Pulled Pork Barbeque

This is a great recipe for making your own pulled pork barbeque on your grill.  Traditionally this should be done over a charcoal fire with careful temperature control, or in a smoker, but we’ll be tackling it on a gas grill using some wood chips to add a bit of smokey flavor.  You’ll need to plan ahead, because doing this right takes all day.

Here’s what you’ll need:

1. A pork shoulder roast, 5 to 7 lbs.  (also known as a “Boston butt”)
2. Dry rub (make your own or use McCormicks)
3. Wood chips
4. Apple juice
5. Apple cider vinegar
6. Honey
7. Maple syrup
8. Bourbon whiskey
9. Coke (optional)

The first step is to prepare the pork with the dry rub.  You’ll want to do this the night before.  Cover the porks in the rub on all sides, and get in every little nook and cranny.  Then cover the pork and place it in the refridgerator over night.

The next morning (before 9 AM if you want to eat at a normal dinner time), start your grill and get the temperature to hold between 250 and 300 degrees.  Preferably, generate the heat with a single burner.

While the grill is heating up, take a few handfuls of wood chips and soak them in water.  Once they’ve soaked for about 15 minutes, create an envelope of aluminum foil and place the chips in the envelope.  Punch several holes in the top of the envelope to allow the smoke to escape.

Once the grill is ready and your woodchips are moist and enveloped, place the envelope on the grill.  For best results, put the envelope under the grill surface, directly over the active burner.  Alternatively, as pictured, you can just place the envelope over the active burner on the grating.

While you let the chips heat up and start smoking, it’s time to prepare the mop.  Mix the apple juice, vinegar, honey, syrup, and a bit of bourbon together in a container.  A bit more apple juice than vinegar.  You can also optionally mix in some Coke and throw in some of the dry rub.  Play with the mixture until you like the taste.

Now you’re all set to put the pork on the grill.  Set the roast, fat side up, over the portion of the grill that isn’t being heated directly. Use a brush to apply a liberal coating of the mop to the pork.

And now you’ll wait.  It will take anywhere from 8-10 hours to get the internal temperature of the meat up to 190 degrees.  You should check on the meat every 30 or so minutes, applying a new coating of the mop each time.  Eventually you’ll get a nice crusty layer built up on top.

Once the meat reaches 190 degrees, remove it from the grill and let it rest for 10 minutes.  Be careful, because the roast is liable to fall apart as you handle it.

After 10 minutes, use 2 forks to “pull” apart the meat.  If it was cooked long enough, it will come right apart into tender little pieces that you will recognize.  Apply your favorite barbeque sauce (store bought or home made), an optional roll, and enjoy!  Unless you’re cooking for a large group, you’ll be eating pork for days.

Grilled Corn On The Cob

o learn how to grill corn on the cob, I located a few recipes on FoodNetwork and an additional site www.elise.com. Also, I found two videos on YouTube:

Recipes:

1) http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_124,00.html

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay

Show: Hot Off the Grill with Bobby Flay

Episode: Family Grilling

4 ears of corn, husked

Butter

Olive oil

Salt to taste

Lay the ears directly on the grill over very hot coals. Grill turning to brown them evenly, for 5 to 7 minutes. Season them to taste with butter, olive oil and salt.

2) http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_34322,00.html

Grilled Corn on the Cob with Garlic Butter, Fresh Lime and Cotija Cheese

Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay

Show: Throwdown with Bobby Flay

Episode: BBQ

8 ears corn

Garlic butter, recipe follows

1/2 cup grated cotija cheese

4 fresh limes, quartered

2 tablespoons chopped chives, for garnish

Preheat grill to medium. Peel back the husks of the corn without removing them. Remove the silks and recover the corn with the husk. Soak in large bowl of cold water for 30 minutes. Remove corn from water and shake off excess. Place the corn on the grill, close the cover and grill for 15 to 20 minutes.

Unwrap corn and brush with the garlic butter. Sprinkle with the cotija cheese and squeeze with lime. Sprinkle with chopped chives, to garnish.

Garlic Butter:

2 sticks unsalted butter, slightly softened

8 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped

1/4 habanero pepper, seeded

1/4 bunch fresh chives

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine butter, garlic, habanero, and chives in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside until ready to use.

3) http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/005215grilled_cornonthecob.php

Using the recipes above, I decided to construct my own recipe:

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Corn on the Cob

Butter

Salt

Garlic Powder

Ground Red Pepper

Split corn husks back, careful not to remove. Remove corn silk and replace corn husks. Soak in cold water for at least 30 minutes. Open the corn husks and heavily butter the corn. Season corn with a light dusting of salt, garlic powder, and red pepper. Replace corn husks and place on grill at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, rotate corn midway through cooking. Remove husks and enjoy!

Here is a video of me grilling corn on the cob (using my recipe) that I posted to YouTube:

Making a Strawberry Daiquiri

Recipes:

1) http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_127249,00.html

Strawberry Daiquiri

Recipe courtesy Robin Miller, 2007

Show: Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller

Episode: Delicious Details

Ice cubes

2 parts light rum

1 part Triple Sec

1 part fresh strawberries, tops trimmed off

Lime juice, as needed

Lime wedges

Sugar

Add to a blender and puree: ice cubes, light rum, Triple Sec, fresh strawberries and lime juice. Rub the rim of a glass with lime. Roll the glass in sugar. Garnish with lime wedges. Taste and enjoy!

2) http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_3824,00.html

Strawberry Daiquiri

Recipe Courtesy of Cathy Lowe

2 Cups strawberries

3 tablespoons lemonade concentrate

1 shot of rum

Ice cubes Cut off tops of strawberries and place on cookie sheet. Freeze. Once frozen, place in blender with concentrate, rum and a hand full of ice cubes. Blend until smooth. Pour into cups and serve.

3) http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_34539,00.html

Virgin Daiquiri

Recipe courtesy Dave Lieberman

Show: Good Deal with Dave Lieberman

Episode: Pantry Challenge

1 (14.5-ounce) can pineapple chunks in juice

1 (12-ounce) bag frozen strawberries

2 tablespoons superfine sugar

2 medium limes, juiced

Fresh strawberries, optional, for garnish

In a blender, combine pineapple, frozen strawberries, sugar, and lime juice and puree until smooth. Pour into glasses, garnish with fresh strawberries, if desired, and serve immediately.

4) http://www.vegetarian-fun.com/drink3.html

Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri

2 oz light rum

1 oz lime juice (or sweet and sour mix)

1/2 oz triple sec

1/2 tsp powdered sugar

1 cup ice

5 fresh strawberries

Put all in a blender. High speed until smooth. Pour into a Collins glass; serve with a straw.

Strawberry Daiquiri

1/2 oz strawberry Schnapps

1 oz light rum

1 oz lime juice

1 tsp powdered sugar

1 oz strawberries

Shake all ingredients with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and serve.

Strawberry Daiquiri

1 oz lime juice

1 each slice orange

1 oz rum

2 oz frozen strawberries

2 each strawberries

1/2 oz strawberry schnapps

1 teaspoon sugar

cracked ice

Put ice, rum, strawberry schnapps, lime juice, frozen strawberries, and sugar in a mixing glass. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Decorate with whole strawberries and the orange slice.

In addition, I found a video on YouTube to better illustrate:

Using the recipes, I combined the information to make my own.

My Recipe:

Strawberry Daiquiri (makes 2 servings)

1lb (16oz) of fresh Strawberries

2 Limes

6 Tbsp Powdered Sugar

2 Cups of Ice

4oz Whipped Topping

2-4oz of Rum (optional)

Blender

Set 2 smaller strawberries aside, to be used later as garnish. Rinse, cut tops off, and place strawberries in blender. Add sugar and ice. Cut limes in half and squeeze lime juice into blender. Add Rum, if desired. Blend until mixture is smooth. Pour mix into 2 wine glasses, top with whipped topping, and garnish each glass with one strawberry.

Here is a video of me making my strawberry daiquiri on YouTube:

Sunny Summer Afternoon Pasta Salad

This recipe comes from deep within the kitchen of my … Mother.  It wasn’t until late in my years growing up in her house that I became seriously interested in how she was able to make everything tasty.  Except of course her meatloaf, but that’s another story for a different day.  Just trust me on that one.  But really, she could turn simple ingredients into a wonderful combination.  And that’s what this pasta salad is all about.  It’s colorful, flavorful, and most importantly, it has a light dressing making it the perfect addition to your Summer cookout.

To get things started let’s get a list of ingredients.

16 oz. package of your favorite pasta (Rotini is the default, but you can also get Shells, Elbows, …

1 Red Pepper

1 Cucumber

Apple Cider Vinegar

Sugar

Salt

First, let’s get your pasta cooked up.  For this, you’ll need to get water boiling in a medium to large saucepan.  Once your water is boiling, remove the amount of pasta you desire from its box and dump it in.  You’ll want to stir the pasta as it begins cooking to prevent them from sticking together.  You can also add a little salt to the water just as it begins to boil for a touch of flavor.  Once your pasta is cooked to your liking, al dente is acceptable but completely cooked through is not a bad idea, remove your pasta from heat and rinse under cold water using a colander.  Drain the pasta well.  Set the pasta aside and while it’s cooling off, let’s prepare the dressing and the vegetables.

Wash your red pepper and cucumber.  Julienne your red pepper.  Cut the julienne’d red pepper strips into smaller more bite-sized strips.  Peel your cucumber and slice it.  Slice the slices in half across the face of the slice and once more if you happened to pick out a giant cucumber and the pieces aren’t quite bite-sized yet.

The dressing for this salad goes great with just about any other salad.  To start, take 1/2 cup of the Apple Cider Vinegar and pour it into a larger cup.  Take 1/2 cup of sugar and pour it in.  Stir the vinegar and sugar until you can just barely see the sugar granules left … this was my Mom’s favorite job for my sister and me growing up.  So if you have kitchen helpers handy, let them stir and stir and stir and stir…  Once the sugar has almost “completely but not quite dissolved into the vinegar but close enough that you can’t really see the fine sugar granules anymore,” pour your pasta, vegetables, and dressing into a large bowl.  Stir everything together gently.  If you need to add more dressing, just use the same method as above, but remember it is equal parts vinegar and sugar.  Once you are satisfied with the dressing quantity to pasta quantity, add salt to taste and put your large bowl into the refrigerator to finish cooling until the cookout!

If you happen to be making this pasta around the 4th of July, you can look while you are shopping for the patriot style colored pasta shells.  If you can’t find them, all you need is a little bit of food coloring and your pasta salad will be showing its patriotism.  This tip comes to us for an All American Pasta Salad from McCormick.

For this you’ll need:

1 package  (16 ounces)  rotini pasta (6 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons  Red  McCormick® Assorted Food Colors & Egg Dye
1 1/2 teaspoons  Blue  McCormick® Assorted Food Colors & Egg Dye

Next follow these simple steps:

Bring 2 cups water to boil in medium saucepan.  Add Red Food Color and 1 cup of the pasta.  Cook as directed on package.  Rinse under cold water; drain well.  Repeat with additional 2 cups water, Blue Food Color and 1 cup pasta.  Repeat with additional 8 cups of water and remaining 4 cups pasta.

This will turn your pasta colors to red, white, and blue – if you haven’t already figured that out.

Fusion Food – Indian Char Koay

Yau Char Koay is a Malaysian Chinese delicacy, literally meaning fried dish. Its quite popular at hawker stalls throughout Malaysia and is a favourite tea-time snack.

 

Here’s recipe of Indian version of Char Koay

Ingredients

White Flour,milk,butter,salt,cucumber,onions and green chillies

Make a dough of white flour , milk (powder or liquid), butter and salt. Set aside 4 to 6 hours.

In the meantime, prepare the side dish: strips of cucumber, onion and green chilly seasoned with salt. This too needs to be rested at least 6 hours so that water is drained and ingredients softened. Need not refrigerate.

After the dough has rested, divide it to small marble-sized (<1cm) balls, using plenty of white flour to avoid them sticking to one another. Leave to rest for another hour.

Now place one ball on another and using the blunt side of a long knife, mark down to the centre of the two balls, right to the bottom. Using both hands pull the dough to make it elongate. Continue with the rest of the dough.

In a frying pan, heat vegetable oil and when hot, further elongate the dough to about 10 cm and deep fry. Remove when golden brown.

Serve this char koay with the cucumber mixture prepared earlier.
The sensation between both extremes – fried dough and cool cucumber is simply out of the world

Follow-up: Grilled Veggie Kabobs

This video came from YouTube and I found it useful for learning how to cut (especially the onions), marinate and skew the veggies.

Add Some Color with Grilled Veggie Kabobs

Here’s an easy vegetable recipe I tried at our 4th of July cook-out.  I found it on www.culinary.net.

Ingredients

• 1 medium zucchini, cut in 1-inch pieces (2 cups)
• 1 medium eggplant, cut in 1-inch pieces (2 cups)
• 1 sweet bell pepper, cut in 1-inch squares
• 2 small red onions, cut in quarters
• 1 small fresh pineapple, cored and skinned, cut in 1-inch pieces (2 cups)
• 8 cherry tomatoes
• 1 package Classico Garlic & Herb EZ Marinader
• 8 skewers

Preparation
Place all vegetables in Marinader bag and reseal bag. Allow to marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes, turning bag occasionally to distribute marinade.

Remove vegetables from bag and thread on skewers. Grill over medium heat 10 to 15 minutes; turn frequently and baste with remaining marinade if desired. Serve over rice or couscous.

This recipe is also great for making changes to accomodate your tastes.  Instead of the vegetables used in this recipe you can also use carrots, corn on the cob, mushrooms, squash, or any other vegetables you find delicious.  I also decided to use olive oil, salt and pepper for seasoning instead of the garlic & herb marinade.  The tricky part is deciding how long to leave the kabobs on the grill.  For crispy vegetables, I found 6-8 minutes work best, but keep in mind that every grill is different.  So another way to tell is when the vegetables have grill marks and are not wilted.  The recipe ended up being a hit with my family.  Hope you enjoy it!

Creamy Chicken Kabobs

Great recipe for Chicken Kabob lovers

Serves: 4
Cooking time (approx.): 15 minutes

12  boneless pieces (about 800  grams) of chicken
2  tablespoon(s) fresh cream
1  egg(s) lightly beaten
4  green chillies finely chopped
2  tablespoon(s) finely chopped coriander leaves
½  teaspoon(s) each of mace and nutmeg powders
1  teaspoon(s) white pepper powder
1  tablespoon(s) each of ginger and garlic pastes
1  tablespoon(s) grated cheese (optional)
1  tablespoon(s) lemon juice
butter for basting
salt to taste
finely cut onion rings and lemon wedges for garnishing
Make cuts on the chicken pieces. Mix together rest of the ingredients except for the lemon juice and rub this paste onto the chicken pieces. Refrigerate for at least three hours, preferably overnight.
Preheat the oven and skewer the chicken pieces. Baste with butter and cook for about 15  minutes or till the chicken is tender.
Sprinkle lemon juice before serving. Garnish with onion rings and lemon wedges.

TIP:

If the chicken is marinated overnight then the cream should be added only a few hours before cooking the chicken.

Desserts on the Grill???

Any meal is not complete without a delicious desert to end the festivities and boy is it challenging to select one for a cookout!  Most deserts have to be prepared in advance and/or refrigerated… brownies, cookies, cakes and ice cream that melt, pies, etc.  Not to mention that all of these are BORING!  The key to choosing a great cookout desert is selecting something that can withstand the heat and can be prepared right before you eat it.  One of my favorites is the Banana Boat.  This desert is great because no two boats have to be the same, everyone can add the toppings their heart desires.  Worried about spending too much on toppings?  Ask each guest to bring one topping!  Plus it is fun for the kids.  Here is a great recipe I found on familyfun.go.com.  Check it out….

Ingredients

1 firm banana
1 tbsp. chocolate chips
2 tsp. chopped walnut pieces
2 to 3 tsp. mini marshmallows

Directions

On a flat surface, arrange a double thickness of aluminum foil large enough to wrap around the banana. Leave the skin on the banana and cut a long slit along the inside curve (if the banana is very curved, flatten it slightly with the palm of your hand).

Press chocolate chips, walnuts and marshmallows into the opening. Wrap the banana with aluminum foil and lay it on the hot coals. Cook it for eight to ten minutes, or until the chocolate and marshmallows are melted.

(Watch it carefully.) Let the boat cool slightly, then open the foil and eat the banana and add-ins with a spoon. Serves one.

After a couple tries, I was able to perfect the grilling so the banana was perfect for my tastes…not too mushy.  This required medium-low heat for 6-8 minutes with rotation half way through.  If you prefer a mushy texture, I recommend leaving the banana on longer and increasing the heat.  Next time I plan to change up the toppings…maybe some vanilla ice cream, mini M&Ms and some peanut butter sauce.  Mmmm, delicious!  Why wait?

No more dry chicken

Chicken is a big hit for cook-outs.  The smell of chicken on the grill is sure to get your guests mouth watering. Some of you however, may cringe at the idea of chicken on a grill for it can notoriously be dry.  And for those of you, I suggest you become friendly with a good ole … brick.  Once I adopted a brick for my chicken grilling, I haven’t looked back. If you’re not quite convinced of the brick method, I offer up this recipe, Tuscan Style Grilled Chicken, which comes from the cooks at Whole Foods.

The list of ingredients are fairly simple.

• 1 3–4 pounds natural chicken
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 5–6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 6 tablespoons mixed fresh herbs (such as rosemary, thyme, oregano, and marjoram)
• sea salt, to taste
• ground pepper, to taste
• lemon wedges to garnish

They seem to forget the most important part, one good clay brick. What’s that you say? You don’t have a brick? They have them at most hardware stores or you can just pick one up that’s been outside laying on the ground. Don’t worry about the spiders, just flick them off. Be sure you have some tongs ready to handle the brick, as handling a brick at 500°F with bare hands will surely put an end to your cook-out.

Once you have all your ingredients, it’s time to marinate the chicken in the refrigerator with the herbs, olive oil and pepper for at least 5 hours or overnight.

Now once your chicken is marinated, fire up that grill and let’s start cooking.

A whole chicken should be cooked over a medium-low fire (you should be able to hold your hand over the flame for 5–6 seconds). Drain excess marinade off the chicken and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on the grill skin side down. Immediately place two heavy bricks wrapped in foil or a weighted cast iron pan over the chicken. Close the lid of the grill and cook for about 15 minutes. Check to see that the skin is crispy and golden. Cook on the other side for 15 to 20 minutes, until juices run clear when pierced with a knife or a meat thermometer registers 180°F. Serve with wedges of lemon.

This image is from Burnt Lumpia, and shows you what the chicken will look like as it is cooking.

Our friends over at Whole Foods say to foil wrap the bricks. That’s not completely necessary, or perhaps they don’t want to freak out their guests with clay bricks lying on chicken. They also use whole chicken in the recipe, you can however substitute boneless chicken breasts and even switch out the marinade for your favorite bar-b-que sauce. If you opt for the boneless breasts and sauce, follow the same cooking steps as noted above. I recommend salting the chicken before its placed on the grill and adding a little lemon pepper. You don’t have to cook the chicken as long, but be sure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 180°F or the juices run clear. Once the chicken has reached that golden temperature, or is close to being done, take the brick off the chicken using tongs and baste the chicken with your sauce. Flip the chicken and baste the other side. Once the sauce has begun to char a little, which happens thanks to the sugars in the sauce, you’re chicken is ready for the masses.

Stay tuned for a vinegar based pasta salad to go with whichever style of chicken you choose to cook.