Italian Grill - Mario Batali [54]
Remove the veal chops from the refrigerator to come to room temperature. Preheat a gas grill or prepare a fire in a charcoal grill. In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and slightly crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic cloves and vinegar and cook until the liquid is reduced to about ¼ cup. Stir in the thyme and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Season the chops with salt and pepper and brush them with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Place on the hottest part of the grill and cook, turning once, for about 8 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to a platter and let rest for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, reheat the mushrooms over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Spoon the mushrooms and sauce over and around the chops, and serve immediately.
Big veal loin chops are a real treat, and this simple but elegant dish is worthy of a special dinner. If chanterelles are not in season, substitute other wild mushrooms or even cremini (adjust the cooking time accordingly).
SPIT-ROASTED
PRIME RIB
SERVES 10
3 tablespoons kosher salt
3 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary, plus 2 or 3 whole sprigs
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons Colman’s dry mustard
One 8-pound prime rib roast, chine bone removed and fat trimmed to a thin layer by the butcher
About 1 cup dry white wine
Coarse sea salt
IN A SMALL BOWL, combine the salt, pepper, chopped rosemary, thyme, and dry mustard and mix well. Rub the spice mixture generously all over the meat. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 1 hour at room temperature.
Prepare a gas or charcoal grill for spit-roasting over indirect medium heat (or according to the instructions for your grill). Pour about ½ inch of wine into the drip pan, add the rosemary sprigs, and set under the center of the spit.
Push the spit through the roast and secure it with the clamps. Attach the spit to the rotis-serie mechanism, cover the grill, and cook for about 1 ½ to 2 hours, depending on the temperature of your grill, or until the internal temperature—insert an instant-read thermometer about 3 inches deep into the center of the roast, without touching the bones—reaches 115° to 120°F for medium-rare (the temperature will rise at least 5 degrees while the roast rests). Check the temperature after 1 ¼ hours, and once it has reached 110°F or so, check it often.
Remove the spit from the grill and place the roast, still on the spit, on a carving board (if you remove the spit before letting the roast rest, you will lose a lot of the juices) to rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove the spit from the roast. Carve the roast off the bone and cut into ¾-inch-thick slices. Place on a platter, set out a small bowl of coarse salt and a pepper mill alongside, and serve.
This is the most dramatic dish in my canon of grill recipes. When it’s properly cooked, you are heroic; if it’s overcooked, you are a dog—so be careful, and use a thermometer to check the temperature. Serve with Sweet Potatoes in Cartoccio (page 229), Asparagus Wrapped in Pancetta with Citronette (page 30), and/or Thousand-Ridges Japanese Eggplant (page 213).
SPIT-ROASTED
LEG OF LAMB
WITH MINT PESTO
SERVES 8
One 4 ½- to 5-pound boneless leg of lamb, rolled and tied (or one 7- to 8-pound bone-in leg, boned, rolled, and tied)
6 garlic cloves
½ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup distilled white vinegar
1½ teaspoons balsamic vinegar
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
½ teaspoon paprika