*** The Official 2012 Grilling Thread ***

[knapplc]

It's a little late in the season to start this, but we really should have a specific thread for grilling. If you have any great grilling recipes, any good ideas, tips or tricks, share them here.

 

Tonight I'm grilling pizza. In the past I've grilled them directly on the grates, but for simplicity's sake I've put my baking stone/pizza stone on the grill tonight. I'll update with some pics later.

[Decked]

Had some BBQ from my smoker last week boy was it goooooood!

[n.e.husker]

Burgers and dogs tonight.

 

Homemade brats and sausages tomorrow.

[knapplc]

Homemade brats? That's pretty cool. I haven't made brats since I worked in a smokehouse about 15 years ago. Wouldn't dream of making them at home. Sounds like work!

[knapplc]

Here's a picture journey of my meal tonight.

 

Starts with a hot grill. I put my baking stone in there for about an hour:

 

 

Mise en place: You live and die by your prep. Get everything ready BEFORE you cook.

 

Anthony Bourdain is famous for perpetuating the line, "Proper Prior Preparation Prevents Piss-Poor Performance." Chop, slice, simmer, saute and shred everything before you start. Everything.

 

Here we have (clockwise from upper left) shredded mozzarella, granulated garlic seasoning, store-bought pepperoni, and sliced-and-sauteed (in order of sautee, using the same pan): Italian Sausage, red pepper, onions (red and yellow) and white cap mushrooms. The grease from the sausage flavors the veggies. I deglaze the pan with white wine before sauteeing the onions.

 

 

You've already made your dough, your "mise" is done, your stone is HOT, and you've got everything ready to go. Now it's time to make pizza. Blind-bake (cook with nothing on it) your dough first:

 

 

Pull the dough off with your pizza peel after maybe two/three minutes. FLIP your dough, so you're putting your sauce/ingredients on the COOKED side:

 

 

Add your sauce:

 

 

Add all your toppings (I like the pepperoni on top to crisp up):

 

 

Now grill that bad boy until the cheese starts taking on color. Don't overcook, and DO NOT constantly open your grill to check. You'll lose heat and your cheese will never brown. Once done, pull off and let it sit for a minute:

 

 

Slice and serve. Each pizza can be made to order. It takes some practice, and you need a grill with multiple burners, but it can be done. These were fantastic.

 

It also helps if you have the right tools. You can get a pizza peel at most cooking supply stores. Hockenberg's in Lincoln (and there's another in Omaha on F Street, and one up in Minneapolis) sold me mine. Large cutting boards are handy, and you can get those at Sam's or at the Gretna Outlet Malls:

 

[The Dude]

Intense.

[Landlord]

Knapplc is smelly and a bad photographer.

 

 

 

 

Oh, not that kind of grilling

[knapplc]

Knapplc is smelly and a bad photographer.

 

True and true.

[Nebula]

Pretty impressive knapp! I have no such cooking skills, but I've always wanted to take a class to learn some rudimentary stuff.

[n.e.husker]

Homemade brats? That's pretty cool. I haven't made brats since I worked in a smokehouse about 15 years ago. Wouldn't dream of making them at home. Sounds like work!

I make them at work.

 

Great idea for a thread btw

[knapplc]

Grilling Cuban sandwiches tonight. I can't get my hands on a Cuban roll (don't even know what kind of bread that is) so I'm using ciabatta. Here's the marinade:

 

Cuban Sandwich Marinade

 

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon dried oregano

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, peeled and gently smashed with the side of your knife

1/4 teaspoon dried red chili flakes

1 medium onion, sliced

1 cup fresh orange juice

1 lime, juiced

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 bay leaves

 

I stabbed a 1-lb hunk of pork shoulder with a meat fork so the juices would penetrate well, then set in the fridge overnight to marinate. This AM I put the roast and juices in the crock pot on the lowest setting, and when I get home I'll finish it on the grill, using any juices in the crock as a mop.

 

Then it's a matter of layering the ciabatta with dijon mustard, deli ham, swiss cheese, pickles and the sliced pork shoulder and grilling that under a brick for maybe two minutes per side on a hot grill.

[Lyons in the Sea of Red.]

I have been on a kick of making grilled quesadillas lately. They are really quick and easy.

[knapplc]

Last night's Cubans - turned out well, but I had half a disaster on my hands because I got distracted from my grill and I had forgotten to turn the burners down. Had to use different bread, but overall it turned out well.

[NUance]

Grilling Cuban sandwiches tonight. I can't get my hands on a Cuban roll (don't even know what kind of bread that is) so I'm using ciabatta. Here's the marinade:

 

Cuban Sandwich Marinade

 

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon dried oregano

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, peeled and gently smashed with the side of your knife

1/4 teaspoon dried red chili flakes

1 medium onion, sliced

1 cup fresh orange juice

1 lime, juiced

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 bay leaves

 

I stabbed a 1-lb hunk of pork shoulder with a meat fork so the juices would penetrate well, then set in the fridge overnight to marinate. This AM I put the roast and juices in the crock pot on the lowest setting, and when I get home I'll finish it on the grill, using any juices in the crock as a mop.

 

Then it's a matter of layering the ciabatta with dijon mustard, deli ham, swiss cheese, pickles and the sliced pork shoulder and grilling that under a brick for maybe two minutes per side on a hot grill.

Sounds great! I love Cuban food. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it. Several years ago I used to eat lunch at little Cuban restaurant a couple times per week. I was heartbroken when it closed.

[knapplc]

Grilled burgers last night. How do you guys make your hamburgers? I use 85% lean hamburger, and I add a TBSP of water per pound of raw hamburger. Form a patty, dust the top with Steak Dust, and grill.