loaderimg
image

Global Foods’ Shayn Prapaisilp on how to bring international flair to a backyard barbecue

Shayn Prapaisilp has seen it all when it comes to people’s grocery shopping styles. From his vantage point as co-owner of his family’s markets, Global Foods Market and United Provisions, the grocer and restaurateur (he also co-owns King & I and Chao Baan, also with his family), Prapaisilp has watched just as many customers come in with a recipe and sense of mission as he has seen others who stop by with no game plan other than seeing what catches their eye.

What strikes him most, though, are the folks who come in with trepidation, knowing that they want to incorporate international flavors into their cooking but have no idea where to start. Prapaisilp understands why his markets may appear intimidating at first—its aisles are packed with items from more than 50 countries, and unless you are from a particular region, these culinary traditions are perhaps unfamiliar. This is exciting, but it can also lead to a sense of not knowing where to start, notes Prapaisilp.

This time of year, Prapaisilp suggests a good place to begin experimenting with new-to-you ingredients is the most universal of all cooking traditions: the barbecue. As Prapaisilp explains, most, if not all, cultures have a history of cooking over a wood fire, so there’s an inherent familiarity with the technique, which can lower the intimidation factor.

Whether you’re incorporating South African spice blends, experimenting with a Korean barbecue marinade, or even trying your hand at grilling a protein that is not part of your usual rotation, Prapaisilp is confident that you’ll find your barbecue to be a great place to play around and be creative—and it will be all the more delicious.

Why do you think barbecue is a great place to start experimenting with different ingredients? People who grew up in the United States are likely familiar with Carolina or Texas barbecue, but I hope they understand that there are so many barbecue cultures globally. Cooking over the fire is the oldest form of cooking. It literally goes back to caveman days. Plus, everyone loves to be outside and grilling. It’s universal. 

Where would you suggest someone begin if they want to learn about a new-to-them barbecue tradition? I always say to start with the protein you are already familiar with, and if you are going to try something new, the easiest way to do so is with seasoning. If you’re going to grill a ribeye anyway, and you are typically a salt, pepper, and olive oil person, it’s a great step to try a different spice rub or sauce. That way, you are going with something you are already familiar with and can mix things up from there. You can always get more adventurous with proteins, but sauce and spice rubs are the easiest ways to change it up.

Do you have a preferred method for barbecuing at home? Personally, I’m a fan of the Weber kettle. I like the smoke, and with charcoal, it gets hotter and you can manipulate the coals to make it interesting. I really like the char it gives to what I’m cooking. I’m actually  headed to Hawaii soon with my wife; her family is there, and they make what’s called an imu, where they dig a hole in the ground, put a whole pig in it, and cover it with leaves and stuff. It’s incredible, so if you want to dig up a hole in your backyard, it’s going to be good. But for St. Louis, a Weber grill goes a long way. You can do so much on it, and it’s a great excuse to spend time outside; the way you have to tend to it kind of forces you to.

What are some of your favorite sauces, marinades, and rubs to use for backyard grilling? Peri peri sauce from southern Africa—Mozambique and South Africa, in particular—is so good that they’ve been able to build a global brand out of it. People may have heard of Nando’s Peri Peri or Port of Peri Peri, which are restaurants; peri peri is the name of the sauce itself. It’s so unique and great tasting, and there are different versions to try. 

Another one I really like is aji amarillo. Peruvian food has really been front and center the past couple of years and is really becoming the next “it” cuisine. Aji amarillo is the mother sauce of their cooking. It’s a great marinade as well.

The third thing I always recommend, which is kind of a finishing salt, is toasted rice powder from Southeast Asia. It provides this texture that’s almost crunchy. I like to put in on steak that I’m preparing for a steak salad, but really it’s great on any dish as a finishing powder because it has this really nice, savory taste, and it’s also fragrant because of the jasmine rice.

Say someone wants to push themselves out of their comfort zone when it comes to protein. Any suggestions? Lamb is becoming more and more accessible, and we have more cuts of it available; some people really like to grill a whole leg of lamb. I’d advise a novice to stay away from goat because it’s not the easiest to grill; you can do it, but it can have a strong flavor. Then there’s pork. We sell so much pork belly. People always think of pork belly in terms of bacon, but the Filipino specialty lechon, which is crispy pork belly, or porchetta. When you think about different techniques and flavors, it’s amazing how many different things you can do with the same cut.

You can’t have a barbecue without sides. What is your go-to? Produce is so good this time of year, and we are lucky being in the Midwest where we are close to great farms. I like to go more veggie than starch, and zucchini has been looking great lately. At Global, we have so many different types of eggplant, so if you are always using Italian eggplant, it’s easy to try something a little different. I also really love mangoes this time of year. The kind we are getting now are not available year-round so they are really special. 

If you were having a backyard cookout right now, what would you do? What I like to do if I am having a bigger group is to get a big piece of meat so I can grill it once and then slice it to serve. If you are grilling different things, they all cook at different temperatures so it’s harder to manage. I love to get a bone-in ribeye that’s big enough to feed four and do a communal style of eating. It’s just so much fun. I like to make chimichurri for it because it’s so fresh and acidic. I’ll do a big ribeye, then finish it South American style with olive oil, garlic, chili and parsley. It’s so fresh and the color is great. It makes me think of summer.


RECIPE: Seekh Kebabs with Indian Summer Salad

By chef Adam Lambay for Create TV

When Shayn Parpaisilp was putting together the inaugural edition of the Global Foods Market Cookbook, he was instantly dazzled by chef Adam Lambay’s submission of seekh kebabs with Indian summer salad. In place of the traditional goat meat, Lambay uses a combination of ground lamb and ground beef that is not hot-spicy, but is packed with layers of complex flavor. Prapaisilp suggests trying this recipe for your next backyard cookout as a way to expand your grilling repertoire. 

Ingredients for Seekh Kebab

  • 2-inch section of fresh ginger root, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 2 lbs. ground lamb
  • ½ lb. extra lean ground beef
  • 1 tsp. garam masala
  • ½ tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp. methi
  • ½ tsp. amchur powder
  • 2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
  • ½ medium red onion, minced
  • Zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • 10 small naan
  • Fresh cilantro, optional
  • Green chiles, optional

Ingredients for Indian Summer Salad

  • 2 cups tomatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 2 cups cucumber, cut into bite-size pieces
  • ½ cup diced red onion
  • 2 tbsp. roughly chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • ½ tsp. ground black pepper
  • Zest and juice of half a lemon
  • 1 tsp. cumin seed, toasted

Ingredients for kebab sauce

  • 1 cup plain, whole milk Greek yogurt
  • ¼ cucumber, minced
  • ¼ cup red onion, minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
  • Quick squeeze of lemon juice
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions for Kebabs:

  1. Place the lamb and meat into a large bowl, add two teaspoons of the ginger root and garlic purée, and add the garam masala, then the red onion. Mix by hand until well-combined. 
  2. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice. Gently fold into meat. 
  3. Cover, and let rest overnight in the refrigerator.
  4. The next day, preheat grill to 400–450 degrees.
  5. Remove the meat from the refrigerator, and shape into eight log shapes. Press a metal skewer into the meat, and shape it around the skewer, forming a kebab that is about 1 ½ inches in diameter. (If the meat gets too warm and starts to slide on the skewers, place in the refrigerator to firm up.)
  6. Scrape the grill grates, and rub with a vegetable oil–soaked towel.
  7. Place the kebabs perpendicular to the grill grates, and grill for about two minutes on each side for a total of eight to 10 minutes. You’re looking for an internal temperature of 155 degrees. 
  8. Quickly grill the naan on both sides for about 30 seconds. (Heating makes the naan softer and more pliable.)
  9. Carefully remove the kebabs from the skewers. (They will be hot.) Cut the kebabs into bite-size pieces. Spoon Indian summer salad over naan. Nestle a serving of kebab over the salad. Top with a dollop of kebab sauce, and garnish with cilantro and chiles as desired.

Directions for Indian Summer Salad:

  1. In a large bowl, add the cut tomatoes, cucumber, onion cilantro, salt, pepper, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Toss to coat. Set aside.
  2. Heat a small, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the whole cumin seed. When the seed starts to brown and become aromatic, remove from heat (Note: This should not be done with ground cumin. Whole cumin seed allows the oils of the spice to come to the surface and then caramelize. Ground cumin would burn too quickly and, in some cases, it may already be toasted.)
  3. Pour the toasted cumin seeds over the salad and toss again. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. 

Directions for Kebab Sauce

  1. Mix all the ingredients together in a medium-size bowl.
  2. Refrigerate until ready to use. 

Share the Post:

Related Posts