Grilled Mustard Rum Glazed Pork Chops

We had another gorgeous weekend and I had to get my fix grilling anything I could.  I know, the name alone is a mouthful, just wait until you try them yourself!

1/4 Dark Rum ( I used Myer's)
1/3 cup brown grain mustard (I used Zatarin's Creole Mustard)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chili sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tsp. Extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4 center cut, bone-in pork chops

Whisk all the ingredients together, except the pork chops, in a small bowl.  If you taste the marinade, it will taste pretty raw since the alcohol has not been cooked out yet.  Place the pork chops in a re-sealable plastic bag.  Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade for later (let it sit out at room temperature).  Pour the remaining marinade over the pork chops, seal the bag and work the marinade all over the chops to make sure they are all coated.  Place the bag in a bowl (just in case the bag leaks, the bowl will catch it) and refrigerate for at one hour.

Heat the grill to medium and spray the grates with non-stick cooking spray.  Place the chops on the heated grill and let them cook for about 7 minutes.  Flip them and let them cook for 7 more minutes.  Flip them again and brush them with the reserved marinade and let them cook for another 5 minutes.  Flip and brush the other side with the marinade and let them cook for 5 minutes longer, until the chops are cooked through.

Place the cooked chops on a platter and serve! So dang easy and so delicious!




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Hungarian Barbecue Chicken

 

I cam across this recipe by Musa Dagdeviren.  He is the go-to guy if you want to know about Turkish barbecue and I wanted to learn. One of the things that really intrigued me about Musa Dagdeviren is he's adventurous when it comes to grilling and so am I.  He'll grill chicken thighs marinated in creamy Greek yogurt, concoct a chile paste, add garlic and then he'll grill meatballs, shallots, even bread dough loaded with ground beef.

This is one of his "simpler" dishes.  Chicken thighs marinated, spice-crusted, and grilled—and the combination of creamy yogurt, garlic, and pepper flakes produces the sort of chicken that has made the Turks the Near East's undisputed grill masters for centuries.

2 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper flakes, plus additional for sprinkling
2 teaspoons Hungarian sweet paprika, plus additional for sprinkling 
1 cup plain whole-milk Greek-style yogurt 
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 
2 tablespoons tomato paste 
2 teaspoons Kosher salt 
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
6 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 
2 lemons,  1 thinly sliced into rounds, 1 cut into wedges for serving 
2 lbs. skinless chicken thighs (or breast halves)

Place red pepper and paprika in a large bowl and stir in 2 tablespoons warm water and let stand until paste forms, about 5 minutes.

Add yogurt, olive oil, red wine vinegar, tomato paste, 2 teaspoons coarse salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper to spice mixture in bowl; whisk to blend. Stir in garlic and lemon slices, then chicken. Cover and chill at least 1 hour. Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.

Heat grill to medium-high heat. Place chicken on heated grill and discard marinade. Sprinkle each chicken thigh salt, pepper, and additional pepper flakes and paprika.

Grill chicken until golden brown and cooked through, turning occasionally, about 10 to 12 minutes per side.

Transfer chicken to platter and surround with lemon wedges and serve.

This is a wonderful variation from traditional American barbecue!



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I Heart Grilled, Cheesy Chicken!

Did you know you CAN have it all?  Oh, yes you can, boys and girls.  You can enjoy the unparalleled flavor of marinated chicken that has been grilled and then paired with a crunchy, flavorful topping containing a mixture of choice cheeses. This is an adaptation of a recipe I found at Allrecipes.com I decided to go with grilling in lieu of baking and changed up the cheese combination to give this dish a more "WOW" factor.

You can easily get the chicken marinating the night before or first thing in the morning.

Place 2 lbs. of chicken tenders or 6 chicken breast cutlets in a re-sealable plastic bag

In a small bowl or 2 cup measuring cup, whisk together:

1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 lemon juiced
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon White Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup Ranch Salad Dressing

Pour the marinade over the chicken, seal the bag an refrigerate at least 4 hours.  The chicken can marinate over night.

Pre-heat your grill to medium-high and spray the grates with non-stick cooking spray.    Whether you are using chicken tenders or chicken breast cutlets, they will cook quickly.

While the grill is heating up, you can quickly get the rest of the ingredients together.

Combine 1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese and 1/3 cup Ranch salad dressing and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of Panko crumbs, 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, 1-1/2 teaspoons Morton's Nature's Seasonings. Once thoroughly combined, moisten with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and set aside.

Grate 1 cup of Fontina cheese or 1 cup of your favorite melty cheese.

Scout has an eye out while the grill is heating up.

Kaitlin is on deck...literally making sure the chicken doesn't flame up.

Sear the chicken 4 to 5 minutes per side and move to indirect heat and continue grilling another 4 to 6 minutes.  

Remove chicken and place on a foil-lined baking sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  Now on to the assembly!  Seriously, are you ready for this?  I don't think you are...

Ladle the Asiago cheese/Ranch dressing over each chicken tender.

Sprinkle the Fontina cheese on next.

Top it off with the bread crumb mixture.

Place your masterpieces under the broiler for a couple of minutes until golden brown.  Now sit down with a knife and fork and spoil yourself silly!

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Grilled Pork Chops Rule!

I have become a real grilling dork queen around here.  Something about meat, especially pork lovingly grilled outside on an open fire just gets my creative juices flowing.

By the way, have you visited the  Grill Mates Grillerhood lately?  You should, not only can you find out about the latest McCormick Gill Mates Products, but you can also download so much very cool free stuff!

Now, let's check out how easy it is to grill some great flavor some thick, boneless pork chops.  Once again, I enlisted the help of another McCormick Grill Mates product, Spiced Brandy & Herb Marinade.

Check out how easy this is!

1 package McCormick Grill Mates Spiced Brandy & Herb Marinade
1/4 cup Canola Oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons water
4 boneless center cut pork chops
1 tablespoon finely chopped Rosemary

Mix the marinade per the package directions. Place the pork chops in a self-sealing plastic bag, pour the marinade over the chops, making sure to coat them thoroughly.  Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

After one hour remove the chops to a platter and dispose of the marinade.  Sprinkle and press in the Rosemary on both sides of the chops and allow them to come up to room temperature for about 20 minutes.

Pre-heat the grill to medium-high heat and lightly grease the grates with olive oil or non-stick cooking spray.

Sear the chops for 5 to 7 minutes per side over direct heat.

Move the chops and allow the to finish cooking over indirect each for another 10 to 12 minutes per side.

Look at those juicy pork chops!

Grill Mayor of 2012 Contest!!

I know all of you would like to win the title of Grill Mayor of 2012!  Well, here's your chance.    Food Network is hosting a contest and you, yes you could be named Grill Mayor PLUS win all of this fantastic swag:

  Grand Prize: 2 trips to New York City for winner and a guest.

   2 nights first-class hotel accommodations.

   $100 Food Network gift card.

   Food Network Grilling Cookbook.

   Omaha Steaks grilling kit.

   Assortment of Grill Mates products.

   Dinner for Grand Prize Winner and one guest at a Food Network’s chef restaurant in New York City.

Two VIP access passes to a premiere New York City BBQ Festival.

Tour of the Food Network kitchens in New York City.

All you have to do is click on the Food Network contest entry page and share your best grilling tip or a piece of advice. Entries must be 100 words or less and include a picture of your tip in action. See the contest rules for official stuff but the contest runs through July 31, 2012.  Hope you win!

Disclosure - I have been compensated by McCormick in all relevant communication mediums, including without limitations on Facebook, Twitter, any blog posts.

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Slow Smoked Brisket

Let's face it, my husband is a spoiled, spoiled man.  Believe me he knows it!  How many wives would prepare a smoked a brisket for Father's Day?  That's right kids, I didn't take him out to a restaurant to enjoy brisket or grill hot dogs or take the other easy way by slapping this baby in the oven, No I did it the real boss, hoss way over coals in my trusty little Weber grill. 

Don't be scared, because this was so easy thanks to McCormick Grill Mates Products.  See this little envelope of "Smokin' Texas BBQ" rub?  It's really a magical envelope of brisket love.  Because of this little envelope, I was able to spend an afternoon leisurely multi-tasking...smoking my brisket and spending time with my husband and children in the backyard on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon.  And then, oh yeah baby, enjoy a fabulous brisket dinner with literally no clean-up!

First, before we get started, the first rule I learned when I became interested in learning to grill was grill maintenance and safety.  The one sure way to spoil any meal is to start off with a dirty and ill-placed grill.

If you are a seasoned master of the grill or are interested in grilling, place your grill in an area away from your house or out buildings, away from children play areas and an area free of clutter.  

Always start off with a clean grill.  Dirty grills can cause fires and not only ruin the taste of your food, but can make you, your family and your guests extremely ill.  

So Rule Number One, place your grill in an area clear from hazards and keep your grill C-L-E-A-N!

1 - 3.75 lb. beef brisket, trimmed.

1   envelope of McCormick Grill Mates Smokin' Texas BBQ rub

1   high-sided foil pan large enough to accommodate the brisket

Aluminum foil

Several handfuls of mesquite wood chips soaked in water for several hours

Rub in the McCormick Grill Mates Smokin' Texas rub on all sides of the brisket.  Place the seasoned brisket in the foil pan and tightly cover with a sheet of aluminum foil.  Refrigerate overnight.  Keep the brisket refrigerated until you are ready to place it on the grill.

In order to smoke/cook the brisket low and slow, it should be placed on the grill grate cold and not at room temperature.

Light the charcoal and keep the coals to one side of the grill and place the brisket on the opposite side of the grill to cook it slowly over indirect heat. 

Once the coals are lit, sprinkle some of the mesquite chips over the coals.  Ideally, I was trying to keep the temperature on the grill between 275 degrees F and 300 degrees F, which for the most part I was able to maintain.  In the very beginning, temperature on the grill spiked at 350 degrees F.  After closing off one of the vents a little to slow down how fast the fire was burning the coals, and adding a small pan of water on the grill, the temperature gradually dropped and I was able to maintain a temperature of 280 degrees F the remainder of the cooking time.

Was the foil pan for later use.

I checked on the brisket after one hour to check the grill temperature and to add more wood chips.  After 2 hours, I turned the brisket and continued to cook it for 2 more hours.  After the 4th hour, the internal temperature on an instant read thermometer read 160 degrees F which is what I wanted. 

The brisket was then placed in back in the clean foil pan along with the small pan of water and tightly covered with aluminum foil.  I add more lit coals and wood chips as the temperature on the grill was beginning to drop and continued cooking the brisket for another 1-1/2 hours. 

After removing the brisket from the grill, I placed the pan on a cooling rack and left it covered to allow it to rest for one more hour. 

This brisket cut like butter, was so moist and flavorful.  The McCormick Grill Mates Smokin' Texas BBQ rub was sensational!

So don't forget to stop by McCormick's Grillerhood and become a part of the a growing grilling social network!

Share with all of us your number one "Rule of Grilling"! 

Disclosure - I have been compensated by McCormick in all relevant communication mediums, including without limitations on Facebook, Twitter, any blog posts.

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Grilled Asian Eggplant

This has to be one of most simple and tasty vegetables to enjoy this summer.  We were looking for something a little different to do with eggplant on the grill besides the usual garlic and Parmesan that we all enjoy.  We were in the mood for something with an Asian flair and experimented and came up with scrumptious side dish.

2 cloves garlic, rough chopped

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt plus more for seasoning

Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons Tamari or regular soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 eggplant
Canola oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley


Sprinkle the Kosher salt over the chopped garlic and using the side of a chef knife, make a paste with garlic by smashing the garlic and pressing the side of the knife over the garlic.  Place the garlic past in a small bowl.

Whisk into the garlic paste, the vinegar, Tamari and sesame oil.  Place the red pepper flakes in the palm of your hand and press them with the thumb of your other hand to release the oils. Whisk into the garlic/Tamari liquid. Set aside.
Heat grill to high. Spray grates with non-stick cooking spray.

Peel the eggplant and cut into 1-inch wide by 1/2-inch thick strips.  Season the eggplant with salt and pepper, then brush with the garlic/Tamari mixture. Place the eggplant strips on the grill just until slightly charred.  Turn and brush with mixture. 

Once both sides are slightly charred, place on a serving platter and garnish with chopped parsley.  Serve immediately.

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Smoky Mountain Wings and a Giveaway!!!

I am so pumped to share with you my partnership with McCormick Grill Mates and have joined the “Grillerhood”!  You know how much I love to grill year around soooooo I’m going to share with you my adventures trying and enjoying some of McCormick Grill Mates seasonings.  Stop by and visit the Grillerhood.  You'll find it's a great online community whether you're a seasoned grill master or just starting out and learning.  You can pick up grilling tips, ask questions or just meet up with others who share a passion for grilling.  I was really wow-ed by how many people love to grill and how helpful the community is.

This was my first weapon of choice but instead of using it as a marinade, I decided to try it as a brine instead.

Whisk together the contents of the envelope into 2 cups of water.

Place the chicken drummettes in a re-sealable plastic bag and pour the brine over the chicken.

Seal the plastic bag and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

When you're ready to grill, pat the drummettes dry with paper towels.  I'm not going to lie, these babies were smelling so good already!

While I was standing around busy blogging and waiting for the chicken to brine I started checking out this, McCormick Grill Mates, Steakhouse Onion Burger with Garlic seasoning.  It was love at first whiff!

I just had to season the drummettes with the Steakhouse Onion Burger with Garlic seasoning! 

Neighbors began to appear out of nowhere!  No basting required.  The brine kept the drummettes super-moist, even over direct heat.  Layering this McCormick Grill Mates flavor combination really made for some seriously robust drummettes.

Hey!  Leave some for me!  Guess what?  No one asked for or needed any kind of dipping sauce.

Disclosure - I have been compensated by McCormick in all relevant communication mediums, including without limitations on Facebook, Twitter, any blog posts.

But wait, don't leave yet!  Raise your hand if you want to try out the amazing flavors of McCormick Grill Mates.

1. Check out this way cook tailgating pack.  You get this Grill Mates apron McCormick Grill Mates, Seasonings, rubs grill tools, a recipe book, grill mitt and chef's hat.

The Grill Mates grilling apron and tools, fold up into this handy carrying pouch so you can take it with you anywhere.

All you have to do to enter is either leave a comment on your favorite McCormick Grill Mates seasoning or you can tweet about the giveaway and use the hashtag #Grillmateson.

Random drawing will be Friday, June 8th at 10:00 EST.

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Grilled Potato Gratin

Yes, boys and girls, your eyes aren't playing tricks on you, it really does say "Grilled" Potatoes Gratin.

You know me, I'm either going to "Parmesan" or "Grill" it.  This is so easy and if you use Yukon Gold potatoes, the skin is so thin, you won't even have to peel them! 

What's not to like, right?

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 

4 to 5 medium size Yukon Gold potatoes, cleaned and thinly sliced into rounds

2 garlic cloves

1 stick butter, cut into tablespoons size pats 

1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Bring a large pot of of salted water to a boil and add the potato slices.  Boil about 8 minutes to soften them up but not to completely cook them. Drain and slightly cool the potatoes.

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for indirect grilling over medium-high heat.

While the potatoes are boiling, smash the garlic cloves using the side of a chef's knife and liberally sprinkle the smashed garlic cloves with the Kosher salt. Continue smashing and scraping the garlic until it turns into a paste.

Heat a 1 quart saucepan over medium heat, add the butter and melt. Stir in the garlic paste, parsley and thyme, and season with salt and pepper.

Heat the grill to medium.

Spray a slotted grill pan with non-stick cooking spray. Place the potato in the pan in concentric circles and cover the bottom of the pan.  Gently brush the potatoes withe some of the garlic butter.  If you have more potatoes, make another layer in concentric circles over the first layer of potatoes and brush the second layer with the garlic butter mixture.

Place the grill pan in the center of the grill and close the cover.   Move the grill pan to the other side of the grill and continue grilling over indirect heat, basting the potatoes with garlic butter about every 10 minutes, until browned and tender, about 30 to 35 minutes.

Now tell me, who's your hero?



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