Bar BQ Grills

Trevor heading away.

Really falling behind with my blogging these days. I'll catch up eventually.

Made a last minute decision to cook Grill-n-Daze, a one day grilling event in Southwick, Massachusetts on July 17th. I originally was just going to go up and vend, but when the organizer told me that I wouldn't have to pay the vending fee if I competed, I decided why not just enter the contest as well.

I originally thought the contest was on Saturday. However, a few days before I was informed that the event was actually Sunday. This would not have been a problem if I did not have to work that Sunday, and would never be able to get it off on such short notice. It just meant that I had to cook all day and write all night. Needless to say it was an extremely long night.

Mostly this event is cooked by locals. I arrived Saturday afternoon, just me and Max. At first I was a little confused about the contest location, because there was not a sole there. But I was in the right place. Bob of Smokey O's came down and we went to lunch at one of the local spots, it was a nice afternoon.

I had heard there were huge crowds at this event in years past, but it was extremely hot and that kept some of the people away. But we sold all of our ribs and had a good time there.

The contest had me a little worried. It was one of those deals for an established team that many consider a no win situation. If we do well, people would say that we are just beating up on the backyard teams. If we don't do well, people would say "haha, you lost to a bunch of backyarders." But I decided that I really don't care what people say any more, and I'm just going to do what I want to do and have fun doing it. So we entered three of the four categories, chicken, beef and pork.

I viewed this as a tune up for Harpoon, cooking my competition chicken and pork recipes, and beef short ribs for the beef category. I quickly found out that I would not be able to practice presentation, because the turn in boxes we got were literally half the size of the usual ones we get at KCBS contests. I literally crammed six pieces of each category into the box and turned them in with no garnish.

Awards came, and no call for chicken. Here we go...not a good sign. Then came pork, first place. Beef, first place. Really cool trophies, mini-Weber grills. Overall we had a good time, very different than most contests we cook, and we met some great people. That's what its all about.

I'll try to get the Harpoon post up soon. In the meantime, I am heading up to Saratoga Springs, NY Friday to cook the Taste of BBQ Nationals event at the raceway.

2 lb. bacon
2 large onions, sliced
4 large mouth bass fillets
blackening seasoning
roll or bread
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
American cheese

Line bottom of baking pan with bacon. Place layer of onions on top of bacon, then place fillets on top of onions. Lightly sprinkle fillets with blackening seasoning. Bake at 350F for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove fillet from pan and place on roll or bread. Top with salt, pepper and slice of American cheese.


bacon recipe courtesy of: eleminity0277, for MN Fish Finder: Minnesota Fishing Reports, Maps, News & Hotspots

8 eggs (two per omelette)
one onion, finely chopped
one carrot, finely chopped
one spring onion, finely chopped
cooked rice, approx 4 small Chinese bowls full
3 strips of bacon
3 hot dogs, firm German ones are good
corn from 1 cob
salt, pepper, cooking oil, sesame oil, ketchup

Collect together and chop your ingredients. Fry the bacon until brown. Add in the Hot Dogs. Then the onions and carrots. After they have softened a little add the sweetcorn. Now make room in the frying pan to add a little oil and a good squirt of ketchup. Mix that up and fry it all together. Now add the rice, be careful not to squash it when you stir, keep it light and fluffy. When it looks mixed well, you can add the chopped spring onions and give it a last stir before setting this fried rice aside in a bowl. Now make an omelette with two eggs. When the omelette is just about ready spoon a serving of fried rice onto it and slide it out of the pan, just as the omelette is nearly out of the pan flip the edge over to make a nice fold, as you can see in the picture, it’s folded in half. Serve with a little garnish, ketchup or brown sauce


bacon recipe courtesy of: Taiwan Duck, May 29, 2011

makes about 3 cups, serving 2


3 slices of lean bacon
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 cup chicken broth
a 10-ounce package frozen lima beans
1/3 cup thinly sliced scallion green

In a skillet cook the bacon over moderate heat, turning it, until it is crisp, transfer it to paper towels to drain, and crumble it. Transfer 1 tablespoon of the fat to a heavy saucepan and in it cook the onion over moderately low heat, stirring, until it is softened. Add the broth, 1 cup water, and the lima beans, simmer the mixture for 8 minutes, or until the beans are tender, and season it with salt and pepper. In a food processor purée the soup, return it to the pan, and heat it over moderate heat until it is hot. Ladle the soup into 2 bowls and sprinkle the scallion green and the bacon over it.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Gourmet, September 1991

1. The roasting rack will raise the roast several inches off of the grate. But you always want a roast to cook in the center of your oven or grill for even cooking. So I skipped the grate altogether and had the rack sitting directly on the “plate setter” of the Big Green Egg. For a standard grill if you can't adjust the height of the grates, you will need to flip the roast half way through the cooking time.
2. For Big Green Egg Users: If the dripping pan sits directly on the hot plate setter, it can get too hot from conductive heat and evaporate a lot of your broth. That will make it too concentrated and salty. I raise the drip pan off the plate setter with some spacers.

Time	Grill Temperature (f)	Internal Temperature (f)
	250	40
30 min	275	56
1 hour	250	91
1 hour 30 minutes	250	115
2 hours	250	127
2 hours 20ish minutes	260	135

yields four servings


8 slices thick-cut bacon
2 pounds (about 24) extra large sea scallops
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups corn kernels (from 2 ears)
2 cups fresh lima beans, peeled, blanched in boiling salted water for 30 seconds; or thawed frozen lima beans
1 large tomato, cored, cut into small cubes
3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves
8 (8-inch) skewers

Build a multi-level fire in the grill: Leave 1/4 of the bottom free of coals, bank the coals in the remaining 3/4 of the grill so that they are 3 times as high on one side as on the other. When the coals are all ignited and the temperature has lowered to medium (hold hand about 5-inches above grill grid, over the area where coals are deepest, for 4 to 5 seconds), the grill is ready to cook.

In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until it has rendered a good amount of fat, but has not begun color or crinkle up, about 4 minutes (The bacon should be cooked halfway, it should remain pliable). Remove from the heat.

Thread the scallops onto skewers, putting 3 on each skewer, zig-zagging with a piece of bacon around each trio of scallops, securing it at the top and bottom with toothpicks, or secure with a second skewer. Sprinkle the skewers generously with salt and pepper, then place on grill over the side with fewer coals and cook until scallops are opaque all the way through, about 5 to 7 minutes per side.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the corn, lima beans, tomato, sage, and salt and pepper, to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until all the ingredients are nice and hot, about 5 minutes.

To serve, place about 1/4 of the succotash on each plate, top with 2 skewers.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Chris Schlesinger, "All Fired Up," Sara's Secrets, Food Network

• Fast flavor â€" Marinades and brines take time to work and penetrate the meat. Injecting gets instant penetration and gets flavor throughout the meat in 5 minutes.
• Tender texture â€" Some marinades help the heat in breaking down the structure of the meat, making it tender.
• Adds moisture â€" injecting liquid into a piece of meat obviously increases the moisture in the roast

Fat cap down.

Drip pan for collecting the au jus

serves six


500 grams thin spaghetti
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten
salt and pepper, to taste
250 grams bacon rashers, thinly sliced
1 zucchini, thinly sliced
1 carrot, thinly sliced
6 green spring onions, thickly sliced
1/2 cup kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1/4 cup water
120g packet baby spinach leaves

Add spaghetti to a large pot of boiling salted water. Leave pan uncovered, and boil spaghetti for about 12 minutes, or until tender. Drain and set aside. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan. Pour in eggs, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Leave eggs, without stirring, until they start to set, then stir until just cooked. Remove eggs, allow them to cool, then chop coarsely. Using same pan, add bacon and cook over a high heat till it starts to brown. Add zucchini, carrot and spring onions, then stir till just combined. Add pasta and combined sauces and water. Don't stir. Leave for 2 minutes until sauces are reduced. Remove from heat. Stir in spinach and egg.


bacon recipe courtesy of: New Idea Magazine, Australia

Dressing
6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 1/4 cups olive oil
1 medium white onion, sliced paper thin
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups flat leaf parsley, loosely packed and chopped
1 cup mixed herbs, chopped(chives, basil, tarragon)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
freshly ground sea salt, to taste
black pepper
water, enough to make to a good consistency

Salad
fresh parmesan cheese, chunked
1 lb fresh tuna, cut into 6 inch pieces
12 large shrimp, cut lengthwise
12 large sea scallops
1 lb green beans, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large squash, cut into 1/4 inch slices
3 roma tomatoes, quartered
2 yellow tomatoes, quartered
5 eggs, hard-boiled,peeled,and halved
1 head red leaf lettuce, torn into bite size pieces
10 anchovy fillets, packed in oil
1/2 lb bacon, fried crisp
1 cup drained nicoise olives
1 red bell pepper, sliced into rings
2 lbs tiny new potatoes, scrubbed

Dressing: Combine all ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake until combined. Must be done at least 6 hours in advance. Let stand at room temperature.

Salad: Brush seafood with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Marinate red pepper and squash in a little salad dressing. Quarter new potatoes and boil 15 minutes; toss in enough dressing to coat. Steam or boil green beans 5 minutes and toss in a little dressing. Grill seafood and red pepper and squash.

Assembly: On a very large platter, place the potatoes in the center, surrounded by the green beans. Surround this with the shredded lettuce. Place the grilled seafood and vegetables atop the lettuce. Arrange eggs, bacon, olives, cheese, and tomatoes on platter. Place one anchovy fillet atop each half of egg. Salt and pepper the entire dish and drizzle with the remaining dressing.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Qwerty Kitchen

serves eight


400 grams spaghetti, cooked
1 head garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
50 grams bacon, sliced into strips
1 bottle (250 grams) sardines in olive oil, drained (reserve oil)
1 can (400 grams) button mushrooms, sliced
500 grams Italian-style spaghetti sauce
1/3 cup water
26 grams (2 tablespoons) capers
75 grams (1/2 cup) black pitted olives, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons snipped parsley

Sauté garlic, onion, and bacon in sardine oil. Cook while stirring until bacon is brown. Add sardines, mushrooms, spaghetti sauce, water, capers, olives, salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add parsley. Pour over or mix with cooked spaghetti. Top with sardines, as desired.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Del Monte Kitchenomics, for Yummy Magazine online (SUMMIT DIGITAL, 6th Floor Robinsons Cybergate Tower 3, Robinsons Pioneer Complex, Pioneer Street, Mandaluyong City 1550, Philippines), October 27, 2010

serves six


18 small sardines, cleaned
8 mint leaves, to garnish

For the marinade
4 oranges, juiced
30 ml sherry vinegar
salt

For the stuffing
1 red pepper
1 onion, peeled
1 aubergine
2 tbsp olive oil

For the salad
25 grams lardons of bacon
50 grams croutons
125 grams chickpeas, cooked
2 spring onions, chopped

For the vinaigrette
100 ml extra virgin olive oil
15 grams walnuts, chopped
1 orange, juiced
15 ml sherry vinegar
salt
pepper

First make the marinade. Mix together the orange juice, sherry vinegar and salt. Toss the sardines with the marinade in a large dish and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours. Preheat the oven to 190°C/gas 5. Toss the red pepper, onion and aubergine in the olive oil in a roasting tray. Roast for 30 minutes until tender. Cut the roasted red pepper, onion and aubergine into short, thin strips and toss together. Fry the bacon in a small, heavy-based frying pan until cooked. In a bowl, mix together the fried bacon, croutons, chick-peas and spring onions. Make the vinaigrette by whisking together the olive oil, walnuts, orange juice and sherry vinegar. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Toss the chick-pea mixture with the vinaigrette. Drain the marinated sardines. Stuff each sardine with the roasted vegetables. To serve, spoon the chick-pea salad onto a serving plate. Top with the stuffed sardines, garnish with mint leaves and serve.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Simon Rimmer, Good Food Bites, Good Food Channel, UK-TV

Bangkok Beef Satay

Yield: 4â€"6 servings

Although recipes and ingredients vary, satay usually consists of chunks or slices of meat on skewers that are grilled over wood or charcoal fires. Satay is usually served with a spicy peanut sauce or peanut gravy and accompanied by slivers of onion and cucumber in vinegar.

6 tablespoons (90 mL) dark soy sauce, divided

6 tablespoons (90 mL) freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 3 limes), divided

6 tablespoons (90 mL) smooth or chunky peanut butter

3 tablespoons (45 mL) chopped fresh cilantro leaves

2 tablespoons (30 mL) brown sugar, divided

1 tablespoon (15 mL) sweet rice vinegar

2 teaspoons (10 mL) Sriracha or other Asian hot chili sauce, divided

3 green onions, white and green parts, minced

1 (1-inch [2.5-cm]) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

Zest of 1 lime

1 tablespoon (15 mL) vegetable oil

1 (11/2-pound [681-g]) beef steak (round, sirloin, rib-eye, or chuck)

1. Soak about 18 wooden or bamboo skewers in water for 1 hour.

2. In a medium bowl, combine 4 tablespoons of the soy sauce, 4 tablespoons of the lime juice, the peanut butter, the cilantro, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, the vinegar, and 1 teaspoon (5 mL) of the chili sauce, and 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of the sugar, stirring until it reaches a smooth, thick, gravy-like consistency. Cover and set aside.

3. To make the marinade, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the soy sauce, the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of the lime juice, the remaining 1 tablespoon of the sugar, the remaining 1 teaspoon (5 mL) of the chili sauce, the onions, ginger, garlic, lime zest, and oil. Process until puréed and set aside.

4. Cut the beef against the grain into pieces 6 inches (15 cm) long and ½ inch (1 cm) wide. Thread the beef lengthwise, piercing it in several places in an accordion fold, on the prepared skewers. Transfer the skewers to a large, shallow pan and pour the marinade over the meat. Cover and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours.

5. Make sure the grill is clean and generously sprayed with nonstick grilling spray. Preheat the barbecue to medium high (350°F [180°C] to 400°F [200°C]).

6. Place a strip of heavy-duty aluminum foil across the front 3 to 4 inches of the grill. The bottom part of the satay skewers can rest on this, protecting the part you handle from burning.

7. Remove the skewers from the marinade and drain, discarding the marinade. Place the skewers on the grill over direct heat for 2 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Meanwhile, warm the peanut sauce in a small saucepan over low heat until it just barely begins to bubble.

8. Serve the satay on the skewers with small bowls of the warmed peanut sauce on the side, for dipping.

Reprinted with permission from 1,001 Best Grilling Recipes, by Rick Browne, Agate Surrey, 2011.

serves six


500 grams small beef shin pieces
125 grams rindless bacon, cubed
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon butter
1-1,25 kg oxtail, trimmed of excess fat
2 teaspoons garlic & herb seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic pepper seasoning
3 large onions, chopped
3 large carrots, sliced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups red wine
2 cups water
2 tablespoons beef stock powder
2 tablespoons tomato pesto
250 grams whole button mushrooms
500 grams pickling onions
2 tablespoons olive oil

Brown the beef shin and bacon in the oil/butter mixture in a big, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep aside. Brown the oxtail in batches in the same fat. Keep on one side. Season the meat with garlic & herb seasoning as well as garlic pepper seasoning. Brown the onions in the same pot. When golden-brown, add the carrots, garlic and bay leaf. Stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add the flour and blend in. Add the wine, water, stock powder and tomato pesto. Bring to the boil. Place the browned shin, bacon and oxtail back in the pot, cover and simmer very gently for 2½-3 hours until the meat is fork-tender.

Remove the bay-leaf. Blot off excess fat with a double layer of absorbent kitchen paper. Briefly brown the pickling onions and mushrooms in olive oil in a separate fry pan and add to the meat. Simmer for 15 minutes until onions are just tender. Adjust seasoning to taste.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Ina Paarman, Paarman Foods, Diep River, Cape Town, South Africa

Each month, a group of bbq/grill enthusiasts participates in the “On Our Grills Challenge”. The challenge is to make a meal with a list of 4 random ingredients and at least the protein has to be cooked by some form of live fire.

Guaranteed camp site winner!

6 slices of bacon
1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped coarsely
pinch of kosher salt
pinch of freshly cracked pepper
1/2 cup orange juice
12 oz. fresh cranberries
1 tablespoon tawny port

Cut the bacon up into a fairly small pieces. Add the bacon to a medium-size saucepan. Set on the stove over medium-high heat. Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. If it starts to burn or smoke, turn your heat down. Your goal is to brown and crisp the bacon. When your bacon is crisp, turn the heat off. Drain off most of the rendered bacon fat, leaving just a teaspoon or two in the pan with the bacon. Save the fat (let it cool, then cover it and stick it in the fridge). Put your pan back on the stove over low heat. Add the brown sugar to the bacon and fat in the pan. Toss in the rosemary, kosher salt, and freshly cracked black pepper. Stir your pot to combine the ingredients well. Break up any lumps of brown sugar against the side of the pot with the back of your spoon. Don’t fret if anything is sticking to the bottom of your pot. Your heat is on low, so it shouldn’t burn. And you’re going to deglaze the pot next. Pour in the orange juice. Watch your face and hands, as the pot may give off a big poof of steam, depending on how hot it is. Stir well, scraping at the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Raise the heat to medium-high so your mixture can start to come up to a simmer. Add the cranberries to the pot. Cranberries freeze really well and can go straight from freezer to pot for this recipe. Give the pot a good stir to combine everything. Add the port. Stir to combine. Cook over medium-high heat until the mixture comes up to a simmer. When it does, turn the heat down a little and cover the pot tightly. Simmer covered for about 5 minutes. Keep an eye on your pot. If it starts to bubble over, turn the heat down a little. After 5 minutes, uncover the pot. Stir the mixture. As you stir, smoosh the cranberries against the side of the pot to pop them. Keep the heat on medium as you do this. It will cook as you stir, evaporating some of the liquid and thickening your chutney. It should be really thick at this point. If you have liquid left in the pot, cook over medium heat for a minute or two more, stirring constantly to evaporate it. Turn the heat off and transfer the chutney to a bowl to cool. When it’s totally cool, cover and stick it in the fridge. The chutney will keep in the fridge for about 3 days.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Jessica B. Konopa, The Hungry Mouse, Salem, Massachusetts, December 11, 2008

Flavor you can see.  I like the coarse texture of this rub.

Only the burner on the far right is on and it is on low.  The pan & rack rig was not needed after all.

I used the Smoke Hollow's sear burner.  Worked great!

Medium rare all the way through.