Indonesian Food Rrecipe: Grill Recipes

Grilled Root Beer Beef – Almost as Good as an Ice Cream Float

Siti R on May 25, 2018

I’ve used something very close to this root beer marinade for lamb several times, and had great success, so I’ve been eager to try it with some skewered beef, which didn’t come out quite as well, but could have. Please, let me explain.

Since lamb has a stronger, “gamier” taste, the sweetness of this treatment works perfectly, but I thought it was a little too much for the beef. So, below in the ingredients list, I've made a few adjustments to the honey amount, as well as acidity level.

The beauty of a recipe like this is they’re very easy to adapt, and I’m not just talking about the pre-grill soak, but also the glaze we make with the extra marinade. Once reduced to something thick enough to coat our meat, you’ll want to taste it, and adjust with more heat, sweet, sour, or whatever else you think it needs. One thing mine definitely needed was more salt. I thought the soy was going to be enough, but I should have salted my skewers before they hit the grill, and/or add some salt to the marinade.

Adjustments aside, if you enjoy things like sweet/hot barbecue sauces, bourdon glazes, or even something like teriyaki, you will probably very much enjoy this. Even if you don’t use the marinade, I really loved the technique we used for the flank, which would work beautifully no matter how you flavor this. Either way, I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 skewers/portions:

1 whole flank steak (about 1 1/2 pounds)

For the marinade

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper

2 tablespoons ketchup

honey, optional (I used 2 tablespoons, but would omit next time)

1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons white or cider vinegar (I didn't add, but it needed it)

1 bottle (12 ounces) good quality root beer

kosher salt to season skewers generously

Barbarian Beef – Our Oldest Recipe Yet

Siti R on May 15, 2018

Ever since I saw Alton Brown grilling skirt steak on hot coals, I’ve wanted to try this technique for a larger hunk of meat, but it was the realization that no one had yet called a recipe “barbarian beef,” that provided the final push.

By the way, I did no historical research, but I assume your average barbarian was too busy pillaging to lug a grill around, and just cooked their meat right on the coals. So, for the purposes of this post, that's the story we'll be going with.

I used top round for this, and if you’re just going to slice it thin, and make sandwiches it’s fine, but now that I have a little experience, I’d like to try it with a tenderer cut. No matter what you use, you’ll want to take it off a few degrees under whatever your regular internal temp target is, since it definitely continues to cook after you take it off the coals.

It’ll depend on the size/shape of your cut, but use a thermometer to check, as the temp will probably climb by at least 10 degrees. Above and beyond doneness, the flavor of the beef really was great. Very similar to something off a grill, but with a little bit deeper level of smokiness. Even if you don’t cook your steak on the coals, the sauce was quite nice, and comes highly recommended, but officially, I really do hope you give both a try soon. Enjoy!

For the Sauce:

4 cloves garlic

1 Fresno chili pepper, or other fresh hot pepper

2 teaspoons rosemary leaves

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons wine vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

Miso Honey Chicken – Because Honey Miso Chicken Didn’t Have the Same Ring to It

Siti R on April 17, 2018

It’s not hard to make a great marinade with just a few ingredients, as long as one of those ingredients is the magical miso. This super savory paste, made from fermented rice, barley, and soybeans, isn’t that hard to find, but what can be a challenge is understanding the different varieties available.

Miso is sold by “color,” and I’m recommending the white one here, except when you open the container, it’s not white, it’s sort of a golden yellow. They also sell a yellow miso, which is a slightly darker golden yellow, as well as a red miso, which is also a golden yellow. I’m just kidding…it’s actually dark brown.

The point is, the colors don’t refer to the actual color, but rather the processing method, and ratio of ingredients. And that’s basically the extent of my expertise. I choose the white, since it’s the most mild, but I encourage you to do some more research, as well as some experimentation.

After marinating overnight if possible, you’ll definitely want to cook your chicken with indirect heat. Otherwise, it will get too dark – as in black. Roasting in a 375 F. oven would be great, but if you use a charcoal grill, be sure to push your coals all the way over to one side of your grill, and place your chicken on the opposite site. Keep and eye on it, and turn/rotate the pieces as needed.

You can add many other things to this marinade, but maybe try the minimalist version first. I used to tell my students that the older you get, the fewer ingredients you use, so that’s my excuse, but I really want the clean flavors of the miso and honey coming through. Either way, I really hope you find some miso paste, and give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for enough marinade for one whole chicken:

3 tablespoons white miso

2 tablespoons honey

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 teaspoons hot sauce

1 tablespoon kosher salt (about 2 teaspoon fine salt)

lemon wedges and pepper flakes to garnish

- Let marinate overnight before roasting or grilling until the internal temp in the middle of the thigh is 165 F.

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Chinese Barbecue Pork (Char Siu) – Take That, Take Out!

Siti R on June 06, 2017

There are many unforgettable sights and sounds you experience walking through Chinatown for the first time, but I think it was seeing all those hanging chunks of florescent red meat that made the biggest impression.

Sure, the Peking ducks were cool, but they actually sort of looked like roasted duck, where as the char siu looked looked like nothing I’d ever seen before.

So, it was a little disappointing to eventually find out that it was from copious amounts of red food coloring, which I’m pretty sure was toxic back then, and not from some ancient Chinese secret cooking method. Anyway, enough with the nostalgia; the important thing to remember is that in addition to its impressive, high-gloss appearance, and savory taste, this Chinese barbecue pork is quite easy to make at home, even if you don’t have a fancy ceramic grill.

If you happen to be using your standard, backyard kettle-shaped grill, push all your coals to one side, and place your meat on the other. To add an extra layer of protection, you can also put it in a roasting pan, and place that on the grill. Or, forget the great outdoors, and simply roast it in the oven. The only catch is, you’ll need to place it under the broiler at the end, to simulate the caramelization we get on the barbecue.

As long as you roast it between 275 F. and 300 F., and do so until you reach an internal temperature of between 185-190 F., the cooking method really does not matter, and you should have something that rivals the finest take-out in town. So, I really do hope you give this Chinese-style barbecue pork a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for six portions:

3 pounds boneless pork butt, cut into 4 sections lengthwise

2/3 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup hoisin sauce

1/2 cup honey

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup Chinese rice wine (can sub sake, or dry sherry)

1/3 cup ketchup

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 teaspoon five-spice powder

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/8 teaspoon pink curing salt, optional

1 or 2 teaspoons red food coloring, optional

Kosher salt to season pork before grilling

Grilled Hoisin Beef – Not Necessarily Mongolian

Siti R on May 09, 2017

While this grilled hoisin beef features a very similar marinade to the one in our Mongolian pork chop video, I decided against calling it, "Mongolian beef," since I realized I’m not exactly sure what that is. Same goes for the chop, but since Mustard’s Grill coined the name, we're Grandfathered in.

Hoisin sauce is an underrated, and possibly underused ingredient. That's probably due to the fact that people aren’t exactly sure what it is. Far as I can tell, it's a thickened, fermented soy-sauce-like substance, flavored with chilies, garlic, vinegar, sugar, and, of course, exotic spices. That’s really all I feel like I need to know, but if you happen to do some more research, and find out something interesting, please pass it along.

Like I said in the video, besides a decent marinade recipe, I hope this serves as a reminder for just how great a cut of beef skirt steak is. Unless you horribly overcook it, it’s always juicy, and tender, as long as you slice it across the grain. So, whether you serve it with coconut rice or not, I really hope you give this grilled hoisin beef a try soon. Enjoy!

Makes two portions:
* as with all marinades, feel free to add more of everything!

1 beef skirt steak, about a pound

1/3 cup hoisin sauce

3 tablespoons Chinese vinegar, or sherry vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons hot sauce

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

4 cloves finely minced garlic

1 packed tablespoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 green onion, light parts, minced

toasted sesame seeds

Grilled Fava Beans – Flavor Flav, Indeed

Siti R on April 21, 2017

I bet fava beans would be a lot more popular if people knew how to cook them, or even what they were. For many people, these are just those mysterious, semi-scary, oversized green beans that they’re not sure what to do with.

Which is a shame, since they’re not only delicious, and easy to prepare, but also very versatile. Fava beans shine in salads, and pastas, as well as on pizzas. The also, as I demonstrated the end of the video, make for a wonderful spread.

By the way, the ingredient amounts below are pure guesses, since this is not the kind of recipe we're going to measure stuff for. Let your conscience be your guide, but remember what we're eating is inside that charred pod, so season generously.

Fava beans should be readily available this time of year, especially at farmers markets, where they tend to be much cheaper that your high-end grocery stores. Regardless of where you find them, I really do hope you give this great bean, and even better technique a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 large or 4 small portions:

2 pounds whole fava beans

olive oil, as needed

2 lemons

1 tablespoon kosher salt, divided

3 whole, peeled, bruised garlic cloves

red pepper flakes to taste

2 tablespoons freshly sliced mint leaves

- Grill over high heat for about five minutes per side, or until the pods are soft and charred, and the beans inside are just tender.

WARNING: Some people have an allergy to fava beans. Make sure you don't.

Thai-Dipped Beef Tri Tip – Satay, Unskewered

Siti R on March 31, 2017

There are so many examples of big foods being re-imagined into smaller, bite-sized versions, but going the other direction is not nearly as common. That's what I was attempting to do with this satay-inspired, Thai-dipped beef tri tip.

I enjoy beef satay way more than I do skewering small pieces of beef. Besides, I’ve never made satay, and not stuck a bamboo skewer into my finger at some point in the process. And not only did this involve less labor, but you can cook this in any number of ways.

I decided to go low and slow, over indirect charcoal heat, until I reached an internal temperature of 132 F. If you’re in more of a hurry, you can cook tri tip over higher heat, and it’s perfectly fine, as long as it doesn’t overcook. You can also roast this in the oven at 325 F., just in case a thunderstorm tries to mess up your plans.

All the ingredients here are easy to find, with the possible exception of lemongrass. Most big city grocery stores carry it, but in other parts of the country, I’ve seen it sold as a tubed puree, displayed in the produce department. If you can’t find it, you can add some lemon juice and zest to adjust. Either way, I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for one beef tri tip roast:

2 1/2 pound trimmed beef tri tip top roast

6 cloves garlic, crushed

1/3 cup chopped lemon grass (peel off woodiest parts, pound with back of knife, then chop)

3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger root

2 tablespoons grated raw onion

1/3 cup fish sauce

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar

2 tablespoons ground coriander

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

- Grill, smoke, or roast to an internal temp of 130 to 135 F.

Grilled Greek Chicken – Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Siti R on March 17, 2017

Erin go what? On the surface, this may seem like an inappropriate St. Patrick’s Day recipe post, but I’ve always considered this holiday one of the official signs of spring, and since that means it’s grilling season, then maybe this is appropriate after all? Yes, I went a long way for that.

As I mentioned in the video, the secret to this simple chicken is a very powerful marinade. This is one of those rare recipes where, when in doubt, we add a little more. Above and beyond that, the only way to ruin this would be to singe the skin/marinade with too high, direct heat.

We really want to sort of roast these pieces on the grill. So, don’t build a huge fire, and wait for it to turn ashy, before using semi-indirect heat to slowly cook the meat through. This way we get a tender inside, as well as and a gorgeous, caramelized exterior.

This is so flavorful that you really don’t need a sauce, but some fresh lemon is nice, as is a spicy yogurt. Just squeeze a little lemon into some nice thick, Greek yogurt, spike it with hot sauce, and you have a perfect condiment. And speaking of St. Patrick’s Day, this stuff pairs wonderfully with beer. I really hope you give this grilled Greek chicken recipe a try soon. Enjoy!

For enough marinade for 6 chicken thigh/leg sections:

6 to 8 cloves garlic, totally crushed or very finely minced

2 tablespoons dried oregano and/or marjoram

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste

1 generous teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar

1/4 olive oil

about 1 tablespoon kosher salt to season chicken

Indonesian Food Rrecipe