The Grilling and Cooking Thread

[Skinsfan1311]

I'm growing Hungarian wax peppers, cayenne peppers & my standard sage, Thai basil, Italian basil, thyme, & rosemary. I've already made 1 large jar of pickled wax peppers with some cayenne tossed into bring the heat. Next batch is probably 2 weeks away. Drying the cayenne to grind up & will also make Jamaican hot sauce with it & some habaneros. Found a local guy who will sell me them to me for $4/LB.

****ing squirrels steal the tomatoes so I don't bother....

I grow all of those, plus dill,rosemary, cilantro, mint,oregano, lemon balm, jalapenos, Thai chili peppers, and Tabasco peppers.

The Tabasco and Thai aren't doing ****. It's a bummer, because I make hot sauce. Fortunately, a couple of frienfs like my hot sauce so much, that they grow habaneros for me!

[GoSkins0721]

I grow all of those, plus dill,rosemary, cilantro, mint,oregano, lemon balm, jalapenos, Thai chili peppers, and Tabasco peppers.

The Tabasco and Thai aren't doing ****. It's a bummer, because I make hot sauce. Fortunately, a couple of frienfs like my hot sauce so much, that they grow habaneros for me!

You know, I've had a **** of a time with both basils - the rain/sun has messed things up. We just cut the tops off of all the basil plants because they were flowering - which means they are in a growth pause because of the weather. So...I'm hoping they both bush out because we love both of them mixed with anything. 

 

The peppers have been a pleasant surprise for me - 1st time & I love hot sauce. I make a Jamaican "gravy" with the habaneros & cayennes that is killer - a twist on the Andrew Z. Jamaican gravy....Stuff is assburning hot...But I love it!

[Skinsfan1311]

You know, I've had a **** of a time with both basils - the rain/sun has messed things up. We just cut the tops off of all the basil plants because they were flowering - which means they are in a growth pause because of the weather. So...I'm hoping they both bush out because we love both of them mixed with anything.

The peppers have been a pleasant surprise for me - 1st time & I love hot sauce. I make a Jamaican "gravy" with the habaneros & cayennes that is killer - a twist on the Andrew Z. Jamaican gravy....Stuff is assburning hot...But I love it!

Sounds great! Good call, cutting back the basil. Once it goes to seed, it gets an off flavor.

Basil grows fast from seed, especially in the heat. I suggest planting more.

[tshile]

Picked up my grill today. 250lbs is heavier than I thought.

3 guys at true value wouldn't help me pick it up. They insisted on a fork lift. Pussies.

I had to take it apart in the bed of the truck to move it in as many pieces as possible. The main part was still heavy though. Can't put it together and use it until after this weekend

[chipwhich]

I had to take it apart in the bed of the truck to move it in as many pieces as possible. The main part was still heavy though. Can't put it together and use it until after this weekend

 

My buddy with his big green egg had one piece of advice for me.  Buy it from a place that will deliver and set it up.  He said trust me.

 

Ordered Black Crack based on a recommendation in this thread.  Family loves it.

[GoSkins0721]

My buddy with his big green egg had one piece of advice for me. Buy it from a place that will deliver and set it up. He said trust me.

Ordered Black Crack based on a recommendation in this thread. Family loves it.

We stopped by the Black Crack Obis One farm about this time last year on our way back from OCNJ. The guy sells it right out of his farmhouse. They had just picked the garlic & had it hanging to dry. Pretty cool. He was extremely friendly & helpful.

[tshile]

My buddy with his big green egg had one piece of advice for me. Buy it from a place that will deliver and set it up. He said trust me.

Your buddy knows what he's talking about

[HOF44]

Picked up my grill today. 250lbs is heavier than I thought.

3 guys at true value wouldn't help me pick it up. They insisted on a fork lift. Pussies.

I had to take it apart in the bed of the truck to move it in as many pieces as possible. The main part was still heavy though. Can't put it together and use it until after this weekend

That's the main reason I have stayed away from the ceramic smokers.

[GoSkins0721]

That's the main reason I have stayed away from the ceramic smokers.

Yep, me too. Plus the cost. I bought my metal kamado for $150. I can buy 5 of these for the price of the ceramics. Same performance, too. I'm on year 4 or5 with mine. Still holds the temp I want for 6-10 hours. Triple grates gives me everything I need. List is $299 but end of season sales you can find them 50% off.

[jpage520]

A buddy of mine was throwing a party for his girl's bday this past weekend. Asked me to cook since it's not really his forte. I told him just buy the food and make sure I'm at no shortage of cold beer and it was no problem. Got two whole chickens, spatch****ed them the night before, and let them season overnight. Little salt, pepper, lemon pepper, garlic, cilantro, cumin, and cayenne. Cooked them with 2 side indirect with a couple hickory chunks on the coals. A short thunderstorm rolled in right in the middle of the cook which sucked. But the temp held strong and all was good. What was funny though was when the rain happened, we didn't see it coming really. So at first I just took off my shirt while it was still dry and left it inside while I went out to keep an eye on my grate temp. After the first run out there like that, my buddy's mom had apparently dug out a small umbrella and pink poncho for me. So there I was, outside in the pouring rain under a small purple umbrella in a pink poncho manning the grill lol.

 

I was initially concerned about rubbery skin on the chickens, so I tried to maintain a temp closer to 300. Also with spatch**** chickens as opposed to a mounted whole chicken, I was able to flip them over on the the direct heat for about two or three minutes to get a nice char and it really helped the texture of the skin. All in all, they came out delicious.

 

Aldi was having a sale on sea scallops a little while back so I picked some up. Thinking about maybe wrapping them in some bacon and throwing them on the grill. Any tips on that? Should I cook the bacon a bit first to be safe? Direct or indirect heat? Should I use a plank?

[skinsmarydu]

Aldi was having a sale on sea scallops a little while back so I picked some up. Thinking about maybe wrapping them in some bacon and throwing them on the grill. Any tips on that? Should I cook the bacon a bit first to be safe? Direct or indirect heat? Should I use a plank?

Nice job, Mr. Pink  

You probably don't need to pre-cook the bacon, and I'd use a cedar plank. Sounds yummy!

 

Anybody got a good Gazpacho recipe? 

[GoSkins0721]

I had a bunch of thin pork chops I cut from a pork loin. Marinated them in garlic, ginger, onion, green onion, brown sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, & Sriracha. I made sure each chop was pierced with a fork on both sides all over it. Let them marinade all day & then cooked them on direct heat about 4 minutes per side. Moist & tasty.

[Skinsfan1311]

A buddy of mine was throwing a party for his girl's bday this past weekend. Asked me to cook since it's not really his forte. I told him just buy the food and make sure I'm at no shortage of cold beer and it was no problem. Got two whole chickens, spatch****ed them the night before, and let them season overnight. Little salt, pepper, lemon pepper, garlic, cilantro, cumin, and cayenne. Cooked them with 2 side indirect with a couple hickory chunks on the coals. A short thunderstorm rolled in right in the middle of the cook which sucked. But the temp held strong and all was good. What was funny though was when the rain happened, we didn't see it coming really. So at first I just took off my shirt while it was still dry and left it inside while I went out to keep an eye on my grate temp. After the first run out there like that, my buddy's mom had apparently dug out a small umbrella and pink poncho for me. So there I was, outside in the pouring rain under a small purple umbrella in a pink poncho manning the grill lol.

I was initially concerned about rubbery skin on the chickens, so I tried to maintain a temp closer to 300. Also with spatch**** chickens as opposed to a mounted whole chicken, I was able to flip them over on the the direct heat for about two or three minutes to get a nice char and it really helped the texture of the skin. All in all, they came out delicious.

Aldi was having a sale on sea scallops a little while back so I picked some up. Thinking about maybe wrapping them in some bacon and throwing them on the grill. Any tips on that? Should I cook the bacon a bit first to be safe? Direct or indirect heat? Should I use a plank?

Cook the bacon a little bit, or it will be rubbery. Better yet, get some prosciutto, and wrap them in that, instead. Wrap them, skewer, drizzle a little olive oil and lemon juice on them, about 1/2 hr before grilling. Longer is not better with citrus on scallops. Too long, and the acid can start to cook the scallops. After grilling, squeeze a little lemon on the scallops and crack some pepper. Between the prosciutto, and lemon juice, no salt needed

I think cedar overpowers the delicate flaovornof scallops, IMHO.

[jpage520]

Just a short sear over direct heat I'm assuming?

[Going Commando]

Just a short sear over direct heat I'm assuming?

I've never grilled them before, and I can't find my ATK cookbook that gives good instructions for grilling them. But put them on skewers to make them easier to handle on the grill. My instinct is you are right about short sear over direct heat. I think I remember reading they get rubbery otherwise. Maybe dress them in butter or oil and sugar to help the caramelization process along? I would guess no more than four or five minutes total, they are delicate.

I do remember that one of the ATK recipes made a salad of grilled fennel bulb and sliced orange segments dressed in oil and chopped mint to serve with scallops. That sounds amazing.

[skinsmarydu]

Just a short sear over direct heat I'm assuming?

That's usually how we do 'em.   (And the other part depends on how chewy you like your bacon...)

[CBass1724]

I'm going to a pig roast on Saturday!  Everyone please be jealous.

[Skinsfan1311]

Just a short sear over direct heat I'm assuming?

Yes.

 

Clean, well oiled grill.   A couple minutes per side, if they're big scallops.  Less time, for smaller.

[Skinsfan1311]

I've never grilled them before, and I can't find my ATK cookbook that gives good instructions for grilling them. But put them on skewers to make them easier to handle on the grill. My instinct is you are right about short sear over direct heat. I think I remember reading they get rubbery otherwise. Maybe dress them in butter or oil and sugar to help the caramelization process along? I would guess no more than four or five minutes total, they are delicate.

I do remember that one of the ATK recipes made a salad of grilled fennel bulb and sliced orange segments dressed in oil and chopped mint to serve with scallops. That sounds amazing.

 

You're pretty much spot-on, except for the sugar.   The high heat will burn it.    The trick is high heat and very, very, very clean, well-oiled grill grates.

[jpage520]

Never put any high concentrations of sugar on the grill. It burns. Stuff like honey and syrup and things like it can ruin a grilled dish really fast. I'm a big fan of incorporating brown sugar and maple syrup in some pork dishes. Pulled pork included. But I only do that if I'm making it in the crock pot or a dutch oven. Both of which can make some FANTASTIC pulled pork btw.

[dfitzo53]

I've done salmon with brown sugar or maple and soy BUT it's diluted with enough soy/other liquids that it doesn't burn.

Otherwise yeah, hope you like your meat tasting like bad campfire marshmallows.

[tshile]

So I got my kamado ready this week and decided at 10pm last night I was going to smoke this pork shoulder.

Still rolling. Seems stuck in the 150-160 range but everything I've read says that's fine and just leave it be.

Once it's done I'll post my epic failure battling temperature control.

Anyways, I believe I've read something about using something like Apple cider to moist things when you're smoking. Should I be doing this? Is it for certain types of meat, or certain affects? I'm a bit confused

[Dont Taze Me Bro]

So I got my kamado ready this week and decided at 10pm last night I was going to smoke this pork shoulder.

Still rolling. Seems stuck in the 150-160 range but everything I've read says that's fine and just leave it be.

Once it's done I'll post my epic failure battling temperature control.

Anyways, I believe I've read something about using something like Apple cider to moist things when you're smoking. Should I be doing this? Is it for certain types of meat, or certain affects? I'm a bit confused

 

I never used apple cider when smoking, only water and it was always moist when done cooking.  But I'm sure some of the grilling vets on here might be able to list benefits of using it, etc.  

 

 

Edit:  are you talking about spraying or mopping it on the outside of the meat?  Or replacing the water with it?  I just woke up and haven't had any coffee yet lol

Edited July 23, 2016 by Dont Taze Me Bro

[pjfootballer]

I made ribs a couple of years ago on the grill. The recipe said put a tin can with apple cider vinegar on the grill, not the meat. Gives it flavor without slathering it on.

[dfitzo53]

Tried out those bourbon slushies that Skinsfan1311 posted a while back.  I brought them to a card game with some friends and they went over very well.  Delicious and potent without being dangerous.