Makes 4 servings
At Asadero y Piqueteadero el Pariente in Bogotá, we became fans of its carne asada, or seasoned meats, poultry, and sausages grilled over a eucalyptus fire. When we asked about his seasoning blend, owner Luis Eduardo Beltrán was guarded about the specifics but did tell us the ingredients. This recipe is our attempt to re-create his asado mix.
Instead of a mix of meats, we opt for easy-to-cook, richly flavorful bone-in pork chops. Beltrán includes achiote, a seed that adds vivid red-orange color and mild, earthy notes. We substitute easier-to-source sweet paprika, and cider vinegar is a stand-in for apple wine (a beverage similar to dry hard cider) to bring tart, fruity notes that balance the spices and herbs. A blender makes quick work of the seasoning paste, half of which coats the chops for marinating; the rest is brushed onto the pork midway through cooking.
Don’t scrape the seasoning paste off the chops before grilling. The paste aids with browning and develops a rich, heady aroma along with depth of flavor on the grill.
¼ cup sweet paprika
2 scallions, roughly chopped
2 bay leaves
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground allspice
2 medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons grape-seed or other neutral oil
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Four 10- to 12-ounce bone-in pork loin chops (each ¾- to 1-inch thick), patted dry
Lime wedges, to serve (optional)
In a blender, combine the paprika, scallions, bay, cumin, thyme, allspice, garlic, vinegar, sugar, oil, ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons water,
2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Blend, scraping the jar as needed, until smooth, about 30 seconds. Measure 1/3 cup of the paste into a small bowl, then stir in 2 tablespoons water; cover and set aside or cover and refrigerate if you will be marinating the chops for more than 2 hours.
Coat the chops with the remaining seasoning paste, rubbing it into the meat. Set on a large plate or baking dish, then cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
When you are ready to cook the chops, remove from the refrigerator (along with the reserved seasoning paste, if refrigerated) and let stand at room temperature while you prepare a charcoal or gas grill.
For a charcoal grill, ignite a large chimney of coals, let burn until lightly ashed over, then distribute evenly over one side of the grill bed; open the bottom grill vents. For a gas grill, turn all burners to high. Heat the grill, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes, then clean and oil the grate.
Without scraping off the seasoning paste, place the chops on the grill (on the hot side, if using charcoal). Cook, uncovered, until nicely charred on the bottoms, 5 to 7 minutes. Brush the chops with about half of the reserved seasoning paste, then flip the chops and brush with the remaining reserved seasoning paste. Cook, uncovered, until the second sides are well charred and the centers near the bone reach 135 degrees or are just barely pink when cut into, another 5 to 7 minutes. Flip the chops once again and cook for about 1 minute to heat the newly applied seasoning paste. Transfer to a platter and tent with foil; let rest for 10 minutes. Serve with lime wedges (if using).
Grilled Red Curry Chicken
Makes 4 servings
Jet Tila is a chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, and TV personality who spent his formative years in the food-focused environment of his family’s Thai markets and restaurants in Los Angeles. In his latest book, 101 Thai Dishes You Need to Cook Before You Die, Tila includes a recipe for a simpler way to make gai yang, or Thai marinated chicken, a dish that, made the traditional way, requires a laundry list of items, including cilantro roots, turmeric, and lemon grass, plus a way to pound them to a paste. In his new spin, Tila combines only six easy ingredients — coconut milk, Thai red curry paste, curry powder, garlic, sugar, and salt — to make an aromatic, flavor-packed marinade that comes together in minutes and tastes fantastic. This is our adaptation of his recipe.
Light coconut milk won’t work. Its flavor and consistency are thin and watery. Regular full-fat coconut milk, sold in cans or aseptic boxes, is best. Before use, be sure to stir the coconut milk well to incorporate the fat that separates to the top. Any leftovers will keep in the freezer in an airtight container for several months.
Serve the chicken with steamed jasmine rice.
1 cup coconut milk
¼ cup Thai red curry paste
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
Kosher salt
3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed
Sweet chili dipping sauce or lime wedges, to serve
In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, curry paste, curry powder, sugar, garlic, and 2 teaspoons salt. Using a sharp knife, cut parallel slashes, spaced about 1 inch apart, in the skin side of each piece of chicken, cutting all the way to the bone. Add the chicken to the bowl and, using your hands, rub the marinade onto the chicken and into the slashes. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
Prepare a charcoal or gas grill. For a charcoal grill, ignite a large chimney of coals, let burn until lightly ashed over, then distribute evenly over one half of the grill bed; open the bottom grill vents. For a gas grill, turn all burners to high. Heat the grill, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes, then clean and oil the grate. If using gas, turn off one burner, leaving the remaining burner(s) on high.
Remove the chicken from the marinade, scraping off as much marinade as possible, and place the pieces skin side up on the cooler side of the grill. Cover and cook until the thickest parts of the thighs (not touching the bone) reach about 170 degrees, 35 to 40 minutes. Using tongs, move the chicken, still skin side up, to the hot side of the grill. Cook, uncovered, until lightly charred on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the chicken skin side down and cook until the skin is crisped and lightly charred, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer skin side up to a platter and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with dipping sauce and/or lime wedges.
Grilled Zucchini With Lemony Ricotta
Makes 4 to 6 servings
The contrast of silky zucchini, creamy ricotta, and crunchy nuts provides a satisfying textural complexity for this dish. Be sure to use a high-quality, full-fat ricotta cheese to ensure a creamy texture; low-fat versions can be watery and granular. Also, look for slightly larger zucchini and slice on a sharp diagonal — the larger slices are easier to manage on the grill.
We incorporate lemon two ways, stirring the zest into the ricotta and grilling the halved fruit to bring out a gentler acidity in the juice.
Serve with thick slices of grilled bread and a drizzle of syrupy aged balsamic.
1 lemon
1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
3 medium zucchini or yellow summer squash (about 1½ pounds total), sliced about ¼-inch thick on a sharp diagonal
¼ cup lightly packed fresh mint, dill, basil, or flat-leaf parsley or a combination, chopped
3 tablespoons pistachios, roughly chopped, or pine nuts, toasted
Aged balsamic vinegar, optional, for serving
Grate 1 tablespoon zest from the lemon, then halve it crosswise and set aside. In a medium bowl, stir together the lemon zest, ricotta,
1 tablespoon oil, the red pepper flakes, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and black pepper; set aside.
Heat a 12-inch grill pan over medium-high heat until barely smoking. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss the zucchini with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and ½ teaspoon salt. Working in batches if needed, add the zucchini to the pan and cook, turning occasionally, until charred and tender-crisp, about 3 minutes per side. (This step can also be done directly on a grill.) Transfer to a serving platter and cool slightly.
Grill the lemon halves cut side down until lightly charred, 2 to 3 minutes. Squeeze 1 tablespoon juice from a grilled lemon half, then stir it into the ricotta mixture. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Dollop the ricotta mixture onto the zucchini, then sprinkle with mint and pistachios. Drizzle with balsamic, if using, and serve with the remaining lemon half for squeezing.
Christopher Kimball is the founder of Milk Street, home to a magazine, school, and radio and television shows. Globe readers get 12 weeks of complete digital access, plus two issues of Milk Street print magazine, for just $1. Go to 177milkstreet.com/globe. Send comments to magazine@globe.com.
