Got this great email from JIM on Monday with pictures from his camping trip. Here’s what it said:

I took The Big Easy camping with me this past weekend. I decided to feed the guys with two three pound roasts. I bought a rub for the outside, and as you see in the pics, I skewered them and centered in the cooker. I removed them at 140 degrees which ended up to be a little more done than we like, but still very tasty.
Jim

And he was kind enough to send along photos.

Both of the roasts skewered and suspended:

Keeping a watchful eye on the thermometer:

The finished product:

Thanks Jim!

Say what’s on your grill this weekend? Send us a picture to GrillShots@charbroilgrilling.com.

Happy Grilling!

I was visiting with one of my favorite working chefs the other day and we got to talking about searing and holding – the professional secret for preparing meat so it’s got the tasty mouth-feel crust on the exterior that people enjoy and with a moist, done-to-perfection interior. We agreed that most home cooks, especially backyard weekend grillers, often over-cook their food. They keep grilling it with direct heat until the outside is dry and the inside is tough. The culprit in most cases is hot air.

Here are some tips to help you prepare meat on the grill that is as tasty as that which you pay dearly for in fine dining restaurants.

Searing
A steak, chicken, duck, roast, fish, quail, moose, burger, chop or any similar cut of meat that is prepared to eat in one individual portion, or in the case of chicken or duck – served all at once, is prepared best when the outside is seared to seal in the natural moisture. Perfect searing temperature for the home cook is between 450F & 550F degrees.

Before I roast a chicken I always turn up the oven to at least 500F degrees and sear it on all 4 sides for about 10 minutes. Then I reduce the temperature to 350F – 375F degrees and let it roast until the internal temperature of the breast or thigh is approximately 150F degrees. I pull it, cover it, and let it rest while the internal temperature continues to climb to about 165F degrees or so. I find this method is a perfect way to roast a 3-5 lb whole chicken in the oven. The only secret here is the searing – then holding to finish.

When grilling a steak I like to sear it on both sides (using my Char-Broil infrared grill) at the highest heat I can get (see tips below). Then I remove the seared piece of meat to a holding pan, lid it or cover it with aluminum foil, and let it continue to finish on the warming rack. If I leave it on the grill and continue to actively ‘grill’ it with direct heat – the moisture will literally cook right out of it – especially on the infrared grill. If I move it to the indirect heat but still on the grates, hot air created inside the closed grill will dry it out.

Holding to ‘finish’
Sneak into the kitchen of many top steak houses and you’ll likely observe the grill master marking the steaks on a very high temperature searing burner, then finishing them with lower and indirect heat. The searing creates the crust, that great mouth-feel we enjoy when biting into a perfectly grilled piece of meat, and somewhat of a seal on the surface of the meat. By removing it from the high heat of the searing grill, placing it on a tray (and even covering it) while holding it for a short time at a lower temperature – the overall quality of the cooking can be better controlled. Holding or using indirect heat on a steak is as an important part of grilling as grill marks!

CB’s Tip for Searing on “Conventional Convection” Gas Grills
Searing meat on a regular gas grill can be a challenge. Because the gas flames don’t get as hot as the hottest charcoal fire that can be banked up in a heap and because the heat from open flames dries out the meat when exposed too long – it’s important to get that meat off the hot flame once it sears on both sides, and hold it somewhat sealed from the dry and hot air of the grill to let it finish. Start by covering the grates with a half-sheet baking tray or aluminum foil – turn up the heat and get the grates as hot as possible. Spray the meat with a high-smoke point oil like canola and place it on the grates. Using tongs to check one edge of the meat – as soon as it’s marked – spray the top side and flip it with the tongs to a fresh section of the grates. When that side is seared, use the tongs to remove it to a holding tray that you can cover and allow the meat to finish at about 200F – 300F degrees. If you want to glaze it – do so and place it once more on the grates for just a few seconds prior to service.

Grilling a steak…for example beautiful porterhouse steaks like these two my friend Lisa prepared:

About 5 minutes before grilling she seasoned them with fresh ground pepper and kosher salt. The salt draws the natural sugars and proteins to the surface. Despite conventional wisdom, this does not dry out the steak in such a short period of time and with just a dash or two of salt. She seared the steaks on her Quantum grill - the grill temp was about 500F degrees

She placed them in an aluminum tray, covered it with aluminum foil and placed it on the warming rack of the grill with only the further burner away from the tray on low - and allowed the steaks to finish.

She checked the internal temperature before covering and holding and then at about 10 minutes. She wanted Medium-Rare, and that would be 145F degrees.

Check the temp of the interior of the steak to the level of 'done' you prefer.

CB’s Steak Temperature Tip

To check the temperature of a steak – insert an instant read thermometer into the side.

When not to sear!
When cooking a roast like beef brisket or pork shoulder, or ribs – something with connective tissue that does best when it’s allowed to slow roast and literally ‘melt’ the cartilage in the meat – there is always the possibility of drying out the meat in the hot air of the barbecue or smoker. In these cases I use a wet mop, possibly of apple juice and tomato base, or a vinegar base with spices and brown sugars to regularly wet the outside of the meat. This imparts some flavor and won’t burn at the low heat. It also counteracts the hot air of the smoker, barbecue or indirect heat inside the grill that is generated by the charcoal or gas flames.

Hey, I hope this gives you something to think about and maybe try the next time you grill.

Here are the 3 things to remember

1. Sear at high heat (650F or higher) on hot grates and if you use an oil on the outside of the steak, make sure it’s a high temp oil like canola, peanut, cotton seed or grape seed. NOT OLIVE OIL!
2. One you’ve seared both sides, depending upon the thickness of the meat and the desired doneness – move the meat to another part of the grill without direct heat, to finish at lower and indirect temperatures – paying attention to the internal temperature of the meat using an instant read thermometer.
3. It sometimes help to place the meat on or in a tray and cover to help reduce the ‘drying’ effect of hot air – but don’t seal it up and forget it!  If the tray is exposed to direct heat or too much heat in a cooking chamber (for instance when the hood is down) the meat will steam!

Happy Grilling!

It’s only been a few months since Char-Broil introduced a cooking revolution – I’m talking about The Big Easy oil-less infrared turkey fryer - and already it’s found a devoted following. All over North America folks are enjoying (often for the first time) the wonderful flavor of ‘fried’ turkey and without the hassle or worries of all that scalding hot oil. It’s more convenient, easy to use, costs less than frying, produces great tasting results and is a versatile cooker for year-round enjoyment.

Readers have sent me recipes and tips for cooking leg of lamb, chickens (whole and parts,) duck, ham, prime rib, trout, salmon, meat loaf, sausages, corn, sweet potatoes, and more! Check out the comments on The Big Easy Users Forum. As promised, I’ve shared your ideas and suggestions for accessories and have it on good authority that several of these were the inspiration for a new set of accessories soon to be available at Char-Broil online.

I have good news for all of you who have suggested a revised cooking guide!
You can get one NOW by clicking on these words: The Big Easy Cooking Tips

Useful tips for viewing, saving and printing this PDF file:

Click on the words The Big Easy Cooking Tips

When the file opens in a new window – you can adjust the size using the pull-down menu in the navigation bar at the top of the screen where the ‘percentage’ window is. (I believe it displays at 158% when you open it and for those of us who need glasses – this is especially helpful!)

In the same navigation bar at the top of the page the first icon on the left-hand side is for printing and the second is for saving the file to your computer.

Just save the file to your computer for later and you can print it out as well!

There are tips, tricks, guides, advice and pages for notes, recipes for rubs and marinades and more recipes for cooking a variety of food in The Big Easy.

And the updated USDA temperature chart is included!

You will need a free copy of Acrobat Reader to read this file - click here

If I were a country singer I think this would be a solid gold hit song! My good friend Dora is visiting her family in Fernley, Nevada and had to send me this picture of her niece Sarah grilling dinner for the family. It almost looks like Sarah is holding a cooking class or imitating her favorite “BAM” TV show chef – the way she has the attention of everyone! Or quite possibly they are really hungry and know not to question Sarah when she’s preparing dinner!

Here’s the music video storyboard I imagine for the song:

OPEN: Camera finds Sarah at the grill and the family is silent, almost reverent. As the music comes up…the bass guitar imitates the faint sound of stomachs growling in unison.

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Scene 2: Sarah turns and faces the family, there is an audible sound of real stomachs growling and the drums and bass guitar pick up the beat…

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Scene 3: The power of Sarah’s words nearly blows off the hat of one of the faithful…

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Scene 4: Sarah breaks into spontaneous yodeling – resulting in a new trend among teen-age girls who adore her.

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Scene 5: Hearing Sarah’s yodel and thinking it is a wounded animal, boyfriend Louie rushes to the patio. The congregation is frozen with anticipation.

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Scene 6: Louie makes a typical and tragic “male” mistake – he comments on what Sarah is grilling. Oh Louie, Louie – way gotta go!

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Scene 7: Sarah doesn’t mince words the way she does onions and explains to Louie just how far he gotta go and what she’ll do with these tongs if’n he doesn’t go there right now! Louie is repentant and folds his hands, as if in prayer.

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Scene 8: As the music swells and Sarah yodels – the camera moves in on the grill to see what’s been cooking…

Final: The credits role on the screen: Country style pork ribs and CB’s EZ Style corn on the cob.

Cue music and fade to black.

Say what’s on your grill this weekend? Send us a picture to GrillShots@charbroilgrilling.com and we promise we won’t set it to music!

If you saw the Char-Broil summer grilling tour a couple years back you most likely enjoyed the good natured fun and great grilling skills of Chef Erik Lind. A culinary graduate of Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island, Erik has retired from the road tour and resides in Seattle to work in management at a large hotel. We got together a couple of times when I still lived on my houseboat to grill steaks and talk about life but I hadn’t spoken to him in more than a year. So I was so happy to hear from him a week ago with a special invite. His message on my voice mail went something like this:

“Hey CB – This is Erik. Come to a party this Sunday afternoon to meet my fiancée and her family at our new house warming? Oh, and can you bring a grill? And that new Big Easy thing?”

Yeah sure Eric. Should I bring a turkey to cook as well? As a matter of fact I did bring my Char-Broil Quantum Grill and The Big Easy. When I arrived the party was just starting with everybody outside in the freshly landscaped back yard but there were more coming! By the end of the afternoon more than 100 people of all ages and generations were expected to celebrate with the young couple. We needed a lot of food!

Erik and his lovely bride-to-be, Mandy, welcome friends to celebrate their engagement on the patio of their newly remodeled 1950’s era home.

Erik got to work on the grill like the true professional he is – making sure everyone was getting burgers or hot dogs while I set up The Big Easy.

He surprised me by placing frozen beef patties right on the grill.

I asked him about placing frozen burger patties on the grill and he said with the extremely high temperatures of the Quantum infrared cooking system which combines infrared with traditional convection heat – it was perfect for grilling these burgers. The moisture in the patties was thawing and cooking the inside and by the second turn the meat was thoroughly cooked with a nice crust on the outside. He added a slice of melted cheese and some caramelized onions he had previously cooked on the side burner. All I can say is that grandma ate two and people were coming back for seconds and thirds! [Need a good burger recipe? CLICK HERE and enter the word 'burger' in the search box.]

Of course – I had to bring a turkey to cook in The Big Easy and set it up where I could keep an eye on it…but without the worries I’d have if it was a hot oil fryer.

The 15.5lb bird was brined for just about 6 hours in a simple sea salt, water and apple cider vinegar brine. Before placing the bird in the cooking basket I stuffed it with sliced lemons, garlic, yellow onions and several large branches of rosemary to give it great flavor as it roasted. Man-Oh-Man folks were drawn to the the aroma of the roasting turkey with my special stuffing. Several of the fellas were hunters and we discussed how they might use The Big Easy in the field to prepare fish or game.

The bird cooked at a rate of about 10 minutes per pound until the internal temperature on the digital thermometer read 155F degrees. I pulled it out, placed it on a tray and sat it on the Quantum grill with the lid closed to rest. [CLICK HERE for a turkey frying recipe in The Big Easy]

Erik jumped in and carved away at the bird – to the delight of guests who were still hungry.

One of the new in-laws said it was the best fried turkey he’d ever tasted. Erik just smiled and winked.

I left the Quantum grill on a temporary loan – with the guarantee from Erik that he’d start trying out some of his special recipes on the grill so I can share them with you. His first recipe appears during this next week in time for spring menus, so take a look at the RSS Feed at the top of the page and click on it to get every post delivered to your desktop reader when they are posted. Psst. I’ll give you a hint: Grilled Salad!

What kind of plans are you making for your family and friends to get together this spring and summer? If you have a large group to invite you might consider adding The Big Easy to your spring and summer grilling equipment. I cooked a turkey for this party, but it could easily have cooked several chickens, or pork and beef roasts or even veggies like corn and potatoes. That really helps out when there is only one of you and a big crowd to feed. And if you are in the market for a new grill – check out the Quantum at Lowe’s.

Happy Grilling!

I’ve written several posts in the past year or so about heat and the important role it has for your successful grilling, barbecuing or smoking of meat. Regularly preparing a steak, chop or burger so it has that perfect crust is a goal that most all backyard chefs desire to achieve. The best searing temperatures are in excess of 450F degrees. (Some famous steak restaurants claim to grill steaks at temperatures far higher than that!) [CLICK HERE for my last post on heat.]

This week I received a picture from a regular reader who wanted to demonstrate how happy he is with the purchase at Lowe’s of his new Quantum infrared grill. The only thing he had to say was: “CB – I only had the two inside burners turned on HIGH – both outside burners were OFF.”

Using a hand-held infrared temperature gauge – our intrepid reader achieves high temperature of 617F degrees at the grate for searing his steak.

A picture is worth a thousand words.

THIS JUST IN

Not five minutes ago I received a new picture taken just this evening. His email explains he had all burners on HIGH with the lid closed, then lifted it to get this reading of the temperature of the grates for grilling his steaks tonight. I think this is one happy fella!

Same hand-held infrared temperature gauge different day – all burners on and much higher temperature reading of 842F degrees at the grate.

Here’s a question: How come he’s eating steak every night and I’m having left overs?

Happy Grilling!

Every week or so I get an email from Mike Hedrick, guest chef and erstwhile “Pit Pirate BBQ” expert. And with each new email comes a funny story. This week Mike got a knock on the door late one evening around 11pm. He didn’t answer because he was in the backyard tending to his collection of smokers (many of which are Char-Broil I should add) and also cooking a new recipe on his new Quantum grill. Just as he happened to look up, distracted from his focus on the grill for a moment by flashing lights – a group of volunteer firemen were coming round the back of the house with axes ready! For just an instant Mike reports, he was stunned. Then he broke into a grin…

They were all smiling, evidently because they know Mike (having been called to the house before) and as they pulled off their heavy firefighting jackets and helmets to sit down and enjoy some pulled pork plates with Mike the Captain said: “Say there cuz – you must have some new neighbors moved in across the street – with all the smoke they thought your house was on fire. We know your address so we just decided to drop in and have a late night snack!”

I tell ya – it must be crazy having a Pit Pirate living next door!

I’ve seen so many different recipes for cooking chicken, pork and even fish on the grill using some form of weight on top that I had to come up with one of my own. This method of cooking with bricks (or other heavy weight) is not new - although it may be new to you - having been practiced for centuries in just about every culture around the world.

Grilled chicken can be a delightful taste experience – but grilling a whole chicken is nearly impossible for most folks. This technique enables you to both grill a whole chicken and entertain your family and friends with the crazy idea of cooking with bricks or, as I like to call it whenever I cook: Dinner and a show! The purpose of the bricks is to press the partially de-boned chicken flat onto the grilling surface so that as much of the meat makes direct contact with the grates as possible. This results in crispy skin and browned and succulent flesh in pretty much no time at all.

Below are a few of the steps from the recipe that I’ve illustrated with photos to help you understand and execute. To access a printable version or save to your “My Favorites” account : CLICK HERE

Essentially - you remove the backbone and butterfly the chicken.

Spatchcocking the chicken

What did he just say? Spatchcocking? Whazzat?

CB’s TIP: Spatchcocking is the term used for “butterflying” poultry and fowl. You remove the backbone, spread the bird to flatten it, then press down and crack the keel bone. Many folks go the extra step of removing the keel bone and the ribs (I did) as well as cutting off the tips of the wings and leg knuckles (I didn’t.)

Seasoning is much easier and more thorough.

Season the bird

Season on both sides with your choice of herbs, freshly ground pepper, coarse salt, minced garlic, olive oil and lemon or other citrus juice. Marinate for an hour covered, or overnight in the fridge.

I always use a tray to transport.

Transfer the brid to hot grill

I use these half-sheet baking trays a lot. They are excellent for carrying the meat and other materials from the kitchen or prep area to the grill. And the size allows me to clean them either in the sink or dishwasher.

Double wrap the bricks in heavy-duty aluminum foil.

Place two aluminum foil wrapped bricks on top of the chicken.

The purpose of the bricks is to press the partially de-boned chicken flat onto the grilling surface so that as much of the meat makes direct contact with the grates as possible.

One issue is managing drips and flame-ups when the grill is HOT and the hood is closed. As you can see I scortched the chicken in a couple of places.

The chicken has been grilled and will finish on the warming rack

To ensure the chicken is done, use your instant read thermometer to check the thick part of the breast and the thigh. It’s done when it reaches 165F degrees, the USDA recommended internal temperature.

You can serve it “as is” or with your favorite sauce. I like to use the trimmings and giblets to create a flavorful base for a sauce with caramelized sweet or yellow onions, shallots and garlic.

CB’s Serving Tip:
Here’s a great sauce to serve with the Grilled Whole Chicken Under Bricks – made from the trimmings and giblets.

Caramelized Onions & Shallots with Garlic Sauce
Ingredients

1 medium-size yellow or sweet onion - sliced and diced
3 medium-size shallots - sliced and diced
3 cloves garlic - crushed and minced
Chicken parts and fat from trimmed chicken
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp unsalted butter
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup white wine (sauvignon blanc) or dry sherry or dry vermouth

Directions

In a medium-size sauce pan set on MEDIUM-HIGH add 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
Immediately lower heat to MEDIUM and add chicken parts trimmed from carcass, chicken fat and giblets.
Cover with splatter screen and allow to brown. Adjusting heat and turning as needed.
When chicken parts have browned, giblets are cooked and fat has rendered, remove and discard or enjoy as ‘chefs treat.’
Add prepped onions to sauce pan and sweat then caramelize.
Add prepped shallots to sauce pan when the onions are starting to brown
Add prepped garlic to sauce pan when the onions and shallots are caramelized
Add white wine or vermouth and allow to reduce a bit
Add butter, salt and pepper as taste dictates
Cover and remove from heat…keep warm.

CLICK HERE to access a printable version or save to your My Favorites account

When chicken is ready to serve, arrange pieces on platter where you have ladled 1/2 of the sauce and then ladle the remaining over the top. Sprinkle with fresh herbs like thyme or parsley and zests of lemon. Use sliced scallions if you prefer.

Happy Grilling!

(Updated March, 2009)

If you’ve been grilling for a while you’ve probably been through different tongs, spatulas, forks, basting brushes and the like – and you’ve decided what works for you. Oh, and along the way you’ve perhaps been ‘gifted’ t various holidays and events with a variety of tools, aprons, cleaning brushes, etc. a which are as goofy and pretty much worth a laugh but worthless when it comes to grilling.

In this post I’m going to share with you what works for me. If that helps you think through how you grill and find a tool that works for you – well then good.

Some folks keep their knives in a counter-top block, I prefer a drawer.

Knives

A good knife is essential to prepping and carving meat. I have a collection of useful knives that I’ve picked up over the years. I keep them all in one drawer and use one of those magnetic knife holders to keep them from moving all around when I open and close the drawer. At one glance I can choose the blade I want for the job at hand. The knives with wooden handles are more than 35 years old – a gift from my folks when I set up my first apartment. The famous consumer magazine rates these “Chicago” knives pretty high and I love it that I can buy them at the hardware store. These seem to hold an edge, are balanced and take some abuse. It kinda shocks my fancy friends who own the expensive knives – heck just buying one of their knives is what it costs for all of mine! Another one of the knives in the picture was the knife that I used when I was a “captain” at a French restaurant more than 25 years ago. I learned to bone a pheasant or duck, evenly slice a Chateaubriand or rack of lamb and deftly fillet an entire cooked trout at table side with that knife. I still enjoy using it for the same purpose here at home.

I recommend you choose knives that feel good in your hand, have some utility for different tasks, can be used outdoors and which are easy to clean, sharpen and don’t cost a fortune – so they can be replaced if something happens!

These are my favorite tools. Rarely use the fork but it comes in handy when I need it. Color coded tongs and a big ol'spatula.

Spatula, Tongs & Fork

I’ve tried them all and these are my favorites. The spatula has a blade that is 8″ long and about 3″ wide. It’s available at the expensive ‘Williams” stores for about $20. Or you can do like me and go to the restaurant supply store and get it for under $5. It’s got a good wood handle, a sturdy blade that supports a good-sized steak and it easily slides between the grate and meat. I use two of them to lift the flesh of a side of salmon off the skin when grilling. (And yes I let the skin cook and crisp and eat it like potato chips!)

The long tongs were also purchased at a restaurant supply store and are different colors so I know which is used for raw meat (red) and which is used for meat that’s cooking/cooked (black). These are solid and the design allows me to hook them over the towel racks or even the hood handle on most grills. The fork is primarily used as a helper for the tongs and spatula when I need a little extra. I almost never use it to poke and turn meat.

Long handle with a slight bend. Easy to get to those hard to reach places.

Basting Brush

Oh my goodness I am grateful to the person(s) who invented silicone cooking utensils. This particular brush is my mainstay. The angle is great for getting to places without cranking my wrist all outta whack and the handle is long enough that I don’t singe the hair on my arm reaching in. The brush holds sauce quite well, even clarified butter.

Thermometers L - R: Analog to check grill temp, digital with remote, analog instant read, digital instant read.

Thermometers

If you are grilling and using the thermometer in the hood to give you an idea of the temperature – uh, bad news: the hood thermometer reads the air temperature inside the cooker – but doesn’t tell you the temperature of the grates. To read the grate temperature you need a specialty infrared heat detector and those bad boys go for $50 or more. Let’s just say I don’t have one. Over the years I’ve found some good substitutes. For under $5 I use the grate thermometer (left in picture above) that I remove before cooking – experience taught me that it gets covered in spatters and smoke and is impossible to get clean.

This spring, Char-Broil is introducing a new remote digital thermometer that I’ve had the pleasure of testing for a couple weeks. (center in picture above) It is great. This new device has both a food probe and a “dangle” that reads the temperature right near the grates. Since it’s remote with two settings – it works really well with my smoker when I’m not going to be standing right there every minute. If the temperature inside the smoker starts to drop it alerts me so I can add more charcoal. And it keeps me informed of the internal temperature of the meat as well. No interrupting important ball games to go check!

For all around cooking I use a pocket instant read thermometer. (right in picture above) At one time these cost a small fortune – but now you can find them in most every housewares department of grocery stores priced under $10. I’ve got several – they come in analog and digital – and they are very useful at testing meat in various areas of the flesh to see if it’s cooking evenly. These are the most important thermometers I own!

High Heat Gloves

High Heat gloves can be useful to manage grates and other hot things.

What did he just say?

That’s right. These bad boys are intended for heavy industrial use and can take sparks, heat and hot metal. They aren’t intended for playing in the fire – but very useful when you need to move hot grates, cast iron pans, etc. when working around your grill, smoker or bbq. So getcha-self a pair. Char-Broil High Heat Gloves

Are there other great tools that you use and would recommend to others? Send me a note with pictures or post a comment below.

Happy Grilling!

What’s on the grill at your place this weekend? May I suggest you check out these recipes and prepare some pork tenderloin? Or experiment and use chicken thighs (just change the internal temperature guidelines to 165F degrees for done!)

Enjoy!

Apricot-Mustard Grilled Pork Tenderloins
Honey Pork Tenderloin Kabobs
CB’s EZ Grilled Pork Tenderloin
Cherry Mustard Grilled Pork Tenderloin
Southwestern Grilled Pork Tenderloin
Pork Chimichurri
Santa Fe Salad with Grilled Pork Tenderloin
Smoke & Fire Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Onion
Thai Pork Tenderloin with Grilled Vegetables
Jamaican Jerk Pork Tenderloins
Mango Stuffed Jerk Pork Tenderloin