By Chef Ben Lierman
If my ears aren't deceiving me, I believe I have heard the sounds of lawnmowers mowing, birds chirping, rakes over flower beds, amongst others that signify the unmistakable sounds of spring. Soon, I am quite sure that added to these lovely sounds will be the crass curses of neighbors fighting with their grills, trying to squeak in the first cook-out from that ill-maintained, filthy little grill that has sat, braving nature's frozen fury all winter.
Fortunately, for those of you who are feeling a bit of the shame of grill-neglect, this situation is avoidable and correctable.
First, we can talk about some of the preventative measures we should have taken last fall. Whether gas or charcoal, your grill needs to brought up to an exceedingly high cooking temperature. How hot? Frankly, as hot as it will go without risking melting through your deck. This can be the last cook-out of the season, maybe searing some lovely New York Strips, or maybe a beautiful tuna steak. When the food is off, commence to brushing the grates heavily with a good grill brush while the grill is still piping hot. It is a good idea to oil the grates with a light-colored, high-heat oil (canola or peanut). Carefully remove the hot grates and brush down all of the exposed surfaces of the inside, including lava rocks, or whatever type of heat diffuser your grill is equipped with. Allow the grill to cool completely, and remove everything down to the burners. Carefully scoop or sweep out any debris in the bottom of the grill. Check the condition of the burners and gas fittings if so equipped. Now, all that is left is to reassemble the grill, remove the tank, cover completely, and pray for spring.
If you have missed the pre-winter opportunity to go through these measures, don't fret, the same mission can be accomplished in the spring. You may have to work a little harder, but a tidy grill can still be yours.
Now we can proceed to the fun part, some food. Your first cook-out should be something simple, and quick, so that we can make sure that everything is in working order. I might suggest a basic Margarita pizza. A great light meal with a salad, and you can always run it to the oven in case of a catastrophic grill failure. Time to go see the appliance experts at Clark's...
Grilled Margarita Pizza
1 recipe basic pizza dough -- made into 4 pizza crusts
Extra virgin olive oil
2 pounds fresh mozzarella cheese -- sliced
1 cup vine ripe roma tomatoes -- diced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper -- to taste
fresh basil -- julienned
Preheat a grill to low heat.
In a bowl toss the tomatoes with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Shape the dough into four pizza crusts. Brush the dough with olive oil, and grill for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Turn over and top with the toppings as follows.
Evenly divide the mozzarella cheese among the 4 pizza rounds. Divide the tomatoes between the pizzas and spread out evenly. Close the cover and grill until the cheese has melted, about 3 to 4 minutes. To finish in the oven, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place the pizza on sheet pans and bake until the cheese has melted, about 5 to 10 minutes.
Remove the pizzas from the grill or oven and sprinkle with the fresh basil, and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice into 6 slices each and serve. Yield: 4 pizzas
Easy Pizza Dough
4 teaspoons instant active dry yeast
6 2/3 cups high gluten bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil
2 cups lukewarm water 105 to 110 degrees F.
Measure all of the ingredients. Add the ingredients to a large bowl starting with the liquid ingredients, followed by the dry ingredients, reserving one cup of the bread flour to add later, and finally add the salt last.
Mix the ingredients until a dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a floured board or continue to mix in a stand mixer, adding the remaining flour, and kneed until a smooth dough is achieved.
Spray a bowl with pan spray place the dough in the bowl and lightly spray the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled in volume.
Shape the dough into the desired shape and place in your pan. Allow to rise slightly to desired thickness in a warm, but not hot area.
Top the pizza crust as desired and bake at 425 to 450 degrees until the crust is medium brown, the toppings are cooked, and the cheese is melted.
Yield: 8" Pizza Crust
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