I’ve lived in different parts of this wonderful country in both city and country and no matter where I’ve lived there always seems to be that one neighbor who is cooking all the time.  Now it could be they are a mom or grandmother, a retired fella or an enthusiast of sorts – and often they are outside cooking on their grills, smokers or other set-ups.  I bet living next door to The Pit Pirate, Mike Hedrick, must be a darn good experience cause he’s one of those guys who is always cooking!  If you love grilled, smoked or barbequed meat to perfection then I should think living next door to the Pirate has gotta be great!

When I read this email from him and saw the pictures my mouth was watering!  Just a special note upfront that Mike uses a technique of searing the meat first on charcoal before placing on the spit of his rotisserie and slow cooking on his gas grill with the hood closed.  You can choose to do this or you can adopt your own technique that works for you based upon the time you have and the equipment you use.  – CB

Rotisserie Roasted Rack of Pork w/Rosemary
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If you are hosting a large gathering any time, especially during the holidays, you may wish you could come up with something a little different to serve your party guests other than those pre-made appetizers trays from the big warehouse stores, or grilling hot-dogs, chicken or burgers in your backyard.  But steaks are pretty darn expensive and besides you would like to actually enjoy the party as well – right?  How’s about you serve a dish that is prepared a day or two in advance, is tasty, filling, demonstrates your skills as a grill master and at the same time doesn’t cost a fortune?

Here’s a menu idea you may want to try. Slow Cooked Smoky Pork Shoulder for pulled or chopped  pork sandwiches. You can prepare it a day or two in advance on your backyard grill, seal it up in a plastic bag or container, slowly re-heat it and serve it in a water bathed warming tray or crock pot, add some sauce or serve that on the side and your guests can make the sandwiches themselves! My guess is you’ll be seeing a lot of 2nd and 3rd helpings for this dish!

You read that right – this is a recipe for slow cooked and smoked pork shoulder you can cook on your gas grill.  If you have a smoker, that’s great – but if you don’t – not to worry!  In fact, I kinda think it may be in your favor to use a gas grill as it’s something you don’t have to tend to for hours on end.  I prepared the entire recipe pictured here on a gas grill.  That’s right.  I smoked it for 2 hours and slow barbequed it for 12 hours on a gas grill – (more…)

The romantic notion of preparing a goose for a holiday dinner menu has captivated my interest for years. Until this past week I’d never tried it.  I’m glad I did!

First off – it’s expensive to purchase goose at the meat counter because it’s not a high volume product like chicken, turkey, game hen and duck.  The 7lb goose I bought on ’special’ at my local Kroger was frozen and came from South Dakota.  It cost $45.  A fresh 7lb chicken was on special for $6 and a 9lb fresh or frozen turkey was $12.  The commercial product available to most of us is not the big ol’goose we think of as depicted in the holiday movies like ‘Scrooge” etc.  The domestic farm-raised goose is fairly lean and the flesh has a very good meat flavor that isn’t gamy, but an average goose will only yield enough tasty meat for 3-4 adults as part of a full menu.  For most of us city-folks goose may be a special treat to serve once in a while, but pretty much is one of those ‘extra’s to be served along with turkey, ham, beef roast and such for your big family holiday spreads. (If you are a hunter or have your own source of farm-raised product, your experience may be different than mine – I’d love to hear from you with advice and comments!)

CB’S EZ ROAST GOOSE WITH CRISPY SKIN

I purchased a frozen goose and let it thaw in the fridge for 3 days prior to prepping it for cooking. It really wasn’t much trouble to prep the goose.  I modified a recipe I’ve used for other  game birds – compound butter (un-salted butter with chopped shallots, sage, thyme, lemon and garlic and just a touch of anchovy paste) pushed between the skin and the meat in the breast and thigh/leg sections.

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The list of contributors to Sizzle on the Grill is getting longer and more illustrious all the time. This past year Steve “Da Judge” Feller has contributed some great tips on creating award winning results on your grill or in your smoker. Last year you may recall his recipe for Smoked Turkey that was absolutely outstanding. This week he sent me the recipe he used to prepare his Thanksgiving turkey. It uses ‘buttermilk’ as the essential tenderizing agent – because buttermilk is high in acid. That’s why my mom liked to soak chicken in buttermilk overnight before frying! – CB

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Hey CB,
Just wanted to let you know that this Thanksgiving I made two big changes to my customary juice brined and smoked turkey. This year I prepared our holiday turkey in my own recipe for ‘buttermilk brine’ and ‘fried it’ in The Big Easy. (more…)

I really enjoy reading the emails I get from readers sharing their meal menus.  And no one has more meals cooked outdoors on the grill than Terry “Way Down in Alabama” – one of the original guest chefs for Sizzle on the Grill.  Here’s an email with pictures of a little dinner he put together for friends.  Now Terry is no stranger to good food – and even less so to a good bargain! In fact we share a penchant for checking out the ON SALE NOW bins at the meat counter.  Steak is on his grill this week!

Beef tenderloin steaks, yellow peppers & garlic bread! Yow-sah!

Hiya CB – Here’s a good old favorite that’s easy and makes everyone happy. Beef tenderloin or as you Seattle-ites might call it, ahem – Filet Mignon.* I found it in the sale counter – cheap!  In fact the entire meal was on sale. I stopped by the Farmer’s Market on the way home and found yellow bells, snap beans and squash all in the sale box.   The whole meal for 4 was just under 16 bucks. - Terry “Way Down in Alabama!”

* Translated literally from French it means “Dainty Fillet.”

So – what’s on YOUR grill this week?

Send me your menu and some digital photos via email to CB@SizzleOnTheGrill.com or post your comment below!

Happy Grilling!

The word is spreading about the revolutionary new way to ‘fry’ turkeys using The Big Easy infrared oil-less turkey ‘fryer.’

Here are two unsolicited comments from folks who used The Big Easy to ‘fry’ their holiday turkey:

“I usually fry my turkeys, but this year I was totally shocked by the price of peanut oil. They raised the price by about 75% and shrunk the jug size from 5 gal to 3 gal. Since my fryer uses 5 gal, I would have had to buy 2 jugs at $42 each. No way would I spend $84 just to fry a turkey. Soooo, my wife bought me the Big Easy. I was really doubtful right up to the time I took my first bite. WOW! Besides saving money on oil, there is no preheating, no worries about splashing hot oil, no hassle trying to get rid of the used oil and I even get the drippings to make gravy. It costs about twice what a fryer costs, but when you figure the ease of use and money saved on oil, Its a heck of a bargain. Thanks for such a great cooker.” – Frankie1429

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“Watched the video from Tampa Bays 10. Cooked my first turkey and it turned out great.  … Can’t wait for tomorrow to cook another turkey in the Big Easy!” – Rick

Do you have a comment about using The Big Easy? Please post it below!

I am always impressed with the enthusiasm and seemingly abundant energy with which Guest Chef Mike “Pit Pirate” Hedrick approaches outdoor cooking.

If you had an occasion to visit the Users Forums for help in preparing your Thanksgiving meal – you most likely read several of the helpful tips he wrote for just about every question or concern that was posted by readers. Mike (and a few other enthusiasts like TMB our designated Big Easy Guest Chef) really want folks to enjoy their outdoor cooking experiences and graciously give their recipes, advice and time to help out.   This past holiday meal Mike and I must have ‘ESPN’ and been on similar wave-lengths because we fixed essentially the same meat entrees to serve our family and friends: ‘Fried’ turkey in The Big Easy oil-less infrared turkey fryer and ribeye roast, often called Prime Rib.  You can see pix of my dinner – CLICK HERE

I received this note from Mike describing how he prepared a ribeye rack roast using the rotisserie on his Quantum grill for his holiday meal.

“Hey CB I want to “Getcha Going” on a holiday meal that is a little different from your traditional turkey dinner. It’s what folks refer to as Prime Rib and is (more…)