Steven Raichlen: The Only Marinade You’ll Ever Need

Recipe from: Barbecue! Bible : Sauces, Rubs, and Marinades by Steven Raichlen
All rights reserved. Used by permission of Workman Publishing.

After creating and perfecting the ultimate grilling menu, relax and try something simple. Perfect with everything: poultry, seafood, beef, veal, pork, lamb, and vegetables.

If Steven Raichlen could use only one marinade for the rest of his life, it would be this one. Redolent with garlic, piquant with fresh lemon juice, and fragrant with extra-virgin olive oil, this marinade instantly transports you to the Mediterranean. He can’t think of a single food that doesn’t taste better bathed in it. You can use it as both a marinade and a basting sauce. If marinating poultry, meat, or seafood, simply set aside a portion for basting.

Marinade Ingredients

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp coarse salt (kosher or sea), or to taste
4 strips of lemon zest
3 cloves garlic, crushed with the side of a cleaver or minced
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil, cilantro, dill, oregano, or a mix of all four
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Marinade Directions

1. Combine the lemon juice, hot pepper flakes, cracked pepper, and salt in a nonreactive (glass, ceramic, or stainless steel) bowl and whisk until the salt crystals are dissolved.
2. Add the lemon zest, garlic, parsley, and basil. Stir or whisk in the olive oil.

Note: The virtue of this marinade is its freshness: Use it within 1 to 2 hours of making. Stir again before using.

Related posts:

1. Olive Oil Recipe: Steven Raichlen’s Grilling Marinades
2. Grilled Halibut with Parsley-Lemon Sauce
3. Honey-Gingered Pork Tenderloin Marinade

Grilled Whole Garlic Chicken

Coated inside and out with a spicy rub, the skin on this juicy grilled chicken will be irresistible. There are as many choices of rubs on the market as there are markets to buy them from. One of my favorite grocery store rubs is Durkee’s Grill Creations chicken and rib rub. I like the spicy smoky flavor it gives to the skin of the chicken. Even though it says rib rub, I have tried it on ribs but was disappointed. Stick with chicken for this rub.

Of course if you have a favorite chicken rub, by all means use it! or you can try this dry spice rub for chicken.

What To Grill

1 whole chicken (3 to 4 pounds)
1 onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 tablespoons Durkee Grill Creations Chicken & Rib Rub or your favorite dry spice rub
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil

How To Grill It

Prepare and season the chicken:

1. Remove neck and giblets from cavity. Rinse bird and pat dry.
2. Place chopped onion and celery into cavity of chicken.
3. Mix together rub with garlic and olive oil.
4. Loosen skin of chicken but leave it intact.
5. Rub mixture on top of and under the skin of the chicken, allowing enough to reach breasts and legs.

Prepare the grill for indirect heat

Charcoal: Light charcoal. When they are ash-white, push them to the edges of the grill. Place an aluminum pan in the center of grill (under the cooking grate) with a little water in it.
Gas: Light the outside burners of the grill to medium heat.

Grill the chicken

Place chicken, breast side down, on grill right above the pan (not directly over the heat). Cover the grill and cook for about 1 hours, or until bird reaches 170 degrees, according to an instant-read thermometer. Turn chicken once or twice during cooking. If necessary, replenish briquettes to maintain fairly even heat.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Related posts:

1. Grilled Chicken with Grilled Potatoes in Roasted Garlic-Oregeno Sauce
2. Recipe | Southwestern Lime Grilled Chicken
3. Dry Spice Rub Recipe For Chicken

You can use this spicy yet sweet rub for beer can chicken, grilled chicken or bbq chicken.

Dry Spice Rub For Chicken

From The Kitchen Of GrillingGuide.net

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. light brown sugar
1/4 C. paprika
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. dry mustard
2 tsp. cayenne (or red) pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. kosher salt

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
2. Coat inside and outside of chicken with the dry spice rub.
3. Refrigerate at least 1 hour up to 8 hours.

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1. Recipe | Spice Rubbed Grilled Pork Chops
2. Cajun Chicken And Shrimp Rub
3. Recipe | Grilled Whole Garlic Chicken

Chimichurri. This Argentinean sauce, made with chopped parsley, minced garlic, red or white wine vinegar, red pepper flakes, and olive oil, is traditionally served with grilled meats and is a must-have in any cook’s arsenal.

Grilled Flank Steak Salad with Chimichurri Dressing

1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp water
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp kosher salt, plus more for seasoning steak
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning steak
1/2 tsp dried hot red pepper flakes
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano leaves
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for brushing steak

1. In a food processor or blender, combine chopped parsley, red wine vinegar,water, minced cloves of garlic, kosher salt,freshly ground black pepper, dried hot red pepper flakes,and chopped oregano leaves. Pulse until the parsley and oregano are finely chopped, but not completely smooth, scraping down the sides after every few pulses. With the food processor running, slowly pour in 1/4 cup olive oil. Pour the dressing into a bowl and set aside.
2. Preheat a grill to high heat. Brush both sides of a 1 1/2 pound flank steak with a generous amount of olive oil. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place the steak on the grill and cook for approximately 5 minutes per side, or until the steak is rare to medium-rare. Remove the steak from the grill and let it rest for 10 minutes.
3. Cut the steak, across the grain, into thin slices. Arrange over a bed of romaine lettuce and sliced red bell pepper. Drizzle with a generous amount of the chimichurri dressing.

Serves 4.

Read the entire article:
Grilled Flank Steak Salad with Chimichurri Dressing Recipe

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“Cook a whole chicken with 8 briquettes of charcoal on a Cobb.”

Cobb CB042 Pro Portable BBQ Grill and Smoker

The Cobb Premier Portable Stainless Steel Grill & Smoker is a really unique grill. Actually, it’s not exactly a grill - at least not in the traditional sense. It’s more like a small and fuel efficient oven to use on the deck or to take tailgating or to use as a camping stove.

Cobb was invented in South Africa. It was designed to be used with corn cobs as fuel which is where the name comes from.

The American version of the Cobb uses charcoal. You can buy little mini charcoal rings or just use 8 standard briquettes in the bottom of the cooker. That will get the heat up to 450 degrees and burn long enough to cook a whole chicken without refueling.

The food cooks on top of the cooker with a lid on to hold the heat, and you can also put vegetables in the moat area around the charcoal where you add water to keep moisture in the unit as the food cooks.

One really neat feature of the Cobb grill is that the outside is cool to the touch, so that’s good if you have kids or pets or even if you are not so coordinated. It also means that you can move the unit while the food is cooking if you need or want to for some reason.

The outdoor cooker is convection (which is why it’s so easy on fuel and greener than most grills), so I usually cook items I’d be more likely to smoke. It can be used with the lid off to grill burgers and steak, but I add more fuel if I do that (and also cook the meat partially with the lid on).

They have a bigger model out now, and I think I’d suggest that. The original will hold a whole chicken (yum - very moist), but I’d like to put a few potatoes around the bird. With mine, I put those in the moat where they come out kind of crispy on the outside and softer inside and with charcoal flavor.

Just recently I found that Cobb is on Facebook. I signed up, so I now get recipes and tips from other people who own Cobbs. I would recommend getting on the Facebook list, because this is a pretty new outdoor cooker, and it does help to get ideas and tips.

NOTE: the difference between the Cobb CB042 Pro and the Cobb Premier is that the steel base is coated in high-quality enamel instead of stainless.

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Heres a basic brine for pork shoulders, butts and even poultry like turkey that is recommended by my friend and go-to expert on outdoor cooking, Mr. Jig. He originally posted a version of this recipe on the Users Forums in a conversation thread about brines for pork shoulder vs. pork butts.

Try the following brine recipe as a start:

1 gallon water.
3/4 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup sugar of choice, brown,white or turbinado.
Palm full of garlic powder -OR- couple three Tbsp of minced garlic. (from a jar is fine)

Brine Recipe Notes:

• Note that this can easily be mixed cold, add garlic powder after you see that stirring has dissolved the sugar and salt.
• Depending on the vessel you use you may need more brine but keep the proportions the same.
• A butt is easier to cover with brine due to its shape and a pasta pot will do.
• For a larger cut of pork or a turkey I use a big white plastic pail in an xtra refer.
• I brine 12-24 hours and then smoke/cook at 180F to 250F degrees till the pork is 200F degrees (internal temperature) tested at several spots. NOT 180F degree NOT 190F GO, to 200F degrees internal temperature for pulled pork!
• I see no difference with pork roasts brined between 12 and 24 hours.
• Cooking temp is not critical either and the range I suggest can be used to suit your timing.
• (When the pork roast hits the critical 200F degree internal temperature) I then foil the roast whole and put it in a small cooler (no ice!) with towels for additional insulation.
• The meat will remain hot and safe for hours if you need to hold it a while before pulling and serving.

Trying to infuse big pork chunks with subtle flavors thru a brine is not cost effective, nor likely to achieve the desired result. After resting in the cooler, when you pull your pork, THEN you can mix in whatever flavors you want.

Happy Grilling!

Related posts:

1. Baby Back Ribs With Mustard Sauce Recipe
2. Dry Spice Rub Recipe For Chicken
3. Recipe | Spice Rubbed Grilled Pork Chops

Southwestern Lime Grilled Chicken

Marinated chicken flavored with a hint of lime and a southwestern kick

What To Grill

8 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
6 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

How To Grill It

1. Mix all ingredients. Marinate overnight.
2. Preheat grill to medium high heat. Grill. (How to grill chicken)
3. Reserve marinade and boil for about 5 minutes, adding water if needed. Baste chicken with sauce

Serves 8

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2. Recipe | Grilled Whole Garlic Chicken
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Is beef on your holiday party menu?

Besides finding a date on the calendar and time that works for everyone; coming up with a guest list and getting out the invitations theres all that other stuff that goes with hosting a holiday party. Like cleaning and decorating, as well as finding the perfect attire that suits the occasion. Yep. Its the holidays and regardless if its just the boys from the bowling team over to have a couple of laughs, the neighbors, co-workers, friends or relatives you are known for making sure everything is in perfect shape at your parties. But there is always one really big decision to make when hosting a party:

How Much To buy?

You want to be a good host and make sure there is enough of your tasty grilled and barbequed food to ensure everyone has a helping or two, but these days you also want to watch the costs! Buy too much and it goes to waste. Buy too little and folks are hungry! What to do?

Our friends at the Cattlemens Beef Board and National Cattlemens Beef Association have created a handy printable guide that may help you! It tells you the serving size in ounces and how many servings you can generally expect from one pound of beef. Of course how you prepare and serve is up to you!

They call it, simply enough: How Much to Buy

Click on the link to open the PDF file. You will need Adobe Reader to view and print it.

Grilled Flat Iron steak, sliced and served with Mustard Bourbon sauce. Photo courtesy of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association

Grilled Flat Iron Beef Steaks.

Heres a tasty idea for your holiday party menu grilled flat iron beef steaks. Flat Iron steaks are fairly standard size and weight, thus easier to predict cooking times and plan for the number of guest. One steak can provide 2 -3 servings. They are very grill-able so you can cook them to order and prepare only what you need, as you need it! Or cook several ahead to just a rare stage and hold, wrapped in foil, at a safe temperature until ready to carve they will continue to cook slightly and generally will be at medium-rare when sliced.

CBs EZ Grilled Flat Iron Steaks with Mustard-Bourbon Sauce

Happy Grilling!

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2. Grilled Bourbon Steak Recipe
3. Baby Back Ribs With Mustard Sauce Recipe

GRILLED SWEET POTATOES
with Rosemary Vinaigrette

Just one of 75 Recipes from Bobby Flay’s Grilling For Life: 75 Healthier Ideas for Big Flavor from the Fire

Sweet potatoes were never really my favorite but I do like sweet potato chips.

That’s why I thought I would enjoy these grilled sweet potatoes. I figured they would taste similar to home fries. The rosemary vinaigrette gives the sweet potato a delicious touch.

What To Grill

3 large, unpeeled sweet potatoes
1/4 cup, plus 3 tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces pancetta, finely diced
1 medium shallot, diced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 tsp kosher salt

How To Grill It

1. Place the sweet potatoes in a large pot of salted water. Boil the potatoes until they are just cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the pot and set aside until they are cool enough to handle.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium skillet over high heat. Add the diced pancetta to the pan and cook until it is browned and crisp. Be careful of spattering grease! Turn down the heat a little if it is spattering too much. Using a slotted spoon, remove the cooked pancetta from the skillet and let it drain on a piece of paper towel.
3. To the pancetta drippings in the pan, add the diced shallot. Cook until browned, about 1 minute. Add the red wine vinegar and cook for an additional minute. Remove from the heat and stir in 1/4 cup olive oil, finely chopped fresh rosemary, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Cover to keep warm.
4. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice them into 1/4-inch rounds.
5. Preheat a grill to high heat. Brush the rounds with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with kosher salt and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
6. Place the sweet potato round on the grill and cook for approximately 5 minutes, turning once, until they are lightly browned and just cooked through.
7. Transfer the grilled potatoes to a bowl and toss with the vinaigrette. Sprinkle the cooked pancetta over the potatoes and serve them hot or at room temperature.

Serves 6

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2. Easy as Pie Test Kitchen: Apricot & Rosemary Grilled Pork Loin
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The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien

November 30, 2009

William Shatner talks about his experience with deep frying turkey while cooking Thanksgiving Dinner for his family.

Safety Precautions when deep frying whole turkey
13 Reasons to use The Big Easy Oil-less Turkey Fryer
5 Steps to Juicy Deep Fried Turkey

The Big Easy Oil-Less Turkey Fryer Click for More Information

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