In addition to some very funny anecdotes, and grilling war stories (including oil shot roulette, video below), Love mixed in quite a few valuable tips and techniques, which I'd love to share.
Those Fourth of July cookouts are just around the corner, so the timing is right for a little advice from Texas' top chef.
Don't use olive oil on steaks before grilling. Love says the oil burns easily and gets bitter. He suggests using peanut oil or other vegetable oil with a high smoke point. Love was wearing a bright orange shirt during the demo, which he joked was a tribute to his friend, and lover of olive oil, Mario Batali.
The meat should not be ice cold. Allow your steaks to sit out at room temperature to take the chill off. This allows for even cooking.
Love says to always salt the meat before grilling to create a flavorful crust. His rule of thumb for home cooks is to salt the meat twice as much as you think is needed.
When cooking for a larger group, Love suggests grilling the steaks ahead of time. Once they're cooked medium-rare, they can be held on trays at room temperature for several hours. When needed, simply reheat on the upper rack of the grill, or in a 400 degrees F. oven until hot.
Once the steaks are ready to serve, Love suggests a little bit of acid, like a drizzle of lemon or splash of vinegar, which combines with the melted fat in the grilled meat to create a sort of vinaigrette effect, or as the chef called it, a "meat salad."
Carefully check the marbling of steaks in the meat case, since its grade may not necessarily be accurate. Love explained that just because a steak is labeled "Prime," doesn't mean it is. When inspectors grade beef, they only evaluate the rib eye between the 12th and 13th rib. Whatever grade that section gets, every other cut on the steer get.
For a change of pace, try skirt steak. Love says, if not over-cooked, it's easily the juiciest and most flavorful cut on the steer.
And, of course, it wouldn't be a grilling tips list without the obligatory, "Never cut into a steak unless it has rested." Five to ten minutes seems to be the accepted standard for patience.
Like the Chef in the Clip Says, "There Ain't No Party Like a Tim Love Party!"
Below you'll see a brief video I shot at the end of the demo. If you don't know the story already, you can read a detailed account here, but long story short, last year Tim Love was accidentally served a shot glass of canola oil.
As he retold the story, without embellishment (this story needs none), he explained that the show would end with a round of oil shot roulette. In the fridge he had five shots of Patron tequila, and one shot of oil. Six volunteers were to be selected, blindfolded, and "randomly" handed the glasses. On the count of three, they would have to drink the shots.
After Love delicately explained the possible side effects of such a contest, he also revealed the "loser" would get a swag bag. Every loves a nice swag bag, and six contestants were soon assembled in front of the buzzing crowd.
Here are the results. You'll have to pardon the shaky camera, as I find it very hard to hold it still while belly laughing. Enjoy!
It's cherry season! To celebrate I bring you a rerun filmed a couple years ago [insert standard lower-quality apology] for clafouti. Other than straight from the hand, this is my favorite way to enjoy cherries. I hope you give it a try! What follows is the original post from 7/28/08...
Clafouti (klah-foo-tee) is one of the world's great recipes for enjoying fresh cherries. This French favorite is a sort of baked custard, studded with fresh cherries, and scented with vanilla. It's the kind of dish that's impossible to become tired of, by virtue of the cherry's short season. Once a year, cherry clafouti comes into your life, like a friend with benefits, and for a few short weeks gives you great pleasure.
The recipe is remarkably simple, and the first time you make it you'll stare in wonder as it puffs up from the sides of the baking dish. You'll also stare in wonder when you see me add the cherries without removing the pits. Traditionally, cherry clafouti is made using fruit that hasn’t been pitted. Clafouti aficionados claim (and I believe them) that as the cherries bake, the pits give off a sexy, sensual scent that is missing from the pitted version.
So, that is the decision you are faced with - risk catastrophic dental injuries for a little extra flavor, or pit the cherries and play it safe. To me, it's no decision at all, the pits must be baked in. Besides, as I'm sure those of you that make this will agree, after the cherries are cooked, it only takes a little press with the fork to liberate the pit, and cast it aside. For your average serving of cherry clafouti this means maybe 4-5 pits - a small price to pay for authentic taste. This recipe will also work for things like peaches, plums, and berries in case cherry season has passed you by. Enjoy!
1/2 cup flour 2/3 cup sugar, divided 1 1/4 cup milk 3 eggs 1 tbsp vanilla pinch of salt 12 oz cherries (a couple handfuls)
I've never been obsessed with recipe authenticity. If you want to call your bagel half spread with sauce and cheese, a pizza, well, more power to you. I will, of course, make fun of you behind your back, but publicly I'll defend you enthusiastically.
I remember posting a ceviche recipe years ago, which had some diced mango mixed in. I received at least a dozen emails from Peruvian readers, not suggesting, but demanding that I change the name.
Their point was simple; true ceviche never features mango. My point was equally straightforward; mine does. So, while I normally don't worry too much about such matters, sometimes I do enjoy demonstrating a recipe in its original form, simply because I find it interesting.
Here I'm doing a spaghetti alla carbonara, as the recipe was made before people started "cheating," and started adding cream. Spaghetti alla carbonara's "creamy" sauce is simply a thin egg and cheese custard, spiked with pork and black pepper. People add cream because they're afraid of scrambling the eggs. But, if you follow the steps in the video, this will not be an issue.
By the way, there are many theories for where the name "carbonara" comes from. The one I officially endorse is that the name was inspired by the specks of black pepper in the sauce, which look like particles of charcoal. It just makes the most sense.
Speaking of authentic, try and find some pancetta or guanciale, which is cured like pancetta, but made from pork cheek. Those two products are not smoked, which works much better in this delicious pasta. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 2 portions: 6-8 oz dry spaghetti (or any pasta) 1 tablespoon olive oil 4 oz pancetta, guanciale, or in a pinch, a mildy smoked bacon fresh coarsely ground black pepper 2 eggs about 3/4 cup grated Italian cheese (a half Pecorino Romano and half Parmigiano-Reggiano blend is perfect)
I can see where a recipe title with the words "fried" and "butter" appearing one after the other may scare a few people off, but there's no reason to be alarmed. This pan-fried butter beans recipe is delicious, super-easy, and yes, good for you.
These big, creamy legumes are just perfect for pan-frying. The thick skins get all crackly, and crusty, and will soak up whatever you decide to flavor them with. Here they get a very traditional treatment of salt, pepper, garlic, and herbs. A little vinegar at the end to balance things out, and you have a beautiful summer side dish.
I'm posting this while waiting for my flight back from the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, so we'll keep things nice and brief. Actually, now that I think about it, there's really not much more to say. So, I'll just finish with a little end-of-recipe advice.
This version is "dry," which is how I like these butter beans served, but if you want something a little moister, towards the end you can add freshly diced tomato, some broth, or even more oil olive and vinegar. Don't worry, you can't break this recipe…it's beans! Enjoy.
Ingredients for 2-4 servings: 1 can butter beans 3 tablespoons olive oil garlic cloves as needed salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste red pepper flakes to taste couple sprigs of fresh herbs 1 tablespoon white wine or sherry vinegar
The public has spoken, or at least the portion of the public that subscribes to me on YouTube and voted in our "Summer of You" contest. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, you can check out this post for details, but to summarize, the winning entry for what summer recipe would you most like to see made into a video was…Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies?
If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times… democracy doesn't work. Hey, I'm only kidding! Sure, cookies may not be the first thing you think of when you think summer recipes, but that's what a lovely young woman named Amena (pictured here) wanted to see, and enough YouTubers were persuaded by her very creative video to make that happen.
While this was done to fulfill a pledge, I've wanted to do a video like this for a while to prove something once and for all; you do not need an electric mixer to make cookies. This entire recipe takes about 20 minutes to make, and only about five of those are spent doing anything physical.
As I mention in the video, this recipe is very adaptable as far as what and how much you add to the basic dough. I used a "normal" amount of chips, but this amount can be doubled without issue. You can also toss in dried fruit and nuts fearlessly.
So, join me in congratulating Amena, and I hope you all celebrate her triumph by giving this super-easy chocolate chip cookie recipe a try. Enjoy!
Ingredients: 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, very soft 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar 1/2 cup white granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 large egg 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 1/3 cup white chocolate chips 1/3 cup milk chocolate chips Note: the amounts of chocolate chips can be doubled for extra decadent cookies! aka "Amena style"
This red curry flank steak recipe represents a departure from my usual game plan regarding marinating meat for the grill.
I normally don't try to make the meat taste like something specific, rather just use whatever vinegar is nearby, some garlic, herbs, and whatever spices strike my fancy at that moment.
This time I actually had an idea. I love Thai food, and in particular red curry beef. If you've never had this amazing dish, it's basically chunks of beef stew meat cooked slowly in a spicy, aromatic red curry sauce until fork tender. It's clearly one of the top 50 recipes in the history of the world.
So, inspired by this classic Thai recipe, I decided to see if the same sort of flavors could be turned into some sort of marinade for flank steak. I'm so glad I did. The results knocked my socks off.
I made a point to use only ingredients found in your typical higher-end grocery store (like Whole Foods). I really hope you make the effort to find these items, since there really aren’t suitable substitutions.
One note about doneness – as I mention in the video, I like to cook the flank steak to about 132 on the grill which goes up another 5 or so degrees while it rests. This will give you something between medium rare and medium. Rare flank steak is very chewy, and I believe cooking it closer to medium gives a much better texture to the meat.
Having said that, it may look like the meat is a little rarer than that in the video. That's because I started cutting from the thick end, which is going to be rarer – but as you slice towards the thinner end, it will turn medium, and you'll even get a few slice of medium well towards the end.
For this reason flank steak is a perfect choice for a group, since the same piece of meat will provide a range of different doneness'. So, go find those not-so-exotic Asian ingredients and give this delicious beef flank steak recipe a try. Enjoy!
Ingredients: 1 whole beef flank steak, trimmed 3 tablespoon fish sauce 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar 3-4 cloves crushed garlic 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger 1 teaspoon hot sauce 1 teaspoon red curry powder 1/2 teaspoon red curry paste
This is about as primitive as it gets. Take some garlic, capers, anchovy, and parsley, and smash it up in a molcajete, or other mortar and pestle type grinding device. Add a little oil and vinegar, possibly a pinch of salt and pepper, and you have maybe the world's greatest grilled meat condiment.
The sharpness of the sauce, and the brightness of the flavors makes for a perfect marriage with the smoky meat and its subtly bitter grill marks. As I say in the video, the secret here isn't the ingredients, as you can really use any kind of green herbs you want, but it's the grinding and smashing.
Certain things happen to hand-ground food that just don't occur in a food processor. You can check a site like Cooking for Engineers for the scientific reason, but tasting is believing.
So remember, it's a long grilling season, and you're going to need to switch things up now and again. When you do, this simple, raw, green sauce will not disappoint. Enjoy!
Ingredients: (warning: I guessed at these amounts, as this is not a recipe that requires precise measurements – do everything "to taste") 2 large cloves garlic pinch of salt 2 teaspoon capers 1 teaspoon anchovy paste 1/4 cup packed Italian parsley leaves 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (or any vinegar or lemon juice) 2 tablespoon olive oil
Can "ewe" believe I did a lamb post title with no baaaaaaaaaad puns? Hey, I was afraid of getting lambasted! Okay, I'm done (he said, sheepishly).
I was recently contacted by the American Lamb Board, who are promoting their third annual “Get Your Grill On” video competition, to see if I would be interested in trying some lamb.
Never one to turn down free meat, I said sure! When the package arrived I was very happy to see I was the proud owner of one pound of all-natural, all-American, ground lamb. Deciding what to make was easy. I love lamb burgers, and I've been daydreaming recently about a lamb burger based on the famous Greek casserole, Moussaka. For those of you that don't know, Moussaka is a stunning blend of spiced ground lamb, tomato, and eggplant, topped with a creamy, cheesy white sauce.
I decided to integrate the eggplant right into the burger itself, instead of topping the burger with cooked slices. I really liked the result, but I think most of you will enjoy it better if you use less eggplant than I did.
I started with about 3-4 cups of raw diced eggplant, and while the burgers held together nicely, the texture was very soft. I think 2 cups is probably just about perfect. As always, I encourage skepticism and experimentation.
The sauce seemed like a natural to use as a cheesy spread on the toasted buns, and I loved how the minted tomatoes pulled everything together. By the way, I don't always feel the need to put greens on a burger, and here it seemed like it would just get in the way. Besides, there's no lettuce in Moussaka. I really hope you give these great lamb burgers a try. Enjoy!
For more information on finding and using American Lamb, as well as learning more about the “Get Your Grill On” contest, check out the official website here. Thanks for the delicious meat!
For the lamb burgers: 2 tablespoon olive oil 1 onion, diced fine 2 cups diced eggplant (remove skin first) 3 cloves garlic, crushed 2 teaspoons tomato paste 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon cumin 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon salt 1 pound ground lamb
For the sauce: 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon flour 1 cup milk 1/2 cup grated Parmesan pinch of nutmeg pinch of cayenne salt to taste
4 soft hamburger rolls, toasted tomato slices 1 tablespoon rice vinegar salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste 1 tablespoon thinly sliced or chopped mint leaves
I can't say how impressed I am with all the responses we got after the arepas video was posted yesterday! While it seems I got close, it was clear from the comments that I needed to make a few crucial changes. So, i made another small batch.
I used more water, so the dough was softer and didn't crack when I formed the arepas. I also didn't fry them, but cooked them on a dry (well, very super-lightly oiled) griddle. From the comments it was obvious this was a key, and after one taste I could tell why. It had a better crust and texture. Thanks to everyone who shared their knowledge!
Arepas Update 2.1
I just discovered these are killer grilled on leftover charcoal! Smoky, chewy, crispy goodness.
I still can't believe I've only just recently discovered arepas. I live in San Francisco, blocks away from one of the largest Latin-American neighborhoods in the country, yet somehow I'd never tasted an arepa?
All those wasted years I could have been eating this amazingly simple, yet brilliant concoction. Thank goodness one of the stops on a recent field trip to NYC was a hole-in-the-wall called Caracas Arepas Bar. It was at this east village eatery where I fell in love with a stuffed white corn cake.
Halfway through my first arepa, one stuffed with black beans, beef, plantains and salty cheese, I vowed to learn how to make these at home. Upon my return to San Francisco, I headed straight to the Mission, where the first Latin grocery store I checked had what I needed, harina P.A.N., a kind of boiled white corn meal vital to this recipe.
As you'll see in the video, if you can find this product, the rest is extremely simple. You make a dough with some salt and warm water, and then you fry patties until golden brown. The resulting corn cake, once split open and stuffed, is a tour de force of textual pleasure.
Sure the ingredients in a BLT all taste great, but it’s the perfect blend of textures that makes it a charter member of the sandwich hall of fame. Same goes for arepas. The golden brown outside gets crispy and crunchy, yet the inside stays soft, moist, and somewhat chewy.
It's a truly magnificent delivery system for any number of your favorite fillings. I went with some spicy pork and avocado, but you can also see a version I made a few days later, stuffed with caramelized plantains and salty goat feta. To die for.
Anyway, I hope you watch the video and decide that arepas need to be part of your life also. Here are some links to help you with what I promise will be a delicious journey. I hear you can get the P.A.N. corn meal at any Latin-American foods market, but it's also easy to find and order online. Here is an Ebay page with all sorts of options.
For ideas on what to stuff into these beauties, here's a link to the official Caracas Arepas Bar website. If you check out their downloadable menu, you can see what they use in theirs and go from there. I really hope you give these a try. Enjoy!
Note: at the time of this posting, I still hadn’t learned what P.A.N. stands for. If you know, please share. Thanks! Update: P.A.N. stands for National Alimentary Product.
Ingredients: (Note: I only made half a batch. These ingredients are for a full batch, which will give you about 8 arepas.)
2 1/2 cups tepid water 1 teaspoon salt about 2 cups of P.A.N. white corn meal (By the way, don't ask me if you can use other corn meals or flours, because I don't know!)
For even more information on making arepas, check out this great post from my friend Shauna's blog,Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef.
Of course they're not called game hens because they're so great for pre-game tailgate cookouts, but they could be. I'm not exactly sure when it will happen, but sometime this summer you will reach your grilled chicken limit, and when you do, this simple marinated game hen recipe will be there for you.
The idea here is borrowed from the highly successful Cornell chicken experiments, and uses a similar acid/salt/oil/egg concoction, only this time the part of egg is played by mayo. Needless to say you can season this a million ways, and use any combination of hot chilies, but the little kick the habanero adds is really nice.
You can, and so many of you probably will, use regular old chicken halves for this recipe, but the smaller, sweeter hens are a nice change of pace, and a half of one makes for a perfect picnic-sized portion per person. I hope you give it a try. Enjoy!
If the thought of making a flavored butter with flowers from the backyard sounds kind of crazy, think again. Nasturtium petals have an interesting, but very subtle radish flavor that works perfectly in this colorful compound butter.
The predatory Nasturtium is considered a pest by many gardeners, so not only will you be creating a colorful and unique sauce, you'll be helping out a neighbor by taking some of these vibrantly colored villains off their hands.
Nasturtium butter sure looks sexy, slowly melting over grilled fish, chicken, or vegetables. By the way, some of you fellas may want to take note; anecdotal evidence shows this to be a great idea the next time you're cooking for date night. Enjoy!
Ingredients: 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature 1/2 cup nasturtium flower petals, washed and patted dry pinch of salt
I never make cold broccoli salad, so when I decided to film a recipe for one, I didn't have a ton of previous experience to draw from.
I remember having a great one next to a piece of grilled salmon in Monterey years ago, but all I remembered was it was very cold, very lemony, and kind of spicy.
The only other cold broccoli salad taste memory I have is from the annual post-Passport, Sunday night dinner that Bill Frick hosts for the family after the event. Bill makes a super simple, but perfectly delicious version that really shines next to a platter of grilled chicken.
Using both these salads as inspiration, I proceeded with the blanching and the whisking, and what was produced far exceeded my expectations. This is a great tasting, very refreshing, and believe it or not, interesting salad.
Will this become your favorite summer side dish? I doubt it. It's really very good, but how can you complete with such iconic picnic table fixtures as potato and macaroni salad? Let's face it, it's still broccoli after all.
Nevertheless, you can never have enough vegetable side dish recipe ideas, so I hope you give this tasty, easy-to-make salad a try. Enjoy!
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds broccoli 3 cloves garlic, mashed 2 tbsp lemon juice 2 tbsp rice vinegar 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard 1/3 cup olive oil red pepper flakes to taste salt and pepper to taste
As you may have read in my Top Ten Highlights from the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, one of the most entertaining parts of the trip was a demo by Tim Love, called High Steaks Grilling.
The meat should not be ice cold. Allow your steaks to sit out at room temperature to take the chill off. This allows for even cooking.
As he retold the story, without embellishment (this story needs none), he explained that the show would end with a round of oil shot roulette. In the fridge he had five shots of Patron tequila, and one shot of oil. Six volunteers were to be selected, blindfolded, and "randomly" handed the glasses. On the count of three, they would have to drink the shots.
