Grilled Shrimp Bourbon-yaki

Isn't it hard to believe that the Fourth of July is almost here?  I have been so busy that this summer break has flown by so far.

Fourth of July is the biggest grilling day of the year and there will be cookouts across the US this week.   You know that guy who has a decrepit grill laced with spider webs and possibly a bird's nest?  Yeah, even he is busting out the grill for Independence Day. 

Here is a quick and easy appetizer for your cookout.

This is inspired by the appetizer that Dave Scott (Inspired by E-recipe Cards) made at our blogger get together this year.   He elected to use pre-cooked shrimp.   I thought they would come off the grill over cooked but his were excellent.    I added the bourbon for flavor, the green onion for some color, and the red pepper flake for heat. 

Wally Wings - 5 Ingredient Grilled Wings

How would you like to win a trip to this year's Memphis In May BBQ championship?   How about grilling lessons from World Champion pitmasters Chris Lilly and Melissa Cookston? 

All you have to do is go to Grilling.com and enter your idea for 5 ingredients and a clever recipe name for the Kingsford One Bite Challenge for a chance to win.  You don't have to post pictures, a full recipe or anything.  Just the 5 ingredients and the title.  Walt S. of McKenzie, TN did that and this is what he offered:

Wally Wings

• chicken wing drummettes
• hot sauce
• sugar
• minced garlic
• red pepper flakes

Here is my spin on Walt's wings.  I used turbinado sugar to avoid the sugar burning, general wing pieces,  and used buffalo sauce.   This is a good one for the basketball games going on.  

Wally Wings

inspired by Walt S, McKenzie TN

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 50 min

Ingredients (24 wings)

• 1 dozen chicken wings, tips removed and cut into drumettes/wingettes
• 2 Tbsp turbinado sugar
• 1 tsp dried minced garlic
• 1 tsp red pepper flake
• buffalo wing sauce, to taste

Instructions

1. Set up a charcoal grill for indirect heat and preheat to 400f.
2. Season the wings with the rub. Grill 20 minutes per side.
3. Toss with the buffalo sauce.
4. Grill direct over the coals until the sauce is set and wings are an internal temp of 170f, about 5-7 minutes.

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Is buffalo sauce a single ingredient?  It is, if the the rules don't say it isn't!  You can used a bottled buffalo wing sauce.  The basic buffalo sauce that I use is 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup cayenne hot sauce, and 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce.

I'll be at Memphis In May this year, privileged to be on the best team, Too Sauced To Pork.  You may have seen the team earlier this year on Cooking Competitions: Exposed on the Travel Channel.  If you are there, stop by and say hello.

Manchego Jalapeno Burgers

One of the food trends that we discussed at the Kingsford Invitational* back in November was Beer Goes Gourmet.

Beer Goes Gourmet

While wine used to be the go-to beverage for gourmands, beer is asserting itself both in the kitchen and on the table.  For a marinade or braising liquid, it simultaneously tenderizes while enhancing the smoky flavors of meat cooked on the grill.  Since the United States currently has the highest number of breweries since the pre-Prohibition era, now is the time to experiment with unique brews and barbecue.  So, crack open a six-pack and save some for Chris Lilly's Shock Top Honey Mustard Glaze.  ~reprinted courtesy of Kingsford

This burger is inspired by that.  Instead of just throwing on a piece of cheese, I made a veloute sauce for the cheese sauce base but instead of stock, I used beer as the liquid.  I used a lager to contrast the spicy jalapeno and briny manchego cheese.

Manchego Jalapeno Burgers

by www.nibblemethis.com

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 20 min

Ingredients (4 burgers)

You'll need

• 1 1/3 pounds ground round or ground chuck
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
• 4 hamburger buns
• desired toppings such as pickles, lettuce, tomato, and red onion

For the Manchego Jalapeno Cheese Sauce

• 1 T butter
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1 T all purpose flour
• 3/4 c Stella Artois beer
• 1 c manchego cheese, shredded
• 1 t cilantro, finely chopped
• 1/2 to 1 t minced fire roasted jalapeno (see notes)
• 1/4 t smoked paprika
• 1/8 t salt
• 1/8 t pepper
• 1 T non-fat Greek yogurt or sour cream

Instructions

1. Season the beef with salt, pepper, and garlic. Divide into 4 equal portions (5.3 oz by weight) and form into patties 5" in diameter. Place in the refrigerator.
2. Melt butter in a pot over medium-high heat. Saute garlic for 1 minute and then stir in the flour to form a blond roux.
3. Add the beer in 1/4 c increments, whisking continuously to blend between additions.  Simmer until slightly thickened, 7-10 minutes.
4. Whisk in cheese in small batches until melted and smooth.
5. Stir in the seasonings and yogurt. Taste and add salt/pepper to adjust if desired.
6. Preheat a charcoal grill to 450f.
7. Grill burgers until done, about 4 minutes per side.
8. Place burgers on buns and ladle the cheese sauce over the patties. Add other toppings as desired.

Fire roasted jalapeno note: For spicier sauce, use 1/2 Tbsp of jalapeno. If you prefer, you can use canned green chiles for convenience but I like the smoky flavor of roasting my own jalapeno.  Tips for fire roasting chile peppers. 

Tip:  If your sauce gets too thick while sitting, just whisk in a little more beer (1/2 tablespoon at a time).

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In the beer-food pairing class at Anheuser-Busch, we learned that lager has a crisp, dry finish that gives a perfect contrast to spicy cuisines.

My favorite tool for peeling and seeding roasted chiles - a grapefruit spoon.  The serrated edges work wonders.

I also made a version of the Chris Lilly's pickle recipe except the pickles weren't grilled and I sliced them instead of spears, still tastes great.

I served this with sweet potato fries (from frozen, I didn't prep them myself) and a fry dipping sauce of mayo, Worcestershire sauce, cinnamon, and ginger.

*[Note: The Kingsford Invitational will be on television shortly, I'll let you know when it broadcasts.]

Ribs Quickie

I also smoked some pork back ribs (what most places market as "baby back" ribs) last weekend but I didn't do a post since it was nothing new.  Here's the condensed version.

I remove spare rib membranes from the end but baby backs are easier to remove from the middle.

A quick slather of yellow mustard as a binder.  I didn't mean to make the first two look like the letter A.

Used Melissa Cookston's basic rub recipe.

Smoked at 250f with cherry/hickory wood for almost 5 hours.  Spritzed with apple juice a few times.  Never foiled.

I overlapped them a little to get them to fit.

Never got any plated shots the first night.

But they were good leftovers the next night, albeit much darker after reheating and second dose of Blues Hog.

That is one of the best things about being a BBQ hound - knowing you have a bunch of leftover BBQ in the fridge for quick dinners during the week!  

Shiitake Mushroom Sauce for Steak

I had a few people ask about the tri-tip dish in the last post.

I didn't post a recipe or technique for tri-tip (NAMP 185d) because it was only the third tri-tip I have ever cooked so I'm still experimenting.  Living East of the Mississippi, I have not been able to source this West coast classic locally until recently when Costco opened in Knoxville.  (I later found out that Ingles also carries them locally.)  When I saw them, I immediately bought a package of 5 tri-tip roasts and started having fun.  

I like the tri-tip, great beef flavor and it is quite tender.   All you really need is salt, pepper, and charcoal for a superb meal.   So far I have reverse seared one and direct grilled two of them.  I need to get my hands on some red oak so I can make an authentic Santa Maria tri-tip.  I'd rank tri-tip right up there with flank and flat iron steaks in terms of cost, flavor, and texture.  Just like flank and flat iron, I like tri-tip cooked until "not quite medium rare" and definitely wouldn't cook it past medium. 

The first time I made this I added the juices from the steak and didn't add the slurry so the sauce split.

The shiitake mushroom sauce that I served with this last one made everyone "shut up".  You know, when people start eating and the room gets quiet because they are so content with and intent on eating.     This was based on one of Chris Lilly's recipes for a flank steak and shitake yakatori presented at the Kingsford Invitational in November.  You can use any mushroom but I prefer shiitake mushrooms because they have guanosine monophosphate, a natural flavor enhancer that brings out the best in your beef.  It would rock with any beef steak, filet, flank, strip, ribeye, or you name it.

Shiitake Mushroom Sauce for Steak

adapted from Chris Lilly and Kingsford

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients (2 servings)

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1 Tbsp roasted red pepper
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp mirin
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp water
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 1 tsp finely chopped cilantro
• 1/8 tsp minced garlic
• 1/8 tsp minced ginger
• 1/8 red pepper flakes
• 2 Tbsp cold water
• 2 tsp corn starch

Instructions

1. Saute the mushrooms in butter over medium high heat, season with black pepper and cook until tender, about 8 minutes.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients except the last two (corn starch and 2 Tbsp water) and simmer for 1 minute.
3. Whisk the water and corn starch together to form a slurry. Stir into the mushroom mix and simmer, stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens.
4. Keep warm and serve on top of sliced steak.

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For other great grilling recipes, ideas and techniques, check out Grilling.com. 

Beef Medallions with Whiskey Mushroom Sauce

Alexis found a good deal on a beef tenderloin this week and last night I broke it down into a Chateaubriand (roast), 3 beef fillets, beef tips, and 6 tournedos.

Tournedos are thinner than filet mignon.  I cut mine at 3/4" while my filet are usually 1 1/2".  I usually eat two of these medallions so you might wonder why not just eat a filet if it is the same quantity.  Both weigh 6-8 ounces.  BUT (see?  I have a big but) - two tournedos have twice the surface area as the one filet.  That means you have twice the flavor from the Malliard browning which is a good thing.  Plus they grill in almost no time - about 90 seconds per side on a hot cast iron surface.

Beef Medallions with Whiskey Mushroom sauce

by www.nibblemethis.com

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 30 min

Keywords: grill entree beef

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 4 beef tenderloin medallions, 3/4" thick
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 oz sliced baby bella mushrooms
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 Tbsp shallot finely diced
• 1/4 cup whiskey
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat a charcoal grill to hot (500f). Preheat a cast iron griddle or pan on the grill at the same time.
2. In a small sauce pan, saute mushrooms in 2 Tbsp butter until cooked through, about 8 minutes. Remove to mushrooms to a plate.
3. Add remaining 1 Tbsp butter to the same sauce pan and saute the shallot 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the whiskey away from open flame then ignite with a long stem lighter to flambe it. Let it burn itself out, reducing the whiskey. (NOTE: This can be dangerous. Wear heat resistant gloves and have a lid ready to cover and extinguish the flame if necessary. Read Safety Tips )
5. Add the broth and pepper, bring to a simmer. Reduce the volume by half which should take a little over 10 minutes.
6. Return the mushrooms to the pan and keep warm.
7. Taste for seasoning and add salt/pepper if needed.
8. Season the medallions on both sides with fresh cracked black pepper.
9. Oil the cast iron cooking surface and cook the medallions until they reach an internal temperature of 125-130f, about 90 seconds per side.
10. Lightly season with salt as soon as the medallions come off of the grill.

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In the above shot, I am using a cast iron griddle insert for my Craycort grate system on a Weber Smoky Joe (also fits a small BGE).  You could also use a cast iron pan or a cast iron griddle plate.

Making the sauce.  An excuse to play with fire.

Look at that flavor developing!

Served with a mound of Alexis' yummy mashed potatoes.

Kingsford Invitational

Next weekend, Kingsford is hosting a "best of the best" BBQ competition and the winner-take-all grand prize is $50,000!  When I say best of the best, I am talking about the 2012 winners of select BBQ competitions like Memphis In May, Jack Daniels Invitational, American Royal, and a handful of others.  It is going to be a knock down, drag out, king of the hill competition.  When the smoke clears, one team will win bragging rights and that big check!   (For more about the Kingsford Invitational, check out Grilling.com)

I'm excited because I get to attend (spectator, not competitor) the festivities in St. Louis courtesy of Kingsford.  It is an action packed weekend and many of my favorite BBQ buds and buddettes are going to be there.  I'll be posting about it here on my blog and real time on my twitter (@nibblemethis) and Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/NibbleMeThis2).

The Tennessee Smoky Hot Dog

Spring is just around the corner and that means Spring Training for baseball is right around the corner.  And that makes me think of hot dogs because baseball and hot dogs have been paired since the end of the 1800's.  

Knoxville does not have a Major League Baseball team in our market but we do have the Tennessee Smokies, a Chicago Cubs minor league affiliate.  They play at Smokies Park in Sevierville, which is in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains.  The local college baseball team is the University of Tennessee Volunteers whose mascot is Smokey, a bluetick coonhound.

Confused yet?  Don't be.  We just like to keep changing the spelling of Smokie, Smoky, and Smokey in East Tennessee.  

Recently, Clint "Smoke In Da Eye" Cantwell asked us to come up with our idea of a great "ball park" hot dog.  In a perfect world, I think the ultimate ball park hot dog meets 3 criteria:

1. It is served hot and fresh.  Not luke warm, crammed into aluminum foil.
2. It is an entire meal on a bun.  We don't need no stinkin' side dishes.
3. It is based on regional influences and preferences.

Here's what I came up with.  The regional "dog" for East Tennessee, North Carolina, and a lot of the South is an "all the way dog" with slaw, chili, diced white onion, and yellow mustard.  To play along with the Smoky theme, I decided to do a grilled coleslaw and caramelize the onions on the grill.

Messy but delicious!  And look...SMOKY.

No, I didn't throw a bowl of slaw on a hot grill, I just grilled the cabbage used for the slaw.  This is a tip that I picked up from Chris Lilly at Kingsford University last year.  Grilled Veggies - grill the individual components used in making a vegetable dish.  He made a ratatouille that way.

The Tennessee Smoky Hot Dog

source:  NibbleMeThis

servings:  8 hot dogs

Ingredients

• 8 ea hot dog buns
• 8 ea beef hot dogs
• 1 large sweet onion, sliced into 1/4" slices
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/4 tsp BBQ rub*
• 2 cups hot dog chili*
• yellow mustard

For the smoky coleslaw

• 1/2 head green cabbage, cut into 4 wedges
• 1/4 head purple cabbage, cut into 2 wedges
• 1 ea large carrot, peeled and shredded
• 1/4 cup diced sweet onion

For the coleslaw dressing

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp celery seed

Instructions

1. Preheat a charcoal grill set up for direct heat to 400-425f.   Today I was using my Smoke Hollow grill and used 6 quarts of Kingsford™ briquettes.  The quantity will vary by the size of the grill that you are using.
2. Place onion slices on a sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil.  Top each with about 1 teaspoon of butter and season with the BBQ rub.  Fold edges of foil over and seal to make an envelop.  
3. Mix together the coleslaw dressing and refrigerate.
4. Place the foil packet on the grill along with your pot with the chili.  You will cook both for the whole time, about 20-25 minutes.  Flip the foil packet half way through.  Do NOT flip the chili pot.  Makes one heck of a mess if you do.
5. Meanwhile, lightly brush the cut sides of the cabbage with olive oil and grill 3-4 minutes per side, just long enough to get a light char.  Remove and allow to cool.  
6. Slice across the cabbage wedges into very thin slices (think matchstick width) and place in a large bowl.*  Add the carrot, onion and coleslaw dressing.  Toss to coat thoroughly.  Place in the fridge.
7. Grill the hot dogs to your preferred degree of char.  I like just a little and went about 6 minutes, rotating often.  
8. Remove everything from the grill and assemble in this order:  bun, dog, onions, slaw, chili, mustard.
9. Stuff in your face.
10. Wipe your face....were you raised in a barn?  

Notes

• Use your favorite BBQ rub.  You can just use salt and pepper, but I like the "zing" that a BBQ dry rub brings.  
• You can make your own, I like to use Meathead's All Purpose Chili Sauce recipe.  But today I cheated and used Lays Market Chili Con Carne.  They are a local company and we know the family personally.  It's available at Food City stores.   
• Coleslaw Tip:  Always use a flat bottomed bowl.  As the slaw sits, the dressing will drip to the "bottom".  The wide bottom will keep more of the veggies in the dressing.  

"hobo packs" are a great way to cook veggies on the grill.

I never get tired of seeing the red glow of coals.

I used my Smoke Hollow combo grill/smoker today.

Grill just long enough to get a light char on the edges.  It really boosts the flavor of the slaw.

The rollers are completely unnecessary.  But does make grilled dogs so easy.  

Smoky goodness!

How To Trim St Louis Style Spare Ribs

When I smoke spare ribs, I like to trim them St Louis style.  (Actually it's more of a Kansas City style since I square the ends off too.)

I do this for a couple of reasons.

1. Even cooking - Spare ribs are irregularly shaped and unless trimmed, the tapered end will be more cooked than the wide end.
2. Even portions - Each rib will be the same size.
3. Faster cooking times - An untrimmed spare rib takes me about 6 hours to get smoked right.  A trimmed spare takes about 5.  

Here is how I trim mine.



Don't worry, the trimmed portions do NOT go to waste.  I have a great recipe for rip tips coming up this weekend.

If you need some ideas for firing up your grill this Labor Day weekend, check out Kingsford's Grilling.com.

Product Review: Fully Loaded Burger Stuffer

While “Jucy Lucy [sic]” style burgers have been around since the mid-50's, the trend of stuffed burgers has exploded in 2011. BurgerBusiness.com even declared 2011 as the year of the stuffed burger. 

Like with any food trend, there is a myriad of products trying to strike while the iron is hot and today I'm reviewing one of those – the Fully Loaded Burger Stuffer byHeadchefs.

I've used the Burger Stuffer a few times and here are my observations:

Upside

• They are very well manufactured. The silicone and plastic parts fit together well.
• The tapered cup design balances out the stuffing to the burger. The edges are thicker which ended up grilling perfectly with zero “cheese ruptures”.
• Easy to clean.

“Not so up” side

• I still ended up having to hand seal the edges to get a good closure. Despite the thicker edges noted above, they just didn't mix together in the tool.  Then again, no burger stuffer tool I have tried did not require some hand sealing at the end.
• Price point – it's a bit pricy for a uni-tasker tool that you might use a handful of times per year

Another thing is the 7 step process required per burger. On one hand, it is entertaining to use in a “playdough fun factory” kind of way. On the other hand it is a bit convoluted compared to just doing it by hand. 

Click for animation

The burgers I made tonight were stuffed with pepper jack cheese and 1 Tablespoon of homemade salsa. I grilled them on my Big Green Egg at 450f using GrillGrates. 

I served them with a roasted red pepper mayo (1 Tbsp diced roasted red pepper and ¼ cup mayo). 

The flavors were simple and less extravagant than some of the over the top “burger stuffed with Himalayan yak cheese, shaved fennel and sodium free kosher salt” kind of things I've seen. But you know what? It worked.

[Standard Disclaimer] I received the Fully Loaded Burger Stuffer as a free review sample. I received my GrillGrates free at Kingsford University earlier this year but I would totally buy a set if someone stole mine – don't get any ideas, stay off my deck!

Grilled Meatballs

Trevor's football season is well underway. Two hour practices 4 nights a week make for a very hungry 11 year old player to feed and not a lot of time to prep meals.

The secret weapon for cooking with a busy schedule is “grill once, eat twice” as we learned at Kingsford University this spring. Last night was an “off night” so I grilled a few batches of meatballs for dinners the next few nights.

Meatballs are ideal for the “grill once, eat twice” game plan because you can use them for meatball subs, spaghetti, or for my special idea for this Friday night.

This is a work in progress but it was good for a first try. I don't have an Italian gene in my body and don't have a family secret meatball recipe. My lack of any “authenticity” provides a lot of freedom so I tried these a couple of ways.

Grilled Meatballs

Yields: 2 dozen meatballs

2 one inch slices of French bread, crusts removed

¼ cup milk

1 egg

1 cup onion, very finely diced

¼ cup mixed peppers, finely diced and seeded (I used 1 red jalapeno & 1 green jalapeno)

2 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped

1 Tbsp thyme (if using dried thyme, use 1 tsp instead)

1 teaspoon roasted garlic

1 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper, ground

2 lbs ground beef

Sauce

1 can petite dice tomatoes

¼ cup onions, diced

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 Tbsp thyme

1 Tbsp parsley, chopped

Whisk the egg and milk together. Soak the bread in the mix for 5 minutes. Squeeze the liquid out of the bread and the gooey “bread paste” that you have left is called a panade. Panade is French for “sounds better than gooey bread paste”.

Put your panade in a large bowl and mix together with everything else except the beef. Now add in the ground beef and mix thoroughly.

Form into ping pong ball sized balls. I like to use a scale to portion out 1.5 ounce for each ball but you can just guesstimate if you don't have a scale. 

Direct Grilling Method

Preheat a charcoal grill to 350f. Once the grates are preheated, wipe them clean with an oiled rag. Place the cold meatballs on the grate, close the grill and don't touch them for 3-4 minutes. 

Then carefully roll the balls ¼ turn on to their side. Repeat every 2-3 minutes until the meatballs reach an internal temp of 160f.  This took right about 15 minutes total for me. 

Remove to a cooling rack for a few minutes.

 

Skip to **

Pan Fired Method

I then did basically the same thing as the direct grilled method but this time used a preheated cast iron pan on the grill. 

Oddly it took almost the same amount of time, I thought it would take longer with the pan. Remove the meatballs from the pan.

**Add the sauce ingredients to the pan and stir for 1 minute.

Return the meatballs to the pan, cover and simmer in the sauce for 10 minutes.

Carefully remove the hot pan from the fire and rest for 10 minutes.

The direct grilled meatballs were a bit difficult because they want to fall apart if you turn them too soon. The trick was to put away the tongs and use a large spoon to roll them. But the grilled meatballs had a nice crispy outer texture.

The pan fired meatballs held together easier and had a better overall texture throughout. They just seemed to be more what I consider a meatball. The other advantage with the pan fired method is you keep some of the rendered fat and sucs for the sauce.

Last night we used some of the meatballs for open faced meat ball sandwiches.

I have something better in mind for these guys for Friday night....

So what are your favorite meatball tricks or techniques?

Skillet Pork Fajitas

Doesn't the sound of fajitas sizzling on cast iron stoke your appetite?

Last night I cooked some pork fajitas in a skillet on my Smoke Hollow grill/smoker combo rig. 

We bought this grill almost a month ago now and I have put it through the paces so I thought I'd give a quick update on my thoughts about it.  In general, I am happy with it, it's a flexible cooker.

Charcoal grill – I've used this the most and it is an excellent grill. The adjustable height of the charcoal tray adds a great deal of heat control in addition to the vents. The cast iron grates produce some nice sear marks. The only think I am not crazy about is the ash recovery system because it empties into a shallow tray and clogs. Not a big deal, I can modify it so ash falls through in more places instead of just the middle.

Wood smoker – I've only used this twice so far. I need to get a charcoal basket made for the fire box. The grate is made for wood but I like to use a mix briquettes and wood.

Sear burner – I love this thing! It goes from off to RED HOT and ready to roast peppers and chilies in 5 minutes. With all of our fresh jalapenos, cayenne and bell peppers, it has been getting used several times a week. It also rocked when I reverse seared steaks on it.

Gas Grill – I have actually used this several times. I still prefer coal and wood to gas but it is a convenient option when I get home from football practice at noon on Saturday and my boy is starving for some quick dogs or burgers.

Back to the fajitas.   I used the McCormick Grill Mates Fiery 5 Pepper blend and out of all the new Grill Mates  this is my favorite seasoning.  Its blend of ancho, chipotle, and other roasted chilies gives a smoky heat that is an ideal blend for me. 

Skillet Pork Fajitas

Marinade

¼ cup Lawry's Season Salt Marinade

¼ cup lime juice

¼ cup oil

1 ½ tsp cumin

1 ½ tsp McCormick Grill Mates Fiery 5 Pepper Seasoning

1 ½ tsp oregano

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp dried minced garlic

1 pork tenderloin cut into strips 1” long by ¼” wide

1 onion, cut into 1/2” wedges

1 bell pepper, cut into strips (I used a mix of colors)

4 fajita sized tortillas

Shredded cheese, sour cream and whatever toppings you want to add.

Whisk marinade ingredients together in a large bowl. Marinade pork for 4-6 hours.

Start a chimney full of Kingsford briquettes (about 6 quarts) and transfer to grill when the briquettes have a light grey coating of ash.

Place cast iron skillet directly over the coals in a 425f grill and let it preheat until it starts to smoke a little. Getting a rocket hot skillet is the key so let it preheat.

Take the meat out of the marinade (a lot will cling to it, that's okay) and place in the hot skillet. It should sizzle loudly. Cook for about 4-6 minutes until the meat is fully browned, stirring with a wood spoon frequently.

Add the veggies and cook another 2-3 minutes, stirring often. You are done when the veggies are tender, the marinade is all coated onto the food and the pork is starting to caramelize. 

In the South we call this a "hot mess" but it tastes bleeping good!

Serve with the tortillas and toppings.

Two quick but awesome giveaway notices...

Zac Brown Band, You and a BBQ

Kingsford is hosting a rocking (literally) sweepstakes where YOU (yes you) can win "a music and food experience of a lifetime with the one-and-only Zac Brown Band. You could win a once in a lifetime trip for two to an exclusive Sound Check Party, an Eat & Greet with the band, a hotel stay and tickets to a ZBB concert on their tour."  Click here for how to enter.

GrillGrate's Grate Kamado Joe Giveaway

GrillGrate is giving away a Kamado Joe.  Yes that looks like a Big Green Egg because they are both kamado style cookers.     Click here for more details.

Standard Disclaimer – I paid full retail for my Smoke Hollow grill. I got the McCormick's Fiery Pepper and Lawry's Marinade free as part of their 2011 Flavor Forecast: Grilling Edition.