Mid-summer and it's HOT. Too hot to heat up the house cooking dinner, which means outdoor cooking. This, of course, comes with it's own special rewards and perils. If you're a seasonal or inexperienced griller, it can be daunting to place a really nice piece of fish or meat on the grill with the hopes it will come out tasting better than shoe-leather. Having to order pizza at 8:30 with a pack of ravenous kids begging for food is certainly not my idea of a relaxing dinner. With the following tips, hints and recipes you'll be good to grill!

I must confess I'm a devoted hardwood griller. Hardwood, as opposed to "briquettes", are real wood without any petroleum products added, which is just disgusting. The rapid start briquettes are the worst, because they've graciously doused those for you with tons of petroleum and other fire starter products. I really don't like the taste of petroleum laced foods, and can't imagine what long-term effects they could have. In other words, stay away from instant start briquettes! Hardwood charcoal gives your food such a distinct flavor and is becoming more easy to find at large retailers and home improvement stores. I love to experiment with different woods. I've used all the traditional hardwoods: mesquite, hickory and cedar, but the more exotic woods like apple, maple, cheery, etc. are really fun to play with and lend themselves to specific types of foods. If you really want smokey flavor, but have a gas grill, there's a solution. Try wood pellets. They come in small zip top pouches in a variety of flavors including a Jack Daniels one and can be used on either charcoal or gas. Simply make a pouch with some foil, put about 1/3 cup of the pellets in the pouch, seal it up, cut a small hole, and place over the flame. Viola, smokey goodness.

Starting and manipulating a real fire is usually the part that most people are scared of trying. It's really not hard or scary, so long as you have the right equipment. The most important piece of equipment is a chimney starter. These handy gadgets are readily available at home improvement stores and large chain retailers and eliminate the need for lighter fluid or charcoal starter grossness. You can even make your own, if you're industrious and drink lots of coffee. To make your own, cut the top and bottom off of a large coffee can. Using an old-style bottle opener with the sharp tip, cut holes along one end of the can about 2" up from the bottom. Ta-da a recycled chimney starter. Don't forget to use gloves when handling the can, though.

Now that you have your chimney starter, build your fire. Take 2-3 sheets of old newspaper and crumple them up. Put them in the bottom of the starter. Pile charcoal on top of the newspaper, then light paper. Disposable/ surgical gloves come in handy while digging out the charcoal. Within 15 minutes you will have perfectly glowing coals, without having resorted to dousing your charcoal with lighter fluid or some other equally dangerous flame starter. Pour the coals out onto the grill, and you're ready to grill. NB, don't wait until ALL the coals are covered with white ash or you'll have wasted most of your charcoal. Pour out the coals once the flames have subsided a bit, and most of the coals on the bottom are glowing.

Now for the best part... the recipes!

Smoked Pork Loin (NOT pork tenderloin!)

2-3 lb pork loin
½ cup brown sugar
1/3 cup Kosher salt
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp white pepper (or more!)

Rinse and dry the pork loin. Combine all the remaining ingredients in a bowl. Rub the pork loin all over. Cover and chill for 2-4 hours. Light 1 chimney full of hardwood chunks/ charcoal. Bank the coals on one side of the grill. Alternately, heat your gas grill for indirect heat with a mesquite pellet pouch over the flame side. Place the pork loin on the cool side of the grill. Don’t forget to put the open vent side of the lid over the pork loin. Smoke for 1.5 hours. About half way through check the coals. If they are really low, add another ½ chimney full of coals. Remove the loin from the heat, cover and let rest for 20-30 minutes. I know it's tempting to skip the resting phase of the process, but resist the urge to slice right away. Your patience will be rewarded with extra juicy pork loin. This is GREAT with coleslaw, and grilled corn.



Italian Flank Steak

2-3 lbs Flank Steak
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tbsp minced fresh oregano
1 tsp minced fresh rosemary
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Combine the olive oil, garlic, oregano, rosemary in a bowl. Sprinkle the steak with salt and pepper. Place the steak in a gallon plastic bag and pour the olive oil mixture over. Seal the bag and tilt to get the rub all over the steak. Let sit while you start the fire. Heat 1 chimney full of charcoal, or light your gas grill on medium heat. Use a hickory pellet pack for extra flavor. Pour the coals in an even layer over the grill. Place the grill grate on the grill, and cover with the vent open for about 5 minutes. Add the steak. Cover the grill and set your timer! After 4 minutes with NO peaking, open the lid and turn the steak. Continue to cook for an additional 4 minutes (for medium rare). Don’t forget that your steak will continue to cook for a few minutes after you remove it from the heat! Remove from heat and let rest, loosely covered with foil, while the zucchini boats finish cooking (about 7-8 minutes). Yes, you can add the zucchini and the steak at the same time. Slice the steak and enjoy.


Grilled Stuffed Zucchini

2 large zucchini cut in half
3 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion minced
2 cloves garlic minced
½ red pepper minced
8oz can tomato sauce (OR 3 plum tomatoes peeled and diced)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp basil
¼ cup Italian bread crumbs
½ cup asiago cheese

Scoop out most of the meat from the zucchini, leaving a hollow boat. Dice the zucchini meat. Heat the olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the onion and peppers and sauté for about 4-5 minutes, or until tender. Add the garlic and zucchini and continue to sauté for an additional 4 minutes. Add the tomato sauce or fresh plum tomatoes, oregano and basil. Simmer for about 10 minutes stirring frequently. Remove from heat and add the bread crumbs and half of the cheese, mix well. Stuff the zucchini boats with the stuffing.

Cook over medium direct heat on your grill for about 10-15 minutes with the lid down. They are finished when the zucchini boats are soft but not mushy. Check them after 10 minutes, then continue to cook if necessary. Top with the remaining cheese and close the grill lid. Remove from heat once the cheese is melted. Serve with the Italian Flank Steak.

Happy Grilling!