MIXED SUMMER GRILL COOKOUT

Pork Tenderloin/Chicken/Rib Eye Steak/Nueske's Sausages
Grilled Corn, Zucchini and Peppers
Cilantro Pesto Pasta Salad
Endive Watercress & Mango Salad
Summer Fruit Platter

This menu for six guests has something for all carnivores and if there is a vegetarian or two among your dinner guests, there are three side dishes plus dessert to please anyone who does not eat meat.  Having a selection of grilled meats that use the same chipotle marinade by Goya www.goya.com  makes it easy on the cook and gives your guests a great selection.  If you haven't yet tried any of the apple wood smoked meats from Nueske's, plan ahead and order a selection of sausages and their outstanding award-winning applewood smoked bacon.

Fresh corn is now in produce sections and farmers markets (PLEASE don't shuck the corn before you buy it - even the new varieties of sweet corn suffer in taste from exposure to the air - so shuck the corn just before you pop it into boiling salted water for just a few minutes or put it on the grill for 5 - 8 minutes)  Grilled corn, zucchini and peppers are a wonderful side dish to the grilled meats. The grilled vegetables and the cilantro pesto pasta salad can be prepared several hours ahead of serving time. The salad is refreshing with the cool luxurious taste of sweet mango - put the salad dressing in a bowl with a spoon so everyone can add as much dressing as they like.

The easiest dessert at this time of year simply requires buying the best your farmers' market or supermarket can provide in the way of fresh fruit - there is nothing more refreshing than cold fresh watermelon, peaches, cherries, nectarines and whatever other summer fruits you love - just cut into serving pieces - arrange on a serving platter and refrigerate until ready to serve so the fruit is nicely chilled.  Okay, so a delicious bakery-quality New York style "stick to the roof of your mouth" cheesecake wouldn't be bad either!

Grilled  Pork Tenderloin/Chicken Legs/Rib Eye Steak/Nueske's Sausages

		Smoky Apple, Ham & Bacon, and Beef & Bacon Sausage Links
Wisconsin Applewood smoked Bratwurst

Place pork tenderloins in a large zip lock plastic bag.  Place chicken pieces in a zip lock bag;  place rib eye steaks in a zip lock bag.  Sausages can be grilled without marinating to enjoy their delicious smoked applewood flavors.  Add enough of the Goya Mojo Chipotle marinade to the zip lock bags cover the pork, the chicken pieces and the rib eye steaks.  Add ¼ cup vegetable oil and ¼ cup Tequila to each bag.   Place sausages in a zip lock for ease in handling.

Refrigerate meats in their zip lock bags to marinate for several hours, or even overnight.

Remove meats from marinade and place on a medium hot grill; arrange pork, chicken pieces and rib eye steaks and sausages on the grill.  If your grill surface is not large enough to grill all meats at once, grill them according to the space you have and as each meat is cooked, remove to a carving board, let sit for a few minutes, loosely covered with foil. Slice pork tenderloins into 1/2-inch thick slices, and cut the steaks into 1/2-inch slices.  Chicken legs can be left whole and the sausages cut in half or left whole.  Transfer meats to a platter (or leave on the cutting board) and re-cover with foil.  

Grilled Corn, Zucchini and Peppers

Spread softened herbed spicy butter on fresh cleaned corn.  Pull  the husks back to cover the buttered corn and soak ears in cold water until ready to put on the grill.   For zucchini and peppers, place all slices in a 13 x 9 glass dish.  Add pepper flakes, garlic oil, salt & pepper and toss vegetables until well coated.  Grill vegetables over hot coals or high gas grill heat until grill marks appear on vegetables; turn to grill the other side.

Remove grilled vegetables to a platter and let sit until ready to serve.  Grilled vegetables taste better served slightly warm. 

Cilantro Pesto Pasta Salad

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain well and put into a serving bowl. Coat cooked pasta with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Meanwhile, in a food processor with the steel blade, mince cilantro and garlic and slowly add the olive oil in a thin stream - process until you have a mayonnaise-like consistency of cilantro pesto.  Add oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Toss pasta with pesto and mix in pine nuts. Cover and let sit at room temperature for up to 2 hours or cover and refrigerate for longer storage.  Toss again to blend flavors before serving.

Endive Watercress and Mango Salad

Dressing

Make dressing in a small mixing bowl; whisk together the dressing ingredients; taste and make any adjustments necessary (more oil, or more vinegar, etc.) When ready to serve, toss the endive, radicchio and watercress in a large salad bowl; toss with the dressing 2 tablespoons at a time, toss again and taste to determine if salad is sufficiently dressed.

Arrange a portion of the endive/radicchio/watercress mixture on each of 6 salad plates. Place two or three wedges of mango on each serving;  Garnish each plate with one or two shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano. Use a vegetable peeler to make the shavings.

Note:  If you will be needing additional salad dressing, this recipe can be doubled.  Just store unused dressing in a container with a tight fitting cover and store in the refrigerator.