The grill is lit. The meat is on. Burgers, steaks, seafood, ribs, chops, dogs, sausages, chicken. Enough to keep a grill cook busy all summer long. How about something to go beyond naked meat?
I’ve gathered a few easy mix and match sauces to add some glitz to those standbys. Some are good with any meat or fish at all. Others have an affinity for one in particular. Most can be thinned (with juices or oil) to make a salad dressing or a drizzle for grilled vegetables. Alternatively thicken them (with cheese or yogurt) for a dip. None require a stove. Add a side dish or two, and you have a party.
A special note on the chicken. Spatchcocked is making the rounds because it’s easy on the grill cook. Basically, the backbone is cut out of a whole chicken which is then flattened, and remains in a single piece. Kind of like a Picasso portrait where the face is rearranged.
Some larger supermarkets carry the chicken already cut, flattened and packaged in plastic — ready to cook.
Place it, skin side down, on a hot grill for 10 minutes until it browns. Flip it over and cook it for another 20 minutes, covered, rotating again for another 20 minutes. Some cooks weight the chicken down with a couple of bricks wrapped in aluminum foil. It is fully cooked when a meat thermometer reads 155-160 degrees. Or cut between the body and thigh looking for clear or barely pink juices.
I like to put at least two sauces on the table to flavor the feast.
COOLING CUCUMBER DIP/SAUCE/DRESSING
Makes about 2 cups.
This mix of hallmark flavors from Greek eateries can be thinned with lemon juice to make a sauce or salad dressing. Great with lamb kebabs or chops. A revelation with fish, especially grilled shrimp.
Alter at will by adding feta cheese and/or fresh dill.
1 medium cucumber, peeled
Salt, ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 scallions, sliced thinly
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons minced fresh mint
Cut cukes in half lengthwise; scoop out seeds. Chop it into ½-inch dice. Stir together with remaining ingredients. Taste for seasoning. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before using.
YOGURT-AVOCADO DIP/SAUCE
Makes about 2 cups.
Not just for barbecue; if you skip the onion, and thicken with goat cheese or even cottage cheese, it spreads beautifully on breakfast toast. Use this soon as the avocado will discolor.
1 large avocado, peeled, pitted (about 1 cup)
½ cup lemon juice (more to taste)
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon minced shallot or sweet onion
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
Salt, ground black pepper
Place avocado pulp in a food process. Add juices and puree. Stir in lemon peel and the remaining ingredients. Adjust seasonings to taste.
BASIC TOMATO SALSA (PICO)
Makes about 2 cups.
You can buy this in a jar, but once you try it freshly made, there’s no going back. Salsa recipes usually call for peeled tomatoes, but the finished product has a better texture with the skin on.
2 cups cored, seeded, and coarsely chopped tomatoes
1 cup minced chopped scallions or red onions
½ teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 to 2 minced jalapenos
½ cup minced cilantro leaves
Combine the first 6 ingredients, then adjust the amount of salt, pepper or chilies. Stir in half the cilantro. Set aside for 1 hour to blend flavors. Stir in remaining cilantro before using.
TOMATO-CORN SALSA
Makes about 2 cups.
This takes plain salsa to another level.
½ cup cooked corn kernels
8 ripe plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
½ cup chopped red onions
1-2 teaspoons minced jalapeno peppers
4 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Salt, ground black pepper to taste
Stir together all the ingredients in a bowl. Set aside, covered, in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Bring to room temperature before using.
MANGO-BLACK BEAN SALSA
Makes about 2 cups.
The range of colors included here make this mild salsa very inviting.
1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
¼ red bell pepper, diced
¼ green bell pepper, diced
1 small red onion, diced
½ cup canned black beans (drained and rinsed)
1/3 cup pineapple juice
Juice of 2 limes
1 tablespoon ground cumin
Salt, and ground black pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Chill, covered for up to 5 days.
PIRI-PIRI SAUCE
Makes about 2 cups.
This incendiary sauce, also called peri-peri or peli-peli, was the invention of Portuguese traders in South Africa, Mozambique and Macau. It was originally made with birds’ eye chilies indigenous to that part of the world. Drizzle it over cooked meats or serve it on the side to prevent surprise.
½ cup coarsely chopped fresh hot chili peppers
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup olive oil
1 cup red wine vinegar
Combine all the ingredients in a jar. Cover and let stand in the refrigerator for at least a week. Shake very well before using.
