Personally, who wins or loses matters less to me than who eats well: The only Titan I truly care about is Prometheus, who according to Greek mythology, gave man the gift of fire.  And I know he would be disappointed if your Game Day menu consisted of nothing but chips and pretzels—not when there are so many terrific grilling and barbecuing options.

Make Prometheus (and me) proud.

Below are recipes you’ll want to add to your Super Bowl Sunday repertoire.  We’ll assume, like all good winter warriors, you’ve been grilling all year, but if your grill happens to be buried under 12 inches of snow or outside temperatures are low enough to freeze your beer, it’s a good time to pull out Steven’s book, Raichlen’s Indoor Grilling with more than 270 grilling recipes created for indoors. The following recipes work well on indoor contact grills, grill pans, stove-top smokers, rotisseries, or even fireplaces. Kitchen not in line of sight of the 46-inch plasma screen? Now that’s a problem.

May your team win.

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A WORD FROM WORKMAN

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RAICHLEN’S RULES FOR WINTER GRILLING

RECIPES

GRILLED BABY BACK RIBS WITH SWEET SOY GLAZE

Method: Indirect grilling
Serves: 4 to 8 as an appetizer 

I encountered these sweet and crusty ribs on Bali—part of a marathon trip to research recipes for my next book, Planet Barbecue, which will be published next year.   I’ve yet to meet someone who doesn’t love the sweet-soy glaze.  By the way,  if you’re grilling for a crowd, a rib rack will be exceedingly helpful…on Super Bowl Sunday and beyond. 

2 racks of baby back pork ribs (each 2 to 2-1/2 pounds)
1 onion, quartered
2 inches ginger, peeled, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices, and flattened with the side of a cleaver
2 cloves garlic, peeled and flattened with the side of a cleaver
2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and flattened with the side of a cleaver

For the glaze:

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large shallot, minced
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon white pepper

You’ll also need:  1-1/2 cups wood chips or chunks, soaked for 1 hour in water to cover, then drained (optional); a rib rack (optional)

1. Place a rack of ribs meat side down on a work surface. Remove the thin, papery membrane from the back of the rack by inserting a slender implement, such as a butter knife or the tip of a meat thermometer, under it. Using a dishcloth, paper towel, or pliers to gain a secure grip, peel off the membrane. Repeat with remaining rack.

2. Cut the onion, ginger, garlic, and lemongrass into 1/2-inch pieces and puree in a food processor, adding enough water (about 1/4 cup) to make a thick but spreadable paste. Place the ribs on a baking sheet and spread the spice paste over them on both sides. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or as long as overnight.

3. Make the glaze: Place the soy sauce, molasses, sugar, ginger, garlic, shallot, and pepper in a heavy saucepan. Boil over high heat until thick and syrupy, 4 to 6 minutes, stirring often. The sauce can be made several hours ahead of time.

4. Set up your grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium. Place a large drip pan in the center of the grill under the grate.

5. When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the ribs bone-side down in the center of the grate over the drip pan and away from the heat. (If your grill has limited space, stand the racks of ribs upright in a rib rack.) If cooking on a charcoal grill and wood smoke is desired, toss half the wood chips on each mound of coals. Cover the grill and cook the ribs until tender, 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours, applying the glaze halfway through the cooking time. When the ribs are done, they’ll be handsomely browned and the meat will have shrunk back from the ends of the bones about 1/4–inch.

6. Replenish the coals as needed. Reglaze the ribs a few minutes before serving; cook until the sauce is sizzling, 1 to 3 minutes per side.

7. Transfer the ribs to a large platter or cutting board.  Let the ribs rest for a few minutes, then cut the racks into individual ribs. Serve any remaining glaze, warmed, on the side.

BRACIOLE (SICILIAN-STYLE STUFFED BEEF ROLLS)

I first discovered braciole at a  butcher shop on Boston’s North End when I was the restaurant critic for Boston Magazine.  Though well-known to almost anyone of Italian extraction, braciole (pronounced “bra-zohl”) was a revelation to me.  Think of it as a hoagie wrapped in a steak.    Great served hot or cold.

Source: Adapted from Indoor Grilling by Steven Raichlen (Workman, 2004)
Method: Direct grilling
Serves: 8 to 10 as an appetizer

1-1/2 to 2 pounds very thinly sliced (1/4-inch) round steak (some supermarkets sell meat labeled “braciole”; otherwise, ask your butcher to do this)
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
6 ounces thinly sliced Provolone cheese
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto or ham
2 ounces thinly sliced Italian salami
2 ounces thinly sliced pepperoni
1/2 cup Italian pickled hot peppers (optional), drained and finely chopped

You’ll also need: Butcher’s string, cut into 6-inch lengths

1. Cut the meat into rectangles approximately 4 inches by 5 inches.  (Avoid any sinewy spots.) Arrange on the work surface.  Season each piece on both sides with salt, pepper, and oregano.

2. On each piece of meat, arrange the slices of Provolone, prosciutto, salami, pepperoni, and the pickled hot peppers, if using, leaving the top inch of the piece of meat bare. Roll each piece of meat up tightly, starting opposite the bare side, and secure each meat roll by tying crosswise with two pieces of butcher’s string.  (Trim any loose ends of string.)  The braciole can be prepared to this stage several hours ahead and refrigerated, covered.

3.When ready to cook, set up your grill for direct grilling and preheat to medium-high. Brush and oil the grill grate.

4. Cook the braciole until crusty and brown on the outside and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side.   Transfer to a cutting board and let rest a few minutes.  Remove and discard the strings.  Serve the braciole whole, or (best) cut each crosswise on a sharp diagonal into 1/2–inch thick slices.  Arrange attractively on a platter.

NEWS YOU CAN USE

It’s official: You can now watch selected episodes of Steven’s Primal Grill TV show on your I-pod or mobile phone. Simply visit www.podcastgo.com or click here

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NEXT MONTH IN UP IN SMOKE:

Everything you always wanted to know about brisket.

Yours in righteous grilling,

Steven Raichlen, Editor-in-Chief
Nancy Loseke, Features Editor