*** The Official 2012 Grilling Thread ***

[RedRedJarvisRedwine]

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:

 

Every make this without the stone-right on the grill? If so how did that turn out? I have a stone but was wondering if it would turn out straight on the grill.

[knapplc]

Every make this without the stone-right on the grill? If so how did that turn out? I have a stone but was wondering if it would turn out straight on the grill.

 

Yep, did that for years. The stone is much easier. If you're going to do it right on the grates you have to make sure you have a dry dough recipe - nothing tacky. If it's tacky at all it'll just glue right to the grates and your cooking is done until you can cool every thing down and scrape it off.

[walksalone]

I took a piece of london broil, put my home made rub on it, wrapped it in tinfoil, and let it cook for about 20 minutes (sorry can't remember exact times, the beer was good), and it was the most tender LB I've ever had...

[NUpolo8]

Lamb burgers with Feta cheese and homemade Tzasiki (sp?) sauce.

 

(flexes muscles)

 

(drinks third beer)

[knapplc]

(drinks third beer)

 

Today I go out to grill and realize I have one beer. The wife is on the way home, so I ring her up and ask her to swing by the store and pick me up some beer. She does.

 

And brings home a case of warm beer.

 

Strongly considering divorcing her now.

[NUpolo8]

I would. Mrs. NUpolo8 is by most accounts a teetotaler (a single drink on the weekend or vacation) so I am more than happy to do the shopping.

 

Also, after a day at work and the gym, I do like cooking and the alcohol that accompanies to unwind. She can handle the kid.

[NUpolo8]

I halved a chicken and am smoking it tonight, in spite of a 110 degree temperature. I am a warrior.

[knapplc]

Wow, how quickly we forget! I'm guilty of doing most of my cooking inside lately. The weather turned cooler, so instead of enjoying nicer weather outdoors, I went inside to make some meals I hadn't had since Spring.

 

Tonight I'm grilling a couple of chicken breasts for Jerk Chicken & Spanish Rice tonight. Probably throw on a couple of quesadillas too, since they're so easy to make.

[The Dude]

Be grillin' some Ribeyes tonight. I grill year round, no cold weather gon' keep me down.

[knapplc]

Grilling in the winter is fine - and your beer doesn't get warm.

[BigRedBuster]

My family has absolutely loved this recipe. I got it from this web site and then keep tweaking it:

 

http://www.amazingribs.com/index.html

 

This is the best BBQ web site I have ever found.

 

16 Asparagus spears

3 TBL spoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon each of kosher salt, Black pepper, Garlic powder, Onion Powder, paprika, Chipotle powder

 

 

Mix everything together and grill over medium heat until there is a little bit of char on the spears. Then sprinkle a little more olive oil and parmasan cheese before serving. They are AWESOME. WE also love this with fresh green beans out of the garden. Watch them close and turn them frequently because they can burn quickly.

[knapplc]

I love both that site and grilled asparagus.

 

Grilling asparagus is awesome. You get good flavor, it's healthy, and the fireball is fun (if you do it right). You marinade it for a while (30 minutes or more) in olive oil and acid (balsamic vinegar, vinegar, lemon juice, whatever) and then dump it all on the grill. Big fireball ensues, then you roll the asparagus around a bit and pull it off as soon as it gets a bit of char.

 

 

I've also done this with broccoli. Grilled broccoli is almost as good as grilled asparagus. Never tried green beans - I'll have to give that a shot.

[knapplc]

Made this last night. One of the family's favorites:

 

Shrimp Tacos

 

Salsa

1 ear corn, husked

6 scallions, white and light green parts only

Extra virgin olive oil

1 medium poblano pepper

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1 Hass avocado, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 TBSP fresh lime juice

1 TSP minced garlic

1/2 TSP kosher salt, divided

1/2 TSP freshly ground black pepper, divided

 

Tacos

32 large shrimp, about 1-1/2 pounds, peeled and deveined

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 TSP kosher salt

1/4 TSP freshly ground black pepper

8 flour tortillas (8 inches)

 

 

To make the salsa: Brush or spray the corn and scallions all over with oil. Grill the corn until browned in spots and tender, the scallions until lightly marked, and the chile until blackened and blistered in spots, over Direct Medium heat, turning occasionally. The corn and chile will take 10 to 12 minutes and the scallions will take 3 to 4 minutes. Trim the root ends off the scallions; finely chop the remaining parts and put them in a medium bowl. Cut the kernels off the corn and add them to the bowl. When cool enough to handle, peel off the loosened bits of skin from the chile and discard along with the stem; finely chop the remaining parts of the chile and add to the bowl. Add the remaining salsa ingredients, including 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the bowl and mix thoroughly.

 

Brush or spray the Shrimp all over with the oil and season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Grill over Direct High heat until the Shrimp are firm to the touch and just turning opaque in the center, 2 to 4 minutes, turning once. Grill the tortillas over Direct Medium heat until warm, 30 to 60 seconds, turning once. Fill the tortillas with salsa and shrimp. Serve warm.

 

From the Weber Grilling Cookbook.

[knapplc]

I have had the greatest thing I have ever grilled. Over the weekend we went to my brother-in-law's friend's place. He has connections, and scored a perfectly legal bison tenderloin. Thing was HUGE. We grilled that sucker over indirect heat for about three hours, on a broiler pan full of water, with a fantastic rub.

 

It was not just fork-tender. It was plastic-fork tender. Leanest piece of meat ever. Didn't taste gamey, just beefy and moist and wonderful. Ridiculous.

 

I'll probably never have that again, but for one glorious night, it was grilled heaven.

[BigRedBuster]

Knapp....

 

I love grilling shrimp and love shrimp tacos.

 

This recipe reminded me of something I have started making and my family absolutely loves it.

Grilled Tilapia with Mango Salsa

 

Season Tilapia fillets with blacken seasoning to taste. I have grill grates that can be turned over and are mostly flat. If you don't have that, use aluminum foil or a basket made for grilling fish. Spray them with cooking spray and grill fish over medium heat till just flaky. Watch closely, it's easy to over cook.

 

Mango Salsa

 

2 large ripe mango, peeled, pitted and diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1/4 cup minced red onion

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

1/4 cup lime juice

2 tablespoons lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

 

Serve salsa over tilapia or put in tortilla for a fish taco.

 

This amount of salsa is enough for 5 people plus some left over.