With July 4th coming up, Here and Now’s resident chef Kathy Gunst reminds us that grilling is not only an American phenomenon, it’s a global one. Kathy prepares a Vietnamese sandwich and Mexican corn as well as giving us her list of must-need tools for the grill.
Kathy Gunst’s Grilled Mexican-Style Corn
On street corners throughout Mexico, street vendors grill ears of corn until they are sweet, tender and almost blackened. Then they slather them with a spicy chile powder and crumbled cheese. The sweet, smoky corn mixed with the creamy cheese and a touch of spice is irresistible. Traditionally a dry crumbly cheese like cotija is used, but you can easily substitute crumbled feta, Parmesan or a ricotta salata.
Ingredients:
4 ears fresh corn, shucked
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Salt and pepper
Dash chile powder
About 1 cup crumbled feta, cotija, Parmesan, or ricotta salata
Instructions:
Shuck the corn, grill it for 10 minutes, and have your toppings ready.
Heat a grill on high, about 425 degrees. Place the corn directly on the hot grill, cover and cook 5 minutes. Gently turn the corn and cook another 5 minutes, rotating the corn once or twice so its grills and browns on all sides.
Mix the sour cream, mayonnaise, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Place the chile powder in a small bowl and place the cheese on a plate.
Remove the corn from the grill and spread with a tablespoon of the sour cream mixture. Lightly sprinkle with the chile powder and sprinkle on a heavy tablespoon or so of the cheese. The heat of the corn should just melt the cheese.
Serves 4.
Variations:
Soak a long wooden skewer in cold water for 1 hour. Stick the skewer into one end of the corn cob and grill it. The stick is a fun way to present, and eat, the grilled corn.
Add finely chopped fresh cilantro on top of the cheese.
Serve with sea salt and lime wedges.
Kathy Gunst’s Vietnamese Chicken or Beef Sandwiches with Daikon-Carrot Slaw
Banh Mi may just qualify as the ultimate sandwich. Chicken breasts or, more traditionally, skirt steak is marinated in a sweet lemongrass-garlic-Asian fish sauce and grilled for just a few minutes on each side. The thinly sliced grilled chicken or beef is layered on a crusty baguette spread with a daikon-carrot slaw, slices of jalapeno pepper, fresh cilantro, and mayonnaise.
If you like you can simply marinate the chicken/beef, thinly slice, and serve over mixed summer greens tossed with fresh mint leaves and lime wedges with crusty bread on the side.
The beef and lemongrass marinade:
1 large or 2 small stalks fresh lemongrass (found in the produce aisle of most supermarkets or in Asian markets)
5 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce (also called nuoc nam)
1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
1 pound skirt or flank steak or skinned boneless chicken thighs
The daikon-carrot slaw:
½ pound daikon, peeled, 8 ounces
1 medium size carrot, peeled, about 2 ounces
½ cup rice vinegar or cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
Pinch salt
The sandwich:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce (also called nuoc nam)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 crusty baguette, about 20 to 24 inches long
½ cup packed fresh cilantro sprigs
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and cut into thin slices, optional
2 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Tender lettuce leaves, such as Boston lettuce
Make the marinade:
Remove the outer leaves from the lemongrass and discard. Thinly slice the lower bulb-like half of the lemongrass and save the rest for a soup or stock.
Place the lemongrass and garlic into the container of a food processor and whirl until finely chopped. Add the fish sauce and soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil and blend.
Place the meat in a non-reactive large bowl and pour the marinade on making sure to coat both sides. Marinate for at least 1 hour, and up to overnight.
Make the slaw:
Grate the daikon and the carrot on the large hole of a cheese grater and mix in a bowl. Add the vinegar, sugar, and the salt, and stir well. Let sit about 15 minutes.
Make the sandwich sauce:
In a small bowl, mix the oil, fish sauce and soy sauce and set aside.
Cook the chicken/beef:
Preheat the grill until hot, around 400 degrees. Grill the chicken/beef 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until just cooked through and still slightly rare. Remove from the heat and let cool 5 minutes. Cut the chicken/beef on the diagonal.
Assemble the sandwiches:
Cut the baguette down the middle lengthwise and place on the hot grill for about 2 minutes or until warm. Place the 2 baguette halves on a clean work surface and spoon the fish sauce/soy oil on one side and spread the mayonnaise on the other half. Sprinkle the cilantro sprigs and jalapeno slices, if using, on top of the mayonnaise and place the beef on top of the other side. Distribute the daikon slaw on top of the chicken/beef, and add the lettuce leaves, and carefully put the two sides of the bread together. Cut into four 6-inch sandwiches. Serves 4.
Variations:
Substitute peeled jicama for the daikon.
Serve with hot pepper sauce
