Twelve Top Chefs Offer Recipes for America’s Most Popular Culinary Pastime
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, June 26, 2017… It’s the season of smoking and searing, fire and spice, grillin’ and chillin’ and feeling the burn of homemade barbecue sauce passed down through ages of summer celebrations. The backyard grill is an American icon, honored each July by National Grilling Month. This year, 12 top chefs from the kitchens at Benchmark Resorts & Hotels and the Gemstone Collection, are getting their grill on with recipes that span the American culinary landscape from the East Coast all the way to the North Shore of Oahu.
These keepers of the culinary flame bring skill, imagination and a commitment to authenticity to the grill. Locally sourced meats, fish, poultry and vegetables sizzle over the coals, enhanced by each chef’s unique marinades, rubs and smoking techniques.
Local, all-American ingredients infuse these delicious grills – fresh Hawaiian pineapple, bourbon, ale, root beer, maple smoked salt, local wines and special regional seasonings that kick the flavor up a few fiery notches. The spices and sauces of Asia and the Caribbean add zest and depth.
These talented chefs’ recipes, presented here, span every region. Find Southern Comfort in Hickory Smoked Brisket from Tennessee, spark a ribeye with a Gewurztraminer from Washington’s wine country, grill a salmon steak from New York, put a new spin on barbecued chicken, and top succulent jumbo prawns with a Maui pineapple salsa.
National Grilling Month Ideas from Benchmark Resorts & Hotels properties:
Turtle Bay Resort, Oahu, HI Asparagus Skewered Jumbo Prawns with Pineapple Avocado Salsa By Chef Patrick Murakami www.turtlebayresort.com/blog/jumboprawns
Ingredients 6pcs U–10 Jumbo Prawns 6pcs Large Asparagus 4oz Kula Spring Mix or any greens available 6-8 pcs Red and Yellow Grape Tomatoes 2oz Thin Sliced Hearts of Palm
Seasoning for shrimp 1 tsp Rock Salt ½ tsp Fresh Garlic ¼ tsp Smoked Paprika ¼ tsp Black Pepper ¼ tsp Granulated Garlic
Salsa 1 oz Seared Maui Gold Pineapple 1 oz Avocado ½ oz Red Onion ½ oz Green Bell Peppers ½ oz Red Bell Peppers Cilantro, lime, salt and pepper to taste
Dressing ½ cup red wine vinegar 2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard Salt and pepper and honey to Taste ½ cup peeled Papaya seeds 1 ½ – 2 cups Olive Oil
Instructions for Dressing In a blender add vinegar, mustard and papaya puree and slowly add olive oil until mixture thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Prawn Instructions Clean and devein Prawns. Make a hole near the back end and top of the Prawn and thread the Asparagus through both holes. Season Prawns with seasoning mixture and grill until they turn light pink. Mix the salsa together and adjust seasoning to taste. Add all ingredients together on a large platter, place skewered prawns and top prawns with the Pineapple Avocado Salsa. Drizzle with Papaya Dijon Vinaigrette.
Grilling Instructions On low to medium heat, place prawns/asparagus directly on the grill for approximately 5-minutes on each side making sure not to burn the prawns.
Doral Arrowwood Resort, Rye Brook, NY Sugar Maple Smoked Salt Grilled King Salmon Steak, Mango & House Grown Tomato Salsa By Executive Chef Michael Schmutzer www.doralarrowwood.com/westchester_restaurants/chef_michaels_table/
Salmon Steak Ingredients 4 ea. – salmon steaks, skin on ½ tsp. – kosher salt ½ tsp. – cracked black pepper 1 tsp. – sugar maple smoked salt 1 ea. – lemon zest Olive oil for grilling
Method In a small bowl combine salt, pepper, lemon zest and smoked salt, generously season salmon steaks, and set aside. Pre-heat the grill to high, brush salmon with olive oil and grill for about 3 min. on each side until desired temperature is reached. Remove from heat and serve with the salsa and watercress oil.
Mango – Tomato Salsa Ingredients 2 ea. – ripe mangoes, cut in large cubes 2 ea. – heirloom tomatoes, cut in wedges 2 cp. – garden fresh cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in ¼ 1 ea. – juice of fresh lemon 1 ea. – juice of fresh lime 1 cp. – garden fresh watercress ¼ cp. – fresh cilantro Kosher Salt & pepper to taste
Method Toss all ingredients together and season with lemon & lime juice, salt & pepper. Set aside and serve at room temperature.
Watercress Oil Ingredients: 4 oz. – extra virgin olive oil 1 cp. – fresh watercress Kosher Salt to taste
Method: Blend all ingredients together until smooth, season to taste and set aside at room temperature.
Recipe Notes Using a variety of heirloom tomatoes, fresh picked cilantro and fresh watercress will result in a colorful summer salsa. Serve with olive oil and rosemary tossed roasted new potatoes.
The Nautical Beachfront Resort, Lake Havasu City, AZ Backyard BBQ Chicken By Chef John Andreola www.nauticalbeachfrontresort.com/july-national-grilling-month/
Ingredients 6 ea. Bone in Chicken Breasts 6 ea. Bone in Chicken Thighs 6 ea. Chicken Legs
Marinade Ingredients 12 oz. Teriyaki Sauce 12 oz. Pineapple Juice 6 oz. Olive Oil 2 oz. Brown Sugar 1 oz. Caribbean Jerk Seasoning
Method Combine teriyaki sauce, pineapple juice, brown sugar and Jerk seasoning in blender, slowly adding olive oil in at the end. Pour marinade over chicken and let stand for 2 hours in the refrigerator.
Honey Bourbon Mango BBQ Sauce Ingredients: 1 tbsp. Olive Oil ¼ c. minced onion 1 clove garlic, minced 1 ½ c. ketchup ¼ c. Brown Sugar 1/4 c. molasses 2 tbsp. tomato paste 1 ½ tbsp. sherry vinegar ½ tbsp. chili powder 1/16 – pinch of cayenne pepper 4 oz. Fresh Mango, pureed 3 oz. Pineapple Juice 3 oz. Jim Beam® Honey Bourbon
Method Heat the olive oil in the saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic and cook until tender. Reduce heat to low. Mix in ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, honey bourbon, tomato paste, vinegar, chili powder and cayenne pepper. Blend mango and pineapple juice and add to mixture. Cook and stir 5 minutes until well blended and heated through.
Cooking Method Preheat grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate. Remove chicken from pan and discard marinade. Cook chicken on the preheated grill about 30 minutes, turning every 3 to 5 minutes. Turn off one of the grill burners or, if cooking with coals, move chicken to indirect heat. Baste the chicken with the sauce and cook another 10 minutes: turn again and baste chicken with sauce. Continue to grill and baste until internal temperature reaches 165° Fahrenheit.
Chef John’s Tips Cook low & slow and baste as much as possible for tender, succulent chicken. If using a charcoal grill, soak mesquite chips for 30 minutes and add to coals.
The Inn at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA Pimento BBQ Chicken Sandwich with Avocado Aioli, Buttermilk Fried Shallots By Sous Chef Trevor Henderson For grilling recipe visit: http://www.innatvirginiatech.com/national_grilling_month/
Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa, Pigeon Forge, TN Hickory Smoked Beef Brisket By Chef Anthony Ploof For grilling recipe visit: http://www.dollywood.com/Resort/DMR-Events/BBQ-at-The-Barn
Chaminade Resort & Spa, Santa Cruz, CA Chef’s Grilled Ribeye Chef Nicholas Church For grilling recipe visit: http://www.chaminade.com/santa_cruz_restaurants/linwoods_bar_grill/Chefs_Recipes/
Cheyenne Mountain Resort and Country Club, Colorado Springs, CO Grilled Marinated Babette of Beef Chef Carlos L. Addarich, C.E.C. For grilling recipe visit: http://www.cheyennemountain.com/restaurants/recipe_of_the_month/
Eaglewood Resort & Spa, Itasca, IL Prairie Supper Club Grilled Steak & Shrimp By Chef John Billings CEC For grilling recipe visit: http://www.eaglewoodresort.com/chicagoland_restaurants/happenings/
Lightburns at Stonewall Resort, Roanoke, WV Burns Burger with Truffle Fries, Ground steak trio, with burger shallots, Nevil’s special sauce, smoked white cheddar, green leaf lettuce, pepperoncini, and house pickle By Nevil Barr, Chef de Cuisine For grilling recipe visit: http://www.stonewallresort.com/dining/recipes/
National Grilling Month Ideas from Gemstone Collection properties.
Willows Lodge, Woodinville, WA Grilled Rib Eye with Pickled Peaches and Gewurztraminer Vinaigrette By Chef Bobby Moore https://www.willowslodge.com/barking_frog/chef_bobby/
Ribeye Rub Ingredients: ¼ c. white sugar ½ c. brown sugar ½ c. paprika ¼ c. kosher salt ¼ c. chili powder 1 tbsp. dry mustard 2 tbsp. old bay ½ tsp. cayenne ½ tsp. onion powder ½ tsp. granulated garlic
Method Start with five 14-16 oz. bone-in rib eyes. Season the meat with the spice blend rub. Rub the blended spices into the meat. Place the rib eyes directly over the grill on medium high heat and cook for 2 minutes, then mark the meat by rotating 30 degrees and cook for another 2 minutes. Turn the rib eyes over and repeat by marking the side for a total of 4 minutes. Let the meat rest for 3-4 minutes and serve medium rare. Serve with Pickled Peaches and baby arugula tossed with a Gewurztraminer Vinaigrette.
Pickled Peaches Ingredients: 3 c. rice wine vinegar 3 c. Mirin ½ ea. Jalapeno (halved) 2 tsp. green cardamom 1 tbsp. pickling spice 4 peaches (medium size)
Method Combine the first five ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Prep peaches by washing, halving and seeding. Cut each half into three even slices and place in a container large enough to hold the peaches and the liquid. Strain liquid to remove the spices. If peaches are firm, pour over them while it is still hot. If the peaches are soft, cool liquid down before introducing to the peaches. Let the peaches “pickle” overnight.
Gewurztraminer Vinaigrette Ingredients: ¼ c. Gewurztraminer vinegar 1 ½ bsp.. sugar salt – to taste White pepper – to taste 2 ½ c. grape seed oil (or canola oil)
Method Combine all ingredients in a mixer (except the oil) – pulse to blend. With blender on, slowly drizzle the oil in to create an emulsification.
The Essex Resort & Spa, Burlington, VT Rookie’s Root Beer BBQ Chicken Breast, Rookie’s Root Beer BBQ sauce, grilled chicken breast Roasted fingerling potatoes with fresh herbs, sautéed broccolini By Chef Brandy J Allan http://www.essexresortspa.com/burlington-restaurants-2/
Chicken Breast Preparation Use a local eight-ounce chicken breast, seasoned liberally with salt and black pepper. On an extremely hot grill, sear for five minutes on each side, and finish in oven for a moist center (400 degrees for 10 minutes should do the trick).
Broccolini Broccolini can be prepared in many ways including steaming, sautéing, and grilling. For this chicken dish, toss the raw broccolini in salt, pepper & olive oil. Roast in a convection oven at 350 degrees for 15 – 20 minutes, or until the florets are caramelized and crispy, and the stalks are tender.
Roasted Fingerling Potatoes Halve fingerling potatoes (suggest using tri-colored). Toss in minced garlic, salt, pepper & our favorite Herb Blend. Roast at 400 degrees in a convection oven for 20 minutes & they are ready to serve!
Herb Blend is a minced combination of garden grown chives, parsley and rosemary. In the summer, The Essex gardeners bring in about five pounds of chives each week. The chefs love using chive blossoms for garnish all summer long!
Rookie's Root Beer BBQ sauce Ingredients: ½ Cup Blended oil 2 Yellow onions. small dice ¼ Cup Garlic, minced ¼ Cup Rookie's Root Beer 1bs, Cumin, ground 1 Tbls Chili powder ½ Cup Molasses 2 Cups Ketchup ½ Cup Cider vinegar 2 Tbls Cocoa ½ Cup Whiskey/Bourbon 1 Tbls Espresso powder
Sweat onion and garlic in blended oil. Add root beer, reduce by half. Add remaining ingredients, whisk to combine. Simmer for 30 minutes. Puree with stick blender.
Costa d’Este Beach Resort & Spa~The Wave Kitchen & Bar Guava BBQ'ed Skirt Steak and Sweet Potatoes By Chef Armando Galeas For grilling recipe visit: http://www.costadeste.com/verobeach_restaurants/wave_kitchen_bar/
