Home Food & Wine The Kitchenless Cook Burgers, chicken and hot dogs, oh my... Recipes to spice up that boring barbecue

Burgers, chicken and hot dogs, oh my... Recipes to spice up that boring barbecue

Written by Bill Knutson, The Kitchenless Cook

Tuesday, 31 May 2005

When I hear the word “barbecue,” two things come to mind. First is the actual grill itself, the fabulous tool I use to feed myself and to create my recipes each month. The second is an outdoor gathering of family and friends centered on food from a grill. These gatherings have been the inspiration for my cooking style. When I was younger, I quickly got bored with flipping burgers and rolling hot dogs on the grill and soon began my road to experimentation on the grill. My recipes this month reflect this experimentation and can prove to be a pleasant change of pace from the standard barbecue format. My first recipe, which I jokingly referred to as “Pork Pops” (now the name is stuck), is one of two this month made with pork belly. This flavorful cut of pork is removed from the outside of the rib and is primarily smoked and cured as bacon. But, it is used in its uncured state by many Asian cuisines and can be found in most Asian markets. For my pork pops, I wanted to combine three elements: the Asian influence, a sense of bacon and a barbecue flavor. I skewered thinly sliced pork belly and marinated them in a barbecue sauce made with maple syrup from Canada and sweet chili sauce from Thailand. These are easy to prepare in advance and grill up quickly for a tasty appetizer. By this point you are probably asking yourself: do we really need two recipes for pork belly? The answer is a resounding yes, because it is already appearing on many menus across The City and this succulent piece of meat has a bright future. And by marinating larger pieces of pork belly overnight and slow roasting them, the flavors and texture of the meat take on a completely different persona. I enjoy serving this type of dish at barbecues because all the prep work is done the night before, and you get to tantalize your guests with the savory aromas emanating from the grill and still have time to socialize. The reason burgers and hot dogs are the most common choice for barbecues is the ease with which they can be served. No knife and forks are needed. So, I decided to come up with a unique alternative that is as simple to serve and eat, a Vietnamese sandwich. One of my favorite fast foods, these sandwiches come on a simple French roll and are filled with a variety of meats (usually pork or chicken) and vegetables flavored with fish sauce. For my version, I used tri-tip steaks that were marinated overnight. The other advantage to these over burgers is that you don’t need to bring out all the assorted condiments such as mustard, relish, ketchup, etc. The only condiment you need is one dish of thinly sliced vegetables pickled in fish sauce and vinegar. ******************************* Grilled pork belly Pork Pops 1 lb. thinly sliced pork belly cup ketchup cup balsamic vinegar cup pure maple syrup cup sweet chili sauce bamboo skewers (soaked in water for an hour) Combine ketchup, vinegar, syrup and chili sauce in a bowl. Mix well. Add pork, and let sit refrigerated for an hour. Thread the skewers through the pork, leaving the pork bunched up and curly. Grill directly over medium high heat until crispy on the edges, approximately 4 minutes each side. Makes approximately 16-20 skewers. ******************************* Grilled Pork Belly 1 pounds slab pork belly can or bottle of stout 1 cup soy sauce cup rice wine vinegar 1 tablespoon Chinese 5-spice seasoning Cut pork belly into 3-inch squares, about 8 pieces. Combine all ingredients and marinate overnight in refrigerator. Grill skin side down over medium low indirect heat for 1 hour 15 minutes. Just before serving, place directly over heat for 5 minutes to crisp the skin. These make excellent leftovers for BLTs the next day, so make extra. ******************************* Vietnamese Tri-Tip Sandwiches 1 pounds thinly sliced tri-tip steaks (about inch thick) 8 small French rolls 5 red jalapeño peppers 1 tablespoon chopped lemongrass cup chopped basil 4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 4 tablespoons fish sauce 2 tablespoons corn syrup 1 cup dry white wine or sake 3 juiced limes cup chopped green onions 1 carrot 1 cucumber broccoli sprouts Combine steaks, 3 sliced jalapeños, lemongrass, basil, 2 tablespoons vinegar, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, corn syrup, wine, lime juice, and green onions. Marinate overnight in refrigerator. Grill steaks directly over medium high heat until grill marks appear, approximately 5 minutes each side. Thinly slice the carrots, cucumbers and remaining peppers. Combine with remaining vinegar and fish sauce. Refrigerate for an hour. Slice open rolls, add grilled steak, carrots, cucumber, peppers and sprouts. Please email your recipe and grilling questions to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Last Updated ( Saturday, 25 November 2006 )