Product Review: Char-Broil CB500X Portable Grill

I teased the review of this grill in my last post when I was grilling skirt steak for a salad using the Char-Broil CB500X Portable Grill.

One of the perks of being a Char-Broil All Star is that each Spring, I get a package of grills and gear as part of their sponsorship*.  For a griller, it's like Christmas morning when the shipment arrives.

Not pictured here is the Char-Broil Commercial 3 Burner grill with TRU-Infrared technology which is coming directly from Lowe's, the exclusive retailer.

The CB500X immediately caught my attention and I have already put it to work several times this week.  It is about as stylish as Dad's old metal tool box so why do I like it so much?  Because it is simply well made, has well designed features, and has a variety of potential uses as a portable grill.

Fajita Steak Salad

The other night Alexis and I were craving a taco or fajita salad and we had everything we needed in the fridge to throw one together.

Or so I thought.  I reached in to grab the leftover taco meat from the night before and.... it was gone.  No problem, I'll use that leftover skirt steak.....which was also gone.  Empty containers in the sink were evidence that our older son had stopped by for lunch earlier in the day.  No worries, but the stomach wants what the stomach wants.  We ran to the store and picked up another skirt steak just so we could have this salad.

Tip:  If your store is out of Certified Angus Beef skirt steak, you can substitute their sirloin flap steak. Certified Angus Beef is one of our sponsors and I got to try the sirloin flap in a "grind your own burger" competition at their headquarters.  It's similar in texture and taste.

Fajita Steak Salad

source:  www.nibblemethis.com

serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 skirt steak
• 2-3 tablespoons NMT Fajita Seasoning or other fajita seasoning
• 1 red bell pepper sliced into rings
• 6 tortilla salad bowls, heated according to directions
• 2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1/2 cup chimichurri sauce (optional)
• 1 cup shredded colby jack cheese
• 3 diced roma tomatoes
• 2 peeled and diced avocados
• 1 cup Fire Roasted Chile Ranch Dressing or other ranch dressing
• 1 cup enchilada sauce or taco sauce
• black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Prepare your grill for direct heat and preheat to high heat (500°F +).
2. Trim any excess fat from your skirt steak and season heavily on both sides with the fajita seasoning.  You will likely have a little seasoning left over.  Keep that for seasoning the salad at the end.
3. Grill the steak and pepper rings on both sides until the rings are charred and the steak reaches an internal temperature of 130°F for medium rare, about 4-6 minutes per side.
4. Remove the steak and pepper rings and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
5. Slice the steak thinly against the grain.  See pictures for detail.
6. Divide the lettuce between the tortilla salad bowls and drizzle lightly with the chimichurri sauce.  Top with cheese, diced tomatoes, diced avocados, and the pepper rings.  Drizzle with the ranch dressing and enchilada sauce.  Season with fresh cracked black pepper and a pinch or two of the leftover fajita seasoning.
7. Top with the sliced skirt steak and serve.

I tried using the new Kingsford Lump Briquets with mesquite wood this time.  Briquets on the left are regular Kingsford and the right are the lump with mesquite.  Got some good mesquite smoke in the air but 8-12 minutes of exposure isn't going to add a lot of flavor to the food in most cases.  

I did about 50 coals and that jumped the temperature to a little over 500°F.

If your skirt steak is in one piece it will be too long so just cut it into a few pieces.  The middle will be fatter than the ends.

I put the thicker pieces on first and wait a minute to put the thinner sections on the grill.

Notice the paver stone under the Char-Broil CB500X grill.  I always do with when grilling on my deck to keep the deck from reaching combustible temperatures.

I've cooked this twice this week in case you were wondering why the meat keeps changing sizes in the pictures. 

I like to cook my skirt steak to medium rare at most, to keep it tender, so I pulled these when they registered 130°F on my Char-Broil Instant Read Thermometer.

Notice how the grain of the meat is running in the same direction as the knife blade.  You need to cut perpendicular to the grain but first I cut it into manageable sections about a finger long as shown....

...then turn the meat sideways like this and slice against the grain...

...like this.  Notice the grain of the meat is going in the same direction as the yellow lines.

When I made it earlier this week, I just served it drizzled with chimichurri sauce and it disappeared.  Literally, before I could use the leftovers, it disappeared.

Where did I get that cool little grill?  It is a Char-Broil CB500X that I got as part of my sponsorship package for being on the Char-Broil All Star team.  I'll review it in my next post, don't let its size fool you.

BBQ Event Wrap Up: National Barbecue Assocation 2015 National Conference - Nashville, TN

I have been wanting to attend an NBBQA National Conference and Trade Show for several years but it was always too far away and cost a little too much for my budget.  But this year the conference was nearby in Nashville and I knew that I had to attend.  

The tagline "Where Barbecue Means Business" is not just a slogan. This is not just some BBQ party that is an excuse to get away from the office for a few days. This is a serious gathering with high power, business oriented information to help the BBQ business person learn to increase revenue, bring down costs, and share a voice.

I'd love to share everything that I learned but I have over 10 pages of notes.  I'll just share one takeaway from each of the general or breakout sessions to give you just a tiny taste of the immense amount of information and resources available at this annual event.

The one downside to the event was that a small sleet/snow storm hit early Thursday morning, shutting down the Nashville Airport and actually preventing some attendees and presenters from making it. I was staying at the conference hotel so while some folks faced this while driving in...

Picture blatantly stolen from Clint Cantwell's Facebook page.  He's got a brand new BBQ website hitting the interwebs soon.

I just peeked out the window and saw this...

and decided to just do room service.  I only mention this because the staff at the Sheraton Music City Hotel did a great job in general and the Heuvos Rancheros they made on Thursday was one of the best room service breakfasts I've ever had.

Keynote Speech

The conference wasted no time in setting the business tone.  Myron Mixon, world's biggest fan of "getting paid", introduced Larry Winget. Winget is known as the Pitbull of Personal Development but don't lump him in with "self help gurus".  He is more of a "pity party shutter downer".

Excuse potato quality, I had to mix in mobile phone pics.

Takeaway:  He tore down any excuses you could have about not succeeding or not pursuing your dream.  He tore down the mystique of the archetypical weathered old pitmaster just doing the job because he is passionate about it. Sure we are passionate about BBQ but Larry bluntly pointed out...

"If you don't get paid at it, it's your passion.  If you get paid for it, it's your business!"

And that's what we were all there for.  Whether we are restauranteurs, competitors, rub/sauce makers, or authors, we are in the business of BBQ.  That doesn't make it evil or corrupted.  We still love BBQ but I can love BBQ alone in my backyard.  We all do what we do because we want to make money at it.  If BBQ is your business, treat it like a business.

Breakout Session: Marketing, PR, and Promotion

The ins and outs of how to get your business out there and in front of potential customers.  The session also used the recent flag controversy as a learning moment for handling a media crisis.

This was a panel session including Mike McCloud (promoter behind Sam's Club tour, World Food Championships), Paul Schatte (VP at Head Country), and Dominick of Sonny's BBQ.

Paul discussing how Head Country utilizes marketing in their ventures.

Takeaway:  Avoid a fragmented approach to social media.  Whether using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or the next book thing, all social media should be managed by an overall plan and story.

Renowned Chef, Paul Kirk, aka The Baron of BBQ, did a breakout session on developing your own rubs.

Breakout Session: Competition to Catering - Taking That First Step Into Business

Randy Twyford of Twyford BBQ & Catering discussed their experiences and his advice for someone ready to make that leap to catering.  This was a great session for anyone even considering catering as Randy discussed tools, ideas, and even software that has helped them.

Takeaway:  Jump on the growing trend of Home Replacement Meals as a caterer.  Sell HMR packages from a set location once a week to generate revenue and spread awareness of your catering services.

Awards of Excellence 
Awards were given in several categories of commercially available BBQ sauces, marinades, and rubs.

Green Peppercorn Encrusted Manhattan Filet

The French classic, Steak au Poivre, is probably my favorite "non-grilled"  steak recipe.  You would think that the big chunks of black pepper would make it overbearing but I think it is just perfect.  This recipe is a variation of Steak Au Poivre.

Served with garlic green beans and twice baked red bliss potatoes with bacon crumbles.

When my sister, aka "Nibble Me Sis", was in town for a week, she declared that this was the best steak she had ever tasted. The ingredients and preparation are very simple so you want to be sure to use a quality beef since it will stand out.  You'll also need some type of flat grilling surface, like a cast iron plate setter, grilled or pan.

Green Peppercorn Encrusted Manhattan Filet

www.nibblemethis.com

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 New York Strip Steaks 
• 1 tablespoon finely ground NMT Beef Rub or other beef rub
• 2 tablespoons green peppercorns, coarsely crushed
• 1-2 tablespoon black peppercorns, moderately crushed 
• 4 tablespoons butter

Instructions

1. Preheat your grill to 450°F.  Place the cast iron skillet or griddle in the grill to preheat also.
2. Trim off excess fat from the steak and cut into half lengthwise, resulting in 4 filet total.  Tie around each filet with butcher's twine.
3. Season each side of the filet with the finely ground beef rub.  Place the cracked pepper (green and black) on a plate and then pressed each side of each steak firmly into the pepper so that a crust adheres to the meat.
4. Place butter in the skillet or griddle and sear the steaks about 2 minutes per side (see notes).  
5. Switch the steaks to a raised rack and put them back on the grill with the dome lid closed.  Allow the steaks to roast until they reach your desired internal temperature.  I was going for 130°F for medium-rare and it took about 7 more minutes after the sear.
6. Allow to rest (or don't) and serve.

Since this has few ingredients, you want quality meat.  This time I was using a Meyer Natural Angus NY Strip (Choice) branded as Greenwise at Publix.

I have written about Manhattan filet before.  Essentially you are taking a New York Strip steak, cut it in half, and then trim the fat from around the filet as pictured below with my super graphics.  I like the Manhattan because it is a more reasonable portion.  It looks like a tenderloin filet on the plate but it has the texture and beefier taste of a strip steak.  For Manhattan's you'll want to start with a thick strip steak, about 1 1/2 inches is best.

Do you tie meat only to have it spring loose as you try to tie the second knot?  Start off with your first knot being a "double overhand" or "surgeons knot" (two passes through the loop instead of one) and that will hold as you tie the second knot as shown above. See the surgeon's knot against the steak is firm as I tie the second knot, a simple overhand knot.

For steaks, I grind my NMT Beef Rub finely as shown in the upper left.  For briskets and chuck roasts, I use very coarsely ground like on the right.

My pepper grinder won't ground coarse enough for my liking so I crush the peppercorns by pressing down on a mallet.

The green peppercorns are much softer and have a rich, mellow taste that goes insanely well with beef in my opinion.  So I like it much more coarse than my crushed black pepper.  I like to use a 50/50 mix but if you don't like heat you can use 75% green and only 25% black peppercorns.

You want to get as much pepper to stick as you can get it, it will form a crust.

Here I was using a cast iron plate setter.  You definitely need to add butter/oil because you want the peppercorns simmering in it a bit.  I've tried au Poivre straight up on a dry heat grill and it usually burns instead of forming a crust.

If you don't want to mess with the rack, you can just cook the steaks 3-5 minutes per side on the cast iron.  I like using the two step process, you want the crust dark, not burned.

Note:   If you use a skillet, you can make a peppercorn cream sauce that is fantastic.  Just add a splash of whiskey or brandy and flambe it, letting it burn until concentrated.  Add some shallots and garlic to cook for a few minutes then deglaze that with some beef stock.  Let that reduce to half.  Stir in cream and a tablespoon of cold butter.  Season with salt and pepper and drizzle over the steak.

Another option would be to compliment this steak with my Green Peppercorn and Blue Cheese Sauce.  Personally, I like it straight up without any sauce other than maybe a compound butter on top.

Sigh...I could go for a bite of this right now. 

Jacksonville Green Egg Demo and Nashville BBQ Events

If you are in the Jacksonville, FL area, my sister (dubbed "Nibble Me Sis" by our youngest son) will be doing Big Green Egg demo cooks on Saturday, March 14, 2015 at the Pinch-a-Penny from 10am - 2pm.  It is the one on SR 13 right next to Fruit Cove Baptist Church.

They are going to be have a big 15% off sale on Big Green Eggs.  Rhonda is going to be cooking and serving some of her favorites including wings, pork tenderloin, and cherry cobbler.

Rhonda has always been a good cook but a few years ago she copied her good looking, intelligent, and manly brother and bought a Big Green Egg.  Now she cooks everything on her Egg and really knows her way around a kamado grill.
 

Rhonda cooking some butter basted corn on her Egg. 

Rhonda's recent smoked pastrami which she cured herself from scratch.

Rhonda always has something on her Big Green Egg.

If you have ever been curious about kamado grills, this is a great opportunity to learn more about them and sample some great food at the same time.  It's free and doesn't require registration, just show up there next Saturday.  Plus I have just sent her a signed copy of my book, The Kamado Smoker and Grill Cookbook (Ulysses Press), to give away to one lucky attendee.  So come down!

Nashville Bound
Speaking of events, I am headed to Nashville in the morning for two great events at once. 

2015 NBBQA Conference & Trade Show - I'll be attending the National BBQ Association's annual meeting where I'll learn from the brightest and best BBQ folks in the world - competition, catering, restaurants, and more. 

2015 Hearth, Patio, and Barbecue Expo - I'll be checking out and reporting on the exciting new BBQ and grill offerings for 2015 from over 350 outdoor lifestyle companies.  For example, Saber is rolling out their new smart grill - The Edge - and I am looking forward to seeing it and much more in action.

Plus, I'll have an exciting announcement from the Expo about a major new sponsor for this blog and our competition team for 2015.   (No, I'm not going there to go sponsor hunting, ha ha.  We already have the deal signed, just doing the announcement from the HPB Expo because said company will be there.)

Fajita Seasoning Dry Rub

If I could only have ONE food from the grill for the rest of my life and it couldn't be BBQ, I think I would have to chose fajitas. 

The flavor of the crisp charred veggies, pungent aroma of seasonings, the tender grilled meat, and wide array of condiments make it just about the perfect grilled food.  I love fajitas. 

Fajitas are a Summer time food to me.  However, after being snowed and iced in for two weeks (kids haven't been to school since Feb 13th), I needed a taste of Summer!  So I made fajitas on one of our kamado grills yesterday afternoon.

I have a favorite fajita marinade recipe that I have used for years and years.  But I have come up with this fajita seasoning that I like a little bit better because I can make it ahead to have on hand.  This dry rub also works great on tacos, grilled shrimp, and chicken.  You can apply it directly to meats as a dry rub or you can make a quick marinade with it for meats and vegetables.

Note:  The last 4 ingredients are adjustable and should be 1 teaspoon total of chile (not chili) powders in whatever combination you like.  If you like a mild rub, you can use just ancho.  If you want hotter, use more cayenne and chipotle for your 1 teaspoon.  If you like smoky, go with ancho and chipotle. 

NMT Fajita Seasoning and Dry Rub

makes 1/4 cup

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 tablespoon seasoned salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground corriander
• 1/2 teaspoon dried lemon peel
• 1/4 teaspoon ancho chile powder
• 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon green chile powder

Instructions

1. Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.  
2. Store in an airtight container for up to six months.
3. Sprinkle directly on meats, seafood, and vegetables.  Make into a fajita marinade by adding 1.5 tablespoons to 1/2 cup oil, 1/4 cup beer, and 1/4 cup lime juice.

Grilled tortillas taste so much better than ones warmed up in a microwave.  Just about 10-15 seconds over a hot fire, just until they start to puff up slightly.  I do them first before the grates get all gunked up.

This time I used the seasoning in a marinade for a 1 1/4 lb skirt steak.  It was labeled as "outside" skirt steak but I'm pretty sure it was the usual inside skirt steak since outside is pretty hard to find.  How long did I marinade it?  Long enough to take "Ramsay the BBQ pit pup" to the park and to puppy training, so about 3-4 hours.  Then I put it and some marinated bell peppers and onions on a 450°F grill over direct heat.

Don't be alarmed when you get a lot of smoke from the marinade dripping onto the hot coals.  I shook off the excess but some is still going to come off.  Just shut the grill lid to avoid flare ups and it will calm down in a minute or so.

 

I used the Craycort vegetable wok that fits into the Craycort cast iron grate system pictured here.  You could also use a vegetable grill basket, a small skillet, or a griddle.

I cooked the skinny strip for about 3 minutes a side at 450°F and the thicker ends were more like 4 to 4 1/2 minutes per side.

Now that is a "winter funk buster"!

The most important part of serving skirt steak is slicing it against the grain.  The grain runs perpendicular lengthwise to the meat.  The yellow line shows how the grain of the meat runs so you would slice it in the direction shown by the red arrowed line.

Sliced and served with the grilled vegetables and our "homemade instant Tex-Mex rice", such a Summery plate.

What is your favorite dish to bust you out of the Winter blahs?

[Standard FTC Disclaimer]  Craycort is an equipment sponsor of Nibble Me This.  In fact, they were the FIRST sponsor of my blog from way back when I first started 6 years ago. It is great being sponsored by a product that you 100% believe in. Thanks, Rolf (owner)!