summer cooking tips from 'america's test kitchen' - gas grill

Tired of old burgers and hot dogs in July 4? You're in luck.
In the fresh air on Tuesday, Jack Bishop and Bridget Lancaster from the American test kitchen highlighted with Terry Gross their favorite barbecue techniques and summer recipes
From meat to vegetables and even desserts.
The Bishop and Lancaster have been grilling for many years.
They like the technique because it can concentrate the taste and make the food taste very, very good.
"You're basically creating this scorched surface," Lancaster said . ".
"The smoked charcoal on the food will make everything better --
Maybe not the pie, but everything else.
"Barbecue BasicsLancaster called himself" etc.
Opportunity drill"
That is to say, depending on the content of the dinner, she will cook with charcoal or gasoline.
"I use the gas grill more often because it is very convenient," she said . ".
"Charcoal is more of a project.
You have to burn coal and make a fire.
But in my opinion, the charcoal grill is one of the best ways to grill or smoke food. "Bishop agrees.
"I have a gas grill and a charcoal grill," he admitted . ".
"When I want the smell of smoke, I will use the charcoal grill and add the wood block extra.
But I bake everything.
I toast in the summer and I don't bake four slices of Brussels bread on fire.
"Here are some of the reliable techniques Lancaster and Bishop have made for their favorite Summer recipes: frozen tomato soup: having a cold vegetable soup in a warm summer is a good thing.
Lancaster recommends starting with a regular garden
All kinds of tomatoes.
Simply bake in the oven with tomato sauce, chili, scallions and garlic to condense their flavor.
Then throw them into the food processor with olive oil.
"You ended up with this luxurious, silky, rich tomato soup that was beautiful --
"The bread is delicious," she said.
About the corn on the stick: Is it difficult to get the corn out of the shell?
Help with the microwave, Bishop said.
"You cut off the first line of kernels from the stem end --
Part attached to the plant-
Then throw the whole thing in the microwave and after 30 seconds you can slide both the shell and the silk down [off].
"He also suggested that if you are going to non-boiled corn, it will take no more than a minute or two to cook it. grilling route.
"The corn we eat now has little resemblance to the corn we ate a long time ago," he said . ".
"Using the old recipe, it might say Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, but it's too long.
"Remember to save cobs for inventory.
"You can make rice with it, soup in summer --
"This is also very suitable for bean dishes," Bishop said . ".
On short ribs: short ribs are usually not cooked on a grill because they are a harder meat filled with connected tissue and take a long time to break down.
But Lancaster says there is an alternative: cover your short ribs with foil and bake in the oven for hours at low temperatures.
This helps to break down the tough connecting tissue into gelatin, giving the meat a silky texture.
"We start them in the oven, rub them with this spice and coat them with a layer and steam them with a little vinegar," she said . ".
"When they get to the grill, We season them with sour mustard and brown sugar sauce, and they are amazing.
They will melt in your mouth.
On the burger patties: Lancaster says she's a purist
She likes 85% thin beef.
But it is important to note that you can get a better burger by grinding your wounds.
"You can choose short rib meat, Bull bris and steak tip so you can make beef patties," she said . ".
On the turkey burger: Lancaster says forget the dry ice hockey you might have eaten in the past.
Use turkey thigh meat, add delicious spices such as mushrooms and soy sauce to keep the meat moist.
"We also added expanded gelatin to a little bit of chicken, which gave [turkey burgers]
"The taste of the beef burger is silky," Lancaster said.
"We put a little baking soda on them.
Baking soda is a base, so it increases the pH and makes the meat tender, so you end up with a juicy, meaty, juicy turkey burger.
"When grilling vegetables: vegetables need to be cut into large shapes so they don't fall off the grill.
Bishop's favorite is red onions, zucchini and sweet potatoes. he cuts them in half --
Before putting them on the grill, the inches thick circle.
"They need a very, very cool fire, so you can't put them directly on the coal," he said . ".
"It will take about 20 minutes.
What's happening on the grill is that it brings out natural sugar and it's caramelized and tastes more than any other way you cook these vegetables.
"About Fish: The biggest complaint received from the Test Kitchen about grilled fish?
It sticks to the fireside.
But there is a simple solution: take a stack of paper towels dipped in vegetable oil and rub on the grill several times with pliers.
"This creates a temporary non-stick surface on the grill grate," Bishop said . ".
"Then you tilt the fish over the grill to prevent it from falling, and when it's time to flip the fish, make the spatula below easier.
On a simple summer dessert, you can choose the fruit gratin.
It's easy, delicious, and seasonal, Lancaster says.
Throw them into the bottom of the pie pan and make a simple bread topping with butter, cinnamon and sugar.
"Put it on the berries and put it in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes at a temperature of 350 degrees," she said . ".
"It's absolutely amazing.
You fished it out with ice cream.
Probably my favorite summer dessert.