Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Stuffed Grilled Pork Chops

Stuff grilled pork chops are an easy meal to prepare and will always leave your guests pleased. The prep to eat time is around 20 - 30 minutes. This recipe can be used as main meal by itself or use it to add variety to your day.

Here is what you need:

· 4 extra-thick pork chops, at least 1 to 1 1/4 inches thick.
· 3/4 cup of breadcrumbs
· large pinch of dry rosemary (crumbled fine)
· large pinch dry marjoram, crumbled fine 1 Tbsp. melted butter
· 1/2 cup minced sweet onion
· 1 minced small clove garlic
· 1/2 tsp. salt


Here is what to do with it:

Cut the chops from edge of the eye to the bone to make the pockets for the filler.

Mix together the bread-crumbs, butter, rosemary, garlic, salt, marjoram, and garlic.

Fill the chops with mixture and if needed, use tooth picks (plain wood, not colored) to help hold the chops closed while cooking.

Cook the chops over a medium high grill for about 10 minutes per side. You may need to turn often to ensure even cooking. Once the meat has browned slightly and the fat has crisp edges they should be done.

Char-Griller 1224 Smokn Pro Charcoal Grill Review


The Smokin' Pro 1224 Charcoal Smoker Grill has enough cooking area for two whole turkeys and room to spare. If you combine its size with it's versatility this could be about the best buy of any grill on the market today.


This grill will allow you grill food for just about any size crowd or it could be a smoker as well. The heaver duty smoker box is 17 inches wide and 14 inches deep. A smoker box this size will have no problem cooking any size meal. This grill is made from 14 gauge powder coated steel which means it will be around a while without much worry. The Smokin' Pro 1224 Charcoal Grill/ Smoker comes with cast iron grates that will provide even cooking temperatures on it's enormous 830-square inch grilling surface that measures 27 inches wide and 19 3/4 inches deep. The charcoal rack is adjustable to provide precise control over cooking temperatures. The charcoal rack is also easily removable to make clean-up a breeze.


The 1224 grill/ smoker from Char-Griller is like a late night infomercial - Wait! There's more... If you plan on buying a great quality charcoal grill that can feed a small army for a reasonable price (under $200) then this might be your best bet.


Friday, May 11, 2007

Landmann 520262 Barrel-Style BBQ Grill Review



Normally I only like to do reviews on grills I feel good about. However, I will now be commenting on the good, the bad, and the ugly. So to start off this new trend we have the review of that Landmann 520262 Barrel-Style BBQ Grill. This grill is some piece of work. Not sure what the manufacturer intent was. Maybe to make a more affordable barrel style grill. It didn't work! Well I guess it is affordable in some sense of the word.

The real truth is that this grill is not well made at all. The grill that I had a look at was a victim of some poor craftsmanship. There were welds missing in places and the lid did not fit snug with the bottom. The sheet metal is very thin and and the grill as a whole was not very sturdy. There is a drawer for removing ashes and adding charcoal to the grill but it is flimsy and not very easy to use. The grill grates are chrome plated and that is biggest no-no when it comes to grills. Cast iron is always the way to go!

The reason that the parts didn't fit well is a result of the horrible packaging it was shipped in. I think some of the pieces might have actually been bent. The good feature at all is the large cooking area for a cheap price.

My overall assessment for this grill is leave it at the store. In my opinion, you will be disappointed in all the money you saved on this grill.

Specs and features:

  • 339 sq. inches of cooking area, grates are chrome-plated to resist warping; heat-resistant powder-coat finish
  • Access drawer allows users to add charcoal and dump ashes ; storage and warming racks included
  • Adjustable vents and wheels for ease of movement; you must assemble.
  • 1 yr. limited warranty.

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

Weber 751001 22 1/2-Inch One-Touch Gold Charcoal Grill Review


Pros:
The weber 22 1/2" cooking surface is plenty of space for the average cooker. It offers plenty of room to cook with the direct and indirect method. Details for cooking with both are in the manual. The ceramic cauldron used by weber creates a very even heat source. The attached ash catcher makes clean up a breeze. There are two vents, one located on the bottom and the other on top. This allows you to use this grill as a smoker as well. The webber On-Touch Gold charcoal grill is well made and should last many seasons with proper care.

Cons:
Not too much to gripe about here. However, I do prefer a cast iron cooking surface, which this grill lacks. Also this grill uses a high-heat paint which is not as durable as a powder coat finish. There is a latch for hanging the lid on the side, I wish this were higher. There is no heat gauge or place to hold tools.

Overall:
Solid construction and easy to use. Not too much to complain about. A solid buy for backyard barbecues.

Some Features:

Heavy-gauge porcelain enamel prevents rust
One-Touch stainless steel cleaning system
Removable high capacity ash catcher
Hinged cooking grate for easy re-fueling
10 year limited warranty


Detailed Specifications:

cooking surface: 22-1/2 in. diameter
Ash catcher: Included, Large capacity
Cleaning: One-Touch stainless steel system
Handles: 3
Shelf space: None
Barbecue grates: Hinged triple-nickel-plated grate
Storage: None
Transport: Two high-impact plastic wheels
Top: Porcelain coated steel
Heat/Cooking Chamber: Porcelain coated steel
Attachments: Holders for the charcoal rails
Additional information: -
Vent: Yes (2)
Height: 35 in.
Length: 27 in.
Diameter: 20-1/2 in.
Weight: 36 lbs.
Product: 10-year limited

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Make Your Grates Last Forever - Season Them!

If you have recently purchases a high quality grill and haven’t seasoned your grates yet, do so as soon as possible. If you fail to do this simple task they will rust badly and you will find your food sticking to them like super glue. This will also prevent your grates from rusting. This is a very common mistake but a task that must not be put on the back burner…excuse the pun.

Well seasoned cast iron grill grates will add tons of flavor to your food and this will improve with age. Food will never stick to properly seasoned grates. Most importantly they will never rust, which is important for health reasons. Who wants rusty food?

Seasoning your grates is pretty easy. All you need is some vegetable oil or bacon grease. You will need enough to apply a thick coating to your grates. I used a basting brush for this. Once you have applied a thick coat to your grates you must bake them for 3 hours at 300 degrees.

Then remove the grates and re-coat them. Place back into the over for another 2 hours at 200 degrees. Remove the grates and allow them to cool and use on your grill as normal.

You can heat your grates in either the grill or the oven. If you use the oven and vegetable oil be sure to open a window or two and/or the ventilation fan. The vegetable oil will cause some unpleasant fumes, nothing harmful though.

This seasoned non-stick finish will last for a few seasons. They will absorb flavor and give you food a true grilled taste with every use. They will hold up well with normal use and occasional use of a grill brush. However, if you use the scrapper often on the grill grates then you may have to re-season as needed to avoid rust.





Monday, May 7, 2007

Barbecue Championship Series On The Vs. Channel

Coverage of the beginning rounds starts on May 5, 2007 and the final will air May 13, 2007. All times are EST. The first rounds will consist of three cooks matching up over three distinctly different dishes that will challenge these very skilled barbecue cooks. Things really heat up as the day moves along. The clocks are counting down while the judges' appetites are growing by the second. The cooks have to keep their cool and their sights on the $75,000 and to move into semifinal rounds.

As the series continues on in the semi-finals the cooking tasks become more complex. Only six cooks will compete in the barbecue championship semi-finals. Watch as the judges keep the cooks on their toes because although the competition is the same, 3 dishes and three cookers, the cooks will not now the type of meat they must cook. The winners move on to the final round and a shot at the $75,000 prize.

This is it, all the marbles. The top two barbecue chefs left will have to battle it out. They have made it through the other rounds and have completed the mission of moving onto the final round. They must cook some of the most challenging meals ever seen in any cooking competition. The winner will walk home with largest purse in competitive barbecue cooking history. Not only is this about the money, but it's about the owning the title as the first Barbecue Championship Series- Grand Champion!

Below are the TV listings for coverage of the Barbecue Championship Series.
All time are EST.

5/5/2007
5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Round One: Bryon Chism vs Adam Perry Lang & James Britt

5/6/2007
2:00 am - 3:00 am
Round One: Bryon Chism vs Adam Perry Lang & James Britt

5/6/2007
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Round One: Johnny Trigg vs Mike Wozniak & Mike Zofchak

5/6/2007
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Round One: Bart Clarke vs Ernie Mellor & Emma Feigenbaum

5/6/2007
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Round One: Myron Mixon vs Jack McDavid & Sara Horowitz

5/6/2007
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Semifinal #1

5/7/2007
2:00 am - 3:00 am
Round One: Johnny Trigg vs Mike Wozniak & Mike Zofchak

5/11/2007
2:00 am - 3:00 am
Round One: Bart Clarke vs Ernie Mellor & Emma Feigenbaum

5/12/2007
2:00 am - 3:00 am
Round One: Myron Mixon vs Jack McDavid & Sara Horowitz

5/13/2007
2:00 am - 3:00 am
Semifinal #1
5/13/2007
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Semifinal #2

5/13/2007
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
The Final

5/14/2007
2:00 am - 3:00 am
Semifinal #2

5/20/2007
2:00 am - 3:00 am
The Final

Friday, May 4, 2007

Spicy Barbecue Skewers


Barbecue skewers or sometimes called kabobs are a great staple of the American barbecue menu. These delicious delights are often left off the menu but they can offer great variety to any backyard barbecue.

Here is a great little barbecue skewer recipe that puts new flavor on an old favorite.

Here is what you need:
2 tbsp teriyaki sauce
1 tbsp red wine vinegar (cooking wine)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp brown sugar 1/2 tsp red pepper shake (pizza pepper)
3/4 lbs. pork tenderloin, cut into 1 inch cubes.

Here is what you do with it:

First: Mix the teriyaki sauce,vegetable oil,sugar, red wine vinegar, and pepper flakes into a medium mixing bowl. Put the pork pieces in the mixture and toss to coat.

Second: Fire up you barbecue charcoal grill for high heat. Use a light coat of vegetable oil on the grates to make them non-stick.


Lastly: Put the skewers on the grill. Turn and baste with teriyaki sauce frequently. Cook for about 10 to 12 minutes or to your linking and enjoy!

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Grilled Black Pepper Steak with Garlic

Here is a personal favorite steak recipe for the charcoal grill. This steak recipe has a very unique taste and tastes best if you use mesquite chips in your coals.

Here is what you will need:

4 lbs. Thick-cut rib eye steak or about 4 steaks.
2 2/3 Italian dressing. The thicker the better.
8 tbsp. butter
4 cloves of garlic minced
2 tbsp. of pure ground black pepper.

Here is what you do with it:

Let your steak or steaks marinate for at least ½ hour in the Italian dressing. Now melt the butter and add garlic into a small pan being sure to heat the mixture slowly until the garlic turns golden brown. At this time place the steaks onto your charcoal grill and sprinkle them with half of your pepper (about 1 tbsp.) When it’s time to flip the steaks over add the rest of the pepper. Then with a spoon add the butter and garlic to the steak or steaks still on the charcoal grill.

Once the steaks are cooked to your liking just serve and enjoy!

Remote-check ET-7 Wireless Thermometer

Here is really neat gift idea for anyone that loves cooking outdoors and smoking their food. It is a wireless remote cooking thermometer. This little tool makes it easy to be inside watching the game and keeping an eye on your food. This is the ONLY wireless meat thermometer that can monitor two types of food at the same time for different cook levels. Because everyone one knows that sometimes it’s easy to over or under cook meat while smoking. Best part is that it can monitor 2 different food on your smoker at the same time.


This is how it get’s the job done: first you chose you type of meat; beef, veal, lamb, pork, chicken or turkey and then program the tool accordingly. By the way the batteries are included. Then have a choice of rare, medium-rare, medium, or well-done. Once you have made your selections the monitor will display the correct temperature and this can be adjusted as well to your liking. No just place the probe in your meat then run your wire from your smoker grill and close the top.


Meanwhile you can hook the pager to your belt and take it back inside with you. Next plug the cord into the monitor and use the built in stand to set it up right. Place the clock on the present time. (Remember, two probes can be used at the same time for different foods.) The display monitor will show the current temperature during the entire smoking process. (The timer can be used independently of thermometer.) When you meat reaches the temperature you selected an alarm sounds.


This unit comes with two probes and they can be plugged into the pager or display meaning you can track your cooking on the brisket outside and the turkey you have in the oven. This is a very versatile tool for ensuring the best quality smoked food. Boy is it handy too. Now I don’t have to miss much of the race or football game while I smoke my meat.