Category: Grilling

Planked Steak and Scallops

This dish makes good use of plank cooking to not only flavor the food, but to create a simple yet mildly-dramatic “one pot” meal on the grill. Don’t skimp on the chipotle or cayenne. The chilies help to balance the robust woodsiness of the cedar, and provide an unexpected kick without overwhelming the meat.

Bacon-wrapped Tenderloins with Smokey Compound Butter (stolen largely from Pinch My Salt)

For the Steaks:

2 beef tenderloin steaks, 1 1/2 inches thick or better
2 slices bacon
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

Tightly wrap one slice of bacon around each steak, securing with with a toothpick. Season both sides with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.

For the Compound Butter:

1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup) at room temperature, divided in half
1 tablespoon Smoked Spanish paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder or cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Melt half of the butter and pour into a mixing bowl. Add the spices and mix until until well-combined. Let cool until mostly solid. Add the remaining butter and whisk to combine. Spoon mixture onto a large ramekin, cover with a sheet of waxed paper, and refrigerate until ready to use.

Chili Lime Scallops

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon chipotle chili powder or cayenne pepper
1 lb sea scallops

Whisk lime juice, oil, garlic, chili powder, salt, and cayenne together in small bowl. Add scallops and toss to cover with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate, basting once with marinade, for about 30 minutes.

Asparagus

1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed
olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Please the spears on a plate and drizzle with a little oil and vinegar. Turn to coat then sprinkle with salt.

The Cook


The goal is to put everything on the grill at the right time so that it’s all done at once. It’s important to work quickly, so have your mis en place, some warmed plates stacked nearby, and an oven set on low as a backup in case you need to stash a dish that finishes early.

Use a food-grade plank that’s been soaked in water for at least an hour. Set your grill up for direct cooking at high heat (about 500°F).

When the grill is up to temperature, put the plank on by itself for about 5 minutes, or until you see the first wisps of smoke coming from the board. Flip the plank over and set it beside the grill with the warm side up.

Sear the steaks for 2-3 minutes on each side. Put the plank back on the grill with the warm side up and move the steaks and the scallops to the plank. Close the lid and cook until the steaks and scallops are right around 120°F internal, about 10-15 minutes.

Add the asparagus to the grill. Leave the lid open and grill for about 5 minutes, turning frequently, until the spears begin to brown and caramelize.

Ideally, the asparagus should be done at the same time the steaks have reached 135°F internal (medium-rare) and the scallops are opaque and have just started to flake a bit. Remove everything to warm plates, top the steaks with a pat of the compound butter, and serve.

Crab-stuffed Mushrooms

Meaty portobellos stuffed with a spicy crab and cheese filling. This was a big hit as an appetizer on Valentine’s Day. You could do them in an oven, but since the rest of the meal was grilled (of course), it was just as easy to throw these on beforehand. Many thanks to my very tolerant and understanding wife for waiting for me snap this photo before we dug in.

Ingredients

1 can (6 ounces) crab meat, drained
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
1 teaspoon Chesapeake Bay seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ground
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2-3 portobello mushroom caps, stems removed and finely chopped
2 tablespoons bread crumbs
Olive oil

Directions

Set the grill up for an direct cook over medium-high heat (400°F). Grease the bottom of a small, smoke-proof baking dish (a disposable, 9-inch pie pan works fine) with a little olive oil.

In the bowl of a mixer, combine crab meat, cream cheese, parsley, onion, Parmesan, Chesapeake Bay seasoning, garlic powder, black pepper, red pepper, and the diced stems. Mix well to combine.

Stuff the mushroom caps with the crab mixture, top with bread crumbs and a drizzle of olive oil.

Arrange the stuffed mushroom on the baking dish and grill for about 20 minutes, or until the caps are tender and the tops are brown and bubbly.

Grilled Buffalo Wings

I doubt that Teressa Bellissimo knew what kind of sensation she was creating when she served up the first buffalo wings at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York,  in 1964. The crispy spiciness of the wings and the cool, creamy tang of the blue cheese sauce are a terrific flavor combination

This recipe gives a nod to tradition by using the same Frank’s RedHot sauce that Teressa tossed her wings in. It’s got a little heat, excellent depth, and vinegary tang. While frying is the standard way to prepare buffalo wings, I really think that grilling them is the best way to go. Grilling lets some of the fat render out, but you still get nice, crispy wing plus all that extra flavor that the smoke brings to the party.

Ingredients

3-4 pounds fresh chicken wings (about 16-24 wings), whole
1 1/2 cups  Frank’s RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Preparation

Combine hot sauce with melted butter in a large container with a lid. Mix well. Place the wings in the container, seal, and shake to make sure that they are covered with the marinade. 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 350°F. Use a pan under the grate to catch any drippings and further diffuse the heat.

Remove the wings to a plate, reserving the marinade. Put the reserved marinade in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Put the wings on the grill and cook about 15 minutes, flip the wings, and baste them with the reserved marinade. Repeat every 15 minutes until the wings are done (about 45-60 minutes).  Serve hot from the grill with bleu cheese dressing and celery sticks.

Pork Steak

When I was a kid this is the cut of meat that I remember hitting the grill the most often around our house, and for good reason – it’s a tasty, inexpensive cut that cooks fast and is almost impossible to screw up. Perfect for weeknights when you want something quick and great for feeding a crowd.

Pork steak is cut from the shoulder roast (a.k.a. Boston butt). It’s an active muscle group and not particularly tender, so the steaks are usually cut no more than a 1/2 inch thick. The steaks have a lot of marbling, which makes them very flavorful and moist.

For this cook I set my Big Green Egg up for a direct cook at medium-high temperature (about 350-375°F).  There are no nuances to pork steak, so in holding with family tradition I seasoned them heavily with seasoned salt and tossed them on the grill.

With the lip open, I let the steaks cook about a minute on each side before flipping them, and then kept flipping them once a  minute until they were done. When I got flare ups, I just shut the lid down until they stopped, but always tried to keep the meat moving.

How do you tell when pork steaks are done? The USDA says at 160°F internal temp. That’s fine, but these are some fatty steaks and there is little danger of overcooking them. I cooked them for a good 15 to 20 minutes, until much of the fat has rendered out and what’s left has gotten ever so crispy.

Grilled Chicken Thighs & Tamarind Marinade

This is another take on the sweet and succulent chicken you’ll find sizzling on roadside grills around the world. I’ve eaten versions of it from huge open pit grills at our county fair, from tiny pollo asado stands in Mexico, and from a grill made out of an old oil drum on the beach in Belize.

The recipes vary, but the marinade is always the key to this dish. Tart, yet savory, usually with a healthy dose of chiles and other spices. It seasons the meat and helps to keep it juicy. I normally marinate the chicken for at least 36 hours, but I ran short of time and decided to try vacuum marinating to speed up the process. Continue reading “Grilled Chicken Thighs & Tamarind Marinade”

Sausage and Peppers

It’s getting to be the end of Summer and the peppers are at their prime. This is an easy one-dish cook that melds the sweetness of the peppers, the spiciness of the sausages, and smokeyness of the grill.

  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 6 cups mixed sweet peppers (bell, Hungarian, banana…) sliced into strips
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • A couple of grinds of fresh black pepper
  • 9-12 small sweet or hot Italian sausages Continue reading “Sausage and Peppers”

Charred Onion Salad & Sirloin Steak

The best meal we’ve had this Summer.

Charred Onion Salad (from Taming the Flame by Elizabeth Karmel by way of Serious Eats)

Oil Drum Chicken

Anyone who’s traveled anywhere in the world has come across this scene: a roadside stand with a table and a few chairs, a couple of coolers, a smoky fire in an old oil drum, and a load of this well-marinated chicken sizzling on top of it. Whether it be on a Caribbean beach or at a fire department fundraiser, this is the quintessential grilled chicken – crispy, juicy, smoky, and tangy. Continue reading “Oil Drum Chicken”

Chimichurri Chicken

With all the fresh herbs coming up in our garden, I like using some of them for this tangy Argentinian marinade. Chicken is not exactly traditional gaucho food, but it pairs well with the citrus and garlic, and the extra oil helps keep the breasts moist.

  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley
  • 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
  • Juice of 1 lemon (2-3 tablespoons)
  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • 4-6 cloves garlic
  • 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried red chili flakes
  • 1 teaspoon of sweet smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon kosher sea salt
  • 6-8 boneless chicken breasts

Continue reading “Chimichurri Chicken”

Grilled Peaches

  • 2 tbsp butter, softened slightly
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tbsp candied ginger
  • 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
  • 3 freestone peaches or nectarines, halved & pitted
  • 1 tbsp butter, melted

Heat grill to high.

Combine softened butter, honey, vanilla, and candied ginger together in a food processor and pulse until mixed into a soft paste. Refrigerate.

Brush cut side of peaches with melted butter. Grill cut side down 3-5 minutes until you get good grill marks.

Turn peaches over and fill pit hole with a teaspoon or so of the ginger/butter mixture.

Grill for 1-2 minutes cut side up until the butter has melted.

Carefully remove from grill, top each half with with 1 a dollop of mascarpone, and serve with remaining ginger/butter mixture on the side.

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