The Art of Grilling

There is no more important part of cooking between the months of April and November than grilling. I am a grill artisan, a master of the open flame if you will. I have used the last number of years to master the arts of direct and indirect heat as well as pre, during, and post grill seasoning. I'm not going to get into detail about types of grills or starting a grill. If you have two or more children and/or a long afternoon commute, you are allowed the luxury of utilizing the gas grill. If those daily issues (or joys depending on the situation) do not afflict you, you should be daily grilling over a charcoal pit. Start it with fluid, newspaper, or a stick and a rock, it all works the same. The flavor and color of your assorted meats will thank you.

Grilled vegetables, grilled fruits, and even grilled starches are great, but don't bother lighting the coals unless meat is somehow involved. There are really only two things you need to know to turn out great grilled meats. Give the beef, pork, veal, lamb, etc. around 30 minutes on your countertop to get closer to room temperature before being placed on the grill grate. Once ready, feel free to add some olive oil if necessary for a lean meat and season vigorously. You need to have enough seasoning on the outside to make up for the center portions of the meat. Do not season too early as you will just be drawing moisture out of the artist formerly known as Wilbur. If you have an extra lean cut, but olive oil tends to cause flare ups for you, bacon wrapping is the way to go. This also works for vegetables. The second important thing to know is that you must let the meat rest for five minutes once taken off the heat. This allows the juices to return to the meat and not end up on your plate. This way you won't have to take your dinner on a slip and slide ride through your plate before every bite. With that in mind, you should cook your meat to one notch below the final product as some carry over heat will finish it off. A nice medium rare will end up medium and a medium well will end up satisfying all those opposed to pink coloration.

Assorted grilling tips include prosciutto wrapped asparagus marinated in crushed garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice and olive oil, grill your shrimp with the shells split for deveining and a compound butter shoved in the tops, leave the fat on the meat during cooking then remove afterward (this includes chicken skins), and utilize foil packets whenever possible. You can do anything as a novice or an expert with a foil packet. Slice or chop potatoes then throw in what you like from onions and butter to herbes de provance and shallots. Mix up some vegetables to make a quick succotash like fresh corn, green beans, and grape tomatoes. ALWAYS SEASON YOUR FOOD! That is the big thing. There is no clear recipe for this week, but I have a photo of my latest grilling adventure. I took some medium depth center cut pork chops and applied only Custom Seasoning from Oswego (you must have this seasoning if you appreciate pork on any level). I grill them just past medium. Pork may be the other white meat, but you do not have to cook it well done and dry it out. It can be cooked to temperature. The potatoes are a foil packet foray with oblique cut red potatoes and yukon golds (whatever is fresh at the farmers market) and mixed with a few cloves of garlic smashed, fresh thyme, one sliced shallot, and a good hit of olive oil. These take anywhere from 30 to 50 minutes depending on thickness and grill heat. You can put the foil wrap over direct heat, but turn every 15 minutes. Don't forget the salt and pepper. Fresh sweet corn is best grilled in a foil packet with a few pats of butter, salt, pepper, and a few tablespoons of water. This should be turned every 10 minutes over direct heat for 30 minutes. The kernals should turn bright colors. There you have it folks. Enjoy the warmer weather with your cuts of meat.

Restaurant Recap

Week two means second favorite restaurant in the Chicagoland area. The summer favorite has to be a local spot for us out here in the western 'burbs at Bien Trucha in Geneva. They've recently added a website and their weekly specials are usually posted via facebook images. It is the absolute best mexican food I've had outside of Frontera Grill. The tacos are served tapas-style with four small three bite tacos at a time. They come as soon as they're finished in the kitchen, so the idea is to order things to share. The guac is always a solid starter as they have excellent chips and have a guac of the day with watermelon, mango, or other fruits playing the role of the tomato. The ceviche is served in a heaping glass and has looked delicious on a hot day, but I have yet to partake. You should definitely try the make your own quesadillas that are basically little boats of melted chihuahua cheese with poblanos or chorizo to fold into mini tortillas. The drinks are all made individually and by hand. The specials always seem to be great, but the plain old margarita is the way to go. They'll make homemade cheladas as well if you're a Miller Chill lover. All of the tacos are great and great to share. The namesake is by far the best and the battered fish tacos are big hits all the time. Try the pork with the pineapple as well and if you can take the heat get the shrimp tacos. I don't care where you live, you need to drive to Geneva to experience this place. Get you ass there before 6 on a weeknight or before 5 on a weekend if you want to guarantee yourself food. They're currently adding more space, but right now they have about ten tables. Eat, drink, and be merry my people.