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BBQ 201 – Carne Asada

September 22nd, 2010 by TDOM
This entry is part 1 of 7 in the series BBQ 201
Carne asada
Image via Wikipedia

Its hard to imagine that I went through my entire childhood without eating this. Then again, its hard to imagine that I grew up in a town that didn’t even have a Taco Bell until I got to high school. This is easily my favorite Mexican meat. Ok, I’ll admit, its pretty much a toss up between this and carnitas.

 Marinade

  • Orange juice
  • Red wine
  • Fresh lemon
  • Fresh lime
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • Onions
  • Garlic
  • Cilantro
  • Chili powder
  • Cumin
  • Salt & pepper

 Use plenty of OJ and red wine and don’t skimp on the chili powder. Use everything else to taste.  Make enough to cover the meat. Marinate overnight or even a day or two.

 Meat

  • 4-6 oz per person. Use flank steak, flap meat, skirt steak,  or sirloin.

 Grill the meat to rare. Slice into think strips across the grain (If you slice with the grain it will be tough and chewy). You can set it aside at this point and refrigerate if necessary or grill it longer if you are going to serve right away and want it cook a little more.

 Veggies

  • Red, yellow, and green bell peppers cut into strips
  • Onions

 Use a basket or skillet on the grill to grill the veggies until tender. Don’t overcook.

Pico de Gallo

  • Tomatos
  • Onions
  • Cilantro
  • Jalapenos
  • Salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin

Dice equal amount of tomatoes and onions into a quarter inch dice. Dice any amount of jalapenos into eighth inch dice to make the salsa as spicy as you want. Rough chop some cilantro. Add seasonings to taste and refriderate for a couple hours. 

 To serve

Warm some flour tortillas. Reheat the meat in a skillet. Put some strips of meat and some veggies on a tortilla, spoon on some pico de gallo, splash on a little (or a lot) of your favorite hot sauce, add some jack or cheddar cheese if you like, and roll like a burrito or fold for a soft taco. Serve with cooked pinto or black beans and Spanish rice.

TDOM

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BBQ 201- Roasted Red Pepper & Bleu Cheese Burgers

September 17th, 2010 by TDOM
This entry is part 2 of 7 in the series BBQ 201
Assorted bell pepper vegetables from Mexico
Image via Wikipedia

My favorite hamburgers – ’nuff said.

Burgers

 Mix all ingredients (just a dash of Worcestershire) and form into ¼ lb patties. Grill until done. Serve on whole wheat buns with alfalfa sprouts, tomato, sautéed mushrooms, Swiss cheese, and Dijon mustard.

TDOM

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BBQ 201 Lamb Chops with Rosemary – Garlic Potatoes

September 29th, 2010 by TDOM
This entry is part 3 of 7 in the series BBQ 201

When I manned the grill at Cima in City of Industry, CA I was told by many self-professed experts that I made the best lamb chops they had ever tasted, and several of these experts were world travelers who had eaten lamb chops everywhere they had been.. Even people who said they didn’t like lamb said they liked these lamb chops. I won’t give away the restaurant’s secrets, but I will tell you how I make them at home, and I like them even better.

 First, I like the smaller New Zealand or Australian chops. They cook faster and are less gamey to start with. Both of these things are important. Second, I like to use mesquite charcoal. It adds a distinctive flavor and burns at a high temperature. Third, stay away from mint jelly, its way to cliché. These are the real secrets to great lamb chops.

 Marinade

  • Olive oil
  • White wine
  • White wine vinegar
  • Lime juice
  • Garlic
  • Mint (fresh)
  • Cilantro (fresh)
  • Salt & pepper

 Cut whole racks into individual chops. Fix 4 chops per person for an entrée or 2 for an appetizer. Make enough to coat the chops. They don’t need to be swimming in the stuff. 4 hours to overnight in the refrigerator is good.

 Black Sauce

  • Strong coffee (brewed)
  • Brown sugar (equal amount to coffee)
  • Molasses (half as much as coffee)
  • Lemon or lime juice (just a little)
  • Hot sauce (Tabasco is good, just a little)
  • Black peppercorns
  • Whole cloves

 Put it all on the stove and cook it down until it sheets off the back of a spoon. Don’t overcook it as it will harden when it cools. You want it to remain a syrupy liquid.

 White Sauce

  • Mayonnaise
  • Champaign vinegar or white wine vinegar
  • Coarse ground black pepper
  • Minced garlic or horseradish or both
  • Salt

 Mix enough vinegar and mayonnaise together so that it flows off a spoon, but it isn’t watery thin. Add remaining ingredients to taste. Keep refrigerated. This also makes a great slaw dressing if you dissolve a little sugar into the vinegar before mixing.

 Potatoes

  •  Medium red potatoes (1 per person)
  • Olive oil or melted butter
  • Fresh rosemary
  • Salt, pepper, granulated garlic & onion

 Rinse potatoes and rosemary. Pull rosemary leaves from branches, discard the branches. Cut potatoes into wedges and coat lightly with oil, then season. Lay wedges across the grill and roast until done. Keep warm.

 Asparagus

  • Fresh asparagus (5 per person)
  • Olive oil or melted butter
  • Salt, pepper, granulated garlic & onion 

Coat asparagus lightly with oil, then season and place across grill and roast until soft, but not completely limp. Be careful not to burn. Keep warm.

 Lamb chops

Wipe excess marinade from chops and grill over high heat until charred slightly on outside, medium rare to medium on inside. Drizzle each chop with a small amount of each sauce (black & white). Serve with potatoes and asparagus.

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BBQ 201 – Rosemary Garlic Chicken

October 13th, 2010 by TDOM
This entry is part 4 of 7 in the series BBQ 201
Corn

Image via Wikipedia

With Sweet Corn and Baked Potatoes

Ingredients

  • 1 medium potato per person
  • 1 ear sweet corn per person
  • 5-6 lbs boneless chicken thighs
  • 1 bottle pilsner beer
  • 1 lime
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ large onion, diced
  • 3-4 sprigs rosemary leaves, stripped from twig and chopped
  • 3-4 sprigs thyme, stripped from twigs and chopped
  • 1 tsp liquid smoke (optional)
  • Black pepper, salt

Blend everything except the chicken, corn, and potatoes, and pour into a large dish. Add chicken and make sure each piece is coated with marinade, add more beer if needed to keep liquid over chicken. Cover and let stand in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. Spray corn and potatoes with oil or lightly coat, then season with salt and pepper. Wrap each piece individually in foil.

This dish is best cooked low and slow so use a small amount of  a combination of briquettes and mesquite chunks. Light the briquettes and allow them to turn white, then add the mesquite and spread across the grill box. Lay the corn and potatoes directly on the charcoal, turning every 15-20 minutes. Allow to cook about 30 minutes, then spray chicken with oil and place on grill. Raise you grill as high above the charcoal as you can and cover the grill. Turn chicken when it about half cooked. This process may take up to an hour if the temperature is low enough or as little as about 15-20 minutes. The longer, the smokier the flavor will be.

Note: I like to add a clove of garlic to each piece of corn and potato to help add a bit of flavor. Serve potatoes with your favorite toppings. I like to coat the corn in mayonnaise and sprinkle with cojita or parmesan cheese.

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BBQ 201 – Chicken Teriyaki

October 27th, 2010 by TDOM
This entry is part 5 of 7 in the series BBQ 201
Chicken teriyaki

Image via Wikipedia

 

Marinade

  • 2 cup Soy Sauce
  • ¼ cup Olive Oil
  • 1 cup Pineapple Juice
  • 1 Lemon, juiced & zested
  • 1 Orange, juiced & zested
  • 1 Onion, diced
  • 3 cloves Garlic, smashed
  • 1 oz Ginger, peeled & sliced
  • ¼ cup Molasses
  • ½ cup Sugar
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds
  • Black Pepper
  • 3-4 lbs boneless chicken thighs or breasts
  • 3-4 tsp Sesame oil

Place all marinade ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to boil. Cool. Pour over chicken and cover. Allow to sit overnight. Grill chicken until done. Toss in sesame oil.

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BBQ 201 – Grilled Salmon with Blackberry Mango Sauce

April 25th, 2011 by TDOM
This entry is part 6 of 7 in the series BBQ 201


Salmon

Grilled Salmon and Blackberry Mango Sauce

Grilled Salmon and Blackberry Mango Sauce

  • 8 – 6 oz salmon fillets
  • 1 oz olive oil
  • Salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder

Season and marinate slalmon in olive oil for 30 minutes. Grill until done.

Blackberry – Mango Sauce

  • 10 oz mango jelly or mango nectar
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen blackberries
  • 1 oz red wine vinegar
  • 2 tsp hot sauce

Combine all ingredients into a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Simmer until sauce is reduced by half. Spoon sauce over grilled fish before serving.

Serving Suggestion:

Serve over Saffron Rice and steamed vegetables.

-TDOM

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BBQ 201: Salmon Cheesecake

March 8th, 2012 by TDOM
This entry is part 7 of 7 in the series BBQ 201

I like to serve this for brunch or dinner with a salad and/or soup. But it can also be served as a appetizer or used as a dip or spread. My 2 1/2 year old grandson thought it was cool because he thought he was having cookies for dinner (he thought the crackers were cookies).

Salmon Cheesecake

  • 1 lb salmon (smoked is best)
  • 1 lb cream cheese
  • 1 cup shredded smokedgoudacheese (optional)
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 4 eggs
  • Salt, pepper, dill
  • ¼ cup minced onion
  • 1 tbs minced garlic
  • ½ tsp liquid smoke (don’t use if using smoked salmon)
  • 1 oz pomegranate vinegar
  • ½ cup seasoned breadcrumbs
  • 2 tbs parmesan cheese
  • 2 oz butter

If using fresh salmon then season and grill or pan fry the salmon until done. No need to cook the smoked salmon. Cool and break into small bits.

Melt butter and coat bottom and sides of tart or quiche pan. Pour off any excess butter. Mix breadcrumbs with parmesan cheese. Coat bottom and sides of pan with bread crumbs.

In mixer, whip cream cheese with sour cream until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Scrape sides of bowl and mix until there are no lumps. Add liquid smoke, vinegar, and seasonings. Add salmon, garlic, onion, andgouda. Pour batter into pan and spread evenly.

Bake in 325o F oven for about 30-40 min. Center should be set. Do not overcook. Cool, then chill several hours in refrigerator.

Cut into 8-12 slices and garnish with a quenelle of the herbs de Provence topping, tomato wedge and pomegranate seeds. Serve with  hearty wheat or multigrain crackers. This can also be used as a dip or spread.

 Herbs de Provence Topping

  • ½ cup cream cheese
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ½ tsp herbs deProvence(traditional blend of savory, fennel, basil, thyme, and lavender) 

Whip cream cheese, sour cream and herbs until smooth. Refrigerate several hours to allow flavors to blend.

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