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…)

When I smoke and slow cook a pork shoulder I just about always end up with some leftovers and that means I end up with some vacu-sealed bags of smoky pulled pork in my freezer!  Just the other day I was looking at one of those bags when I remembered a post written by Guest Chef John “Patio Daddio” Dawson using left-over pulled pork and store-bought biscuit dough.  Oh man – get creative with this idea and I know you are going to enjoy something this weekend that is DEE-LISH-US!

Happy Grilling!

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Pulled Pork Pockets |Guest Cheff John “Patio Daddio” Dawson

Hey CB – Here is easy finger food that would be great for entertaining. ~ JD

What could be simpler than canned flaky biscuit dough rolled out to six-inch rounds, filled with pork then brushed with an egg wash and sprinkled with a little chili powder?

Don't those look tasty?

There really isn’t a recipe for this cook – just combine the ingredients for the filling and prepare according to the package direction on the biscuits!

One of the “Meatless Monday” challenges I face is coming up with meals that actually appeal to me.  When my copy of the Gordon Ramsey cookbook,  Cooking for Friends, arrived I was glad to find a veggie dish that both sounded good and could be done outdoors on the grill. So here’s my take on Gordon Ramsey’s Grilled Vegetable Lasagna.  The main different between the recipe below and what I did was the vegetables were all cooked on my Weber kettle.  The original recipe also uses the oven, as I did, but it could be done in the smoker or indirect on your gas or charcoal grill.

The original recipe calls for using the broiler to char the bell peppers - I used my charcoal grill.

I also cut the zucchini into long 1/2 inch thick strips instead of rounds so they were easier to grill. (This photo shows both a round - top - and a strip.)

Topped with a little basil. Added some french bread and a salad for a complete meal.

Topped with a little basil. Added some french bread and a salad for a complete meal.

For a printed version of this adaptation by Larry Gaian of the original recipe by Gordon Ramsey – CLICK HERE.

The guest chefs who contribute to Sizzle on the Grill are predominantly backyard cooks who are passionate about cooking outdoors.  I particularly enjoy hearing from The Grillin Fools because one of their favorite cookers is the same one I use.  And it’s old school all the way.  Here’s a photo story they posted and I re-post here for your pleasure and enjoyment. I hope it inspires you!

Thanks and…

Happy Grilling!

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Comfort Food – Beef Chuck Roast! | The Grillin Fools

Hiya CB – thought you’d like to see a cook we did recently on our “OLD” Char-Broil 940x that was inspired by some cooks you’ve done in the past.

The marinated and smoked chuck roast in a roasting pan on the grates.

It is looking good and the flavors are melding!

Tender, smoky and flavorful comfort food!

Years ago I prepared just the roast on the grill at the urging of my dear departed father-in-law Russ.  He created a whiskey marinate that gave me heartburn for a couple of days so I needed a different, yet simple, approach for this method. (more…)

For several years I’ve referred to a technique I call, for want of anything better – “Sear & Hold.” This uses the grill to sear steaks, chops, burgers, fish and even chicken over direct high heat – and then finish on low indirect heat to produce a tasty and perfectly cooked meal for your guests. Using this technique on just about any grill, pair of tongs, a thermometer and a little practice you will consistently serve food your guests enjoy and of which you are proud.

Because there are so many questions about how to do this I thought it might be helpful to show the technique on several different grills over the course of the spring and summer in hopes that I’ll inspire you to try it and, if you like it, adapt it to suit your own style of cooking. Each grill design has specific features that require you to understand as the head chef at your house. This month I’ve been using the Big Easy Smoker-Roaster-Grill for various cooks and for this post it’s set up for grilling.

Trim away the excessive fat from the lip. It's not needed for flavor "in" the meat and it will only add to smoke & fat fire flare-ups. Note the RED cutting board? Color code for raw meat.

If you happen to read the post from February 16th called “Some tips on grilling great steaks.” – one of the first steps I recommend is to trim away excess fat from the individual steaks as it only adds to the fat dripping into your fire and doesn’t add to flavor in the meat. Yes, of course you can eat the cooked fat with bites of meat – but I’m trying to be more conscientious in my eating habits these days!  Cutting away excess fat will reduce the amount of smoke when searing steak at the high heat range of 450F – 650F degrees and your doctor will appreciate the effort as well.

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I truly enjoy the flavor of slow cooked pork ribs, grilled whole pork tenderloin sliced into medallions, pork loin roasted and smoked a bit, a smokey pulled pork  sandwich with lotsa ‘bark’ on the surface to kinda chew on and taste the smoke. When it comes to beef – well gimmie a sirloin, a ribeye beef steak, porterhouse, tenderloin, standing rib, flat iron, hanger steak, slow cooked brisket (Texas style if you please) and just about anything else grilled, slow cooked or roasted and barbequed with some smoke. And do I even have to mention chicken, turkey, duck, pheasant, quail, goat, wild boar, veal and a couple other sublime tasty meats that are oh-so-DEE-LISH-US when grilled, roasted, smoked or barbequed?.

Yep – I love it all!

But maybe, just maybe. At least for today maybe – a lightly seasoned and grilled-roasted rack of lamb is one of my top favorite meats to enjoy. Tonight I prepared a smallish 1 lb rack of New Zealand lamb on the Big Easy Smoker-Roaster-Grill as part of my shake-down experience with this new product from Char-Broil.  I gotta tell you I  just couldn’t be happier with the result.

Individual chops sliced from a rack of lamb grilled-roasted to RARE please! Lightly seasoned to compliment the natural flavor of the meat.

The methods to prepare many different cuts of meat on the grill are nearly identical. Once you get the method or technique mastered – you can feel confident approaching the variety of meat available to you and expand your meal time enjoyment. (more…)

This cooking tip from Bob in New Hampshire is useful for preparing just about any large fillet of fish and especially useful for thinner, softer and somewhat easily torn fish species.  Perhaps you already use this method and, while it’s not technically direct heat grilling, it’s a very safe way to prepare fish on the grill to ensure tasty results.  And here’s a challenge for the more “adventurous” -  try using parchment paper in place of the aluminum foil to create individual envelopes for the fish and flavorings like compound butter, herbs and even some firm veggies – then cook these individual servings in a closed grill at about 350F degrees using indirect heat.

Thanks and…

Happy Grilling!

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How Ya Doing CB?  I would like to share this recipe with you. Our grandson Travis gave me the recipe a while back and we have been cooking our fish this way since.

• 1- Fillet of Haddock
• 1/2 Lemon sliced thin
• 1 Hand full of Ritz crackers crumbled
• 2 Tablespoons of melted butter or spray butter
• A little salt for seasoning
• A sheet of foil to put fillet on cooking spray

Spray the sheet of foil with cooking spray, put sliced lemons on foil,

Slices of lemons placed on "lightly sprayed" aluminum foil.

put fish fillet on top of lemons, (more…)

Grilled ribeye steak served medium-rare with side of grilled gulf prawns.

Depending upon your level of overall confidence and outdoor cooking skills – you may aspire to preparing steaks that rival those served in expensive steak houses. There are really only a couple of secrets to grilling great steaks.

1. Good quality meat cut thick enough to sear without overcooking

2. High heat & clean grates

OK – there is definitely a third…

3. Patience & Experience

Here’s a pictorial I made of a mixed grill cook I did just this past weekend on the Big Easy Smoker-Roaster-Grill set up for grilling.

After reading the post please leave a comment or question in the Comment section (first time users will experience a delay in the comment being posted while it is reviewed and approved to prevent spammers) or sign up on the Users Forums to post questions about cooking steaks on your specific type of grill.

Thanks and…

Happy Grilling!

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1. Choose the cut of meat that’s right for flavor and best for grilling – based upon your taste buds and your budget! Here’s some information about USDA Grades of Beef and here’s a Beef Chart to help you select meat best suited to preparation techniques. For this cook I happened upon a special deal on USDA Prime Ribeye steaks.

Here’s what the ribeyes I purchased looked like when I brought them home: (more…)

A very tasty grilled to Medium Rare ribeye steak and prawns for lunch.

Talking by phone to business associates on the east coast and southeast who are marveling or grouching about snow. Watching cable news videos of a foot or more of snow in Dallas, TX and a bit less than that in parts of Louisiana and Mississippi. Raining like crazy in southern California.

Gee. It’s a sunny spring afternoon in Seattle.

Ahem – clears throat and says out loud:

“Boy, it sure is nice to grill lunch on the Big Easy Smoker-Roaster-Grill.“