Roasted Turkey for St. Paddy's Day - Why not!

Last week I was at the Hearth Patio & Barbeque Association annual trade show in Orlando, Florida.  No time to walk around lah-dee-dah like because I – along with the other members of the Char-Broil Culinary Team – were busy grilling food at the Char-Broil outdoor display to feed tasty grilled food samples to thousands of hungry HPBA members! We had 3 Quantum grills, 2 Big Easy infrared oil-less turkey fryers and one Big Easy Smoker Roaster Grill going 8 hours a day for 3 days straight. I grilled so many juicy pork chops and boneless skinless chicken breasts that they were doing the 2-step in my dreams. And I must confess I prepared some bee-you-tee-full looking ‘fried’ turkeys in the Big Easy and Big Easy Smoker, Roaster, Grill.  I can only verify how tasty they looked – all mahogany colored and juicy as I carved each into bite-size pieces – because I didn’t really get a good taste! They were roasted, rested, carved and served before I could get a decent sandwich made!

Those turkeys were still on my mind – fragrant and perfectly browned – when I popped into my favorite grocery store on the way home from the airport Sunday afternoon. Thinking I’d pick up a steak to grill for dinner – I saw a fresh 11 lb turkey in the meat dept. and placed it in the basket right next to the big ol’thick rib eye.  I finally got to cook it, or should I say ‘Smoke-Roast’ it on Wednesday.  Here’s a picture…what do you think?

The skin was all mahogany colored and crispy - starting to break away because most of the fat cooks into the meat.

If you love the taste of fried turkey and have thought about how much work and worry it is to prepare one – then think, please, about taking a look at the  oil-less infrared way to fry turkey in The Big Easy or Big Easy Smoker Roaster Grill.  This turkey was perfect. Brown and crispy skin. Moist and juicy meat. I’ll be honest with you – I didn’t brine it. Didn’t season or even rub oil on it. Just rinsed it with cool water and patted it dry with paper towels. Into the cooking basket and into the cooker that I turned on, no pre-heating.  I also added some wood chips to the smoker box and clipped that inside the cooking chamber.  About 90 minutes or so later the bird was ready to pull (160F degrees internal temp in the thigh) and rest on the counter until the internal temp rose above 165F degrees.

Here’s a pix of it resting in the basket after cooking.

The Big Easy Smoker, Roaster, Grill has the capacity to cook up to a 24lb bird - so this 11 lb turkey hen was in there looking kinda small!

If you live in a condo or apartment where space is limited, regularly cook for only a 2-4 person group, need a cooker, a roaster, a “fryer” and a grill – something to have at the cabin, in the vacation trailer, at your hunting camp or just to tuck into the corner of your garage when not in use — please put this  versatile cooker on your consideration list.  By the way, here’s a post by SavannahSmoker on the Users Forums about his method for searing beef tenderloin on the grill of the Big Easy Smoker Roaster Grill.

Thanks and…

Happy Grilling!

Free PDF

For instance –

Did you know there are 29 cuts of beef that meet the government labeling guidelines for lean? Many are cuts you are probably already eating, such as flank steak, T-Bone steak, and sirloin steak.

According to government guidelines, a serving qualifies as “extra lean” if it has less than 5g total fat, 2g or less saturated fat and less than 95mg cholesterol per 3.5 oz. serving.

A serving qualifies as “lean” if it has less than 10g total fat, 4.5g or less saturated fat and less than 95mg cholesterol per 3.5 oz. serving.

Get to know the 29 lean cuts and download a FREE handy reference guide you can use to help better choices for you and your family when shopping at the grocery store or take it with you when dining out.

Just click on this link:

Stacey

I am pleased to introduce Stacey of StaceySnacksOnline.com as new guest chef and contributing writer.

Her cooking repertoire includes a wide range of dishes that I’m sure you will find as interesting and tempting as I do!

This post about grilled hanger steaks (one of my favorite cuts of beef) topped with freshly made Chimichurri sauce was just what I was looking for. I can verify that it is DEE-LISH-US!

Welcome Stacey! Just wanna say that I ahem, “we” look forward to learning more of your cooking!

Happy Grilling!

Grilled Hanger Steak, sliced and topped with freshly made Chimichurri sauce. Photo staceysnacksonline.com

If you are not yet personally acquainted with hanger steak, get to know one – soon! The hanger steak is catching on with backyard cooks who enjoy the great flavor and ease of preparation. Once known as the “butcher’s filet” because the  neighborhood butcher saved it for himself – it’s always been a very popular cut of beef  throughout most of western Europe where the French call it “onglet.’ In N. America it’s beginning to appear on the menu of local family steak house restaurants.

CB note: I’ve enjoyed grilled onglet with a plate of “pomme frites” and Dijon mustard in little cafes of Paris and the wine region of Burgundy, as well as restaurants in California, Oregon and Washington wine country.

The name “hanger” is derived from the world of the butcher because it’s the piece of meat that “hangs” from the diaphragm of the steer, not to be confused with skirt steak. Ask for it at your local meat dept. (most major national grocery chains have access to them)  because it’s usually quite a bargain! The hanger steak is very tender and needs little or no attention; my only tip is that it should be served medium rare so it doesn’t get tough.

For this meal I grilled the hanger steaks and made a delicious chimichurri sauce for a super easy weeknight dinner. Chimichurri originated in Argentina and essentially is an uncooked sauce made with fresh herbs. The consistency is much like pesto, but chimichurri has no basil – in fact I am not afraid to make it a bit differently each time!

Grilled Hanger Steak w/Chimichurri:

2 Hangers steaks – about 8 – 10 oz. each

For the Chimichurri sauce
Ingredients

• handful of fresh parsley
• handful of fresh oregano leaves
• handful of fresh cilantro
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 3 tbsp of red wine vinegar
• enough olive oil to make a dressing, about 1/8-1/4 cup

Directions
You can omit the cilantro if you don’t like it, but I love it. Either pulse all the ingredients in a food processor, or hand chop the herbs and garlic to make a fine paste, then add the oil and vinegar. (I usually hand chop everything because I am too lazy to wash out my food processor every time!).

Season the hanger steaks with kosher salt and pepper and keep at room temperature for about an hour before grilling.

Grill the hanger steaks hot and fast with very little seasoning and just a spritz of high-temp oil - after searing, remove and finish away from direct heat until the desired internal temperature is achieved. I recommend M-Rare.

Set your grill to medium-high and grill steaks 4 minutes on each side for Medium Rare (USDA 145F degrees internal temperature.) It is important to let the steaks rest for 5 minutes before slicing across the grain. This will distribute the juices so the meat doesn’t dry out.

Slice the steaks across the grain and serve on a platter with the chimichurri sauce drizzled on top!

Hanger steaks grilled to Med Rare topped with fresh chimichurri sauce.

For more tasty grilled steak recipes use the Search Recipe function at the top of this page!

Pan-seared boneless pork loin chop with sauté of mushrooms, spinach, garlic and tomatoes with sauce of reduced balsamic vinegar.

This is the result:

It was tasty and I’m really glad I made it. Today I wanted to translate this idea to the grill and show you what I did in hopes that it will inspire you to comment and give me suggestions as well as take a shot at translating some of your favorite recipes to preparation on the grill.

Here is a pictorial that explains what steps I took to prepare this lean cut of meat for a very tasty meal.

CB’s EZ Seared Boneless Pork Loin Chops with a pan saute of spinach, mushrooms, garlic and chopped tomatoes.

Boneless pork loin chops are lean cuts - especially today with "modern" pork. For best grilling results try to get chops at least 1 inch thick. Remove the chops from packaging and dry off the excess moisture.

After drying off the excess moisture that accumulates on meat in the package I season it with a "just a pinch" of good quality salt that has larger flakes. The salt draws out natural sugars & proteins, reacts and helps to prepare the surface for searing. Just prior to searing I'll sometimes add a twist of fresh ground black pepper and spritz both surfaces with canola oil.

I practice the "Where it hits - it sits" method for producing the attractive and flavorful sear marks. The clean grates are pre-heated to about 550F - 600F degrees and it takes just a minute or so to get these marks.

I turn the chops to sear the second side. When grilling cuts of meat with more fat content "in the tissue" like a rib-eye beef steak, I will flip over once more and rotate 90 degrees to get cross hatch. With lean cuts like this pork loin chop - that much exposure to direct high heat would possibly over cook and dry it out.

That yellow hockey-puck looking thing is one more of many attempts to grill polenta. Guess what? It is a big ol' pain in the neck and I've tried many different methods: Pre-heated polenta, frozen polenta, buttered polenta, etc. etc. Bupkis.

Here's the pork loin chop plated with the 'grilled' polenta and a saute of tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, spring peas and garlic. The photo is not doctored...that's the moisture on the chop. And believe-you-me - it was moist and tender inside!

For this cook I used the Big Easy Smoker, Roaster & Grill.  You can get the same results on your charcoal, gas or infrared cooker.  I used the basic “Sear & Hold” method – adapting it somewhat because the SRG does not have a warming rack or area for indirect heat. I removed the seared chops to a warm cast iron skillet and placed a lid over the top. No extra heat was needed as the chops finished to 145F degrees internal temperature.

For a printable version of this recipe: CLICK HERE

Have a question about how to get the optimum searing temperature on your grill? Leave a comment below in the Comment form, post a question on Just Ask CB or on the Users Forums.

Thanks and…

Happy Grilling!

CB's "Local Boy" Grilled Short Ribs

When I purchased these short ribs the butcher said: “Hey you gonna fix those Hawaiian-Style? I gotta great recipe!”  and he forced handed me a 3 x 5 card with the recipe printed on it.  The two main ingredients besides brown sugar were pineapple and teriyaki sauce. I smiled.

Having spent a bit of time over the past 30 years visiting for work and pleasure – I’m not sure that it’s appropriate to call a dish “Hawaiian-style” because it’s made with pineapple and teriyaki sauce; too many recipes and cookbooks I’ve read seem to do that.  Not to say that both of those ingredients don’t show up in a lot of island food – but if you are from Hawai’i or have visited  – then you certainly know that island food is influenced by many cultures and offers more complexity of textures and flavors than just those two ingredients.  I’d say the food I’ve enjoyed in Hawaii has influenced my belief in freshness and local ingredients more than visiting my neighborhood farmer’s markets. Some of the best food I’ve ever eaten has been in island restaurants like Indigo, Roy’s and Sam Choy’s just to name a few.  And absolutely my preferred first stop when I land in Honolulu is to head to Rainbow Drive in for a mixed plate lunch of mahi-mahi, teriyaki beef and chicken with two scoops rice and macaroni salad.

So, for this dish, I tried to use ingredients that provide flavors more respectful of the true “local food” of regular folks and island cuisine I’ve enjoyed. And no grilled pineapple anywhere on the plate!

Thanks and…

Happy Grilling! E ʻai ka-kou  – Let’s eat!

CB’s EZ Local Boy Grilled Short Ribs

First off – here’s an excerpt of what Wikipedia has posted about beef short ribs:

“Beef short ribs are cut from the chuck and plate primals. A full slab of short ribs is typically about 10 inches square, ranges from 3-5 inches thick, and contains three or four ribs, intercostal muscle and tendon, and a layer of boneless meat and fat which is thick on one end of the slab and thins down to almost nothing on the other. There is a variety of ways to butcher short ribs. The ribs can be separated and cut into short lengths (typically about 2 inches long), called an “English cut”, “flanken cut” across the bones (typically about 1/2 inch thick), or cut into boneless steaks (a style recently introduced in the U.S.A. as a cheaper alternative to rib steak).”

I chose the ‘Flanken cut” because it marinates and grills quickly. After preparing the marinade I poured it over the short ribs in a plastic bag, sealed it and left it on the counter for about 1 hour. If I’d wanted to marinade overnight – then it would have gone into the fridge and I would lesson the amounts of acids in that solution because acid in soy sauce, citrus and vinegar (etc.) breaks down the meat and can turn it to mush if left on too long. After an hour I removed the ribs and patted them dry and let them air dry just a bit whilst I pre-heated the grill to HIGH (about 500F degrees at the grate).

Beef short ribs cut in the 'flanken' or thin cross-cut style are placed on a HOT clean grate to sear. Expect some charring as the sugars burn.

The ribs are very thin, already somewhat ‘cooked’ by the acid in the marinade, and have a good dose of brown sugar on them from the marinade – so they will take almost no time to grill. I like just a touch of char to them that comes from the brown sugar and soy sauce burning a bit.

Beef short ribs finished on the grill after about 7 minutes total grilling time for both sides. You can see where the edges are charring just a bit - for my taste that adds to the mouth feel and flavor balance to the sweetness of the marinade.

I served these on a big platter along with some of the marinade I’d reserved and thickened a bit in a small pan over low heat to serve as a sauce.

NOTE: Never use a marinade that has been in contact with raw meat to dress cooked meat unless it has been boiled for more than 2 minutes to reduce the risk of bacterial ingestion. It’s better to set some marinade aside when first made so it never comes in contact with the raw meat.

The meal also include sticky white rice and a cabbage slaw. Sorry – no mac salad!

For a printable version of the recipe with ingredients & steps CLICK HERE.

Thanks and…

Happy Grilling!

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Chicken “By the Numbers” on my new Quantum infrared grill.

Hey CB and all: So I had to run my 8 year old daughter to a 2 1/2 hour baseball camp, and while I enjoyed it, I kept thinking about my new and still unused Quantum at home. My daughter must have sensed what I was thinking. At break she came over and said, don’t worry Dad, when we get home I want you to cook lunch on your new grill! Wow what a trooper! When we got home, nobody else was around so I made hamburgers for she and I.  Wow, talk about great burgers! And its amazing how they really don’t shrink as much as on a conventional grill.

The last stages of cooking using the "Grilling by the Numbers" method.

So last night, I got into a big package of chicken pieces and jumped in using CB’s Grilling By The Numbers method. I can really understand the logic to the idea now. There was no thinking or concern about how long certain pieces had been cooking etc. You just keep an eye on the second hand, and each three minutes move everything to the next section. Since I have the 4 burner, I used my last burner as my sauce station. That burner was off, but still around 300F degrees at the grate. Since it was my first time, I also wanted to proceed on the side of caution and wanted to make sure all was cooked properly.

By the time I was done at the last station the chicken had been on for about 24 minutes and went into the hold pan just at about 150F degrees. While I was finishing off my veggies, I took the covered pan and placed it on the last burner (still off and still around 300F degrees) for about three minutes. I checked them and they were right at 165F degrees.

While the chicken is finishing in the holding tray, Jon grills some zucchini. Tasty stuff!

Wow did the family go crazy! The chicken while it had seared marks, did not taste burnt and it was the most juicy chicken we have ever had. I would put it right up there with my buttermilk brine bathed smoked chicken, which of course takes a lot more planning and smoking time. This grill is magnificent!

While eating my wife noticed that the grill was really smoking.

She asked me if there was something wrong.

I said: “No, I’m just cleaning it!” ~ JON

Bacon & asparagus - by Dr. Biggles

Read the post that started it all:

First sign of spring – grilled asparagus!

Happy Grilling!

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Pulled Pork Pockets |Guest Cheff John “Patio Daddio” Dawson

Hey CB – Here is easy finger food that would be great for entertaining. ~ JD

What could be simpler than canned flaky biscuit dough rolled out to six-inch rounds, filled with pork then brushed with an egg wash and sprinkled with a little chili powder?

Don't those look tasty?

There really isn’t a recipe for this cook – just combine the ingredients for the filling and prepare according to the package direction on the biscuits!

A guest chef contributor to Sizzle on the Grill for whom I have great respect and admiration is Larry Gaian. The guy is just as funny as they come and a creative cook.  He’s undertaken a challenge this year to dedicate one day a week, Monday, to eat meatless. While that may be a challenge for many Americans – we do love meat at meal times – consider that this fella is one heck-of-a-barbeque master who has probably dropped and forgotten more briskets and pork shoulders than most of us will ever prepare!  This recent recipe he shared sounds so darn good – I’m gonna give it a try!

Happy Grilling!

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Meatless Monday – Grilled Vegetable Lasagna
adapted by Larry Gain from a recipe by Gordon Ramsey

One of the “Meatless Monday” challenges I face is coming up with meals that actually appeal to me.  When my copy of the Gordon Ramsey cookbook,  Cooking for Friends, arrived I was glad to find a veggie dish that both sounded good and could be done outdoors on the grill. So here’s my take on Gordon Ramsey’s Grilled Vegetable Lasagna.  The main different between the recipe below and what I did was the vegetables were all cooked on my Weber kettle.  The original recipe also uses the oven, as I did, but it could be done in the smoker or indirect on your gas or charcoal grill.

The original recipe calls for using the broiler to char the bell peppers - I used my charcoal grill.

I also cut the zucchini into long 1/2 inch thick strips instead of rounds so they were easier to grill. (This photo shows both a round - top - and a strip.)

Topped with a little basil. Added some french bread and a salad for a complete meal.

Topped with a little basil. Added some french bread and a salad for a complete meal.

For a printed version of this adaptation by Larry Gaian of the original recipe by Gordon Ramsey – CLICK HERE.

Thanks and…

Happy Grilling!

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Comfort Food – Beef Chuck Roast! | The Grillin Fools

Hiya CB – thought you’d like to see a cook we did recently on our “OLD” Char-Broil 940x that was inspired by some cooks you’ve done in the past.

The marinated and smoked chuck roast in a roasting pan on the grates.

It is looking good and the flavors are melding!

Tender, smoky and flavorful comfort food!

Years ago I prepared just the roast on the grill at the urging of my dear departed father-in-law Russ.  He created a whiskey marinate that gave me heartburn for a couple of days so I needed a different, yet simple, approach for this method.

One day prior to grilling the roasts were placed into a plastic container with the Italian Dressing, Red Wine, Salt, and Pepper added.

The roasts were returned to the icebox (I love that term!) to marinate overnight. Halfway into the marinating time the container was flipped over to insure both sides of the roasts are coated evenly with the mixture.

The next afternoon the veggies were washed and prepared along with the rest of the ingredients.

The old Char-Broil was set up for indirect grilling employing the flank method. I rearranged a few coals to be underneath the pan to get this mixture bubbling quickly with a special arrangement.

~Notice how there are a few unlit coals placed around the ones that are ashed over?  Adding some extra unlit coals will keep the temps up for a longer period of time and save you one lid opening to add more coals.  The lid is already open right now as the grill is being prepped.  This is particularly important with cold weather grilling as each and every time you open the lid all the heat is wicked away and it takes that much longer to grill because it takes longer for the heat to build back up in the chamber.***

Smoking wood chosen was apple but I also tossed in my last couple of chunks of pecan.

The roasts were removed from the icebox and allowed to come to room temperature before grilling. Here’s a pic after soaking in the marinade overnight.

Once the coals are ready and properly spread the cooking grate will be left high to first sear the roast to seal the juices inside.

The roasts hit the grate with the excess marinade wiped off but the residual kicks up a bit of smoke.

Here they are turned after 5 minutes on one side.

Now a close up—are we really going after grill marks on a Chuck Roast??

The roasts are seared and it’s time to place the rest of the ingredients into the pan and get them going.

First, 2 cans of Beef Broth and a cup of water followed by the Carrots...

Onion, Celery, Garlic, and ...

...finally the Potatoes.

For the first half of the cooking time a roast rack (flipped over it’s a great rib rack too!) is employed to elevate the beef to absorb more of the smoke flavor and permit the juices to drip into the mixture below.

A third can of Beef Broth is added (I bought 4 just in case) plus another cup of water and I now feel comfortable with the fluid mixture.

A couple large chunks of Apple wood are added adjacent to the coals, the thermometer placed (heaven forbid I forget that gizmo!), and the lid closed once the grate containing the coals is dropped to its lowest point. The rack is place back into the pan, charcoal added, and a couple more chunks of wood applied. Mother Nature is interfering with the process a bit now.  The wind has kicked up and I’ve been the recipient of a few sprinkles of rain:

I’m hoping the wind doesn’t affect the drafty old grill very much. The fire has been stoked and I really need to see the liquid around the veggies bubbling but it hasn’t happened yet.

I may have added too much liquid but time and taste will tell the story.  This is my first attempt at this recipe and the family that will be arriving for dinner soon will be victims of this experiment.  The GrillinFools will show you our first effort as well as a perfected last effort.  No practice runs to show you success always, just the same thing you would encounter when trying something new on your grill.

I took another peek after another 20 minutes and the broth is bubbling and progress is being made.  I’m debating whether to drop the roasts into the pan for the last half of my estimated cooking time.

After consulting with Mimi the decision is made and the roasts are dropped into the pan mixture after 1.5 hours into the process.

The broth was bubbling gently but kicked up a bit when wood caught fire and shot flames under the pan—a couple of squirts of water cooled the wood down and I think we’re back to normal grilling.  I took the opportunity to give the veggies another stir as some of the potatoes were browning on the edges from the heat and smoke.

Here’s an observation.  I walked around to the front of the house and the aroma of Apple wood smoke seemed to follow.  I’m filling the neighborhood with this wonderful fragrance!  Given the inclement weather I must be the only one grilling today.  I probably should canvass the neighborhood and hand out some GrillinFools biz-cards.

Here’s a pic of a small flock of geese that have wandered in. I wonder if they were attracted by the aroma. If it were legal I’d like to have one of them on my grill.

Now it’s drizzling a bit harder so it is a good thing this event requires the lid to the firebox to be closed.  My notepad is now dappled with rain drops.  A GrillinFool is not daunted by this situation.

It has been 45 minutes since the roasts were dropped into the mix and I’m going to turn them over and give the veggies another stir. The liquid is cooking down so another can of broth is added.

I’m hopeful this effort will be complete in another 45 minutes but perhaps a taste of the veggies is in order.  Scott, The Original Grillin Fool is due to arrive soon so I’ll wait for that moment to taste test.

The roasts are flipped once again and I tasted the potatoes and carrots—I didn’t wait for the OGF—they were just super and full of flavor.  I’m a little concerned about the beef so will allow it to continue to simmer.

The thermometer is only showing 250 but the liquid is bubbling nicely.

Here’s a pic at 2 hours 45 minutes and the beef roasts appear to be done. Taste test coming up!

Here is the first roast sliced.

The juices and broth mixture is reserved to pour over the beef and vegetables.  The roast is done, tender, and very flavorful.  The great part of this effort is that the veggies picked up that sweet apple wood smoke flavor.  The consensus of the dining guests, including the OGF Scott, was that this effort was a “home run” and worthy of a repeat performance.  What a great dinner!  Grilled comfort food all in one pan with fantastic flavor!  Don’t let Old Man Winter get you down—give this a try and you’ll be rewarded with a tasty meal.  Many grocers feature Chuck Roast in their ads this time of year so you can have an economical meal as well.  Oh, and it goes great with a spicy glass of red!

~The Grillin Fools!

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For a printable recipe and ingredient list of this cook – CLICK HERE.