April is my favorite month in North Carolina. It's warm during the day, cool at night, and insects haven't descended upon our deck.
In short, it's a great time of year to grill.
My dad made kabobs for this week's Sunday night family dinner and used three different marinades to flavor the meats. He made them in a matter of minutes and tossed them with the meats a few hours before cooking them ("the longer you marinate, the better," he says). He gives credit to Alton Brown for the beef flavors, but the chicken and shrimp recipes are his own. Try one next time you need a quick way to add big flavor.
Steak
In short, it's a great time of year to grill.
My dad made kabobs for this week's Sunday night family dinner and used three different marinades to flavor the meats. He made them in a matter of minutes and tossed them with the meats a few hours before cooking them ("the longer you marinate, the better," he says). He gives credit to Alton Brown for the beef flavors, but the chicken and shrimp recipes are his own. Try one next time you need a quick way to add big flavor.
Chicken Marinade
juice and zest of 1 lemon or lime and 1 orange
4 garlic cloves minced
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup canola oil
salt and pepper
tablespoon or 2 of chopped fresh tarragon leaves
Shrimp
3 cloves garlic minced
1 large shallot or 2 small minced
2 TBS fresh thyme or 1 Tbs dried thyme
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf italian parsley
1 tsp chili flakes- I used chipolte chili flakes
1/4 cup olive oil
juice from half a lemon- about 2 tbs
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
