Cilantro Humus/Carrot Humus

Time for another humus spotlight post. In the past I have posted several different variations to making humus and here is yet another. Take the basic humus recipe and add a wad of cilantro. Dont worry about taking too many of the stems off as your food processor with pulverize them for you. Another variation that I really like is humus with carrots. Just toss a couple of carrots into the mix and there you go. It actually gives the humus a fresher taste.

One more tidbit: I typically eat my humus with either water crackers or pita bread. Its worth mentioning that Trader Joe's now sells excellent water crackers. I'll post the name of them as soon as I buy some more.

Chicken Under A Brick - Reader Submitted

cOne can tell that the weather here in the north east is getting better just by the number of bbq submissions I have been receiving again. Here is another from my buddy up in Connecticut. This one is too funny...
"The chicken under a brick is really simple. I got back from a mountain bike ride and needed something to do while I was drinking beer. So I decided to grill some chicken. Flip it over and cut it along the backbone and flatten it out. Coat that bird with bbq rub. Al Poniktera's bbq rub is the best. Work it in, under the skin and into the joints.
Cook over direct heat - with the heaviest thing you can find on top of it. I used a cast iron pan. Often a brick or block works well too. I tried that also, but found it to be too heavy (photo) I had to sawcut that one off of my neighbor's walkway. He won't miss it.The weight presses it down onto the grate and helps to cook it evenly. Cook it breast side down for 15 minutes, flip it and cok for 15 more. I went 8min back on the breast side, and 8min again on the other side and it was good, but 10 min and 10 min. would have been better (wing joints were a little questionable). Since it is cooked over direct heat, it tends to flare up a lot, so I had to manage it by moving it around the grill to cooler and hotter parts of the grill."This is a good looking bird. ...Thanks for the sending in the photos and commentary...

I think that chicken still has a pulse...

Charcoal and other fuels

I don't do a lot of posts that don't contain pictures of food or booze, however, every now and then I make an exception. If you are serious about grilling you've probably heard a lot of people talk about the different type of fuels available. the two main categories are charcoal vs gas. As you already know, the BBQB's poll last year finally put to rest the debate about those two. You will remember that charcoal won fairly easily. Those of you in the know, know that there are actually dozens of different types of charcoal that one can use. Some of them include the basic coals, coals that have been infused with lighter fluid (Match Light), charred wood, and fresh wood.
I have to admit that for 90% of my grilling I just use the standard Kingsford Charcoal. This can be purchased almost anywhere, it retains heat for a long time, and provides pretty good flavor to your food. Every now and then I do experiment a bit with the other types. For instance, the other day I used Cowboy Brand 100% all Natural Hardwood Lump Charcoal. As you might expect, it does not retain its heat as well as Kingsford but it does provide a nice flavor. It seems to work best on things like chicken or fish. Something like a tandoori chicken might not work as well since it already has a lot of flavor.
I do however use fresh wood chips more often. The key using them is to make sure they are thoroughly soaked in water before use. This will allow the wood to smoke rather than burn during the cooking process. Its the increased amount of smoke that will help your Weber compete with the fancier smokers out there. My best suggestion is to try a few of the different wood nugget options out there until you get a taste you prefer.

Celebrate Easter Tandoori Style

Happy Easter everyone! In celebration of Easter I decided to share my tandoori bird with you all from a few days ago. You regular readers will remember that I try to grill a whole bird at least once a month or so.

I have to admit that I always use a premixed spice rub that I purchase from my local Indian supermarket. I always like to first remove the skin from the chicken. Then I just follow the directions on the box. I mix the spices with yogurt and then apply it to the bird...inside and out. Then I let it marinade for at least 24 hours.

To cook it properly, you will want to get your grill fired up pretty hot. Place the bird away from the coals and let it cook for about 3 hours or so. The picture above shows the chicken after about 2 hours or so. Try to maintain a temperature of at least 350 degrees.

Once the bird is cooked you will want to take it off the grill and cover it with tin foil and a towel to keep it warm. This will prevent the chicken from losing its moisture. After about 10-15 minutes you start pulling it apoart.
I served the meat with a cucumber and red onion salad, tossed with a little olive oil and vinegar. The kick of the raw red onions really adds a nice punch to the meal. To cool things down I also served a garlicky yogurt sauce made from shredded cucumber, plain yogurt, fresh garlic, salt, pepper and lemon juice.I cannot stress enough how good this meal was. I highly suggest recreating this one in your back yard. The yogurt marinade just seals in all ofthe juices and you end up with the juiciest chicken you'll ever try.

Dry Rub Ribs

As most "experts" will tell you, you really shouldn't add bbq sauce to ribs before you cook them. They say it will just burn. For the most part I think those experts are correct. That being said, as you can from earlier rib posts, I often break that rule. I feel that if you keep the ribs away from the direct heat source the sauce doesn't burn. That being said, I am also a big fan of the dry rub. Here we go...
As you regular readers already know, I am not big on exact measurement. My opinion is that exact measurements are for baking, not grillin'.
My dry rub consists of something like the following (Adjust to your taste):

1. Tablespoon chili powder
2. Tablespoon ground cumin
3. Tablespoon paprika
4. 1-3 Teaspoons garlic powder
5. 1-3 Teaspoons onion powder
6. Tablespoon olive oil (to form a paste)
7. Salt
8. Pepper
   

Mix the above spices to form a paste. Coat the ribs with the paste. At this point you really want to rub the spices into the meat. Don't be afraid to roll up your sleeves and put your back into it. Let the spices marinade in the meat for about 30 minutes before grilling.

Like normal, get your coals fired up real hot. Place the ribs away from the heat and close the lid. I like to cook my ribs for about 2 hours. In order for them to be fully cooked by then, the temperature should be around 350 degrees. A lot of people like to cook there ribs for hours on end...if I had the time I probably would as well. However, I've found that 2 hours under a hot flame gives me great results as well.

Once you take the ribs off the grill cover them in aluminum foil and a towel and let them sit for 15 minutes. This will allow the juices to fuse back into the meat. Once the juices have settled take a sharp knife and slice up your rack.

This go around, I decided not to add any of my own bbq sauce ahead of time. Instead, I thought I would allow my guests to do as they pleased.

To properly honor these incredible ribs, I served them with not one, but two types of cole slaw. The white I bought from my local Shop Rite and the red I made myself.

Pickled Jalapenos and Carrots

I'm the type of guy that always has a jar of pickled jalapenos in the fridge. One never knows when one will need a shot of heat. Frankly, my fridge looks naked without them. You'll notice that I served pickled jalapenos as a side to my pork shoulder.
There are dozens of different ways to pickle jalapenos and carrots. For more ideas just google pickled jalapenos and you will find all sorts of suggestions. Here is how the BBQB does 'em. For other ways that I tackle jalapenos check out this link
First buy enough jalapenos and carrots to fill your pickling jar. You'll notice in the later picture that I was actually short on my jar.

Slice the jalapenos into circles and slice the carrots into longer ovals. This combination seems to look a little better. Next, bring to boil the following:

1. 1 Cup of Water (Adjust as necessary. You'll need enough to cover your vegetable mixture)
2. 1 Cup of Vinegar (See above)
3. 1 Large Sliced White Onion
4. 1 Teaspoon of sugar
5. 2-5 Diced Fresh Cloves of Garlic
6. 2 Teaspoons of salt
7. Optional variations: Cauliflower, Radishes, Oregano...
   

Boil the above mixture until the onion is soft (2-3 minutes) and then pour the hot mixture over your jalapenos and carrots. This step essentially flash cooks the veggies. Make sure your liquid covers your veggies or they will end up remaining raw. Let the whole mixture cool before transferring to the fridge. That's it. Let them chill for a few hours and you're all set.

Give my recipe a try but be sure to try your own creations and check the internet for other suggestions.

I Dig On Swine

As a continuation of my love affair with pork I decided to pick up a pork shoulder the other day and toss it on the ole Weber. To be exact, it was 10 pound picnic cut. Many out there would say that the pork butt of the shoulder is slightly better but at $0.49/lb I was all over the picnic cut.
I started out by first trimming the cut of the skin and much of the visible fat. This is a little bit of a labor intensive process so make sure you have a sharp knife and a few minutes to spare.

Once I got all of the fat and skin off I applied my dry rub. You'll find many different rub recipes out there on the internet. As far as I can tell they are all just different variations of the same spices. The best thing to do is experiment a little bit. That being said, this is basically what I threw together:

1. 1-2 Tablespoons of chili powder
2. 1-2 Tablespoons of ground cumin
3. Teaspoon of sugar
4. Tablespooon of kosher salt
5. Half teaspoon of allspice
6. Tablespoon of garlic powder
7. Tablespoon of onion powder
8. Splash of olive oil to create a paste

Once you've mixed up your dry rub, apply to the meat. Really rub it in with your hands. At this point I also like to use my favorite injector and inject the meat with some more spices. In order for the injector to work, the spices must obviously be in a liquid form. For this, I just combined some more chili powder, cumin, and salt with some more oil and enough vinegar to make a liquid. Next, just injector the liquid into the meat. This will help season the insides. Pop this hunk of meat back in the fridge and let it marinade for a while. At least two ours is best.
The key to cooking such a huge cut on the grill is slow and low. My goal was to keep the temperature at around 200 degrees. For the most part I was successful. To do this, you will need to get a decent set of coals burning on one side of the grill. Place the meat on the opposite side of the grill for indirect heat. In order to maintain the low temperature you will have to close almost all of the grates. Early on check the temperature every 10 minutes or so to make sure the fire does not get too hot or burn out. You will want to maintain this temperature for a good 7-9 hours at least.
As a fuel, normally I use Kingsford. Its relatively inexpensive and seems to hold heat very well. In this case however, I decided to mix in some mesquite wood. Make sure you soak them properly ahead of time so that they smoke rather than burn. In another post I'll talk a little more about different fuels and their qualities.
As you can see above, this is what the meat looks like after several hours of cooking/grilling/smoking. Once you feel the temperature dropping you will of course have to replenish your coals. I was able to cook my shoulder for 8 hours on only 2 chimneys of coals.
Once the shoulder is done, cover the meat with aluminum foil and some dish towels and let it sit for 15-30 minutes. It will be difficult to wait that long but this will let the juices settle and you will be happier with the results. After patiently waiting 15-30 minutes, uncover the pork and begin to pull it apart. If you've done it right, the meat should just pull apart. Mine came out fairly good but I did end up having to use a knife to fully debone the meat. Once you have pulled off all the meat, you will need to season it again. What I did was make a mixture of my favorite BBQ sauce with some vinegar and then toss it all together.
As you can see above, I plated my pulled pork sandwich with plenty of cole slaw, baked beans and some homemade pickled jalepenos and carrots. One suggestion I would make is buy a decent roll for your sandwich. One problem I often have with traditional North Caroline pulled pork sandwiches is that they are typically served on inferior bread.
Cooking/grilling/smoking a pork shoulder takes a bit of time and effort but as you can see above it is all worth it. Inevitably you will also have some terriffic left-overs for a days as well. Enjoy!

Grilled Pizza - Reader Submitted

I have to admit that I really dig it when my readers submit BBQ/grill creations of their. Over the past year or so I've gotten a bunch that have been excellent. This one is no exception. One of my readers from Connecticut just sent this in to me recently. Its a pizza cooked on his gas grill. I was going to paraphrase what he wrote about his masterpiece but then I thought I'd better just let his words speak for himself...
"Buy the dough from Trader Joe's. Or alternately make it from scratch if you have 15 minutes to kill - it is an easy bread to make. Best Sauce is Pastene Pizza Sauce (can with a yellow label). If you use other tomato sauce, you need to add salt and sugar.
If you have people over, or a 4 year old that is interested in watching, you have to throw the dough to shape it. Otherwise you look like a fraud. Do some behind the back, or other move as a crowd pleaser, but try to limit the number of times you drop it on the floor, because dirt will stick to it. For final shaping roll it out to the shape of the stone. You need to put corn meal between the stone and the dough you're rolling or it will stick.

I put sausage on the pizza. Take it out of the casing and cook it in a frying pan before topping. Red Peppers and sliced tomatos good too. Red peppers roast on top - nice bonus. Of course top with Mozz & Parmesan Cheese. Cook covered until the cheese layer starts 'breathing'. Check underneath to make sure you're not burning the crust. Rotate it once during cooking to avoid hot spots."

Simple Appetizer

Since, Man cannot live on entrees alone, I'll toss this appetizer idea out there. Those of you who are regulars to the blog know that I am big maker/eater of humus. I usually try to whip up a batch of humus every couple of weeks or so. To view my various takes on humus click here. Humus with crackers or pita bread makes a fantastic appetizer in its own right. However, the other night I wanted to go the extra mile and put together a little somethin' special. I went to my local Shop Rite and picked up some fancy olives from their olive bar. If your super market does not have an olive bar then move. Normally for this type of plating, I would go out and purchase some high end salami, however, this time I had an extra rib left over which I just shredded up into bite sized pieces. Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the whole thing and your in business.
Some other ideas would be to add some grilled red peppers or a block cheese.

Shashi's Indian Cooking Class In Udaipur

Cooking class? COOKING CLASS? I know what you're thinking, "What can the BBQB possibly learn from a cooking class?". Well, to be honest, I learned a lot actually!

During my travels through Rajastan, India, one of the places I visited was the beautiful lakeside city Udaipur. It was actually made famous in the James Bond movie Octopussy. I hadn't actually planned on taking a cooking course but while having a delicious lunch I noticed a little sign advertising a cooking class.

The class is offered by a widow names Shashi. Shasti became a widow 7 years ago and after running out of money a friend suggested she open a cooking class. Since then, she has taught dozens of tourists, like me, the basics of Indian cuisine. It was a four hour class that covered everything from making chai (Indian spiced tea), to chutneys, curries and breads. It took dozens of pictures during my class and they came out so good that I thought I would share them with my audience.

The dish above is called pakora. It is basically deep fried vegetables in a chick pea batter. Its easy to get filled up on these guys so be careful. The sauces are a cilantro sauce and a mango sauce.

Here is a shot of the entire spread. This was a fantastic experience and though it might be a long shot that you are in Udaipur anytime soon, I highly recommend looking Shashi up!

To contact Shashi click on this link

Chef JP's Garlic-Is-As-Good-As-Ten-Mothers Salmon

Chef JP sent me this recipe a few months ago and I finally got around to trying it out. His recipe is as follows. First start out by roasting some fresh garlic in your oven.

1. Roast 20 cloves of fresh garlic as follows: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place the cloves of garlic in an oven-proof skillet.
2. Drizzle ¼ cup of olive oil over the garlic cloves. Using your hands, toss the garlic & the oil together well.
3. Cover the skillet with aluminum foil & wrap tightly. Place the garlic in the oven & roast it 25 minutes. The garlic should be gol den brown & carmelized.

Next, prepare a garlic butter in a food processor using the following ingredients:

1. ½ cup unsalted Butter, softened.
2. 20 cloves roasted garlic.
3. 4 large Thai Peppers, stems removed & diced (I substituted jalepenos)

Process ingredients in the food processor for 45 seconds—then place the garlic butter in a container, cover the butter with plastic wrap & let it stand at room temperature.

Finally, prepare a dry rub for the salmon with the following ingredients:

1. ½ tsp Ground White Pepper
2. ½ tsp Lemon Pepper
3. ¼ tsp Kosher Salt
4. ¼ tsp Tarragon
5. ¼ tsp crushed Rosemary
6. 1 small Bay Leaf, crumbled up

Mix up the dry rub in a food processor or coffee grinder and coat each side of the salmon.

As usual, I used a grill basket to grill the fish. However, you must first apply the garlic butter to side you are going to cook first. Initially, I wasn't sure if the butter would just cook off. However, that is not the case. The butter/chili mixture sort of pleasantly fuses to the fish. After about 4-5 minutes, I applied the rest of the garlic butter to the top side and then flipped the fish over, giving it a final 4-5 minutes over the direct coals.

The final meal, pictured above, was served with a brown rice salad with a vinagrette dressing. My thanks go out to Chef JP. This meal was spot on. Hopefully, I did his recipe justice.

Chef JP does append a warning to this dish that it is not a great blind date meal. To see more recipes by Chef JP check out his blog The Chef From Hell