Finally, the weather is (moderately) nice in Boston, and Tufts students are beginning to peek out from their nests of winter hibernation. What's the first thing on everyone's mind, as far as food is concerned? Barbeques, of course. Nothing is sweeter than standing by a grill on a Saturday afternoon when the temperature has finally snuck past the 60 degree mark.
Shaw's ground beef and steak tips from Bob's might be fine and dandy, but to really impress your friends, whip up this quick and easy (but very impressive) marinade for the meat of your choice.
This ginger-mango marinade and barbeque sauce combo is a great fusion recipe - Southwest meets Far East. The marinade is the Asian component, with ginger, soy and chili garlic sauce. The key ingredient in the barbeque sauce - fresh, peeled mango - gives the dish a warm-weather, south-of-the-border feel.
That western feel is only enhanced by a mango margarita, which will surely help you get through any grilling mishaps with a smile. Mango margaritas are also a fresh and fruity way to start off your Spring Fling morning.
A quick note on mangoes: The fruit is wonderful, when ripe. An unripe mango, however, can be rather sour and hard to work with. To ensure you pick the former rather than the latter, here are some selection tips: Make sure the mango is slightly soft to the touch, but not too soft or bruised. Also, smell the mango before you purchase it; it should have a definite fruity aroma. If the mango has no scent, it is unripe. If your options at the grocery store are limited, then you can speed up the ripening process at home by placing the mangoes in a paper bag.
Mango Margarita
Ingredients:1 1/2 oz tequila1/2 oz cointreau1 tablespoon lime juiceMango puree (to taste)IceMix all ingredients in blender. Serve with mango garnish. Repeat and smile.(Recipe adapted from a www.foodnetwork.com recipe)
Marinade
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients (for 1 lb. of meat):1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce1 tablespoon lemon zest (1 or 2 lemons should suffice)2 tablespoons minced ginger2 tablespoons minced garlic1/3 cup dark brown sugar1/2 cup citrus soy sauce
Grate lemon to create zest, making sure to grate only yellow peel. Change lemon position when you reach the white inner layer of the peel. Combine all ingredients in large bowl. The original recipe calls for ponzu, a type of citrus-seasoned soy sauce, but on a student budget, just use soy sauce and season it yourself with lemon juice from the leftover grated lemons. Place meat of choice - steak or chicken - in plastic bag. Pour marinade into bag. Seal, removing as much air as possible. Let marinate for up to 24 hours. The longer the meat marinates, the stronger the flavor. Before grilling, remove as much of the marinade as possible from meat. Make sure to save excess marinade in bag for barbeque sauce. Grilling times depend on personal preference.
Ginger-Mango Barbeque Sauce
Prep time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:3 ripe mangoes1 tablespoon seasoned rice wine vinegar1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce1/2 cup marinade
Peel mangoes, remove pit and chop into small pieces. Puree mango in blender. Remove 1/3 of puree and set aside to save for mango margarita. Add vinegar and chili garlic sauce to remaining mango puree and blend. Remove 1/2 cup of marinade from plastic bag that contained the marinating meat and bring to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce the marinade to about half (should take around 10 minutes on medium-low heat). Add half of the puree mixture from the blender to the saucepan (the other half should be saved for a garnish) and cook for another two minutes. Serve atop grilled meat accompanied by mango puree.
