, 800-558-9998).
* At the very least, treat yourself to the next best thing, a package of high-quality mass-market hot dogs. Available brands vary by region, many adored by local supporters, but our favorites with fairly wide distribution include Hebrew National, Vienna Beef, and Oscar Mayer Original.
* When you grill wieners or other precooked sausage, you want to crust the surface to create a bold contrasting texture between the seared outside and the juicy inside. You can simply roll the dogs around until the desired texture is reached since you’re not concerned about internal doneness.
* Grilling contributes most to a hot dog’s taste and texture when toppings are light or tangy. Much as we love chili, for example, it cloaks a dog so heavily that grilling seems wasted. Save it for steamed dogs.
* Most dogs really taste best on soft buns. The poppy-seed-topped variety popular in Chicago is about as fancy as we ever get
Brew-Marinated Brats on Kaiser Rolls, the Other Way Around Different strokes for different folks. It’s just as acceptable to grill the split brats first and then let them sit in the hot marinade mixture after coming off the grill. You lose some of the crusty surface, but it keeps the brats hot and moist if you’re not serving them immediately. Start the brats on the grill as instructed, but then transfer them to a simmering pot of the marinade.
The fact that sausages have come back into culinary vogue is reason enough to throw a party. Nearly any sausage-kielbasa, Italian hot or sweet, Cajun boudin, Portuguese linguiça, Spanish chorizo, Moroccan-style lamb merguez-can make a fine sandwich, so you may want to add a few to the grill along with your brats. Marinate some or all in beer if you wish and work with them split or whole. If you’re cooking them entirely on the grill and whole, you’ll want a two-level fire so that the sausages can be finished over medium heat. Sausages that contain a high percentage of lean poultry or seafood generally do best when first lightly coated with oil and then grilled a briefer time over high heat and longer over medium.
Simmer for 15 minutes and eat or reduce the heat to low and keep the brats in the liquid for up to an hour. Serve on buns and with toppings as you like.
Brew-Marinated Brats on Kaiser Rolls, Milwaukee Style Brush the split rolls with plenty of butter before toasting. Skip the cheese and the sauerkraut topping. Instead, pile the sandwiches high with ample chopped raw onion and dill pickle slices. Use a hefty amount of the brown mustard, too.
Munich Rathskeller Brats Not all German brats are topped with sauerkraut. Replace the kraut topping with a simple vinegar-based slaw, such as the one used on Slaw Dogs (page 181). We can almost hear the glockenspiel.
German Burritos This notion comes from German immigrants in central Texas, not their mother country. After simmering the brats in beer, barbecue them in a 180°F to 220°F smoker for about 45 to 60 minutes until cooked through and fragrant with smoke. Wrap them in warm flour tortillas instead of using rolls, layering on a choice of mustard, onions, pickles (chopped instead of sliced), and maybe sauerkraut.
a Football Tailgate Party
Hot eider with cinnamon sticks
Pony keg of beer
Brew-Marinated Brats on Kaiser Rolls
Almost-Classic Midwestern Potato Salad (page 478)
Macaroni and Cheese from Hell’s Backbone (page 498)
Grill-Roasted Caramel Apples (page 508)
These tacos make a perfect dish for someone who loves beef but has a grill that won’t reach or hold the blazing heat needed for most steaks and hamburgers. The meat is chuck, after all, which cooks in a kitchen often bake slowly or simmer for a long time to an almost-falling-apart stage. Outside, you want to grill it on medium heat until well done. The slower and lower cooking allows the marbling to melt, rather than burn or crisp, keeping the meat quite juicy.
Just as anything between two slices of bread constitutes a sandwich, anything tucked into a crisp or soft corn or flour tortilla makes a taco. We start here with a northern Mexican classic, beef grilled over a lazy fire. A flavorful cut of chuck is fairly typical, perhaps an eye (center cut) or the top blade, sometimes called flat iron steak. The grilled meat goes into warm flour tortillas, the norteño staple, but you can substitute corn if you wish. We like a crunchy slaw strewn over these, a toss-up of shredded cabbage, radishes, and scallions with a splash of oil and lime juice. Tacos can get messy, which contributes to the lively, hands-on nature of the meal. It’s hard to be stuffy eating with your fingers.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 8 or more
Salt and Cumin Rub
2 tablespoons coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
1 tablespoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
Topping
About 2½ cups shredded green cabbage
½ cup shredded or thinly sliced radishes
½ cup shredded or thinly sliced scallions
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
16 scallions, trimmed of any limp ends
2 or more limes, cut lengthwise into 8 wedges each
Vegetable oil
3 pounds eye of chuck or other chuck or three 1-pound flatiron steaks, cut across the grain into ½-inch-thick slices
About 2 dozen small flour tortillas or corn tortillas, warmed
Asadero cheese, grated, or queso fresco or cotija cheese, crumbled, optional
Roasted Tomatillo Salsa (page 66) or other salsa
Guacamole, optional
Prepare the rub, mixing the ingredients in a small bowl.
Prepare the topping, stirring the ingredients together in a medium bowl. Refrigerate until serving time.
If you’re going to tailgate with the pros, don’t leave any holes in your lineup.
* Brawny food is always the order of the day.
* Plan ahead and prep everything in advance, usually by the night before.
* Pack hand wipes, paper towels, trash bags, a corkscrew and bottle opener, a basic first aid kit, sunscreen, and a roll of toilet paper if you’ll be using parking lot portable toilets.
* Always include more water and ice than you think you can possibly need.
* Be sure to keep and serve hot things hot and cold things cold.
* Keep in mind it can take hours for a grill or smoker, especially charcoal or wood-burning, to cool down after use. Have a plan in mind. Our choice in such cases is a small Solaire Infra-Red grill that heats and cools quickly and can be hauled in its shoulder-strap carrying case by either one of us for some distance.
* Most important, do not stash a hot grill under your car or truck while you head off to the game. There might be more fireworks in the lot than on the field.
For more ideas, and a few good laughs, check out the website of Joe Cahn. “The Commissioner of Tailgating,” at tailgating.com.
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Coat the scallions and lime wedges with oil.
Pound the meat lightly with the smooth side of a meat pounder to Winch thickness. The steaks will be rather sorry looking, most charitably described as “lacy.”
Grill the meat uncovered over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes. Tuck the scallions and limes around the meat and turn occasionally, taking them off the grill when soft with a bit of char in spots. Turn the meat at least 3 times, sprinkling it with the rub each time. Turn more often if juices pool on the surface. When done, the meat should be glistening and well browned (not gray-brown) on the surface with very little, if any, hint of pink at the center.
Cut into thin matchsticks across the grain. The meat will pull apart as you cut, so the matchsticks will be a little tattered-looking. Discard fat chunks and pile the meat on a platter. Accompany with tortillas, the topping, grilled scallions and limes, and cheese, salsa, and guacamole if you like. Let your guests construct their own from the fixings. The limes are squeezed over the meat filling. Yum.
Crispy-Shelled Beef Tacos al Carbón These are north-of-the-border tacos, made with the crisp shells long associated with Mexican-American cooking. Replace the tortillas with the shells, having a few extra to replace any broken ones. Just before serving, warm them in a low oven or on the side of the grill to bring out their corn flavor. A little grated Cheddar or Jack cheese is in order, instead of queso fresco, but we skip the ubiquitous chopped tomato garnish.
Tacos of Barbecued Brisket Replace the chuck steak with smoked brisket, such as Lone Star Barbecued Brisket (page 382). Shred the meat and sprinkle with some lime juice before folding into tacos. We find it essential to serve these with pickled jalapeños, but we won’t insist.
In Mexican taquerias, the pork for these memorable soft tacos is cooked on a vertical rotisserie, like you see for Greek gyros. A grill rotisserie works just as well. The crimson marinade, called a recado, is a sticky paste based on charred tomatoes and garlic, dried chiles, and achiote paste. Both achiote paste and dulce de leche (caramel) sauce, mentioned in the accompanying menu, can be found in Latino markets and many supermarkets.
COOKING METHOD | ROTISSERIE ROASTING
Serves 8 to 12
Recado
¼ cup lightly packed garlic cloves, panroasted in a dry skillet over medium heat until lightly browned and soft, then peeled
2 whole plum tomatoes, pan-roasted in a dry skillet over high heat until soft, blistered, and deeply browned
2 tablespoons achiote paste
2 tablespoons ground dried mild to medium red chile, such as ancho, guajillo, or New Mexican
2 teaspoons coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
One 4-pound boneless pork loin roast, tied
Flavorful olive oil
1 small fresh pineapple, peeled and cut in half horizontally
2 medium white onions, peeled
About 30 corn tortillas or up to twice as many if freshly made, thin, and fragile, warmed
Roasted Tomatillo Salsa (page 66), Grilled Vegetable Salsa (page 72), or other favorite salsa
The night before you plan to cook the pork, make the recado. Puree the ingredients in a blender or food processor.
Place the pork in a large plastic bag, then rub the recado all over it, pushing it into the cracks and crevices. Pull the bag up over the pork and seal. Refrigerate until about 30 minutes before you plan to cook.
Oil the pineapple and onions and reserve.
Fire up the rotisserie, removing the spit first if it’s in place; heat the grill with the lid closed. Use the set rotisserie temperature, if your grill functions that way, or bring the heat to medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Slide one of the prongs onto the far end of the spit, points facing toward the center. Next slide on one of the onions, one of the pineapple sections, and then the pork roast, poking the spit down through the meat. If your spit end isn’t fairly sharp, you may need to poke a hole down through the onions, pineapple, or meat with an ice pick, kitchen scissors, or a sharp sturdy metal skewer. Secure the roast to the prong. Slide on the other pineapple section, followed by the second onion. Slide on the second prong points facing the food and attach it to that end.
Reposition the meat in the center of the spit, with the onions and pineapple chunks snugly against both ends, and tighten the bolts on the prongs. If your rotisserie has a counterweight that fits on the spit or its handle, secure it in place. Attach the spit to the motor and turn on the power.
Close the grill cover unless the manufacturer’s instructions say not to. Don’t open the grill too often, or you will increase the cooking time substantially. Cook for 1½ to 1¾ hours, until an instant-read thermometer inserted deep in the meat reads 150°F to 155°F. The recado will be charred in some spots and deeply browned in others.
With heatproof mitts, remove the spit from the grill. Unscrew the counterweight and bolts and slide off the food and the prongs. Rest the roast on a large cutting board. Pull off the prongs. Let the roast sit for about 10 minutes so the juices can settle. Meanwhile, chop the onion and pineapple up together into small bite-sized pieces for a relish. Carve the meat into thin slices and then cut across into thin strips. Serve on tortillas topped with the onion-pineapple relish and salsa or let guests construct their own.
Everyone enjoys a taco party, or taquisa. Set out a vibrantly colored selection of salsas and Mexican hot sauces, other toppings such as shredded romaine and the Tacos al Carbon topping, Pickled Red Onions (page 71), and a large batch of guacamole. Grate or crumble several cheeses–American favorites such as Cheddar and Jack and Mexican asadero, cotija, or queso fresco-and place them in help-yourself bowls. Grill two or three different fillings for guests to tuck into tortillas with the various toppings. Seek out the freshest, best tortillas in town, preferably from a Mexican market or tortilleria, now common across the country. Warm the tortillas in a covered grill or oven, first sprinkling each with a few drops of water if they are the least bit dry, and then stacking half a dozen small flour tortillas or a dozen corn tortillas tightly in foil. Make as many packages as you’re likely to go through and pull them out just as you need them Straw tortilla baskets, tightly woven, are inexpensive and attractive and, lined with a heavy napkin, can keep small stacks warm for at least 30 minutes.
Here’s a fast and easy crowd pleaser, whipped up from boneless, skinless chicken breasts. The sweet triple sec in the marinade helps to put a bit of char on the chicken’s surface during the brief cooking.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6 or more
Orange Marinade
Zest and juice of 2 large oranges
2 tablespoons triple sec or other orange liqueur
Juice of 1 medium lime
1 teaspoon Mexican hot sauce, such as Cholula
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon table salt
6 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to ¼-inch thickness
About 18 corn tortillas or up to twice as many if freshly made, thin, and fragile, warmed
Shredded romaine or iceberg lettuce
Crumbled queso fresco or grated Monterey Jack cheese
Mexican hot sauce, such as Cholula, or a favorite salsa
Prepare the marinade, combining all the ingredients in a large zippered plastic bag. Add the chicken breasts to the marinade, seal, and toss back and forth to coat the chicken evenly. Let sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes while you get the grill going. (The chicken can stay in the marinade for an hour or two, but in that case, refrigerate iL)
Even the simplest of taco spreads can be a bountiful feast for the eyes and palate when presented on colorful platters or bowls. To enhance the appeal, look for an inexpensive, vibrantly patterned Mexican oilcloth to cover the table. You just wipe it off to clean up. Oilcloths can be found in many places today, but some of the best-quality and liveliest designs are available from mexicansugarskull.com, 630-307-7755. Some of the designs date back to the 1930s, when oilcloth first became popular in Mexico and reflected European textile designs of the day. All of the stock passes national fire standards.
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Drain the chicken, discarding the marinade.
Grill the chicken uncovered over medium heat for 3½ to 5 minutes per side, until white but still juicy.
Working quickly, pull the chicken into thin shreds and arrange it on a platter. Serve immediately, accompanied by tortillas, lettuce, cheese, and hot sauce, and let guests construct their tacos to taste.
Chicken Tortas For these, you drop the tortillas. A torta is a Mexican sandwich, layered onto a soft yeast roll called a talera or bolillo. You can find them at Mexican bakeries and markets or substitute another style of soft roll. A torta is every bit as tasty as a taco and more filling. Smear mayonnaise on both sides of the roll, perhaps Chipotle-Lime Mayonnaise (page 66), then some mashed pinto or refried beans. Complete with the chicken and toppings, including the squeeze of lime.
A simple touch that always elicits praise is grilled lime or orange wedges scattered alongside the tacos. Slice a couple of fruits into wedges at least ¥2 inch across on their widest side. Brush with a little vegetable oil on all surfaces and lay directly on the grill, ideally over medium heat. Cook them for a minute or two per side, just until they become appealingly marked by the grill and soften a bit.
We coat the fish for these tacos with a recado mixture different from the one on our Pork al Pastor. It’s richly red, a stunning contrast to the snowy fish. The banana leaves, found fresh or frozen at Hispanic and Asian markets, are an inexpensive but exotic and fragrant touch. If you can’t find them, you’ll lose their lightly aromatic quality, but you can also cook the fish on nonstick perforated grill foil or a very well-oiled portable small-mesh grill rack. Without one of these means of protection, the recado-covered fish will stick firmly to the grate.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 8
Yucatecan Recado
One 3.5-ounce package achiote paste
½ cup orange juice
¼ cup lightly packed garlic cloves, panroasted in a dry skillet over medium heat until lightly browned and soft, then peeled
1 teaspoon coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon flavorful olive oil
3 pounds skinless fillets of white fish, such as grouper, mahi mahi, snapper, or sea bass
About 12 banana leaves, defrosted if frozen
About 24 corn tortillas or twice as many if freshly made, thin, and fragile, warmed
Chipotle-Lime Mayonnaise (page 66), Chunky Avocado Salsa (page 67), or other salsa
Prepare the recado, pureeing the ingredients in a blender or food processor.
Smear the recado all over the fish fillets and place them in one or more zippered plastic bags. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. Don’t marinate the fish longer, or it may get quite mushy. Take the fillets from the refrigerator about 20 minutes before you plan to grill and drain them, leaving the recado that clings to their surface. Let sit uncovered.
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to medium-high (3 seconds with the hand test).
Arrange one banana leaf over each diner’s plate, letting it spill over the edges or folding it over as you wish. Pick the most attractive leaves for this.
Place at least a couple of banana leaves on the grill. It’s OR if they have some splits, but if any are in really fragile condition, lay a second over. Place the fish fillets over the banana leaves and grill uncovered until the fish flakes and the recado is crusty and richly brown in spots, 8 to 10 minutes. (Shielding the heat with the leaves makes the fish take a bit longer to grill than usual.) Expect the leaves to get dry and charred in spots.
Discard the grilled leaves and flake the fish into bite-sized pieces, mixing in any juices. Serve on a platter accompanied by tortillas and mayonnaise or salsa and let guests construct their tacos to taste.
a Taco-Tasting Taquisa
Queso Fundido (page 98) with warm tortillas
Guacamole and salsas
Pork Tacos al Pastor
Grilled Fish Tacos (page 190)
Pintos with Black Pepper and Beer (page 494)
Grilled pineapple spears with dulce de leche sauce
Margaritas, Mexican beer (at least one light lager such as Corona and one dark and rich beer such as Negra Modelo), and Peñafiel.
Jarritos, or other Mexican sodas
Vegetable-stuffed tacos can be every bit as satisfying as their meat-filled primos. Grilled chiles, sliced into thin strips called rajas, are combined here with grill-roasted corn and creamy goat cheese. For a little more complexity in flavor, lightly sprinkle dried oregano or a sharp aged cheese over the tacos just before eating. With the tacos’ creamy texture, you may not even want to bother with salsa, but we offer a couple of suggestions just in case.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6 or more
3 large ears corn, husked and silk removed
About 3 tablespoons butter, preferably unsalted, melted
3 to 4 medium to large poblano chiles
1 medium to large red bell pepper or 1 more poblano chile
Coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
¾ pound creamy fresh goat cheese, softened
About 18 corn tortillas, or up to twice as many if freshly made, thin, and fragile, warmed
Dried crumbled Mexican oregano or marjoram, optional
Crumbled cotija cheese or grated Parmesan, optional
Roasted Tomatillo Salsa (page 66) or bottled green hot sauce, optional
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Brush the corn lightly with butter. Place it, the poblanos, and the bell pepper on the grill and cook uncovered. Grill the chiles and bell pepper for 12 to 15 minutes, turning on all sides, until quite soft with charred skins. Transfer the chiles and pepper to a plastic bag to steam briefly as they cool. The corn will take longer to grill and soften, about 20 minutes total. Turn on all sides, brushing with the remaining butter after about 10 minutes.
Peel the chiles and bell pepper, wearing rubber gloves if your skin is sensitive. Rinse off your hands as needed, rather than rinsing the chiles, which would dilute their flavor.
Reynolds introduced perforated grill foil sheets to the market a few years ago, and they’re now among the essentials we keep in stock. For small foods like scallops that can slip through the grate as well as food that might stick, the small sheets come in very handy. Nonstick on one side, the sheets are sturdier than regular aluminum foil and have evenly spaced holes that allow food to come in contact with the fire below.
Slit each chile and the pepper from end to end and remove any loose seeds, the seed pod, and the stem. Cut the chiles and pepper lengthwise into strips about ¼ inch wide. Cut the corn kernels from the cobs, holding the ears vertically and slicing down them, all around. Mix the corn with the rajas and salt to taste. Stir in the goat cheese.
Serve in a shallow bowl accompanied by warm tortillas. Let guests construct their tacos to taste, sprinkling on a little oregano, cotija cheese, or salsa if desired.