This grill is on fire

It’s the season of outdoor grilling, brought to you by the licking flames that make food taste better. 

Without a fire, of course, there’s no smoke. But some fires are smokier than others. Those who prefer the convenience and precision found in the knobs of a gas grill probably won’t get their share of that airborne blend of aromatic particles. Grillers who build an actual fire, meanwhile, might find themselves with more smoke than they know what to do with.

And then there’s the question of what to put on the grill. You can make an argument for many ingredients that are exceptional on the grill, and I won’t disagree. But I have a formula that’s applicable anywhere produce and meats are sold, a four-part trifecta of corn, zucchini, green chili and meat, or a similar meaty element. My vegetarian adviser suggests “a large, fresh portobello cap. A port is earthy, juicy (thus smoke-producing) and structurally strong enough not to fall apart when being manipulated. It will shrink but will still be juicy when you bite into it, with a great mouthfeel and umami flavor. You can simply oil and salt the portobello or marinate it if you want more acidity.”

These ingredients not only go great together, but they each enhance the flavors of the other participants through their smoke. Even on a gas grill, corn husks will burn, zucchini skins will blacken, green chili skins will blister and flavor the atmosphere, and the meat will drip grease onto the flames. I prefer to build my fire, but to each their own. As the smoke rises to your blinking face, enjoy the most savory aromatherapy a set of nostrils could embrace. Put the lid down and let the smoke build up, pushing those flavors into the food.

The recipes:

Remove some butter from the fridge and let it soften. Season your meat with olive oil, salt, pepper and pressed garlic.

Trim each ear of corn by pulling about an inch of husk from tip to base, exposing a stripe of kernels. Place the ears on the grill with that stripe facing up, followed by the zucchini and green chilies.

While the kernels shrink and brown in the dry heat, their flavor will become concentrated as they bathe in smoke from their own husks. After about 20 minutes without turning, the corn will be nicely browned and smoked.

The green chili is the soul of the grill, in part because it adds the best smoke. If you can’t find any decent specimens of the elongated Hatch varieties, some big jalapeños will do the trick. Grill and turn them until they’re blistered and blackened all around but not burnt.

Unless the zucchini is really big, I’ll cook it whole, turning it until the outside is charred and the inside is soft. This should take about 20 minutes on medium heat. Cut it into rounds before serving.

While the vegetables are grilling, prepare the following corn sauce.

Corn sauce

Quantities are per ear of corn, adjusted for the fact that it will also be used on meat, zucchini and peppers. 

• 1 tablespoon softened butter
• 1 tablespoon mayo
• 2 teaspoons pressed or minced  garlic
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder,  your choice of spiciness
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste

Smear it all together, like a mayonnaise-y compound butter.

When it’s nearly time to eat, add the meat to the grill. Find a chill spot for the corn and flip it so the exposed stripe of kernels faces down for a few minutes of extra browning. Pull the ears off the grill and wait impatiently until they’re cool enough to touch without burning yourself.

I like to rotate steaks on the same side for a few minutes before flipping them. This gives the meat a pleasing hashmark pattern. Repeat on the other side for a few minutes before serving.

When eating green chili or jalapeño, start with a nibble of the tip to determine if it’s a hot one. If it is, carefully remove the seeds and consume responsibly. If the chili isn’t hot, you can eat it whole — peel, seeds and all.

Burger meat also works well in the trifecta, preferably cheeseburgers, accompanied by buns, ketchup, tomatoes, pickles, onions and all that.