A WEEKEND CELEBRATION OF CHILLIN’ AND GRILLIN’

Aromas of backyard barbecues and sounds of fireworks certainly set the mood for a Fourth of July celebration that connotes Independence Day, when the United States broke away from being ruled by the King of England.  Let’s skip the history and get to the food celebration.

 

Families and friends gather at people’s homes or parks to savor the taste of that smoked flavor that comes from placing meat, seafood, fowl, vegetables and even fruit in the “barbie.”  What are the best “rules” for charbroiling?

I turned to Nick Condomanolis, owner of Tasty Grill in Whitestone for his thoughts and recommendations and meat and chicken.  Aside from his three gyro that he describes as “slow cooked stand up rotisseries,” Nick is also known for his ribs, burgers and skirt steak. 

Ribs taste better when they are smoked and if you don’t have a smoker you can add liquid smoke or a spice of salt and smoked flavor to the bbq sauce.  Pre-boiling the ribs is okay to do.

“Skirt steaks should be cooked on high heat first to sear followed by a low heat to continue the process. I don’t recommend it being well done.  Make sure they are ‘cleaned’ by removing much of the fat as well as peeling off the skin-like thin layers and any veins.” 

“Chicken cannot be placed on a high flame because it needs to be cooked through.  I recommend the thighs when it comes to grilling as they are the juiciest and easier than drumsticks,” said Nick. “Chicken breasts tend to dry out when placed directly on the grill.”  Create a bbq sauce or just some spices for the grilling time and baste it in order to savor the flavors.  

Most people think about that juicy steak or chicken, which is great. Let’s look at some of the alternatives starting with seafood, keeping in mind that seafood means both shellfish and whole fish. 

There are four ways to prepare seafood: placing it directly on the grill; creating a “basket” using  aluminum foil; positioning a pot; and as kabobs.    

Let’s go to a source for the 101 on grilling, Vinny Marinello and Pat Marotta, owners of Crossbay Seashell Fish Market.  “Not all seafood can go directly on the grill,” said Vinny. “Shrimp, scallops, swordfish, tuna steaks, and lobster tails are excellent choices.  Although whole fish can be wrapped in foil, it is not necessary to do so. Keep in mind that unless you buy a whole lobster and remove the tail for grilling, lobster tails are sold flash frozen and uncooked, whereas the King and Snow crab legs can be thawed out and eaten or heated up.”

If you are into clams and mussels, it is best to steam it in a pot adding herbs to water, wine, or beer. This way you keep in the juices of the shellfish. Although they appear sand free, clams should still be washed as well as having some expectations of having sand residuals. Call to ask about the varieties of fresh clams that we carry. Our mussels do not contain debris such as tiny crabs, thus do not need much pre-care.”

The key to preparing calamari is to either cook it really fast or really slow; anything in between will leave you with a chewy texture. When engaging it on the grill, buy it fresh and cleaned. Cut it up into rings and tendrils when done. 

Vegetables take on a wonderful flavor when grilled some of which can be prepared whole such as corn especially when basted with butter.  We turn to Phil Barone, owner of Valentino Food Market, located at 66-64 Fresh Pond Rd, for his thoughts.  Yellow squash and zucchini (one eighth to a quarter of an inch), thick slices of tomato, slices of eggplant, sweet or hot peppers, asparagus, green beans, brussels sprouts, onions and Portobello mushrooms.  Brushing with olive oil keeps the vegetable from drying out before they are cooked.   

Red peppers are especially useful for concocting your own pimentos.  Remove the top and seeds, then cut or tear it up into large pieces. Place them skin side down and char it. Transfer to a plate and peel the skin. Place the pieces in an air tight container and refrigerate. By doing so it creates its own juice so that olive oil is not necessary.

One option for roasting veggies such as potatoes is double wrapping in aluminum foil and placing directly on the coals.  If you are doing it on top of the grill, they should be cut up in chunks and basted.  The same with carrots, depending upon its size and thickness. 

Preparing guacamole and always using Mexican Haas?  One large from California cost a dollar while one large Haas was three dollars.  No real difference in taste to warrant the price.

Have a fabulous weekend with the “roar of the fireworks, the smell of the barbecue.”