Asian Inspiration Comes to the Grill

Grillingits all-American, its international. And, more and more, its Asian. It all started with nomadic Mongols, who developed their method of spit-roasting over charcoal because it was lighter and more portable than wood, and required no heavy cooking vessels. The Mongols brought this tradition to China, where grilling over an open flame took off like wildfire.

Even today, grabbing anything from a quick snack to a meal from street vendors who cook over small portable grills is a popular dining option in Asiain fact, many traditional Asian kitchens dont even have ovens. And, with the American affinity for all things grilled, Asian-influenced grilling continues to grow in popularity from coast to coast.

Basics of Asian grilling

So what makes Asian grilling different? Unlike the typical American barbecue, big, juicy steaks are not a feature of Asian grilling. Animal proteins typically make up a smaller portion of meals, which are traditionally based around starch and vegetables. Youre more likely to find meat cut into smaller pieces and threaded onto skewers, or ground and formed into small patties, to cook faster and more economically. Meat is generally cooked through rather than served medium-rare. And, because meat is expensive, nothing is wastedAsian chefs practically invented nose-to-tail eating. For example, yakitori restaurants in Japan dont solely feature grilled chicken breast or thighsgizzards, skin, livers and hearts are also menu mainstays.

While skewered pieces of meat are popular, thin skewers arent the only way that foods are secured for grillingyoull also find ground meat or shrimp mixtures grilled on thick stalks of bamboo or sugarcane. Grilled foods come off the stick, too; banana or bamboo leaves wrap tasty fillings in grill-ready packets. This Asian version of the French en papillote technique keeps the ingredients moist and releases a burst of appetizing aromas upon opening the package.

Vegetables play a big role in Asian grilling, too. They can be skewered and grilled like meat, or charred to concentrate flavor, then served as a side dish or puréed into sauces. Perhaps even more than the main ingredients, its the palette of flavors used in marinades, rubs and sauces that makes Asian grilling deliciously different. Layering marinades, bastes, glazes and sauces creates complex flavors that satisfy in small portions and balance well with vegetables and rice. Flatbreads often round out the meal. Chinas scallion pancakes and Indias naan are two tasty examples, providing a plate, wrapper and starch component all in one.

Grill-hopping around Asia

We find many avenues to explore when it comes to Asian grillingevery country has its own technique and tastes, based on climate, tradition and resources. And, digging deeper, each country is home to myriad regions with unique culinary creations.

Japan. The land of the rising sun is famous for the degree of artistry and specialization it brings to everything it does, and food is no exceptionrestaurants focusing on one style of cooking or one type of food abound. Restaurants serving yakitori-ya, literally grilled poultry, turn out skewers of every conceivable part of the chicken, and even a few inconceivable ones, like cartilage. Salt is lightly sprinkled on just before grilling, and the skewers are served with soy sauce and grated daikon as condiments. As an alternative, a rich barbecue sauce called tare, made from soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar and aromatics like ginger, is lightly brushed on while the chicken is cooked.

Grilled foods receive a kick from teriyaki or spicy chile sauces for dipping, or a sprinkling of shichimi togarashi, a seven-spice blend based on red chile flakes (togarashi) that often includes Sichuan pepper (sansho), white sesame seeds, seaweed flakes (nori), dried pieces of mandarin orange peel, black hemp seeds and white poppy seeds. In yakiniku restaurants, bite-sized morsels of meat and vegetables are cooked over charcoal, gas or electric grills and served with a mixture of soy sauce, sake, mirin, sugar, garlic and sesame.

In addition to restaurants specializing in grilled chicken or meat, Japanese brewpubs known as izakaya offer all kinds of grilled small plates that go well with beer, sake or shochu. From whole squid and fish to mountain yams and rice cakes, izakaya offer unique bar fare. Since grilling mostly takes place indoors, at home or in restaurants, a special type of charcoal called bincho, which burns hot and smokeless, is preferred.

Izakaya-style restaurants are really taking off in the United States, with establishments popping up nationwide, from Musha in Santa Monica and O Izakaya in San Francisco to Sake Bar Hagi in Manhattan and O Ya in Boston. Tapping into the small-plates craze, these friendly bars offer Japanese food beyond the teriyaki, tempura and sushi that Americans already love.

Korea. The foods of Korea are hot right now, literally and figuratively, but many cities with a Korean population have been enjoying the Korean barbecue specialty bulgogi for years. Beef ribs, cut thinly across the bone, are marinated in soy sauce, sesame oil, green onions, chiles and garlic before grilling. In restaurants, diners grill their own dinner on burners set into the table, then wrap the meat in lettuce leaves and garnish to their taste with a variety of sweet, spicy and vinegary condiments, like gochujang, a hot chile fermented paste, and doenjang fermented soybean paste, the Korean version of Japanese miso.

Korean fast-food restaurants have even developed a bulgogi burger, a hamburger patty marinated in bulgogi sauce and served on a bun with lettuce, onion and tomato slicesa great way to deliver new flavor in a familiar format.

Thailand. Nearly anyone lucky enough to visit Thailand is immediately seduced by the amazing street food. In the outdoor markets amidst the smoking braziers, everything that will fit on a skewer seems availabletofu, chicken, seafood and fruit. The combination of sweet, hot and umami thats so appealing in Thai food is the basis for dips, sauces and seasoning pastes that turn a simple skewer into an irresistible treat.

Grilled vegetables are also a jumping off point for salads, like yam makeua issaan, a mélange of grilled eggplant, shallots, garlic and chiles, mashed in a mortar and complemented with lime juice, herbs and the ubiquitous fish sauce.

Southeast Asia. Other countries in Southeast Asia also shine in the grilling department. In Vietnam, grilled pork, marinated in fish sauce, sugar, garlic and shallots, is piled on a baguette along with butter, mayonnaise, pâté and pickled carrots and daikon to make the banh mi sandwich thats becoming increasingly popular in American cities.

But less well-known Vietnamese grilled dishes are also poised for popularity. Nem nuong, grilled patties of ground pork, fish sauce and sugar, are not only delicious but also fun to eatdiners roll their own with herbs and peanuts in rice paper wrappers, then dunk into fish sauce.

Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines all have a version of satay, slices of meat, often marinated in turmeric, threaded onto bamboo skewers and grilled. In Thailand, peanut sauce, redolent with spices and fresh herbs, adds layers of flavor to satay. Satay Padang skips the peanut sauce in favor of a spicy, creamy coconut milk sauce. In Indonesia, a spicy chile mixture, sambal oelekmainly crushed chilesadds kick to satay.

China. The Chinese adapted and refined the techniques of the Mongol herdsmen and developed a sophisticated repertoire of flavoring and cooking techniques. But theres still a place for grilling in open-air markets and street carts, where meat, flatbreads, vegetables and fruit are cooked over an open flame.

Youll also find restaurants that specialize in meat grilled tableside in a similar fashion to the Korean bulgogi. Diners grill thin slices of beef or lamb on a charcoal brazier set into the table, then dip the meat into spicy sauces before folding it into flatbreads or buns. As a variation, after grilling, the meat can be simmered in a casserole with noodles, vegetables and rice wine.

India. Dont overlook India when discussing Asian grillingyoull find unique and delicious variations, like the super-hot clay ovens called tandoor, in which flatbreads and skewered chicken, lamb and beef are cooked. Before cooking, meats are first marinated in lemon juice to tenderize, then seasoned with a tandoori paste or rub that might consist of ginger, garlic, spices, yogurt and red coloring from ground annatto seed (or, more frequently these days, red food coloring). The tandoor cooking process makes meat especially juicy and tender, with a unique, earthy aroma.

Asian-American barbecue

Major American cities with large immigrant populations have benefited from the entrepreneurial spirit behind the opening of authentic Asian eateries and grills. Korean, Mongolian and Thai barbecues, Japanese robata bars (named after the robatayaki, or robata, grill used to cook the food), and Vietnamese sandwich cafés are already standard options for adventurous eaters. The mom-and-pop restaurants are now being joined by mainstream, pan-Asian concept restaurants that are executing Asian grilling and reinventing traditional Asian dishes and flavor palettes to make them more accessible to westerners. L.A.s Zen Grill, P.F. Changs China Bistro, Tom Tom Asian Grill in Dallas and O Asian Grill in Miami Beach all incorporate Asian flavors into grilled dishes that are all-American when it comes to protein ratio and portion size.

Bringing Asia home

After sampling the wide array of Asian foods and flavors in restaurants, as well as on their travels, consumers are increasingly eager to take these flavors home with them. Open-air grilling is not always an option for retail food products, but building flavor profiles for marinades, rubs and sauces with spices, chile oils, powders and vegetable purées can reproduce the taste of Asian barbecue in a manufacturing setting. Soft-frozen vegetable purées and seasoning blends can be the base for dips and sauces. Partnering with an ingredient company that specializes in formulating and processing protein products and creating customized savory flavors for marinades, rubs, injects, tumbles and topical seasoning blends can streamline the process. With customized flavors, its even possible to incorporate the flavor of distinctive cooking techniques, like grilling and smoking, into products that never go near an open flame.

Serving presentation inspiration can be found in Asia, where proteins, rice and vegetables are often wrapped in bamboo or banana-leaf packets before going on the grill. A similar format for retail or non-commercial foodservice has the advantage of consistent portioning and seasoning, ease of preparation (just toss them on the grill, flat-top or into the microwave), as well as the wow factor of a burst of aroma when the packet is opened.

Wraps are a natural for Asian grillingtheyre ideal for grab-and-go and a great way to layer in more flavor while keeping ingredients moist and fresh-tasting and portion sizes under control. The Far East has its own version of Western-style flatbreads like tortillas and lavash, and many baking formulas can be converted to an Asian flavor profile with a simple brushing of sesame oil or a scatter of scallions. Non-bread wraps like lumpia wrappers (similar to those used for spring rolls), rice paper wrappers and dumpling skins can also spark inspiration for innovative presentations.

Teriyaki is ubiquitous on grocery shelves, and consumers are comfortable with the idea of brush on Asian flavor. The time is ripe for developing less-familiar grilling sauces and condiments based on region-specific Asian cuisines. Its no longer sufficient to stick with generic categories like curry when Thailand alone boasts a rich repertoire of curry sauces and pastes, each with its own unique blend of spices and aromatics. Condiments, ranging from mellow Japanese tare sauces for brushing onto yakitori to ssamjang, the chile-spiked bean paste that Koreans slather on bulgogi, provide additional ways to customize food by layering on regionally distinctive flavors.

Pre-seasoned products for backyard barbecuing offer more opportunities for product developers to incorporate Asian flavors. Consumers are looking for something beyond Cajun, lemon-herb or jerk seasoning rubs, and are increasingly aware of not only the broader spheres of Asian cooking but also the regional variations. Food product developers shouldnt be afraid to peel off the first layer to uncover unique, local dishes when seeking Asian inspiration. Numerous fresh ideas in flavor, format and technique can create a continent of new products.

Sean Craig, senior executive chef, Gilroy Foods & Flavors, Cranbury, NJ, is a member of the Research Chefs Association. To consult with Craig on using vegetables, seasoning blends and savory flavor profiles to develop Asian-inspired products, contact him at [email protected].