The Secrets of Gorgeous Grilling
Top Local Chefs Share Their Recipes & Tips

Between July and September, when even the sycamores droop, outdoor cooking calls. Move the kitchen outside where heat can disperse and the food takes on a special tang… where fireflies replace candles and children scream through sprinklers as we settle down to the fine art of perfecting our favorite foods. 

Area chefs, too, recognize our affinity for seeking out grilled foods during the summer and have been tuning up their recipes and adding new twists to old favorites. Chef-owner Scott Switzer of Metro! Restaurant says his Cabo-Catalina marinade was inspired by the food in Cabo St. Lucas, taking on a distinctly Caribbean flavor with dashes of lime juice and diced jalapeno peppers. Because Metro! doesn’t have a grill, they “maneuver around” its absence by using a flat top and adding smoky flavorings to the ingredients—a lesson home chefs can take home, too. Switzer says an Escabiche movement has been apparent these days—reminiscent of a South American approach to frying fish, then marinating it, as opposed to conventional opposite. “That way, it soaks up the flavors,’’ Switzer explains.  The chef advises home cooks to be aware that many marinades contain sugar, which can caramelize and burn the meat, so sometimes it’s best to coat meats on the grill, after most of the cooking is done.

Homestead’s Executive Chef Rodger Martin says the resort has built up a tradition of huge outdoor barbecues on Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day. The smoked turkey, pulled pork, fried green tomatoes… it’s all cooked to order, he says, with eight grills going. Martin admits a preference for the charcoal grills. “I like the flavor,’’ he says, citing the fact that charcoal puts out low, consistent heat that gives meat time to cook slowly. “A lot of people use gas grills at home; the one thing they don’t do is sear their meat, so get a gas grill hot, about 450 to 500 degrees, and sear the meat so the juices stay in,’’ he advises. Then, move the meat over to the lower heat and cook it from there. 

Martin sees a trend in smoking, noting that he smokes and cures his own salmon, often over fruitwoods, which are a nice addition to any charcoal grill. “Fruit woods are probably best for smoking fish. They seem to have moisture in them and allow a nice, even heat, whereas pecan wood can get a little hot,’’ he says.  Vegetables done on a grill have grown in popularity as well, but they should be cooked over medium flames, he specifies.  He rubs a little olive oil on his, sprinkles a bit of garlic, and then salts afterwards. 

Over at Table 50 on the Market, Chef Myles Wallace thinks simple and direct is the best approach for grilling steaks. “I stick with tri-colored pepper and kosher salt because I grill a steak with fat in it,’’ he explains, adding that well-striated beef has more flavor. “In my opinion, filet is overrated, so when it comes to steak, leave it as is.’’

His poultry and pork, however, get a bit more doctoring. “I generally go with a dry rub, and then barbeque sauces or fruit juices. It’s endless what you can do. I rarely, if ever, grill those meats plain.’’

Dry rubs are at the mercy of your imagination. In the summer, says Wallace, he goes with more aromatic herb combinations such as basil, thyme, and zests of orange or lemon to light up the dish. In the winter he will use heavier, woodier herbs such as rosemary. You can leave a dry rub or marinade on for several hours, but with the latter, be cognizant that acid in the ingredients will eventually start to cook the meat. “I would say two hours is a good time zone to remove the product from the marinade,’’ he says. 

He uses a blackening seasoning with Louisiana influence on a tuna dish at Table 50. “It’s my own blend of spices. I coat the tuna with that, sear it to rare, and then add an andouille sauce with shallots, cream, salt and pepper, risotto and crème fraiche, blackened seasoning and finish it with crawfish tails.”

 

These chefs have been generous enough to share a few recipes with City Magazine. 

BARBECUE RABBIT
Courtesy of Mike Caudill, owner of Table 50 in downtown Roanoke
BBq Sauce:
1 cup ketchup
1 med. onion, quartered
½ cup white wine vinegar     
ÂĽ cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Tabasco                      
2 tsp dried mustard
½ cup brown sugar

Puree all in blender or food processor.

Rabbit:
1 3-lb. rabbit, deboned and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 tbsp oil
½ cup apple cider
Salt & cayenne pepper to taste
Season rabbit with salt and cayenne; heat oil in pot and sear rabbit meat; add cider, salt, cayenne, and cook one minute. Add barbecue sauce, cover, and simmer low for one hour. Cool and place in mixer with paddle attachment, and mix on medium until meat is shredded.  Adjust seasoning.

THE HOMESTEAD’S FAMOUS BBQ SAUCE
Courtesy of Executive Chef Rodger Martin of The Homestead, Warm Springs
One 14-ounce bottle ketchup 
Rinse ketchup bottle with 8 ounces water
3 ounces Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp Liquid Smoke
3 tbsp chili powder
3 tbsp lemon pepper
3 tbsp garlic powder
4 tbsp brown sugar

Mix all ingredients in small saucepan and warm on moderate heat.

JAMAICAN JERK SAUCE
Courtesy of Jamaican native Chef Radcliffe Vernon of The Homestead
¼ lb.  ginger
One Scotch Bonnet Pepper
One med onion
Four green onions
2 tsp fresh thyme
3 tsp garlic
1 tsp dry mustard
Salt & pepper to taste

Finely chop—almost puree—all ingredients, amarinate meat 24 hours ahead of cooking. 

CHARCOAL-GRILLED JUMBO BLACK TIGER SHRIMP,
ORZO AMANDINE, AND BALSAMIC-MIRIN GLAZE
From Chef-Owner Scott Switzer of Metro! Restaurant in downtown Roanoke
Cabo-Catalina Marinade (for Tiger Shrimp, 40-50 pieces)
3 cups ketchup          
1 cup shallots
¼ cup good quality vinegar (balsamic) 
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup finely minced garlic  
2 cups grapeseed oil
½ cup soy sauce          
½ cup fresh lime juice
¼ cup Dijon mustard   
1 cup fresh orange juice
1 cup chopped cilantro   
2 diced jalapenos
1 tbsp Madras curry   
To taste, cracked black pepper & sea salt.

Reserve grapeseed oil; mix all other components together, and drizzle in grapeseed oil. Adjust with salt and pepper to taste. Note this may also be used as a delicious summertime salad dressing.

Orzo Amandine
1 qt. cooled orzo pasta
2 each lemon zest
½ bunch minced parsley
1 cup almonds
1 cup plumped golden raisins
2 cups cooked shitake mushrooms
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp plumped/chopped oven-dried tomatoes

Balsamic-Mirin Glaze (for Asparagus, 2 bunches, trimmed)
2 cups balsamic vinegar
1 cup mirin
½ cup honey
½ each orange

Combine all and reduce to syrup; strain; season with a pinch of salt and cracked black pepper.

On second day, marinate shrimp up to six hours in Cabo-Catalina marinade, make orzo salad and allow flavors to blend at least a couple of hours. Quickly blanch asparagus in salted boiling water and drain; immediately toss in balsamic glaze and plate with grilled shrimp. 

Photo Caption:
Top left corner: Chef-Owner Scott Switzer of Metro! Restaurant skewers a tender piece of marinated Kobe Beef. Bottom left corner: Switzer plates the beef atop charcoal-grilled Jumbo Tiger Shrimp with Balsamic-Mirin glazed asparagus and Orzo Amandine.  Middle Photo: Switzer’s final creation.  Far Right: From Table 50, New Orleans BBQ Shrimp #2.