Garlic Rosemary Surf & Turf - Steak on the Grill Grates

Is there any better protein combo then a classic surf and turf? I don't think so, and they only way I know of to improve this combo is to just add corn!

Here is a quick and flavourful surf and turf that combines two of my favourite strong flavours.. Rosemary and Garlic. As always the full recipe can be found at the bottom of the page.

Starting 24 hours earlier I mix my wet and dry ingredients in ziplock bags and then add the steak to one bag and corn to a second bag. The Steaks can use a good rub down so do your best to work the flavours in early then let them soak it up over night. Removed both the steaks and corn from the fridge about 30 minutes prior to them hitting the grill and give them a healthy dose of salt and pepper

If you don't own a set of grill grates you really should check them out. to-date since owning my grates I have yet to grill a steak without them. These steaks were grilled at 650 degrees on screaming hot grates, I let them sizzle for 2 minutes, rotate once, sizzle for 2 more minutes then flit and do the same on side 2. 

depending on how well you like your steaks done, you can alter the time or cook with the lid closed to generate more heat during the cook.

Once you have flipped the steaks you can add the add the corn, these cobs will take 7-10 minutes to cook, so I get them on while the steak is cooking its last 4 minutes and leave them on for the 5 minute resting period.

Try cooking the corn on your grill grates, it will add some nice sear marks. The shrimp should be placed on the grill while the steak is resting. Depending on size they will take 2-5 minutes to cook. Cook them with the heat under the shell for the first 2-3 minutes then meat side down for grill marks.

Ingredients:

2           Steaks (your cut your choice)
2           Rosemary Sprigs
2 tbsp   Olive Oil
1 tsp     Minced Garlic


2          Ears of Corn
2          Rosemary Sprigs
2 tbsp   Olive Oil
1 tsp     Minced Garlic

1/3 Lb  Shrimp (sized at U15)


Marinate both the steaks and the corn overnight, or for a minimum of 3 hours. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes prior to it hitting the grill

the surf part of this recipe  needs no marinating, just clean and split the shrimp and baste with butter (and garlic) while on the grill.

Heat Source & Tools

(1) Royal Oak - Blue Bag
(2) Grill Grates

Apple Rosemary Beer Can Chicken

Note: The below recipe is from KamadoGuru forum user DerHusker. When I saw his post I immediately purchased all the ingredients to do up my own slightly tweaked version. If you would like to see the original click HERE.. if not keep reading and try not to drool on your keyboard. As always I will lead with the step by step, and you will find the ingredient and tool list at the bottom.

Alright lets get started

to kick off a good Beer Can chicken I start by loading up the Kamado Joe and getting it heating up to 375 degrees for a fast cook (45mins-1hr) or 275 for a slow cook (2 hrs). As the Q is heating I place all the ingredients below (except the cider) into a food processor and give it a blend until it is paste like or looking kinda like pesto consistence.

Tip: Add the oil slowly you may need more, or less depending on how runny or solid you would like your wet rub,

Tip: Most of these ingredients you can eyeball, but the cinnamon and sage should be fairly accurate, Both of these are strong and can take over the dish

Once the wet rub is ready, start to work it up under the skin of the chicken. Get a good couple tablespoon under there and then proceed to use the rest of the rub on the outside of the bird.

Once coated its time to add the "beer can" portion of the recipe. If your not into booze you could use standard apple juice or non alcoholic cider, but I opted for a can of Somersby Apply Cider, it is a personal fav of mine and adds a ton sweetness and flavour… not to mention I get to

Tip: When trying to get up under the chicken skin, use the handle end of a butter knife and work slowly in order not to rip the skin.  Use your hands to add the wet rub a little at a time and work it in as deep as you can

Tip: Watch your can size, the Somersby can is a little large for smaller chickens, just cram it on or pour the cider into a smaller can.

Once on the grill just set it and forget it. I rarely check in my my birds, unless I see excessive smoke or want to rotate it a bit. The cook was only interrupted once at which time I spun the chicken to ensure an even cook.

I always probe my chicken in the breast and thigh looking for it to reach above 165. Once there I pull the chicken from the grill and let it rest for at least 5 minutes prior to quartering.

Ingredients:

1           Roaster Chicken (3lbs)
1           Green Apple (diced)
3           Sprigs of Rosemary
3-5        Sage Leaves (dried is also fine)
1/2 tsp   Ginger (minced)
1/4 tsp   Cinnamon
2 tbsp    Montreal Chicken Spice
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
1    Can  Somersby Apple Cider


As mentioned above this recipe is my own take on a recipe that can be found on the KamadoGuru forum HERE

Sides: I paired this dish with roasted sweet potato and a salad of arugula, BBQ apples and fig balsamic dressing

Heat Source & Tools

(1) Royal Oak (Blue Bag)
(2) Kamado Joe Heat Deflector
(3) BeerCan Chicken Stand

Quick and Easy BBQ Chicken Wings - Tips and Tricks

This past weekend while visiting the in-laws I was asked at the last minute to cook dinner. When I asked what the plan was I was simply handed a Costco sized bag of chicken wings and told "it's your call".

When at home, this would not usually be an issue, but at the in-laws I knew immediately I had two serious obstacles to deal with.. (1) an old BBQ with temp control and hot spot issues and (2) a pantry seriously lacking in rubs and sauces

If you find yourself dealing with similar issues, here are some tips and tricks for turning out some tasty  chicken wings

Dressin' up the wings

When dealing with a pantry light on options, I tend to focus my attention on items that i know pair well on the BBQ and that are commonly found even in the barest of pantries.. items like Paprika, garlic powder, and of course Montreal Steak Spice.

Yes, the three of these items combined make a very simple BBQ rub that works well on chicken wings.  the paprika and Montreal Steak spice can be added in equal parts but the garlic powder should be used sparingly (if at all)

Tip: Montreal Chicken spice will work better then the Steak spice if it's on hand, make the switch.

Tip: Mix you home made rub and toss with chicken wings in a large plastic bag of bowl. Try to get it as evenly dispersed as possible.

As for saucing the wings, in situations like this I tend to leave them dry and then provide the available BBQ or other dipping sauces on the table and let the family choose their own, and how much sauce they like.. most people have at least one BBQ sauce, and a mix of Asian cooking sauces in their fridge at any given time. Try mixing these up to make your own unique flavours

Cooking the Wings

Cooking wings can be challenging, even more so on a BBQ that is older and has multiple hot and cold spots. The key to working this style BBQ is to keep things moving. Once the wings are ready spread them out on a single layer leaving some room between each wing.

I tend to cook wings over medium heat with the grill top open, this allows me to monitor flare ups and keep an eye on the doneness. On a BBQ such as this, it is just as important to move wings around the grill as it is to flip them. Find the areas that hold steady heat and areas or pockets that you are able to put wings that are cooking to fast. Keep a spray bottle with water handy just in case

Once I get to a desired doneness, I often place the wings on the top rack and shut the grill lid for a last minute heat through. Don't be afraid to pile them up at this time as the juices will run down onto other wings.

Once ready platter your wings up and place them on a central spot on the table with the dipping sauces. I cooked this batch of wings along with some sausages, and cut the sausage into chunks so they too were dip-able making the whole meal family style finger food.. the kids loved it (and i did too)

Kofta Kabobs on the Kamado

I'm a huge fan of middle eastern food, and even more so all those small local shops cooking various kabobs over open flame and charcoal. Since purchasing my Kamado I have been looking for an accessory that would allow me to cook kabobs with no grates, but since I could not find one I had to improvise.

The full recipe for my Kofta Kabobs can be found at the bottom of this post, but the majority of this article will focus on the tips and learning's from my first open coal cooks

Tip 1: Make the Kabobs the night before and tightly wrap each in plastic wrap. This will help the kabobs keep their shape and hold onto the skewer when on the grill

Tip 2: Use stainless skewers and not wood for this style of cook, the heat and flames will burn up the ends of your wood skewers and your kabobs will end up in the flames and not on the plate.

Tip3: Because we will be cooking on an angle, you need to use some form of firm vegetable to tip your skewers in order to hold the meat in place. I usually use onion and or peppers, but since the fridge was pretty bare I opted to cut the stem from some broccoli to use as a cap (the mushrooms where my first thought but we all know how well they hold up)

Tip 4: I set up the grill for indirect cooking, using the half moon heat deflector with the grate in the upper position. This gives me the ability to angle to kabobs down towards the flame using the fire bowl lip to hold them in place.

Tip 5: You may want to do a test measure on the length of your kabobs. I made mine a little long and had to squish them down a bot to ensure all the meat was over the coals.

Tip 6: This is an open lid cook for the most part, if you are going to close the dome, stay close by to avoid flare ups.

Tip 7: Rotating Kofta Kabobs on a stainless skewer can be tricky. If the meat is too loose it will spin, so be prepared to use a two hand technique. Once the meat crusts up it will be easier to slip or spin. Keep things moving to avoid deep charring, and move kabobs around in and out of hot spots.

Tip 8: If you having a hard time with flare ups or excessive charring, you can slide the kabobs off the skewers and place them on the grill over indirect heat. Close the lid and finish cooking this way.

I love to eat these in wrap or sandwich form. Today I tossed a few naan breads on the grill to warm them up, and then added shredded lettuce, to mote, sliced onion and Tzatziki (or raita if you have some). These already have some heat to them, but add some hot sauce if you want some added burn.

there you have it, the middle eastern hot dog aka Kofta Kabobs

Ingredients:

1 lb.      Ground Beef
1           Egg
1tsp      Coriander
1/2 tsp  Chili Flakes
1 tbsp   Cumin
1 tsp     Crushed ginger
1 tsp     Minced Garlic
1 tbsp   Chopped Cilantro (or mint)

Lemon Zest (1 lemon)
Salt & Pepper to taste

This recipe is my own take on a Jamie Oliver recipe that can be found HERE

Toppings: Shredded Lettuce, Dices tomato, and thin slices of onion (hot sauce if you must)

Heat Source & Tools

(1) Cowboy Brand Charcoal 
(2) Kamado Joe Heat Deflector
(3) 12" Stainless Steel Skewers

Kamado Joe - Rosemary Seared Lamp Chops

Lamb is one most under appreciated meats for the BBQ, and this past weekend when I saw these nice looking shoulder chops I just couldn't pass them up. It took all I had to let them sit for the full 24 hour marinade time, but believe me this won't be my last lamb cook this season

Lamb is a hearty meat that can take big flavour, so I ran with a simple but punchy marinade consisting of olive oil, minced/crushed garlic, rosemary and a  hint of cayenne. I let this stew overnight 

While bringing the grill to temp I hit it with salt and pepper (about 30 minutes prior to the cook)

The grill is set up for both direct and indirect, once the temp hits 375-400 degrees I tossed the lamb shoulder chops on over direct heat and grill for 2 minutes to 2 minutes 30 seconds per side.

At this time if you like your lamb medium well to well done, you can move it off the heat and place it on indirect for 2-4 more minutes

Tip: while cooking over direct heat has a water filled spray bottle handy, as the fat and oil coming off your chops will cause flare ups. Attempt to use the spray bottle instead of moving the chops.

Once cooked to desired doneness, pull the chops and let them rest for 5 minutes.

Optional Sides

I like to serve this lamb with couscous and a small salad of cucumber, tomatoes and peppers. Couscous is nice and works great to sop up the juices from the lamb. Both the couscous and the salad can be made while the lamb rests so it is still super fresh when dinner is ready

Sauces & Rubs & Marinades

(1) Garlic Rosemay Marinade

Heat Source & Tools

(1) Basques Natures Own (green bag) Charcoal 
(2) Kamado Joe Heat Deflector (half)

Kamado Joe - In search of the perfect Pizza - Attempt #3

With each cook I seem to get closer and closer to pizza perfection. On my third attempt I have found the perfect dough recipe and with a few tweaks to my cooking method I think I will be able to achieve the crust I'm looking for when I attempt cook #4

Tip: When learning a new technique it is good to focus on one or two new things instead of trying a bunch of things. For example on cooks 1 and 2, I made both the dough and the sauce from scratch (new recipes), this is all well and good but it was hard for me to decipher what I liked and didn't like and why. So on this cook I made the dough from scratch but used a store bought sauce that I know I like. Once I nail the crust I will begin the pursuit for the perfect sauce(s)

Tip: Pizza cooks takes some time, so watch out for charcoal that burns hot and fast. The CowBoy brand heats up hot fast, but it also  burns up fast.. meaning that while I heated up my pizza stone for the required 45minutes to an hour, I was quickly loosing charcoal at the rate that I would need to add more in order to keep my temps up through the entire cook

Mistake: I still did not get my pizza high enough into the dome to achieve the perfect cook. In order to do so I think I will need the grill expander, so I bought one and hope to have it in hand shortly to give it a try. Not having my pizza close to dome did not get me as much all around heat thus the toppings although cooked where not as well done as the crust

Sauce & Crust

(1) Brown Eyed Baker "Thin Crust"
(2) Classico Pizza Sauce 

Heat Source & Tools

(1) Cowboy Brand Charcoal 
(2) Kamado Joe Pizza Stone
(3) Kamado Joe Heat Deflector
(4) Infrared Temperature Gun

Charcoal Review: Natures Own by Basques

There is already an amazing website that reviews every kind of Charcoal imaginable, and to be honest I use it when trying to decide on trying out a new brand.. I can't complete with the scientific like study they do on each brand they review, so my reviews will focus solely on my on my own experiences and how the brands compare to others I've tried

Heat, Temp & Length of Cook

Natures own is a good all around charcoal. I found it worked best for cooks between 225-500 degrees, meaning it is great with slow and low as well as searing steaks or other cuts.

It did seem to take me longer to reach temps of 500+ degrees with this brand, so take that into consideration when cooking pizza or other items that require scorching hot temps

As it breaks down over the cooking process its creates a lot of ash. I seemed to spend more time cleaning my Kamado after each use then with other brands I tested

This charcoal has no issues holding temps over long slow cooks. it is perfectly matched with ribs, briskets and other meats that you want that smokey meaty flavour 

Smell & Taste

Natures own has a great smokey smell that hits you the minute you open the bag and stays with you throughout the cook. Out of the 3 brands I have used thus far, it does have superior smell and flavour (Red bag Kamado Joe, CowBoy being the other two).

I love the east that Natures Own imparts during a cook. I find it is more subtle then other brands but still imparts a flavour you can recognize.

Price & Availability

I purchased mine from Costco at $9 a bag (a steal), they usually retail for $12.99 but watch for crazy sales and load up when you can. Here are some other options for purchasing

Tasty Licks BBQ Supply - $23.70

Lowes (Canada)

Costco (Canada)

Giant Tiger (Canada)

Recommended Uses

As mentioned above Natures Own is a great all around charcoal with excellent flavour. I recommend using it for medium to long cooks such as:

• full or split chickens
• ribs
• brisket
• various pork cuts
• burgers
• steaks

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If your looking for more,  be sure to check out Naked Whiz HERE