Grilling in December

My son and I had a little bet going whether or not I would be able to get the grill hot enough with it being 35 degrees Farenheit outside. Since he had been doing so well in school I wanted to reward him with an unexpected BBQ that he would also have a chance to participate in.

The Smoking Version of Chirp and Turf

For those following this blog for a while, you may recall my original Chirp and Turf recipe and technique post. Now that I recently added a smoker to my BBQ backyard, it was time to reload this recipe and technique.

Recipe:

(1) dry rub recipe 

(2) Tablespoons Brown Sugar

Sweet Potatoes

Italian Sausage

Chicken

3 pound rack of beef short ribs

Step 1: Seperate some of the dry rub recipe and add the brown sugar for the beef ribs. Liberally coat the ribs and let come to room temperature.

Step 2: Pour 1 chimney full of charcoal into the bottom of the smoker

Step 3: Light 3/4 of a chimney with charcoal and light it.

Step 4: When the charcoal is lit, pour it into the chimney and bring it to temperature

Step 5: Add the ribs to the bottom level of the smoker and close the top. While this is happening, prepare the chicken with the rub, sweet potatoes and sausages

Step 6: After an hour, add the chicken, sweet potatoes, and sausage to the top level of the smoker

Step 7: Replace the cover and and let the smoking magic begin

Step 8: After a few hours check the chicken. There is a good chance that the ribs will need a little while longer.

Step 9: Pull the ribs off and let them rest for a few minutes before slicing

Step 10: Slice the ribs in between the bones and enjoy the smoke ring!

Making things a bit smokey

I have spoken about how when doing "Chirp and Turf" it is important to first smoke the wings and then get the fire hotter for the hamburgers. Its a great way to smoke and grill, but as I have worked with this incredible charcoal Weber One Touch for the last 4 years, I really wanted a dedicated smoker that didn't need as much involvement like the One Touch does when I use that to smoke. I decided it was time to take Everything is Better Grilled to the next level and get a dedicated smoker.

While there are many different smokers available on the market, I am a big fan of Weber's products and quality and went with the 22.5" Weber Smokey Mountain.

For this Sundays BBQ with friends, I started the smoker first since this would be cooking the longest.

Like the One Touch, you start with filling and lighting the chimney

Once the chimney is lit, you add the ring that keeps the charcoal in place and pour your charcoal and wait until the smoker comes up to temperature. Add your wood chips and your food and let it go. Since I was doing a variation of chicken and sweet potatoes for my first smoke, I waited an hour before starting the chimney for my grill.

As you can see, this turned my backyard into a real BBQ House!!

The good part about doing these separately was that the grill was able to get super hot for the hamburgers and hot dogs

Around the time that the burgers and spiral hot dogs were done..........

....the smoker was done too. Since the smoker has two levels, I put the sweet potatoes under the chicken so that when the chicken smoked, those juices landed on the potatoes giving them some extra flavor.

Needless to say, there were very little leftovers. Stay tuned for more smoking and grilling recipes over the coming weeks.

Summer version of Shnitzel

Shnitzel is a classic Jewish meal involving breadcrumbs, hot oil, and chicken breasts. In this house it is a fan favorite as I put my own spin on it involving cayenne pepper and combining bread crumbs with Panko bread crumbs for added crunch. During the summer months, I would prefer to take advantage of the warmer weather and and make shnitzel outside (minus the hot oil and breadcrumbs)

July 4th BBQ for One

With my fellow BBQ Foodie son away at camp for the summer and my daughters and wife choosing salad and tuna fish for dinner, I was left to BBQ for myself on July 4th. Why you ask? Because not BBQing on July 4 is like saying that the Communists won the Cold War!!

Here are some pictures to help stir up the patriotism.

I went with lump charcoal because it adds a different flavor than the briquettes

Its my birthday and I will golf and BBQ if I want to....

....barring any Hatzolah related or work calls....

Sunday was my birthday. And while it was a day that would allow me to spend time with my father on a golf course, it began the night before jumping into support a massive technology undertaking that had most of my team going until a little past 3:00 AM. 35 minutes later when my alarm went off, I got up, davened and picked up my father to play the greatest game in the world, Golf at 5:40 AM.

Unfortunately, on the way home, I was asked to help cover the evening and overnight support so I had to change my dinner plans with my family and instead fired up the grill, because even birthdays are better grilled #EIBG.

I picked up a 1.5 inch thick 22 oz Rib Eye steak and used a little extra virgin olive oil, salt, fresh cracked black pepper, cumin, and cayenne pepper for the rub. I used some cooking string to tie it to keep its shape.

Who said BBQs are for Sundays?

All throughout America it seems there are real people who will only fire up their grills on a weekend and are missing out on some of the most enjoyable meals of the year. On Wednesday night, I took advantage of seasonal weather as well as a working from home day to smoke some chicken thighs and sweet potatoes. This Wednesday also showed me why Google+ is the place for social networking over Facebook. There I have founded like minded BBQ (and Golf) enthusiasts who appreciate their outdoor cooking and show me that every culture can come together through food and BBQ.

Here are a couple pictures from Wednesdays grillfest for your viewing pleasure:

Sunday night BBQ

Counting down the last nights before my eldest goes to sleep away camp, it was his call on what we would be having for dinner. With whole chickens on sale and cans of beer in the fridge, the choice was obvious, we were going Patriotic Beer Can Chicken.

I think I have finally mastered the art of removing the chicken from the can

A Tuesday Night BBQ

Who said BBQs are only for weekends?

Smoked Chicken Thighs and Sweet Potatoes

Putting the 'twist' on Hot Dogs and Sausage

At the end of last summer I remember seeing an incredible post about adding a spiral cut to hot dogs for an added twist. Earlier this morning while browsing one of my favorite food sites, Chef John reminded me what a great idea this was. But the question was when could I get away trying it with these picky eaters.

On the way home from the dentist tonight I mentioned to my daughters that I would be making a BBQ of Hot Dogs, Hamburgers and Wings (see Chirp and Turf) and they asked if they could have cold cereal instead. When I told them I would be making curly spiral hot dogs they were all for it.

See below as there was not a hot dog left once they came off the grill.

Once in a while, all you want is a good burger

The other night I was sitting with my son wondering what we should have for dinner when it occurred to both of us that all we wanted was a good burger. The type of burger that has the crust and smokiness that can only come from charcoal. And of course, you can't have a good burger without some seriously grilled onions....

Spring Cleaning

It's May and time to get the recipes and pictures flowing again. Over the last month I have been experimenting with different charcoal types/brands as well as returning to that BBQ rhythm.

For starters, as much as we enjoy the caked on grease/carbon that adds flavor to our grills, after a while it can affect airflow into the grill as well as cause unwanted grease fires which also has a way of adding unwanted flavors into the food you are grilling or smoking. This past week had this type of occurrence and demanded a thorough seasonal cleaning.

Release the hounds!

2013 Grilling Season

I now declare the 2013 grilling season as open!!!!

Yesterday we saw incredible temperatures in the high 40s low 50s which mean it was perfect weather for grilling. Unfortunately it was the first time in 2013 that we saw these temperatures. When I asked the kids what they wanted, they unanimously voted for 'Chirp and Turf'.

Have you started the 2013 grilling season yet?