My Achy Breaky Grillin' Heart

Grilled Corn Relish

Grillin' and chillin'! The joys of outdoor summer cooking sure as hell did not applied to me. I bought a new grill and even invited friends and family over. I was so excited to kick off the grilling season, but grilling kicked my ass in return. I had success with the burgers. It was home ground and simply seasoned with Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce. My gouchijan marinated chicken wings never failed to please and sure did its finger licking duty. The salads came out good and the grilled corn was sweet, sweet, sweet! Then there were the ribs. They came out a little charred the first time. I figure aluminum foil would do the trick the second time around and the problem will be solved. A few days later I tried again and this time grilled pork ribs part deux came out amazingly disastrous. I'm going to spare you the horrific images of once beautiful pork ribs burnt to the bones. Grilling might have bruised up my spirit but it didn't break it. I grilled again and the third time really was the charmed! So what did I do differently this time to avoid burnt pork ribs? I grilled a nice juicy steak instead! Just can't handle having my grilling heart broken again. Time heals all pain right? I will grill ribs again...someday.


Grilled Clams with Mignonette Sauce

While not serving burnt food might have made my third grilling attempt more pleasant then all the other times, the real joy of the night came from how fast and easy it was to prepare the whole meal.

Here was the menu:
Tricolor Tomato Basil Salad w/ Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette
A mixture of yellow cherry tomatoes, roma tomatoes, and green tomatoes all tossed with basil, balsamic vinegar, honey, and olive oil.

Grilled Corn Relish
An alternative to eating corn off the cob. See recipe below.

Grilled Steak with Asparagus
The steak was seasoned with salt, cumin, chili powder, and black pepper.
The asparagus was grilled just as.

Grilled Clams with Mignonette Sauce
Grilled cherrystone clams all dressed up with a classic mignonette sauce.
Used raspberry champagne vinegar, shallots, and a pinch of salt for my mignonette.

Every recipe had less than 5 ingredients. Most importantly, nothing got charred to death, and I didn't feel guilty having to present a plate of protein that resembles strikingly like charcoal.


Tricolor Tomato Salad w/ Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette


Grilled corn

If you find yourself stressing over the grill more than enjoying it, you're not really grilling! Luckily, many summer days and nights are still ahead. I just need to remind myself grilling is more than another method of cooking,it's also a state of mind. A tall cold glass of beer usually helps to enforce that rule.



Grilled Corn Relish

Ingredients:
3 ears of grilled corn
Scallions
Cilantro
Lime zest and juice

Directions:
I like to grill my corn with the husk intact. Just make sure to soak the ears in water 30 minutes before grilling. The soaked husk prevents the corn from burning and allows you to divert your focus on something else rather than watching your corn cook. Do turn them once in a while.

When the corn is cooked, peel off the husk. You can start shaving off the corn kernels with a knife into your serving bowl. If you want the grill marks, just put the husked ears on the grill for a few minutes.

Mix in chopped scallions and cilantro with the kernels.

Squeeze and zest in a lime, add salt and pepper, and just mix.




The result of stress free grilling.

Will you be grilling this summer? What's your favorite thing to cook up on the grill?