Summer grilling season is upon us! Here’s to backyard grilling and bbq.

Kai Yaang (Thai grilled chicken)

• 2 1/2 to 3 pounds various chicken parts, or a whole chicken, halved
• 8 or more minced garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon ground white pepper
• As much minced lemongrass as you like. I like a lot (like a 1/2 cup or more!)*
• 6-8 thai bird chilies, minced
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar
• Half a bunch of cilantro, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar

* Fubonn (and many Vietnamese markets) sell finely minced lemongrass in plastic tubs in the freezer section. They are a time saver, and the industrial cut is finer than anything you can reproduce at home. Highly recommended

Place chicken parts in a bowl. Add all the marinade ingredients and mix well. Marinade for at least four hours or overnight.
Start a charcoal grill in your kettle grill, keeping the hot coals on one half.

Once the coals are going, grill the chicken for 10-15 minutes over hot coals, turning often, until a nice color develops.

Move the chicken to the cooler side of the grill. Turn every so often, and cook for another 20-30 minutes. This is backyard grilling—use your backyard grillSense. Move parts back to the hot side as needed.

Serve with sweet chili dipping sauce.

The tri-tip roast is one of my favorite cuts o’ beef. From the WIKIPEDIA- THE FREE ENCYCLOPEDIA ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB:

The tri-tip is a cut of beef from the bottom sirloin primal cut.[1] It is a small triangular muscle, usually 1.5 to 2.5 lbs. (675 to 1,150g) per side of beef.

…

In much of Europe, the tri-tip is usually sliced into steaks, known as “triangle steaks” in the United Kingdom. In France the tri-tip is called aiguillette baronne and is left whole as a roast.[2] In Northern Germany, it is called Bürgermeisterstück or Pastorenstück, in Southern Germany and Austria Hüferschwanzel, and a traditional Bavarian and Austrian dish serves it boiled with horseradish. In Spain, it is often grilled whole and called the punta de triángulo. In Central America, this cut is also usually grilled in its entirety, and is known as punta de Solomo, and in South America, it is grilled as part of the Argentine asado and is known as colita de cuadril.

I like the tri-tip because it’s big and beefy—it’s ultimately representative what I think “beef” should taste like—and, as long as you have a steady heat source and a decent marinade, cooking tri-tip is relatively easy with predictable results. Asian-style marinades work well, as does grill/roasting. Also, the tri-tip is a lean cut of beef, so you can really pig out.

Tri-tip Roast/Marinade

• 1 tablespoon soy
• 1 tablespoon maggi
• 2 tablespoons worcestshire
• 1 tablespoon sweetened black chinese vinegar
• 8 cloves garlic, smashed and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 white onion, finely diced
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• Plenty of coarse ground red szechuan, green and black peppercorns (if you think you’ve used too much, then use some more)

Combine all ingredients, pour over tri-tip and turn to coat. Marinade overnight.

Fire up you grill—I like charcoal in a conventional kettle style Weber.

Here’s a technique I’ve come to use more and more. I use a chimney starter for my charcoal. Newspaper in the bottom ignites the bottom layer of charcoal, which builds over the course of 15 minutes to a towering inferno of blazing hot flames. Before dumping this, I like to place the grill grate of my mini Weber kettle on top of the flames and sear my meat, before dumping the coals and finishing the roast over indirect heat under a covered (and vented) dome.

Most timing charts will tell you about a 1/2 hour per pound, I would go less than that if you like your meat more on the pink side. If you have a meat thermometer, you can test for internal doneness. Turn once during roasting, and of course, allow the meat to sit for at least 10 minutes after removing from the grill.

Some time ago I had an ahi appetizer at Saucebox, a local restaurant and bar in downtown Portland. The tuna was coated with furikake and seared over high heat, creating an interesting texture that I rather enjoyed. The app was accompanied with a creamy sauce that I don’t quite remember (possibly a kewpie base with chili sauce) — it was certainly fine, but I generally prefer lighter dressing for my fish.

As it was $14 for about 2 ounces of fish (if that), I decided to replicate it at home using an ahi filet from the local sashimi-grade fishmongerer.

Furikake Ahi

1. Furikake. From Wikipedia:

Furikake (振り掛け or ふりかけ) is any dry Japanese condiment meant to be sprinkled on top of rice. It typically consists of a mixture of dried and ground fish, sesame seeds, chopped seaweed, sugar, salt, and monosodium glutamate. Other flavorful ingredients such as katsuobushi (sometimes indicated on the package as bonito), salmon, shiso, egg, vegetables, etc. are often added to the mix.

Uwajimaya carries a few brands, some with more than half a dozen varietals that are all variation upon a theme.

2. Shichimi-Togarashi

Japanese red pepper blend. I had a friend in high school/college who worked in her Mom’s sushi restaurant (she’d open the place to us after hours), and she swore to me that marijuana seeds were an integral component to togarashi. Seeing as we were eating drunkenly-rolled maki (“Go back there,” she would say, gesturing to the sushi bar, “and help yourself”), swilling Kirins and cutting into her mom’s profit margins, I was inclined to believe her.

3. Salt.

Use your judgement and create a thin coating layer on a plate or cutting board.

Coat the flesh with a nice layer of furikake and seasonings. Heat a stainless steel pan over high heat until smoking, add a bit of peanut oil (should smoke immediately). Sear ahi one minute per side.

Remove from plate.

Slice, and top with your favorite sauce, which for me is ponzu.

Ponzu

• 1/4 cup mirin
• 1/8 cup rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• Pinch of bonito flakes
• Juice of one lemon
• Lemon zest

Combine everything, bring to a boil. Remove from heat and strain.