Fire Roasted Shrimp Scampi

Shrimp scampi was one of my favorite seafood dishes in my late teens to early twenties.  The garlicky aroma, the velvety butter sauce, and fresh Florida shrimp made me a happy dude.

So you can imagine my disappointment when later in life I found out that there was no such thing as "shrimp scampi".   It was just about as bad as finding out that there is no "Santa Claus".  The dish I had been so enthralled with was a lie!  

Scampi isn't a dish.  It is the Italian name for a small lobster also called Norway lobster, Dublin Bay Prawns, or langoustine [Davidson].   The "shrimp scampi" dishes that typically show up on American menus are shrimp, garlic, butter, and wine.  No scampi added.  

But like the propagandist  motto says, "If you repeat a lie often enough it becomes the truth".  The misuse of the term has been so prevalent that now most dictionaries include a secondary definition of Scampi that includes the American shrimp dish [Epicurious].

So this is the shrimp scampi dish that I made for an appetizer this week - or it isn't.  

This is a quick but delicious dish that can be an appetizer or just double the portions and add pasta for an entree.  It has minimal prep and cook times.  If you're having a cookout or tailgate, this dish is one way to really impress your friends with your grilling skills.  But you could also prepare this in your oven or under a broiler.

Fire Roasted Shrimp Scampi

source:  www.nibblemethis.com

serves:  4 appetizers or 2 entrees 

Ingredients

• 20 large shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 3/4 lb of 26-30 ct shrimp)
• 1/4 cup coarse chopped garlic
• 6 Tbsp butter, cut into cubes
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• black pepper
• 1 lemon halve
• Kosher salt

Instructions

1. Preheat a charcoal grill to 450f set up for indirect grilling.
2. Divide the shrimp into 4 au gratin dishes (or other oven safe ceramic dishes).  Add the butter, garlic, and wine.  Season each dish with a pinch of fresh ground black pepper.
3. Roast the shrimp in the grill with the lid closed until they turn pink, about 7 minutes.
4. Remove and sqeeze the lemon* halve over the dishes to give each just a splash.  Season each dish with a pinch or two of salt.  Garnish with a little parsley if you like. 
5. Serve with crispy toasted garlic bread.

Notes

• I like to grill my lemon cut side down over direct heat for 1 or 2 minutes at the end for a flavor boost.

Make sure the butter is touching ceramic so it will melt faster.

Instead of the traditional offset indirect method, I just put a piece of stoneware between the dishes and the hot coals.  You could do the same with a pizza stone. 

Shrimp have a built in cooking timer - their tails! 

This was a big hit for all of us and it disappeared in no time.  The toast is mandatory!  It is so good to sop up the garlic butter left in the bowl.

Cheap Steak Cheapskate (Or what the heck is a chuck tender steak?)

I stumbled across a package of cheap steaks the other day at the grocery store.

Chuck tender steaks to be exact.  They had a deep red beefy color, were thin sliced, and looked tender.  Their middle name is even "tender".

But I knew better.  Chuck tender steaks are obviously from the chuck or upper shoulder of cattle.  That muscle group is heavily exercised and full of connective tissue.  So while it does have a rich beef flavor, it tends to be anything BUT tender.  

I had a couple of strategies planned to deal with that.

• Marinade - The acid in the marinade helps weaken muscle tissue however marinades take quite a while to penetrate.
• Mechanical Tenderizing - A meat cuber, jaccard or even a fork can be used to help break up the connective tissue of tough meats before cooking.  Note:  I'd never use that on a quality thick steak.
• Thin slices - the thin steaks were already cut across the grain when cut into steaks.  That minimizes long muscle fibers which are chewy by nature.  
• Medium rare - These steaks can't be taken past medium rare or they will toughen quickly.

I decided to make some steak sandwiches with peppers, onions and an excellent garlicky cheese sauce.

  

First I seasoned the steaks with salt and pepper on both sides and then stabbed them repeatedly.  This helps tenderize AND drives seasoning into the meat.  

Lightning fast reflexes, ha ha.

Next is a brief marinade for about 2 hours.  I used 3 oz oil, 1 oz red wine vinegar, and 1 Tbsp of Worcestershire sauce.

While it marinated, I made the cheese sauce.  

Don Quixote Riding A Drunken Goat Cheese Sauce

source:  www.nibblemethis.com

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 3 Tbsp coarse chopped garlic
• 2 Tbsp AP flour
• 1 cup cream
• 1 tsp horseradish
• 3/4 cups shredded Manchego cheese
• 3/4 cups shredded drunken goat cheese
• enough milk to thin the sauce out
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat a pan over medium heat.
2. Saute the garlic in butter until just starting to turn golden.
3. Add the flour and stir continuously to form a light roux.
4. Stir the cream into the dish in increments, stirring to combine each time before adding more.
5. Whisk in the horseradish.
6. Season with salt and pepper and then stir in cheese in batches until well combined.
7. Whisk in the milk to get the consistency you want.  I probably used about 1/2 cup.
8. Re-season with salt and pepper

I preheated my Big Green Egg to 400f and grilled the steaks for about 45 seconds a side.  I went by visual cues.  Once the meat began to darken slightly around the edge and the juices slightly pool on top, I flipped them.

Next was a quick saute of peppers and onions seasoned with salt and pepper.

Of course, I grill toasted my buns.  I like having toasty buns, don't you?

The sandwiches were to die for, according to Alexis and Trevor.  I tend to agree.  

I will buy this cut of beef again.  It has the rich beef flavor that you expect from steak and with all of the tenderizing tricks, it was supple.  I could see using this for fajitas as a substitute for skirt steak.  I'm not saying it's the same as ribeye or flank steak but it's also half the price and good eats.  

Some other methods for making tough meat tender that I did not use here include enzymatic tenderizers (meat tenderizer powders), dry aging (meat's own natural enzymes), and low/slow moist cooking.   

What are your favorite tricks for turning shoe leather into delectable meat?

Potato Salad

Potato salad is a standard barbecue side dish and most people have a preferred recipe for it.  Here is my "basic" recipe for when I want old fashioned potato salad.  It works as a warm or cold salad.

I made this yesterday because I was smoking some ribs as a surprise for Alexis and her co-workers for dinner at work.  Trevor and I packed the "to-go" boxes and dropped them off at the store just in time for dinner.

I've done posts on ribs several times so I'll just give the basics for my bbq nerd friends.

Ribs:  Loin back ribs (what most people call baby backs but technically baby backs are smaller)

Smoke:  2 hickory Mojobrick Bar-B-Cubes

Rub:  my version of Wild Willy's Number Onederful and Dead End Rib Rub layered on both ribs

Foil?:   Yes, with real butter, brown sugar, hot sauce

Times/Temps:  270f because I was trying to get them done quick.  2 hr 45 min bare, 45 min foiled, 45-60 min bare.  I lost track of the time on the second "naked" stage but it was definitely at least 45 minutes and not more than an hour.

Glaze:  Blues Hog (they like sweet ribs)

Potato Salad

source:  www.nibblemethis.com

Ingredients

• 3 pounds red bliss potatoes (b sized), quartered
• 3 boiled eggs, diced
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp yellow mustard
• 1/4 cup onion, diced
• 2 Tbsp celery, finely diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp BBQ rub

Instructions

1. Boil the potatoes until fork tender.  Allow to cool.  
2. Add the eggs to the potatoes in a large bowl.
3. Mix the rest of the ingredients together for the dressing.  Pour over the potatoes and egg, toss to coat.

Setting up the Egg for smoking.  I put new coal in, the wood, and now putting the used coal back in on top.

To take the membrane off, I work a finger or two under the membrane across the middle.

Then just pull it straight up and off in one piece.  

Ribs rubbed and going on.

Just about ready for foiling.

These silicone pinch bowls that my sister gave me rock.   One of the most used things in my kitchen.

Not everyone likes eggs in their potato salad.  I do.  Sue me.

Taste the dressing for seasoning before mixing into the potatoes.  It is easier to adjust at this point.

Gratuitous rib shot.

Very meaty ribs.

Assembly line.

Ribs, potato salad, and Bush's Grillin' Beans Southern Pit Barbecue flavor.

The ladies hated their food.  Just kidding, they loved it.  

[Standard Disclaimer] I have a business relationship with Bush Beans; however, this is not a sponsored post.

Fire Roasted Stuffed Bell Peppers - Cheater Version

The stuffed mini pepper kabobs that I made the other day made me crave stuffed bell peppers, one of my childhood favorites.  My usual recipe is a little more drawn out but I took some short cuts on this one.  You could also do this in your kitchen using your stove top and oven but you won't get the extra flavor of fire roasting.  Unless you catch your oven on fire.....

Fire Roasted Stuffed Bell Peppers - Cheating Version

source:  www.nibblemethis.com

Ingredients

• 5 bell peppers
• 12 oz Mexican style chorizo*
• 1/3 cup diced onion
• 3 cups cooked Mexican rice*
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 3/4 tsp Grill Mates Fiery 5 Pepper Seasoning
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Manchego cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat a charcoal grill to 350f (medium heat).  I added two chunks of mesquite wood.
2. Par-cook the peppers.  Cook over direct heat about 1 minute per side and then place in a covered bowl for 5 minutes.* 
3. Brown the chorizo in a skillet, adding the onions about 3 minutes after starting the beef.  
4. Add the chorizo and onion to the cooked rice.  Add one half of the cheese and stir the whole mixture together.
5. Slice the top of each pepper off and remove seeds.  Fill with the rice mixture.  
6. Mix the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, Fiery 5 Pepper, and oregano together.  Spoon over the top of the stuffed peppers.
7. Use an indirect heat set up to roast your stuffed peppers for 30 minutes.
8. Top the peppers with the remaining cheese and cook another 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted.
9. Remove, let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving, they will be hot.

Notes

• Mexican chorizo - this is the raw style, not the cured Spanish chorizo.
• I used a packaged mix, one of my cheats.
• Peppers - You aren't trying to char and blister the skin off of the peppers here like you would normally.  You are just trying to pre-cook them a little bit so they'll be tender at the end.

The Fiery 5 Pepper adds a punch to the glaze.

Have everything ready because it goes quickly during prep.

Manchego - This briny hard sheep's milk cheese is nicely suited with the chorizo.  If you can't  find Manchego, you could use monterey jack cheese instead.

Grilling on a skillet.  Skillereting?  Grilleting?

I cooked mine in a stoneware pan, those are ideal for indirect grilling.

Cover liberally with the cheese. 

I served them with slices of seasoned avocado. 

Grill Mayor of 2012
How would you like to be named as the Grill Mayor of 2012?  Food Network is currently running a contest in which you can been named Grill Mayor AND win this great prize package:

o   Grand Prize: 2 trips to New York City for winner and a guest 

o    2 nights first-class hotel accommodations

o   $100 Food Network gift card

o   Food Network Grilling Cookbook

o   Omaha Steaks grilling kit

o   Assortment of Grill Mates products

o   Dinner for Grand Prize Winner and one guest at a Food Network’s chef restaurant in New York City

o   Two VIP access passes to a premiere New York City BBQ Festival 

o   Tour of the Food Network kitchens in New York City

So how do you get elected to Grill Mayor?  Simple.  You go to the Food Network contest entry page and submit your best grilling tip or piece of advice.  Entries must be 100 words or less and include a picture of your tip in action.  See the contest rules for official stuff but the contest runs through July 31, 2012.  Good luck!

Also - don't forget to join me at the Grill Mates Grillerhood for fun stuff from McCormick.  I just downloaded a hot grilling wallpaper for my laptop:

I know, I'm a dork.  They also have ring tones, recipes, and other stuff each week, check it out.

[Standard Disclaimer] I have received compensation for this post from representatives of McCormick Grill Mates.

Sausage Stuffed Mini Sweet Pepper Skewers

Would you like to have a Big Green Egg like mine?

Here are some kabobs I made up on Sunday.  Alexis did a down and back trip to Florida and was nearly home.  These were meant to be an appetizer after her long trip but they but ended up being our dinner after we added a quick basil-pasta side.

Free Big Green Egg?  Oh, yeah, I did say something about that didn't I?  

Johnsonville's newest contest has TWO Grand Prize packages.  Each Grand Prize is a Large Big Green Egg with accessories and a year's supply of Johnsonville products.  They are also drawing 8 weekly winners for grilling tool packages.  To enter, you just have to enter your Kabob Creation using any Johnsonville Sausage on their official Contest Page.

Sausage Stuffed Mini Sweet Pepper Skewers

source:  www.nibblemethis.com

Ingredients

• 1 lb Johnsonville Italian Sausage 
• 1 lb mini sweet bell peppers
• 2 tsp peanut oil
• 1/2 cup diced sweet onion
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup diced tomato
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil*
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano
• 1/4 cup shredded pecorino-Romano cheese
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Bring a pot of water to boil.  Meanwhile, cut off the top of each pepper and scrape out the seeds and ribs using a paring knife or scraper (see picture).  Boil the peppers (actually chiles) for 3 minutes and then remove them to ice water for 5 minutes to stop the cooking.  [You can do this step the day before.]
2. Preheat a charcoal grill to 400f.  
3. Place an oven safe skillet on the grill.  Remove sausage from the casing and cook in the skillet until just lightly browned, not fully cooked.  Remove to a colander to drain*.
4. If necessary, deglaze* the pan with a 1/4 of liquid (i.e. beer).  Add the oil and onion.  Season with a a pinch of salt and pepper.  Simmer the onion until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.  
5. Add the tomato and garlic, cook another minute.  
6. Remove from heat and stir in the basil, oregano, and cheese.  Season with more salt and pepper to taste.  Return the meat to the pan.  Let cool for 5 minutes.
7. Stuff the peppers with the mix.  Impale the stuffed peppers on BBQ skewers.
8. Grill the kabobs 3-4 minutes per side, until the stuffing registers an internal temp of 160f.  Remove from grill.
9. At your leisure, slide a stuffed pepper off a skewer and pop in your mouth.  Yeah, pretty darn good.  

Notes

• Basil - Unless your basil plants has been as brutalized by the heat as mine.  I had to use 1 Tbsp of basil paste.  If using dried basil, use a teaspoon.
• Colander - Plan ahead while grilling.  I had a colander on top of a bowl outside by the grill so I didn't have to run inside to do this.
• Deglaze - South Park's "Creme Fraiche" episode has ruined this term for me, I snicker every time.  You gonna deglaze that?

I used a carrot peeler but a paring knife will do.

I used about 3/4 chimney of Kingsford briquettes. 

Just cook to slightly browned, it will finish cooking in the peppers.

The garlic and tomatoes will cook quickly.  

Toss all back together and let cool before stuffing the peppers.

A piece or two might fall out, don't panic.   Not a big deal.

One kabob is an appetizer.  Two plus pasta is a meal.

So quit being green with envy over my Big Green Eggs and go enter Johnsonville's contest to win your own!

[And yes, I appreciate the irony that I did not cook this meal on one of our Eggs.]

Pork To Fork

I need your help for a good cause.

Here's the short version:  For every comment I get on this post with a question about pork farming (sustainability, modern practices, etc), the National Pork Board will donate 1 pound of pork (up to $1,000 worth) to The Foodbank of Ohio.  

The longer version is that in a couple of weeks, I am traveling to Versailles, OH to Wuebker Farms to learn about the Farm To Table aspects of modern day pork farming, courtesy of the National Pork Board.  It is no secret that I'm a prime consumer of pork.

Let's face it, I'm their target demo - PCDWAS  (Pig Consuming Dude With A Smoker). 

I'm excited to learn more about pork farming because I am one generation removed from the original "Farm to Table" movement.  My mom knows all about it because while she grew up slinging tobacco in North Carolina they also had hogs.  She had a "pet pig" named "Poogie".  You know what happened when Poogie got old enough?  Yes.  Poogie went from farm to table.  True story.  

Since Poogie became dinner over 50 years ago, much has changed with the farming of pork to produce a leaner and cleaner pork.  

I am really curious about what all I will learn during this trip because when I think about it in reverse order...

1. I love smoking, grilling and cooking pork.  I'm rock solid on the consumer end.
2. I worked in a meat department of a grocery store in the mid-80s (I was underage so I wasn't allowed to butcher and I never used the powered equipment......wink wink).  I'm experienced on the retail end.
3. I visited a meat packing plant many times when I moved to working for the corporate offices of the same grocery store.  I've seen the production end.

The only part that I have not seen is where the real magic happens, the farming aspect. 

I will be posting more about my trip as it happens but for now, please help me, help The Foodbank in Ohio by asking me a question that I should ask during my visit to the pork farm.  Don't worry about whether or not someone has already asked it, just ask what you want to know.

Cherry Chipotle Chicken Lollipops

I had two of the best tacos I have ever had at 10:30 this morning.

I stopped by the Savory and Sweet food truck and got the smoked chipotle pork taco and fried avocado taco, both with cilantro lime slaw and chipotle cream.  I took my tray over to the nearby babbling water feature in the park under the cool shade trees.  The saxaphone player who is at the market every weekend wailed out a tune as I got into my pair of tacos.

Get there early, as with all food trucks, things sell out - first come first serve.

I was expecting the pork tacos to be great because Joshua R had already told me about them and he was right.  But I was unprepared for the crispy, delicious fried avocado taco.  It re-defined what a taco is to me.  The avocado pieces are light and crispy on the outside yet tender and velvety on the inside. The slaw and chipotle cream finished it off flawlessly.  

If you are in the Knoxville area, you need to hunt the Savory and Sweet food truck down and try them out.  You can find them at the Bearden Beer Market on Friday evenings and at the Market Square Farmers' Market on Wednesday and Saturday. 

About 5 hours later, I was hungry again and was in the mood for something "food truck-ish".  I thought about DivaQ's chicken lollipops.  Normally she does them with chicken wing drummettes but in her recent BBQ Pitmasters appearance, she used drum sticks instead.  I went with that and did a cherry chipotle flavor profile. 

Cherry Chipotle Chicken Lollipops

Idea inspired by Danielle Dimovski aka DivaQ

Ingredients

• 8 chicken leg "drumsticks"
• 8 Tbsp unsalted butter

For the rub*

• 1 Tbsp Spanish paprika
• 1 Tbsp kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 3/4 tsp dried ground chipotle chile
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp mustard powder

For the sauce

• 1/2 cup BBQ sauce*
• 1/4 cup cherry preserves* 
• 1 ea chipotle, seeded*

Instructions

1. Preheat a smoker or grill set up for indirect heat to 300f (medium).  I added two cherry Mojobricks for wood smoke
2. Sauce - Mix the BBQ sauce, preserves and chipotle in a blender until liquified.  
3. Rub - Mix the rub ingredients together and mix well.
4. Lollipops - For each drumstick, use poultry shears to snip off the ankle.  Push down around the bone, forcing the meat down round the bottom.  Use the shears to snip off any ligaments that you can see.  Cover the exposed bone with foil.
5. Cook the Chicken - Place the butter in a shallow pan in the smoker/grill.  Place the lollipops in the pan and cook until they reach an internal temperature of 165f.  Glaze with the sauce and cook until they chicken reaches an internal temperature of 175f.  This took about 90 minutes but I wasn't paying strict attention. 

Notes

• Rub - This was decent, not bad at all, but I would amp it up a bit next time.  Maybe a use turbinado sugar instead of brown, or use a blend of the two.  Then add some subtle notes like maybe corriander or cumin.  
• BBQ Sauce - use your favorite traditional BBQ sauce recipe or commercial BBQ sauce.  
• Cherry - I tried using fresh cherries & 1 tsp of brown sugar today but it looks like the cherry season ran its course.  The "fresh" cherries didn't look great and the  flavor was muted.  The rest of the year, I just use cherry preserves.
• Chipotle - Medium heat (to me) as written.  Use half of one for mild.  Use a whole one, unseeded for hot. 

Why do this?  It gets the whole leg cooked evenly and gives you a handle.

Don't forget to cover the bones with foil or they'll get dark.

I used stoneware but you can use foil pans.

The cherries I bought today were already past their prime.  Looks like cherry season is over for this year.

Glazed and finishing up.

Do you have food trucks in your area?  If so, what is your favorite one?  What's your favorite food truck dish?