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by Tony Foreman
Summer time and the living is easy. So fire up the grill! Our favorite food maestro gives us his sizzling secrets.
What’s the trick to successful grilling?
The most important skill to develop relates to heat. It’s just like cooking at home on the stove: You have to control the heat. Cooking time and temperature are all important. Mastering them produces wonderful results. Do you have a favorite marinade that you can recommend? No, but I do have a tip. Try preparing the meat as they do in Tuscany with Chianina, a very lean and flavorful meat. Rub it down with an extra virgin olive oil and salt. Let them soak in before the meat goes on the fire. When it comes off the grill, drizzle it with extra virgin olive oil and salt it again. You may do this after the meat has rested and has been sliced if you like. Is there a marinade we can buy off the shelf? Find a great olive oil, preferably vintage dated. You do want strong oil, preferably a Tuscan, Umbrian or Sicilian one. Look for something fruity, peppery and with weight to it for meat. Something flowery and light is better for fish. Any tips for grilling fish to perfection? It’s important to pick a “steaky” fish like salmon or a tuna. Oil the fish. Oil the grill. Season the fish. Cook at a lower temperature than for meat. Mark it cleanly on each side and don’t move it around. Do not cook it through; cook it medium rare. You will enjoy the flavors so much more. What is a cool gourmet way to season hamburgers to make them seem more special than a regular old winter hamburger? My food geek way of eating a hamburger is to get top quality ground beef and treat it exactly the way I would a good steak: with olive oil and kosher salt. I enjoy eating a hamburger with Dijon mustard and cornichon. Sometimes I even forgo the bread. I keep a baguette around to soak up the remaining hamburger juices. If you’re going to treat your burger this way, you’ve got to have something decent to drink with it. Just another excuse for a great glass of wine.
Tony Foreman is the owner of Charleston, Petit Louis and Pazo restaurants and wine shop Bin 604. His new restaurant opens across from Charleston in August.