Summer party to enjoy at our own pace - recipes - Summer Entertaining

Ready, waiting, and temperature resistant are the appeals of this meal for two dozen. As the meat grills, let guests nibble appetizers; choose two or three of the make-ahead appetizers on page 126. An ice-filled tub becomes the beverage bar: tuck individual bottles or cans of fruit juices, soft drinks, mineral water, and beer in ice; as a cooling wine, try White Zinfandel or White Grenache.

Use the roasted vegetable salads on pages 136 and 138, or create your own using the chart as a guide. For each person, you'll want to allow 2 cups total of the salads; they can all wait at least a day before serving.

Break bread into chunks and pour olive oil into tiny bowls for drinking; the oil holds up better than butter in warm weather.

Dessert for the adults is fruit in wine (multiply recipe to match the number of adults). Have fruit or frozen fruit juice bars for children.

POOLSIDE BARBECUE FOR 24

Appetizer Buffet

Beverage Bar Barbecued Beef Cross-Rib with Cilantro-Jalapeno Cream Roasted Potato and Carrot Salad Broccoli and Roasted Garlic Salad Roasted Fennel, Potato, and Green Bean Salad

Roasted Pepper and Black Bean Salad Roasted Eggplant Salad Roasted Tomatoes Crusty Loaves and Rolls Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Fruit and Wine Splashes (page 146)

ROASTS FOR FAST GRILLING

Choose either boned beef cross-rib or a pork loin roast (following) for this menu. They are butterflied--cut open to lay flat--so they cook quickly on the grill. Long metal skewers threaded through the meat serve two purposes: they make the meat easy to handle, and they secure colorful vegetables tucked into the meat for flavor.

To prepare barbecue. Ignite 50 to 60 charcoal briquets on firegrate in a barbecue with a lid. When coals are covered with gray ash, about 30 minutes, bank half on each side of grate; place a drip pan in center. To maintain temperature, add 6 briquets to each side now and every 30 minutes of cooking time that follows. Place grill 5 to 6 inches above drip pan.

Butterflied Beef Cross-Rib with Cilantro-Jalapeno Cream 1 boned beef cross-rib roast (5 to 5-1/2 lb.), surface fat trimmed 1/2 cup orange juice 1/2 cup lime juice 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro (coriander) 2 large (about 3/4 lb. each) red and yellow bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced lengthwise (or 2 bell peppers of same color) Fresh cilantro sprigs Cilantro-jalapeno cream (recipe follows) Salt and pepper

Rinse beef and pat dry; if roast is tied, snip off strings. With a sharp knife, cut lengthwise down center of roast about 2/3 of the way through meat. Pull cut open to spread out meat. Holding knife at about a 45 [degree] angle from center of meat, cut lengthwise about 2/3 through the 2 thick sections. Pull cuts open and pat meat to make as evenly thick as possible. At even intervals, make 6 crosswise cuts about 2/3 through roast.

Combine orange juice, lime juice, cumin, and minced cilantro; reserve 1/4 cup. Pour remainder into a deep bowl or 2-gallon heavy plastic food bag. Add meat, turn to coat, then cover (or seal) and chill, tirning occassionally for 2 hours or up to a day. Cover and chill reserved marinade.

Lift meat from marinade; drain briefly; discard meat marinade. Lay meat flat, cut side up. In crosswise slashes, fit the bell pepper strips, distributing evenly.

Thread 3 long (at least 18 in.), sturdy metal skewers parallel to each other lengthwise through meat, securing peppers as you go.

Lay meat, pepper side up, on prepared grill over drip pan. Put lid on barbecue, open vents, and cook beef, brushing occasionally with reserved marinade, until a therometer inserted into thickest part (not touching skewers) registers 135 [degree] to 140 [degree] for medium-rare, 40 to 45 minutes; thinner parts will be well done; do not turn meat over.

Transfer to carving board; garnish with cilantro sprigs. Remove skewers to slice meat; offer cilantro cream and salt and pepper to add to taste. Serves 20 to 24. Per serving: 242 cal.; 26 g protein; 12 g fat (4.9 sat.); 5.9 g carbo.; 73 mg sodium; 75 mg chol.

Cilantro-jalapeno cream. In a small bowl, mix 1 cup minced fresh cilantro; 1 cup light sour cream (or regular sour cream, or reduced-calorie mayonnaise); 2 stemmed, seeded, and minced fresh jalapeno chillies; and 2 tablespoons lime juice. If made ahead, cover and chill up to a day. Makes about 1-1/3 cups.

Per tablespoon: 20 cal.; 0.8 g protein; 1.5g fat (0.8 g sat.); 1 g carbo.; 0.5 mg sodium; 3.8 mg chol.

Butterfield Pork with Apricot-Sesame Glaze

3/4 cup apricot jam 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar (or 1/4 cup rice vinegar and 2 teaspoons sugar) 3 tablespoons Oriental sesame oil 1 boned center-cut prok loin roast (5 lb.), surface fat trimmed 12 to 18 green onions, ends trimmed 1 tablespoon sesame seed Sale and pepper

Mix together jam, vinegar, and oil; set aside.

Rinse pork and pat dry. Lay fattiest side down. With a sharp knife, cut lengthwise 2/3 of the way through meat down center of roast. Pull cut open to spread out meat. Holding knife at about a 45[degrees] angle from center of meat, cut lengthwise about 2/3 through the 2 thick sections. Pull cuts open and pat meat to make as evenly thick as possible.

At equal intervals, cut 6 crosswise slashes about 2/3 of the way through meat. Lay 1 or 2 green onions in each slash. Thread 3 long (at least 18 in.) sturdy metal skewers parallel to each other lengthwise through the roast, securing onions as you go.

Lay meat, onions down, on prepared grill over drip pan. Put lid on barbecue and open vents. Cook until edges of roast just begin to brown and juices begin to drip, 10 to 12 minutes.

Brush meat with about 1/3 of the apricot mixture. Supporting roast with skewers, turn it over and brush top with another 1/3 of apricot mixture. Replace lid and cook until meat is browned and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part (not touching skewers) registers 155[degrees] for meat that is white throughout, 20 to 25 minutes longer; turn once or twice.

About 5 minutes before meat is done, brush with remaining glaze and sprinkle with sesame seed.

Transfer meat to a carving board. Remove skewers and tuck remaining green onions into slashes. Season with salt and pepper. Serves 20 to 24.

COPYRIGHT 1992 Sunset Publishing Corp.
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group