Holiday Gifts for Grillers - Part 3

With the holidays fast approaching, have you figured out what to ask Santa for? We'll be sharing a few of these with you this month :)


7. Marinade Spray Bottle - Stainless steel - all fancy!
 



8. Grillight - A spatula with LED light on it - what WILL they think of next??
 



9. Pizza Stone for the Grill - Remember that Homewrecker BBQ Chicken Pizza?
 



10. Brush & Bowl - Only difficult thing about BBQ is that it's messy, this apparatus might help.
 

Holiday Gifts for Grillers - Part 2

With the holidays fast approaching, have you figured out what to ask Santa for? We'll be sharing a few of these with you this month :)


4. Wing Rack - where has this been my whole life??
 


5. Magnetic Tank Reader - for folks with Propane Tanks. Great stocking stuffer.
 


6. Meat Claws - for shredding your porks, chickens, steak/beef, etc. Plus they're called 'MEAT CLAWS'...how awesome is that?

Holiday Gifts for Grillers - Part 1

With the holidays fast approaching, have you figured out what to ask Santa for? We'll be sharing a few of these with you this month :)


1. Grillbots.com - that's right, a Roomba for the grill!



2. Jalepeno Popper Grill Rack - We may have to do a series on this next season :)



3. Garlic roaster for the Grill - Oh man, I need to send a letter to Santa!!

Grilled Homewrecker Holiday Ham

Many years ago, I was home with my family for Easter - we were leaving for church and turned on the oven to pre-heat, mom was going to be making ham for the family coming over later.

We got home from church and the oven was cold...broke. Now what do we do?

Thinking quickly, she fired up the grill and we had grilled ham!

So - why not brush the leaves and snow off your grill and use it to make a unique Holiday Ham?








Here is a simple example to get you started:

Grilled Holiday Ham with Homewrecker BBQ Glaze

1 ham, spiral cut or not (any size will do - this example is for about 9 lbs)
1 cup honey
1 Tablespoon A-1 sauce
1 Tablespoon Homewrecker BBQ Sauce 
Cloves (optional)

Pre-heat the grill to 300 degrees, follow the cooking instructions that come with your ham.

Mix together the glaze (honey, a1, and Homewrecker bbq sauce).
If you are using a regular ham score your meat with criss cross cuts.  Not too deep, maybe 1/2-1" (you can add cloves at this time if you're into that kind of thing).  Place ham, large side down, on side the coals or flames aren't.  We want to use the indirect heat method. Brush on  a little bit of the glaze.  Don't get too crazy or it will all slide off into the bottom of the grill.

Every 10-15 minutes turn the ham and glaze some more.
If you have a spiral ham lift your slices a little bit or tip the ham back so it opens a little and apply some more glaze. 

Cook as directed in the instructions that come with the ham from a timing perspective - enjoy with the rest of your holiday meal!

Grilled Apple Pie: Just in time for The Holidays!

Straight from the BBQ Pit Boy Youtube page:

Grilled Apple Pie - just in time for the holidays!



Ingredients:

Baking Apples - 8
Lemon – 2 tsp juice
Premade Pie Dough
Butter – 1 tsp
Sugar – 1 cup.
Butter – 2 tsp.
Cinnamon – ¼ tsp
Nutmeg – 1/8 tsp
Salt – 1/8 tsp
Pyrex oven safe pie pan

1. Set up your grill for indirect grilling. Place hot coals on 1 side of the grill and no coals on the other side of the grill. You are looking for a temperature of 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Core and peel the baking apples
3. Slice the apples into ¼ to 3/8 inch slices
4. Place apples in a bowl and set to the side
5. In a second bowl mix;

1 cup of sugar
1 Tbsp. of Flour
1/8 tsp of Salt

6. Slowly pour the sugar, flour, & salt mixture over the apples mixing to coat all the apples
7. Add to tsp of fresh Lemon Juice to the apples and mix
8. Unroll a pie crust and place into the pie pan
9. Spoon the apple mixture on top of the pie crust in the pan
10. Sprinkle 1/8 tsp of Nutmeg on top of the pie filling
11. Sprinkle 1/8 to ¼ tsp of cinnamon on top of pie filling
12. Place dots of butter on top of the filling, using about 1 tsp of butter
13. Cover the pie with the top pie crust
14. Seal both pie crusts together around the edges (fluting)
15. Score 4 slits in the top pie crust, Do not cut all the way thru the crust
16. Sprinkle light cane sugar on top of the crust
17. Place the Pie on the side of the grill with no coals (indirect grilling)
18. Cover the grill with the lid
19. Cook time will be about 45 minutes depending on the temp of your grill
20. After 20 minutes rotate the pie 180 degrees to promote even cooking
21. After 45 minutes or when done, remove the pie from the grill
22. Let the pie rest and cool down

Video here.

Grilled Brussel Sprouts with Bacon & Balsamic

Grilled Brussel Sprouts with Bacon & Balsamic - from Daring Gourmet on Tablespoon.com:

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds fresh Brussels sprouts (outer leaves discarded, bottom stems trimmed), cut in half

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup good quality aged balsamic vinegar

4 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled 

 

Directions

• Preheat it to medium-high.
• Lay the Brussels sprouts in a single layer on a non-stick or lined baking sheet. Drizzle a couple tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over the sprouts, sprinkle with some salt and freshly ground black pepper, and toss to evenly coat. Place the Brussels sprouts on a grill rack and grill for 8-10 minutes on each side.
• While the Brussels sprouts are cooking, place the balsamic vinegar in a very small saucepan and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes or until it is thickened and lightly coats a spoon.
• Arrange the Brussels sprouts on a serving platter, drizzle with the balsamic vinegar reduction and sprinkle with the crumbled bacon. Serve immediately.

 

Avoiding dry bird meat - just in time for Thanksgiving!

3 great tips borrowed from The Mamas Girls blog:

3 Steps to Never Grill Dry Bird Again!

1. Use a Jaccard Tool

How many of you even know what a jacaard tool is? I sure didn’t. It is, essentially, a small hand-held kitchen tool that tenderizes meat. Depending on the type, they can have anywhere from 15 to 50 tiny blades that pierce the meat with many holes. This does a few things to help the end result. It forms tiny channels through the meat which heat can pass though. This means more even cooking, less shrinking, and can yield faster cooking times. These channels also allow juices and marinades to flow through. Tenderizing before using a marinade can allow flavors to penetrate deeper into the meat. This means more a flavorful result! 

2. Brine the chicken

Many of you have probably heard of brining a turkey for Thanksgiving. Many of you probably dismissed the idea because you were afraid of messing it up and ruining Thanksgiving dinner, and having to order take-out on the most important meal of the year. Some of you just said, “what ever it is, isn’t worth the extra hassle of an already long day in the kitchen”. NOT TRUE! A brine has an acidic quality which tenderizes the driest of meats. Turkey, like chicken, is high on the dry scale. A brine also infuses flavor into the meat. It is basically just a marinade.  Now are you warming up to the idea? Here is the brine recipe:

8 c. water

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 T. black peppercorns

1/4 cup kosher salt

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 T. lemon juice

3 whole bay leaves

4 cloves garlic, sliced

Stir ingredients together in a large pot and bring to a boil. Continue stirring until sugar is dissolved. Allow to cool until room temperature. ( I try to make the night before if I remember) After cooling the marinade, place meat or poultry in a Ziploc bag inside another container for support and leakage. Pour cooled marinade into the bag and squeeze out as much air as possible. Seal. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours

Discard brine before using.   Make sure to pat chicken dry. Grill chicken until inside  temp reaches  165° F.

3. Let the Meat Rest

I know you’re anxious to dive into this delicious piece of meat, and to experience what the meat tenderizer and the brine have done, but leave it alone for 10 minutes after you take it off the heat. Don’t poke it, don’t prod it , don’t cut into it.  If you’re worried about it being cold when you serve it, place it on tin foil, and cover it. This allows the fibers to relax and settle into that mouth watering tenderness.

Bacon Wrapped, Goat Cheese Stuffed, Grilled Mushroom Tops

Bacon Wrapped, Goat Cheese Stuffed, Grilled Mushroom Tops




Ingredients:
12 large baby portobello mushrooms
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
salt
pepper
1 tsp sriracha
6 slices bacon

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to medium heat. Grease the grill lightly.
2. Clean tops of mushrooms with a damp cloth and remove stems.
3. In a small bowl, mix cream cheese, goat cheese, salt, pepper and sriracha together.
4. Divide cheese mixture evenly into mushroom cavities.
5. Cut each slice of bacon in half. Wrap around mushroom and place a toothpick into the mushroom where the bacon ends overlap. {Make sure the toothpick is sticking out the side and is not in the top or bottom.}
6. Grill mushrooms 5-7 minutes per side or until bacon has grill marks, is slightly crispy, and the filling has melted.
7. Remove from grill, remove toothpicks and serve hot.

Grilled Rumchata Bread Pudding

Grilled Rumchata Bread Pudding



2 C granulated sugar
5 large beaten eggs
1 C milk
1 C RumChata
2 t pure vanilla extract
3 C cubed Italian bread--allow to stale overnight in a bowl
1/2 C packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Optional: peaches or berries

Whisk eggs, milk, Rumchata, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Add bread cubes; soak 30 minutes. Butter a sheet of nonstick foil and add the bread mixture; form a packet. Grill over indirect heat, turning a few times, 35 minutes.

Serve warm - great with ice cream too :)

Fireball Whiskey Grilled Pumpkin Pie

Direct quote to BBQ Pit Boys' epic grilled dessert:

Fireball Whiskey Grilled Pumpkin Pie



Ingredients:

Frozen Pie Crusts – 2 (9” each or make your own )

Pie Filling:
Pure Pumpkin – 1 can, 30 oz.
Evaporated Milk – 1 ½ cans, 18 oz.
Eggs – 4
Sugar – 1 ½ cups
Salt – 1 teaspoon
Ground Ginger – 1 teaspoon
Ground Cloves – ½ teaspoon
Cinnamon Whiskey – 6 oz.

Instructions:

1. Bring grill temperature up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Follow directions on package of frozen pie crusts.
3. Using a fork, poke small holes all around pie crust.
4. Place pie crusts on grill opposite hot coals for 15-20 minutes. Cover grill.
5. Be sure to follow cooking times on the package of your frozen pie crusts.
6. Remove crusts from grill and reduce heat to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Crack eggs and put in a mixing bowl.
8. Whisk and combine sugar, salt, ground ginger, ground cloves, pure pumpkin, evaporated milk, and cinnamon whiskey.
9. Thoroughly mix ingredients.
10. Pour mixture to the top of each pie crust.
11. Grill temperature should be 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
12. Place pies on grill opposite hot coals.
13. Cover grill and cook for 25-30 minutes.
14. After 25-30 minutes, remove cover and rotate pies a half turn for even cooking.
15. Cover grill and cook for another 20-25 minutes.
16. Remove cover and check pies for done-ness. Place a tooth pick into center of each pie and remove. If they come out clean, pies are done. If the pie sticks to toothpick they are not done. Continue cooking until you get a clean toothpick. If you don’t have a toothpick, use your Old Hickory knife to check.
17. Set pies on cooling rack to cool down.

Video here

Grilled Cinnamon & Caramel Stuffed Apples

Grilled Cinnamon & Caramel Stuffed Apples



Ingredients:

4 granny smith (or other tart) apple, cored
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp butter (melted but not hot)
4 square caramels, unwrapped

Combine cinnamon, brown sugar, and butter. Place cored apple on aluminum foil (that you'll be wrapping it in before cooking), pack core about 1/3 full with brown sugar mixture, add unwrapped caramel, top off core with mixture and pack tightly in the foil.

Place on BBQ or in bonfire for 5-10 minutes. Remove and let cool for a bit before eating - be aware the sugar is REALLY hot.

Enjoy - great if you unpack the foil into a bowl and serve with vanilla icecream.

Homewrecker BBQ GRILLED OYSTERS

Homewrecker BBQ Grilled Oysters

Ingredients

48 medium-sized oysters
1/2 cup (4 oz./125 g.) unsalted butter
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup (4 fl. oz.) Homewrecker BBQ Sauce

Instructions

Scrub the oysters with a stiff brush under cold running water. To shuck each oyster, hold it, flat side up, in your non-dominant hand. (You might want to protect your hand from the sharp shell with a folded kitchen towel or a sturdy glove.) Find the hinge near the pointed end of the oyster, and insert the tip of an oyster knife about 1/2 inch (12 mm.) deep into the hinge. Twist the knife to break the hinge and loosen the top shell. Run the knife along the inside surface of the bottom shell to loosen the oyster, and leave the oyster in the shell. Place the oyster on a rimmed baking sheet or tray and repeat with the remaining oysters. Once all the oysters are shucked, return them to the refrigerator until the grill is ready.

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for direct grilling over high heat. Brush and oil the grill grate.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the garlic and BBQ sauce. Whisk to combine. Simmer for 5 minutes to blend the flavors, then remove from the heat.

Carefully place the oysters on the grill and quickly spoon a little of the sauce into each shell. Cover the grill and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the oysters are to your liking.

Using tongs, transfer the oysters to a platter and serve at once. Serves 4 as a main dish or 8 as an appetizer.

Peach & Homewrecker BBQ Grilled Tilapia

Peach & Homewrecker BBQ Grilled Tilapia

Ingredients

• 1 jar (12 ounces) peach preserves
• 1 jar Homewrecker BBQ sauce
• 4 Tilapia filets (you can do more if you need)
• Homewrecker BBQ Rub (Mild, Original or Hot depending on your taste)

Instructions

1. Combine the peach preserves and barbecue sauce in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk together until boiling and then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. 
2. Season the tilapia on both sides. Set some barbecue sauce aside to reserve for dipping and then brush the fish on both sides with the barbecue sauce. Grill the fish on medium heat for about 3-4 minutes on each side, basting the fish with the barbecue sauce as it cooks.

Gin Buck Cocktail

Gin Buck Cocktail


Ingredients

1.5 oz Gin

Juice of half a lemon or lime

Ginger ale

Instructions

Fill a Collins glass with ice and add the gin and lemon or lime juice
Fill with ginger ale and stir briefly
Garnish with a lemon or lime wedge

Bangin' Shrimp Skewers

Bangin' Shrimp Skewers
Source: SkinnyTaste

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 tbsp light mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp scallions, chopped fine
• 1 1/2 tbsp Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
• 1/2 tsp Sriracha (or to taste)

For the Shrimp:

• 40 large (12.8 oz) raw shrimp, shelled and deveined (weight after peeled)
• fresh cracked pepper
• oil spray

Instructions

Combine the mayo, scallions, sweet chili sauce and sriracha sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.

Soak wooden skewers in water at least 20 minutes (or use metal ones to avoid this step). Season shrimp lightly pepper. Place 5 shrimp on 8 skewers.

Heat a clean, lightly oiled grill to medium heat, when the grill is hot add the shrimp, careful not to burn the skewers. Grill on both sides for about 6 - 8 minutes total cooking time or until the shrimp is opaque and cooked through..

Set shrimp aside on a platter and quickly brush sauce onto the shrimp; serve immediately.

Moscow Mule Cocktail

Moscow Mule Cocktail

Ingredients

2 oz Vodka

3 oz Ginger beer

Juice of half a lime

Instructions

Add all the ingredients to a Moscow Mule mug or highball glass filled with ice and garnish with a lime wheel.

Grilled Onion Bomb

Grilled Onion Bomb
Source: Sweet Pennies from Heaven

Ingredients

• 1 large onion
• 1/2 clove of garlic finely chopped (or use minced garlic, about a teaspoon)
• 3/4 cup of Ketchup
• 1/2 cup of crushed saltine crackers
• 1 slice of bread torn into small pieces
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3/4 cup of shredded cheese (any kind of cheese you like)
• 1/3 cup of parmesan cheese
• optional – Homewrecker BBQ Rub (YUM!)

Instructions

Cut a fairly decent sized onion in half. You want to cut from top to bottom right down the middle, not sideways. Then take each layer from each one and pair them together making sure to match each side with it’s mate. Be careful when pulling the layers apart because they can tear easily.

Mix all of this up with your hands as you would with meatloaf. You want about the same texture as you would with meatloaf as well. If it seems too dry, add a bit more ketchup or a splash of milk. If it feels too wet, add a little more crushed crackers.

Now it’s time to assemble your onion bombs. Start with the largest pair of onion halves. Make a large meatball and place it in one side of the onion half and place the other onion half over the top. Basically squishing the meatball between the 2 onion halves. Continue to fill the rest of the onion halves up with the meat mixture.

Wrap each onion bomb in aluminum foil. You want to have enough room so that you can leave a little twist at the top so you can easily pick them up off the grill because they’re hot! Now it’s time to grill them. Slap these babies on the grill and cook for about 8-10 minutes. Flip them over on their opposite side and cook an additional 8-10 minutes. NOTE: Grilling times will vary based on how high you have your grill set. You could bake them in the oven if you don’t have a grill…that’s just an idea.

Adult Arnold Palmers

Adult Arnold Palmers
Source: Evil Chef Mom


Ingredients

1 1/2 cups lemonade
1 cup black iced tea, not sweetened, unless you like it super super sweet
2 shots of Jack Daniel's Honey Whiskey (chilled in freezer) or Maker's Mark, that's 2 ounces
lemon slices
fresh mint sprigs


Instructions

Combine lemonade, iced tea, and whiskey in to a some sort of mixing vessel. Stir.

In a jelly jar, layer lemon slices and ice and fill with the lemonade iced tea mixture. Top with mint. Enjoy

Grilled Avocadoes (low carb!)

Grilled Avocadoes
Source: Morsels and Musings

Ingredients

1 avocado
1 tablespoon chipotle sauce (Tabasco or Louisiana)...or Sriracha!
1 tablespoon lime juice
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Slice the avocado in half and remove the stone. Prick all over with a fork, or cut criss-cross patterns with a knife. This allows the sauce to penetrate the flesh.

2. Pour the sauce over each half, then top with lime juice and salt and pepper.

3. In the cavity where the stone has been, put a fourth of the cheese on each avocado half. Place under the hot grill for 2 minutes.

4. Top with remaining cheese and grill (broil for Americans!) for another 2 minutes until completely melted and avocado warmed through.

Eat hot with a wedge of lime and chipotle sauce on the side!

The Porchcrawler (for a crowd)

The Porchcrawler - for a crowd!
Source: The Bitten Word

Ingredients

• 1 handle of very cold Skyy Vodka
• 18-pack of light beer
• 4 to 8 cans of lemonade concentrate

Instructions

Into a large cooler, pour the vodka and beer. Add 4 cans of lemonade concentrate. Stir and taste. Continue adding lemonade concentrate until you're pleased with the taste. Serve over ice.
If you'd rather serve the drink straight, you can also pre-freeze water in freezer bags, and then drop those bags into the cooler to keep the drink cold.