ON THE BOOKSHELF: How to grill like an Italian
By J.M. HIRSCH, AP Food EditorWednesday, May 07, 2008If you're hankering for great Italian food this summer, ditch the pasta, and get the grill going.
Two new cookbooks aim to get you grilling Italian-style.
First is Mario Batali's lush "Italian Grill," which opens with some basic how-to material, including a helpful primer on common grill-friendly Italian ingredients.
Of course the real appeal is the recipes, such as fresh robiola cheese grilled in thinly sliced mortadella (smoked Italian sausage) or the marinated calamari with chickpeas, olive pesto and oranges.
Batali acknowledges the recipes aren't entirely authentic, but with these sort of flavors, who cares?
Then there is Elizabeth Karmel and Bob Blumer's "Pizza on the Grill," a collection of more than 50 inspired takes (including the tantalizing Maine Event Lobster and Corn Pizza) on producing great pies on the grill.
A handy guide at the start of the book walks readers through pizza-grilling basics (different than pizza in the oven).
TAGLIATA OF BONE-IN RIB EYE WITH ARUGULA
If you can't find porcini mushroom powder, buy 1 ounce of dried porcini mushrooms and pulverize them in a blender or food processor. That should make about 1/4 cup.
Start to finish: One hour, plus overnight marinating
Servings: Four
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon hot red pepper flakes
1/4 cup porcini mushroom powder
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus about 1 tablespoon and extra for drizzling
3- to 3-1/2-pound bone-in rib-eye steak, about 3 inches thick
3 cups arugula, washed and spun dry
Fine sea salt, to taste
Balsamic vinegar, for drizzling
In a small bowl, combine the sugar, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, mushroom powder, garlic and 1/4 cup of olive oil. Stir well to form a thick paste with the consistency of wet sand.
Rub the paste all over the steak, coating it evenly. Wrap the steak tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, or overnight.
About one hour before grilling, remove the steak from the refrigerator, and brush off the excess marinade with a paper towel. Place the steak on a plate, and let it come to room temperature.
Heat a gas grill, or prepare a fire in a charcoal grill (use enough coals to keep the fire going for about 25 minutes).
Place the steak on the hottest part of the grill, cover and cook, turning every six to eight minutes, for about 25 minutes for medium-rare; the internal temperature should be 125 degrees.
Transfer the steak to a carving board, and let rest for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, dress the arugula with about 1 tablespoon olive oil, and season with sea salt.
Slice the meat against the grain into 1/2-inch-thick pieces. Arrange the steak on plates or a platter, drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, then top with the arugula. Serve immediately.
(Recipe from Mario Batali's "Italian Grill" (Ecco/HarperCollins Publishers, 2008)
BOOKS: Mario Batali's "Italian Grill" (Ecco/HarperCollins Publishers, 2008); Elizabeth Karmel and Bob Blumer's "Pizza on the Grill" (The Taunton Press, 2008)
