Top Tuesdays Originally uploaded by AccessWinnipeg
Top Tuesdays is a weekly AccessWinnipeg.com exclusive column that will feature Winnipeg’s top 5 or 10 places, things, people, and everything else. If you have any suggestions for a Top Tuesday feature, please send it to us in the submit news page.
TOP5 FOODS TO THROW ON THE GRILL
It’s summertime and the it’s time to move outside and enjoy the weather. No one wants to be couped inside cooking dinner, lunch or whatever else, so this Tuesday we’re looking at the Top 5 Foods to Throw on the Grill.
Baby Back Ribs
While there are easier ways to cook ribs (some of the “family chains” of restaurants in the city basically cook them in a bath of water in the oven with onions, celery and carrots until they’re tender), nothing beats meat that has been smoked for hours to truly add flavour. If you have a smoker, bring it to about 110 degrees C then add the ribs and enough apple juice to cover in a pot and bring to a boil. Take the ribs out of the pot and on to an oiled rack on the smoker (put some garlic cloves on the coals for more flavour). Cook for another SEVEN hours until the meat falls off the bone. For the sauce, take your favorite BBQ sauce and add the reduced apple juice from the pot and some minced garlic.
Corn on the Cob
This is probably one of my favorite sides for when I grill up burgers in the summer. Take some corn (you should be able to smell the sweetness when buying) and shuck the ears. Make sure the corn is 100% clean of those “hairs” and then wrap it with your favorite bacon. Throw this on a medium heat grill for about 10 minutes rotating it about 3-4 times. You want the bacon to be crispy, but not too burnt.
Steak (My favorite? Ribeye.)
Wet, sticky, BBQ sauce or a dry flavorful rub. This is a tough choice. Do you grill the steak perfectly and then drown out the flavour with a tomato sauce based BBQ sauce or do you create a blend of spices to rub all over the steak and then grill on a flat pan? I prefer both…not
at the same time, but there are many BBQ friendly weekends during the summer to try a few of each.
Seafood
Sure you can buy some shrimp at your grocery store, slap it on the grill and chow down, but here’s a simple rule of thumb for grilling seafood (especially shrimp). If you can eat it in one bite, or if it’s thin enough to see through, it’s not big enough to grille. I prefer 8+ oz salmon steaks seasoned with just salt and FGP (fresh, ground pepper) and a little olive oil and cooked to about a nice medium. Keep the base simple and then feel free to add extras afterwards. Just a few days ago, I made a great salsa using limes, jalapenos and sweet peppers. DELICIOUS!!!
Fruits
A lot of people have never tried this. Why? Because they don’t think you should grill fruit. Big mistake. My favourite right now is pineapple. The best way to do this is to peel a FRESH pineapple and then cut long slices down the side until all you have left is a core. Take these pieces and throw them on a hot, hot, hot grill until you have nice caramelization on the outsides of the pineapple and it’s warm throughout. Serve with a rich, creamy, vanilla ice cream for the best dessert you will have all summer.
