Grilling Meat

My oldest son, Jed (the one with the cooking gene) was just here visiting us from Madison sans wife and children. The occasion was to keep me company from a rather long recovery I am undergoing from surgery. Since we both love to cook, he was more than happy to fix some great dishes with me looking on and admiring him.


He has long been most interested in smoking and grilling meat. He has had several smokers, always graduating to a little better model with more bells and whistles. But this visit he brought along some green beans from his garden. The gardening gene, I must confess, comes from someone else in the family—not from me! He is raising a wonderful garden and is harvesting beans, corn, lettuces, and tomatoes soon.

As a young child and until recently, Jed had to be urged to eat his vegetables—a common trait of young children to be sure. At our first dinner, the star of the show was a wonderful flank steak marinated in a thick, slightly hot and extremely delicious marinade and grilled to perfection. Sliced thin, with extra marinade on the side and accompanied by some homemade Italian bread (my offering), it was almost enough. The green beans cooked between al dente and mushy were tossed in melted butter and salt and pepper. That’s all. They were so good that they actually stole the accolades from the beef.

It got me thinking about the bountiful vegetables that are at our farmer’s market, in our home gardens and even at the supermarket this time of year. And the bounty has only just begun. From now until October one vegetable after another will appear. I am ready to find ways to serve them that even the youngest among us would not have to be urged to eat.

Fortunately there are great recipes on the internet, magazines and newspapers and even the old-fashioned but trustworthy cookbooks. My faithful readers know my preference for cookbooks. Andrea Chesman has written several cookbooks featuring vegetables and I have found her recipes (with a few adaptations of my own) to be very reliable.

Roasted Green Beans

2 pound green beans, trimmed
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse-grained salt

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly grease a large sheet pan or shallow roasting pan with oil. Arrange the green beans in a single, uncrowded layer on the prepared pan. Drizzle the oil over the beans and roll the beans until they are evenly coated. Roast for about 15 minutes or until the beans are well browned, shaking the pan occasionally for even cooking. Transfer the beans to a shallow serving bowl or platter and sprinkle with the salt. Serve immediately.

Note:  When cooking green beans, the size of the pod should be your guide in total cooking time. Smaller bean diameter equals shorter cooking time. There is a lot of discrepancy in taste for doneness, so test your beans and remove from heat when they have reached a stage of tenderness that appeals to you.

If you want to start a new tradition for a great holiday green bean casserole that doesn’t include canned soup or canned French fried onion rings, give this a try. It is sure to please even the fussiest children (or husbands). If your garden beans are beginning to be a little over-mature, this recipe will accommodate them beautifully.

Scalloped Green Beans

3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
1 ½ cups milk
1 ½ cups grated sharp Cheddar
2 pounds green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces (7-8 cups)
1 onion, halved and sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup dried bread crumbs or ½ cup fresh

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with butter or spray with vegetable spray. Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and stir to make smooth paste. Stir in milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and stir in cheese. Cook, stirring constantly until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth, about 3 minutes. Layer the beans and onion in the baking dish, generously sprinkling with salt and pepper as you layer. Cover with cheese sauce. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the dish. Bake for 60 minutes. Serve hot.

By the way, the marinade recipe for the flank steak is superb. Here it is:

¼ pound butter
¾ cup minced onion
½ cup minced garlic
2 lemons, zested
5 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 ¼ cups ketchup
1 cup tomato juice
¾ cup light brown sugar
6 Tbsp molasses
½ cup Worcestershire sauce
½ cup chili powder
4 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 ½ Tbsp chipotle puree
Pinch kosher salt

Melt the butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, ketchup, tomato juice, brown sugar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, vinegar, chipotle puree, salt and 3 cups water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring frequently.