In Korean-style barbecue restaurants, you grill pork or beef to your liking before making ‘ssam’ or lettuce wraps with pieces of meat, rice and various side dishes. This is our take on Korean so-galbi, or beef short ribs. These short ribs are cut in a cross section (called a ‘flanken cut’), in thin strips. Ask your butcher for this specific cut – they cook quickly on a hot grill.
Beef short ribs with hoisin, marinated scallions and spicy cucumber salad
Serves 6
Ingredients
For the marinated scallions:
For the spicy cucumbers:
To serve:
Method
1 About 24 hours before you plan to serve, pat the beef short ribs dry with a piece of kitchen towel and layer them in a large, non-reactive casserole dish.
2 In a blender or food processor, add the pear, ginger, garlic, onion, scallions, water, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, rice wine, salt and pepper. Blend on high to combine into a marinade. Pour this over the beef short ribs, ensuring all of the ribs are covered. Cover the casserole dish with cling film and place on the bottom rack of the refrigerator for 24 hours.
3 Also the day before, you should start the marinated scallions. Place a bowl of cold water next to your cutting board. Slice the scallions lengthwise as thinly as you can (you want them to look like ribbons). As you finish slicing, add them to the cold water to soak for 30 minutes. Add the scallions to a fine mesh sieve and rinse under cold water, then place them in a bowl lined with kitchen towel. Soaking and rinsing them in the water will make them curl. Let them sit on the kitchen towel in the refrigerator to dry overnight.
4 The next day, make the dressing: combine the sesame oil, sugar, sea salt, black pepper and gochugaru, if using, and mix well. Add the scallions to this mixture and toss to coat. Cover the scallions with cling film and leave in the refrigerator to marinate until ready to serve.
5 Make the spicy cucumber salad: remove the seeds from the cucumber and then slice into medium-sized chunks. Place the sliced cucumber into a bowl and add the garlic, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, honey, gochugaru (if using), soy sauce and mirin (if using). Toss to coat the cucumber and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover with cling film and leave to marinate in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
6 Take the short ribs out of the refrigerator 1.5 hours before you plan to grill, let them sit at room temperature.
7 Preheat your barbecue to medium high heat. Depending on the thickness of your short ribs, some will cook on a very high heat within a few minutes while thicker slices (ours were about 4cm thickness) will take a bit longer to cook. Place the short ribs directly on the grill and don’t touch them for 1-2 minutes. This will help create nice char marks on the outside and will caramelise the marinade.
8 After 1-2 minutes, flip the short ribs and cook them on the other side. Again, you don’t want to move them for 1-2 minutes. If your short ribs are on the thicker side, you may want to leave them on the grill for an additional 2-3 minutes per side. However, if your short ribs are less than 3cm thickness, they will probably be cooked through at this stage. Glaze each of the short ribs with a generous amount of hoisin and let them warm through on the top rack of your barbecue.
9 Place the short ribs on a platter. Cover with foil and rest for 5-10 minutes.
10 To serve, you can slice the short ribs and place them on plates or leave them on the bone and serve them on larger platters. Place the rice, lettuce, kimchi, marinated scallions and cucumber salad on the table so everyone can help themselves. Serve the beef while it’s hot, with extra hoisin on the side for dipping.
If it’s too hot to turn on the oven, never fear – you can make a variety of baked goods outdoors on the grill. This cherry cobbler is a delicious blend of cherry compote (use fresh Irish-grown cherries when they’re in season) and a brown sugar scone topping. This dessert is Irish summer on a plate (don’t forget the ice cream!).
Grilled cherry cobbler in a cast-iron skillet
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
For the scone topping:
To serve:
Method
1 Make the cherry compote: if using fresh cherries, remove the pits and stems. Place the cherries into a large saucepan and add the sugar, lemon rind and juice, vanilla and water (if using fresh cherries). Bring to a simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes, to soften the fruit.
2 Make a slurry with the cornflour and 75ml of water. Add this to the simmering cherries. The cornflour will thicken the mixture almost immediately, but continue to cook for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is thick, glossy and dark in colour. Add the amaretto or whiskey, if using. Stir well and set aside to cool.
3 Make the scones: in a large mixing bowl, combine the plain flour, brown sugar, salt and baking powder. Add the cold, cubed butter and, using your hands, rub the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
4 Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture. In a large measuring jug, add the buttermilk and egg. Mix the egg into the buttermilk then add to the dry ingredients. Using your hands again, mix until a dough forms. It might be slightly stickier than a standard scone dough, but this is what we want for a cobbler.
5 Add the cherry compote to a cast-iron skillet and preheat your barbecue to 190°C, keeping the lid closed.
6 While the barbecue preheats, add the scone dough to the top of the cherry compote. You can spoon the mixture over or turn the dough onto a well-floured surface, shape it into a circle and cut into triangles. Sprinkle the top of the scones with caster sugar, then place on the grill and close the lid. Check on the cobbler every 5 minutes to ensure the bottom isn’t cooking too quickly. If it is, move it too a cooler spot on the grill. Cook the cobbler for approximately 25 minutes. The top should be golden brown and the cherry compote should bubble around the edges.
7 Let cool slightly before serving with big scoops of vanilla ice cream.
This is a great option for a meat-free main dish, but it works equally well as a side if you are grilling steak, chicken or pork. Simply throw these kebabs on the grill and your meal is complete. The hot honey glaze brings all of the components together while the couscous is a nice combination of sweet and savoury.
This is a great option for a meat-free main dish, but it works equally well as a side if you are grilling steak, chicken or pork. Simply throw these kebabs on the grill and your meal is complete. The hot honey glaze brings all of the components together while the couscous is a nice combination of sweet and savoury.
Hot honey glazed halloumi kebabs with fruity couscous
Serves 6
Ingredients
For the fruity couscous:
Method
1 Cut the halloumi into bite-sized cubes and place in a casserole dish. Wash the cherry tomatoes and add them to the dish, as well as the diced red pepper.
2 In another bowl, combine the red wine vinegar, hot honey, garlic, rapeseed oil, oregano, salt and pepper with a whisk. Pour this over the halloumi, tomatoes and red pepper and, using your hands, toss everything together. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 4-6 hours or overnight.
3 While the halloumi mixture is marinating, make your couscous: add the dried couscous to a large mixing bowl. Bring the chicken stock to a boil, then pour the boiling stock directly over the couscous. Cover the bowl with cling film and let sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes.
4 Remove the cling film and wait until it cools enough to handle, then rub the couscous with clean hands to ensure the grains separate nicely. Once this is done, add the cumin, coriander, thyme, chilli powder, lemon zest and juice, apricots, raisins, toasted almonds and rapeseed oil. Mix to combine. Cover with cling film and refrigerate until ready to use.
5 Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Take the marinated halloumi and vegetables and make the kebabs using metal skewers (if using wooden skewers, make sure you soak them in water first, otherwise they will burn). First, add a cherry tomato, then a cube of halloumi and then a piece of red pepper and continue until there are two pieces of each per kebab. Place the kebabs on the lined baking tray.
6 Preheat your barbecue to medium-high. While the barbecue is preheating, add the red onion and fresh herbs to the couscous salad. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7 Add the kebabs to the hot barbecue and grill, lid down, for 1-2 minutes. Using metal tongs, flip them over and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Once they have some nice char marks, keep the lid up and move them around until evenly cooked on all sides. This will take 5-10 minutes, depending on the barbecue and the size of your vegetables. Brush with the extra hot honey marinade and place the kebabs on the top rack of the barbecue. Put the lid down for the last few minutes of cooking.
8 Serve the kebabs immediately with the couscous salad and more hot honey.
If you have never had planked salmon or trout, you are in for a real treat. You can purchase cedar, oak or hickory planks for grilling online and have them delivered straight to your door. This is a great way to serve fish in the summertime – the planks impart a deliciously smoky flavour while the grill quickly cooks with fish; maintaining its moisture.
Cedar planked Goatsbridge Trout with summer herb potato salad
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the trout:
For the potato salad:
Method
1 About 6-8 hours before you plan to grill the trout, soak your cedar planks in cold water. They need to be fully soaked before being placed on the hot grill. We filled a deep baking tray with water and placed them inside.
2 Prepare your trout: using a sharp knife, slice the side of trout in half. Then, trim each slice so the smaller bits at the end are removed and you are left with a large, rectangular fillet. Keep the skin on as it will act as a natural barrier between the cedar plank and the fillet. Pat each fillet with a piece of kitchen towel and season liberally with salt and pepper. Place the fillets on a plate, cover with cling film and refrigerate until ready to use.
3 Make the potato salad: if you are using new season potatoes, give them a good scrub but leave the skin on. If using Roosters or Maris Pipers, peel and cut into large, even-sized chunks. This will ensure the potatoes cook evenly.
4 Place the potatoes into a large pot of cold water. Season the water with a good amount of salt and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and let the potatoes cook for 15 minutes. Check the potatoes for doneness by piercing them with a sharp knife – if they slide easily into the potato, they are cooked through. Strain the potatoes and add them back into the pot. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and let the potatoes steam off the heat for a further 10-15 minutes. Let the potatoes cool completely.
5 In a large bowl, add the potatoes, the lemon zest and juice and all of the fresh herbs. Using a spatula, gently fold everything together to combine. Add the mayonnaise and crème fraiche, season with salt and pepper and, again, use the spatula to gently combine the salad being careful not to break up the potatoes too much. Check for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if needed. Cover with cling film and refrigerate until ready to use.
6 Take the trout out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before you plan to grill. Preheat your barbecue to an internal heat of approximately 200°C with the lid closed. Once preheated, add the pre-soaked cedar planks to the grill. Close the lid and continue to grill the planks for approximately 5 minutes, until the wood begins to smoke and char slightly around its edges.
7 Add one piece of trout to each plank and place back onto the grill. Close the lid and cook, covered, for 5 minutes. While the trout is cooking, mix up the maple syrup and Dijon mustard.
8 After 5 minutes, lift the lid and check on the trout. Using a pastry brush, glaze the trout with the maple syrup mixture. Close the lid and cook for an additional 5-8 minutes. The internal heat of the barbecue will cook the trout while it is infused by the aromatic smoke produced by the cedar plank. When the trout is done to your liking (we think it is perfect after 12-15 minutes on the grill), remove from the heat.
9 Serve the trout immediately – divide each piece into 2 portions and place on plates with a big dollop of potato salad. Pair this recipe with some grilled asparagus or fresh sliced carrots, tomatoes and cucumber.
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