Time to fire up the grill for Barbecue Month
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For something a bit different, consider grilling some lobster tails at your next cookout.
May has been designated as National Barbecue Month and I must admit I have been getting hungry for something cooked on an outdoor grill.
Every time I think the weather has warmed up enough to have a cookout, it changes again and makes me glad I didn’t yet put away my sweatshirts and flannel shirts. Maybe years ago the cold wouldn’t have bothered me one bit, but these days my comfort zone has changed. Luckily, my appetite has not and it always wins out
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If you are hankering for a chance to fire up the grill, I hope you find something here to inspire you. Get your barbecue forks ready.
Grilled lobster tails
2 8-oz. lobster tails, thawed if frozen
4 tablespoons salted butter, softened
2 tablespoons sriracha sauce
Chopped fresh chives
Fresh lemon wedges
1. Rinse tails lightly and pat dry with paper towels. Butterfly the tails by cutting lengthwise through the centers of the hard top shells and about half-way through the top of the meat with a kitchen shears. With your fingers, press shell halves of tails apart. If you see a dark line running down the center of the meat, that is the digestive tract (it may already be completely removed or only partially removed). To fully remove it, simply grasp it with a paper towel, pull it out and discard. Insert a metal skewer down the lobster tail so the tail stays straight and doesn’t curl up on the grill.
2. In a small bowl, stir butter and sriracha sauce until well mixed.
3. Heat grill to medium-high. Spread about 1 tablespoon of prepared sriracha butter over the meat of each lobster tail. Place tails on the grill, meat side down on the grates, for about 4 to 5 minutes. The lobster shell should turn bright orange. Flip tails over and spoon another teaspoon of sriracha butter onto the meat of each tail. Grill for an additional 3 to 4 minutes, or just until lobster meat is opaque. Do not overcook or the lobster meat will be dry. Remove tails from grill and let sit for a couple minutes before serving. Sprinkle with fresh chives. Serve with fresh lemon wedges for squeezing over the tails and additional reserved sriracha butter.
Grilled Asian garlic steak skewers
1 1/2 pounds top sirloin steak
1 red onion
2/3 cup soy sauce
6 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon grated ginger
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Sliced green onions, for garnish
Skewers
1. Cut steak into one-inch cubes. Cut the red onion into large chunks and set aside.
2. In a large bowl whisk together soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, vegetable oil, sugar, ginger and sesame seeds. Add the steak and toss to coat in marinade. Marinate for 3 hours or overnight.
3. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Thread the meat and the red onion onto the skewers. Grill for 8 to 10 minutes until the meat is done to desired liking. Garnish with green onions, if desired.
Grilled shrimp and vegetable packets
Amounts are not precise; use your own judgment according to how many you want to make.
Baby red potatoes
Fresh sweet corn on the cob, each cut into 2 or 3 pieces
Andouille sausage links, cut into large slices
Shrimp (I prefer in the shell, but it’s your choice)
Butter, melted
Fresh lemon juice
Fresh thyme and parsley, chopped
Garlic cloves, minced or pressed
Old Bay seasoning
1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat and tear aluminum foil into sheets large enough to wrap the food in.
2. Poke a couple of steam holes in each potato, then cook potatoes in the microwave for 2 minutes. Cut into slices once cool enough to handle.
3. Distribute sliced potatoes between the foil packets, followed by a piece or two of corn, sausage slices and shrimp.
4. Stir together melted butter, lemon juice, thyme, parsley, garlic and a small amount of Old Bay seasoning. Sprinkle the butter mixture over the shrimp foil packets.
5. Seal the foil packets and grill until potatoes are tender and shrimp is cooked. Serve hot.
Teriyaki turkey burgers with grilled pineapple and onion
For sauce:
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 clove garlic, pressed
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon sriracha sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch plus 2 teaspoons water, whisked together to make a slurry.
For burgers:
1 pound lean ground turkey
1/4 cup grated onion
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 burger buns or kaiser rolls
4 fresh pineapple rings
1 red onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
Avocado spread:
1 ripe avocado
1/4 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon honey
Salt and pepper, to taste
1. For sauce: In a small saucepan, whisk together all of the ingredients except the cornstarch water slurry. Bring the mixture to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Whisk in the cornstarch slurry and boil for another minute or until it has thickened. Remove from heat and refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use.
2. For burgers: In a large bowl, mix together the ground turkey, grated onion, teriyaki sauce, ginger, salt and pepper with your hands, being careful not to overwork the meat. Form into 4 patties and set aside. Heat the grill to medium-high heat and oil the grates (or use wire burger holders designed for grilling). Brush the pineapple rings and red onion slices with a little oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place them on the prepared grill and grill the pineapple for approximately 3 minutes per side and the onions for 4 to 6 minutes per side (unless they are in a grilling cage, turn with care so they don’t fall apart). While the pineapple and onions are grilling, add the turkey burgers to the grill and grill for approximately 3 to 4 minutes per side. Toast the buns on the grill for about 1 minute, if desired.
3. For avocado spread: Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. To assemble: Place the burgers on the toasted buns and spread a little more teriyaki sauce over the top. Add a pineapple ring and grilled onions to the top. Spread some of the avocado spread on the other half of the bun and serve. Makes 4 servings.
