Last week I went to Dallas, TX to demo simple recipes for retailers of outdoor products to use to for in-store demo-ing of grills and grilling islands. Check out the recipes for Charred Pineapple and Scallion Salsa, Cajun Shrimp and Andouille Skewers, and Red Wine Flank Steak with Black Olive Vinaigrette on the Grilling and Outdoor Recipes blog:
Demo Recipes from the POOLCORP Retail Summit.
It’s been a while since I have made any post here. Business has been quite good lately and I have also taken on a new gig – Continue reading
I have, do, and will continue to make salsa from just about any fruit. Sweet, spicy, unctuous— it’s easy to make, delicious, and generally a welcomed companion to all proteins. And I have to apologize to last Sunday’s lunch guests because this spicy tropical version sat in the refrigerator instead of making it to the table to go with the umami-ness of the achiote marinated chicken I had just finished grilling. (I was most likely a little cocktail’d at that point.) 
This salsa is also great just with tortilla chips – I serve it with blue corn chips for the contrast.
Fruit and grilling aren’t necessarily fast friends because the sugar in the fruit can and will stick and burn. However, it is worth the effort because the fruit really benefits from the charred, smoky, sweetness that results when grilled. For the best results, it is important to have a preheated, clean and well-oiled grate when you begin. I even lightly brush oil on the fruit as insurance from potential sticking and burning.
1 medium pineapple, trimmed, cored and cut into 2″ lengths
8-10 tomatillos, husks removed and washed
2-4 Fresno chiles (often called red jalapenos in the store)
1 bunch scallions
6 garlic cloves, left in husks
1/2 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
1-2 limes, juice only
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Preheat grill to medium; clean and oil grate. Rub the pineapple, tomatillos, chilies, and scallions with a little tasteless oil, such as canola or safflower. Place on grill and cook until well-marked and a little charred; remove and set aside to cool. Heat a small cast iron or heavy-bottom skillet over medium-high heat. Pan roast the garlic in the dry skillet until they start to blacken in spots. Peel when cool enough to handle.
Roughly chop the pineapple, tomatillos, chilies (I leave most of the seeds; remove for less heat), scallions, and garlic, and then toss into a food processor. Pulse until you’re happy with the consistency. Transfer to a bowl and stir in cilantro and juice from one of the limes. TASTE and then adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, and more lime juice if needed.
F-ing amazing! (Un)fortunately, I enjoyed every last bit all by myself.
Peace – J
Please make, share, like, tweet, and/or tell-a-friend!
I try to make it to the Hollywood Farmers Market as much as possible to check out what’s new. It’s especially great this time of year when the stands are overflowing with fresh local produce. This past Sunday, we picked up a quick and easy dinner to throw on the grill. Fresh organic chicken breasts, figs and asparagus. (If you’ve read a couple of the posts on here, you’ll figure out that I am a fiend for grilled asparagus.)
This meal was super easy. The chicken was seasoned with some shish kabob seasoning (paprika, salt, cayenne, sumac, onions, saffron, turmeric, etc.) that I had left over from shooting some Moroccan recipes. Normally I try not to use pre-blended spice mixtures, but this stuff is delicious! Grill the chicken breast over direct medium to medium-high heat for 7 to 9 minutes total; just until they are done. They should feel firm to the touch. To tell by touch, hold your thumb and pinkie finger together. Now feel the fleshy part of your palm below your thumb – that’s what the chicken breast should feel like when you poke at it. If you have any doubts, cut one open and make sure it’s cooked through. Once you get the hang of cooking poultry and meats by touch, you should never have to worry about dried out or under cooked foods again (we’ll discuss beef and pork another time).
Figs are in the markets right now rand they are ripe and delicious. Cut the figs in half top to bottom and lightly brush the cut side with a little oil. Place cut side down over a medium hot grill and cook for 2 to 4 minutes until well marked and tender. The grilling caramelizes the sugars in the figs and takes them to a special place. Serve drizzled with a balsamic vinegar reduction.
If you have never had a balsamic vinegar reduction or glaze before, I would HIGHLY suggest you do. Reducing the vinegar gives you a sweet, slightly-sour, tangy syrup that is an amazing foil for fruits (try drizzled over fresh strawberries) and vegetables, and also makes an amazing glaze brushed over meats after grilling.
Take a bottle of inexpensive balsamic vinegar and pour into a saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer. As the liquid evaporates, the flavors of the vinegar begin to concentrate. Let the vinegar reduce by about 75% (a 16-ounce bottle yields about 1/2 cup). Make sure you keep an eye on it toward the end because it can quickly burn. The syrup should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Keep in a jar or squirt bottle in your refrigerator. I guarantee you’ll find reasons to use it!
Forget Ray-Ray and her 30-minute meals. It’s all about quick, easy and delicious summer grilling! You could throw this together for friends and they would be amazed! Give it a try – season the chicken however you’d like… salt and pepper would be great with a little balsamic glaze brushed on at the end!. But definitely give the balsamic reduction a try drizzled over the figs, or fresh berries, or melon, or whatever!
Let me know what you think. If this post lights your fire, please pass it on!
Peace.
Easy summer grilling. That’s what I’m about this weekend. Grab a cold beer, fire up the grill and reee-lax. This is super easy go to recipe for dinner or when friends stop by (to use your pool). Grab the ingredients tonight or tomorrow morning and plan on a fantastic Sunday grill.
This was going to be for dinner a couple nights ago. Plans changed and the steak marinated for two days… AMAZING flavor! The citrus and garlic flavors get brightened up with just a little bit of heat. Slice thinly on the bias against the grain of the meat and serve as is with some grilled green onions,* or toss on top of a salad or in an amazing sandwich.
Citrus Marinated Flank Steak
1.75 – 2 pounds flank steak
Juice from 2 oranges
Juice from 2 lemons
Juice from 2 limes
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 dried red chilies, crushed (or 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes)
2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
1/4 cup olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Rinse flank steak with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place in a shallow dish just a little bigger than the steak. Whisk together remaining ingredients, except S&P, and pour over the steak. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours and up to a couple days; occasionally turning the steak.
Remove steak from marinade 30 minutes prior to grilling. Discard the marinade. Set up grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat. Brush and oil the grate when you’re ready to start cooking.
Pat steak dry and liberally season with salt and pepper, grill steak approximately 4 to 6 minutes per side. Remove from grill and let rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice steak at an angle across the grain of the meat. Serve warm or at room temperature.
* Trim and wash green onions. Pat dry and toss with a little olive oil and sea salt and pepper. Grill until desired doneness.
DUH-LICIOUS!!!
Please pass this post/recipe on and enjoy!
As a nod to the 2010 World Cup Champions, I decided to grill up some halibut with throw in some Spanish flavors. Okay, so I didn’t really watch any of the soccer matches except for the last hour of the finals. And how unfortunate that that was the match I decided to catch. I have sat through some real snoozer AYSO and club soccer matches… but come on, really. On to happier things.
I was actually trying to use some of the sweet Oven-Dried Tomatoes that I had made. There is a fresh and sun-dried tomato salsa recipe that I used to make when I was a personal chef. The girls at “Camp Crazy” (that’s another story) used to love it. Anyway, I must have had Spain on the brain after the World Cup and thought I would Spanish it up a bit. I infused some olive oil with saffron, garlic, thyme, and pimentón (smoked Spanish paprika). The pimentón adds a wonderful slight smokiness which really compliments the grilled fish. I had a little left over, so I marinated the fish in it (actually, I drizzled it over the asparagus too). ¡OLÉ!
Serves 4
Saffron Garlic Oil:
1/3 cup Spanish olive oil
1 medium pinch saffron threads
3 large garlic clove thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon pimentón (Spanish paprika), or regular paprika
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 halibut fillets, about 6-ounces each
3 Tablespoon sherry vinegar
Fresh & Oven-Dried Salsa:
1 cup red cherry or grape tomatoes
1 cup yellow cherry or grape tomatoes
1/4 cup roughly chopped oven-dried tomatoes (sun-dried packed in oil)
1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1 1/2 Tablespoons sherry vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Heat oil, saffron, and garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes or until fragrant. Remove from heat and stir in the pimentón, thyme leaves, and red pepper flakes. Set aside to cool.
Rinse halibut fillets with cold water. Pat dry with paper towels and place in a shallow bowl. Stir saffron garlic oil then measure out 2 tablespoons of the oil and set aside. Stir 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar into the remaining oil and spoon over fish. Turn fish to coat and let marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours, turning occasionally.
Quarter the cherry tomatoes (or cut in half if using grape tomatoes) and place in a medium bowl. Add the oven-dried tomatoes, oregano, vinegar, and remaining 2 tablespoons saffron garlic oil. Toss to combine and set aside covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
About 30 minutes before you are ready to grill, remove fish and salsa from refrigerator. Prepare your grill for direct cooking over medium heat. Brush and oil the grate well before you begin cooking. Remove from marinade and place the halibut skin-side up at a 45 degree angle (for nice grill marks) on the grill. Cook for about 4 to 6 minutes per side depending on the thickness of the fillets. The fish will be done when you can flake it easily with a fork.
Serve fish warm with Fresh & Oven-Dried Tomato Salsa and some grilled asparagus. Pour yourself and nice glass fruity Rioja Tinto and enjoy!
Give this recipe a try(you won’t be disappointed) and let me know what you think. Peace.
I am trying to get over some issues I have with perfectionism… I KNOW, go figure! Every good food writer/blogger will tell you that you have to have a picture of the recipe you’re writing about. “Your a food stylist for chrissake” some might say. And I suppose if I was actually a PHOTOGRAPHER, I might see their point. At any rate, there are a lot of recipes that I have been trying to get up on here for grilling season (actually before Father’s Day). Here comes the perfectionism part, it would take me the better part of a day to get a shot I liked. I am willing to concede to the shitty pics, but I am swamped this week writing recipes and styling food for $$$ and do not have time to fuss with pics shitty or not. Sorry, I’ll add the pic later.
The Red, Black and Blue Burger picture! YAY
With that said, this burger ROCKS and I want you to have it for your 4th of July grill. A couple notes: DO NOT that crappy pre-crumbled blue cheese in the grocery store; I love love love Pt. Reyes Blue from Cowgirl Creamery. The brioche buns are available at Trader Joe’s. Oh, and make the spice mix and onion jam the night before to save time.
1 recipe Blackening Spices
1 recipe Red Onion Jam
4 ounces GOOD QUALITY blue cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 cups pinot noir
1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 egg
Sea salt
4 brioche buns
Butter lettuce
Tomatoes, thickly sliced
Dijon mustard
Blend the butter and blue cheese together with a fork. Lay a piece of plastic wrap over a dinner plate. Place four spoonfuls of the blue cheese onto the plate, loosely cover then smash into 3 to 3-1/2 inch disks. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes – they need to be cold and firm.
In a small saucepan over high heat, reduce the wine down to 1/2 cup. Remove from heat and cool.
In a medium mixing bowl, thoroughly mix the wine reduction, ground beef, breadcrumbs, and egg. Divide the mixture into eight equal portions and shape into round patties. Place disk blue cheese butter onto four of the patties and top each with another patty. Pinch the edges together firmly and re-shape into a round patty of even thickness. Season with salt and generously sprinkle/rub the Blackening Seasoning both sides of the burgers. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to cook.
Prepare your grill for direct cooking over high heat. Brush and oil the grate before you begin cooking. Place the burgers on the preheated grill and cook for about 5 minutes per side. Place the buns cut side down on the grill for 1 minute or so until toasted.
These burgers on that buttery brioche bun slathered with Red Onion Jam is DE-licious! Bump it up and add some thick sliced bacon and slices of ripe California avocados.
Work it out and let me know how they were!
Peace.
Cook It Up!
In this final installment of the Grilling Primer, I’ll cover basic methods of cooking on a grill. What you really need to know about your heat source is where it’s located and how hot it is. In other words, direct vs. indirect cooking. First let’s discuss temperature or how hot the fire is.
Many cookbooks give pretty vague instructions regarding temperature when it comes to grilling (of course, not the books that I write!). Words like hot, medium-hot, etc. are most often used in books on outdoor cooking referring to the temperature at the grate. Sometimes you may get actual temperatures, or perhaps you come across the “hand method”. The hand-method refers to the length of time you can hold your hand an inch or two above the cooking grate (count one-Mississippi, two-Mississippi, etc.). Here is a comparison of the three methods:
| Heat Level | Temperature | Hand Method |
| Hot | 450° F to 500°F | 2 seconds or less |
| Medium-Hot | 400° F to 450°F | 3 to 4 seconds |
| Medium | 350° F to 400°F | 4 to 5 seconds |
| Medium-Low | 300° F to 350°F | 6 to 8 seconds |
| Low | Below 300° F | More than 10 seconds |
Side Note: using this chart, you can now convert your outdoor cooking recipes to indoor cooking if for some reason you cannot cook outdoors. Think grill pan or broiler. Boiler you say? Why yes, think of your broiler as an upside down grill!
This leads us to the next question – where does the heat come from?
Direct Heat Cooking
Direct heat cooking is pretty much Grilling 101. You have heat, a grate over the heat, and food on the grate above the heat. Usually the grill is uncovered. This method is great for steaks, cut-up chicken, burgers, hot dogs, fish, vegetables – you get the idea. Basic backyard grilling — WOO HOO!
Indirect Heat Cooking
This method of cooking opens up a world you may have yet discover when cooking outdoors. When cooking on a grill with indirect heat, the heat source, be it gas or charcoal, is off to the side and not directly under the food. When you do this and close the grill cover, you are in a sense creating an oven. This allows for longer and slower cooking. Meats, such as roasts, benefit greatly with this type of cooking. They are allowed to cook through before the outside turns to cinder. Additionally, indirect cooking allows you to bake on your grill. Did someone say grilled cookies?
To accomplish indirect cooking with a gas grill is fairly simple; light the grill leaving one burner turned off. Put the food on the grate above the unlit burner. Controlling temperature is a matter of turning the knobs to the desired level of heat.
For a charcoal grill, it is almost just as simple. After you have lit your charcoal, instead of spreading the coals out in a single layer, divide them in half and pile on opposite sides of the grill (you will want about 20 to 25 briquettes in each pile). If you love accessories (and I know you do if you love to grill), get yourself some charcoal baskets. Place a large drip pan (a foil baking pan) in the center of the two piles of coals, and put the cooking grate in place. You are going to cook your food in the center of the grate over the drip pan. Temperature control is handled by opening and closing the vents on the grill… the more oxygen that the coals get, the hotter they will burn.
The tricky part about indirect cooking on a charcoal grill is adding more fuel. If you are going to be cooking something longer than 50 to 60 minutes, you’ll need to add more smoldering coals. As I mentioned in part 2, Fuel & Fire, the best way to accomplish this is with a chimney starter. The part of this that gets tricky is getting the lit charcoal onto the piles of dying charcoal. The pain-in-the-ass way to this is to remove the food and the grate then add to the piles of charcoal. That’s okay once in awhile. The easiest way to do this is with a hinged grate to let you access the coals. If you use a kettle grill, Weber makes just this type of grate.
And there you have it! You are now armed with the basic knowledge to get you cooking outdoors. Don’t be intimidated by outdoor cooking. After all, what other type of cooking requires you to have something delicious to drink while you cook?
Happy Grilling!
If you have enjoyed this Grilling Primer, please leave a comment and pass it on to a friend. Thanks!
I went over types of The Grill in part one of this Grilling Primer; and Fuel and Fire in part two. Now before we do any cooking, we need to be sure to have the right equipment. There are a lot of baskets, holders, spits and other things that, while fun, aren’t absolutely necessary.
Must Haves
Wire Grill Brush – the key to grilling happiness is a clean grill grate – the cleaner the grate, the less food will stick to it. A lot of wire brushes also come with a scraping tool. Use the brush and scraper to get rid of all the left behind burnt on goodness.
Long Handled Tongs – the absolute, most important tool next to the grill. Use them for arranging hot coals, lifting hot grates, and of course – moving and turning food on the grill. Please use tongs instead of a fork for moving and turning the food – every time a piece of meat is stabbed with a fork, the juices run out from the nice sear that you just put on your meat. Make sure they lock for easy storage.
Long Handled Slotted Spatula – how else are you going to turn those juicy burgers and tasty fish? The slots help reduce the drag under whatever it is you’re flipping.
Mitts – better to cook the food and not your hands and forearms. Make sure they are flame retardant/resistant.
Instant Read Thermometer – to let you know when you have reached grilling perfection, rather than over-cooked shoe leather. For roasts and larger cuts of meat, consider a remote digital probe thermometer that can be left in with the grill lid closed. The more you open the lid to check how it’s doing, the more heat escapes and the longer it will take to finish.
Foil Pans – cheap and disposable and should always be on hand. Perfect for transporting raw and cooked food – two pans equal no washing and no cross-contamination.
Fire Extinguisher – just in case.
Nice to Have, but Not Necessary
Metal Skewers – personally, I prefer bamboo. Just be sure to soak them in water for an hour before using… yes, they catch on fire.
Grill Baskets – so smaller items don’t slip through the grate.
Rib Racks (but if you plan to cook a lot of ribs, they save time and valuable grilling space).
In the final installment of this Grilling Primer, we’ll cover Cooking Methods.
Happy grilling!
Okay, so I covered the different types of grills in The Grill, part 1 of this Grilling Primer. Now let’s get some fire goin’! In this section, I’ll go over the different types of fuel and how to get it lit.
Fueling the Fire
Gas
If you really want to know about gas, go see Hank Hill at Strickland Propane for your propane and propane accessories. Generally speaking, gas heat is pretty easy to start and control. Start by lifting the cover of the grill, then open the gas valve and turn the temperature control knob to the ignite position. Using the starter button, clicker or long match, light the fire. Set the knobs to the desired temperature, preheat the grill for 5 to 10 minutes, and you’re ready to start cooking.
Charcoal
Cooking with charcoal, on the other hand, has a few variables. My dad would have me believe that lighting charcoal is an art form or skill that requires many years of training. Although there is a little bit of trial and error, it’s pretty easy.
Briquettes vs. Lump Coal:
Charcoal briquettes are available in most grocery and hardware stores year-round. Once lit, you must wait for all of the briquettes to ash over before cooking, about 25 to 35 minutes. This ensures that chemicals used in forming the briquettes have burned off. Briquettes, because of their compressed nature, will burn longer than will hardwood charcoal. However, when you have to add more to your coals for longer cooking times, you must let the new briquettes ash-over before you continue cooking.
Some briquettes have the starter fluid built into them and are ready-to-light. Personally, I don’t like to use the self-lighting variety because even after they have ashed over, they can still leave an off taste to the food. Plus, every good griller knows that it’s all about time and patience.
You can even find some briquettes that have wood chips in them to help “flavor” your food… UGH!
Lump coal or hardwood charcoal seems to be growing in popularity and is more widely distributed than before. Lump coal ignites quicker, burns hotter, and is cleaner (and greener) than briquettes. Once it has reached the desired cooking temperature, you can start cooking. This type of charcoal is ideal for foods that cook longer than one hour because more can be added to the already hot coals anytime without waiting for them to ash-over.
FIRE!
Clearly, this section is for charcoal grills… at any rate, I hope that’s clear or you shouldn’t be playing with fire..
Starter Fluid
If you are going to use it beware that IT IS VERY FLAMMABLE. To ignite your charcoal make a nice neat pile in the middle of the fire grate or the bottom of the grill. Squirt the lighter fluid on the charcoal making sure to get it all. Snap the lid back on and move the can away from the grill (duh). Light with a long match or clicker. Don’t worry if all of the coals are not lit – they will light, just give them time. This is the perfect time to go grab a beer or blend up some margaritas. Even though it may seem like a cool idea, DO NOT ADD MORE STARTER FLUID TO LIT OR HOT COALS. Allow at least 25 to 35 minutes before putting any food on the grill to be sure that all of the fluid has burned off. Once the coals have ashed over, scatter them in a single layer (please wear a mitt and use tongs). Place the cooking grate on the grill and commence to grilling. Store the starter fluid in a well-ventilated area away from the grill or any other heat source (again, duh).
Chimney Starters
This starter is simply the best, cleanest, greenest and my preferred method to lighting charcoal. Charcoal chimneys are available in most any hardware store or any store that sells grills and is essentially a metal canister with a handle and no top and bottom. Using no fluids or electric starters, they are the easiest and quickest starter to use. Simply add a couple of crumpled up newspapers to the bottom and fill the canister with charcoal. Place the chimney on the fire grate (not the cooking grate) and light the newspaper with a match. Let the charcoal burn for 10 to 15 minutes, and then carefully pour the hot coals onto the cooking grate. Put on a mitt and arrange coals in a single layer with a pair of long-handled tongs. Another benefit of the chimney is if you are going to be cooking something for more than 45 minutes to an hour, you can start another batch of coals without disturbing what’s cooking.
And there you have it. Next up in the primer is Cool Tools.
Cheers!
I often have BIG ideas about food, my business and life in general. Ideas and thoughts that I need to get out of my head, but seem to get bogged down as to whether or not it these ideas are showcased in the appropriate venue. So I've decided to just put it all out there. I've redesigned this site and now (hopefully), I will release into the interweb the ramblings of my mind.
Peace.
