Save the Ties for Christmas!

Father’s Day is almost here, and what better way to celebrate dear old Dad than cooking him a delicious meal on the grill?
If he lets you near the grill, that is.

If he doesn’t want to relinquish control, you can still do the prep work, and let the Grill Master show off his skills while the family oohs and ahhs. (Trust me, that’s a present for a lot of guys.) So save the tie for Christmas, and get cooking!

Marinated and Grilled Tri Tip

The tri tip is a cut from the bottom of the sirloin and the backbone of Santa Maria-style barbecue. This cut is perfect for grilling. You can have your butcher remove the fat cap if you are so inclined.

Ingredients

1 3-pound tri tip
½ cup of your favorite hot sauce*
Juice of 3 limes
1 bottle Mexican beer**
1 head of garlic, broken apart and the cloves smashed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons kosher salt
Lots of freshly ground pepper

Directions

Mix the hot sauce, lime juice, beer, garlic, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Pour half the mixture into a large, zippered bag and add the tri tip to marinate. Reserve the other half for mopping. Marinate the tri tip for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.

Prepare the grill. Whether you’re using a gas grill or charcoal, you will need to have two zones for grilling – direct grilling and indirect grilling. Preheat the grill to 350°.

Remove the tri tip from the marinade and pat dry. Place the tri tip over indirect heat. Grill for 30 to 45 minutes, depending on how you prefer your beef. Flip the tri tip about every 7 or 8 minutes, basting or mopping the beef with the unused marinade. When the tri tip is within 10 degrees of your desired doneness, move it over direct heat and grill for 2 to 3 minutes a side or until the internal temperature reaches your desired doneness. Move the tri tip to direct heat when it reaches an internal temperature of 115° and 125° for medium rare and remove it from the heat when it reaches an internal temperature of 125° for rare and 135° for medium rare. If you want it more done, you are a heathen, and I can’t help you.

Remove the tri tip from the grill and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing. This will serve four hungry people with some left over for sandwiches tomorrow.

* Yes. It’s a lot. Trust me. I use either Cholula Chili Garlic or Tapatio’s.
** I’ve used Negra Modelo, Pacifio, Carta Blanca, Dos Equis, and Tecate for this. They’re all good.

Grilled Shishito or Padrón Peppers

While shishito peppers come from Japan and padrón peppers some from Spain, they are fairly similar. Most are mild with a delicious green pepper flavor, but about 1 in 10 are HOT. They are delicious pan fried, roasted, or grilled.

Ingredients

1 pound of shishito or padrón peppers
Olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

For easy grilling, thread the peppers onto sets of two skewers about an inch apart. This makes the peppers easier to flip. I usually do 6 to 8 peppers per set of skewers.

Prepare the grill. You’re going to grill the peppers quickly over direct heat so preheat the grill, charcoal or gas, to about 375°.

Rub the olive oil over the peppers. Place the skewers on the hottest part of the grill and grill until the skin is blistered and dark, about 2 minutes. Flip the skewers and grill for about 2 minutes more. You want the skin of the peppers to be charred. Remove the skewers to a serving platter and season with salt and pepper. That’s it. One pound of peppers usually serves 4 to 6 people.

Grilled Corn with Smoky Butter

This is my family’s favorite way to eat corn. They even shuck the corn for me!

Ingredients

1 cob of corn for every person, plus 1 or 2 more (invariably, someone wants more)
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 to 4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup hot sauce (I like either the classic Cholula or Cholula Chili Garlic for this)
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

Prepare the grill. Like the peppers, you’re going to grill the peppers quickly over direct heat so preheat the grill, charcoal or gas, to about 375°.

Shuck the corn, removing the husks and silk.

Combine the butter, olive oil, garlic, smoked paprika, and ground cumin in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave until the butter is melted. Remove from the microwave and stir in the Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce.

Place the corn over direct heat and grill for about 3 minutes a side, rotating frequently. As you rotate, baste or mop the corn with the butter-olive oil mixture. Once the corn is nice and charred on all sides, remove to a serving platter and season with salt and pepper. Seriously, my kiddos will eat their weight in this!

Grilled Pineapple à la Mode

So easy! Sooooooo yummy!

Ingredients

I ripe pineapple
1 cup brown sugar
2 to 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Ice cream or gelato (My family’s discerning palate prefers caramel or cinnamon, but I guess vanilla is good, too.)

Directions

Preheat your grill to 350° with a good area of indirect heat.

Cut the rind off the pineapple and slice into rings about 2 inches thick. Place the rings in a large, zippered bag with the brown sugar and cinnamon. Shake well to coat.

Grill the slices for about 3 to 4 minutes a side, or until the slices are warmed through and the brown sugar is bubbling. Serve with a scoop of ice cream and try not to moan out loud.