Mastering the Grill_ The Owner's Manual for Outdoor Cooking - Andrew Schloss [75]
TIMING
Prep: 10 minutes
Grill: 6 minutes
GRILL TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
• Long-handled spatula
GETTING CREATIVE
• If you want to enhance the Japanese character of these burgers, garnish them with pickled ginger or daikon, wasabi mayonnaise, or a drizzle of teriyaki sauce; or coat them in toasted sesame oil rather than canola.
* * *
THE GRILL
Gas:
Direct heat, medium-high (425° to 450°F)
Clean, oiled grate
Charcoal:
Direct heat, light ash
12-by-12-inch charcoal bed (about 3 dozen coals)
Clean, oiled grate on lowest setting
Wood:
Direct heat, light ash
12-by-12-inch bed, 3 to 4 inches deep
Clean, oiled grate set 2 inches above the fire
INGREDIENTS (MAKES 4 SERVINGS)
1½ pounds tuna steak, cut into small chunks
1 tablespoon miso paste
½ teaspoon prepared wasabi
1 teaspoon soy sauce
4 scallions, roots trimmed, cut into ½-inch pieces
Oil for coating grill grate
1 tablespoon mild-flavored oil such as canola
4 hamburger buns, split
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat the grill as directed.
2. Chop the tuna finely enough so that when you press some between your fingers it clings to itself, but not so finely that it becomes mushy.
3. Remove the fish to a bowl and mix in the miso, wasabi, soy sauce, and scallions until well blended; do not overmix. Using a light touch, form into 4 patties no more than 1 inch thick. Refrigerate the burgers until the grill is ready.
4. Brush the grill grate and coat it with oil. Coat the burgers with the 1 tablespoon oil, put them on the grill, cover, and cook for 6 minutes, flipping halfway through, for medium-rare; do not cover the grill after flipping. Add a minute per side for medium-done.
5. To toast the buns, put them cut-sides down directly over the fire for the last minute of cooking.
6. If serving the burgers directly from the grill, serve on the buns. If the burgers will sit, even for a few minutes, keep the buns and burgers separate until just before eating.
Smoked Crab Burgers
The smoke in these burgers emanates from two sources: (1) wood chips and (2) hickory-smoked bacon strips that are tied around each crab cake like a ribbon. Make sure the wood chips go on a good 5 minutes before you put the burgers on the grill. Crab burgers cook so quickly that they will not absorb much smoky flavor unless the smoke is billowing vigorously before they come into contact with it. The recipe calls for back-fin crab, which isn’t as impressive (or as expensive) as lump crab but will hold together on the grill much better than the high-priced stuff.
TIMING
Soak wood chips: 1 hour
Prep: 10 minutes
(plus 10 minutes for rub and dip) Grill: 8 to 10 minutes
GRILL TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
• 2 cups hardwood wood chips
• Smoker box or foil packet, if using a gas grill (see page 16)
• Clean grill screen
• Long-handled spatula
* * *
THE GRILL
Gas:
Direct heat, medium-high (425° to 450°F)
Clean, oiled grate
Charcoal:
Direct heat, light ash
12-by-12-inch charcoal bed (about 3 dozen coals)
Clean, oiled grate on lowest setting
Wood:
Direct heat, light ash
12-by-12-inch bed, 3 to 4 inches deep
Clean, oiled grate set 2 inches above the fire
INGREDIENTS (MAKES 4 SERVINGS)
2 scallions, roots trimmed, thinly sliced
½ roasted red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped (about ¼ cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons grated onion
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Cajun spice blend, Old Bay seasoning, or Cajun Blackening Rub (page 373)
1 pound canned back-fin crabmeat
4 slices center-cut hickory-smoked bacon, cut in half lengthwise
Oil for coating grill screen
¼ cup Harissa Dip (page 396) or Lime-Cilantro Butter (page 393) (optional)
DIRECTIONS
1. Soak the wood chips in hot water in a medium bowl for at least 1 hour; heat the grill as directed. Drain the wood chips.
2. Mix the scallions, bell pepper, garlic, onion, mayonnaise, spice blend, and crabmeat in a