Handy Hints for
Barbecue Grilling:
· Be organised: have everything you need ready and at hand
before you start grilling - Go through your food plan; think food
ingredients, marinades, seasonings, equipment and tools. Cover
food to protect against flies and sun.
· Don't use a fork and never stab the food when turningit
is best to use a pair of tongs to grip and turn. When you stab
the meat with a fork, you will allow tasty juices to drain away
into the fire which then can spit and develop aggressive flames.
· Food cooks faster under a covered grill
· You don't need to marinate tender cuts of meat overnight;
they can be marinated in as little as 15 minutes! Less tender
meats need to be marinated at least 6 hours.
· If using wooden skewers, soak in water thirty minutes
before using so ends won't burn during grilling time.
Grilled Artichokes with Garlic Mayonnaise
Thanks to Weber
barbecues
Select artichokes that
are deep green, relatively heavy, and with tightly closed leaves.
Garlic mayonnaise
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons orange juice
pinch kosher salt
4 large artichokes, 10 to 12 ounces each
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
In a small bowl combine the mayonnaise ingredients and refrigerate
until needed.
Bring a large pot of
salted water to a boil.
Cut the stem off each
artichoke, leaving about 1 inch attached. Peel off the dark outer
leaves until you expose the light green, yellowish leaves underneath.
Lay each artichoke on its side and cut off the top half so you
have just the firm base to work with. Cut each base in half lengthwise
through the stem and drop each half into a large bowl of water
mixed with the lemon juice (to prevent discoloration).
One at a time, lift
the artichokes from the lemon water and use a teaspoon to scoop
out all of the fuzzy choke and purplish leaves. Then use a small
sharp knife to trim off the bottom ends of the leaves and any
other greenish or yellowish areas around the base, including about
1/16 inch all the way around the stem. After each artichoke is
trimmed, return it to the lemon water.
Drain the artichokes
and cook them in the boiling salted water until you can pierce
them easily with a knife, 10 to 12 minutes, but don't overcook
them. Drain the artichokes in a colander and place in a large
bowl. While still warm, add the oil, tarragon, and salt. Toss
gently to coat the artichokes. (The artichokes may be made up
to this point and refrigerated for up to 4 hours. Bring to room
temperature before grilling.)
Grill the artichokes
over direct medium heat until well browned and warm, 4 to 6 minutes,
turning once. Serve warm with the garlic mayonnaise.
Makes 4 servings
