photo by Nubar Alexanian

I’ve posted this story before – but it is a good one so worth repeating. It’s a link to an essay written and read by Jason Sheehan, “a James Beard Award-winning restaurant critic for Denver’s Westword newspaper. His barbeque obsession began at 16 with a trip to Hercules Chicken and Ribs in his hometown of Rochester, New York.”

To my mind it is a beautifully written tribute about something that is basic to many of us. A sense of what’s what and how’s how. I’m grateful that he wrote this and to the NPR series “This I believe.” for hosting it.

Click to read:

There Is No Such Thing as Too Much Barbecue

I do recommend you also hear the author read his work:

Click to Listen Now

Thanks and tip o’the hat to Rod & Sheri Gray who compete at KCBS events as Pellet Envy and posted this on: ALL THINGS BARBEQUE

Pork is a versatile protein to grill, smoke or roast on your outdoor cooker.  Pork you buy today is leaner than 20 years ago and can be purchased in many different cuts and sizes.  Most major grocery store groups with meat departments can special order or trim-to-size just about any cut of meat and pork is no exception.  This past week I picked up a couple of pork loin center roasts on sale for $1.99 a pound.  It seemed like a good deal to me anyway. One I sealed in the vacuum sealer and put in the freezer and the other I decided to trim for two different meals. Grilled pork chops tonight and smokey roasted pork roast tomorrow!

Cook # 1 – Pork Chops on the grill.

Pork Loin Center Roast

The pork loin center meat is available in different sizes – sometimes two pieces are tied together to form a roast – or as individual chops. Toward one end you’ll find the tasty somewhat pink color meat that takes to brines and marinades very well and at the other a bit more reddish color meat that has a richer depth of flavor, or at least it does to my taste buds. (more…)

Why not try a ham prepared on the grill this holiday? The results can be DEE-LISH-US! (photo by Bill and Sharon Bauer)

I recently spoke with Cyndi Allison, an accomplished outdoor cook and guest writer for Sizzle on the Grill.  (You can read her profile and connect to her web site in the Writers and Chefs section above!) She has a family of boys with extremely healthy appetites – and I have a teenage son with an appetite for two, so we have much to discuss!  One of the topics of conversation was ‘cooking’ the holiday ham on the grill or smoker.  For the most part folks purchase pre-cooked hams and they need only a little bit of heat to make them ready for the plate.  If you have more advanced outdoor cooking skills you may be ready to take on curing, smoking and finishing a ham from the raw state – but that’s a different post.  Below is a quick recap of the conversation we had as she shares some tips on preparing that holiday ham outdoors.

Thanks and…

Happy Grilling!

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CB: Cyndi – I always learn so much from you, can you share some of your tips for preparing the holiday ham on the grill?

CA: A lot of folks are scared to grill larger cuts of meat, but hams are (or can be) super easy to grill or smoke. They just take longer, but the wait is worth it. And, you free up the oven for side dishes when you do the ham on the grill.

A great way to "heat" that holiday ham is on the grill, set up for indirect cooking.

CB: What hams can I cook?

CA: You can grill any ham on a grill. But, a pre-cooked ham is going to be easier, since you do not have to worry about actually cooking the ham. Most families do pre-cooked hams for holidays anyway, so taking that idea, just get your favorite ham that you would usually buy. The one you see in my photo is a Hormel boneless ham. But, I switch around depending on the sales.

CB: What grill should I use?

CA: Basically, any grill (other than those really tiny table top models) will handle a ham. You can use a charcoal grill or smoker, a gas grill or an infrared cooker like The Big Easy.

CB: How do you set up the grill to cook a ham? (more…)

Like most folks these days – my friends and I are the economy plan when it comes to entertaining and nights out on the town.  We do enjoy good food and have found that by combining resources we can come up with outstanding dinner parties.  This past weekend a friend who travels quite a bit was going to be in town for a rare Saturday night and we all got together to share a meal and catch up on the comings and goings of one another. (more…)

I really enjoy hearing from you with an outdoor cooking question, tip or a recipe recommendation – and I particularly like it when you include pictures of your cook in the email!  Clark lives in Georgia and has send several emails about food he cooks for his family.  They are always interesting and finally, after several pleas, he sent along some pictures. And man-oh-man it was worth the wait!  Take a look at this idea he came up with to add a layer of flavor to chicken and don’t you even try to tell me this doesn’t make your mouth water and your tummy sing out: DEE-LISH-US! While this recipe is prepared in a Big Easy Smoker, Roaster, Grill – I am certain it can also be prepared using a standard charcoal or gas grill, an off-set barbeque or one of the new Char-Broil infrared grills.

Thanks and… (more…)

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? (more…)

Our friends at the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association provide many free resource to help you become better informed and make healthy decisions for your diet.

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.

(more…)

Several weeks back I enjoyed a perfectly prepared pork chop served on a bed of saute’d spinach, tomato, mushrooms and garlic.  Ahem.  I made it in my kitchen. I’d intended to prepare some chops on the grill – but it was raining so hard I just couldn’t make myself head out to cook so I worked out some ideas with a sauté pan on the stove-top.

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.

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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. (more…)