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You Are Here: IC
Network : Fresh Tastes
: July 2001
Potlucks and Picnics
and Barbecues, Oh My!
Summer is a
great time for al fresco dining and what could be more American
than the Fourth of July barbecue in the park? We have a wide variety
of foods that are both IC safe and are extra tasty when grilled.
Steaks of course, are traditional. Our only problem might be an
acid or preservative-ridden marinade. But we can easily get around
that one. Here are three different approaches to flavorful grilled
porterhouse steaks.
Steaks with
Herb Butter
serves 6-8
8 Tbsp. softened
stick margarine
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 cloves garlic, minced
With a fork
or in a food processor, combine all the ingredients thoroughly.
Place the mixture on a piece of wax paper and roll up, twisting
the ends to seal. This will form the mixture into a log shape that
can be easily sliced. Refrigerate for 1-1/2 to 3 hours. Season steaks
with salt (and pepper if desired) and grill until done. Slice off
about one tablespoon of the refrigerated herb mixture and place
on top of the hot steaks right before serving.
Herb-Rubbed Steaks
serves 4
4 porterhouse
steaks
1/2 tsp. onion salt
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives
1 tsp. finely minced garlic
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger (optional)
1 tsp. sugar
Rinse the steaks
under running water. Then with a fork, pierce the moist steaks thoroughly
on both sides. Mix the spice ingredients in a small dish. Rub or
pound the ingredients into the steaks then place the steaks in a
plastic bag in the refrigerator overnight. To cook, scrape about
half to three-quarters of the spices off the meat, then grill as
usual.
Do-it-yourself Marinades
Marinades for
meat are usually made with at least one acid ingredient. The acid
tenderizes the tough meat fibers as well as lends some flavor. One
benefit of marinades is that they have been shown to inhibit the
formation of cancer-causing compounds on the surface of the meat
as it is grilled. To get this benefit, you don't have to marinate
the meat very long. Fifteen minutes or so will do the trick. For
people with IC, a short marinade time will also cut down on the
amount of acid that seeps deeply into the meat and could possibly
affect your bladder. (If you avoid the tenderizing benefits of acid
marinades, then be sure to get a tender cut of meat to begin with).
Another problem
with marinades is that most of the commercially prepared ones have
bladder irritating preservatives. Manufacturers are adding more
acid and more preservatives to their products these days and are
pasteurizing products that didn't used to be pasteurized. This is
to protect the consumer against possible deadly effects of bacterial
contamination. With virulent strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria
becoming increasingly commonplace, the US government has deemed
prevention of infection as a priority-- which means that concerns
about the preservatives will take a back seat to consumer protection
when it comes to federal regulations. If you marinate your meat
before grilling, especially if you use a commercially prepared marinade,
you may want to rinse off excess marinade before cooking.
Below is the
recipe for one of my favorite light marinades. It tenderizes the
meat quite well but the acid doesn't bite my tender bladder. (I
believe that is both because of the amount of acid and the kind
of acid this marinade contains.) I let the meat soak about an hour.
If my bladder is flaring up, I drain off most of the marinade before
cooking. Otherwise I just cook the meat with plenty of marinade.
It has a very light mild flavor that lets the meat flavor come through.
This recipe has much less acid than many bottled prepared marinades
and even less than some home made versions. It doesn't bother my
bladder but you may be more acid-sensitive, so try this with caution.
Also, beware of sesame seeds if you need a low-oxalate diet.
Basic Sesame
Marinade
for 2 steaks
1 cup apple
juice
1/2 cup unflavored Sparkling water (such as Perrier)
1/2 cup light sesame oil
1 Tbsp distilled vinegar
1 tsp. sesame seeds
1/2 tsp. onion salt
1/4 tsp. honey
Combine all
ingredients, pour over the steaks. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
For more robust flavor, add some or all of the following: garlic
powder, minced garlic, black pepper, chopped chives or onion rings
(remove onion and
discard before cooking meat).
Bottled Marinades
Lastly there is the option of trying to find all-natural commercial
products with no preservatives. Consorzio Foods of Napa, California
makes a "Lemon Pepper 10-minute Marinade" that is delicious
as well as preservative-free and MSG-free. Their line of products
are carried by some large national supermarket chains including
Albertsons, Safeway and several others (as of July or August Wal-Mart
super centers across the country will also carry it).
Natural food
markets carry this brand and some others worth trying. Look in your
phone book under "health", "health & diet food",
or "natural foods" for stores that carry preservative-free
products.
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