Jennifer Jones rocks the grill

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This article was published 03/08/2016 (3521 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Olympic curling champ Jennifer Jones is trading her broom for barbecue tongs… but only for the summer.

She and her husband, Brent Laing, who plays second on Kevin Koe’s team, love to barbecue, even if they could use a little help, she says.

“We have a cottage where friends are always dropping by and I find it’s so much easier to grill outside and not heat up the cottage,” Jones says.

Jones has taken on a gig as spokeswoman for the newly named M&M Food Market, which means she’s had to step up her game and call the shots when it’s time to grill.

“It’s way easier on the curling ice. I think there is a lot of pressure when you’re barbecuing because there’s this thing that’s attached to it that you’re supposed to know what you’re doing,” she says.

“When you’re preparing this amazing meal and you’re grilling this great cut of meat, you want to make sure you are doing well — so there’s a lot of pressure on you.”

Jones says both she and Laing come from “outdoor families,” so the barbecue was a go-to.

“We always grilled when I was growing up,” she says. “My family camped, so it was something that was always part of my life and it was the same with Brent.”

Until recently, it was Laing who was in charge of the flames, which happens to fall in line with most other Canadians.

“It’s funny because similar to the survey that M&M did, Brent did most of the grilling and he thought he was fairly good at it,” says Jones.

“The survey showed that 95 per cent of Canadians want to grill, but not very many think they are good at it.”

So how do you fare at the grill? Do you hurry hard or can you finesse your way around the flames? Here are some Canadian ‘Q-facts’ from a survey conducted by M&M Food Market:

● 76 per cent listed men as the barbecue skip — however, only 39 per cent of their wives rated their skills highly.

● Only 23 per cent overall think they have what it takes to master the flames, even though they barbecue all the time.

● Close to half of Canadians hit the grill three or more times per week in the summer.

● Choices that rock in descending order of preference are: steak (58 per cent); hamburgers (55 per cent); chicken (42 per cent); and sausages or hot dogs (35 per cent).

● Atlantic Canadians barbecue the most in summer (85 per cent grill once a week or more).

● Albertans grill steak more than any other province (63 per cent).

● Manitobans and Quebecers rank hamburgers as their favourite foods to grill, more than any other province (65 per cent and 63 per cent, respectively).

Jones says she is still learning at the grill, but the Olympic gold medallist isn’t afraid to take a little coaching for something she says her family does several times a week.

“There are some tips online that you can go to on how to barbecue better and how to take a fresh take on something you’ve already done,” she says.

“So even if you’re doing hamburgers, maybe add some grilled pineapple on the top, a little sriracha sauce or maybe make a mayonnaise with wasabi in it to give some kick.”

She is getting a handle on beef, she says.

“We do a lot of steak on the barbecue and I always just used a fork to flip it over, but I didn’t realize it just causes all the flavour to run out,” she says.

“I’ve also learned to sear the meat for two minutes on high on each side and then turn it down to cook the rest. It’s really made a difference, and I have to say as much as my husband has figured out steaks, it’s probably the best steak I’ve had.”

Here are some of the tips Jones and Laing have used to hit the barbecue button. You’ll find these tips, meal-planning advice and inspiration at mmfoodmarket.com.

Begin with good, high quality meat.

Don’t jab it with a fork. A fork pierces the meat and allows juices to escape. Use barbecue tongs instead. Have all your tools on hand: spatulas, basting brushes, sauces and plates. Ensure you have separate plates for cooked and raw foods.

Brush on sauces that are tomato-, sugar- or honey-based only during the last five to 10 minutes of cooking to avoid scorching the food. Oil- and butter-based sauces can be applied throughout the cooking process. Brush the grill lightly with vegetable or olive oil before or during cooking if the food starts to stick. Apply oil sprays before lighting the grill.

Choose make-ahead side dishes and use foil where you can for easy cleanup. Add an ice cube or two to foil packs to help vegetables steam.

Here are couple of easy side dishes, two sauces and a marinade that will help you own the barbecue podium.

Barbecue Side Beans

15 ml (1 tbsp) coconut oil or other oil to sauté
125 ml (½ cup) diced onion
150 ml (2/3 cup) diced back bacon
125 ml (½ cup) diced peppers (red, yellow or orange)
1 minced garlic clove
30 ml (2 tbsp) ketchup
15 ml (1 tbsp) brown sugar
3 ml (½ tsp) Dijon mustard
5 ml (1 tsp) Worcestershire sauce
10 ml (2 tsp) apple cider vinegar
4 ml (3/4 tsp) commercial zesty seasoning salt (extra spicy)
1 X 398 ml (14 oz) tin beans in tomato sauce

Warm a heavy pan to medium high and add the oil. Add the diced onions and diced back bacon and cook for five minutes, while stirring. Add the diced pepper and minced garlic and continue cooking until onion is clear, bacon is cooked through and peppers are soft.

Turn the heat down to low and gently but thoroughly mix in ketchup, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar and seasoning salt.

Add the beans and gently mix. Warm through, but do not overcook. Serve warm. (You can stretch this with a second tin of beans).

 

Spicy Potatoes

4 medium potatoes brushed and rinsed
45 ml (3 tbsp) olive oil
10 ml (2 tsp) zesty seasoning salt
3 ml (½ tsp) garlic powder
5 ml (1 tsp) brown sugar
pepper

To cut time on the barbecue or in the oven, parboil the potatoes. Place the whole potatoes in a pot of boiling water for 10 to 12 minutes until just starting to feel soft on the surface. Drain, rinse and cool.

When you can handle the potatoes, cut them into bite-sized cubes. In a large bowl, gently toss the potatoes with olive oil. Sprinkle on the seasoning salt, brown sugar and garlic powder and toss again, making sure the spices coat the potatoes.

For the barbecue: place prepared potatoes in tin foil packets — do not make them too bulky. You will probably need to do two. Seal up the edges of the packets and place them on the hot grill for 20 to 25 minutes, turning over at the halfway mark.

For the oven: spread the potatoes on a sheet pan covered with parchment paper and roast in a 230 C (450 F) oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until tender.

Sharp Steak Marinade

75 ml (1/3 cup) olive oil
30 ml (2 tbsp) Dijon mustard
30 ml (2 tbsp) Worcestershire sauce
1 minced garlic clove
60 ml (1/4 cup) teriyaki sauce
30 ml (2 tbsp) red wine
30 ml (2 tbsp) apple cider vinegar

Place all the ingredients in a jar with a lid and shake well. Pour over raw steak to marinade at least 30 minutes. Makes approximately 250 ml (1 cup).

 

Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce

Use as a dip for barbecued chicken and shrimp skewers.

30 ml (2 tbsp) cornstarch
250 ml (1 cup) brown sugar, packed
125 ml (½ cup) pineapple juice
125 ml (½ cup) vinegar

Mix the sugar and cornstarch thoroughly together in a heavy pan. Stir in vinegar and juice. Bring just to a boil on high and stir constantly until thickened. Makes just over 250 ml (1 cup).

 

Peanut Sauce

Great to brush on chicken just a minute or two before it’s ready to come off the grill.

150 ml (2/3 cup) smooth peanut butter
15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
30 ml (2 tbsp) soy sauce
10 ml (2 tsp) apple cider vinegar
approx 125 ml (½ cup) water — more or less as needed
30 ml (2 tbsp) brown sugar
10 ml (1 tsp) Chinese five spice
4 ml (3/4 tsp) zesty seasoning salt

Mix the peanut butter with the oil, soy sauce and apple cider vinegar. Add some water, a little at a time until not too thick or too runny. You should be able to easily spread it with a basting brush, but it shouldn’t drip off. Add the brown sugar, Chinese five spice and the zesty seasoning salt. If the sauce thickens too much, add a little water and stir.

Brush it on chicken as it finishes cooking or warm slightly as a dip.