Well, I guess not everything has to be cooked on the Big Green Egg. We’ve been traveling a lot to see family so my dear wife adapted this great, quick one pot meal from Real Simple so we could have an easy, yet tasty, dinner when we finally got home.

As they roast, the lemons in this dish become very soft and savory and infuse the rest of the ingredients. Waxy potatoes seem to work best. We used some gorgeous heirloom fingerlings. You can switch out the asparagus for 3/4 pound of fresh green beans, trimmed.

6 tablespoons olive oil
2 lemons (1 thinly sliced, 1 juiced)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch asparagus
8 small red potatoes, sliced in half
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Coat a 9×13 baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Arrange the lemon slices in a single layer on the bottom.

Arrange the lemon slices in a single layer in the bottom of the dish.

In a large bowl, combine the remaining oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Add the asparagus and toss to coat. Use a slotted spoon or tongs to remove the asparagus and arrange them on top of the lemon slices.

Add the potatoes to the same olive oil mixture and toss to coat. Using the slotted spoon or tongs, remove them from the oil and arrange along the inside of the dish, on top of the asparagus.

Place the chicken in the same bowl with the olive oil mixture and coat thoroughly. Arrange the chicken on top of the asparagus. Pour any of the  remaining olive oil mixture over the chicken.

Put the chicken in the same bowl with the olive oil mixture and coat thoroughly. Arrange the chicken on top of the asparagus. Pour any of the  remaining olive oil mixture and garlic over the chicken.

Roast for 50 minutes or until chicken is done (160°F internal) and the potatoes are tender. We served this with the last of the sweet corn.

Enjoy!

I’ve said this before – I am not a big fan of boneless/skinless chicken breasts. They almost always end up being kind of dry and flavorless.  But my dear wife likes to have some around for lunches and chicken salad, so I decided to give this version from Adam Perry Lang’s  BBQ 25: The World’s Most Flavorful Recipes-Now Made Fool-Proof a try. I figure anything brined and basted can’t be all bad.

The Brine
8 – 12 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons grated or finely chopped red onion
2 cloves grated or finely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped scallions
1 bunch fresh marjoram or basil
1 bunch fresh thyme
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
Juice of one lemon
4 cups cold water

Combine everything but the chicken in a zip-top bag. Mix to combine. Add the chicken and turn to cover. Stash in the fridge for at least 3 hours, overnight is best.

The Glaze
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons chopped scallions
1 bunch fresh thyme, leaves only
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots

Combine all of the glaze ingredients in a shallow, flame-proof pan (a disposable 9×13 foil pan works great).

The Cook
Set your grill up for a direct cook at medium high (400°F) heat. Set the pan containing the glaze on the grill and heat until the butter melts. Stir the glaze to combine all the goodies, then remove the pan from the heat. I set mine right next to the Big Green Egg to keep it warm and handy.

Remove the breasts from the brine and put them on the grill. Grill the breasts 10 minutes on one side, flip and baste with the glaze. Grill 5 minutes on the second side. Brush with the glaze and grill for 5 more minutes. Flip, brush, and grill until just this side of done – the juices will be just a little pink  and the internal temperature of the chicken hits 155°F.

Remove the breasts from the grill and set them in the glaze pan. Turn them to coat with the glaze. Return the pan to the grill and heat until the glaze comes to a boil and the internal temperature of the chicken hits 160°F (about 5 minutes).

Remove the pan from the heat. Let the breasts rest for 10 minutes in the glaze before serving. Top with remaining glaze.

The Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Another winner from Lang’s BBQ 25! The breasts stayed moist and tender from the brine while picking up all the buttery/herby deliciousness of the baste. They not only made an excellent dinner, but were also great for lunch the next two days. Even nuking them in the microwave at work didn’t dry them out. Now that’s the test of a juicy chicken breast.

Kabobs have got to be one of my favorite summer foods – easy to make, quick to grill, and damn tasty to boot. This time I did a batch of Korean bulgogi and some spicy chicken thighs. I served them up with my take on Alton Brown’s Asian Slaw.

Step 1 – Get Everything Marinating

Bulgogi

1 1/2 pounds ribeye steak
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon rice wine
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon fresh ginger
1 green onion (white and green parts)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Slice the steaks across the grain into thin slices. This works better if the steaks are still a little frozen.

Put the sugar, garlic, and ginger in a food processor and pulse until the garlic and ginger are minced. Add the remaining ingredients, except the steak, and give them a whirl until everything is well-combined.

Put the steak in a zip-top bag and cover with the marinade.  Toss to coat. Squeeze the air out of the bag, seal it, and put it in the fridge to marinate for at least 4 hours, overnight is better.

Spicy Tamarind Chicken Thighs

10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup tamarind concentrate (ready-to-use, not paste)
1/4 cup Sriracha (a.k.a. Rooster) sauce
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Put the salt and garlic in a food processor and pulse until the garlic is minced. Add the remaining ingredients, except the chicken, and give them a whirl until everything is well-combined.

Put the chicken in a zip-top bag and cover with the marinade.  Toss to coat. Squeeze the air out of the bag, seal it, and put it in the fridge to marinate for at least 4 hours, overnight is better.

Step 2 – Assemble the Slaw

You can make this a day in advance to let the flavors blend.

8 ounces rice noodles, cooked according to the directions on the package, then drained and cooled
1 1-inch piece ginger
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce (nuoc nam)
Juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 head cabbage
1 red bell pepper
1 small cucumber
3 green onions, cut on the bias, all of white part and half of the green
2 tablespoons cilantro, minced
2 tablespoons mint, minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Set a box grater in a large bowl. Using the fine holes of grater, grate the ginger. Switch to the coarse side and grate the cucumber. Switch to the slicer side and grate the pepper and cabbage. Remove the grater. Add the noodles, green onions, cilantro, mint, red pepper, and black pepper to the bowl and give everything a stir to combine.

In a small bowl, combine vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, lime juice, oil, and peanut butter. Pour dressing over the ingredients in the large bowl, then stir to combine.  Refrigerate the slaw until you are ready to serve it.

Step 3 – The Cook

You’ll need 8 to 10 bamboo skewers. Soak them in water for at least an hour.

Set the grill up for a direct cook over very hot (500°F +) heat.

Remove the meat from their respective marinades and thread onto skewers.  Grill chicken about 6 minutes per side. Grill the beef for about 3 minutes per side. In both cases you’re looking for some crispy bits on the outside without overcooking the meat.

Serve meat, slaw and some perfectly ripe sweet corn for an amazing summer treat!

I make a version of this chicken and veggie recipe about once a week while we’re getting nice, fresh veggies out of the garden. Once you get it set up on the grill, the components of this dish all work together really well – the chicken juices flavor the veggies while the veggie pan protects the chicken from direct heat.

To make this dish even more conevenient for the summer, I like to do 2 birds at a time. It’s not really much more work, and you end up with plenty of leftovers for no-cook lunches. This time I also bumped up the spice by saucing the birds with Suck Creek’s Original Hot Wing Sauce at the end of the cook.

The Veggies
6 small Yukon gold potatoes, quartered
1 small yellow squash, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh ground back pepper to taste

Lightly oil a 9×13 baking pan. Add the veggies, drizzle with olive oil, season with the salt and a couple of grinds of pepper.

The Birds

2 3-5 pound roasting chickens
4  tablespoons olive oil
2 to 4  tablespoons of your favorite barbecue rub (I used John Henry’s Pecan Rub)
1/2 cup Suck Creek’s Original Hot Wing Sauce

Spatchcocking is easier than it sounds – place the bird in front of you, breast side down. Butterfly the bird by cutting up through the backbone with either a pair of kitchen shears or a sharp chef’s knife. You can repeat this to remove the entire backbone, but I generally don’t.

Spread the bird open like a book and locate the keel bone that sits between the breasts. Nick it with a knife to get it to open up, but don’t cut all the way through. Flip the bird over and press down on the center of the bird until it lies flat.

Clean and rinse the chicken, then pat it dry. Rub both sides of the bird with olive oil and season with the rub, making sure to work some under the skin.

The Cook

Set your grill up for an indirect cook over medium heat (350°F). On the Big Green Egg I use the plate setter to diffuse the heat and set the pan of veggies on top of that. Then put the grill grate on top of the pan and put the chickens, skin side up, on the grate.

Close the lid and cook the chicken and veggies for 30 minutes. Give the veggies a stir and flip the birds over.  Cook for another 30 minutes, then start checking to see if everything is done. The veggies are done when they are tender. The chicken is done when the juices run clear and the the temperature has reached 160°F in the breast and 180°F in the thigh.

The veggies will most likely be done before the birds. Pull them if they finish first and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm. When the chicken is just about done, baste both sides with the sauce. Cook 15 more minutes, and baste again. Cook until the birds are done (about 1 1/2 hours total cooking time) and baste one last time before removing from the grill.

Remove the birds to a cutting board and let them rest for about 10 minutes. Quarter the birds for serving.

I was inspired by the Sriracha Pork Glaze over at Nibble Me This and had to try this sweet, spicy, savory glaze.  I used it to really light up some boring old chicken breasts.

6 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1 (10 ounce) jar black cherry jam
1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
1/4 cup  terriyaki sauce
Juice of 1/2 lime (about 1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger

Mix everything but the chicken breasts  in a sauce pan over medium heat until blended (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool.

Put chicken breasts in a zip-top bag and cover with the cooled marinade. Squeeze the air out of the bag, seal it, and toss it in the fridge to marinate for at least 2 hours, overnight is better.

Set up your grill for a direct cook over medium (350°F) heat.

Remove the breasts from the marinade. Save the marinade. Pour the marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Let boil for about 3 minutes, until the marinade has thickened to the point that it will coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Pour off 1/2 cup of the marinade to use for basting the chicken. Save the rest to pour over the top when done.

Season the breasts on both sides with a little salt and pepper.

Grill the breasts 10 minutes on one side, flip and grill another 5 minutes on the second side. Brush with marinade and grill for 5 more minutes. Flip, brush, and grill until the the juices just start to run clear or the internal temperature of the chicken hits 160°F.

Remove the chicken from the grill and let rest 5 minutes before serving. Top with the reserved marinade.

The name is courtesy of The Naked Whiz, and refers to going one step farther than spatchcocking (butterflying) the chicken by cutting the bird completely in half. Cutting the chicken like this shortens the cooking time and makes it easier to get 2 birds on the grate.

• 2  3-5 pound roasting chickens
• 1  cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup peanut oil
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3-4 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Put the salt and garlic in a food processor and pulse until the garlic is minced. Add the remaining ingredients, except the chicken, and give them a whirl until they are well-combined. This makes just under 2 cups of marinade.

Clean and rinse the birds, then pat them dry. Place a bird in front of you, breast side down. Spatchcock the bird by cutting up through the backbone with either a pair of kitchen shears or a sharp chef’s knife. Spread the bird open like a book and flip it over. Cut down through the keel bone right between the breasts, cutting the bird completely in half. Repeat with the second bird.

Put the chicken in a freezer bag and cover with the marinade. Squeeze the air out of the bag and seal. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, overnight is best, 48 hours rocks.

Set your grill up for a indirect cook over medium-high (400°F) heat. On the Big Green Egg this means filling the firebox about half way up with lump and using a platesetter and drip pan to diffuse the heat.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and put on the grill skin side up. Close the lid and cook for 45 minutes. Check the chicken and continue to cook  until the juices run clear and the meat is no longer pink in the center, or until you reach 170°F in the breast and 180°F in the thickest part of the thigh. These birds went 90 minutes total.

Remove from heat and let rest 10 minutes. Cut between the thighs and body to quarter the bird for serving.

Sometimes it’s not about the hottest new ingredient or the coolest technique. Sometimes it’s just about putting dinner on the plate. That doesn’t mean it has to be boring, sub-par fare. These chicken breasts were a quick, easy, and tasty way to get us fed on a Sunday night without going to a lot of effort or compromising on the quality of the food.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Barbecue rub (I used Dizzy Pig’s Swamp Venom for this batch)
Barbecue sauce (used up the last of my Blues Hog Original)

Season the breasts all over with a generous dusting of rub. Store in the fridge while you set up your grill for a direct cook over medium (350°F) heat.

Grill the breasts 10 minutes on one side,  flip and grill another 5 minutes on the second side. Brush with barbecue sauce and grill for 5 more minutes. Flip, brush, and grill until the the juices just start to run clear or the internal temperature of the chicken hits 160°F.

I served these with a baked potato and some steamed broccoli. Is it haute cuisine? No, but it’s real food that’s hot and ready to eat in about 30 minutes.

I finally got a chance to try the award-winning Suck Creek’s Original Hot Wing Sauce. I was (of course) going to try it on a batch of wings, but dinner plans for the weekend called for something a little more substantial. So I matched the sauce with chicken thighs and my version of the corn pudding from The Grand Central Baking Book via Caroline Russock at Serious Eats.

Suck Creek Thighs

8 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on
1-2 tablespoon of your favorite barbecue rub (I used John Henry’s Texas Chicken Tickler)
1/2 cup Suck Creek’s Original Hot Wing Sauce

About 2 hours before cooking, dust the thighs with the rub, lay them out in a single layer on a sheet pan, and let them sit uncovered in the fridge. This step not only to seasons the thighs but also dries the skin out a bit to keep it crispy.

Set the grill up for an indirect cook over medium-high  (400°F) heat. On the Big Green Egg I used the plate setter to diffuse the heat and added a raised grid to get the thighs crispier still by moving them up into the the hotter part of the dome.

Put the thighs on the grill skin side down, close the lid,  and let them cook for 30 minutes. Flip them and let them go another 20 minutes.

Check for doneness -  when the juices run clear and the internal temperature in the largest thigh hits 160°F , brush the thighs on both sides with the wing sauce. Let them cook 10 minutes more and brush them again. Let them cook  5 more minutes, brush one last time, remove them to a warm plate, and let sit 10 minutes before serving.

Corn Pudding

1 cup all-purpose flour (I used Pamela’s Ultimate Baking and Pancake Mix to make it gluten-free.)
2/3 cup (3 ounces) cornmeal
2  tablespoons finely chopped dried chives
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon of your favorite barbecue rub (Dizzy Pig’s Dizzy Dust this time)
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 (15.25 ounce) can corn, drained
2 cups (16 fluid ounces) whole milk
2 tablespoons butter or bacon grease, melted
2 eggs, beaten
3 ounces Cheddar cheese, grated (about 3/4 cup)
1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1/2 cup heavy cream

Preheated the oven to 350°F and greased a 2 1/2 quart casserole. The original recipes calls for a 8×8 cake pan, but the casserole gives it a more pudding-like consistency.

The drys – combine the flour, cornmeal, chives, sugar, salt, baking powder, rub, pepper flakes, and baking soda  into a large bowl and mix well.

The wets – melt the butter (or bacon grease, which I used) in a medium bowl. Add the corn, milk, eggs, cheese, and vinegar and beat until smooth.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Pour the batter into the casserole, then (I love this part!) pour the cream right into the center without stirring.

Bake at 350°F for 50 minutes (I put the casserole in the oven right before I put  the thighs on the grill). It’s done when it still quivers slightly in the middle when shaken. Let it stand for 15 minutes before serving.

The Verdict

Suck Creek makes some serious wing sauce – great flavor with plenty of heat. Thick and not too vinegary, with lots of herbaliciousness going on. The heat is right up front, but it’s not overwhelming and it doesn’t build or linger. I was afraid it would be a little too much on the thighs without some kind of creamy dip to cool it down, but it really perked up the chicken without covering it up. This is one of the best wing sauces I have ever tried.

I love grilled wings – crispy, sweet, spicy, tangy, juicy, smoky – what’s not to love? I just look for excuses to make them. This batch was an experiment in making my own wing sauce. I’ve tried a lot of the bottled sauces and been happy (sometimes ecstatic) with most of them, but I still wanted to try my hand at creating my own unique sauce.

3-4 pounds chicken wings (about 16-24 wings), cut at the joint into two pieces
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup cider vinegar
4 tablespoons butter
Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon medium chili powder
1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon smoked Spanish paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar

In a medium saucepan, combine all of the ingredients except the wings and the butter and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Add the butter and boil for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Makes about 2 cups.

In a large container with a lid, combine half the sauce with the wings and and shake to make sure that they are well-covered. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight, turning the pieces occasionally.

Set up your grill for an indirect cook at 400°F. Use a pan under the grate to catch any drippings and further diffuse the heat.

When the grill is ready, put the wings on the grill and cook undisturbed for 30 minutes. Flip and cook for another 30 minutes, or until brown and crispy.

Pour remaining sauce into a large bowl Add the wings and toss to mix well. Move to a plate and serve with bleu cheese dressing and celery sticks.

The Verdict

While these were some tasty wings, there’s plenty of room for improvement:

• They had just a little heat up front, but it lingered and built. I liked it, but by the 4th wing or so some folks found them a little overwhelming. Next time I’d go down to 1 teaspoon cayenne and add 1/2 teaspoon chipotle.
• Way too much vinegar. I’ll leave out the white vinegar entirely and double the balsamic and maybe add a 1/4 cup or so of beer.
• More sweet – double the brown sugar.
• Maybe a tablespoon of ketchup or tomato sauce to help meld the flavors.
• The grocery store was out of fresh wings,  so I had to use frozen -  never again, no way, no how – the frozen ones are much smaller and the texture just isn’t as good.
• To marinate or not marinate: that is the question. Marinating gets me a deeper flavor. Not marinating gets me a dryer skin, which means a crispier wing. Not sure which I like more.

Well, it looks like I’ll be be running a few more tests. The nice thing about experimenting with food is that you get to eat your mistakes.

Pickapeppa sauce is kind of the Jamaican version of a Worcestershire or steak sauce. It’s a spicy/sweet/savory blend of tomatoes, onions, cane vinegar, peppers, mangoes, raisins, tamarind, and secret spices. While it smells a lot like jerk seasoning, it doesn’t have anywhere near the heat. Often called “Jamaican ketchup,” you can use it as a condiment, a barbecue sauce, or (as in this recipe) a marinade.

8-12 chicken thighs
1 bottle Classic Pickapeppa Sauce
1 tablespoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Combine all of the ingredients, except the chicken, and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Put the chicken in a Ziploc bag and cover with the marinade. Squeeze the air out of the bag and seal. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, overnight is better, 48 hours rocks.

Set your grill up for an indirect cook over medium-high  (400°F) heat. Put the thighs on the grill skin side down. Close the lid and cook for 20 minutes. Flip and cook  until the internal temperature has reached 180°F in the thickest part of the thighs, about another 40 minutes.

When the chicken is done, remove it to a warm plate and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. Serve with more Pickapeppa sauce and a Caribbean hot sauce on the side.