Find hot recipes, including Chubby Fish chef-owner James London's spiced lamb ribs
“If cooking on a Big Green Egg, fill it with 100 percent natural lump charcoal and add in a Big Green Egg SpeediLight Charcoal Starter. Medium-high heat is sufficient. Focus on cooking over direct flame rather than covering the grill, as the thin skins cook quickly.”
Chef Masatomo Hamaya of Shokudô brings a Japanese sensibility to the grill, charring vegetables and layering them with citrus ponzu, soy, yuzu butter, and umami-rich finishes
Shishito Peppers with Ponzu & Noritama
(Serves 4)
For the citrus ponzu:
(Makes 1 cup)
In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients and whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or eight to 12 hours, to allow the flavors to steep.
Strain and discard the bonito flakes. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Heat the grill to medium-high.
In a medium bowl, toss the shishito peppers with the grapeseed oil and season with salt and pepper. Put the peppers in a grill basket and place it on the grill. Grill them for three to five minutes, turning occasionally, until they are blistered and lightly charred. The peppers should be tender with wrinkled skin. Once one side of each pepper is cooked and blistered, they are ready to serve.
Transfer the hot peppers to a bowl and toss with the ponzu until evenly coated. Arrange them in a shallow serving bowl and sprinkle the noritama over the top. Serve immediately.
Red Weapons is one of 10 condiments that chef Vivian Howard shared in her cookbook, This Will Make It Taste Good (Little Brown, 2020). “Don’t get caught up in the details here. I call for plum tomatoes because I like their firmness and availability, but any tomato will do. If you have a bounty of cherry or slicing tomatoes, this is a quick and painless way to reserve them.”
For this bold, flavor-packed twist on a Southern staple, chef Vivian Howard of Lenoir restaurant transforms local shrimp with her signature Red Weapons—a punchy, slow-pickled mix of tomatoes, chiles, and spice that brings heat, acid, and depth to every bite
(Serves 2-3)
For the Red Weapons:
For the shrimp:
First, make the Red Weapons. Put the tomatoes in a large, wide, heatproof bowl. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, bring all the ingredients except the tomatoes and olive oil to a boil over medium heat. Let boil for one minute. Add the olive oil and bring back to a boil. Immediately pour over the tomatoes, pressing them down to make sure they are submerged.
Let the tomatoes and liquid cool to room temperature. (If they sit out at room temperature overnight, that’s totally fine.) The more slowly they cool down, the more quickly they will pickle. Once cooled, transfer to two quart-size Mason jars and refrigerate for a minimum of three days and up to three months.
After a few days in the fridge, the olive oil component will rise to the top and create a lid over the pickling liquid, tomatoes, and other solids. Push aside the olive oil at the top and remove two cups of tomatoes and jalapeños and 3/4 cup of the pickling liquid.
Marinate the shrimp in the pickling liquid for 15 minutes.
Heat a grill to high. Oil the grates and grill the shrimp for two to three minutes on each side, until lightly charred on both sides and fully cooked. (The shrimp will turn opaque/pink and be firm to the touch.)
Place the grilled shrimp in a large bowl. Season with salt to taste and toss with the tomatoes and jalapeños. Serve immediately or allow to cool and serve cold. The grilled pickled shrimp will keep for up to a week in the fridge.
“Watch the grill closely as the lamb fat will flare. Move the racks to the cooler side as needed to control flames. The ribs will be done in three to five minutes, as they have already been cooked in the oven. The grilling is to just char them and render the fat.”
Slow-cooked until tender, then kissed by flame, these richly spiced ribs from Chubby Fish chef-owner James London are finished on the grill for a smoky char and accompanied by a nutty romesco
(Serves 3)
For the spice rub:
For the lamb:
Spread the seeds and peppercorns in a large sauté pan and toast over medium heat until fragrant, one to two minutes. Let cool, then grind with a mortar and pestle, spice grinder, or blender to a coarse texture. Combine with the smoked paprika and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 275°F.
Pat the ribs dry. Season generously with kosher salt. Apply two tablespoons of rub per rack, pressing to adhere.
Lay each rack on a piece of foil large enough to wrap it up in. Drizzle each with two tablespoons of olive oil. Add three smashed garlic cloves, one sliced shallot, and three thyme sprigs to each. Wrap tightly into sealed packets. Place them in a casserole dish or on a foil-lined sheet pan to catch any fat.
Cook the packets in the oven for two hours and 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the lamb cool to room temperature in the foil packets. These can be held in the refrigerator for up to two days before grilling.
Heat the grill to medium-high, with the charcoal on one side only for a two-zone setting. Remove the ribs from the foil and grill them straight from the refrigerator, turning them frequently to develop an even char, for three to five minutes.
Slice the racks between the bones. Finish with a heavy drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of flaky sea salt. Garnish with thyme and serve with romesco.
For the romesco sauce:
(Makes 1½ quarts)
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Coat the onion and bell peppers lightly with olive oil and place them on a foil-lined sheet pan. Roast for 15 minutes. Coat the tomatoes lightly with olive oil and add to the pan.
Place the diced bread and toasted almonds on a separate sheet pan. Roast both pans for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.
Place the chiles in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let steep for 10 to 15 minutes, until softened. Working in batches if needed, transfer the chiles to a blender with about 3/4 cup of the soaking liquid and blend until smooth. This will yield more than needed, but it’s great to save for future sauces or marinades.
Peel and chop the onion. Peel, seed, and chop the roasted peppers and tomatoes. Working in batches, combine the onion, peppers, and tomatoes with the garlic, olive oil, sherry vinegar, salt, smoked paprika, and four tablespoons of the guajillo puree in a food processor and process for one to two minutes, or until combined. Add the toasted bread and almonds. Continue processing for another one to two minutes, until incorporated but still slightly textured. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt or sherry vinegar as desired. Covered and refrigerated, the romesco will keep for up to two weeks, but it should be served at room temperature.
“For the first few minutes, stay close by to make sure the flames don’t get too high. The marinade and the chicken skin can get a little crazy. You should have enough marinade to brush the chicken every time you flip it. The flipping and constant basting are the keys to making the chicken super flavorful.”
This crowd-pleaser by Merci chef-owner Michael Zentner includes a bright and herbaceous marinade for the chicken that’s grilled to a smoky, caramelized finish with charred lemons
(Serves 3-4)
Twenty-four hours in advance of grilling, make the marinade. Combine the rosemary and garlic and lightly chop until all is even. Combine the rosemary/garlic mixture, lemon zest, chili flakes, paprika, mustard, salt, pepper, vinegar, and olive oil in a medium mixing bowl. Stir, cover lightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 24 hours before grilling the chicken. This can be made up to three days in advance.
The day before grilling, stir the marinade, pour one third over the chicken, and massage it into the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
To grill, allow the chicken to come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
Heat a grill to hot. Once hot, clean the grill grates with a grill pad or block. (The chicken will stick to a dirty grill.) Oil the grates, preferably with beef tallow or avocado oil. Lightly toss the chicken, then place it on the grill skin-side down and close the lid. Keep a close eye on things throughout the grilling process. If the fire seems too hot, keep the grill open until the flames die down a bit.
After five to eight minutes, flip the chicken and brush with the marinade. Continue grilling, flipping the chicken every three to five minutes or so and brushing with the marinade each time.
Brush the reserved lemons with the marinade, place them cut side down on the hottest section of the grill. Grill them until caramelized, about four to five minutes, and remove.
The chicken should take 35 to 45 minutes to cook. After the chicken has been flipped and basted four to five times, you will see a dark caramelized color. Move the wings and drumsticks to a cooler spot on the grill. Check the thighs and breasts with an instant read thermometer and remove them when the temperature reaches 165 degrees in the thickest part.
Arrange the chicken on a serving platter and squeeze the charred lemons on top. Brush with any remaining marinade, sprinkle with sea salt and fresh pepper, and serve.
