With Memorial Day right around the corner, we thought now would be a great time to review some of our grilling tips. Marcelo took to the grill from the time he could walk. He was always outside with his grandfather learning how to cook with fire. In Argentina, most families spend every Sunday out by the grill cooking an “asado” with all types of assorted meats and sausages. They take their grilling seriously. Coming into his family as an outsider, I was amazed at the types of outdoor cooking arrangements his family and friends had. I’m no grill novice, my family grew up on grilled lamb chops, but we stuck to the basics. Many of Marcelo’s family members were so frustrated with the traditional American grill, they elected to design and build their own. They often use torches and literal flame throwers to light their so-called grills (I nearly had a heart attack the first time I saw them light the 6 foot flame thrower!). They will attempt to cook ungodly amounts of meat on these grills and keep the grill going for hours. They always prefer wood/charcoal to gas grills, but they will work with what’s available, and everything always turns out amazing.
Marcelo’s obsession with grilling was only increased after discovering his culinary hero, Francis Mallman. He is an Argentinian chef who cooks almost exclusively with fire. It’s a very primitive way of cooking, and Marcelo is fascinated by it. I’m pretty sure if he could cook everything over an open flame he would. There is a great episode about him on Netflix’s original show Chef’s Table, that we highly recommend. He really is a fascinating man. After watching the episode, Marcelo bought his book and read it cover to cover. He even stalked him when he was in Dallas for a private event and got him to sign his book (while I embarrassingly hid in the car). We love trying out recipes from his book, and he has some great tips for grilling. He also has a recipe on how to cook an entire cow over a fire. Yeah, he doesn’t mess around.
Here are some photos of our take on Mallman’s “Smashed Chicken with Potato Crust with a Tomato and Arugula Salad” and his “Chapa Bread”.
Now, unfortunately most apartment complexes frown over creating fires on your patio, so finding an apartment with good grill access was key. When selecting our apartment in Dallas, we stumbled upon a unit that opens up into the courtyard for the complex. Low and behold, the patio is just steps from the complex’s public grills. Marcelo was sold from that moment on. We use those grills at least 2-3 times a week, weather permitting, to make all kinds of dishes. We love bringing out a bottle of wine or some beer, lighting the grill and leisurely cooking our dinner while talking about our day. It’s a great weekly ritual. If you are nervous about grilling, or feel you could use some practice, have no fear, we’ve got some great tips for you.
1. Make sure you let the grill reach your desired temperature BEFORE you put anything on it.
*SPECIAL NOTE* – When using a charcoal grill, only use quality hardwood charcoal (briquets should only be a last resort), and be sure to start your fire at least 30-45 minutes before actually grilling anything. The charcoal is ready once it turns white AND there are no visible flames.
2. Once the grill is nice and hot, ALWAYS clean the grill well. If you don’t have a sturdy brush, a balled up piece of foil works great. If all else fails, you can also use half of a lemon to scrape the grill.
3. Patience is a virtue! This holds true all too well when grilling. Don’t Touch! The last thing you want is to continuously flip and turn your food. The more you grill, the better you will get at telling when food is ready. Remember, patience does not translate to you leaving your grill unattended – always keep a watchful eye!
4. Have the right tools at your disposal. A long pair of tongs (these are pricy but worth it) and a sturdy spatula are essential. A cast iron skillet is helpful for sauces or for searing items that might fall through the grates. Of course, you can’t forget Marcelo’s prized possession – a very sharp chef’s knife (he has a Shun and Wusthof).
5. Divide your grill into sections. Have an area with high heat, good for searing, and an area of lower heat for slower cooking. If using a charcoal grill, and you have the means to do so, build a second side fire to add hot coals as needed to your primary grill.
6. There are tons of fancy thermometers to help you monitor the temperature of your grill, but unless you are smoking meat at very specific temperature, the best tool at your disposal is the palm of your hand. Hold your palm a few inches above the grill – if you can hold it over the coals for 5-10 seconds, you’ve got a nice fire for slow cooking, 3-5 seconds is medium high heat, and needless to say, less than a second means you’ve reached a good searing temperature.
7. Quality of meat matters. While the difference in price between a prime and choice steak is noticeable on your receipt from the store, it’s far more apparent once you taste it. Good marbling is also more forgiving, which means a greater margin for error when cooking.
8. The best seasoning for your steaks is …. SALT. That’s it. If you buy a good piece of meat, you don’t want to cover up the flavor with seasonings and rubs. This rule applies mostly to heartier meats such as beef or lamb. Chicken and pork tend to be more bland, so season and marinade away! If you are grilling steaks, wait until you are ready to place them on the grill before seasoning. Also, drizzling some good olive oil over the steaks before salting never hurts.
9. Circumstances may arise when we simply do not have enough time to properly cook an item solely on the grill but we want that delicious grilled flavor. Use the grill as a finishing touch to your food. Check out these ribs we slow roasted in the oven wrapped in aluminum foil for 3 hours to get nice and tender, and then finished off on the grill!
10. Don’t be scared of grilling other things besides meat! We love to use the grill for pizza, paella, and even desserts! One of our favorite things to make, especially in the summer time, is grilled fruits served with a vanilla bean whipped cream. Stone fruits like peaches, nectarines, and apricots work great, but think out of the box – cherries, grapes, and citrus are delicious too!
