Want to grill for 4th of July? These recipes celebrate outdoor cooking and some of the culinary traditions essential to Southern California food culture.
The Fourth of July weekend practically demands that we revel in the smoky, charred deliciousness of grilled foods. Last week, L.A. Times Food published a package about grilling in L.A. Stories of a cookbook author’s al fresco asada, an Armenian grocer’s backyard barbecue and what locals prepare at the park reveal a microcosm of the many culinary traditions centered around cooking with fire that contribute to L.A.’s diverse food scene. And if you prefer not to stoke the fire, talented pitmasters serve up first-rate barbecue all over town. To grill yourself in your own yard or outdoor space, these recipes recall some of the flavors that contribute to making L.A. such a bastion of culinary culture. They are all crowd pleasers.
Grilled fig salad
Fresh fennel, radicchio and figs are all grilled, tossed with an herby sherry vinaigrette, garnished with goat cheese and toasted walnuts to make a refreshing summer salad.
Time 40 minutes
Yields Serves 4
Fresh figs are sweet, juicy treats made even more so once the sugars have caramelized and charred after a few moments on the grill. The almost candy-like fruit is balanced by the spicy bitterness of radicchio and augmented by the tangy goat cheese and licorice-y fennel. It all adds up to a rather sophisticated flavor profile despite the seemingly simple origins. The salad will be a welcome addition to your summer repertoire.
Grilled onigiri with miso sauce and chives
Onigiri, the quick and satisfying Japanese fast food made with rice, gets extra flavor from the grill itself and from basting with a sauce of miso, mirin, soy sauce and chives.
Time 30 minutes
Yields Each sauce recipe makes enough for 4 onigiri
The Japanese fast food onigiri is made with rice. It somewhat resembles sushi rolls, but fundamentally they are two different things. Sushi’s focal point is the fish, where onigiri is more about eating rice that is formed into different shapes that often encase a flavorful treat. Use onigiri molds to help shape them. Fill them with umeboshi (pickled plum), seasoned bonito flakes, grilled salmon or whatever you have on hand. Grilling and basting with a miso sauce add a whole new flavor dimension.
Grilled Fennel Ajo Blanco
The anise flavor of grilled fennel works to balance the creamy, garlicky soup and play up the sweetness of the grape garnish in this quick vegan recipe.
Time 15 minutes, plus 1 hour chilling
Yields Serves 4 to 6
Grilled soup? Yes. Well, sort of. OK, so the broth itself is not grilled, but the fennel is and it adds a lovely smoky flavor to the creamy garlicky broth. The grapes — also grilled — add a smoky sweetness that plays well with the anise flavor of the fennel. A few minutes over the coals (or under the broiler), some time in the fridge and a whirl in the blender is all it takes.
Gochujang Glazed Grilled Chicken
Gochujang, a Korean fermented soybean paste with red chiles, gives this grilled chicken a little kick.
Time 45 minutes
Yields Serves 6 to 8
This grilled chicken gets a bit of spice from gochujang, the Korean fermented soy paste with red chiles. Want more of a kick? Add more gochujang to the salty-sugary glaze. The tang and sweetness are balanced with a splash of fresh lemon juice, which also helps keep the chicken juicy. Just be sure to grill it slow and steady at a moderate heat.
Grilled Beef and Broccoli
The classic takeout dish gets a refreshing makeover with this easy recipe for Chinese beef and broccoli, which develops a delicious smokiness on the grill.
Time 30 minutes
Yields Serves 6
More broccoli than beef, this take on the iconic Chinese stir-fry is a bit smokier coming off of the grill than coming out of the wok — and even more delicious. Like the original, it is best served with steamed white rice.
Grilled L.A. Kalbi
Short ribs cut into thin slices across their bones are known as L.A. kalbi and are an ideal dish for grilling with friends.
Time 30 minutes
Yields Serves 6 to 8
Flanken short ribs cut across their bones into thin slices that feature three to four short pieces of bone with a generous portion of meat around them distinguish L.A. kalbi from the kalbi in Korea, traditionally made with butterflied English-cut short ribs, which are cut down the length of the bone. Regardless of the cut, the ribs are marinated in a sweet and savory sauce that typically includes some type of fruit such as Asian pear. Garlic, ginger, soy sauce and maple syrup round out the flavor while toasted sesame oil enhances the umami. Steamed white rice is the perfect accompaniment. For a little more heat and some crunch, add fresh sliced chiles and scallions.
Grilled Salmon Teriyaki
Both the salmon and sauce cook on the grill and develop a delicious smokiness.
Time 30 minutes
Yields Serves 4
Teriyaki sauce is salty from soy sauce, sweet from mirin and gets depth from sake. It works as a grilling sauce for just about anything — in this case salmon. Even better, you can cook the sauce right on the grill alongside the salmon — or whatever other proteins and vegetables you are grilling — and slather it on once it has simmered and reduced.
Grilled Asparagus Tostadas with Charred Tomatillo Chermoula
Grilled asparagus makes a smoky topping for tostadas enlivened with tomatillo chermoula.
Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Yields Serves 4 to 6
The mashup of chermoula and salsa verde adds character and dimension to smoky grilled asparagus. In addition, the tostadas feature accompaniments such as serrano chile aioli, cheese, pickled onion, fresh herbs and edible flowers. Serve them fully assembled or set up a tostada bar and let guests compose their own.
Grilled Lemongrass Pork Chops With Radish Nuoc Cham
These flavorful chops are great on their own or eaten with jasmine rice or thin vermicelli rice noodles.
Time 25 minutes
Yields Serves 4
The marinade for these chops is fragrant with fish sauce, lemongrass, shallots, chiles and garlic. The sugars caramelize on the outer surfaces, creating juicy meat inside those crackly charred edges. Be sure to use bone-in chops as they are the most flavorful. The nuoc cham is made here with radishes, which gives it a more peppery edge than the more commonly used carrots. For the full low-down on how to grill the most succulent pork chops, check out these tips.
Banana Leaf Grilled Fish With Habanero Beurre Blanc
A whole fish is stuffed with calamansi lime rinds, habanero and Fresno chiles before being swaddled in a banana leaf and grilled. Once cooked and unwrapped, it is doused with an aromatic, piquant butter sauce.
Time 1 hour
Yields Serves 4 to 6
Whole fish makes a stunning centerpiece for the table. Wrapping it in a banana leaf gives it even more visual cachet. The wrapper also keeps the fish moist while allowing it to take on a smoky depth that is complemented by the creamy, tangy butter sauce spooned over it before serving. Bonus: The banana leaf also keeps the fish from sticking to the grate. The recipe specifies rock fish but any firm-fleshed white saltwater fish will work here.
Grilled avocado with marinated tomato salad
Grilled avocado halves are topped with cherry tomatoes marinated in a piquant vinaigrette of olive oil, Dijon mustard and sherry vinegar, onion, basil, capers and garlic.
Time 25 minutes
Yields Serves 4
A simple slathering of mayonnaise on the cut edges of avocados allows for a smooth, easy release from the grill grate — a technique that keeps burgers, steaks and fish from sticking to the grill as well. The charred avocado flesh is topped with cherry tomatoes in a piquant vinaigrette. The salad is a wonderful accompaniment to, well, almost anything.
Grilled Spring Carrots with Fresh Za’atar and Tahini Labneh
Whole carrots, lightly charred on the grill, are balanced with a creamy tahini-flavored labneh and fresh za'atar spice blend, made with carrot tops, sprinkled over the top.
Time 45 minutes
Yields Serves 4 to 6.
Za’atar, tahini and labneh: Each is wonderful by itself and even more delicious when served in combination. Labneh adds tang to earthy tahini; the za’atar — here made with greens from the carrot tops — brings a dimension of herby grassiness; and it all complements the sweetness of the caramelized, grilled carrots. Any other roasted vegetable will work here as well.
