By Margaret Malsam
Our wise and beloved fathers merit some special food preparations on Father’s Day. Mark Twain once said, “When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around, but when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years.”
Grilling has become a culinary rite that most American men enjoy, so why not celebrate his special day with a backyard cookout? Grilling has come a long way since the first portable charcoal grills were invented. Today it has been refined into a sophisticated art and a way of life for many Americans.
Young and old seem to enjoy meals in the great outdoors. The food always seems to taste better when cooked on the grill. The menu can be as simple as burgers and hot dogs or as sophisticated as birds and seafood fixed in blue ribbon ways. Just the entrée or a whole meal can be cooked on a grill. Even desserts can be prepared on the grill.
History of grilling
Cavemen and wandering tribes actually first mastered cooking food over an outdoor fire many centuries ago. Since grilling is closely linked to our earliest history of subsistence and survival, it may explain the ritualistic nature of much backyard grilling. There’s something solemn and ceremonial — but with an undertone of joy — about the preparation for a meal cooked outdoors over direct heat.
When cooking first started, men and women discovered they could roast meat over hot embers on long sticks or cook vegetables and fish wrapped in damp seaweed over hot fire-pit stones. Through the centuries, people have developed more sophisticated ways of cooking food using clay ovens, hearths and stove grills. Some kitchens now are equipped with indoor barbecue grills built into the countertops, and many families now have installed freestanding gas grill/ovens on their patios.
The technique of grilling over hot coals or woods was brought to America from a tiny island called Hispaniola in the Caribbean. During the 17th century, this island was a place of refuge for hundreds of shipwrecked sailors and runaway servants. These early vagabonds learned the method of smoke-drying meat over hot coals on woven green wood grids from the natives. Later the Spanish people were fascinated by this new cooking method, which they called a “barbacoa.” The Spaniards carried this method of cooking with them into Mexico and the American Southwest, where it quickly became very popular.
Art of grilling
In recent years, grilling has been rediscovered and reinterpreted due to the new emphasis on more straightforward, flavorful ways of cooking fresh foods. Grilling is perfect for fresh seafood, produce, high quality beef, pork and poultry. The intense dry heat of the coals or gas flames sears in the natural moisture to heighten the flavor of the food.
Grilling vegetables heightens their natural flavor while giving them a light smoky grill flavor. Brush vegetable skins with oil before grilling. Vegetables are easy to grill and cook beautifully over any fire. Usually vegetables threaded on a skewer require only 15-20 minutes cooking time in a covered grill and 5-10 minutes longer on an open grill. Onions, mushrooms, bell peppers and sliced zucchini cooked on a grill make flavorful toppings for hamburgers, giving them a gourmet look.
Making kabobs for the grill is a popular way to grill chunks of almost any food. Just thread foods artistically on a wooden or metal skewer. Brush with a marinade, oil or butter, place on the grill and turn until desired doneness is achieved.
Fruit or cake kabobs can make wonderful grilled desserts. Thread large maraschino cherries in the center of canned peach halves, alternating with quartered fresh orange slices. Brush with butter and grill, turning often. To make cake kabobs, cut 1 ½” cubes from a pound or angel food cake. Dip in melted jelly. Then roll in flaked coconut to cover. Thread on skewers and toast quickly over a very hot grill, turning often.
If your grill has a rotating spit, try roasting a pineapple. Pare a medium pineapple, Leave the leafy crown intact and wrap with foil. Removes eyes and replace with whole cloves. Center the pineapple on the spit. Secure with a holding fork. Rotate over hot grill 45-60 minutes, basting frequently with mixture of ½ cup maple syrup and ½ t. cinnamon. Slice and serve hot.
