 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.

