Chill and grill summer eats

Summer is slowly but surely drawing its curtains but the heat is still on! So let’s go out of the season with a tasty bang! We enlisted the culinary expertise of Chef Noel Cunningham and he created these savoury and sweet chill and grill summer eats just for you.

As a treat, Chef Cunningham has provided a few tips to consider when grilling, along with recipes for these mouthwatering dishes: sticky grilled mesquite ribs with Jack Daniel’s barbecue sauce; coconut jerk corn and easy grilled chicken with Chef Noel’s smokey barbecue sauce.

 

Grill Tips:

According to the good chef, it is important to know your grill: that way, you can know what to expect, and expect the unexpected.

Also, for him, timing is everything - he advises that you warm up that grill by waiting five to 10 minutes after you have lit it to use it; that way you can start grilling on a high temperature and then reduce the flame.

Grease your grill properly, he says, before adding food to your grill. He proposes that you use low heat to cook chicken, and medium to high heat to cook meats such as pork or beef.

And lastly, avoid piercing your meat with a fork or prongs because the juices will escape, making the meat drier and less flavourful. Use, instead, a spatula or tongs to move and flip your food.

 

Sticky Grilled Mesquite Ribs with Jack Daniel’s Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients

2 pounds pork back ribs

The Rub

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons sugar

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 tablespoons mesquite smoke liquid

 

Sticky glaze

1 cup barbecue sauce

1/4 cup Jack Daniel’s

3 tablespoon brown sugar

3 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

 

Directions: Preheat your grill, then remove the membrane that covers the underside/bony side of the ribs then place on a baking sheet or tray lined with foil or parchment paper. In a small bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients for the rub, mix well to combine. Sprinkle dry rub liberally over ribs then drizzle with oil and liquid smoke. Rub the seasoning liberally over the ribs on both sides.

Put to grill for 1.5 hours, turning constantly and monitoring every 15 minutes to prevent burning. During the last half an hour of the cook time, mix together sauceingredients. Glaze ribs with BBQ sauce and allow to finish cooking.

Rest for 10 minutes to allow the juices to recirculate back into the meat before slicing and enjoy. Serve with extra barbecue sauce. Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: An hour and a half. Serves four to six people.

 

Coconut Jerk Corn

Ingredients

1/4 cup lightly toasted coconut flakes

2 tsp Chef Noel’s Jerk marinade

1/4 cup mayonnaise

 

Directions: Combine jerk marinade and lime juice with mayonnaise then stir to combine and put aside. Grill corn until tender then brush jerk mayo unto corn and roll in toasted coconut flakes and enjoy.

 

Easy Grilled Chicken with Chef Noel’s Smokey Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients

4 chicken legs and thigh

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ teaspoon dried thyme

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

 

Direction: Heat grill to medium-low heat (about 300 F/150 C). Marinate chicken with all the ingredients and grill until fully cooked. About 30-35 minutes. As the chicken reach near doneness, begin

brushing sauce over the surface every five minutes until chicken is done and the sauce has cooked down to a sticky consistency.

 

Sauce

1 cup barbecue sauce

½ cup ketchup

2 teaspoons cinnamon powder

2 teaspoons liquid smoke

1 cup Pepsi

 

Directions: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine all ingredients and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes.