Mmmmm, Talking Barbecue with Sous Chef Carmine Mortellaro

Carmine Mortellaro

Carmine Mortellaro is a sous chef with Food Services. Below, he offers tips and recipes for grilling the perfect summer meal.

TIPS FOR GRILLING:

• Keep your grill clean.
• Don’t move food around too much—it will cause uneven cooking.
• Don’t flatten meats.
• Purchase a meat thermometer so you can cook your meat to the perfect internal temperature:
• Beef—Rare,120°F; Medium Rare,130°F; Medium, 140°F; Medium Well,150°F; Well Done, 160°
• Chicken—165°F (never any less)!
• Pork—Can only be cooked to medium or well done, which ranges from 150°F to 160°
• Fish—145°

• Avoid putting cold foods straight on the grill; let them sit out on the counter for 30 minutes (no more than one hour) before grilling.
• Undercook meats just slightly due to carry-over cooking. You don’t want to eat dry proteins.
• ALL proteins need to rest so that the juices can redistribute throughout the meat. Rest for five to 15 minutes.
• Don’t over char to cook the meats fully on the grill. It is okay to get grill marks on the meats and finish them in the oven so you don’t over char the food.
• Keep a spray bottle of water near the grill for flare ups.

BARBECUE SAUCE BASICS:

• Kansas Style, tomato based
• North Carolina Style, vinegar based
• South Carolina Style, mustard based
• Alabama Style, mayonnaise based
• Texas Style, tomato based with hickory flavor
• Tennessee Style, sweet and spicy

RECIPES FOR THE GRILL:

North Carolina BBQ Sauce

Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 5 Minutes
Total Time: 10 Minutes
Yield: 2 Cups
Ingredients:
2 cups of apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons of dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Method:

1. Place all ingredients in a small, non-reactive saucepan and bring to a boil. Whisk until the sugar and salt are completely dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
2. Pour the sauce into a squeeze bottle and let rest in the refrigerator one day before using.

North Carolina Grilled BBQ Chicken

Yield: 5 servings
Prep Time: 4 hours
Ingredients:
4 split, bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
4 cups of North Carolina BBQ sauce (recipe above)

Method:

1. Add chicken to BBQ sauce and let marinate for 4 to 6 hours under refrigeration.
2. Once grill is hot, place chicken on the grill and cook till internal temperature reaches 165F.

Grilled Zucchini and Yellow Squash

Yield: 4 servings
Serving Size: ¾ Cup
Ingredients:

2 cups of zucchini, halved and cut into ½-inch pieces
2 cups of yellow squash, halved and cut into ½-inch pieces
2 tablespoons of olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Method:

1. Preheat grill to medium heat.
2. Toss the vegetables with the olive oil, salt and pepper
3. Once grill is hot, place vegetables on grill and cook for 5 minutes on each side.