JUNE 2020 79
koji-cola all-purpose
marinade
PHOTO P. 75
TOTAL 10 MIN; MAKES 1^3 / 4 CUPSKoji rice teams up with cane sugar–rich
Mexican Coca-Cola to tenderize the meat
of your choice while grilling up nice and
crispy; find koji rice on Amazon or at Asian
markets. For grilling times for each pro-
tein, see the Note below.3 /^4 cup uncooked koji rice
1 / 2 cup Mexican Coca-Cola
1 / 3 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp. dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
3 garlic cloves, smashed
1 small shallot, roughly chopped
1 / 2 Tbsp. black peppercorns
3 lb. meat (such as salmon fillets,
lamb rib chops, pork loin chops,
skirt steak, or chicken wings)
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
Canola oil- Process koji rice in a high-speed
blender until powdery, about 1 minute.
Add cola, soy sauce, brown sugar, apple
cider vinegar, garlic, shallot, and pepper-
corns. Process until mostly smooth,
about 30 seconds. - If desired, remove^1 / 4 cup marinade for
basting; cover and refrigerate until ready
to use. Separate meat into separate zip-
lock plastic bags by type; divide marinade
evenly among bags. Seal bags; turn to
coat meat. Marinate salmon up to 1 hour;
marinate all other meats 1 to 24 hours as
desired. - Remove meat from marinade, allow-
ing excess to drip off. Discard marinade.
Season meat all over with salt. Let stand
at room temperature while preparing
grill, about 30 minutes. Grill meat on oiled
grill grates over direct heat, uncovered,
for times specified in Note below. Baste
chicken halfway through cook time; baste
all other meats during last 5 minutes. Let
rest 10 minutes before serving.
NOTE Salmon fillets: 4 to 5 minutes, skin
side down; 3 to 4 minutes, skin side up
Lamb rib chops: 12 to 16 minutes
Pork loin chops: 12 to 16 minutes
Skirt steak: 14 to 18 minutes
Chicken wings: 25 to 30 minutes
MAKE AHEAD Marinade can be prepared
up to 5 days in advance and stored in an
airtight container in refrigerator.
WINE Ripe, full-bodied California red
blend: 2016 Public Radio Paso Robles Red
chile-coconut
watermelon crudo
PHOTO P. 71
ACTIVE 20 MIN; TOTAL 2 HR 20 MIN
SERVES 6This sweet, spicy, and punchy upgrade to
classic slabs of salted watermelon is the
palate-pleasing appetizer your cookout
guests deserve. Fresh coconut water is
much sweeter and has a greater depth of
flavor than bottled versions, so crack open
a coconut if you can. If using store-
bought, select a brand with no additives
for the best-tasting crudo. Reserve the
strained spicy marinade to use as a fruity
base for a tequila cocktail.1 small (6-lb.) seedless watermelon
2 cups fresh coconut water (from 2
coconuts) or bottled coconut water
1 tsp. finely grated lime zest plus^1 / 4
cup fresh lime juice, divided
2 Tbsp. thinly sliced peeled fresh
ginger
3 medium fresh green Thai chiles,
stemmed and thinly sliced, divided
1 Tbsp. turbinado sugar, divided
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 /^4 cup toasted flaked coconut
2 Tbsp. crispy fried shallots (such as
Maesri)
11 /^2 tsp. finely chopped cilantro stems
1 tsp. flaky sea salt- Cut watermelon into 12 (3- x 2^1 / 2 - x^1 / 2 -
inch) wedges with rind attached; set
aside. Reserve remaining watermelon for
another use. Stir together coconut water,
lime juice, ginger, 2 sliced chiles, and^1 / 2
tablespoon sugar in a 13- x 9-inch baking
dish. Place watermelon wedges in dish in
a single layer; cover and chill at least 2
hours or up to overnight. - Just before serving, remove water-
melon from marinade; discard marinade
(or strain and reserve for cocktails).
Arrange watermelon on a chilled serving
platter; drizzle with olive oil. Top water-
melon evenly with coconut, fried shallots,
and remaining chile slices. - Stir together cilantro, flaky salt, lime
zest, and remaining^1 / 2 tablespoon
sugar. Sprinkle over watermelon. Serve
immediately.
MAKE AHEAD Watermelon can be
marinated up to 8 hours or overnight.
WINE Lemon-appley Prosecco: NV Bisol
Jeio
NOTE For a refreshingly cold bite, chill the
serving platter in the freezer for 15
minutes before plating the crudo.
mango-hibiscus cooler
PHOTO P. 70
ACTIVE 15 MIN; TOTAL 40 MIN
SERVES 10Let guests choose their own adventure
with this make-ahead mixer flavored with
sweet mango nectar and sour-tart hibis-
cus syrup. It’s equally delicious on the
rocks with sparkling water, topped with
bubbly Cava, or stirred together with
tequila for a cocktail.HIBISCUS SYRUP
1 cup water
1 / 4 cup granulated sugar
1 / 4 tsp. kosher salt
4 single-serving hibiscus tea bags
COOLER
23 / 4 cups mango nectar
1 cup Hibiscus Syrup
1 / 4 cup fresh lime juice, plus more for
rimming glasses
1 medium mango, peeled and
chopped
Chile-lime seasoning (such as Tajín)
Crushed ice
Mineral water (such as Topo Chico),
Cava, or blanco tequila and Ancho
Reyes ancho chile liqueur, for
serving
Lime wedges (optional)- Make the hibiscus syrup: Bring 1 cup
water, sugar, and salt to a boil in a small
saucepan over medium-high. Boil, stirring
often, until sugar is dissolved, 1 to 2 min-
utes. Remove from heat. Add tea bags,
and let steep 8 minutes. Remove and dis-
card tea bags. Use immediately, or cover
and chill up to 1 week. - Make the cooler: Stir together mango
nectar, hibiscus syrup, lime juice, and
chopped mango. Cover and chill at least
30 minutes or up to 24 hours. - Rim 8- to 10-ounce glasses with lime
juice and chile-lime seasoning. Fill glasses
halfway with crushed ice. Add about 4
ounces cooler to each glass. Top each
serving with^1 / 4 cup mineral water for a
mocktail,^1 / 4 cup (2 ounces) Cava for a
spritz, or 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) tequila
and 1 tablespoon (^1 / 2 ounce) Ancho Reyes
ancho chile liqueur for a cocktail. Garnish
with lime wedges, if desired.
MAKE AHEAD Hibiscus syrup can be
stored in refrigerator up to 1 week. Cooler
can be made up to 1 day in advance.
0620_FT_Summer_Cookout.indd 79 FINAL 4/22/20 11:49 AM