Is beef on your party menu?

Besides finding a date on the calendar and time that works for everyone; coming up with a guest list and getting out the invitations  – there’s all that other stuff that goes with hosting a holiday party.  Like cleaning and decorating, as well as finding the perfect attire that suits the occasion. Yep. It’s the holidays and regardless if it’s just the boys from the bowling team over to have a couple of laughs, the neighbors, co-workers, friends or relatives – you are known for making sure everything is in perfect shape at your parties.   But there is  always one really big decision to make when hosting a party:

“How Much To buy?”

You want to be a good host and make sure there is enough of your tasty grilled and barbequed food to ensure everyone has a helping or two, but these days you also want to watch the costs! Buy too much and it goes to waste. Buy too little and folks are hungry! What to do?

Our friends at the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association have created a handy printable guide that may help you!  It tells you the serving size in ounces and how many servings you can generally expect from one pound of beef. Of course how you prepare and serve is up to you!

They call it, simply enough: How Much to Buy

Click on the link to open the PDF file. You will need Adobe Reader to view and print it.

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Grilled Flat Iron steak, sliced and served with Mustard Bourbon sauce. Photo courtesy of the Cattlemen's Beef Board and National Cattlemen's Beef Association

Here’s a tasty idea for your holiday party menu – grilled flat iron beef steaks.  Flat Iron steaks are fairly standard size and weight, thus easier to predict cooking times and plan for the number of guest.  One steak can provide 2 -3 servings. They are very “grill-able” – so you can cook them to order and prepare only what you need, as you need it!  Or cook several ahead to just a rare stage and hold, wrapped in foil, at a safe temperature until ready to carve – they will continue to cook slightly and generally will be at medium-rare when sliced.

CB’s EZ Grilled Flat Iron Steaks with Mustard-Bourbon Sauce

Happy Grilling!

The folks who participate in conversations on the Users Forums often amaze me with their depth of experience and appreciation for good food. For example – Grillman from Aurora, Colorado. This fellow has a lot of experience cooking with big time BBQ competition teams on some of those very serious looking big ol’cooking rigs. He knows a thing or two about how to make a tender, tasty brisket; a rack of ribs or a  smokey pork butt that falls apart with only a whisper. So a few weeks ago I was kinda surprised to see him post pictures of a mixed grill meal he’d prepared – not the meal, cause I expect tasty food from him! — but how he prepared it.  With all of the equipment he has to choose from he prepared a gourmet extravaganza using…well, let him tell it in his own words:

“Just a regular 3 burner Char-Broil brand propane grill.”

On the plate is Grilled Shrimp, the Lobster Fatty, the Shrimp Flatty, King Crab legs, and a small Lobster tail. I grilled the Shrimp with a coating of Olive Oil, a splash of Worcestershire Sauce, salt & pepper.

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I made a Lobster "Fatty"...and was going to make a Shrimp "Fatty" but didn't think it would turn out good...so...I made it into a Shrimp "Flatty".

Great looking food and I bet it was tasty!

I’m inspired – how about you?

What’s on YOUR grill this week?

Happy Grilling!

Is there a “Turkey Emergency?”

The #1 and most commonly asked question:

Help – my propane fueled grill/cooker won’t get hot enough! I swear it worked yesterday – what’s the problem?

A: Propane regulators approved for use today have a safety design that restricts flow if a sensor is triggered – indicating too fast of flow. This often happens (to all of us!) when we turn on the propane at the tank and have left the control knob at the cooker ON.

To get things going again follow these simple steps:

1. Turn everything OFF.
2. Disconnect the tank from the feeder hose.
3. Wait a minute or two.
4. Re-connect the hose to the tank.
5. Make sure all control knobs on the cooker are in the OFF position.
6. Turn on the propane at the tank.
7. Turn on the proper control knob at the cooker and ignite according to manufacturer recommendations.

Here’s a post on the subject that also references a page in the product manuals of all Char-Broil propane fueled cookers: CLICK HERE

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Need more help with your Char-Broil cooker?

Char-Broil Recipes – more than 400 recipes including a special section just for The Big Easy

The Big Easy Thanksgiving – Videos, recipes and more

The Big Easy Cooking Guide – Download a copy as a PDF

The Big Easy Product page – with links to parts, accessories, pamphlets and more

The Users Forums – Tips, tricks, ideas, recipes, suggestions and more, all from users.

And most importantly – because while you may estimate 10 minutes per pound when planning how long it will take to cook the bird in The Big EAsy – it’s always about temperature: USDA TEMPERATURE GUIDELINES

How to carve a turkey: NEW Videos

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Some helpful posts on cooking dinner:

Thanksgiving Dinner
Side-by-Side
Prime Rib & “Fried” Turkey in The Big Easy

Nutritional Values
Turkey Meat: Dark vs. White

What’s on YOUR Holiday Menu?
Paul in Hawaii shares Thanksgiving aloha with friends

Holiday Meal Ideas
Beer Can “Turkey” in The Big Easy

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Want a printable recipe for cooking turkey in The Big Easy?

CB’s Tips for EZ “FRIED” TURKEY in The Big Easy

Fried Turkey “Southern-Style” in The Big Easy

Fried Turkey “Louisiana-Style ” in The Big Easy

Reader Recipe – Roast Turkey in THE BIG EASY

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Or an idea for a good brine?

Da Judge’s Buttermilk Brine

Mr. Jig’s Perfect Pork & Poultry Brine

CB’s EZ Basic Brine Recipe

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Most of the national hotlines and web sites:

There are people who occasionally grill a steak or chop outdoors. There are those who love to grill most meals outdoors, weather permitting.  And then there are a few dedicated enthusiasts who I call “Mailman Grillers” because neither snow nor rain, sleet or hail, darkness of night or — a sudden tornado micro burst –  will keep them from their appointed task of preparing tasty food on the grill for friends and family. This is about two buddies who go by their online screen names of squirtthecat & hal4uk. These fellas love to grill.

Couple of summers ago they were preparing for a backyard party at one of their homes and had set up a cooking area in the backyard. They were meticulous in the organization, menu planning and made contingency plans for the expected hot weather…all in consideration of their guests.

A lovely party set up for a big family party and BBQ.

(more…)

Is a roasted, grilled, smoked or Big Easy 'fried' turkey on your menu?

I’m hosting and attending several holiday meals where friends all prepare a special dish. These gatherings are not exactly “pot luck” surprise, as we debate and discuss the menu for weeks prior to the occasion. The Thanksgiving holiday dinner this year will be for about ten folks and I’m preparing several dishes.

Appetizers
Larry Gaian’s Original Moink Balls
CB’s EZ Bacon Ranch Dip
CB’s EZ Smoked Salmon

Main Course
CB’s EZ “Simon & Garfunkle” Herbed Rotisserie or Roasted Turkey
CB’s EZ Caramelized Onion & Apple Dressing with Toasted Hazelnuts
CB’s EZ Roasted Broccoli with Caramelized Shallots & Toasted Walnuts

The recipes are available by clicking on the menu item.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I’ll stick with the original … The Big Easy oil-less, infrared turkey fryer.

Happy Frying!

The online chatter about The Big Easy oil-less, infrared turkey fryer is pretty loud -and positive. One group of outdoor cooking enthusiasts have taken to using The Big Easy as the final step in preparation of smoked turkey. They smoke a whole turkey for several hours – to get that tasty TASTY flavor – and finish the bird in The Big Easy. The skin gets all nice a crispy and the smokey flavor of the turkey is DEE-LISH-US!

Here are the simple directions to follow:

Smoke whole turkey to an internal temperature reading of about 125F degrees.  Move the bird to The Big Easy and finish to preferred temperature (165F – 180F degrees).

If you have a smoker at home – why not give this method a try with a whole chicken to test it out? You may find an entirely new way to enjoy smoked turkey, chicken and other meat!

Happy Grilling! Smoking!

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Here are a 3 recipes for smoking turkey:

Basic Smoked Turkey (for offset smoker)

CB’s EZ Smoked Turkey (for grill or vertical smoker)

Judge Steve’s World Famous Recipe for Brining & Smoking a ‘Big’ Turkey

Watch Big Easy Videos
Creating a great Thanksgiving feast is a snap with the Big Easy. Check out the Big Easy Thanksgiving VIDEO LIBRARY for hassle-free cooking tips and tricks! Learn how easy it is to cook a juicy, succulent Turkey in just a few hours, and clean up is easy! CLICK HERE

Big Easy Accessories – 20% discount for Sizzle on the Grill readers!
Get the most out of your Big Easy with Big Easy Accessories. Protect your Big Easy Cooker from the elements with a cover or increase your cooking flexibility with an Easy-Out Rack, Rib Hooks or Easy-Out Basket. CLICK HERE

The Original Big Easy – 20% discount for Sizzle on the Grill readers!
The Big Easy 1600 makes cooking turkey, chicken or roasts to perfection simple!  Using infrared technology, you can fry your favorite meat without any oil, which makes for healthier, safer cooking, and the infrared’s searing heat locks in your food’s moisture and flavor. CLICK HERE

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Note: Free Shipping applies only to non-discounted items purchased at Char-Broil online during the promotional period. The Sizzle on the Grill reader 20% discount on The Big Easy cookers and accessories is not eligible for FREE Shipping.

For a great steak dinner – you start with a great cut of fine quality beef.  Getting it to market requires dedicated ranchers and  processors. Regardless of your choice of grain fed, grass fed, organic or something else – one of the most important steps in the process is the butcher who trims out the meat for you to prepare. You may be lucky enough to have a great meat market where you shop. There are excellent butchers in many cities and towns; some butchers are in their own independent shops, some service only the restaurant business and some individuals may be in the meat department at your favorite grocery store.

I rarely visit New York City – so presenting this video isn’t intended as an endorsement of LaFrieda Meats. It’s just an informative video about a good butcher  and some tips on how they practice their craft.  I thought you might enjoy it.

Happy Grilling!

This video was produced and is owned by AlwaysHungry – a custom restaurant search engine. The video is subject to copyright protection and is presented here by Creative Commons License.

Packer fans inspect the offerings at the booth. Sample packets of McCormick seasonings, tasty grilled Hillshire Farm brats and Bubba Burgers - with plenty of Buccaneer Blends sauces!

The Char-Broil – Miller Lite Home Turf Taste Tour rolled into Green Bay this past weekend for some Packers football! Thousands of fans stopped by as they filed into Lambeau Field to watch the Packers beat the Dallas Cowboys.

Perhaps the team was inspired because we shared Char-Broil’s juicy little secret…infrared!

The grilling tour is heading south to Tampa Bay this weekend for some Buccaneers football! Make sure to stop by Sweetbay Supermarket on North Dale Mabry on game day to tailgate with Char-Broil and Miller Lite before you head over to Raymond James Stadium…and be sure to find out about Char-Broil’s juicy little secret!

Take a look at the updated tour schedule: Click Here