Barbecue Bachelor

Chicken Paprikash - Inspired by KimDec

2009-07-13T07:45:00.004-04:00

Well in case you haven't heard the Barbecue Bachelor was rated one of the top food blogs in Chester County by the Chester Count Cuisine and Nightlife Magazine. Another blog that made list was My Lil’ Kitchen by KimDeC. Besides being an incredible cook she is obviously also a fantastic photographer. The other day I was trolling through her recipes and stumbled upon her Chicken Paprikash and decided to try and recreate it but in my own twist.

4 Chicken quarters
1 Smoked Ham Hock
1 Cubed Potato
1 Tbs. Canola Oil
1 Cup of Chicken Stock
1 Chopped Onion
5 Garlic Cloves
Handful of Paprika
Pinch of Ow!
Salt
Pepper

Following KimDeC's instructions I pan fried the leg quarters using my cast iron dutch oven in the canola oil for about 15 minutes to brown them up a bit. I chose to take the skin off the chicken though you could certainly leave it on as well. I then removed the chicken from the skillet and added the garlic, onions and the rest of the spices. I fried them up a bit and then added everything back into the dutch oven along with the chicken broth, potato and smoked ham hock. I let that simmer for about 40 minutes. At the end, to thicken up the sauce, I put in a pinch of corn starch. Served over a bed of whole wheat pasta this turned out pretty darn tasty.

Thanks for the idea KimDeC. Hopefully you don't think I butchered your recipe to badly. I guess you just forgot to add a ham hock to yours:)

Paprika dry rub vs Honey Mustard Pork Loin on the Q

2009-07-11T08:25:00.000-04:00

A reader submitted this the other day and I am finally getting round to posting it. Keep them coming. Those loins look like they came out pretty good. Speaking of loins, I believe Acme has them on sale this week for $1.49/lb

"
We decided to do a comparison between two versions of BBQ pork loin. One was the recipe I sent to you before with the paprika/chili pepper/garlic/salt/olive oil dry rub and the second was a honey mustard marinade. We took one solid piece of meat and cut it in half.
The paprika dry rubbed one looked like:

The honey-mustard one looked like:

Each were placed in the fridge for 2 hours prior to grilling.

As you recommend we used the thermometer to get the temp to about 150 F. It took about an hour to get up to the right temperature. I tried to lay them to the side of the grill with the burner off. The problem was that there was so much meat that it was a little tough to avoid some direct heat. The middle burner was put on medium and the remaining burner was on high. Go Gas!

Then we ate them. Both were excellent. Its tough to beat the ease and outcomes of BBQ'ing pork loins. We easily fed 10 people.

As expected the paprika/chil pepper version had a bit more bite. I may have also used more salt on it. So I liked it a bit better.

Simple Sangria

2009-07-07T11:44:00.004-04:00

If you have a few friends coming over for an afternoon bbq on a hot day, I find one of the best ways to quench their thirsts is to make Sangria. Not only is Sangria easy to make but it is also easy on the budget. I made a batch of this over the July 4th weekend and it was a winner.

Ingredients (Works for about 8 people)

1 of those glass jugs of red wine (You know the big cheap ones that I am talking about)
4-6 limes
3-4 Oranges
1/4 cup simple syrup
Few splashes of white rum
Soda water

Start by slicing up your oranges and placing them (skins and all) in a big pitcher or punch bowl. I used the bottom half of one of those salad spinners. Don't mash up the oranges or they wont look good later. Next, slice up half of your limes into pie wedges and add them to bowl. Take the remaining limes and juice them into the bowl. Add the simple syrup, the rum and the wine and stir. Now let the sangria rest for about an hour in the fridge.

Serve the sangria over ice with a splash of soda water!

Happy Birthday 2009!

2009-07-05T14:36:00.006-04:00

To celebrate America's B-Day yesterday, I invited a few friends over for a little grill-out. My neighbor Mary Bigham of WC Dish fame even stopped by for a bit. There is something about getting together with friends, having a few laughs, good music, and of course plenty of good food and drink that can't be beat. Even the weather was perfect. As I mentioned in my last post, I had been itching to smoke up another pork shoulder and what better day than July 4th. Luckily I had purchsed my shoulder from Shop Rite the day before because when I went back to Shop Rite the next day they were already sold out.

Though the star of the show was going to be my pulled pork sliders I decided to start the meal off with the BBQB's version of grilled clams casino. They are actually fairly easy to put together and when served definitely raise the wow factor.

Here's how I did it. You'll want to plan on about 1-2 clams per person. Take the clams and place them directly on the grill over high heat and close the lid. While the clams are heating up, microwave a few strips of bacon and then cut them up into little pieces. In about 5 minutes or so take a peek in your grill to see if the clams have opened up. If so, then stuff each clam with the bacon being careful not to burn yourself. Let them cook for a few minutes before removing from the grill. At this point I took a knife and cut the muscle in each clam to make it easier for my guests to eat them. I then sprinkled on a few bread crumbs and chopped parsely before serving. Judging by the reactions I think they went over really well.

Pig Out At Swingin' Thursdays

2009-07-03T09:07:00.007-04:00

Yours truly made it up to West Chester's first Swingin' Thursdays of 2009 last night. As always there was a ton of good music and of course excellent street food. These type of street fairs really set West Chester apart from the rest of Chester County. People turned out in droves and I was happy to see that most of the shops and restaurants were packed.

It may come as a surprise but even though there were a lot of food vendors to choose from, I had barbecue on my mind. As soon as I made it up to Gay Street I made a B-line for Pig Out. Pig Out was recently voted "Main Line Today’s Best North Carolina BBQ 2009" and I had a hanckering for some pork. a pulled pork sandwich. While I dig on North Carolina BBQ I actually usually prefer a the 'normal' pulled pork sandwich. I don't know about you guys but most pulled pork sandwiches I get up north are frankly awful. I had my fingers crossed as I gave them my $5. As soon as I saw the final construction of my sandwich I knew I was about to indulge something special. Their sandwich is served on half of a hoagie role with an enromous pile of chunky pulled pork and a healthy amount of tangy bbq sauce. I grabbed a stack of napkins and dove in.

The pork was incredibly tender and I could even see a beautiful smoke ring throughout the meat. Nice job Pig Out!

Towards the end of the Swingin' Thursday night I also ended up grabbing a turkey leg from a West Chester street fair staple: Capt'n Dicks. Dollar for dollar their turkey leg is one heck of a meal. I am embarrassed to say that I couldn't even eat the whole thing.

I didn't see Mabel's BBQ out last night but hopefully they will make an appearance this summer as well. There's nothing like some good bbq competition.

Stay tuned as I think I am going to whip up some of my own pulled pork tomorrow for America's birthday celebration.

Chill With The BBQB Muddle-less Mojito

2009-06-27T17:34:00.004-04:00

Do you have a pot overgrowing with mint? Do you grow just so you can make mojitos all summer long? I do and if you don't I suggest you get plantin'.

I am not huge mixed drink fan but I do drink the big three "Gin and Tonics", "Margaritas" and of course "Mojitos". I don't understand why people order those drinks that taste like juice or something. And then they say "Oh my gosh, it tastes just like orange juice!". Well, if I wanted orange juice I would just drink it. I want my drink to taste like something a bit more adult.

Now that my rant is over, lets get back to my muddle-less mojito. Muddling is a pain in the a$$. Too much work and if you have a crowd over then it simply takes too long. Hence, why I do the muddle-less mojito.

Here what you need. The recipe is for each drink. Multiple it as necessary and make it all at once:

1-2 shots of white rum
Juice of half a lime
Bunch of mint
2 Tablespons of simple syrup
Seltzer water
Ice
Blender

Place the rum, lime juice, syrup and mint into the blender and go to town. You blend just a little or a lot. I tend to blend the hell out of it because I like the "Ecto Cooler" look.

Next, add the blended mixture to an iced glass and top off with selzer water. Now that is the perfect way to start an afternoon!

Birthplace of the Waffle Dog

2009-06-21T11:09:00.007-04:00

Many of you have probably heard of 'chicken and waffles', but many of you probably have not heard of the 'waffle dog', first invented in Menlo Park, California. In all fairness, for you to know you would have had to have been with me at my niece's 4th birthday party yesterday where I invented it.
Yes, I am aware that the picture above sucks...but let me piece it together for you. As with most inventions this one was invented due to necessity. Yesterday, my brother threw a big party for my niece. He even had a big inflatable bouncy house for the kids (and adults) to jump around in. To feed all the little rascals he had plenty of pasta salad, watermelon, and grilled hot dogs and sausages. He even had the BBQB manning the grill. The one thing we didn't have enough of was hot dog buns. Supplies started running low about 30 minutes into the party. I began looking around for alternatives. Could I just use sandwich bread? Of course I could, but that is so lame. It was then when I noticed the pile of waffles that my sister in law had made early that morning. They were the thinner type of waffle and they had hot dog bun written all over them. Due to the semi-sweetness of the waffle I decided to for-go the mustard and stick with a naked dog. Needless to say, the BBQB saved the day and started wrapping the dogs with waffles.

Reader Submitted: Ribs! with Country Bob's Sauce

2009-06-19T15:02:00.003-04:00

Here is a posting from one of my blog readers...

Hey little brother, you asked Bob to send me some of his Country Bob's BBQ sauce. So I decided to try it out on some pork ribs from Safeway.

I basically followed the directions on the packaging. I boiled the ribs for 30 minutes in a big pot. Then I put them on the grill with Chicago Steakhouse seasoning and extra salt.

BEFORE

Then I lathered on the sauce. The first striking thing is that the ribs look a lot more appetizing with the sauce on them. I grilled them for about 8 minutes per side .

AFTER

Here is a picture of my nice romantic dinner for three.

The ribs were darn good if I may say so myself! The meat was tender and came off the ribs nicely. I probably boiled all the nutrients out of them (I know you are a bit of a closet health nut), but they were good.

Keep posting your stuff!

Ow! Products - West Chester, PA

2009-06-18T07:04:00.002-04:00

I mentioned these guys briefly before but I thought I would quickly write about them again. The Ow! Products company is based out of West Chester, Pennsylvania and they specialize in extremely hot chili powders. In February they even showcased their Bhut Jolokia Blend down at the Fiery Foods Festival in Albequerque, New Mexico. The primary ingredient of their chili blend is the Bhut Jolokia which they grow right here in Chester County. Each can is hand numbered and the BBQB was even lucky enough to get the 2009 can #0. I can attest that this stuff is no joke. A little pinch of that will get your motor running. I believe they still have some supplies left. They sell the blend on-line, so check out their website at http://www.owhot.com/ .

Let 'em know the BBQB sent you!

FYI - One of my favorite ways to enjoy Ow! is to dust a little bit on top of a celery stick covered in peanut butter. But then again I've got issues...

Prince's Hot Chicken - Nashville TN

2009-06-16T07:24:00.002-04:00

Here's my latest Hot Chicken story. Last week I finally had the chance to head down to Nashville to eat some hot chicken. I was supposed to fly to Nashville on the first flight of the last Wednessday. On the way to the airport though my engine decided to blow up. Evidently the piston actually cracked thorugh the engine block. Needless to say, I didn't make that flight. I was however able to reschedule for the 6pm flight out of Philly. With an estimated arrival time of 8:15pm, it would leave me plenty of time to get some hot chicken before Prince's closed at 10pm. I arrived at the airport around 5:00pm and saw that my flight was already delayed 30 minutes. Ok, no problem. That would still put me into Nashville early enough. We boarded at around 7:20pm and everything was looking good. That's when it all started to fall apart. My plane We ended up sitting on the runway for about 1.5 hours. My dream of eating Prince's Hot Chicken was starting to fading away. Eventually we did take off and touched down in Nashville at 9:25pm. I quickly whipped out my phone, called Prince's and ordered a half-chicken hot and a leg quarter extra hot. I was in business. I ran from the gate to rental car area, rented my car and arrived at Prince's at 9:55pm...strong work. I paid for my chicken and then drove over to my hotel where I proceeded to indulge in the greatest fried chicken Earth has to offer. Though this was my taste of the "extra-hot" I was able to power through it with no problem. that was not case when I returned the next day.
Day two: Once you get the taste of hot chicken on your lips you can't stop thinking about it and the only logical thing is to go back. And go back I did. Not being to wait for dinner, I decided to hit Prince's for lunch the next day. Feeling invincible, I decided to just jump into a extra-hot leg quarter and some fries. After 30 minutes my order was up and I walked up to the counter to get my chicken. A nice little lady gave me the chicken but then said with a grin "Good luck!". I smiled back and thanked her. It was then that I looked down and saw the deep dark red of my chicken. I was in trouble. I brought my order back to my table and started eating. It was hot. It was extra hot. Holy cow, I started to doubt if I was going to be able to finish it or not. The problem is that it is so darn good that once it hits your lips you just can't stop. The only way to cool the burn is to eat more. I'll spare you the details but needless to say, I made it through lunch but my battle was far from over. In all seriousness I think I gave myself an ulcer that day. ...ha, but nothing that 6 weeks of Prilosec can't cure! I can't wait to go back!

Nathan's vs Rutt's Hut

2009-06-09T13:35:00.012-04:00

I don't normally like to brag but I do consider myself a little bit of a hot dog connoisseur. Therefore I decided to finally answer man's age old question "Who's hot dogs are the best: Nathan's or Rutt's Hut?". To find the answer, I dedicated last weekend to the hot dog. My quest started Saturday morning. My goal was to eat Nathan's on Saturday and Rutt's Hut on Sunday. This way I would be equally as hungry for each. I left West Chester late morning and trucked on up to Manhattan in my Civic Hybrid. I had to pick up some friends before heading over to Coney Island, the home of the first Nathan's joint and of course to the hot dog eating contest held every July 4th.

Earlier in the I had checked out Nathan's menu on-line and knew what I was going to order before I even got there: 1 Chili dog, a corn-dog (staple of mine), and a Corona Lite (to keep down the calories). My first bite into the Nathan's dog explained why these guys have been around for decades. The dog had a wonderful snap to it and the chili had a nice subtle flavor. I was hooked. Feeling like I gave them an fair shake, I then proceeded to ride the Coney Island Cyclone, power down a fried Snickers...and a fried Twinkie, before finishing my day at Coney Island by playing "Shoot the Freak". I paid $10 bucks to shoot a "freak" with a paintball gun. That was fun. I wonder what they pay the "freak".

Sunday morning I awoke in my buddies apartment on the Upper East side of Manhattan giddie with excitement to try Rutt's Hut. Rutt's Hut is located in Clifton, NJ. For those of you who have never heard of Rutt's Hutt, they are famous for deep frying their dogs. They are so famous that the Travel Channel, PBS and the Food Network have all done multiple shows on them. I had to go and figure out why.

I arrived at Rutt's Hut at around 11am. The place was a bit quiet as I had just beaten the lunch crowd. This worked out perfectly because I was able to meet the manager and he was kind enough explain everything about their Rippers (hot dogs). The name Ripper refers to how the dog's skin cracks open in the deep fryer. As far as I can remember, you can order your dog in the following ways:

1) In and outer. The dog is only put into the fryer for a second to warm it up

2) Medium. A little longer

3) Well Done. A little longer

4) Cremator. This is where it gets a bit more interesting. The dog is kept in the fryer so long that the out skin gets a bit crispy and almost has the consistency of crispy bacon. Oh baby, come to papa.

After the explanations I was left with no ther choice but to try them all. As the Cremator takes a bit longer to cook, I was first served the others. To compliment the dogs, Rutt's Hut provides a nice delicate mustard and an incredible relish. The relish is unique that it does not overpower the taste of the dog. I loaded all of my dogs up with a lot of both. I can't begin to explain to you how happy I was at that moment. And, when the Cremator was finished I only got happier. I started ordering more dogs and in the fog of war I actually lost count on how many I ate. I do believe it was in the neighborhood of 5 or 6.

So now for the verdict. In terms of pure taste, I will say that both joints offered a fantastic hot dog. They were both so good that to choose between the two would be like picking your favorite Weiss Beer. Therefore, we will call the tastes even. However, if you were to ask me which one I would go back to first....well thats easy, Rutt's Hut. There is something special going on in Rutt's Hut. You simply cannot get a better hot dog for less than $2. The taste, combined with the style of the joint, combined with the reasonable price, combined with the owner who was cool enough to give me a little history about the place makes this one of coolest places I have been.

P.S. After eating the hot dogs I went down to the Philadelphia Bike Race where my buddy cooked up some sauerkraut and hot dogs. Those were pretty darn good too!

Mo's Rhythm Kitchen, West Chester ,PA

2009-06-05T20:36:00.005-04:00

I finally got the chance to check out Mo's Rhythm Kitchen in West Chester, PA. Ever since I saw their menu outside stating that they were going to sell spicy fried chicken, I've been walking by their shop anxiously awaiting their opening. Tonight I'm here to say that it was worth the wait.
I have to admit that I had decided to go to Mo's earlier this morning and had been thinking about it all day. I had spicy fried chicken on my mind. My initial impression of Mo's was immediately positive. It a small little joint cranking out homemade food.
To satisfy my spice crave I dialed up a couple of chicken breasts, thighs and a Jamaican chicken jerk skewer. Hands down, the jerk chicken was incredible. I'll be ordering dozens of them in the future. The fried chicken was also top notch. It has a super crunchy batter and the meat was perfectly moist. I ordered the chicken spicy but next time I will have them kick it a few more notches. I need the excessive burn.
I'm looking forward to trying out their ribs on my next visit.

P.S. Though the owner had never heard of Nashville Hot Chicken he promised to research it to see if could reproduce it. I'll keep you posted.

My First Bhut Jolokia

2009-05-23T15:04:00.005-04:00

This morning I took my weekly trip up to the West Chester, PA Farmer's Market. As usual I worked my way through the various vendor stalls picking out some rhubarb and asparagus before finally made making my way down to one of my favorite vendors, Chile Spot. Though I have been buying their products for quite some time, today was the first day that I had a chance to talk to one of the owners. I even got the chance to sample their new Bhut Jolokia hot sauce which was incredible. It was wicked hot but still had a lot of flavor. After that he sold me me my first Bhut Jolokia plant. Even if it only produces one of two chiles it will be well worth it.

Reader Submitted: BBQ Pork Loin

2009-05-18T06:01:00.000-04:00

I followed your directions on how to BBQ a pork loin based on your Christmas post last year. It turned out great even though I used a gas grill.

Here is what I did and some pictures.

We bought a 6.49 lb tenderloin from Safeway for only $13.00. I made a "dry rub" with Garlic Salt, Salt, Cumin, and Paprika hot pastes (see the picture).

We let it sit for about 1 hour at room temperature.

We fired up (isn't that what you always say?) our gas grill and heated it up to 350 degree. As you suggested, we used indirect heat for about 2 hours. I did this by turning the right most burner off, the middle one to medium, and the left most one to high. I tried to get the meat thermometer to read about 170 but it only got up to 155 degrees.

We served it with a simple green salad, tabouli salad (recipe from The Mousewood Cookbook), sour dough bread, and baked beans.

I got lots of compliments on the meat.

Reader Submitted - Grilled Chicken From Nashville TN

2009-05-13T13:51:00.007-04:00

This one was submitted by a buddy of mine Greg from down in Nashville TN. He is actually one of the guys who turned me on to Hot Chicken. Speaking of which, the 2009 Music City Hot Chicken Festival is just right around the corner!

Grilled Chicken Salad

Some pre-planning will make this easy and delicious meal a huge success. For the chicken, start off with some boneless chicken breast from your favorite store. Then marinade the chicken in a zip-top bag in Italian Dressing for 2-8 hours. (The longer the better)

Put chicken on the grill on high direct heat to sear in the juices Cook each side for 8-10 minutes depending on the thickness of the chicken. Make sure the juices run clear to ensure properly cooked chicken
Slice up the chicken and place on top you your favorite greens mix

Thanks Greg!

West Chester's Best Kept Secret

2009-05-11T05:55:00.002-04:00

Avid readers of the BBQB Blog will remember that not too long ago I marked Buck A Shuck Night at Doc Magrogan's Oyster House as the best kept secret in the West Chester restaraunt scene. In fact I destroyed a dozen oysters, a few PBR's and a sea bass just a few days ago. That being said, I think I just found the best kept secret for Thursday nights: Avalon. Located on 312 South High Street in West Chester, PA, this place knocked my socks off.

Three friends of mine and I tried it out for the first time a few nights ago. For $27/person we each had a 4 course meal. Mine started with an appetizer of lump crab meat and grapefruit slices. I then went on to a pasts with scallops dish....and then a veal dish and finally rounding it out with a chocolate mousse. To top it all off, it is a BYOB so we were several bottles of wine as well.
Take the date, take the wife, this place makes the BBQB's top three list.

Google's Mother Day Menu Leaves Out the BBQ

2009-05-09T02:12:00.002-04:00

I was surfing the web and noted that the chef for the Google complex in California was publishing his mother's day menu for the world to see.

I was disappointed that he left out the barbecue.

Official Google Blog: A Mom's Day menu

However, the Warm Mushroom Strudel looked good. See the recipe from them below. If anyone makes it, send pictures.

Warm Wild Mushroom, Goat Cheese and Caramelized Onion Strudel

Ingredients
1 box Phyllo dough, thawed in refrigerator for 2 days
4 tbsp butter, melted
1⁄2 package soft goat cheese (I like Laura Chenel or Harley Farms)
1 onion, caramelized in advance
1 lb wild assorted mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thin (remove any tough roots)
2 tbsp butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp parsley, minced
Kosher salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Procedure
Melt the butter in a large sauté pan and add the mushrooms. Cook over medium heat until the mushrooms are tender and their water has evaporated. Next, add the minced garlic and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Allow to cool completely.

While the mushrooms are cooling, unfold the roll of the packaged Phyllo dough onto a clean dry surface. Cover the dough with a damp (not wet) paper towel to prevent cracking of the dough. On a cutting board, place a sheet of Phyllo dough and brush it carefully and completely with melted butter. Repeat this process with another sheet.

With a sharp knife, cut the Phyllo dough into equal strips in your desired size. (You will be folding them in half to make each strudel — see below.)

To assemble the strudels, place approximately a teaspoon of the mushroom mixture on the far right corner of one strip of Phyllo, top with a half‐teaspoon of the goat cheese and finish with a pinch of caramelized onion. Fold the rectangular strip diagonally to form a triangle.

Brush some melted butter over the finished strudel and refrigerate until needed. They will keep for 3‐5 days. When you are ready to bake the strudel, put them on a baking sheet and bake in a 350° F oven for 5‐10 minutes or until golden brown. Be careful when removing them from the oven — they are very hot!

Leg of Lamb

2009-05-06T07:36:00.000-04:00

In my opinion, grilled leg of lamb is one of the best things you can do with your Weber Kettle grill. My go to recipe is to simply add some plain yogurt, crushed garlic, salt, pepper, and cruched rosemary leaves to a bowl and mix it up. Next coat the lamb in your marinade and let it sit in your refridgerator for a night. Done and done.

One and a half hours on the grill under high indirect heat and you have yourself a perfect medium rare. I served this meal with some grilled asparagus and some bacon sauteed brussel sprouts.

Meat - Bring It On Home

2009-05-03T19:51:00.006-04:00

I've been receiving hate-texts recently that I haven't been posting enough...and that I am in bed with Shop Rite. I'm writing to change all that. Last night I got midieval and dialed up four bone-in rib-eyes from Acme in West Chester: 2 20oz's for the dudes and 2 pounders for the ladies.

As always, I salted these babies up with a coating of sea salt for about an hour. After that, I washed the salt off and dusteed them with freshly cracked black pepper. No more no less.

5 minutes a side under wicked hot flames and these blocks of meat were perfected. A few bottles of Calvet Reserve and the meal was sealed.

Holy Grilled Fish

2009-04-25T19:15:00.005-04:00

I grilled up this mackerel that I got from Shop Rite the other day. Here are the glorious details on how I prepared it. Salt, pepper and olive oil. I know, it wasn't rocket science type cooking but it really worked out well. It was a 'sometimes less is more' kind of approach.

Like I said I purchased this whole fish at Shop Rite where they removed the head and split the body for me. Though its 'fun' to grill fish with their heads on, it can be a bit easier to remove the head first if you plan on grilling it butterflied.

After rubbing olive oil into my fish and sprinkling a little kosher salt and pepper, I let it sit for about 10 minutes while I prepared my grill basket. Almost without exception, I like to use my grill basket when grilling fish. I find it so much easier than trying to scrap my fish off of the grill. Just spray your grill basket with olive oil spray and the fish should slide right out of the grill basket when you are finished. Another thing I like to do when grilling fish is to start grilling it with the skin side down. I placed the fish skin side down directly over the hottest part of the grill for about 3-4 minutes. Since the BBQB does not eat mackerel skin, I didn't mind charring it up a bit. I then finished the fish with a couple more minutes on the other side. Done and done.

Grilled Chili Shrimp

2009-04-16T19:01:00.005-04:00

Now that my blogging siesta is complete, I'm coming back strong with my take on grilled shrimp.

This is the perfect appetizer to almost any meal. Start with some fresh shrimp with the shell on. I try to stay away from precooked shrimp...they are always bad. I got these babies from Shop Rite.

To prepare them I coated them with the following:

1) Paprika powder

2) Chili powder

3) Kosher salt

4) A few fresh crushed garlic cloves

5) Pepper

6) Splash of lemon juice (I would have used lime if I had it)

7) Olive oil

Let the shrimp marinade in this mixture for at least 30 minutes.

To grill them get your coals nice and hot. You may want to soak the wooden skewers ahead of time so they don't burn as easily. Skewer the shrimp and place directly over the coals. They wont need more than a copuple of minutes on each side. The shell will get nice and crispy.

At this point you can peel and eat...but to be honest I eat them shell and all!

Grilling Season In Full Swing

2009-03-24T22:37:00.006-04:00

In case you didn't realize it the grilling season officially kicked off this past weekend. For me it was a sausage fest. Sometimes all you need are a package of Shop Rite spicy italian sausages, peppers and onions and some buns. I just can't buy enough of Shop Rite's italian sausages. If you catch them on the right day you can even get them for $2/lb. I had a bunch of buddies coming over and no better way to feed them than with a dozen of these bad boys. All I did to cook them using indirect heat for about 30 minutes. As for the peppers and onions, I sliced them, and wrapped them up in tin foil with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of kosher salt. 30 minutes on the grill was all they needed.

Though the above spread would have been enough, I decided to whip up a quick chili as well.

Ingredients:

1) Pound of ground beef

2) Diced onion

3) Powdered Spices (to taste): Garlic, Cumin Powder, Paprika Powder, Chili

4) Can of tomato paste

5) Can of dark red kidney beans

6) Salt to taste

7) 1-2 Teaspoons of sugar. This cuts through the tomato paste taste a bit.

Sautee the beef and onions. Be sure to drain off any excess fat. Add the rest of the ingredients and a spalsh of water. All I did was let that cook for 15 minutes.

Boxed Burgers? No Problem

2009-03-19T19:50:00.006-04:00

If you were to look into my freezer you would think that I was planning for a natural disaster. I have more racks of ribs, pork chops, and chickens that I can count. My biggest fear is to not have ribs when I want them. I realize this is nuts...therefore I have started to clean out my freezer for Spring. A couple of days ago I found a box of burgers left over from one of my backyard get-togethers. Though I normally prefer to make my own burgers, I will occasionally buy a box when I have to feed an army.

The key to grilling store bought burgers is the toppings. Here's my "go to" combination. You'll notice that I usually don't use tomatoes.

1) Cheese (Obviously)

2) Homemade pickled jalapenos, carrots, onions

3) Thick slice of white raw onion OR fried onions (I used both)

4) Pickles

Here's another little tip. When grilling for a party, I will put the coals on to one side of the grill. That helps me control the heat a little better. Burgers like these tend to flare up and you will burn them unless you have a cold side of the grill to slow down the cooking process.

Let The Eating Begin!

2009-03-18T09:36:00.001-04:00

Pork Pork and More Pork

2009-03-10T19:09:00.006-04:00

I must confess that pork shoulder slices were really awesome. So awesome that the other day I saw some bone-in pork chops in my freezer and just had to repeat the recipe.

If you own a mortar and pestle you'll love this recipe because you actually get to use it.

Several cloves of garlic
Lots of dried oregano
Lots of kosher salt
Plenty of pepper
Splash of olive oil

Smash the above mixture up and lather up your chops. Let sit for a few ours before grilling. When grilling, you'll want to keep the temperature between 200 and 300 degrees and cook the chops away from the hot side of your grill. I left mine on for an hour and that was more than enough. If the chops have any fat on them (and I hope they do) make sure you place the fat closer to the heat towards the end to crispen them up a bit. I garuantee these will be some of the best chops you're ever had.

Served along side some sauteed kale/onions and some fried polenta and the meal was sealed.