Barbecue Without a Grill — Weekend Cookout
Matt Armendariz, 2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved
This summer, Food Network’s Grilling Central is packed with recipes for the entire family’s taste buds, boasting the best in burgers, dogs, chicken and more all season long. But with so many recipes, where do you start? Each Friday, FN Dish is giving you a complete menu that is stress-free, and this weekend’s spread features authentic barbecue made without a traditional barbecue grill.
Memorial Day has come and gone, and for the next three months, the focus will be on enjoying all things grilled — those quintessential warm-weather favorites that all but define summertime. But what if you simply don’t own a grill, or if you live in the city and don't have access to outdoor space? Are you resigned to a summer of boiled dogs and sauteed chicken? No way. Even if you’re confined to cooking with a basic stovetop-oven setup, you can indeed indulge in classic seasonal recipes for saucy ribs, moist burgers, juicy chicken and succulent steak. It just takes one key piece of kitchenware: the grill pan. Heavy and sturdy, grill pans are placed atop stovetop burners like a standard pan, but they boast raised ridges similar to the grates on an outdoor grill, guaranteeing those sought-after grill marks.
Bobby shares three different cooking techniques for preparing his Perfect Burger (pictured right): one for if you have a traditional grill, another if you have a grill pan and a third if you opt for a cast-iron skillet. No matter which method you choose, he recommends using 80-percent lean ground chuck as the meat and seasoning both sides of the patty with salt and pepper before cooking.
Use the grill pan to cook a winning steak indoors, as well, with Food Network Magazine’s five-star recipe for Flank Steak With Salsa Verde. In only 30 minutes, you can serve tender meat with a charred crust by cooking the steak over high heat and flipping it just once.
If your family prefers chicken to beef, look to Guy’s Chipotle-Mango BBQ Chicken — easily made on the grill pan — to curb cravings. His top-rated recipe turns out bold, full-flavored results every time, thanks to a marinade of garlic and chipotle peppers in adobo, plus sweet mango and fresh cilantro.
Although barbecued ribs have garnered a potentially bad rap for being difficult to execute indoors, pulling off a successful smoky rack of baby backs in the kitchen is, in fact, down-right simple. In his recipe for The Ultimate Barbecued Ribs (pictured top), Tyler follows the same principle of outdoor smoking with low, indirect heat indoors by gently baking the ribs for a few hours at just 250 degrees F. This ensures meat that’s fall-off-the-bone tender, while a sweet and tangy sauce of brown sugar, ketchup and cumin offers signature savory flavor. Before serving, Tyler puts the ribs under the broiler for just a few minutes, blistering the sauce and adding areas of crispiness on each of the ribs.
Main Dish: Tyler’s Ultimate Barbecued Ribs (pictured top)