Summer Grillin’

By Mike Muirhead, Todd Antonation, and Mike Jones

Photos by Ian McCausland

The beautiful simplicity of grilling lends to the easy days of summer. A nice cut of meat from your local butcher, a simple marinade, garden herbs, and some fresh veggies from the farmer’s market (or your own garden) are all you need for a meal fit for a king. Or three kings, if you will: Mike, Todd, and Mike threw down the grilling gauntlet to prepare a feast of meats—smoked, marinated, and grilled—paired with wines ranging from light and food-friendly to truly decadent.

VEAL CHOPS WITH FRESH HERBS

Serves 4–6

14–16 oz veal chops 2 tbsp fresh sage, chopped fine 1 tbsp fresh thyme ½ tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped fine 1 tbsp olive oil pepper to season

Preheat your barbeque to high. Brush the chops with a light coating of olive oil and cracked pepper. Place the chops on the barbeque and grill for 3 minutes. Rotate 90 degrees after 3 minutes to achieve the grill mark “scoring,” then cook for another 2 minutes. For medium-rare, turn the chops over and spread the herb mixture on the top side (to taste*), leaving some for the presentation. Cook for another 3–4 minutes. Move the chops to rest on the top rack, covered with tin foil. Chops are ready when the internal temperature reaches 120°F.

*If you make chops for a larger group, simply use more herbs in these proportions: 2 parts sage, 1 part thyme, and ½ part rosemary.

PAIR WITH:

Domaine Rapet Père et Fils 2018 Blanc en Caradeux Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru Chardonnay Burgundy, France ($95.99) and Tedeschi 2018 Capitel Nicalo Valpolicella Veneto, Italy ($25.99)

Barbeque Corn: Soak corn in husks for 30 minutes. Peel back the husks—but do not remove them. Remove all the silk and leave 2–3 leaves covering the outside of the cob. Grill on medium heat for 12–15 minutes, turning often. Serve with butter, salt, limes, and chilli powder. We sprinkled them with Chili Lime Wing Dust from Luxe Barbeque Company.

SHOP LOCAL:

We bought our veal chops from DeLuca’s South Landing. Our flank steak and beef ribs came from Marcello’s Meats—ask for ribs cut from a rib roast. We visited Luxe Barbeque Company for their vast selection of smoker chips and seasoning to flavour the corn on the cob (we used Chili Lime Wing Dust). Our colourful vegetables were sourced from local farmers through Jardins StLéon Gardens. The fresh herbs were straight from Mike Jones’s garden.

GRILLED FLANK STEAK

Serves 4–6

1 flank steak ¼ cup soya sauce ¾ cup canola oil 2 tbsp white vinegar 4 cloves garlic (minimum), minced 1½ tsp fresh ginger, grated 1 green onion, chopped (plus more for garnish)

Combine all of the ingredients and marinate the steak in a sealed bag—a minimum of 24 hours, though three days is even better!

Preheat the barbeque to 450°F, then turn it to low to cook. Grill the steak for 6 minutes per side for medium-rare until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 125°F. Let the meat rest for at least 15 minutes under a foil cover. Slice thin against the grain of the meat and serve.

PAIR WITH:

Artuke 2020 Pies Negros Tempranillo Rioja, Spain ($26.99) and Printhie 2018 Mountain Range Malbec New South Wales, Australia ($22.99)

SMOKED RIBS

Serves 4–6

beef long ribs salt & pepper to season wood chips for smoking

BBQ Sauce

2½ cups ketchup

½ cup molasses ¼ cup white wine vinegar 1½ tsp liquid smoke 2 tbsp white onion, minced 2 tbsp brown sugar ¼ tsp sea salt ½ tsp chili powder ½ tsp onion powder ½ tsp garlic powder tsp cayenne pepper

BBQ Sauce: Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and mix well. Bring the sauce to a gentle boil over medium heat then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes. Leftover sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 months.

In a kettle barbeque or Big Green Egg, start your coals burning. Soak wood chips—in this case, wine barrel pieces—in water for 30 minutes while the barbeque heats up.

To remove the silver skin from the back of the ribs: use a butter knife to get under the skin and lift it. Once you have some leverage, use a paper towel to grab the skin and pull it back, then trim with a knife.

Season ribs with salt and pepper (generous on the pepper), and cover with cling wrap until the barbeque is at temperature.

Pile your coals to one side and add wood chips. Once they begin to smoke, place the rack of ribs on the side without coals (for indirect cooking). Cook at 275°–300°F for 90 minutes.

Brush on the barbeque sauce for the last 10 minutes, reserving some to serve. Place the ribs over the coal side to caramelize. Remove from heat and let the ribs rest for 10 minutes. Cut and serve with a side of barbeque sauce and lots of napkins.

PAIR WITH:

Liberalia Enologica 2018 Monte Hiniesta Tempranillo Toro, Spain ($21.99) and Marietta Cellars nv Old Vine Red Lot 71 Zinfandel Geyserville, California ($32.99)