 | Lynn Rosetto Kasper is host of The Splendid Table. . . a nationally syndicated public radio call-in program devoted to the bountiful world of food, broadcast on KMUW FM89, listener supported public radio serving Wichita and South Central Kansas. Tune in every Saturday from 3 – 4 pm and join Lynne and her guests! For more information about FM89 membership, programming and special events, visit us online at www.kmuw.org |
Food & Drink
2003-10-01 16:28:00
Grilling 101
: We use our outdoor grill often and do well with marinated lamb, yakitori chicken, seafood and vegetables. But with hamburgers we fail. We make the patties about 1/2” thick from the leanest hamburger or ground round but they crumble and fall apart on the grill. How do we get the patties to stay together?
ANSWER: I'd make them thicker, maybe 3/4- to 1” thick, and cook them over a slightly lower fire so they don't burn on the outside before they're cooked on the inside. The very low fat content of the hamburger probably has something to do with it but there's a couple of tricks you can use. Add one egg yolk per pound of hamburger. It won't add appreciably to the fat content and will bind the meat beautifully. The other thing you can do is add canned, drained, crushed black beans or chickpeas to the hamburger. The starch from the beans will bind the meat together and add an interesting taste. The kids might not like it, though. QUESTION: Could you please recommend a different but still simple way to barbecue chicken? I have exhausted all my ideas already. ANSWER: It's hard to know what you've done already, but one favorite way for me is to marinate the chicken overnight in a mix that I whip up in a blender: It's the zest of a large lemon (the colored part of the peel), the pulp of the lemon, minus the seeds, half of a jalapeno chile, six or eight whole cloves of garlic, a quarter cup of olive oil, and a quarter teaspoon of dried oregano. Puree that, marinate the chicken, and then grill very slowly, drizzling the chicken with white wine as you go. And salt it. It's tart and hot and tangy all at the same time.QUESTION: Lynne, how can I keep fish from falling apart when cooking on the grill?ANSWER: The best trick I know that keeps the fish on the grill and not, for instance, on a piece of foil is to get a really fine mesh screen. Lay that over your grill, oil it, and use that as the surface you cook the fish on. Also, use two long, flat spatulas. They help in turning the fish and keeping it intact. Of course, overcooked fish tends to fall apart more than properly-cooked fish. One other trick is a hinged grill basket (also called a hinged fish basket). You open it up, put the fish in the center, close it, and you can turn it with a long handle. I hope that helps.QUESTION: Would a splatter screen (the kind for frying pans) work, or would the grill ruin it?ANSWER: Sure, it should. I think it should, and it's a great idea. Just be careful: Some of those splatter screens have plastic handles. And little drops of melted plastic on the fish is a major no-no. It doesn't add much. Great idea!
