Can you still use your BBQ when the weather outside is frightful? Certainly! Nothing could be more delightful!
All you need to do is go about it with a few adjustments. It helps to be a little indifferent to the cold, just so you know. But it isn’t all bad; in fact it can make a boring meal quite an unexpected adventure, because who would expect grilled steaks or flame-broiled chicken in the dead of January?
First off, you need to be sure you have a set of shoes that can be easily slipped on and off, because you’ll be in and out several times as you engage in your icy cooking routine. Also wear a sweater or dress in layers so you can be comfortable both in and outside. After you’ve assembled the ingredients of your wardrobe, you’ll need to turn to the food.
I prefer to keep it simple. This is great in a time when every second seems to count these days, what with clubs and sports and schools and work and–well, you get it. Simple’s great when you’re cooking in two places, too, such as right now. With that in mind, keep your menu simple. If you’re gonna do steak, get the best cut you can, such as tenderloin or filet. The only thing I do is dry rub plenty of seasoned salt (if you prefer some kick, try Tony Chachere’s) about 1/2 hour prior to throwing them on the grill (let them sit on the counter under some loose foil). If you’re doing chicken, buy fresh breasts and marinate them for an hour in Italian dressing–you’ll be stunned how good these taste. That’s the end of your prep for the grill.
You’ll want to turn to the peripheral courses for your meal at this point. A simple salad does very well; just toss together some green and red lettuce (wash and tear the leaves into bite-size pieces) together with diced green onion, fresh chopped cilantro, a sliced avocado, a handful of kalamata olives, and some crumbles of feta cheese in a medium bowl. Salad’s done. If you want a starch, throw together a box or two of that San Francisco jingle rice stuff, or a box or two of that instant stuffing you know so well. If you want something less processed, grab some washed and diced potatoes and throw them, peel and all, into a medium pot to boil. After about fifteen minutes, drain them, add plenty of butter, salt, garlic powder (or fresh minced), milk, and an entire block of cream cheese–you’ll thank me after the first bite, but not tomorrow when you step on the scale–and then mash it all together with your beater.
Of course, all of this must be timed to come out at about the same time. If you make the mashed potatoes as I have outlined above, they’ll keep their heat nicely if left covered. The salad can be prepared the day before, but leave the avocado until right before you serve it. Speaking of the salad, it’s healthiest if you season it with salt and pepper, a spritz of fresh lemon, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil; but if you must, serve it with a non-creamy style dressing. Ginger Thai vinaigrette pairs very well with this salad.
Keep in mind, especially if you have to shovel your cooking rig out from under icicles and snow, that you’ll need to preheat it, much like an oven, for a bit longer than you would on a hot summer day. I like to light it up, run all the burners on high for fifteen minutes at the most, and then turn it down to medium heat once the meat is on. I prefer to have the entire meal ready to serve the instant the meat is ready, but you can certainly plan it how you like. Having preheated your grill on high, you will have a nice warm pocket into which you can stuff the meat to cook. The grid (those metal runners, preferably cast iron) will be extremely hot, and will sear and sizzle the meat as you grill it.
If you elected to cook the chicken marinade I suggested, retain the marinade at grillside and pour it over the meat as it cooks. At first, since the grid is so hot, you may need to turn it a couple of times every minute to keep it from sticking to the grid and tearing. Pour your marinade over the chicken every time you turn it until it runs out–you can’t reuse it, it had raw chicken in it! Cheapskate. The chicken is done when it no longer feels squishy under your tongs, but firm. If you cooked on medium heat, it will look like the pictures you see on menus.
If you’re grilling steak, you just need to remember that the better the cut, the less work you need to do to make it delicious. The dry rub recommended earlier is almost overkill for a good steak. I like them about an inch thick, and that’s usually what you get unless you have the butcher cut it to order. When you toss these on the grill, just let them ride about five minutes per side. Done is a matter of taste and preference, and I usually navigate by feel–again, if it’s more squishy, it’s more red inside. A medium steak will feel pliable. If you take your flipper and place it on the steak and wiggle it fore and aft, the top will stretch independently from the bottom, but not as much as when it’s raw. A well done steak will not wiggle at all–you’ll feel the entire steak try to move from top to bottom as you slowly wiggle your flipper on it. With a little practice, this technique is easy to master, making you the Chosen One in all matters concerning seared animal flesh. Mwah-ha-ha.
Keeping in mind the suggested times for turning the meats above, you should be able to scamper in and out, between house and cold, a limited number of times. The key is, don’t feel that you have to sit in front of a grill with an open lid (very bad idea in the cold, because all the heat escapes from the grill) freezing your nuggets off. Besides, nuggets are fast food; we’re talking real food here. Just remember to have a strategy in the kitchen as well as the frozen back patio, and keep a pot of coffee on the boil. Oh, and if you have one of those freestanding firepits, feel free to light that when you light the grill–by the time it turns to hot coals, you’ll be ready for s’mores. You did remember the chocolate, didn’t you?
