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Grilling

Grilled Leg of Lamb with Chimichurri

Eduardo Pria, a 2002 Workshop participant and Mexico City native, is probably the most passionate chef we have ever had at the Workshop. He was overjoyed to be at the winery and expressed it with frequent hugs for all, usually coupled with an enthusiastic “I love you, man!” The Argentinian chimichurri sauce that Eduardo made for Don Watson’s lamb was as exhilarating as he is. Brian has used the sauce frequently over the years, adapting it along the way. Prepared quickly in a blender, it is a vivid emerald green and like pesto in texture, with a fresh, zingy taste. It complements almost any grilled red meat—from leg of lamb to hanger steaks, flatiron steaks, or pork chops. Add roasted fingerling potatoes and Blistered Cherry Tomatoes (page 157) for an ideal summer meal. We also like chimichurri with grilled summer vegetables, such as zucchini, eggplant, and peppers. You can make the sauce a few hours ahead, but plan to use it the same day. It loses zip with time. Note that the lamb needs to marinate for at least two hours.

Moroccan Lamb Brochettes with Cumin Salt

The spring release of Rubaiyat, our red wine blend, is a festive occasion at the winery. We invite our wine-club members to come sample the new release, and we set up several food stations in our courtyard. If the weather cooperates, the day is as much fun for the culinary staff as it is for our guests. Brian devises dishes expressly for the featured wines—not just Rubaiyat but other current releases, too. These juicy lamb kebabs, scented with North African spices, were a hit one year with Cakebread Cellars Syrah. Accompany with Carrot, Fennel, and Green Olive Slaw (page 56).

Grilled Mahimahi with Preserved Lemon Butter

After a few weeks in a brine of salt and lemon juice, lemons develop an appetizing, lightly pickled taste. Brian makes Moroccan-style preserved lemons at the winery and keeps a stash on hand to use in recipes like this one. The seasoned butter would complement swordfish, sole, shrimp, or salmon, or you could dollop it on steamed mussels or clams. For this dish, Brian slathers the butter on the grilled fish served over Frank Stitt’s Field Pea and Corn Salad (page 64), but wilted spinach would be an appealing accompaniment, too.

Grilled Pizza with Summer Squash, Cherry Tomatoes, and Fresh Mozzarella

It takes a little more attention to grill a pizza than to bake one, but the smoky touch of the grill is appealing—the next best thing to baking in a wood-fired oven. When Brian teaches pizza classes at the winery in summer, he demonstrates the grilling technique because so few people have a wood oven at home. The trick is to start the pizza crust in a hot zone to set it, and then flip it and move it to a cooler zone to add the topping and finish cooking. This topping is vegetarian, but you could add some crumbled sausage or pancetta, if you like.

Grilled Summer Vegetable Sandwich with Romesco Sauce and Serrano Ham

Save this pressed sandwich for the height of summer, when you can get locally grown zucchini, eggplant, and tomatoes. After grilling the zucchini and eggplant, layer them on a roll slathered with romesco, the Spanish tomato and almond sauce. (Refrigerate any unused romesco and use it within a day or two on another sandwich or with grilled fish or shrimp.) The sandwich can be made hours ahead, so it’s a good choice for a backpack lunch or a picnic. Omit the ham to make it vegetarian. Piquillo peppers are small, slightly spicy roasted red peppers sold in jars at shops that specialize in Spanish or Mediterranean foods (see Ingredient Resources, page 193).

Grilled Chicken Salad with Cherry Tomatoes, Avocado, and Tahini Dressing

If you have ever made hummus, you probably still have a partial jar of tahini in your refrigerator. Here’s one way to use more of it: in a creamy dressing for a grilled chicken salad. Brian seasons the chicken with za’atar, a Middle Eastern seasoning, and balances the tahini’s faint bitterness with the sweetness of pine nuts to make the dish more wine friendly. You could substitute a meaty fish, such as mahimahi or tuna, for the chicken. That jar of tahini will be empty in no time. Note that the chicken needs to marinate for at least two hours.

Field Pea and Corn Salad

When Southerners like Birmingham chef Frank Stitt talk about field peas, they mean small shelling beans, such as black-eyed peas. (Crowder peas and lady peas also qualify, but they’re less common.) When field peas are fresh, in summer, Chef Stitt, a 1999 Workshop attendee, shows them off in this salad, tossing them with grilled corn cut from the cob, tomato, grilled red onion, and herbs. Serve the salad when you’re also grilling salmon, sausages, or pork chops, or with Brian’s Grilled Mahimahi with Preserved Lemon Butter (page 113). If you can’t find fresh black-eyed peas, use dried ones, soaked overnight, then simmered gently until tender.

Grilled Peaches Wrapped in Serrano Ham

Like the marriage of prosciutto and melon, this duo explores the harmony of salty and sweet. Replace the peaches with nectarines, figs, or pears, if you prefer, or offer a combination. It’s an easy, juicy hors d’oeuvre for a hot summer evening. Although you can wrap the charred fruit with prosciutto, the nutty, earthy serrano ham from Spain is less commonplace and may be a discovery for some of your guests. Don’t wrap the fruit ahead or the ham will soften.

Grilled Fish Kebabs with Cherry Tomatoes

Two types of fish—flaky salmon and meaty swordfish—produce doubly delicious grilled kebabs. Thread the fish with the grain perpendicular to the skewers. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water at least fifteen minutes to prevent them from scorching.

Lamb Chops with Pistachio Sauce

Pistachios and lamb are often paired in Greek cooking. Tomatoes, artichokes, and parsley—other common ingredients—combine to create a flavorful accompaniment.

Lamb Chops with Parsley Pesto

Pesto made with parsley and sharp Pecorino Romano cheese (and without nuts) makes a colorful topping for tender lamb chops. It could also be tossed with pasta, spread on sandwiches, or mixed with cream cheese for a dip to serve with crudités (see page 52).

Spiced Butterflied Leg of Lamb

Marinating is a wonderful way to tenderize leg of lamb and other less expensive (and tougher) cuts of meat before grilling or broiling. Grilled lemons and lemon orzo complement the robust lamb.

Honey-Soy Grilled Pork Chops with Crunchy Bok Choy

This Asian take on grilled pork chops blends honey, soy sauce, and ginger for a sweet and savory glaze. Grill the bok choy only until char marks form and the outer leaves begin to wilt.

Pork Ribs with Barbecue Sauce

Small and lean baby-back ribs are a quick-cooking (and very tender) alternative to spare ribs. If desired, coat them with your favorite spice rub before baking. Serve the ribs with any of the potato side dishes on page 284 or steamed corn on the cob.

Grilled Steak with Southwestern Three-Tomato Salsa

Try the colorful salsa that tops these steaks on grilled hamburgers or chicken, or as a dip for tortilla chips. Or replace it with one of the varieties on page 59.

Rib-Eye with Garlic-Thyme Marinade

The key to achieving clear grill marks is to make sure the grates of the grill are properly cleaned, heated, and oiled before cooking the steaks; see page 367 for instructions. The steaks can marinate up to overnight in the refrigerator.

Jerk Chicken

Jerk seasoning is a fiery spice rub that originated on the Caribbean island of Jamaica. You can marinate the chicken overnight. Assemble the cucumber and watermelon salad while the chicken is grilling.

Grilled Greek Chicken Kebabs with Mint-Feta Sauce

Chicken thighs stay moist when cut into pieces and grilled. You could substitute other vegetables, such as summer squash or bell peppers, for the zucchini. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for fifteen minutes to keep them from scorching on the grill.

Grilled Chicken with Roasted-Pepper Sauce

A pureed bell pepper and garlic sauce tops grilled chicken breasts; it can also be tossed with pasta. If you like, double the amounts called for below and refrigerate the extra sauce up to one week in an airtight container.
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