Fabulicious!: On the Grill Read online

  5. Place the buns on the grill and cook, with the lid closed, turning once, until lightly toasted, about 1 minute.

  6. For each serving, place a burger on bun bottom. Top with a tomato slice, a lettuce leaf, and the burger top, and serve.

  Pork and Vegetable Spiedini

  Makes 4 servings

  These Italian skewers are super easy and—with a marinade of lemon, garlic, herbs, and olive oil—super delicious. Just don’t shove the pieces onto the sticks too closely together so that the heat can circulate and cook everything. When checking for doneness, the pork should look a little rare when pierced with a knife. It will continue cooking off the grill.

  Special equipment: 4 metal grilling skewers

  Lemon-Herb Marinade:

  ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

  Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

  ¼ A cup fresh lemon juice

  2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary

  2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme

  4 garlic cloves, crushed under the flat side of a knife and peeled

  ½ teaspoon salt

  ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

  Spiedini:

  1½ pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat and silver skin, cut into 16 pieces

  1 medium red bell pepper, cored and cut into 16 pieces

  1 medium yellow bell pepper, cored and cut into 16 pieces

  1 small zucchini, cut into 4 rounds

  Extra virgin olive oil

  1 teaspoon salt

  ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  1. To make the marinade: Whisk the ingredients together in a medium bowl.

  2. To make the spiedini: Place the pork in a 1-gallon resealable plastic bag. Pour in the marinade and close the bag. Refrigerate, turning occasionally, for 30 minutes to 1 hour, no longer.

  3. Remove the pork from the marinade, shaking off the excess, and discard the marinade. For each serving, thread 4 pieces of pork, 2 each of red and yellow peppers, and 1 piece of zucchini, alternating them on the skewer as desired. Do not crowd the ingredients on the skewer. Brush the pork and vegetables with olive oil and season with the salt and pepper. Let stand while preheating the grill.

  4. Preheat the grill for direct cooking over medium heat (400°F).

  5. Place the kebabs directly on the cooking grate and close the lid. Cook, turning about every 3 minutes, with the lid closed as much as possible, until the pork is browned and shows a hint of pink when pierced to the skewer with the tip of a knife, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the kebabs from the grill. Let stand 5 minutes. Remove the skewers and serve hot.

  Pancetta-Wrapped Pork Loin

  Makes 6 to 8 servings

  Bacon without the smoke, pancetta is Italian soul food. Its fat moistens lean food like pork loin, and when grilled it will create a crusty coating. Look for pancetta at your local Italian deli or specialty supermarket. Ask for it to be cut about ⅛-inch thick. You will need to tie the pancetta onto the pork roast with kitchen twine (or you can even use unwaxed, unflavored dental floss!).

  1 center-cut boneless pork loin roast (about 2¾pounds), excess fat trimmed

  1 teaspoon salt

  ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  4 garlic cloves, minced

  2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme

  2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage

  2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

  8 ounces (⅛-inch-thick) sliced pancetta, about 16 slices

  1. Cut the pork horizontally through the center, reaching almost, but not quite to the other side. Open up the pork like a book. Season all over with the salt and pepper.

  2. Mix the oil, garlic, thyme, sage, and vinegar together in a small bowl. Spread the herb paste on the cut surface of the pork. Close the pork. Unroll each strip of pancetta. Arrange half of the pancetta over the top of the roast. Using kitchen twine, tie the pancetta crosswise in a few places, leaving the ends of the roast uncovered. Turn the roast over (don’t worry if it doesn’t look neat). Repeat with the remaining pancetta. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Place the roast on a roasting rack in a metal roasting pan.

  3. Preheat the grill for indirect cooking with medium (400°F) heat.

  4. Place the pork in the roasting pan over the unheated burner(s) and close the grill lid. Cook, turning the pork about every 15 minutes, until the pancetta is crisp and browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the roast reads 145°F, about 1¼ hours. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes.

  5. Remove the strings. Cut crosswise into ½-inch-thick slices and transfer to a serving platter. Pour the carving juices on top and serve hot.

  Apple-Stuffed Pork Chops

  Makes 4 servings

  Pork chops are a great, inexpensive cut of meat—unless you grill them plain and overcook them, which will make them tasteless and tough. Marinating them in apple cider, stuffing them with an apple and onion filling, and then grilling them will give you a guaranteed succulent summer feast. If you like blue cheese, you can add ¼ cup (about 1 ounce) crumbled Gorgonzola to the cooled apple stuffing.

  Apple and Herb Marinade:

  1½ cups apple cider or apple juice

  ⅓ cup cider vinegar

  ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil

  2 garlic cloves, minced

  2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage

  2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme

  2 bay leaves

  1 teaspoon salt

  ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  Pork Chops:

  4 bone-in double-cut pork chops (each about 12 ounces)

  1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

  1 medium onion, chopped

  1 Granny Smith apple, unpeeled, shredded down to the core on the large holes of a box grater

  Salt and freshly ground black pepper

  1. To make the marinade: Whisk all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl.

  2. To make the pork chops: One at a time, using a small sharp knife and starting at the fatty side, cut a deep pocket horizontally into each chop. Put the pork chops into a 1-gallon resealable plastic bag. Pour in the marinade and close the bag. Refrigerate, occasionally turning the bag, for 1 to 2 hours.

  3. Meanwhile, heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 6 minutes. Add the shredded apple and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and let cool.

  4. Remove the chops from the marinade, shaking off the excess, and discard the marinade. Pat the chops dry with paper towels. Fill the pocket in each chop with the apple mixture. Let stand at room temperature while preheating the grill.

  5. Preheat the grill for direct cooking over medium heat (400°F).

  6. Place the chops on the cooking grate and close the grill lid. Cook the chops until the undersides are browned and seared with grill marks, about 7 minutes. Flip the chops and continue cooking, with the lid closed, until the chops show no sign of pink when pierced at the bone with the tip of a sharp knife, 7 to 10 minutes more. Remove the chops from the grill. Let stand 5 minutes. Serve hot.

  * * *Orchard Pigs* * *

  Why do pork and apples taste so good together? Maybe it’s because of the old saying “what grows together, goes together.” In Italy, pigs are kept for year-round meat because they are low maintenance: you let them forage around and go fetch them when you’re hungry. Pigs would roam the woods and orchards, eating the apples that fell on the ground, so the taste pairing could actually be from the inside out, as well!

  Italian Spareribs

  Makes 6 servings

  Spareribs don’t have to be a sticky, sweet mess. My version is molto Italiano (very Italian), with fresh sage, garlic, bay leaves, fennel, and of course red pepper flakes. These are great served with my Patata Rossa (Red Potato) Salad and Summer Sala
d with Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette on pages 71 and 74.

  Very Italian Marinade:

  1½ cups dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio

  ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

  ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice

  2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage

  1 teaspoon ground fennel seed (crushed with a mortar and pestle or under a heavy skillet)

  3 garlic cloves, minced

  3 bay leaves

  1 teaspoon salt

  ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

  Spareribs

  5 pounds pork spareribs, cut into 4 slabs

  1. To make the marinade: Whisk all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl.

  2. To make the ribs: Evenly divide the spareribs and marinade between two 1-gallon resealable plastic bags and close the bags. Refrigerate, turning the bags occasionally, for at least 2 and up to 6 hours. Remove from the refrigerator and let stand for 30 minutes before grilling.

  3. Preheat the grill for indirect cooking with medium-low heat (350°F).

  4. Remove the spareribs from the marinade, shaking off the excess, and discard the marinade. Place the spareribs over the unignited burner(s) and close the grill lid. Cook, turning the ribs every 30 minutes, until browned and tender (the meat will have shrunk from the ends of the bones), about 1¾ hours. Transfer the ribs to a carving board. Let stand 10 minutes. Cut between the bones into individual ribs and transfer to a platter. Serve hot.

  Grilled Veal Chops with Marsala Mushrooms

  Makes 6 servings

  It’s time you learned how to make those big, thick veal chops that you get in a restaurant at home. To save time, you can make the mushrooms in advance. To take this over the top, add a dollop of room-temperature mascarpone or Parmesan curls (shaved right from a block of Parm with a vegetable peeler) over each chop just before serving. This is a great dish to serve when you have company.

  Marsala Mushroooms:

  2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  10 ounces cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, sliced

  1 small onion, finely chopped

  1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

  ½ cup dry Marsala

  1 cup reduced-sodium beef broth

  1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

  Salt and freshly ground black pepper

  Veal Chops:

  6 veal rib chops, each 12 to 14 ounces and cut 1½ inches thick

  Extra-virgin olive oil

  1¼ teaspoons salt

  ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  Finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

  1. To make the mushrooms: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they give off their juices and begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it softens, about 2 minutes.

  2. Sprinkle the flour over the mushroom mixture and stir well. Stir in the Marsala, followed by the broth and parsley, and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring often, until the liquid has thickened and reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat. (The mushrooms can be prepared up to 2 hours ahead, kept at room temperature. Reheat over low heat before serving.)

  3. To make the veal chops: Brush the veal chops on both sides with oil. Season with the salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature while preparing the grill.

  4. Preheat the grill for direct cooking over medium heat (400°F).

  5. Place the veal on the cooking grate grill and close the grill lid. Cook until the undersides are browned and seared with grill marks, about 7 minutes. Flip the veal chops and continue cooking, with the lid closed, until the veal shows a hint of pink when pierced at the bone with the tip of a sharp knife, 7 to 10 minutes more. Remove the chops from the grill. Let stand 5 minutes.

  6. For each serving, place a veal chop on a dinner plate and top with parsley and a spoonful of the mushrooms. Serve hot.

  * * *Vino Marsala* * *

  When my parents emigrated from Salerno to America, they moved to New Jersey to live near other Italians. Growing up, our neighbors were from Sicily. They were big Marsala wine fans, as they should be—the true Italian wine can only be produced in the Marsala region of Sicily.

  Marsala is a fortified wine, meaning that the winemakers add extra alcohol to it. While regular wine is around eleven percent alcohol, Marsala is closer to twenty percent. The extra alcohol was originally added when Italy began exporting it to England, to help preserve the wine during the long ocean voyage. With modern shipping methods, it’s no longer necessary, but the bonus booze is still added!

  There are two main varieties: sweet Marsala, which is best for making desserts like tiramisu, and dry Marsala, which is amazing for cooking meat, especially chicken and veal.

  Leg of Lamb Mediterranean Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette

  Makes 6 to 8 servings

  Leg of lamb is another meat that just somehow tastes better when it has been treated to a trip to the grill. With lamb marinated in red wine and more red wine in the salad dressing, this dish is definitely Italian! Check out the way the lamb is prepared for grilling. It’s very easy to separate the boned leg into three separate “roasts.” They are easier to grill than a butterflied leg, which is thick in some areas and thin in others, so some parts get overcooked. This is one of the longest recipes in the book, but that doesn’t mean it’s hard. And it’s OMG good!

  1 boneless leg of lamb (about 4½ pounds)

  Red Wine and Rosemary Marinade:

  1½ cups hearty red wine, such as Chianti

  ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

  ¼ cup red wine vinegar

  2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, oregano, or mint, or a combination

  3 garlic cloves, minced

  1 teaspoon salt

  ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  Red Wine Vinaigrette:

  2 tablespoons hearty red wine, such as Chianti

  2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

  1 garlic clove, crushed through a press

  ¼ teaspoon salt

  ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

  Salad:

  8 ounces mixed baby greens

  ½ seedless (English) cucumber, thinly sliced

  ½ pint (1 cup) grape tomatoes, preferably multicolored

  1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese or Italian goat cheese (caprino)

  ½ cup pitted and coarsely chopped kalamata olives

  1. To make the lamb: Discard any string or netting on the lamb. Using a thin, sharp knife, trim away the excess fat from the lamb. Place the lamb, smooth-side down, on the work surface. Following the natural shape of the lamb, cut into three large, fairly equal pieces.

  2. To make the marinade: Whisk all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl.

  3. Put the lamb in a 1-gallon resealable plastic bag. Pour in the marinade and close the bag. Refrigerate, occasionally turning the bag, for at least 4 and up to 8 hours. Remove the bag from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before grilling the lamb.

  4. To make the vinaigrette: Whisk the wine, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours.

  5. Preheat the grill for direct cooking over very high heat (500°F).

  6. Remove the lamb from the marinade, shaking off the excess, and discard the marinade. Place the lamb on the cooking grate and close the grill lid. Cook, turning occasionally, with the lid closed as much as possible, until the lamb is well browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the lamb reads 130°F for medium-rare, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the lamb to a carving board and let stand for 5 minutes.

  7. Toss the greens, cucumber, and tomatoes with the vinaigrette in a large bowl. Spread on a very large platter. Sprinkle with the feta
and olives.

  8. Carve the lamb across the grain on a slight diagonal into thin slices. Arrange in overlapping slices over the salad, drizzle the carving juices on top, and serve immediately.

  Mama’s Smothered Lamb and Potato Casserole

  Makes 6 servings

  This is family cooking at its best—the ultimate one-pot, no-fuss dinner, cooked on the grill. Just toss the meat and vegetables together and let it cook so all of the flavors combine. This uses inexpensive shoulder chops that take a while to cook to tenderness, but it’s well worth the wait!

  ¼ cup red wine vinegar

  6 lamb shoulder chops (each about 8 ounces)

  4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

  2 teaspoons salt, divided

  1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

  4 large red-skinned potatoes, each cut into quarters

  3 large carrots, cut into 1-inch lengths

  3 large celery ribs, cut into 1-inch lengths

  2 medium onions, each cut into quarters

  12 garlic cloves, smashed under the flat side of a knife and peeled

  3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for serving

  ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

  ½ cup dry white wine

  1. Preheat the grill for indirect cooking with medium heat (400°F).

  2. Whisk the vinegar with 2 cups water in a large bowl. Add the lamb chops, turn to coat with the vinegar mixture, and let stand for 1 minute. Drain, but do not rinse. Pat the lamb chops dry with paper towels. Brush both sides of the chops with 2 tablespoons of the oil and season with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Transfer to a baking sheet and set aside.