As summer approaches, there are lots of ads for grills just in time for Father’s Day.
You can purchase a Weber One-touch charcoal grill at Home Depot for $99 or get a Weber Spirit from Ace Hardware for $399, a Weber Genesis for between $699 and $749 all the way up to a high of $2,499 for a Weber Summit stainless steel gas grill.
As a whole, fathers are easy to please and are very happy with a picnic or barbecue at home to celebrate their special day. My father was so happy to take his portable hibachi to Lilioukalani Park with his grandchildren for Father’s Day. He did all the barbecuing while my mother cooked the side dishes. Before we headed home, we always made a stop at Dairy Queen for an ice cream cone. Those are great memories for us and his grandchildren.
If your father already has a grill, make sure he has a good thermometer to check the doneness of the meat or chicken. There are some great thermometers made just for grilling. I have several thermometers and it drives me crazy when the battery ones act up. Always have a simple probe thermometer in case that happens.
Do not depend on the thermometer attached to the top of the grill. It will not tell you the temperature of the food you are grilling.
Regarding cleaning your grill, always clean it before cooking. A recent Dr. Oz program was about cleaning your grate before cooking. Dr. Oz claimed the burned bits were carcinogenic. New to the market, is a battery operated grate cleaner but it does not work as well as a good old wire grill brush. It is the theory that you don’t cook with a dirty frying pan, so it holds true for grilling.
Clean your grill right after you are done while the grates are still hot and easier to clean. After you heat up the grill (make sure the grill is well heated or your food will have a tendency to stick), clean the grates before placing any food on it. Make sure your wire brush is in good shape and the bristles are not coming out. People have eaten food with bits of the wire bristle and have gotten very sick from them.
Be patient when barbecuing. Turning and poking your meat will allow the juices to flow out of the meat and dry it out. If you have your grill at the proper temperature, your food should cook properly without burning and needing to be turned and touched too much.
To prevent salmonella, make sure chicken is cooked till the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Check the thickest part of the chicken with a thermometer to be sure it is cooked.
To avoid flare-ups. Make sure the chicken or meat placed on the grill is wiped dry first. I realize that would be difficult if it is marinated, such as teriyaki, but let the marinade drip out as much as possible before grilling.
If cooking hamburgers, either make them thin enough so they cook through or shape the middle thinner so it will cook.
Do not add the barbecue sauce, especially the ones that are sweet with brown sugar, sugar, honey or molasses, until near the end of the cooking time, otherwise the sugars will burn before the meat is finished cooking.
Here’s a recipe for marinated ono with pineapple salsa:
Marinated Grilled Ono
Serves: 4
4 (6-ounce) pieces fresh ono
Marinate in for one hour:
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup honey
3 tablespoons grated ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced fine
1 tablespoon olive oil
Make sure your grill is clean and hot. With tongs, rub a paper towel soaked with olive oil onto the grate so the fish does not stick.
Sear for three minutes on each side, then place on a heat-proof dish and keep in a warm oven.
•••
Pineapple Salsa
Makes: 1/2 cup
1/2 cup fresh pineapple, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and finely chopped (I think you should start with half. I liked it, but it is a little too hot for children.)
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
Zest of one lime
Juice of one lime
Pinch of sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
Mix all ingredients together and serve with fish.
KTA Super Stores 100th Anniversary
• The Pacific Tsunami Museum is looking for stories about the kindness and generosity of the Taniguchi family after the 1946 and 1960 tsunamis that devastated Hilo. I have heard of stories of families not having to pay back their debt because of Mrs. Taniguchi’s kindness. Please call Jim Wilson at 987-5894 so he can arrange an interview for their fundraiser in October to honor KTA Super Stores and the Taniguchi family.
Email me at audreywilson808@gmail.com.
