Better Grilling, Better Food

Here are some tips for getting that grilling session off to a great start.

1. Make sure you have enough fuel.
Gas grills: Empty propane tanks can be quite embarassing. If your grill doesn't have a built in scale to indicate when you need propane, try one of these gauges.

Charcoal grills: Check that bag; it's probably not as full as you last remember. If you are planning on grill for a long time (> 1 hour), use charcoal that does not have lighter fluid already on it (ie Matchlight). Adding this to hot coals will catch fire quickly and possibly send someone to the hospital.

2. Preheat the grill and clean cooking grates.

Gas grills: Heating on high for ~ 20 minutes will burn food off of grates making them easier to clean with a brass brush.

Charcoal grills: Once coals are ashed over, place cooking grate and lid on and wait about 10 minutes before brushing grates.

3. Cook at the right temperature using the right method.

Grilling Methods
Direct Heat For foods cooking for less than 30 minutes. Steaks, burgers, vegetables
Gas grill: Using a four burner grill as an example, all four burners would be on for direct heat.
Charcoal grill: Coals arranged in one layer filling grill.

Indirect heat For foods cooking longer than 30 minutes. Typically larger meats.
Gas grill: Only the first and fourth burners would be lit.
Charcoal grill: Coals on each side of grill leaving space in middle for drip pan.

Seafood Direct high heat
Burgers & Steaks Direct medium heat
Boneless Chicken breast Direct medium heat
Bone-in Chicken Indirect medium heat
Ribs Indirect low heat
Vegetable Direct medium to high heat

4. Right tool for the right job

Brass cleaning brush
Long handled spatula
Large set of tongs
Silicone basting brush
Oven mits with long sleeves

I hope these tips help you out. Now get out there and grill!

By Popular Request: A Grilling Guide

A good friend and blogger extraordinaire has been asking be for a grilling guide. Well, here it is straight from ... Food Network! What?! I don't have a staff to write these things. Besides, if it ain't broke... Without further ado, Food Network's Ultimate Grilling Guide.

Tasteful, Not Labor-full Day

Ready for the three day weekend? I am thinking of just having a lazy day on the couch. Alright, enough with the crazy talk. Does anyone really believe I would miss the "last" grilling day of summer? Who knows maybe some friends will stop by. If you are having trouble deciding what to fix, here are some sites with recipes that are sure to please.

Burgers You can't go wrong with a burger. Sutter Home Winery has been running the Build A Better Burger competition since 1990. They have you covered whether you prefer beef, fish, veggies or the exotic in your burger.

Try out the 2009 finalist recipes before this year's winner is crowned.

Or the grand prize winners from previous years

Hot Dogs They seem to follow burgers everywhere.

Chicago Dog

Emeril's Hot Dog Bar

Venezuelan Hot Dogs

Grilled Dogs with Homemade Relish

Beer Simmered Hot Dog Bites

Cole Slaw

Pecans and Spicy Dressing

Creamy

Blue Cheese

Horseradish

Shrimp

Ginger-Soy-Lime Marinaded Shrimp a personal favorite
Steamed shrimp from your local seafood market tossed with Old Bay seasoning

Hop over to Food Network and check out their ideas for the day.

Chocolate Love

Who ever wrote the book of love must have smeared the pages with chocolate. Being a self confessed chocoholic, I know the satisfaction of a simple fudge brownie and the extravagant delight of a dark chocolate mousse.

Here is a recipe to satiate your desire to eat that cake batter on purpose. I have adjusted the recipe to use six ceramic teacups instead of ramekins. WARNING: Contents may be addictive. Consume at your own pleasure.

Chocolate Sinkholes

Serves 6 to 8


Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 large eggs
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


Instructions

Melt the butter and chocolate in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over simmering water, stirring occasionally. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. You can do this in the microwave just by heating 30 - 45 seconds then stirring and repeating until completely melted.

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.

Sift the sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt together and set aside. Beat the eggs and vanilla in a medium bowl until frothy. Stir in the chocolate mixture until incorporated. Then slowly stir in the sugar-flour mixture just until everything is combined.

Divide the batter among six 7-ounce ceramic teacups or ramekins. Arrange the custard cups in a baking dish or roasting pan and fill the dish with enough cool tap water to come one-third of the way up the sides of the cups. (This water bath assures that the bottom portions of the cakes remain in a batter state.)

Bake for 34 to 38 minutes, until the tops are firm. Serve warm. I prefer them topped with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup.

Original Recipe from:

Desserts That Have Killed Better Men Than Me
by Jeremy Jackson

Grilled Pineapple Upside-down Cake

I love to grill and I love baking cakes. So I had to try the grilled pineapple upside down cake in the new book Weber's Way to Grill. I had the chance to make the cake for a party this past Sunday and received several compliments. My only problem with the current recipe is the amount of batter is not enough to fill the pan. I've since remade the cake with double the batter amounts and found it works a lot better than printed. Feel free to try it either way.

New Batter Amounts

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/3 cup buttermilk
4 large eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 lb (2 sticks) butter, at room temp
1 1/2 cups sugar

Get the full recipe with two others here: Weber fruit recipes

School's Now in Session

Chef Tell is about to embark on a new adventure...cooking school. Well, I will be taking a few classes at least. I will be studying at University of Richmond's Culinary Arts Center and working towards their CAP certificate. My first required course is Tools of the Trade.



This evening, July 23rd, you will find me at 9722 Gayton Rd. in the Gayton Crossing Shopping Center. Hopefully, I will be able to pass along some of what I learn.

Chicken Salad PicNic

Looking for an inexpensive date this summer but don't want to look cheap. Try my elegant yet simple chicken salad recipe paired with some fresh fruit and your date will be impressed beyond belief.

Ingredients

• 13oz can Chicken breast, shredded
• 1 stalk celery, halved lengthwise & chopped
• 1 cup apple (Granny Smith or Jonagold), finely diced
• 1/4 cup almond slices (honey roasted if available)
• 1 cup Miracle Whip or mayo
• 2T honey mustard dressing
• 1T honey
• Salt
• Fresh ground pepper

When opening the can of chicken, pour it into a mesh strainer and rinse with cold water befre placing in bowl to shred. Use a fork to break the chunks of chicken into shreds.

Wash the celery stalk and chop a little bit off both ends. Cut the stalk in half down the middle then slice as fine as possible. If you can't get the slices very fine, don't worry; this only proves you made it yourself.

Peel, core and chop the apple. I will tell that each time I try this I seem to find a different way of getting the size dice I want. I start by slicing the cored apple to look like doughnut slices. Stack the slices then cut thin strips in one direction then again at 90 degrees.

Add almond slices. Mix and season with salt and pepper.


I like Miracle Whip but feel free to use mayo. Add the honey mustard honey and mix well. Season again with salt and pepper until the taste is to your liking. Want to class this up even more? Cut 2- 4 T fresh herbs (parsley, basil, tarragon) and add to salad.

Serve the chicken salad on your favorite bread. Normally, I go with toasted white bread but I was feeling adventurous and tried two new types: sourdough and a sweet italian roll. I did not like the sourdough because it over powered the salad, but the italian roll was perfect having a sweetness that was a nice compliment. Some other outstanding bread choices for chicken salad include croissants and brioche (loaf if you can get it).

Wrap the sandwiches in aluminum foil and take to your picnic.