Memorial Weekend is the nationally celebrated beginning of "grill season" from coast to coast. Those of us who live here are lucky enough to be able to grill year-round. It's the ultimate in affordable fast food and a welcome change from stove top cooking. Toss everything but the salad on your preheated grill and dinner is ready in minutes!
In our household, recipes and grilling prep of meats are usually left up to me. I prefer to keep things simple when it comes to grilling, because it's essentially my "day off" in the kitchen. We stick to basic, fast, and foolproof ideas, so the first recipe this month — intended to feed a crowd — uses no less than 80% lean ground beef with Slo Cooked Veggie Marinara (from May's Slo Coast Cooking).
Moist & Zesty Marinara Burgers
- 4 to 4 ½ pounds (value pack) lean ground beef
- 2-3 cups fresh, herbed bread crumbs (see tip below)
- ½ red bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup Slo Cooked Veggie Marinara
- 2-3 large eggs
Break up ground beef into a large mixing bowl, top with herbed bread crumbs and diced pepper. Whisk together marinara and eggs pour over meat, and using clean hands mix all ingredients until well combined. Set aside.
Lay out one sheet of waxed paper, and measure another of the same length. Using an ice cream scoop for consistency of size, spoon out ground beef mixture and roll into balls with your hands. Place the balls a few inches apart on the waxed paper, top with second sheet of waxed paper, and press the balls into patties. Repeat process until all of your meat mixture is formed into burgers. Chill until ready to grill.
Preheat your propane grill for at least 10 minutes. If using charcoal, wait until the fire has settled and coals are red hot. Place burgers on the grill, cook 3-4 minutes, turn, cook an additional 3-4 minutes, turn again. The burgers are thoroughly cooked (well done) when they're no longer soft if pressed with a spatula and juices run clear.
The recipe makes up to 18 burgers. Because I purchased my ground beef at $1.49 per pound through a "Today Only" special and made my own herbed bread crumbs, my cost — including marinara and eggs — was less than 50 cents per ¼ pound burger! Think casual party on a budget and make it a potluck to stretch your dollars farther.
Note about bread crumbs: most of us wind up with stale bread from bakery French loaves we haven't finished — tear leftover bread into pieces and place in a food processor with a few sprigs of fresh herbs from the garden. Pulse a few times to crumb. If you've priced a 15-ounce can of seasoned bread crumbs at the store (Springfield brand is $2.59), it's easy to decide to save money by making your own.
Chicken is another classic meat for the grill and recently all three Morro Bay markets had specials on drumsticks or thighs for less than $1.00 per pound in the value packs. One value pack of thighs held 12 pieces for an average cost of $3.50 per package, and drumsticks held an average of 14 pieces for a cost of $2.94 as a "Today Only" special. Free range chicken will cost more.
Keep a few rectangular, lidded containers handy for saltwater brining of chicken. Growing up on Virginia's coast I learned a brine of cold, salted water keeps chicken and other lean meats from drying out when fried or grilled. If you soak those 12 chicken thighs or 14 drumsticks in just over a quart of cold water with a few tablespoons of iodized salt or sea salt for at least an hour before grilling, it'll be the juiciest, tastiest chicken you've ever made!
Since I purchased fresh corn at four for $1.00, the next recipe cost less than one medium pizza with or without delivery, and was ready in 20 minutes.
Brined "Sea Legs" with Corn
- 1 value pack (12-14 pieces) saltwater brined chicken thighs or drumsticks
- Herbed seasoning of your choice – we like Chef Paul Prudhomme's Magic Poultry Blend or Wildwood Blends Pork & Poultry Marinade
- Fresh ears of corn
Arrange chicken thighs or drumsticks skin side down on preheated grill. Sprinkle with seasoning and grill for five minutes, turn over each piece and sprinkle with additional seasonings. Add corn in the husk on the sides of the grill and grill for several minutes in the husk, turning occasionally. Alternatively, you can remove husks and cook ears of corn directly on the grill, but watch carefully as the sugar content can cause quick burning of kernels. The chicken thighs or drumsticks are done when they feel very firm if pressed with tongs and, when pierced with a fork, juices run clear. Transfer meat and corn from the grill to a large platter and serve with a side salad and fresh bread or rolls if desired.
To save a dollar or two (or more) per pound, I buy a whole boneless pork loin when they're on sale, bring it home and tuck it into the freezer to partially freeze it for about 30 minutes, then cut it into a roast, chops and stew meat. Those chops are terrific grilled with vegetables! When I'm going for more of a "pork steak" flavor, the following recipe works well.
Steakhouse-Style, Grilled Pork Chops with Summer Squash
- 4-6 boneless pork loin chops, ½ to ¾ inch thick
- ½ cup light beer
- ¼ cup bottled steak sauce – we buy ours at Dollar Tree
- 1 tablespoon McCormick or other brand steak seasoning blend
- 2 pounds fresh zucchini and golden squash
Place pork chops in a gallon sized, zip top bag; add beer, steak sauce and steak seasoning, press out most of the air while closing the bag, and marinade in the refrigerator for a few hours or all day, turning the bag at least once. Arrange marinated chops on a hot grill with washed, whole zucchini and golden squash, cover the grill and cook for about 3 minutes. Turn chops and squash, cover, and grill for an additional 5 minutes, then turn again. Pork and vegetables will be done at about the same time—the vegetables should be soft when picked up with tongs, and the "steaks" will feel firm when pressed. Transfer meat and vegetables to a platter and serve with oven fries if desired.
Steven's Chicken, Rice & Corn Salad
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From Where I Cook… leftover grilled meats are great in other "fast food" recipes for those evenings you'd like to get dinner on the table quickly with little fuss. Cut up leftover grilled burgers or Steakhouse-Style pork chops, add the meat to one 15-ounce can each of pinto, kidney and black beans (drained and rinsed) in a large pot. Stir in a few chopped, fresh tomatoes, chili powder, and salt and cook for 10-15 minutes over medium heat for an improvisational pot of homemade chili. It's hearty enough to stretch into two meals, especially when served over cut up lettuce and sprinkled with shredded cheese.
Leftover grilled chicken and corn, chopped and boiled with 2 cups dry rice, 1 cup bottled or homemade salsa, and 3 ½ cups water becomes a Spanish rice styled casserole. Served over cut up lettuce and sprinkled with shredded cheese, it becomes "Steven's Chicken, Rice & Corn Salad," named after one of my husband's favorite comfort food meals . . . but it's ready in a fraction of the time it takes to roast a chicken. You have to love that! Thankfully, he does.
