Archive for July, 2010
Onions can be stuffed just like a pepper. These fancy containers can be cooked in and eaten as well. Saves on clean up. Better yet, let’s cook them on the grill.
Start with 6 large onions
2 lbs meatloaf mix (substitute with ground beef or turkey if you prefer)
1 egg
1 green pepper, chopped well
1\2 cup- 2\3 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 tsp salt
1 1\4 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce (or make your own)
Peel & cut the onions in half, crosswise. Remove the centers, leaving 2 or 3 layers of onion. Set aside.
Chop up the centers. Combine the chopped onion, with the rest of the ingredients, but only half of the BBQ sauce. Mix well. Make 6 meat balls.
Fit the meatballs into 6 of the onion halves and afix the other half onion on top.
Set up your Brinkmann charcoal grill. When the coals are ready, wrap the onions in foil and cook over hot coals for 30 mins. After this time, carefully open the foil, and baste the onions with the remaining BBQ sauce. Grill for another 25-30 mins or until the meat is done and the onions are tender. Serve immediately.
As I’ve mentioned in the past, my 22 qt. counter top deep fryer can steam & boil. I grew up on the south shore of Long Island in a clamming community. The Great South Bay was known for it’s wealth in it’s waters. Oysters, clams, scallops, mussels, crabs, fish, etc. I made up a Great South Bay Boil the other day with a Cajun twist. A 22 qt. deep fryer only holds so much, so this is for a small group of friends or family. I got some nice Blue Claw Crab(it’s crabbing season), hard shell clams, Long Island sweet corn, shrimp, small red potatoes, lemons, beer, a red pepper, a green pepper, garlic & scallions. You can add mussels and sea scallops too, if that is your preference. Now comes the Cajun twist. I got about 1 lb. of Cajun style Andouille sausage, and put Louisiana Crab Boil & Cajun seasoning along with some Old Bay into the water.
The way I grew up… we steamed everything in beer. This is too much beer to waste on this size pot, so just pour a beer or two in the water. Save the rest to drink with the meal. Fill up the rest of the pot about half way. You don’t have to have a steamer/deep fryer pot for this. You can use a large stock pot with a basket, a Great Lakes boiler, or even a canning pot. Cut your peppers in half and slice a half of each pepper and 2 scallions and add them to the pot. Throw in 3-4 garlic cloves, peeled. Add your seasonings…about 2-3 ounces of crab boil, about a tablespoon of Cajun & Old Bay seasonings…or more depending on how spicy you like it. Cut a lemon in half. Squeeze in the juice and then throw the rinds right in the water. Put your cover on and start the water to a boil. Once it boils, continue boiling for about 15 mins.
Add your sausage, cut in 1-2″ lengths, and your potatoes. Bring it back to a boil. Cook for another 5-10 mins. or until the potatoes start to soften up. Add your Long Island sweet corn broken in thirds. Cook for 5 mins. Add a doz. or more clams (and mussels) cook for 3-5 mins. Now add a pound of shrimp(in the shell or shelled and deveined, your choice), the Blue Claw Crabs, and sea scallops if you have, and cook for 3 more mins. Drain immediatley. Serve with cold beer, cocktail sauce & drawn butter. Make sure you have lots of napkins.
Just have to say…there is nothing like picking fresh vegetables out of your garden to serve with the chicken that you just took off of your Brinkmann grill. Slice up fresh tomato or cucumbers, steam some fresh green beans, saute summer squash & onions. Better yet, is having vegetables to grill with your meal. Peppers, grape tomatoes, zucchini, etc. Brush them with a little Italian dressing and throw them right on the grill. They make a nice fresh side dish. And even if you don’t have a garden, there are lots of farm stands and farmer’s markets that you can purchase nice fresh, local vegetables. It’s a fact that they taste better when fresh, but they also have more nutrients and are healthier. Get out there and grill yourself healthy. Try different venues. Experiment. Life is only as boring as you make it. Your grill wants to be excited! So does your family.
Well… I went to a very interesting Antique Power show this weekend. Tractors, trucks, real steam rollers & lots of other steam powered engines. And yes…there were tailgaters including myself. We only brought cold stuff in a cooler to make sandwiches, but I did it literally on my tailgate. Lots of only liquid tailgaters there too. Very hot day. But there were some that cooked. There was a home manufactured grill and there were propane gas & charcoal grills. So if you want to bring your Brinkamann charcoal grill to the car show…it is not inappropriate. I’ve seen many people tailgate at car shows. It doesn’t have to be a big national event either. Just your small weekend car show is enough to bring out the tailgaters. (PS. The home made grill was an old forge.)
Fruit or berry infused vinegars have multiple uses. As we saw yesterday, they can be used to marinate fruit for your Brinkmann propane grill, but they can also be used in meat marinades and as dressings on salads.
For berries:
Start with a pint of fresh berries (about 2 -2 1\2 cups if mixing & matching). You can use just raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, or a combo of all.
1 3″ length of lemon peel
1\4 cup sugar or 2 generous tbsp honey
1 1\2 -2 cups white or red wine vinegar
Crush the berries. Put in a glass clean glass jar with the lemon peel. Heat sugar (or honey) and vinegar. Stir to dissolve the sugar. DO NOT BOIL.
Pour heated mixture over the crushed berries. Cover jar with fresh clean towel or cheesecloth & let it stand for 2 days. (for more intense flavor, put in a screw top jar and don’t strain it for 2-3 weeks). After the allotted time, strain the liquid right through the cheesecloth. Store in sterilized bottles. Add a few fresh berries for show.
For fruit:
Try peaches, nectarines, apricots. Blanche the fruit first to easily remove the peel.( Quick hot water bath then dunk in cold). Crush the fruit into the bottom of the jar and follow the same guide lines as above using white wine vinegar as your base.
Try marinating your chicken breast with apricot vinegar and fresh thyme before grilling. Try your pork ribs with a raspberry vinegar mop in your bbq smoker. Use your taste buds and your imagination.
Grilled fruit is an excellent side dish for the turkeys that we grilled or smoked yesterday, but grilled fruit goes great with lots of great barbeque.
We already discussed using apples for kabobs. You can also use pears, plums, even nectarines. You want them firm to the touch.
6- 8 small pears &\or apples
6-8 firm plums &\or nectarines
1 tbsp of walnut or sesame oil (you can just use regular vegetable oil too).
1 tsp honey
2 tbsp white wine or apple cider vinegar ( you can also use berry or fruit infused vinegar: see tomorrow)
If desired, 2 tbsp, fresh chopped mint
Wash & cut fruit in half. Remove pits, cores & stems.
Combine the oil, honey & vinegar in a glass dish. Dip the cut sides of the fruit in the marinade & let stand for about a half hour ( start about an hour before your turkey is done grilling).
Make sure your Brinkmann grill still has about medium hot charcoal.
Remove your fruit from the marinade and thread onto skewers. Grill over the medium hot coals, skin side down, for about 10 mins. Carefully turn your skewers and grill for 3-5 mins. longer. Remove from the skewers when done & sprinkle with the fresh chopped mint.
Today were are going to grill or smoke our turkeys.
As I said we want a large charcoal grill or bbq smoker with a lid.
Get 2 turkeys, about 10-13 lbs each
1\2 cup of the infused pepper oil that you made earlier in the week
1\2 cup of tequila or dark beer(whatever your preference).
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried, crushed thyme
Start by soaking your wood chips if you are going to add smoke.
Wash and dry the turkeys. Remove giblets, neck, & excess fat & set aside to make giblet gravy later on. (I always set mine right in a sauce pan on the stove and make stock for gravy while I am cooking the bird).
Combine the infused oil, beer or tequila, salt & thyme. Rub the birds generously with the marinade. Tie the legs and wings securely with butcher’s twine.
Let them sit while you start the grill. Light a nice sized fire…3-5 lbs of charcoal in our large lidded grill. Let your coals get hot, 35-40 mins. Now set up for indirect grilling. Move the coals to one side. Place a drip pan( nice sized aluminum foil pan) opposite the coals on the bottom grate. (Now is the time to add your soaked wood chips for smoking).
Place the birds over the drip pan, breast side up, with the wings towards the charcoal. Baste the birds with more of your marinade and cover the grill.
Cook with the grill covered for about 2-2 1\2 hours or until internal temp. reaches 180 degrees F. You want to baste the birds and turn them end to end every half hour or so while cooking. Also add more charcoal & wood chips as needed.
When done let the birds rest about 20 mins. before carving. Serve with your giblet or turkey stock gravy and some grilled fruit.
Tomorrow we will discuss the grilled fruit for a side dish.
You can just as easily grill or smoke a turkey as deep frying or baking it. Some of the best turkey gravy that I ever had came from a bird grilled on a Brinkmann charcoal grill. (You could also use your bbq smoker, or gas grill).
For this application, we are going to use a large charcoal grill, with a cover.
Today we are going to discuss making some pepper infused oil to rub on the turkey. You want to do this a few days to a week in advance.
Go out to the garden & pick 2 branches of fresh rosemary & 2 sprigs of thyme. (Most local grocery stores carry common fresh herbs).
You want 1-2 fresh chili peppers, like serrano or jalapeno.
2 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half
6-10 small dried red chili peppers ( you’re on your own here… I have a stash of them at home. Had a bumper crop last year. Try the market or get online).
6-10 black pepper corns
6 juniper berries (very seasonal item at the market… I found mine online).
2 c. olive oil
Wash and dry your herbs and fresh chili pepper.
Place them in a sterilized glass bottle that has a lid. Add the garlic, dried chili peppers, juniper berries and black pepper corns.
Heat the oil over moderate heat. You can use a thermometer. Bring the oil to about 180-200 degrees F. Pour the heated oil over everything in the sterilized bottle. Cover and cool. When it’s cool, put it in the refrigerator. Check your oil for a desired flavor and then strain out the solids when the desired flavor is reached. Store the oil in the refrigerator between uses. Best if used within 2 weeks. Works great for morning hash browns!
Tomorrow were going to get ready to grill or smoke our turkeys.
Not everyone that loves pulled pork needs to make a batch to feed 20 people. This is a great recipe for a small family or having a couple friends over.
1 lb pork,( end cut of a pork loin will do)
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1\3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tbsp paprika… See More
1 sprig thyme, leaves only
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 slightly rounded tsp cayenne pepper
1 shy tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Mix together all of the ingredients to make a paste for the pork. Rub the paste all over the pork, wrap with plastic and refrigerate overnight.
Let pork sit at room temp. 30 mins before cooking. Place in crock pot , on low, to cook all day. Or…you can cook in oven or indirect grilling on your Cajun Grill or Brinkmann charcoal grill, uncovered at 325 degrees…for about an hour…until crispy brown. If cooked in crock pot… pull the pork.. If cooked in oven or grill… do like they do in Memphis…chop it up baby… Now serve on buns topped with cole slaw. Enjoy!
A different twist to making kabobs on your Brinkmann Grill would be to add some tart apple chunks to your skewers. It is a nice way to swing into late summer and early fall barbecue grilling. There are many different recipes out there & many combos of meat and vegetables to add to the mix. Best meats I would suggest to use with apples would be pork, chicken & sausage or kielbasa. Sweet onions make a nice addition as well as sweet peppers & sweet potato. There are lots of glazes out too. Many involve some brown sugar &\or cinnamon, pineapple juice, soy sauce,apple jelly etc. This is a great, healthy addition to add to your kabobs. It is also a great experimental fruit as it adds a touch of juicy sweetness & doesn’t overpower.
As I said there are many combos that can be created. Whatever your taste buds and imagination can come up with.You could even just do apple & onion chuck skewers glazed with brown sugar water glaze as a side dish for your smoked pork loin or beer can chicken. You just cut the apple & onion into chunks, remove apple seeds, alternate threading an apple, then an onion. Place kabobs on the grill, some what indirect grilling, they can still burn. Cook approx. 5 minutes & then glaze with brown sugar water. Let cook about 1 more minute & serve.
When cooking apple kabobs with precooked sausage, thread the skewers with sausage cut into approx. 1 1\2″- 2″ pieces thread skewers with 1″ apple chunks, 1″ onion chunks & sausage, leaving a small space between each. Place on the grill & grill over medium heat for about 10 mins. turning frequently. In the mean time, in a small sauce pan, heat 1\3 cup apple jelly & 1\4 tsp dried thyme. Heat on medium low, stirring constantly, until the jelly melts. After the 10 mins. of kabob grilling, brush with apple jelly mixture & cook another 2 mins. Serve immediately.