Backyard BBQ Battle, episode 9 - Hawaiian Luau

Episode 9 - Hawaiian Luau episode

Hawaiian BBQ skewers with sriracha lime honey butter

·         1/2 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce

·         2 tablespoons pineapple juice

·         2 tablespoons lime juice

·         2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

·         1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite size chunks

·         2 cups fresh pineapple chunks

·         1 red bell pepper, chopped into bite sized chunks

·         1 orange bell pepper, chopped into bite size chunks

·         1 poblano pepper, chopped into bite size chunks

Sriracha Honey Butter

·         4 tablespoons salted butter, softened

·         1-2 tablespoons sriracha

·         1 tablespoon honey

·         zest of half a lime

1.       To make the Hawaiian BBQ sauce, whisk together the BBQ sauce, pineapple juice, lime juice and cilantro in a medium size bowl. Now add the chicken to a gallon size ziplock bag or medium bowl and toss with 1/4 cup of the BBQ mixture.

2.       Set your grill, grill pan or skillet to medium-high heat. Thread chicken pieces, pineapple chunks and bell peppers together, alternating one after another on skewers. Brush the skewers lightly with olive oil. Grill the skewers until lightly charred and cooked through, turning them occasionally throughout cooking, about 10 to 12 minutes total. Transfer the skewers to a plate.

3.       Brush the skewers with sriracha honey butter.

Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp

·         1 pound Shrimp, shells off

·         5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

·         4 tablespoons salted butter

·         3 heads fresh garlic, minced

·         1 lemon

·         ½ teaspoon course Hawaiian sea salt (regular sea salt is ok)

·         ¼ teaspoon pepper

·         ¼ teaspoon paprika

1.       In a medium skillet on medium low heat, add 4 Tablespoons olive oil, 2 Tablespoons butter, and minced raw garlic. Saute the garlic until it is brown, tender and caramelized.

2.       Add the salt, pepper, paprika, remaining butter, 1 T olive oil, and juice of one lemon. See notes. Let the sauce develop and carefully add the shrimp in one layer in the pan.

3.       Shrimp cook quickly and only take about 1 or 2 minutes on each side. Do not overcook them or they will be rubbery and tough.

Mojito Watermelon pops

·         ¾ cup of simple syrup

·         2 lbs. triangular seedless watermelon slices, rinds removed (slicing instructions below)

·         1 cup white rum

·         1/3 cup fresh lime juice

·         1/2 tsp mint extract (or more to taste)

·         Fresh mint and crushed ice for garnish (optional)

1.    Mix simple syrup, rum, lime juice, mint extract and pour over watermelon. 

2.    Let soak for 20 minutes to absorb the liquid. 

Skewer them and freeze for one hour before serving.  

Backyard BBQ Battle - East Meets West - episode 8

Episode 8 - East meets West episode

Banh Mi Sandwich toppings

·         -mayonnaise

·         -cucumber

·         -cilantro

·         -sliced jalapeños

·         -baguette

Brine:

·         10 cups simmering water

·         1/2 cup kosher salt

·         1/2 cup granulated sugar

·         3 medium garlic cloves, peeled

·         2 medium serrano chiles, crushed

·         1 tablespoon black peppercorns, cracked

Mix all ingredients for the brine and cool completely.  Add pork steaks or a 3lb pork butt/shoulder to the brine.  Refrigerate for 12-24 hours.  Cook over direct heat.

For the pickled carrots, turnip and onions:

·         1 cup distilled white vinegar

·         1 cup granulated sugar

·         2 teaspoon kosher salt

·         1 1/2 cups peeled and coarsely shredded carrots (from about 3 medium), 1 cup of sliced onions, 1 cup of turnip.

Boil vinegar.  Add sugar and salt.  Add carrots, onions and turnip to the vinegar mix.  Refrigerate for a few hours.  Keeps well in refrigerator.

 

Vietnamese salad

·         4 large bok choy leaves, rough bottoms discarded, stems cut into ¼” pieces and leaves shredded

·         4 big leaves Napa cabbage, shredded

·         1 bunch watercress (discard thick stems), roughly chopped

·         1 large carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks

·         the leaves from about 8 stems each basil, mint, cilantro, roughly chopped

·         ½ small cucumber, thinly sliced

·         1 red Thai chili (or more…or less), thinly sliced

·         ½ cup roasted, salted peanuts, roughly chopped

For the dressing

·         ¼ cup fresh lime juice

·         1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

·         2 teaspoons soy sauce

·         ¼ cup fish sauce

·         ¼ teaspoon salt

·         ¼ teaspoon hot pepper sesame oil

·         2 tablespoons agave nectar

·         1 teaspoon minced garlic

·         1 teaspoon minced ginger

·         2 tablespoons finely diced red onion or shallot

 

Vietnamese Egg Coffee

·         1 egg yolk

·         3 teaspoons of instant espresso powder

·         2 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk

·         Boiling water

1.      Brew a small cup of espresso.

2.      Crack an egg and discard the whites.

3.      Put the yolk and the sweetened condensed milk in a small, deep bowl and whisk vigorously until you end up with a frothy, fluffy mixture. Add a tablespoon or two of the brewed coffee and whisk it in to temper the egg. 

4.      In a clear coffee cup (we’re going for aesthetics here), pour in your brewed coffee, then add the fluffy egg mixture on top.

Dry Fried Green Beans

Every once in a while, I get a recipe that I really like and that becomes my new go-to!

This recipe came from the blog below and it really was great. 

http://luckypeach.com/recipes/dry-fried-green-beans/

Dry Fried Green Beans

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

• 2 T neutral oil
• 1 lb green beans, whole, or Chinese long beans, cut into 4" lengths
• 1 T chopped garlic
• 1 T chopped fresh ginger
• 1/4 C chopped scallions
• 1/2 t sambal oelek or Homemade Sambal
• 1 T soy sauce
• 1/2 t sugar
• + kosher salt

Preparation

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok over medium heat. After a minute (or as soon as the oil is getting to the oh shit this oil means business level of heat), add the green beans and stir-fry until they start to shrivel and turn brown, 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
   
2. Turn the heat up to high and add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add the garlic, ginger, and scallions. Stir-fry for a few seconds until fragrant, then add the sambal. Add the green beans, soy sauce, and sugar. Toss until the beans are coated in sauce and heated through. Season to taste with salt and serve immediately.
   

Backyard BBQ Battle, Episode 7, Breakfast

This was one of my favorite episodes.  Last year we talked about having a breakfast episode and it never really came together.  We filmed this after a few days of rest so it was our first episode coming back from a shooting break.

I tried to make a sandwich that would make my friends at Radical Gardens proud.  I wanted an epic sandwich that was loaded with meat and that was full of flavor.  I wanted the kind of sandwich you could have for dinner and not feel cheated.  I think I did pretty good.

People are afraid of making hollandaise sauce.  This easy blender version is, in my opinion, super easy and super fast to make.

Enjoy the recipes.

Episode 7 - Breakfast episode

Eggs benedict with easy hollandaise

 

·         4 English muffins

·         4 eggs

·         Cheese

·         Salt and pepper

·         Smoked pork chop from Dabrowski’s

·         Sliced bacon

For the Hollandaise

·         3 egg yoks

·         ¼ tsp Dijon

·         1 tbsp lemon juice

·         1 dash of hot sauce

·         Lemon juice

·         ½ cup of melted Butter

1.      Heat butter till melted. 

2.      In a blender, blend egg yolk, hot sauce, lemon juice, Dijon for about 15 seconds.  Set blender on high and slowly start adding the melted butter in a heavy stream.  It should thicken immediately.  Keep sauce in a pitcher of hot water till serving. 

Drop biscuits

·         2 cups all-purpose flour

·         1 tablespoon baking powder

·         2 teaspoons white sugar

·         1/4 teaspoon salt

·         1/2 cup melted butter
      1/2 tsp cream of tartar

·         1 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, cream of tartar and salt. Stir in butter and milk just until moistened. Drop batter on a lightly greased cookie sheet by the tablespoon.
3. Bake in preheated oven until golden on the edges, about 8 to 12 minutes. Serve warm.

Pierogi Hash browns

·         1 package of Dabrowski's Cheddar and potato pierogis

·         3 strips bacon¹

·         1 large bell pepper, chopped (I used 1/2 of a red and 1/2 of a green)

·         1/4 teaspoon salt

·         1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

·         1/3 cup shredded smoked gouda cheese³

·         optional: chopped fresh or dried parsley

 

1.      Preheat pan with bacon in it.  Add chopped up pierogis..  Mix a few times but let pierogis develop some crispiness.  Cook at 400 for 25 minutes till crispy and ready to serve.  

Spicy Apricot Glaze

My friend Marc Durocher sold me a ham from the rotary club this week.

He also recommended a spicy Apricot glaze from the Amazing Ribs website.

Well I whipped this glaze together today and glazed my ham with it.  It was excellent.  I normally hate cloves.  I usually omit it out of most recipes when I can.  This called for such a small amount that I left it in.  It made all the difference.  By the way Chris Lily has a few BBQ cookbooks on the market which I recommend. 

Spicy Apricot Glaze - by Chris Lily from Big Bob Gibson BBQ.

Ingredients

1/2 cup apricot preserves
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/8 teaspoon sage flakes
1/16 teaspoon ground cloves

Method

In a medium saucepan, combine the glaze ingredients, heat till boiling and then remove from heat.  Glaze ham multiple times in last hour of cooking. Refrigerate until you need it. It will keep for weeks.

Backyard BBQ Battle, Season 2, Episode 6

Bill won this one, but I really think I had the edge with my tacos al pastor.  I blame the judges.  Marc and Andy are great foodies though so I'm glad they got to eat well.

Episode 6 - Latin episode

Tacos Al Pastor

·         1 white onion

·         1 peeled fresh pineapple, in crosswise ½-inch slices

·         ½ cup fresh orange juice

·         ¼ cup guajillo (Mexican) chili powder

·         ¼ cup distilled white vinegar

·         2 teaspoons salt

·         3 halved garlic cloves

·         2 small canned chipotle chilies

·         1½ teaspoons adobo from canned chipotles in adobo

·         1 teaspoon ground cumin

·         1 teaspoon dried oregano (Mexican oregano if possible)

·         2½ - to 3 lbs boneless pork loin, in ½-inch slices

·         ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

 

1.      Cut the onion in half and chop one of the halves coarsely.

2.      Set the other half aside.

3.      Chop 2 of the pineapple slices coarsely, then cover and refrigerate the rest.

4.      Put the chopped onion and pineapple in the blender.

5.      Add the orange juice, chili powder, vinegar, salt, garlic, chipotle chilies, adobo, cumin, and oregano.  Puree until smooth.

6.      Put the pork in a large Ziploc bag and pour in the marinade

7.      Seal the bag and squeeze out the air.

8.      Refrigerate for between 4 and 24 hours.

9.      Grill the rest of the pineapple slices for 5 minutes per side or until lightly charred.

10.  Grill the pork for 3-5  minutes per side or until cooked through.

11.  Chop both the pineapple and the pork and toss them together.

12.  Chop the remaining half of the onion and toss it with the cilantro.

13.  Grill the tortillas for a few seconds per side or until warm.

14.  Top the tortillas with the pork mixture and top with the cilantro mixture along with some salsa and lime wedges, if liked.

Cilantro coleslaw

-¼ cup cider vinegar

-¼ cup of sugar

-finely diced Jalapeno

-1/4 cup of Cilantro

-1 tsp Celery seed

-1 bag of coleslaw mix

Mix first 5 ingredients.  Add to coleslaw mix. 

Cowboy caviar

·         15 1/2 ounce(s) (can) pinto or black beans, drained and rinsed

·         4 ears of corn kernels, grilled

·         2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced

·         3 green onions, minced

·         1 large (or 2 small) avocado , diced

·         ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

·         1 or 2 finely minced jalapeno

·         1/2 cup(s) prepared salsa

·         3/4 teaspoon(s) salt

·         1 lime, grilled, juiced

·         1/2 teaspoon(s) pepper

Assemble.  Serve with chips.

Backyard BBQ Battle, Season 2 - Episode 5

I guess life got the best of me last week and I forgot to post my recipes.  Here they are.

Episode 5 - Appetizers episode

Bacon wrapped dates stuffed with blue cheese

1.       Stuff each date with blue cheese and wrap with sliced Dabrowski’s bacon. 

2.       Grill on indirect side of grill till the bacon is crispy.

3.       Glaze with a sweet and tangy sauce.

Sausage devilled eggs

·         ½ cup cooked, drained and finely crumbled Dabrowski’s Sausage

·         6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled

·         ¼ cup softened Herbed Goat Cheese or Boursin Cheese

·         1 tbsp Grey Poupon type mustard

·         1 generous tbsp mayonnaise

·         A splash of pickle juice

·         Salt & Pepper

·         Fresh parsley, chopped

 

1.      Grill sausage over direct heat or in a cast iron pan. 

2.      Halve the hard boiled eggs and remove the yolk. 

3.      To the yolk, add cheese, mustard, mayonnaise, sausage, pickle juice and salt and pepper. 

4.      Stuff each egg half with the devilled sausage mixture. 

5.      Top with fresh parsley and season with paprika and cayenne.

Turtle eggs

·         Medium sausage

·         BBQ rub

·         Shredded cheese

·         Cream cheese

·         Jalepeno peppers

1.      Using a handmixer, mix cream cheese, shredded cheese, BBQ rub.

2.      Stuff a jalepeno with the cream mixture.

3.      Wrap jalepeno with sausage (forming and egg) and smoke or grill indirect till temp hits 160 degrees

4.      Glaze with your favorite BBQ sauce

Backyard BBQ Battle, Season 2, episode 4, Burgers

Bill and I each put out a trio of burgers on this episode.  Here are 2 of my recipes.

Episode 4 - Burger episode

Moroccan chicken burger

For the burger
·         1 pound ground chicken
·         1/2 onion grated
·         1 garlic clove, minced
·         1 teaspoon sriracha·         1/2 teaspoon cumin
·         1/2 teaspoon salt
·         1/4 teaspoon white pepper
·         Pinch cinnamon
·         1-inch chunk ginger, grated (about 1 teaspoon)
·         2 carrots, grated
·         1 teaspoon lemon juice
·         Optional: pinch cayenne pepper
For the Sauce :
·         1/4 cup mayo (homemade or store-bought made with avocado or olive oil)
·         1 teaspoon lemon juice, more to taste
·         1/2 teaspoon dill·         1 to 2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint
 1.      In a large bowl combine ground chicken with all remaining ingredients and mix well to combine. Form into 4 patties. If the chicken mixture is sticky, wet your hands before forming each patty.
2.      Oil grill and heat to medium heat. Place burgers onto the grill and cook for 6 to 7 minutes on each side, or until fully cooked to 165 degrees.
3.      While grilling whisk together sauce ingredients.  Garnish with lettuce, red onion, sliced avocado. 

Grilled cheese burger slider

For the burger

·         ½ cup caramelized onions
·         ½ cup of parmesan
·         -salt, pepper
·         -roasted garlic
1.      Mix all ingredients lightly into the beef.  Grill over direct heat till cooked to 160 degrees
2.      Place patty between two grilled cheese sandwiches.  Garnish with the usual burger toppings.