The ART in FIRE

Bold Barbequing at its Best

So You Think You Can Cook

by Karl Merten

Recently I was visiting with one of my very good customers and he was picking my brain on creating flavorful and healthy outdoor grilled meats, vegetables and seafood.
The challenge of preparing healthier but tasty food is a road less traveled if you don’t know how to do it. There is a secret to healthy flavorful summer food.
The ways to improve the taste that I shared with him involved the use of marinades, dry rubs, olive oil and no salt herb seasoning blends.   My parents are the epitome of striving to live a healthful life.  They eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, use as little salt as possible, exercise and take care of their bodies.  You know, we are what we eat!  Many times we go for salt as the one stop seasoning but the use of wet marinades, dry rubs and fresh herbs make wonderful healthy alternatives to the usual heavy dose of salt and pepper.  Here are a few ideas of flavor enhancements minus the heavy dosage of salt.

Herb Dry Rub
Ideal for pork, poultry, roast beef, lamb, rabbit and fleshy vegetables such as squash, tomatoes and oven roasted potatoes.
Trim off any excess fat from roast, lightly rub with olive oil then generously apply a no salt or low salt dry herb blend like Mrs.Dash to the surfaces.  Ideally allow to marinade for up to a day refrigerated before cooking and if you are dealing with a thick roast you can make small incisions deep into the flesh and shove in slivers of fresh garlic or the dry rub.  Proceed with the cooking process or the barbeque using what ever technique is appropriate. Rotisserie for the thicker roasts or chickens, lightly grill then smoke for tri- tip or ribs. For vegetable all it will take is a short grilling till they are crisp tender

Marinades
Marinades are savory concoctions that bring out flavors, tenderize less-expensive cuts of meats and moisturize. Three basic ingredients are needed:
Acid to tenderize: vinegar, citrus juice, wine or beer. (Soy sauce and tomato juice are also acid bases but tend to be high in sodium).
Oil to moisturize: Use 2 parts acid to 1 part or less oil.
Seasoning to dress up flavors. (Avoid salt because it pulls moisture out of the meat.) Here are some basic marinades:
Soy Sauce, Garlic, Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar Great for Pork!
2 Tbsp Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
2 minced garlic
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
Place meat inside 1 gallon plastic bag and let marinade for two hours. May store in refrigerator for up to three days.
Basic Wine Marinade

1/4 (60 ml) cup olive oil,
1/4 (60 ml) Red Wine (RED MEATS) and White Wine (WHITE MEATS),
1 onion grated,
2 garlic cloves minced,
1 tbsp herbs (oregano, rosemary, marjoram, or bay leaf, or Italian Seasoning),
1 tsp pepper,
and 1/4 tsp salt.
Combine all ingredients with meat into a 1 gallon plastic bag.  Allow to marinade for 2-4 hours and up to 48 hours.
Sometimes the use of a glaze to finish the grilled item can add some bold flavors.  The glaze can very from your favorite barbeque sauce to a light basting of a fruit and mustard mixture, or even offering a dipping sauce will make the item complete.
This month I am featuring dry rub pork ribs with a Jamaican Mango Barbeque sauce
The dry rub consists of three parts “Mrs. Dash” no salt herb seasoning blend and one part house seasoning blend. (Similar to a “Laury’s” seasoning or “Pappy’s” blend.  I coated the ribs generously with the blend then grilled over a low fire for 20 minutes.  Then steamed the ribs for one hour and they were ready to serve.
The Mango Barbeque sauce is a combination of house made mango chutney and my favorite barbeque sauce.  The combination of a robust herb crusted rib and a sweet and tangy barbeque sauce makes a fantastic bold flavor that will excite your taste buds.
I hope you enjoy these simple tips for an exciting and flavorful barbeque experiences this summer.