NEW ORLEANS RESTAURANTS & FOOD - Recipes

How To Grill Everything From Shrimp To Steak

Relaxing on the front porch or deck with family and friends on those long, slow summer evenings is one of the best ways Southerners find comfort. So who wants to mosey inside to fix supper? When you grill or barbeque, you never have to leave the serenity of your outdoor paradise.

"I believe that the number one reason people cook outdoors is flavor," said Nick Nicholas, vendor partner manager with Bioguard, an outdoor lifestyle product company in Atlanta. He sites figures that show that while the overall sales of new grills has been relatively flat over the last few years, sales of high-quality wood chips, hardwood lump charcoal, seasonings, rubs, sauces and marinades has skyrocketed.

While added seasonings can add a tang to any dish, there are some important things to keep in mind when grilling meat and seafood to bring out their maximum flavor.

Chicken Done Right

We've all done it – invited friends for a simple meal of boneless chicken breast on the grill that ended up tasting more like a science fair project than a meal. Well-known outdoor cooking experts Cheryl Altman and Bill Jamison (www.cookingwiththejamisons.com) have come to our rescue with their new book, Chicken on the Grill: 100 Surefire Ways to Grill Perfect Chicken Every Time (Morrow Cookbooks, May, 2004).

"Chicken is something people mess-up on the grill all the time," said Altman. "People tend to forget the basic principals of time and temperature when they go outside," she laughs.

"Chicken is popular because it takes flavors well and virtually everyone eats it, but it isn't as forgiving as hamburgers and hotdogs," said Jamison. "The temperature is particularly important because for most chicken you cook it on a moderate heat."

The authors recommend that you heat the grill with the top down before you begin to cook. Check the temperature by holding your hand over the grate. If you can keep it there for four or five seconds without having to snatch it away, the grill is just right. Longer and you won't get the nice grill marks on the outside, shorter and it will turn to rubber before it cooks. "This method isn't very high tech, but it really works," Jamison says.

Altman and Jamison recommend that the best way to avoid leaving strips of chicken on the grill instead of on your plate is to oil the grate while it's hot. "Once the grate is heated to the right temperature, take a paper towel with a little bit of oil and rub it on the grate. This works well with fish, too," said Jamison.

Unbeatable Steak

Just listening to Executive Chef Chris Gilmore of Shula's on the Beach in Fort Lauderdale will make your mouth water, never mind entering this paradise of steak and fresh seafood which was started by Don Shula, former head coach of the Miami Dolphins. Chef Gilmore may supervise the preparation of hundreds of sixteen-ounce steaks every night at work, but when he's home, he uses the same principals of good grilling.

"Grilling tips are universal," said Gilmore. "Start with the best cut of meat you can find. Fillet has very little fat and no bone so it cooks quickly. But my favorites are the New York Strip or Porterhouse cuts because whenever you have a bone you get a good, beefy flavor," he says. Gilmore recommends that you look for meat that is bright red and has a good amount of marbling but very little gristle. He discourages buying pre-marinated cuts of meat because "you never really know what you are getting."

Remove the steaks from the refrigerator and bring them to room temperature while you are heating your grill. "If you put an ice cold steak on the grill it's going to take longer to get the center hot enough to cook, and by that time the outside will be burned," he cautions.

Season the meat with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. "Once your steak hits the grill you should hear a sizzle. If you don't, the grate isn't hot enough," he said. After about two minutes, rotate the meat 90 degrees to get those attractive grill marks, then turn it over and repeat. A word of caution – Gilmore says that you should only use tongs when turning meat on the grill. A fork will puncture the meat and allow the hot juices to escape. "Treat it tenderly," he says.

After removing the steaks from the grill, allow them to rest for a few minutes before serving. Doing so will allow time for the juices to settle back into the meat, making it mouth-wateringly delicious. If you plan to serve steak salad, cut the meat along the bias (against the grain) to ensure maximum tenderness.

Scallops, Shrimp, Vegetables, and even Prawns!

Chef Bob Waggoner of The Charleston Grill in the Charleston Place Hotel takes great care to use local ingredients in his unique Southern-style dishes that he prepares with a French flair. Among his many accomplishments, he was nominated by The James Beard Foundation for the Best Chef in the Southeast Award in 2002, the Oscars of the culinary world.

So it's no wonder that his grilling style involves only the freshest produce, seafood and meats that he can find in South Carolina. "I truly believe in seasoning things correctly," he says. "I'm not in to marinating things, but I like to find the best possible product, then use salt, pepper, and fresh herbs."

One tip that Waggoner recommends for grilling nearly any kind of meat or fish, is to lay fresh herbs on the upper rack or cooler spot on the grill, then after searing the meat on both sides, gently lay it on top of the herbs to slowly bake. "You'd be amazed at how flavorful that makes just about anything," he says with enthusiasm.

"Cooking outdoors is such a creative undertaking and is a delightful thing to share with friends and family. It's a celebratory thing to do," says cookbook author Cheryl Altman. By using a few simple tips from the experts, we can enjoy our outdoor cooking experiences to the max.

Safety First

Always use a fresh cutting board, knives and utensils every time you prepare different meats. Use a meat thermometer to determine when the meat is done. For steaks, insert the thermometer in from the side to ensure maximum exposure.

Do not use the same sauce you used as marinade to brush on the meat when cooking.

Safe alternatives to charcoal lighter fluid include paraffin sticks and other products that do not leave a chemical taste on the meats and are safer to use.

Never leave the grill unmonitored.