grill on

Can’t believe tomorrow is July. That said it is time to get your grill on! One of the things I like best about grilling is that most things need to be marinated and that means prepped and placed in a bag hours ahead of time. Another little secret is that most grilled meats should sit for at least fifteen minutes. And if that’s the case then why not grill it a bit earlier. Let it sit, tent it with foil, slice, then warm it briefly in a 350 oven. Grilled vegetables can be done even earlier. Just warm in a 50% microwave for a minute. The key is not overcooking it on the grill. You want the final result crisp-tender. And remember you can always throw your meat back on the coals, but you can’t undo an overdone cut.

My obsession with vine-ripe tomatoes continues and what better companions for the plate than flank steak and grilled broccollini. Both my marinades have a slightly Asian touch, which are the perfect foil for the sweet-tart tomatoes and creamy burrata and basil.

My flank steak starts with a marinade of soy sauce, red wine vinegar, honey and Italian dressing. Now you can use Wish Bone Robust Italian, which is quite good, but when I’m in Dayton I opt for Ronnie’s freshly made from Disalvo’s Deli. It’s out of this world. And almost weekly I pop in for a pint and use it on almost everything from marinating chicken breast to a romaine salad.

Whisk together the Italian dressing, soy sauce, red wine vinegar and honey.

Place the steak in a large Ziploc bag. Pour in the marinade, remove the air, and refrigerate for at least four in the frig, turning occasionally.

For the brocollini marinade combine ¼ cup canola oil with one and half tablespoons of soy sauce, a tablespoon sesame oil and a tablespoon of rice vinegar.

Place in a plastic container and with the lid snuggly on give it a big shake.

This can be made and refrigerated a day in advance.

Trim the broccolini.

Place in a large Ziploc bag. This too can be done earlier in the day. A half-hour before grilling toss the broccolini with the marinade in a large Ziploc bag. Turning occasionally.

Drain, and then grill on high for about a minute or two a side, until the edges are just charred and the stalks are crisp tender. You can grill it earlier in the day if you like, then re-warm it gently in the microwave on 50% power.