How to grill on the cheap

Everyone is feeling the pinch of higher food prices, especially now that the backyard grilling season is under way.

Last week, the Safeway store at 19th and S streets in midtown Sacramento had a package of six boneless, skinless chicken breasts for $22.82. And the price of a good rib-eye steak would bring tears to your eyes.

Before you roll the grill back into the garage in frustration, let's take a look at the options. Sure, food prices are high, but with some creative cooking techniques, you can transform a less expensive cut of meat into a masterpiece.

Push your grocery cart past the rib-eyes. Don't even look in that direction. Jim Skellenger, a butcher at Taylor's Market on Freeport Boulevard in Land Park, assures us that the barbecue can still go on.

"First of all, boneless, skinless chicken breast is not a good choice for the grill," said Skellenger. "It tends to dry out fast, and it's expensive. So save that cut for another use. You'll save a lot of money on chicken if you go with dark meat.

"Personally, I like leg quarters - a thigh with leg attached. Wings are also a good buy, but a lot of people don't like them as much. Besides costing less (leg quarters run about $4 a pound less than chicken breasts), dark-meat chicken is more moist and has more flavor than white meat. You can also buy a whole chicken, which is considerably less expensive than breasts - and whole chickens grill just fine."

Pork is another good buy. A pork shoulder roast is generally less than $2.50 a pound. Pork chops run about $4 less per pound than New York strip steaks, and you can frequently find sales on pork tenderloin.

"Pork is a great value right now," said Skellenger. "Plus, it's wonderful on the grill as long as you cook it slowly so it won't dry out. It helps if you use a marinade or a rub to add some flavor. And, of course, you can't go wrong with pork ribs."

But what about beef steaks?

"Your best value is probably a top sirloin London broil," Skellenger said. "It's a lean cut, so you will need to use a marinade to tenderize it. Flat iron is another less expensive cut, and it can be tender if you use a wet marinade to help break down the texture."

The key to turning some of those less-expensive meats into masterpieces is creative prep work, including marinating, using a rub, brining or inventing your own secret sauce.

Rubs

A rub is a blend of dry spices. Rubs are generally sprinkled over meat or poultry, or massaged into the meat. The primary reason for using a rub is to add flavor to whatever you are grilling.

A rub also creates a crust when smoking meats, and if the rub contains salt, it will tenderize the meat.

You can vary the intensity of the flavors by changing how long the meat stands once the rub has been applied. If you sprinkle the meat, poultry or fish with rub and immediately take it to the grill, you will get hints of flavor. If you want more flavor from the rub, allow the meat to stand longer before grilling.

Chicken pieces will develop good flavor in two hours or less. A whole chicken will take a little longer. Pork chops and beef steaks need an hour or two of standing time.

Ribs and large pieces of meat such as roasts and briskets do better if you apply the rub, wrap them in plastic wrap and let them stand overnight in the refrigerator.

You can buy rubs ready to use, but many barbecue enthusiasts like to make their own combinations of spices and other flavorings. Often, rubs include salt, paprika, pepper, garlic, celery seeds, rosemary or dill. If you want a bit of sweetness, you can also add some brown sugar.

For an interesting touch, try adding some ground coffee to your rub.

Marinade

A marinade is a liquid mixture used to soak meat, fish or poultry. There are three primary functions of a marinade: tenderizing, adding flavor and preventing the meat from drying out while cooking.

Most marinades are combinations of an acid ingredient along with oil and spices. The acid does the tenderizing. Oil keeps the meat from drying out. Seasonings add flavor. The acid can come from a variety of things: vinegar, lemon juice, beer, carbonated beverages, fruit juices, wine, etc. Just select the flavor that seems to go best with what you are marinating - lemon with fish, for example.