Healthy Eating: The grill is not just for men

The grill is not just for men

WOMEN TAKE CHARGE OF THE BARBECUE REVOLUTION

Eric Rose

Over the years, so much has changed in the average American household, and the traditional roles of men and women have changed drastically. Of course, I am stereotyping, but I think it is safe to say that in years past it was traditionally the woman’s role to do the shopping, plan the dinner and prepare everything. Except when the grill was involved! That’s only for men … (Ha Ha).

People have been debating men and grills in different forums for a very long time. In an old Forbes magazine article, I stumbled across from 2010, Meghan Casserly explains why men love grilling: Grilling is sort of dangerous (there’s fire!), it lets dudes hang out together while also providing some sort of neutral entertainment (getting to watch one guy do stuff and possibly also criticizing him while he does it), and it requires minimal cleaning (self-explanatory).

Casserly also notes that this is a particularly 20th-century American phenomenon — in early hunter-gatherer societies, cooking meat over a fire was largely women’s work, and in most of Southeast Asia, Mexico, and Serbia, for instance, it still is. The reason we associate grilling with men is, like many stubborn gender stereotypes, a product of the 1950s and suburbanization. Suburban homes with backyards led to the popularity of the backyard barbecue, and parenting books at the time stressed the importance of present fathers who’d spend time with their families, when in an earlier era they may have spent that free time at the pub with other dudes.

Oh, how things have changed.

More recent studies have shown that women are doing significantly more grilling these days. In fact, they are competing against the men and winning nationally sanctioned BBQ championships across the country. The Food Network and other similar channels look a lot different now, once dominated by males there is now more equality. Legends like Julia Childs, Cat Cora, Paula Deen, Lidia Bastianich, Ina Garten, Sara Moulton, Giada De Laurentis and Rachel Ray can be credited for paving the way for generations to come. Who stands behind the stoves and grills has forever changed, and we are much better for it.

This Fourth of July, the backyard barbecues will be fired up and celebrations will be plentiful as it has truly become an American food experience. One thing that is sure to be different this year is that there will be significantly more women ‘MANning the grill.’

Grill like a pro this summer with my expert tips:

If you want to become the next best grill master at your summer BBQ party or simply just up your grill game, follow my great tips on how to grill like a real professional. Although it may look like hard work, all you really need is a grill, a few tools, some delicious fresh ingredients, and of course, a little planning and patience.

Pick out the best meats: You can grill almost any protein, but the leaner the protein the less forgiving the protein will be. Look for meat, pork and fish that has abundant amount of marbling throughout the muscle or a fattier content. After all, fat is flavor!

Make sure your grill is ready: It is all in the preparation. You want to start your grill well in advance to make sure it is fully up to temperature. Use a grill brush to clean the surface thoroughly and right before grilling use a paper towel with a little vegetable oil and wipe the grates. When finished, keep the grill on for a little bit to burn off the particulates for next time.

Proper tools: Make sure you invest in a good set of long handled tongs and turner to make sure you do not burn yourself. A good digital thermometer is a must. It is the key to ensuring the desired temperature. Meat is easy to cook because it can be grilled directly on the BBQ itself. However, other foods like vegetables and buns can get too burned (or even fall through the grates) if they are placed directly on the rack. Thankfully, there are tons of useful products that you can buy to elevate your grilling game. Consider purchasing a griddle or grill basket.

Meatless Options: Want to impress you guest? Consider grilled options like vegetable crudité appetizer, Mexican street corn, kabobs, or the always impressive grilled pizza. It’s always a winner and you can even purchase pizza stones to put on your grill although the best flavor comes from cooking it directly on the grates.

Grilling Basics: Bring your protein to room temperature before grilling so it cooks evenly. Before putting on the grill make sure you oil the surface. Season your protein well and avoid overly wet or sweet marinades during the grilling process. Know your temperatures (can be found easily on the web) and use a trusty thermometer. Let all proteins rest before serving for at least 4 minutes to allow for the juices to redistribute evenly. SWM

Utica Greens Grilled Pizza

Grilled pizza can be topped with whatever you can imagine. The secret to a perfect one is not to put too many toppings on because the pizza will not cook properly. So less is more. Make it interactive and have guests make their own unique pizza or give my CNY favorite a try.

Makes 4 Pies

INGREDIENTS: DOUGH

1 ¼ oz. envelope active dry yeast (about 2¼ tsp.) 1 tsp. sugar ¹/³ cup (42 g) whole wheat flour 2½ tsp. kosher salt 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for bowl 3 cups (375 g) bread flour, plus more for surface

GREENS

1 bunch Escarole 3 Tbsp. salted butter Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes ½ Tbsp. Pepper Relish 1 garlic clove ½ oz. Parmesan, finely grated (about ½ cup)

ASSEMBLY

Bread flour (for dusting) Extra-virgin olive oil (for brushing and drizzling) 1 1-lb. ball mozzarella, torn into bite-size pieces

Step 1

Stir yeast, sugar, and 1¼ cups warm (not hot) water in the bowl of a stand mixer until yeast dissolves. Let sit until mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.

Step 2

Add whole wheat flour, salt, and 2 Tbsp. oil to yeast mixture and mix to combine. Fit mixer with dough hook and, with mixer on low speed, gradually add 3 cups (375 g) bread flour, mixing until a shaggy dough forms, about 4 minutes from when you start adding the flour. Stop mixer and scrape down sides of bowl to incorporate any dry bits into dough. Increase mixer speed to medium and knead until dough is smooth and shiny, about 5 minutes.

Step 3

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead briefly to bring together. Shape into a ball, place in a large lightly oiled bowl, and turn to coat. Cover bowl and let dough sit in warm draft-free spot until doubled in size, 1–1½ hours. Make your toppings while your dough is rising.

Step 4

Clean and cut Escarole into small pieces. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Add escarole and season with salt, crushed red, and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they wilted and bright green. Remove from heat and stir in pepper relish, grated garlic, and parmesan cheese. Stir and set aside. This can be made a day ahead of time.

Step 5

Divide dough into 4 pieces. Working one at a time, gently shape into balls. Transfer to a lightly floured baking sheet and cover. Let sit 20–30 minutes.

Step 6

Next place a ball of dough on a lightly floured surface and, using your fingers, press out to a 12” diameter. Prepare grill by turning half on medium heat and leaving the other half off or on very low.

Step 7

Brush dough with oil. Place, oiled side down, on grill over direct heat and cook until large bubbles appear across surface, dough stiffens, and underside is dark brown, about 2 minutes. Brush top with oil, turn over, and cook just to lightly dry out second side, about 30 seconds. Move dough over to cooler side of grill. Top with portion of Utica greens mixture and ¼ of the mozzarella cheese. Carefully slide pizza back over direct heat. Cook until cheese is melted, and toppings are heated through, about 2 minutes. If dough is in danger of burning on underside but toppings need more time, return pizza to cooler side, cover grill, and cook another 1–2 minutes. Move to a cutting board to cut and serve.

REFERENCES

From Adweek “Why the Backyard Grill Is a Guy Thing” https://www.adweek.com/ brand-marketing/why-backyard-grillguy-thing-150559/ From Nutrition Journal “Who’s cooking? Trends in US home food preparation by gender, education, and race/ethnicity from 2003 to 2016” https://nutritionj. biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/ s12937-018-0347-9 From Newsweek “Are Women Better Grillers Than Men?” https://www. newsweek.com/2014/08/29/arewomen-better-grillers-men-264941. html From The Telegraph “Why Are Men Drawn To The Rituals Of Barbecue” https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/thefilter/10941165/Why-are-men-drawnto-the-ritual-of-barbecues.html From Smithsonian magazine “Why Do Men Grill?” https://www. smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/whydo-men-grill-121562921/ From Forbes “Grilling, Guys, and the Great Gender Divide” https://www. forbes.com/2010/07/01/grilling-menwomen-barbecue-forbes-womantime-cooking.html From NPR “Women Chefs Still Walk ‘A Fine Line’ In The Kitchen” https://www.npr.org/sections/ thesalt/2018/08/31/639398136/ women-chefs-still-walk-a-fine-line-inthe-kitchen