It's hard to believe we are entering
our 8th season with GrillGrate. Eight years and a lot of
customers later my enthusiasm and excitement for this business
continues to grow. What a blessing to be working in such a
terrific industry.
Rewind to 10 years ago:
I owned one grill, a Weber Kettle
( I did most of GrillGrate testing and development on the
Kettle)
I did not use (or know about) a
charcoal chimney. I loved lighter fluid!
I never used an internal
thermometer. I even cut into steaks to check doneness!
I enjoyed grilling but it was
stressful and I put plenty of over cooked and undercooked food on
the table.
I never did ribs on a grill, only
the oven.
I never grilled a pizza, veggies
went in foil, fish too. I pretty much grilled the same things over
and over. Steaks, hamburgers, chicken and chops.
10 Years later:
I use 4 grills regularly all with GrillGrates including that old Weber Kettle.
Sometimes I use 2 or even 3 grills for one cook.
I always use an internal
thermometer and own a good number of BBQ accessories.
I've learned the difference
between BBQ and grilling, and love low and slow as much as hot and
fast!
I no longer get stressed grilling
and have greatly expanded what we grill. My wife thinks I'd grill
her if she stood still long enough!
Many of our customers own several
grills and have followed a similar path to grilling prowess. The
grill industry is hot and healthy, and I am proud to be a part of it
with GrillGrate. Grateful is an understatement. GrillGrate, Eat
Well!
For years, I felt pressure during
the holidays when I was charged with grilling large (and expensive) cuts of meat. How long would it
take? How will I avoid under cooking or over cooking it? What if the
meat is finished early? Or worse if I keep everyone waiting for the
meat to be done? Now as the holidays approach I am confident and
look forward to grilling those fine roasts. The secret is the sum of
two parts: the right technology and the right technique.
The first key to proper holiday
grilling is a good digital instant read thermometer. Quality meat
thermometers instantly display the internal meat temperature. Using
them to measure temperature progress helps reach the target
temperature without under cooking or over cooking. The peace of mind is
worth the investment. Digital instant read thermometers generally range from $20 to $85.
The second step for holiday grilling
is in the technique of the reverse sear.
The reverse sear allows
you to control the timing of the cook, and includes a rest period
that can last a few minutes or a few hours, depending on your timing
needs. The reverse sear (also known as Sear in the Rear) consists of
three parts:
Long, slow roast of the meat:
The target internal temperature of the meat is 10-15 degrees
under the finished temperature.
Off grill rest period: Once
the meat reaches its target, it can sit off the grill for up to 2
hours. The meat will not rise in temperature more than 5 degrees,
and the you can relax and prepare other side dishes as the meat
rests.
Hot sear to finish: When
you are ready, sear the meat at a very high temperature before
serving. Searing the meat at the end of the cook browns and
caramelizes the exterior of the roast while finishing to a perfect
internal temperature.
Tips for preparation of the meat:
Olive oil and rubs are superior to elaborate marinades and pastes, as
the host will be handling the roast more and heavier crusts won’t
stand up. Some cuts, like lamb, are best tied with butcher’s twine.
The more rounded and uniform the cut, the more consistent the cook.
Tips for grill setup: Two-zone
grilling is another great technique for holiday grilling. If you have
two grills this is a good time to use them both – one for low
roasting and the other for the hot sear. The hot grill can grill
sides during the slow roast, and then get turned up for the hot sear.
Gas grills and charcoals grills can also indirectly cook meat at low
temperatures, and then the heat can be applied when it’s time to
finish.
Roasting grill temps: 225° - 250°
F
Sear Grill temps: 550°-700° F
Smaller cuts require approximately
30-45 minutes, while larger roasts can take 1 – 1.5 hours – but
the most important aspect is the internal temperature, not the time
of the cook.
Three Holiday Grilling Recipes Using The
Reverse Sear Technique– prime rib, boneless leg of lamb, and rack
of lamb.
Slow Roasted then Seared Prime Rib.Not many other large cuts of meat can rival the grandeur of a beautifully cooked Prime Rib in the center of your table.
Reverse Seared Rack of Lamb. Rack of lamb when cooked properly is one of the most succulent and flavorful things you will ever eat!
Slow Roast
Rest
Sear
Slice
Reverse Seared Boneless Leg of Lamb. In this recipe we remove the lamb from the netting, lay it out flat and divide it into two equally shaped and sized portions. The lamb is then seasoned and formed into two roasts.
I am grateful for the opportunities
I've had and being able to follow my dreams.
I am grateful for all the people who
have helped me in life and business.
I am grateful to be an American and
live in this wonderful country.
This morning in our office meeting, I
expressed how grateful I am for our team and the work we are blessed
to create and be a part of. I asked them to take 30 minutes and
phone 3-4 people. No emails, no texting. Call them, thank them for
their friendship and support. Tell them you appreciate them.
Especially with the turmoil in the
world and in our own backyard, it's more important than ever to stop
and give thanks.
Turkey is not an easy bird to cook
perfectly. Naturally I wander over to amazingribs.com
where the turkey section compounds in size every year. More science,
more techniques, checklists and even Meathead's concern about winning
the war on Thanksgiving. When Black Friday encroaches on the
traditional Thanksgiving meal and people are in stores or working in
stores we are losing an important part of our American heritage.
Meathead opines that Thanksgiving is the most important American holiday and he's right.
Gather the family, cook a turkey,
cook all day, be together, and most important of all be grateful.
I'm not exactly sure what recipe we'll
be doing with our Turkey, that is the boss's job... I just know it
will be grilled or maybe smoked. Here's a handy chart to help you
grill your best turkey whether you are smoking, roasting or grilling.
Remember, you can't grill a great turkey without a quality meat thermometer.
3 Recipe Ideas for Roasted, Smoked or
Grilled Turkey:
One more resource I found very
informative was Chris Mark's of The Good One Smoker. Chris
recently posted The
Science of Cooking Turkeywith an emphasis on smoking. I am
lobbying to smoke our turkey this year after reading Chris's article.
Please share your comments and ideas
and enjoy being part of a 400 year old American tradition to
give thanks!
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.
I use 4 grills regularly all with GrillGrates including that old Weber Kettle. Sometimes I use 2 or even 3 grills for one cook.
