JULY 2 • 2020 | 31
W
ithout question, the
finest aromas and
flavors of summer
come from the grills and barbe-
cues that define the season. Just
as the backyard
becomes your
living room,
Mother Nature
is the perfect
party planner.
Food sizzling on
the grill keeps
us outdoors and
gives the kitchen a vacation.
And grilling is cooking food
PDQ — fast and furious (unlike
barbecue, which requires slow,
even heat). Super-heat means
speedy searing so that juicy
juices stay put within meats,
vegetables … everything.
In summer we want extra
ease and tend to seek the most
effortless, formulaic fare, which
works because once you throw
something on the barby, you'
re
practically guaranteed scrump-
tious results.
Even the most obvious choic-
es — burgers and dogs — can
still be gourmet if you prepare
them beautifully. And change
up the toppings. A thick slice
of grilled eggplant is delicious
atop a burger. Sausage, in any
number of forms and flavors,
are a welcome swap to tradi-
tional dogs, especially when
served with a slaw instead of
relish.
Especially this summer, the
outdoors has magical powers
when it comes to our collective
positive frame of mind.
BEEF BURGERS WITH RED
PEPPER AND CORN RELISH
Ingredients
Burgers:
2 pounds lean ground beef
2 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes
1 Tbsp. granulated garlic
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. kosher salt, or to taste
To serve:
6 good quality onion rolls or
big hamburger buns
Relish:
1 cup chopped red or yellow
bell peppers
1 cup corn kernels (if frozen,
thaw first)
¼ cup white vinegar
Juice of one lemon (about ½
cup)
¼ cup sugar
1-2 tsp. hot red pepper sauce
(such as Tabasco)
2 tsp. mustard seeds
Kosher salt to taste
Directions
Make relish: Combine all
ingredients in a medium sauce-
pan over medium-high heat
and stir well. Bring the mixture
to a boil, reduce heat to simmer
and cook, covered, for 10 min-
utes. Let cool on the turned-off
stove to room temperature
before chilling, covered.
Make burgers: Combine all
burger ingredients and mix
well. Chill the mixture, covered,
until very cold. Form the burg-
er mixture into 8 “balls.” Form
the burgers by placing each ball
on a square (about 6-inches) of
wax paper or parchment paper.
Center a dinner plate over the
ball and press down until the
burger is about ½-inch thick
(they will shrink when cooked).
Place another square of waxed
paper over the finished burg-
er and repeat with remaining
balls. Stack the burgers and
chill until ready to cook.
Heat grill to medium-high.
Spray each burger with non-
stick cooking spray (one side
only) before placing on the hot
grill. Spray the top of the burger
with nonstick cooking spray
before turning over to cook the
other side. Grill for 10 minutes
or until burgers are to your lik-
ing. Serve on onion rolls with
pepper relish. Makes 6 servings.
GRILLED CAESAR SALAD
Ingredients
Dressing:
¼ cup mayonnaise (regular or
low-fat)
2-4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
Juice from 1 lemon
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
6 anchovy fillets, drained,
optional
¼ cup freshly grated
Parmesan cheese
Salad:
4 romaine hearts, each cut
into six wedges
Extra-virgin olive oil for brush-
ing on lettuce
Fresh ground pepper to taste
Croutons
Directions
Make dressing: Combine
dressing ingredients in the bowl
of a food processor and process
until smooth.
Grill lettuce: Heat grill to
medium. Brush lettuce wedges
very lightly with oil. Arrange
the wedges (do not separated
into leaves) on the grill and
cook, turning once or twice,
until just wilted and charred,
about 1-3 minutes.
Remove from the grill,
arrange on wedges on the plates
or on a platter and drizzle
dressing over (you may also
chop the wedges and serve as a
traditional salad). Sprinkle with
fresh grated Parmesan cheese,
fresh ground pepper and top
with croutons. Makes 6 serv-
ings.
HOT DOG CHILI
Ingredients
½ pound ground beef
Water
¼ cup chopped onion
½ tsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. paprika
½ tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground chili powder
¼ tsp. Salt
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
Pinch cayenne pepper
continued on page 32
ANNABEL COHEN
Annabel Cohen
Food Columnist
Arts&Life
dining-in
On the Grill
Enjoy some recipes
to make your July 4th
holiday special.