Class up the grill! Gourmet's cookout recipes

Special equipment: An electric coffee/spice grinder or a mortar and pestle; 8 (12-inch) wooden skewers, soaked in warm water 30 minutes

Mince enough lemongrass from lower 4 inches of stalk to measure 2 tablespoons.

Coarsely grind coriander seeds in grinder or with mortar and pestle, then stir together with lemongrass and remaining ingredients except sirloin in a bowl.

Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking with medium-hot charcoal.

Toss sirloin with cup spice paste in a large bowl and thread chunks inch apart onto skewers.

Oil grill rack, then grill kebabs, turning occasionally and moving around if flare-ups occur, 5 to 6 minutes for medium-rare.

Cooks’ Notes:  Kebabs can be grilled on a gas grill. Preheat all burners on high, covered, 10 minutes. Reduce heat to moderately high and grill kebabs, covered, turning over occasionally, 5 to 6 minutes for medium-rare.

• Sirloin, rubbed with spice paste, can marinate, covered and chilled, up to 1 hour before grilling.

• Spice paste keeps, covered and chilled, up to 1 week

Special equipment: a 17- by 12- by  3-inch disposable aluminum roasting pan (if using charcoal); an instant-read thermometer 

Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking with medium-hot charcoal; see “Grilling Procedure,” page 168.

Stir together all ingredients except pork chops in a bowl to form spice paste, then rub paste all over pork chops.

Oil grill rack, then grill chops over coals, turning over occasionally and moving
around if flare-ups occur, until browned, 2 to 3 minutes total.

Move chops to area with no coals underneath, then cover with inverted roasting pan and grill, turning chops over once, until thermometer inserted horizontally into center of a chop (do not touch bone) registers 145°F, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a platter and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Cook's Notes:  Pork can be grilled on a gas grill. Preheat all burners on high, covered, 10 minutes. Reduce heat to moderately high and brown chops, covered, turning over occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off 1 burner (middle one if there are 3) and put chops above shut-off burner, then grill, covered, without turning, until thermometer registers 145°F, 12 to 15 minutes.

• Pork chops, rubbed with spice paste, can marinate, covered and chilled, up to 4 hours before grilling.

• Spice paste keeps, covered and chilled, up to 1 week.