I've made it pretty clear that my absolute favorite things about summer involve food. Sometimes it's low-cal summer cocktails or fruity summer drinks but, more than anything, I simply love using my grill to make simple and delicious meals.
Since Labor Day is the unofficial end of the summer (technically, summer doesn't end until September 21st), I'm making sure to take my grill out for one last spin this weekend—and I'm making these 5 delicious Latin grill recipes while I'm at it! From the irresistible g__rilled smoky margarita__, Elotes-style grilled corn or the grilled fruit salad with a cinnamon dip, there's plenty if you're looking for lighter fare. But if you're REALLY serious, then you simply must try the grilled chili verde and the inside-out stuffed jalapeño burgers. Trust me, you won't regret it.
Read more ¿Que Mas? Our 5 favorite Latin grill dishes (RECIPES)
Are you planning to grill this Labor Day weekend? What is your favorite Latin grill dish? Share with us in the comments below!
Grilled Smoky Margarita
Ingredients: 3 lbs limes/lemons plus a few oranges, sliced in half, 1/2 cup sugar, 3/4 cup tequila, 1/4 cup triple sec, 1 cup simple syrup to taste, 1 pitcher full of ice
Directions:
Dip the sliced citrus in a bowl of sugar so they have a light coating. Grill the citruson medium high heat until they have char marks. Let them rest until they are coolenough to be juiced . Fill your margarita pitcher halfway full of ice, then add thetequila and trip sec. Add the juice to the ice/tequila mixture- by adding it to ice itwill help cut the tartness of the citrus. Add the simple syrup in small batches until the proper sweetness is achieved.
Recipe courtesy of Grill Girl.
Grilled Chili Verde
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds tomatillos, peeled and washed, 5 garlic cloves, not peeled, jalapenos, seeds removed- 2 for spicy, 1 for milder, 3 Pasillo peppers( or mild peppers), 1 bunch cilantro leaves, cleaned and chopped, 3 1/2 to 4 pounds pork trimmed and cut into 1 to 2-inch cubes, Salt, Freshly ground black pepper, Olive oil, 2 yellow onions, 3 garlic cloves, pressed, 1 Tbsp of dried oregano, 3 cups chicken stock
Directions:
1. Remove husks from tomatillos and rinse well. Cut in half and place in large bowl. Clean and seed peppers, and place in bowl. Leave 5 cloves of garlic in husk and set on a small piece of foil for roasting.
2. Fire up your grill. Place everything in the bowl on the grill, skin sides down. Leave the garlic on the foil. Turn peppers over as the skins start to get bubbly and blackened, remove as they get done. These don’t need to be all the way cook, this is more for flavor. The tomatillos should grill on the skins, and just slightly start to sizzle and soften. When they are all done, set aside to cool slightly.
3. Season meat with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large saucepan, add meat to brown well. I did mine in batches so they brown better. As the first bit is browning, put all your grilled veggies, roasted garlic (peeled now) and cilantro in the blender and pulse until finely chopped.
4. Now back the meat, I use the veggie bowl to set aside the browned meat as it gets done, then add more meat into the pan. After all the meat is done, pour off any excess juices/fat in the pan, then add the diced onions and press the garlic into the pan to cook until soft. I’m using a stockpot so I have room for everything, if you fry in a smaller pan you can then upgrade to a large soup pot.
Add the meat back in, add oregano, and your blended green mix. Add chicken stock, enough to more than cover the meat and simmer for about 2-3 hours, until the pork falls apart, fork tender.
5. So all this is done, except it has to simmer. Serve with warm flour tortillas or homemade fresh corn tortillas!
Recipe courtesy of The Inquisitive Chef.
Grilled Corn with Cayenne, Lime, and Cotija
Ingredients: 6 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 medium garlic clove, minced, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 3/4 cup crumbled Cotija cheese (about 4 ounces), 6 ears corn, husks on, 1 medium lime, cut into 6 wedges
Directions:
1. Stir together the mayonnaise, garlic, salt, and cayenne in a small bowl until well combined. Place the cheese in a shallow dish that is at least as long as the corn.
2. Heat the grill to medium high (about 350°F to 450°F). Before grilling the corn, carefully peel back the husks of each ear a little more than halfway and remove as much silk as you can without pulling the husks off. Then pull the husks back up.
3. Place the corn on the grill and close the lid. Every 10 minutes, roll the corn a quarter turn so it cooks evenly. (If your grill tends to have hot spots, move the cobs around so they grill evenly.) Cook until the husks are charred and starting to peel back from the corn, about 35 minutes total. Remove from the grill and set aside until the corn is cool enough to handle.
4. Without detaching the husks, peel them back completely, turning them inside out so they form a handle. Brush the corn with a thin layer of the mayonnaise mixture, roll the cobs in the crumbled cheese, and serve. Pass the lime wedges on the side for squeezing over the corn.
Recipe courtesy of Chow.com.
Inside Out Stuffed Jalapeño Burger
Ingredients: 1 lb Lean ground chicken, 2 tbs Dry fiesta ranch dip mix, 1 1/4 cup Salsa, 2 Jalapeño cheese sticks, each cut into 4 equal pieces 2, Optional: 1 Large head of lettuce to wrap burgers in, or 4 high fiber buns
Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. (I like to line mine with foil, for easy clean up!) Place ground meat into a medium size bowl with dry dip mix and salsa. Mix until well combined.
2. Make 8 thin patties with the meat, (don’t worry, meat should be very wet, which makes for moist and flavorful burgers!)
3. Place 4 of the patties on the prepared baking sheet, and put 2 of the cheese stick pieces in the middle of each burger. Place the other patty on top of the bottom patty, and lightly press sides together, to seal cheese in.
4. Bake in pre-heated oven for 30 minutes. Flip burgers, and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
GRILL ALTERNATE: Wrap them in tinfoil and bake on the grill or simply grill the burgers.
Recipe courtesy of Dashing Dish.
Grilled Fruit Salad With Cinnamon Cream
Ingredients (for the fruit): 1/2 pineapple, cored,cut in half and then into 1/2 inch thick pieces, 1 mango, peeled,sliced away from pit in thick strips, 2 -3 bananas, peeled, 2 tablespoons butter, melted, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon or 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 2 cups strawberries, hulled (optional). Ingredients (for the dip): 1 cup regular sour cream or 1 cup light sour cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 teaspoon liquid honey, 1/2-1 teaspoon cinnamon or 1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Directions:
1. To make dip, in a small bowl, stir sour cream with vanilla, honey and cinnamon (or ginger).
2. Taste, then add more cinnamon (or ginger) if needed.
3. You can make this ahead, if you do, cover and refrigerate.
4. To grill fruit, lightly oil grill and heat BBQ to medium/high.
5. BBQ pineapple and mango with lid closed, turning occasionally, until grill marks form, fruit is hot, 6- 8 minutes.
6. Bananas will cook quickly, so add for last 1 to 2 minutes of grilling.
7. Remove to cutting board as pieces are done.
8. Cut into small chunks and serve on a platter.
9. Add optional strawberries.
10. Serve with cinnamon cream for dipping or drizzle over fruit and have toothpicks on hand.
11. Can serve warm or at room temperature.
Recipe courtesy of Food.com.
