Presenting- The Battle of the Burger- Asheville, NC 8/10/14
How is this for a great ticket? $35
gets you a judges badge and a blue cup. You are now able to
sample
all 10 restaurants burgers and enjoy free beer for 3 hours and don't
forget to vote! Not into all you can eat and drink? Then buy some burger bucks and just sample a few burgers and a beer or two.
Strategically located between the beer tent and potties!
Congratulations to Kelly Denson of Lush LifeProductions for putting together the first annual Battle of the
Burger- Asheville, part of the Asheville Food Fight series. The winner even got a Golden Ticket to participate in the
World Food Championships in Las Vegas in November.
We enjoyed being a sponsor and a judge.
Congrats to Rankin Vault Lounge on their big win. I hope we see you
in LasVegas! We now has a list of great spots to hit on our next
visit to Asheville!
Oh and the people watching was exceptional!
We'll post burger pics soon- the creations were fabulous. I was too busy judging and eating to take pictures.
Keep the grill hot
after the cook-out and grill desserts to top off their 4th
of July holiday celebrations.
You will be the neighborhood hero when
you grill s'mores for the gang after dinner. Be prepared to make a
plate or start an assembly line with eager volunteers! Or try the
fruity Red, White and Blue Dessert Quesadilla. Both recipes are easy
to make and easy to grill.
Grate Grilled S'mores
Ingredients:
Graham Crackers
Marshmallows
Hershey's Chocolate Squares
Ingredients To make one S’more:
1 Graham Cracker in 2 halves
½ Hershey's Chocolate Bar
1 Marshmallow
Grilling Instructions:
Spear marshmallow (1-2 at a time)
on GrateTool or large grill fork
Hold the marshmallow just over the
grillgrates and it will soon start to soften and melt
Lower the marshmallows onto the
raised rails briefly- turn and repeat
Place ½ graham cracker with
chocolate on top onto the grillgrates
As soon as the chocolate shows
signs of melting place marshmallow on top
Place top ½ of graham cracker
over marshmallow and pull off the fork or gratetool to complete the
grilled s'more.
It is a fast grill, less than 1 min for
each marshmallow and 30 seconds for the graham cracker and chocolate
to be ready for handing off (Tip: have lots of napkins on hand for
gooey chocolate) or plating. If possible, let the s'more sit for 2-3
minutes after grilling for the chocolate to firm up a bit.
Red, White and Blue Dessert
Quesadilla on the Grill
Blueberries, raspberries, and white chocolate chips are the ideal
ingredients for a great dessert
quesadilla. Pre-make ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator. Keep entertaining family and
guests with this nutritious fruity dessert.
Ingredients:
Four Flour Tortillas
Cup of white chocolate morsels
Cup of fresh raspberries
Cup of fresh blueberries
Ricotta cheese
Confectioners’ sugar
Vanilla
MAKES 2 Dessert Quesadillas: Making the filling:
8 ounce container whole ricotta cheese
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tsp vanilla
Mix ingredients together in a food processor -- this makes
the filling for two quesadillas.
Making the Quesadilla:
Spread 1/3 of the filling on one tortilla (this is the
bottom)
Sprinkle semi-sweet morsels
Place 2nd tortilla on top
Spread light film of filling
Decorate top with raspberries and blueberries
Add a few more white chocolate morsels
Grilling the dessert quesadilla:
The grill should be at medium heat, about 400F. Use a
grilling spray or wipe the raised rails with oil
Slide the Quesadilla off the cutting board onto the
GrillGrates- close lid
Check in 3-4 minutes by slightly lifting an edge to see the
sear marks
Quarter turn the quesadilla if dark searing or wait and
quarter turn in 1-2 minutes. Close lid
Use The GrateTool to check for firmness of quesadilla,it
should be crispy and firm
Determine whether to give it a couple of more minutes or off
it comes onto the cutting board
Father's Day at the grill is especially
poignant for me as my Dad was a big griller and I have carried on the
flame, but not his syringe for putting out flare-ups! (Dad was in the
syringe business) Grilling with my Father are some of my fondest memories.
His signature dish was marinated london
broil which became my signature dish as a young man. Every Father's
Day we break out Dad's recipe of marinading a large london broil over
night in Catalina French Dressing and pepper corns. That
sweet tangy dressing really permeates the meat and makes for a great
bark.
I'll hoist my scotch to you Dad when
I've got that London Broil searing!
Links to 3 Grate Father's Day Recipes
that have become staples in our house:
Ultimate Breakfast Pizza-
Pre-cook the ingredients the night
before so in the morning its just
assemble grill and eat.
Burgers Brats & Beer- Be ready
for the crowd by keeping extra packages of brats and burgers around
if Dad's buddies show up
My Father's London Broil- A
family tradition in our house started by my Father more than 50
years ago.
GrillGrate is excited to announce that all five money winners at the 25th Annual World Championship Steak Cook-Off May 16-17th grilled on GrillGrates. The 25th annual competition saw 81 teams vying for the $4,000 grand prize, with prize money paid through 5th place.
Smokehouse Rats of Boyd, Texas won this year’s contest, a $4000 check, and the Governor's Trophy.
“This is the fourth year in a row the winner has grilled on GrillGrates and the first time all five money winners used GrillGrates”. Even more exciting is the enthusiasm of the backyard griller
who consistently share pictures and comments about grilling their best
steak. GrillGrates have become synonymous with perfectly grilled
steaks.
GrillGrate was proud to be a sponsor at this year's event. We prepared breakfast pizzas for the teams on the Grand Prize Yoder Smoker that was given away to the winner of the Champions of Champions contest.
Steak
grilling competitions have become a significant competitive sport with
competitions paying sizable sums for that perfect steak. The SCA-The Steak Cook-Off Association was recently formed to help coordinate and standardize steak cook off events and judging. “Steak competitions are the next big thing in the world of grilling”.
Jazzie B and Shannon W were the Grand Prize winners!
The end of May also marked the end of our promotion with Meyer Natural Angus. We asked our fans and customers to submit their best pictures of grilled steaks into one of two categories- #GRATESTEAK for pics of gorgeous sear marks and #PERFECTCUT for pics of perfectly cooked steak interiors. Two winners were chosen along with two runners up. The grand prizes were $129 gift packs of steaks from Meyer and the runners up each received $75 in product from GrillGrate.
With the World Championship Steak Cookoff® right
around the corner, GrillGrate today released steak grilling tips
from several World Championship Steak winners and grilling experts. The
patented GrillGrate has become synonymous with the perfect steak as the
past three world champions all grilled on GrillGrates.
Every
griller worth his salt and pepper is on a life-long quest to grill the
perfect steak. To some it has even become a competitive sport, with
steak competitions popping up all over the US and Canada offering big
prize money to winners. Imagine winning $4,000 for the best steak –
that’s the payout from the upcoming World Championship Steak Cookoff®held every year in Magnolia, Arkansas on the third Saturday in May.
With the 25th Anniversary
World Championship Steak Cookoff right around the corner, GrillGrate
LLC is excited to release steak grilling tips in conjunction with
grilling experts and past championship grillers.
The experts and champions offer tips and advice for anyone who wants to grill like the pros:
1. John Enright,Corporate Ranch Chef for Meyer Natural Angus.
“If you would like to set yourself apart from the rest of the field
start with the best beef available. Better beef comes from animals that
are naturally and humanely raised, with no steroids or antibiotics, on a
wholesome diet. That adds up to tastier, higher quality beef. Consumers
are asking for natural beef. It’s not a trend anymore it is a way of
life. Ask for Meyer Natural Angus and start to set your meals apart from
the norm.”
2. Brett Gallaway, USA Cookteam 2011 World Champion: “You
have to know your grill and meat temperatures. Grilling steaks happens
hot and fast and requires precise timing. An instant read thermometer is
a must. Grill steak to a target internal temperature and not by the
clock. I use a laser thermometer to measure the cooking grate
temperature too. I want the GrillGrate to be at least 600F.” 3. Johnny Joseph, Milam Cook Team 2008 World Champion: “I
wet my steaks with a special marinade first, then I put my rub on so it
dissolves the rub and doesn't wash it off. The steaks go wet on the
grill for a hot and fast grilling.”
4. Ernest Servantes, 2012 Food Network Chopped Grill Masters Champion: “You've
got to have those killer diamond sear marks. Diamonds are a grills best
friend. People eat with their eyes first and a perfectly seared steak
sets off the senses. I lift and twist the steak before turning to get
perfect diamond sear marks. Beautiful presentation sets the stage for
that first cut.”
5. Monte Brown, Trash Can Cookers 2013 World Champion: “I
grill using a process called the reverse sear. First I cook the steak
at 225F to slowly bring the internal temperature up, then I remove the
steak and get the grill very hot for the final sear. Just a couple of
minutes a side to sear and darken the outside. The steak will be medium
to medium rare.”
Although
these professionals and champions all use their own methods, one thing
is certain: a perfectly grilled steak starts with GrillGrates.
The World Championship Steak Cook-off® is the centerpiece of the Magnolia Blossom Festival held the third weekend in May in Magnolia, Arkansas. 2014 marks the 25th anniversary
of the steak cook-off. All previous winners have been invited back to
compete in a Champion of Champions contest that will run concurrently
with the 2014 contest.
Old
man winter finally released his grasp and warmer weather has returned
across the country. Even our friends way up north are finally thawing
out and embracing the change of seasons. April found us doing our
spring cleaning and getting our grills ready for action and now that
May is upon us we are locked, loaded and ready to grill!
Cinco
de Mayo is the first holiday of grilling season. Many folks will be
celebrating the occasion with a cook out. Contrary to popular belief
Cinco de Mayo is not independence day for Mexico but rather a
celebration of Mexican heritage and pride. Good enough reason to fire
up the grill and crack open an icy cold Corona! Along with this day
comes a lot of tasty Mexican food and there is no reason you should
not join in on the fun at your grill.
We
have found one of the easiest and most versatile things you can grill
is a little gift from our friends south of the border- the flour
tortilla! Traditionally tortillas are toasted on a super hot “camal”
or a cast iron skillet before serving. Toasting the tortilla brings
out an authentic nutty flavor and crispiness that will make your
taste buds sing. Put two of these tortillas together with some killer
fillings and you have a recipe for something truly Grate, the
quesadilla. Naturally the quesadillas translate perfectly to the
grill and we find ourselves cooking them all year round. GrillGrates
allow you to toast the tortillas in a much more controlled fashion
than a traditional grill surface. The end result is a crispy golden
brown exterior with stunning grill marks.
Tortillas
are the perfect platform for any number of ingredients and go well
with just about everything. Quesadillas can be made well in advance
and thrown on the grill as needed. But don't stop there, why not
gather a bunch of tasty toppings? Salsa, guacamole, sour cream and
fresh veggies all lend themselves nicely to quesadillas. We like to
set up a toppings bar of sorts and let our guests customize to suit
their individual tastes. A toppings bar is perfect for parties plus
it's fun, kind of like a quesadilla “social” if you will.
Our
go-to recipe for grilled quesadillas includes quite simply
mashed/seasoned black beans, salsa and cheddar cheese. The prep work is
minimal, just buy canned black beans, your favorite salsa and shredded cheddar cheese. You
can feed an army of folks for next to nothing using these humble
ingredients and of course your GrillGrates. This year try adding
quesadillas to your cook out menu and your guests will all be saying
“Viva Mexico!”
Thank you to the 100 people who took
our survey last month. It was great to hear the various things
people have done to clean their GrillGrates.
Statistics:
35% of People Owned their
GrillGrates 3+ Years!
Deep Cleaning:
Never 17%
1-2 times a year 36%
3-4 times a year 17%
4 times or more 32%
75% Use GrateTool to Clear
Valleys and Sides
72% Have Never Soaked GrillGrates
22% Flip GrillGrates Over and Burn
Off
Other interesting
methods and our comments:
Power washing & steam
cleaners- I took my buddy Tom's GrillGrates to the car wash
once! It works. One customer “bungy corded” GrillGrates to a
tree and power-washed them after rending a dozen pork butts on them.
Believe me I asked for a picture next time! Maybe he should leave
them out over night for the animals to feast on pig love?
Oven Cleaning Cycle-
Several reported using the self clean setting on their ovens with
great success. Just a little ash left. I need to try it and see no
reason not to. I suspect a re-oiling the first use might be needed.
Pry Bars, Butter Knives and
Ash Tools along with the GrateTool to clean the valleys of
debris.
Turn to high and wait until
they catch fire! Then turn off the gas and let them burn off.
We don't suggest this method but have experienced a few fires in the
valleys, especially from juicy rib-eyes.
Aluminum foil sheet over
GrillGrates at high temps for a few minutes. Again a risky move
if left on for 30 min or more 1000F temps will be reached and
WARPING is eminent!
Dry Grass Trimmings to remove
grease and clean them? How
green!
Nothing beats the GrateTool in the valleys
Our BRUSH TRIAL was a failure and we
learned that a valley brush gunks up so fast and bends too easily.
However the survey did lead us to a simple ash tool. Stay Tuned!
Here is a simple formula.
