I know we can’t ever predict the weather here, but I think we can all agree, we’re gonna grill out no matter what. And, we’re gonna invite friends, too! It’s the summer of 2021, we are itching to get together and there’s nothing like a good cookout to wash the COVID blues off of us.
But before you grill out, you must have some confidence on the grill. You have to have some good go-to recipes that work and give you a little freedom to not worry as much about the food and focus on the killer party that you’ve no doubt assembled.
When we grill, I usually get stuck in the kitchen doing so much of the prep work that I tire myself out while my husband grills and gets all the accolades! Ha! (Please tell me you understand that frustration.) But to be honest, I had to get good on the grill, too, because there are several times that I’ve wanted to grill and I just wanted to do it for me.
I had to learn about temperatures and good recipes because I needed some fail-proof ideas before making a fool of myself, so the recipes I came up with are easy to use, versatile and crowd pleasers.
Without further ado, here’s a good collection of recipes that you can easily master and use to impress your guests. I hope these help you strengthen your skill set this summer and that you have a beautiful future of successful cookouts!
Barbecue Chicken
Ingredients:
Meat:
8-10 skinless chicken drumsticks or 6-8 bone-in chicken thighs
1-2 tbsp. olive oil
Rub:
2 tsp. smoked paprika
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. pepper
Barbecue Sauce:
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp. seedless preserves of your choice
2 1/2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. spice rub (from above, in directions)
Directions:
Whisk together all of the rub Ingredients. Remove 1 1/2 tsp. to a saucepan to use later in your sauce.
Drizzle chicken with 1 tbsp. olive oil and rub it all over the chicken. Sprinkle the chicken with half of the rub and massage into chicken. Flip chicken over and sprinkle with remaining spice mix (it will seem like a lot, but use it all). Rub spice mix into chicken. Let chicken sit for 30 minutes at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate up to overnight for best flavor.
Add all of the barbecue sauce ingredients to a saucepan with the remaining 1 1/2 tsp. spice mix. Mix together and simmer for 5-10 minutes to let the flavors mix.
To grill, take seasoned chicken and grill on oiled and heated grill on high for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 degrees and grill about 3-5 minutes on each side.
Baste chicken with barbecue sauce and cook for 1 minute, flip and cook for an additional minute. Flip chicken and baste with barbecue sauce every 3 minutes until it reaches 165 degrees. Do not over cook. Check temperature often. Brush with more sauce after removing.
Steak with Chimichurri
Ingredients:
Meat:
- 1-2 ribeyes (no set amount, just however much you want to eat)
Chimichurri Sauce:
- 1 bunch Italian parsley
- 1/2 to 1 bunch cilantro
- 4-6 cloves garlic
- 2-3 tbsp. fresh oregano (2-3 tsp. if dried)
- juice of 1/2 lemon (can use more or less if desired)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup good quality olive oil
- red pepper flakes to taste, optional
Directions:
There are two ways to make this sauce. One way is by hand and the other is by blender. The hand method will give you a chunkier sauce and all the individual ingredients are more visible. The blender is easier, but emulsifies everything into a cohesive sauce. Either way is fine and up to your preference.
Hand method: Wash and dry your herbs, then on a large cutting board, chop tall herbs and garlic as fine as you can get them and add into a bowl. Add in the remaining ingredients and mix. Taste to check for seasonings. You can add more of whatever you’d like. Let it sit for the flavors to infuse.
Blender method: Add all ingredients into a blender and blend until incorporated. Taste for seasonings. Store in covered container in the fridge.
For the steak, season both sides with salt and pepper. Place in a Ziplock bag and add in 2-4 tbsp. of the chimichurri and allow to marinate at least until meat is at room temp 30-40 minutes or can marinate overnight in the fridge if necessary.
When ready to cook the steak, preheat grill to high for 10-15 minutes. Oil grill if necessary and cook steaks according to your desired level of doneness.
After searing the steaks, allow them to rest on a slicing board. After resting for few minutes, slice against the grainand serve with remaining sauce on the top.
From Z to A with Zara Abbasi
Zara Abbasi is the pastry chef and recipe developer for Zara Made It. Follow her food adventures on Instagram at@zaramadeit.
