Several years ago I joined the cult of the Big Green Egg. The object of worship sits on my back deck and occasionally encourages me to barbecue a pork butt or a rack of ribs. I’ll get the hardwood charcoal glowing and set up everything for slow, indirect cooking. The smoke and low, steady heat wafts up and around the meat, the juices collect in a drip pan, and time works its magic.
But here’s the other thing about the Big Green Egg: That sucker can get hot. Now that summer has started, I’m all about cooking things quickly. Luckily, it does a brilliant job of searing thick steaks and it also works wonders on cooking thin pieces of meat steeped in super-flavorful marinades. The key to these marinades always seems to be sugar.
I traveled a lot around Asia after college, and I was always struck by how much the marinades contributed a depth of caramel flavor and beguiling sticky crunch. It can be something basic, like the Indonesian sweet soy sauce called ketjap manis brushed over satay as it sizzles on the grill. Or it can be more like the complex marinade for Korean short ribs, which derives its sweetness from pureed pear.
When done right, the sugar burns just enough to create a bittersweet background flavor that goes well with hot chili pepper and a squeeze of lime.
Sometimes I pick up a jar of Korean barbecue marinade at an Asian market and use it as a quick base for whatever meat we have around the house. But sometimes I’ll take the extra 10 minutes to raid the pantry and invent an Asian-style sweet marinade. Here are a couple of felicitous experiments that I published several years ago.
When you cook this way, make sure to have the rest of the meal ready to go so you can bring the meat, hot and sizzling, right from the grill. Plain white rice and a bright, crunchy salad are all you need on the side.
Anise-Grilled Pork
Makes 6 servings
Preparation time: 15 minutes, plus 1-24 hours for marinating
Cooking time: 3-5 minutes
When I grill pork, I sometimes like to use packages of seasoning mix for char sui — the red-tinged Cantonese barbecue that is used in twice-cooked pork. And I’ll be honest: the two salient features of this mix (available at all Asian markets) are its pronounced star anise flavor and its screaming red color, thanks to food dye. But there is no denying it makes the grilled pork look appetizing. Feel free to substitute a teaspoon of ground star anise for the seasoning mix.
- 1 (1-ounce) package char sui seasoning powder
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 2 heaping tablespoons orange juice concentrate, thawed
- 2 heaping tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 pounds pork (Boston butt or loin), thinly sliced with a little fat on the pieces
In a nonreactive bowl, combine char sui powder, fish sauce, lime juice, orange juice concentrate, tomato paste and sugar. Add the pork, mix well, and marinate for at least 1 hour but no longer than 24. (If you refrigerate it, allow it 30 minutes to come to room temperature before cooking.)
Preheat a grill. Grill the pork, brushing with the marinade, for 1-2 minutes turning when the edges begin to curl and cook on the other side.
Per serving: 268 calories (percent of calories from fat, 40), 24 grams protein, 15 grams carbohydrates, no fiber, 12 grams fat, 68 milligrams cholesterol, 598 milligrams sodium.
Spicy Ginger Basil Chicken
Makes 8 servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes, plus 1-24 hours for marinating
Cooking time: 3-5 minutes
Thai basil is available in most Asian and farmers markets, and is fairly inexpensive. Use it generously, and it imparts a distinctive presence to marinades. For this chicken recipe, the basil leaves, chile rings and shallot rings should cling to the meat.
- 3 double boneless chicken breasts, 8-10 ounces each
- 1 cup packed Thai basil leaves
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- Juice and zest of 2 limes
- 2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 hot green finger chiles, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
Bisect chicken breasts, removing cartilage strip between lobes. Remove the tenders from the breast halves and set aside. Cut the breast halves into two pieces lengthwise. Pound the breast halves with the large side of a mallet to tenderize. Lightly crush the basil leaves with the butt end of a glass. In a nonreactive bowl, mix the soy sauce, brown sugar, lime juice and zest, shallots, chiles and ginger. Add the breast halves, the tenders and the basil leaves to the marinade. Marinate for at least 1 hour but no longer than 24. Bring to room temperature before grilling.
Preheat a grill. Grill over a direct flame, brushing with marinade as it cooks for 2-3 minutes, turning when the edges begin to curl and cooking on the other side.
Per serving: 192 calories (percent of calories from fat, 30), 25 grams protein, 7 grams carbohydrates, no fiber, 6 grams fat, 69 milligrams cholesterol, 291 milligrams sodium.
