The Big Book of Backyard Cooking (8 page)

Wasabi Mayonnaise
(page 330)

1
to
2
ounces pickled ginger

Several sprigs watercress

Cut tuna into chunks and place in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse several times, just until tuna is coarsely ground. Remove tuna to a mixing bowl and add soy sauce and pepper. Mix well. Divide the mixture into 4 even portions and shape into patties about ¼ inch thick. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

When ready to cook, oil a grill rack and arrange 4 to 5 inches from heat source. Prepare grill for a hot fire (high temperature). Grill burgers 2 to 3 minutes per side. The tuna should be slightly pink in the center so that the burgers are not dried out.

Place burgers on bottoms of toasted buns and spread each generously with some Wasabi Mayonnaise. Top each burger with some pickled ginger, then with several watercress sprigs. Cover with tops of buns and serve immediately.

PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM BURGERS WITH

PEPPER BOURSIN AND MIXED GREENS

These burgers are so satisfying and rich in flavor that both vegetarians and meat eaters will find
them appealing. Large portobello mushrooms, brushed with a balsamic vinaigrette sauce and
grilled until fork tender, replace ground beef. The cavities of the mushrooms are filled with
peppered Boursin cheese, then the mushrooms are topped with a small mound of mixed greens.

Served on lightly toasted buns, the burgers could be accompanied by Tomato and Fennel Salad
with Fennel Seed Dressing
(page 191)
and with Grilled Asparagus Spears
(page 134)
.

SERVES 6

3
tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1½
teaspoons Dijon mustard

¾
teaspoon minced garlic

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

6
tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for oiling grill rack and brushing mushrooms
6
large (4-inch) portobello mushrooms

1
5-ounce package Pepper Boursin cheese

3
cups (3 to 4 ounces) loosely packed mixed greens such as mesclun

6
good-quality whole-wheat or regular hamburger buns, lightly toasted Whisk together vinegar, mustard, garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Whisk in 6 tablespoons olive oil.

Remove and discard stems from mushrooms. Clean mushrooms by wiping with a damp paper towel. Brush mushrooms on all surfaces with about half of the vinaigrette dressing. Set aside.

On a plate, divide the Boursin into 6 equal portions. With a small spatula, flatten each portion into a thin disk and set aside.

When ready to grill, oil a grill rack and arrange 4 to 5 inches from heat source. Prepare grill for a hot fire (high temperature). Brush the mushrooms with a little olive oil, and place stem-side down on grill. Grill 4 minutes, then turn and place a disk of cheese into each cavity. Grill for another 4

minutes, or until mushrooms are very tender when pierced with a knife. Season with salt and pepper.

Toss greens with just enough of the remaining dressing to coat lightly. (You may have a little dressing left over.) Arrange mushrooms, cheese-side up, on bottoms of toasted buns. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Mound with a little salad and cover with tops of buns.

BRATWURSTS ON TOASTED ROLLS WITH

CARAMELIZED ONIONS AND CREAMY

HORSERADISH SAUCE

These hearty sausages, served on toasted rolls, are topped with a mound of caramelized onions
and a splash of Creamy Horseradish Sauce. The onions and the sauce can be assembled well in
advance so that at serving time all that is necessary is to grill the bratwursts and toast the buns.

You could serve the grilled brats with A Mixed Bag of Beans
(page 162)
and Roasted Potato Salad
with Dill and Mint Dressing
(page 174).

SERVES 6

3
tablespoons unsalted butter

1
pound yellow onions, thinly sliced

½
teaspoon sugar

6
3-to 4-ounce bratwursts (see note)

Vegetable oil for oiling grill rack

6
good-quality hot dog buns, lightly toasted

Creamy Horseradish Sauce
(page 320)

To caramelize onions, heat butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When melted and hot, add onion slices and cook until golden brown, stirring occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes. Add sugar and cook until onions are deep golden brown, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes more.

Remove onions from heat and set aside. (Onions can be prepared 3 hours ahead. Cover and leave at cool room temperature. Reheat, stirring, just to warm when needed.)

When ready to cook bratwursts, oil a grill rack and arrange 4 to 5 inches from heat source.

Prepare grill for a hot fire (high temperature). Grill bratwursts, turning several times until lightly charred and cooked completely through, 10 minutes or longer. (Internal temperature should be 160

degrees F.) Remove from heat.

Spread 1 side of each bun with some Creamy Horseradish Sauce, then place bratwursts in toasted buns, and finally garnish with some caramelized onions. Serve immediately.

NOTE:
Bratwursts tend to be quite thick sausages. If you like, you can halve them lengthwise and use a half in place of a whole sausage. Like most sausages, traditional bratwursts are high in fat, but there are some excellent reduced-fat varieties available, which you can substitute in this recipe.

SAUSAGES ON TOASTED ROLLS WITH

TOMATO MUSTARD RELISH

Grilled bratwursts and onion wedges, tucked into lightly toasted buns and garnished with a warm
tomato mustard relish, take hot dogs to new heights. The easy homemade relish can be prepared
several days ahead and reheated at serving time.

SERVES 4

1
large yellow onion

Metal or wooden skewers (which have been soaked in water for 30 minutes before using and patted dry)

Vegetable oil for brushing onions and oiling grill rack

4
4-ounce bratwursts or other sausages such as knockwurst or cooked kielbasa
4
good-quality hot dog buns, lightly toasted

Tomato Mustard Relish
(page 313)

Halve the unpeeled onion lengthwise through the root end. Peel the onion, leaving the root end intact, and slice each half lengthwise through the root end into ¾-inch wedges. (Leaving the root end intact will prevent onion wedges from separating.) Skewer onion wedges through their centers. Brush onions with oil. Set aside.

Oil a grill rack and arrange 4 to 5 inches from heat source. Prepare grill for a hot fire (high temperature). Grill bratwursts and skewered onions, turning often, until sausages are lightly charred on the outside and fully cooked inside, and onions are lightly charred and soft when pierced with a knife. (Internal temperature for the sausages should be 160 degrees F for bratwurst and knockwurst and 165 degrees F for cooked kielbasa.) Onions usually take about 12 minutes and uncooked sausages a little longer.

Arrange a sausage and some onions on each toasted bun. Spoon some Tomato Mustard Relish on each. (You may have some relish left over; save for another use.)

The Bratwurst Capital of the World is Sheboygan, Wisconsin, where National Bratwurst
Day is observed in August—bratwurst pizzas, bratwurst Reubens, and bratwursts on
sticks are served at the celebration.

ITALIAN SAUSAGES ON TOASTED ROLLS

WITH SWEET PEPPER AND ONION SAUTÉ

Exchanging childhood memories of backyard meals with an Italian-American friend, I was struck
by the differences in our recollections of family food mainstays. While my mouth watered at the
thought of barbecued ribs or chicken, he was equally rhapsodic about the grilled Italian sausages,
peppers, and onions his family served on crusty rolls. Inspired by his enthusiasm, I sautéed sweet
peppers and onions, seasoned them with balsamic vinegar, and used the vegetables to garnish
grilled Italian links.

SERVES 6

1
medium red bell pepper

1
medium yellow bell pepper

½
pound yellow onions

1½
tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for oiling grill rack

1
tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Kosher salt

6
4-ounce sweet Italian sausages (either traditional pork or a reduced-fat variety made with poultry)
6
ounces grated Italian fontina cheese (optional)

6
good-quality long, narrow rolls, lightly toasted

Cut bell peppers into ¼-inch-wide julienne strips. Halve onions lengthwise, then cut into ¼-

inch-wide julienne strips.

Heat 1½ teaspoons oil until hot in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté bell peppers, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Add onions and cook and stir until all vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add vinegar and cook, stirring 1 to 2 minutes more until all vinegar has evaporated. Season with salt. (The pepper and onion sauté can be prepared 1 day ahead.

Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature or reheat in a skillet over medium heat, stirring, before using.)

Oil a grill rack and arrange 4 to 5 inches from heat source. Prepare grill for a hot fire (high temperature). Grill sausages, turning several times, until browned well, 6 to 8 minutes. Then with a sharp knife, split sausages lengthwise, without cutting all the way through, and cook sausages, cut-side down, until they are fully cooked, 2 to 3 minutes more or longer. (Internal temperature should be 160 degrees F.) With cut sides up, sprinkle sausages with some grated cheese, if desired, and cook 1

to 2 minutes more until cheese melts.

Place sausages in toasted buns and garnish generously with the pepper and onion sauté. Serve warm.

KIELBASA ON TOASTED BUNS WITH HOT

APRICOT MUSTARD

The robust taste of kielbasa cooked over a hot grill is complemented by a simple mustard sauce
flavored with apricot preserves and rosemary. Served on toasted buns, the sausages would be
especially good with Creamy Caraway Coleslaw
(page 182).

SERVES 8

Vegetable oil for oiling grill rack

1
1-pound regular or light cooked kielbasa sausage

8
good-quality hot dogs buns or long rolls, lightly toasted

2
recipes Hot Apricot Mustard
(page 326)

1
cup finely chopped yellow onion (optional)

Oil a grill rack and arrange 4 to 5 inches from heat source. Prepare grill for a hot fire (high temperature).

While grill is heating, cut the kielbasa into 4 equal links. Cut each link in half lengthwise, so that you have 8 pieces. Grill kielbasa until hot and lightly browned, about 5 to 6 minutes per side.

(Internal temperature should be 165 degrees F.)

Place each kielbasa link in a toasted bun. Brush the links generously with some Hot Apricot Mustard, and garnish, if desired, with some chopped onion. You may have some mustard left over; save for another use.

Frankfurters take their name from the German city of Frankfurt, while the word
“wieners” is derived from
wien,
which is German for Vienna.

COOKED OVER AN OPEN FIRE

You don’t have to limit your barbecue repertory to the bovine family. There’s a world of other foods that are not only worthy of the grill, but are markedly enhanced by its smoky goodness. Lamb, cut into chops or prepared as a butterflied leg, is a glorious sight when cooked until slightly charred on the outside but still rosy pink within. Pork, mildly sweet, pairs well with fruits, herbs, and spices, and can be carved into chops, slabs, or roasts for grilling. And feathered fowl might just be the most versatile of all. Chickens or turkeys, whole, quartered, divided into individual pieces, or cubed and skewered, take on extra flavor when prepared over an open fire. All manner of fish, including fin fish and shellfish, make excellent grill candidates and typically cook in a matter of minutes.

This chapter is filled with recipes that star grilled lamb, pork, fish, and fowl. You might be tempted by lamb chops that are cooked quickly, then topped with a delectable mixture of crumbled Roquefort, figs, and rosemary. There’s a succulent pork tenderloin served with an unusual fresh peach sauce, and a pork loin that is wrapped in a “rosemary jacket” before being set over hot coals. You’ll find directions for smoking a stuffed, rolled turkey breast over hickory chips, and discover how practical it is to grill oysters and shrimp in their shells. Lightly charred salmon, tuna, and swordfish are paired with colorful garnishes, including a fresh mango lime salsa and a tomato-orange salsa. And, for indulgent occasions, there are lobster tails cooked on the grill with a citrus butter sauce for dipping.

LAMB CHOPS WITH ROQUEFORT, FIGS, AND

ROSEMARY