Native cooking

Grilling in the Summer

 

Last updated 8/1/2015 at 1:18pm



Now is it, now is our time to breathe in the aromas and bathe in the sunshine. Sure, there will be lots of time and occasions when the weather is perfect and cooking outside is no hassle at all, July and August are pretty reliable for these endeavors. Fresh ingredients are also easier to obtain whether you buy them or grow them. You may even have some in the freezer needing to get out and used. The Old Ones of every nation cooked outside over fire, not for fun, because they had to, doing so they fine tuned this method of cooking. They knew which wood would imbue its flavor into the food and the right herbs to enhance it all. Hickory, cedar, mesquite, alder, apple and other fruitwoods intensified the flavor of grilled foods. Today there are too many, much too much variety of products for use in outdoor cooking. I find that takes away from the creativity of just looking around to find perfect additions to your meal, a sprig of this or that will often add that other dimension you want.


Deer Meat

3 pounds of venison cut in large chunks and marinated overnight

Marinade:

1 cup lemon juice

1 cup red wine vinegar

1 cup olive or corn oil

3 cloves fresh garlic crushed

1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper

1 tablespoon fresh ground rosemary

¼ cup fresh chopped basil leaves

Whisk all marinade ingredients together in a large bowl, add venison and stir to coat all sides of the meat. (Now is also the time to add any vegetables like bell peppers, onions, etc… to the marinade). Cover and refrigerate overnight. When ready to grill, place on wet skewers and grill slowly for about 6 to 8 minutes per side, turn frequently. Grill peppers, onions or other vegetables separately. The marinade itself makes for great flavor, but mango chutney is a good dipping sauce, too.


Grilling Notes

A spritzer bottle of water is handy while grilling to tame, not put out flareups.

If you don’t have a covered grill keep some large pieces of foil or a pot lid handy. For an open firepit, a bucket of water nearby is good.

Partially pre-roast thick roasts or chicken breast in your oven before grilling.

 
 

Powered by ROAR Online Publication Software from Lions Light Corporation
© Copyright 2024

Rendered 03/12/2024 14:28