The Ultimate Summer Cookout Solution

We asked some of the best chefs in the West to share their tips on surviving and eating well outdoors. We didn’t care to hear about their fantasy of serving hand-caught fish and foraged berries clafoutis on tables decorated with candelabras made from beeswax. We wanted to see how they cooked without a whole battalion to help them, with only a pot and a cooler. It’s good to know that no chef came up with ideas for gourmet hotdogs or artisanal s’mores. They all gave the same advice: prepare, cook, and bag as much as possible. You can use reusable silicone bags, such as Stasher’s, or washable Ziploc bags instead of a vacuum sealing machine.

The advice of the chefs is also applicable to the home. Meal planning and preparing in advance will make your life easier and more enjoyable. You can prepare stews and freeze them in advance for an easy meal during the week or marinate meat and vegetables for a lazy cookout on Sunday.

We asked some of the best chefs in the West to share their tips on surviving and eating in the wilderness. We didn’t care to hear about their fantasy of serving hand-caught fish and foraged berries clafoutis on tables lined with candelabras made from beeswax. We wanted to see how they cooked without a whole battalion to help them, with only a pot and a cooler. It’s good to know that no chef came up with ideas for gourmet hotdogs or artisanal s’mores. They all gave the same advice: prepare, cook, and bag as much as possible. You can use reusable silicone bags, such as Stasher’s, or washable Ziploc bags instead of a vacuum sealing machine.

The advice of the chefs is also applicable to the home. Meal planning and preparing in advance will make your life easier and more enjoyable. You can prepare stews and freeze them in advance for an easy meal during the week or marinate meat and vegetables for a lazy cookout on Sunday.

Grilled Berkshire Pork Chops With Thai Black Mustard Glaze

Even humble burgers or brats taste fantastic when cooked on an open fire. What tastes even better than that? This Berkshire bone-in loin chop is an exceptional cut of heirloom pig. This cut has excellent marbling, but Juan Rendon’s complex, richly flavored glaze from Gwen in Los Angeles chef de cuisine could make any supermarket chop sing. This mustard’s deep black color is due to squid ink. You can purchase squid ink online, but the mustard tastes excellent, with or without.

Pork loin chops, 4 1 1/2-inch bone-in

One large shallot (about 3.5 oz), peeled and halved

Peel six garlic cloves

6 Thai Chiles

One serrano chile

1 tsp coriander seeds

Cumin seeds, 3/4 tsp

Packed brown sugar, 1/3 cup

1/2 cup rice vinegar

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

Juice 4 limes

1/4 cup fish sauce

Eight cloves of black garlic

Peel and slice 1 inch of fresh ginger

Salt kosher 2 1/2 tsp

Only one bunch of Thai basil leaves and tender stems (approximately four loosely packed cups) exist.

Only one bunch of cilantro leaves and tender contains (about four loosely-packed cups).

Optional: 1 tsp of squid Ink

1. Preheat a large skillet with medium-high heat for approximately 5 minutes. Add shallots and garlic cloves. (Not black garlic) Thai chiles and serrano chilies. Cook, stirring occasionally, until all surfaces are charred (about 4 minutes with Thai chiles, 6 minutes with garlic, 8 minutes with serrano chilies, and 12 minutes with shallots). Transfer the charred shallots and garlic to a blender.

2. Add cumin and coriander seeds to a small skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally until fragrant and toasted, approximately 3 minutes. Add toasted seeds into a blender.

3. Add fish sauce, sugar, vinegar, and mustard to the blender. Also, add black garlic cloves, salt, and ginger. Blend the mixture until it is smooth. Scrape sides as necessary. If using squid, add basil, cilantro, and squid-ink and blend until smooth. If necessary, add more lime juice and salt to the mixture. Transfer to a shatterproof container and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.

4. Build a two-zone fire on a charcoal grill, gas grill, or fire ring to make the pork. Set half of the gas grill burners on medium heat and the other half on low. Place the hot coals on one side if you use a charcoal fire ring or grill.

5. Both sides of the chops should be seasoned with salt and pepper. After three minutes, flip the pork chops over and brush with sauce. Cook for another three minutes. Flip the pork chop and brush it with relish. Cook for three more minutes. Move the pork to the cooler side of the grill if the sauce starts to burn or if flare-ups happen. Repeat this process until the chops are golden brown and the instant-read thermometer reads 125°F. Transfer the pork chops onto a cutting surface. Rest for 10 minutes, then cut into 1/4-inch slices.

Broccolini charred with spicy sauce.

This spicy cruciferous dish can be partially cooked in the kitchen before being finished on the grill to add more smoke and char.

Four bunches of broccolini, about 3 pounds

Salt kosher 2 tsp

Five cloves garlic, sliced

Three Thai bird chiles or one jalapeno seeded and sliced

2 tbsp fish sauce

1 tsp Sugar

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

1. Fill a large glass with iced water. Fill a large pot with water, and bring it to a rolling boil on high heat. Add broccolini into a pool, and cook for about 3 minutes until they are crisp-tender but still bright green. Transfer broccolini into ice water to chill. Transfer the broccolini to a colander once it has cooled.

2. Garlic, chiles, fish sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and sesame oils in a large mixing bowl. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Mix broccolini with fish sauce in a large vacuum-sealed or resealable storage bag. Seal. Refrigerate immediately.

3. Create a two-zone fire on a gas or charcoal grill or in a fire ring. Set half of the gas grill burners on high and medium heat and the other half on low. Place the hot coals on one side if you use a charcoal fire ring or grill.

4. Place the broccolini on a hot grill side.