Grilled French Fries

We received a bunch of potatoes in our recent farmer's market basket.  This was a great use for extra potatoes and they tasted great.  If something tastes good when you cook it inside it has to be even better on the grill.

Ingredients:
2 to 3 large potatoes
Coarse Salt
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoons chopped dill
1 teaspoon fresh black pepper

Scrub the potatoes.  Cut each one into 1/2" thick slices.  Place in a pot with cold salted water to cover and bring to a boil over high heat.  Cook the potatoes until just tender, 4 to 6 minutes.  Drain the potatoes in a colander, rinse under cold water then drain again.

Blot the potatoes dry with a paper towel and place in a bowl.  Toss the potatoes with the olive oil.  Add the garlic, dill and pepper.  Taste for seasoning, adding more pepper and lots of salt then toss again.

Preheat the grill to medium high, direct. 

Lay the potato slices on the oiled grate.  Grill the potatoes until nicely browned on both sides.  They should be crisp on the outside and tender inside, 4 to 6 minutes per side.

 

Barbecue Beef

I was born in North Carolina so pulled pork is still my favorite, but this is definitely a close second.  The leftovers the next day were even better.

Ingredients:
2 boneless rump or chuck roasts (3-4 pounds each)  I used one of each this time around
2-3 tablespoons barbecue rub
1 14 1/2 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 12 ounce bottle of beer
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed

Dust the roasts heavily with the rub. Use your hands to work it into all the sides.

Set the BGE up for an indirect cook for at 250° with a drip pan under the meat.  Set the BGE up with an inverted plate setter to diffuse the heat, a trivet on the plate setter. Pour the beer into the roaster pan.

Add some pecan wood chunks for smoke and smoke the roasts for about 3 hours, or until they reach 160°.

Remove the roasts and place in a large Dutch oven. Deglaze the roasts with a little water to loosen up all the brown bits. Pour the pan sauce over the meat. Add the tomatoes, onion, garlic, barbecue sauce, and enough water to come half way up the roasts.

 

Put the lid on the Dutch oven and move to the grill. Cook for an hour at 250°. Remove the lid and

flip the meat over in the Dutch oven. Cook for another hour with the Dutch oven lid off.

 

After an hour, check the roasts for doneness. They should be 200° and have started to fall apart. Remove the Dutch oven from the grill. Cut or pull the meat apart into serving sizes. Serve as a main dish, or atop a crusty French roll as a sandwich. Top with additional barbecue sauce if desired.

Parmesan Breaded Scallops With Lemon Garnish

This was another recipe from Weber's Big Book of Grilling.  This is a very good scallop recipe and I am not a big fan of scallops.  We will have this again.

Ingredients:
Coating:
1/2 cup  fine Italian seasoned breadcrumbs (you may have some extra left over, depending on the size of your scallops.)  
1/3 cup  freshly grated parmesan cheese (Use the good stuff)  
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt  
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper  
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional)  
20  large sea scallops (about 1 1/4 pounds)  
2  tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Garnish:
1/2 cup  loosley packed fresh Italian parsley  
2  tablespoons lemon zest  
1  tablespoon extra virgin olive oil  
2  teaspoons lemon juice

COATING:
Combine the coating ingredients on a plate and mix with your fingers.

Wash scallops and remove the small, tough side muscle.

Pat the scallops dry with paper towels and place in a small bowl. (Be sure the scallops are very dry or it will make the breading soagy).

Add the olive oil and mix to coat.

Dip the scallops in the coating, turning to cover evenly.

Gently press the crumbs onto the scallops.

Place the scallops in a single layer on a clean plate.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to set the crumbs.

GARNISH:
Finely chop the parsley and lemon zest and mix together. Add the olive oil and lemon juice.

Spray a grill tray generously with olive oil.

Place the scallops on the grill tray 1-2 inches apart and grill over direct medium heat until just opaque in the center, about 8 minutes, turning once halfway through grilling time. Treat them gently when turning.

 

 

Remove from the grill, place a little of the garnish onto each scallop and serve warm.

 

Pork Chops Smothered In Red Gravy

This recipe came from Weber's Big Book of Grilling.  In Cajun country tomato sauce is called red gravy.  This was a very good Sunday meal with the family serviced with Jasmine rice with a healthy dose of the tomato sauce covering everything.

Ingredients:
For the sauce: 
1 tablespoon unsalted butter  
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion  
1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper  
1/4 cup finely chopped celery  
1 teaspoon minced garlic  
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme  
1/2 teaspoon   paprika  
1/8 teaspoon   cayenne pepper  
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper  
1/4 cup dry red wine  
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can chopped tomato  
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt  

For the rub: 
1 teaspoon   paprika  
1 teaspoon dried thyme  
1 teaspoon ground oregano  
1/2 teaspoon granulated onion  
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic  
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt  
1/4 teaspoon   cayenne pepper  
4 bone-in, center-cut pork chops, about 1-inch thick each 
Extra-virgin olive oil  


To make the sauce: In a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, thyme, paprika, cayenne, and pepper. Stir occasionally until the vegetables are brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the red wine and cook until all the liquid has evaporated. Add the tomatoes and salt. Stir and simmer for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and puree. Return the mixture to the sauté pan and simmer until smooth. Set aside.

 

 

 

 

To make the rub: In a small bowl combine the rub ingredients.

Season the pork chops evenly with the rub. Lightly brush or spray with olive oil. Allow to stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before grilling.

Sear the pork chops over Direct High heat for 6 minutes, turning once halfway through searing time. Continue grilling over Indirect Medium heat until the juices run clear, 6 to 8 minutes. Meanwhile warm the sauce over medium heat. Serve the pork chops warm with the sauce spooned on top.
 

 

Cedar Planked Salmon with Mango Ginger Habanero Glaze

This is one of our favorite salmon recipes.  The mango ginger habanero glaze really sets this off.

Ingredients:
2 Salmon Filets
Fischer & Weiser Mango Ginger Habanero Glaze
Salt & Pepper
Cedar Plank

Preheat the Egg to 350 direct. 

Place the cedar plank in a pan, cover with water and soak for one hour.

Brush the salmon with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Place the salmon skin side down on the cedar plan and grill the salmon for 15 to 20 minutes for medium.  Brush with the glaze a couple of times during the last 5 minutes of grilling

 

 

 

Bison Pot Roast

We bought a nice bison chuck roast from Whole Foods a couple of weeks ago and decided today was a good pot roast kind of day.  We decided to leave out the potatoes and make our favorite garlic mashed potatoes. 

Ingredients:
1 whole (4 To 5 Pounds) Chuck Roast
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 whole Onions
6 whole Carrots (Up To 8 Carrots)
Salt To Taste
Pepper To Taste
1 cup Red Wine (optional, You Can Use Beef Broth Instead)
2 cups To 3 Cups Beef Stock
3 sprigs Fresh Thyme, or more to taste
3 sprigs Fresh Rosemary, or more to taste

First and foremost, choose a nicely marbled piece of meat. This will enhance the flavor of your pot roast like nothing else. Generously salt and pepper your chuck roast.

Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil.

Cut two onions in half and cut 6 to 8 carrots into 2-inch slices (you can peel them, but you don’t have to). When the oil in the pot is very hot (but not smoking), add in the halved onions, browning them on one side and then the other. Remove the onions to a plate.

Throw the carrots into the same very hot pan and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so.

If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the very hot pan. Place the meat in the pan and sear it for about a minute on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate.

With the burner still on high, use either red wine or beef broth (about 1 cup) to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a whisk to get all of that awesome flavor up.

When the bottom of the pan is sufficiently deglazed, place the roast back into the pan and add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway (about 2 to 3 cups). Add in the onion and the carrots, as well as 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary and about 3 sprigs of fresh thyme.

I cooked this on the Egg today at 300.  For the first 90 minutes I left the lid off the Dutch oven to add a little smoke flavor.  I put the lid back on and cooked for another 2 1/2 hours for a 3 1/2 pound roast.
Once the roast is done move it to a cutting board and shred.  I combined the shredded roast with the onions and carrots.  Also, add 2 tablespoons cornstarch to a 1/4 cup water and mix with the gravy, over medium heat, stirring frequently to thicken.

The finished product: Mashed potatoes, pot roast smothered in the gravy.   Life is Good!!!

Grilled Chicken Tacos

This may now be our favorite tacos of all time.  Everyone really enjoyed these and it was super simple.

Ingredients:
Marinade 
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil  
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice  
1 teaspoon chili powder  
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt  
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper  
6  boneless, skinless chicken thighs, about 4 ounces each 

Salsa 

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped ripe tomatoes  
large ripe avocado, peeled and diced 
4 to 5 green onions, (white part only), finely chopped 
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro  
1 tablespoon minced  jalapeño pepper, without seeds 
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice  
Kosher salt  
freshly ground black pepper  

1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese  

3 to 4 cups shredded Romaine lettuce or Iceburg lettuce 
1 cup   sour cream, thinned with 2 Tablespoons milk (optional) 
1 (15-ounce) can black beans  
10 flour tortillas (6 inches) 
 
Marinade: In a small bowl whisk together the marinade ingredients.
 
Rinse the chicken thighs under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place the thighs in a large, resealable plastic bag and pour in the marinade. Press the air out of the bag and seal tightly. Turn the bag to distribute the marinade, place in a bowl, and refrigerate for about 1 hour.

Salsa: In a medium bowl combine the salsa ingredients, including salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Remove the chicken thighs from the bag and discard the marinade. Grill over Direct heat at 300 until the meat is firm and the juices run clear, 16 to 20 minutes, turning once halfway through grilling time. Remove from the grill, cut into 1/4-inch slices, and place in a serving bowl.

Meanwhile, grate the cheese, shred the lettuce, and prepare the sour cream. Place each in serving bowls. In a small saucepan heat the black beans in their liquid. Just before serving, drain the beans and place in a serving bowl, too.

Wrap five tortillas in each of two foil packets. Grill over Direct Medium heat for 2 to 4 minutes to warm and soften.

To serve, give each person a warm tortilla and pass around the chicken and fillings so everyone can assemble their own tacos.

Dry-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Fire-Roasted Tomato Sauce

The sauce was a little to spicy for the kids, but this was a very good dish.  I can't wait to have the leftovers for lunch.  We will definitely make this recipe again.  The rice was also excellent with the sauce.

Ingredients:
Sauce
8 plum tomatoes, stems removed
1 jalapeño chile pepper, stem and seeds removed
½ cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves
⅓ cup roughly chopped red onion
¼ cup tightly packed fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper

Rub

1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon pure chile powder
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground allspice

2 pork tenderloins, each about 1 pound, trimmed of excess fat and silver skin

Extra-virgin olive oil Prepare the Egg for direct cooking over medium heat (300° to 350°F).

Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the tomatoes and jalapeño over direct high heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until blackened and blistered in spots, turning as needed. The tomatoes will take 4 to 6 minutes and the jalapeño will take 2 to 3 minutes. Put the tomatoes and jalapeño in a food processor along with the remaining sauce ingredients, and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the sauce to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook until the sauce has thickened slightly, 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

 

In a small bowl mix the rub ingredients.

Lightly brush the tenderloins on all sides with oil and season evenly with the rub, pressing the spices into the meat. Allow the tenderloins to stand at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes before grilling.

Grill the tenderloins over direct medium heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until the pork is barely pink in the center, 15 to 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes. Remove from the grill and let rest for 3 to 5 minutes before slicing. Serve warm with the sauce.