Fire It Up - Andrew Schloss [57]
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup dry Madeira or Marsala
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
¼ cup peach preserves
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
DIRECTIONS:
If you are grilling with bamboo skewers, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes.
If the liver still has its thin outer membrane, remove it. Cut the liver into pieces about 1 by 2 inches, removing and discarding any veins. Wrap each piece of liver in a slice of pancetta, tucking in a small sage leaf as you wrap. Thread the liver pieces and cipolline alternately onto skewers, threading the cipolline through the ends so that the sides will rest on the grill. Coat all over with the oil and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of the salt and the pepper. Let stand until the grill is ready.
Light a grill for direct medium heat, about 375°F. As the grill heats up, pour the Madeira and balsamic into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil until the liquid is reduced by half, 5 to 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, stir in the preserves, and simmer for 1 minute. Whisk in the butter and season with the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and a pinch more pepper. Keep warm.
Brush the grill grate and coat with oil. Grill the skewers directly over the heat until the onions are tender and the liver is nicely browned but still pink inside, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Serve with the sauce.
SWEETBREADS/VARIETY MEAT
Grilled Veal Sweetbreads with Grilled Marrow on Toast
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Sweetbreads bear no relation to bread and are no sweeter than any other part of an animal. They are pancreas and thymus glands—two glands that reside near the stomach and in the throat of the animal—and they taste absolutely wonderful. Seek out pancreas (stomach or “heart”) sweetbreads, which are rounded and have a creamier texture and more delicate flavor than narrow, elongated throat sweetbreads. This recipe has a few separate elements, but smart timing turns them all out at once and makes a great first course. First marinate the marrow bones. Next soak and poach the sweetbreads. Once your grill is lit, put the bones on first, away from the heat. The sweetbreads are grilled directly over the heat and go on when you’re about halfway through cooking the bones. When the bones and sweetbreads come off the grill, the bread goes on for toasting.
INGREDIENTS:
4 large bamboo or metal skewers
Grilled Marrow:
¼ cup olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
8 center-cut veal marrow bones, about 2 inches each
Sweetbreads:
1 pound fresh veal sweetbreads, preferably pancreas
1 gallon water
½ cup white wine
½ cup distilled white vinegar
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
A few sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
A few sprigs fresh thyme
3½ teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ cup White Balsamic Citrus Glaze
4 slices from a large round loaf of crusty bread, each about ¼ to ½ inches thick
DIRECTIONS:
For the grilled marrow: Combine the oil, sage, garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Add the bones and toss to coat. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 8 to 16 hours.
Remove the marinating bones from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
For the sweetbreads: While the bones are marinating, soak the sweetbreads in cold water for 4 hours. Rinse in cold water until the water is clear. Put the gallon of water, the wine, vinegar, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaf, parsley, thyme, and 3 teaspoons of the salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat so that the mixture barely simmers. Add the sweetbreads and poach until they begin to feel firm, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let stand in the poaching liquid for 5 minutes. Remove from the poaching liquid and soak in ice water until cool enough to handle. Pat dry, and then remove the membrane and separate into 2-inch pieces. Toss the pieces in a bowl with the