Recipes

Fuel Your Hot Grill Summer With These Recipes

Pork Ribs Glazed in Their Own Juices (photo by Ed Anderson)
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These ribs double down on porky goodness because they get the bonus treatment of using their own juices in the basting sauce.” — Chef Stuart Brioza

Pork Ribs Glazed in Their Own Juices
CHEF STUART BRIOZA
State Bird Provisions, San Francisco

Ingredients

  • 2 equal-size racks pork spareribs (2 to 2 ½ pounds each), preferably St. Louis–cut
  • 2 tbsp kosher salt
  • 1 ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 5 medium garlic cloves; 4 thinly sliced, 1 smashed and peeled
  • 2 lemons, top and bottom trimmed, cut into ¼-inch rounds, plus 1 ½ tbsp lemon juice, or as needed
  • 1 large rosemary sprig, leaves only, plus 1 small sprig, torn in half
  • 1 ½ tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 1 tsp shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven-spice)
  • ¼ cup thinly sliced scallions (white and green parts)

Directions 

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. On a work surface, lay out a sheet of aluminum foil that is about 4 inches longer than the rib racks, then lay a piece of parchment paper that’s about 3 inches longer than the racks in the center of the foil.
  3. Season the rib racks on both sides with the salt and pepper. Lay one rack, meaty side down, on the parchment paper. Scatter the sliced garlic on the rack, tile it with the lemon rounds, and scatter on the rosemary leaves. Lay the other rack, meaty side up, on top of the first rack.
  4. Wrap the racks snugly in the parchment, tucking the short sides under to create a neat package. Next, do the same with the aluminum foil, sealing the edges well to make sure no steam or juices escape during the cooking process.
  5. Put the foil package on a baking sheet and bake until the meat is very tender but not falling off the bone, about 2 hours, rotating once halfway through. Remove from the oven and let the ribs rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
  6. Open the package and scrape out and discard the lemon, garlic and rosemary. Carefully transfer the racks to a cutting board and cut into individual ribs. Pour the juices from the package into a small saucepan. Do not skim the fat. Add the smashed garlic and torn rosemary sprig to the saucepan, set over high heat, and bring to a simmer.
  7. In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and water until smooth. Gradually pour the cornstarch mixture into the pan, let come to a boil, and cook, stirring frequently, just until the glaze is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. (You can cover and set aside for up to 3 hours. Re-warm in a small saucepan over low heat until it comes to a simmer, then remove from the heat.) Stir in the lemon juice (to taste), season with salt, and then strain the glaze through a fine-mesh sieve into a mixing bowl, discarding the solids.
  8. Prepare a grill (or preheat a grill pan or wide heavy skillet) to cook over high heat. Oil the grill grates (or add enough oil to the grill pan or skillet to very thinly cover the surface). Add the ribs and grill, turning occasionally, until they’re browned all over, 3–5 minutes.
  9. As the ribs are browned, brush them generously with the glaze. Transfer the ribs to a platter and sprinkle with the shichimi togarashi and scallions. Serve right away.

Drink pairing: Pair with a good sour beer or something really hoppy like a Pliny.

Grilled Romaine Salad (photo by Frankie Frankeny)

“This particular salad made its way onto the menu at Nick’s Cove years ago and has held up to this day because it’s unexpected and daringly delicious. Plus, we can utilize our own romaine grown up in our Croft.” — Dena Grunt 

Grilled Romaine Salad
DENA GRUNT
Nick’s Cove, Marshall
Proprietor and author of Table With a View: The History and Recipes of Nick’s Cove (Camron + Company) shares a recipe from the book. 

Lemon anchovy vinaigrette ingredients

  • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 3 lemons)
  • 4 olive oil–packed anchovy fillets
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
  • ¼ tsp Kosher salt
  • ½ tsp freshly ground pepper
  • ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil

For the salad 

  • 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
  • ½ cup fresh breadcrumbs
  • 4 small romaine hearts
  • Kosher salt
  • ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions 

  1. To make the vinaigrette, in a blender combine the lemon juice, anchovies, garlic, mustard, Parmesan, salt and pepper, and blend on medium-high speed until smooth. With the blender running, slowly drizzle in the oil, blending until the vinaigrette is emulsified. Set aside. (The vinaigrette will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.) 
  2. In a dry small skillet, warm 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
  3. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat. Brush the grill grate clean.
  4. While the grill heats, halve the romaine hearts lengthwise, carefully cutting away most of the core, and leaving enough stem to keep the leaves attached to each other. Brush the cut sides of the romaine lightly with the oil, then season with salt. 
  5. Arrange the romaine halves, cut sides down, on the grate and grill until the leaves are nicely charred, about 1 ½ minutes. You do not want to cook the romaine. You just want to create nice char marks. 
  6. Transfer two romaine halves, grilled side up, onto each individual plate, arranging them into an X. Drizzle each serving with about ¼ cup vinaigrette, then sprinkle with 2 tablespoons Parmesan and 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs. Serve at once.

Drink pairing: My personal favorite is to pair this dish with a well-balanced sauvignon blanc.

grilled oysters
Grilled Oysters (courtesy of Murray Circle/Cavallo Point)

“This is a wonderful outdoor barbecue dish. Serve as an appetizer — the great part is you can prepare these an hour before. Using local oysters is always a great conversation piece.” — Chef Mike Garcia

Grilled Oysters
CHEF MIKE GARCIA
Murray Circle at Cavallo Point, Sausalito

Ingredients

  • ½ pound softened butter
  • 2 small shallots peeled and small diced
  • 2 tbsp chopped garlic
  • 2 tbsp chopped tarragon
  • 2 tbsp chopped Italian parsley
  • 2 tbsp chopped basil
  • Zest and juice of 2 Lemons
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp tabasco
  • 1 cup grated fresh Parmesan
  • 24 small to medium local oysters
  • 3–4 cups rock salt

Directions

  1. In a bowl mix all ingredients except the Parmesan, oysters and rock salt. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat grill. Use an old cookie sheet that will fit in your grill and fill with rock salt. Shuck open your oysters and place on the rock salt open side up. Make sure the oysters are level.
  3. Place a teaspoon of the butter mixture on top of each oyster. Top with ½ teaspoon of Parmesan.
  4. Place cookie sheet on grill and close the top. Cook till Parmesan is lightly caramelized and the oysters are slightly bubbling, 4–5 minutes.
  5. Serve with a squeeze of lemon.

Drink pairing: These go great with a local beer, sparkling wine or a whiskey sour.

Grilled Sea Bream (photo by David Varley)

“This dish has Egyptian roots and is very near and dear to my heart. It’s great for the warm season and speaks to the spirit of The Bungalow Kitchen. Each bite is an explosion of summer and sunshine!” — Chef Michael Mina

Grilled Sea Bream 
CHEF MICHAEL MINA
The Bungalow Kitchen by Michael Mina, Tiburon 
(a collaboration with Brent Bolthouse, opening this summer)

For the matbucha 

  • 1 tsp ground cumin seed
  • 1 tsp ground coriander seed
  • 1 tsp ground Urfa biber or ancho
  • ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp Pimenton de la Vera
  • 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 500 grams Pomi tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 4 gloves garlic, peeled and chopped
  • ½ cup tomato paste
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme
  • 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
  • 2 tbsp crispy fried onions or shallots
  • 1 15-ounce can-cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed 

Directions

  1. In a dry saucepan over medium heat, add dry spices and toast until fragrant and aromatic. Add extra-virgin olive oil to saucepan and infuse with spices.
  2. Add onion, garlic, sea salt, fresh ground black pepper, fresh thyme sprig and bay leaf to the saucepan. Stir to combine and cook over medium heat until translucent.
  3. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan to cook out the raw flavor of the paste. Don’t skip this step as it’s the foundation for a deep flavor.
  4. Add chopped tomatoes and chickpeas to the saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce to low heat. Cook for 20–30 minutes.
  5. Taste and adjust for seasoning as needed, and set aside for later use, ensuring it’s kept hot. 

For the grilled sea bream

  • 1 5–6-ounce cleaned dorade/sea bream fillet per person, with skin on and pin bones removed
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (for the fish)
  • Sea salt to taste
  • Fresh cracked black pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (for oiling the grill)

Directions

  1. Preheat the grill — you want it very hot. Once the grill is hot, brush the grates aggressively to remove any leftover carbon. Oil a folded paper towel and using tongs, brush the oiled paper towel along the grill grates.
  2. Close the grill’s lid and allow to heat up again.
  3. While the grill is getting hot, blot the skin side of the fish well with a clean, dry paper towel to remove any surface moisture. This is critical to getting crispy skin and preventing the fish from sticking to the grill.
  4. Brush the fish with the remaining olive oil and gently season both sides with salt and pepper.
  5. Working quickly, brush the grill grates again with the oil-soaked paper towel and place the fish skin side down. Resist the urge to move it. 
  6. After 1–2 minutes the fish should release itself from the grill surface — this is your opportunity to rotate it to help cook evenly. Use a thin spatula and be careful. 
  7. Cook the fish on the skin side until the skin is crispy and the flesh is 90% cooked through. When the fish is nearly cooked through, flip it gently so the flesh side is on the grill.
  8. Remove the fish once fully cooked and plate skin side up in shallow bowl, on top of hot matbucha. At The Bungalow Kitchen by Michael Mina, we finish the dish with chopped toasted almonds, fresh parsley leaves and flaky sea salt. 

Drink pairing: Magic Man cocktail made with aquavit, amontillado sherry, lemon, strawberry, hibiscus and clementine — serve over a large ice cube. 

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