In the frenzy of packing up everything we own Mr. B had the good judgement to insist on leaving his grill out on the deck. He figured that the deck was high above the potential water line and that a ceramic grill could survive just about anything. In what is now the strangest summer of my life I am happy for Mr. B’s foresight- because with a grill at least it still feels like summer. (more…)
Now and then you come across a recipe so brilliant you know that it will forever change the way you prepare a dish. When this method for an herbed butterflied chicken crossed Mr. B’s path, he printed it out and put in a request that I make it soon. As always, his recipe intuition was spot on.
The recipe calls for a spatchcocked (butterflied) chicken that is marinated in a herb laced brine and then grilled to golden perfection while basted with a glaze of honey, lemon, and garlic. Together Mr. B and I watched a few youtube videos to learn how to spatchcock a chicken. Once you understand the methodology, it is actually a simple technique that turns a whole chicken into one flat layer which cooks evenly on the grill. It is the perfect solution to the age-old problem of dry breast meat and undercooked thighs; with a flattened chicken you end up with an incredibly moist, perfectly cooked bird. To spatchcock a chicken, you begin by using heavy duty kitchen shears and cutting out the backbone of the chicken. Once the backbone is removed, you flip the chicken over so the breast side is up. Then you use the heels of your hands to press downward and crack the breastbone, pressing the chicken into a single layer. After that you are ready to marinate and grill the chicken. It is a simple technique- great to have in your back pocket for grilling chicken. (more…)
Now I’m all for just sticking a beer can up a chicken and calling it good, however the ingenious design of this roaster has a wide base allowing ample space for vegetables to hang out and soak up all of the delicious chicken juices- it was love at first sight. Once the roaster arrived I eagerly put it to use.*
With chipotle chilies leftover from our addictive peach salsa adventures, we both decided that a chipotle infused chicken should be on the menu. I was particularly thrilled with this idea because it gave me a chance to use my one of my all time favorite cooking beers, Rogue Chipotle Ale.
Placing the Rub Under the Chicken Skin
Ready to Roast
Chipotle Beer BBQ Chicken (Printable Recipe)
Serves 4-6
If you don’t have this fun roaster, you could easily substitute a sanitized tin can filled with the beer and grill the vegetables on the side. When you are finished cooking the chicken, save the juice in the can and pour it over the vegetables for added flavor.
Ingredients:
1 (3-4 lbs) Whole Chicken
Rub
2 Tablespoons kosher salt
1 Tablespoon honey (I used a delicious Guajillo honey)
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 chipotle pepper in adobo, minced
6 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 1/2 Tablespoons worth)
2 Tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
Bottom of Roaster
4 small potatoes, cut into 1″ thick slices
6 small carrots, cut on a bias into 2″ long pieces
1 sweet onion, cut length wise into eighths
Roaster Well
~ 1 cup Chipotle Ale (Rouge Brewery)
Directions:
Pre-heat the grill to 450 degrees (medium-high). Mix all of the rub ingredients in a small bowl until well combined. Gently place the rub underneath the chicken skin, spreading it around as much as possible. Pour 1 cup of the Chipotle ale into the roaster “well” and place the chicken on top. Scatter the vegetables around the chicken in the bottom of the roaster. Place chicken and vegetables on the grill, and cook at 400 degrees for about 1 hour 30 min. or until a thermometer inserted into the thigh reaches 165 degrees and the chicken juices run clear.
Remove the roaster from the grill and take the chicken off the vertical well. Let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes before carving. Save any leftover juice/beer in the well and serve it as a sauce on top of the meat and vegetables.
Almost four years ago, I said “I do” and married my favorite person- Mr. B. At the time I anticipated a lifetime of shared experiences and mutual affection. Yet years later what has surprised me about marriage, what I didn’t know to expect, is that when two people go through life as a team it is a beautiful thing. If you approach the world with a united front, encouraging and challenging each other to reach shared goals, suddenly it seems as if anything is possible. No matter what successes or failures appear on the horizon, together you can make it through to the other side.
Our partnership also carries through to the kitchen. Together we have fought battles with pasta, celebrated with cheesecake, and nearly fainted from happiness over a slow cooked BBQ pork shoulder. We have found a rhthym in our cooking that keeps both of us engaged and happy to cook another meal. Usually I do the shopping, chopping, and cooking while Mr. B tackles the beverage pairing, taste testing, and dishes. He likes to call himself the “Consulting Chef” (which makes me giggle since don’t chef’s usually know how to cook?) and takes an active role in helping me set the menu each week. Often this means a general discussion of what dish strikes our fancy, what produce is in season, or what item is sitting in the fridge threatening to spoil. After our discussions I’ll get rolling and then ask him to taste and offer tweaks along the way.
When I asked Mr. B for his thoughts about endives this week, I was quite surprised to get a very specific answer. He replied, “We should brush them with olive oil, grill them, then add sun dried tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, and chevre cheese.” Startled I looked at him, wondering how the heck a specific recipe had sprung forth so quickly. He looked over at my raised eyebrows and simply said, “I like endives.” Still quite surprised I decided to not mess with creative genius and made the salad as directed. And what do you know? It was absolutely delicious. Warm endives caused the chevre to melt slightly while pine nuts gave it a contrasting crunch. Sun dried tomatoes provided deep little bursts of flavor to round out the salad perfectly. I’m beginning to think there might be something behind this “Consulting Chef” title after all…
Ingredients:
4 Belgian Endives, split in half lengthwise
2 Tablespoons Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Scant 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
Scant 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, finely chopped
2 oz Chevre cheese, cut into small pieces
Avocado oil
White balsamic vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
Lemon juice
Directions:
Pre-heat a grill to 400 degrees.
Rub endive halves with the olive oil until all sides are lightly coated. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the cut side of the endives. Place endives on the grill, and cook for about five minutes on each side, or until the endives are tender (but not limp).
Transfer endives to a platter (or individual plates), trim the tough end off of each endive, and distribute the pine nuts, sun dried tomatoes, and chevre cheese evenly across the endives. Next lightly drizzle avocado oil and white balsamic vinegar across the endives. Finally finish the salad with a squeeze of lemon juice and serve.
My mother learned about his weakness a few years back and has since proceeded to create a bond stronger than blood by shipping new cookie supplies whenever we start to run low. Ginger cookies disappear year-round in peach ice cream, as a pie crust, or just straight out of the container while standing in the pantry (yes, I’m on to you Mr. B!). So when we headed out camping this summer it only made sense that a container of ginger cookies would somehow sneak into the car.
Once our marshmallows were properly toasted (I like mine almost black), we grabbed another ginger cookie and sandwiched it all together. The cookies created a single gooey bite that brought together a mix of childhood chocolate goodness and adult ginger enjoyment. I’m embarrassed to say that we blew through an entire chocolate bar and about 20 ginger cookies in one sitting. It was a sticky, gooey, chocolate mess- the perfect way to bring out the inner kid in anyone. If you haven’t made s’mores this summer, track down a box of ginger cookies and get out there!
Summer Storm Clouds
Ingredients:
1 marshmallow (You could make your own, but that might not feel like camping)
1 square high quality dark chocolate (We have a weakness for Valrhona)
2 ginger cookies (Trader Joe’s Triple Ginger cookies are preferred)
Fire
Stick
Directions:
Place the chocolate square on top of a ginger cookie, and set it near the fire on a flat clean surface. Place the marshmallow on the clean end of a stick, and roast it in the fire until it is puffy and golden. Use the second ginger cookie to scrape the marshmallow onto the chocolate square and place the cookie on top. Eat. Then lick your fingers and repeat until you have a major sugar high and feel slightly ill. (Don’t say I didn’t warn you!)
Mr. B has long been entranced by the magic which occurs when smoke and meat mingle for hours above hardwood coals. However with a basic gas fired grill it was a magic that could only happen a few times a year when we stumbled upon an authentic barbecue joint far from home. That all changed this summer when we made the jump to a ceramic grill. Weighing about as much as a baby elephant, the thick walled ceramic top and bottom lock in heat and moisture allowing meat to slowly cook at a steady low temperature for up to 36 hours.
Prep-Time: 3 Days, Cook Time: 6 hours
Ingredients & Directions:
Meat
Brine (Day 1)
1 cup apple juice
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Place all ingredients into a gallon size Ziploc bag. Add pork to the bag and seal. Shake the bag until the pork is well coated with the brine. Refrigerate for 24 hours, turning and shaking the bag occasionally.
Garlicky Barbecue Marinade (Day 2)
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/8 cup water
1/8 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 1/2 teaspoons garlic, coarsely chopped
1 Tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
Drain the brine out of the Ziploc bag and retain the meat in the bag. Add all marinade ingredients into the bag and seal the bag. Shake and squish the bag until the ingredients are combined and spread around the pork. Refrigerate for 24 hours, turning and shaking the bag occasionally.
Dry Rub (Day 3)
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup sweet paprika
1/8 cup kosher salt
1/8 cup chili powder
1/8 cup dry mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon crab boil seasoning (recommended: Old Bay)
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
In a small bowl, mix together all of the dry rub ingredients. Remove the pork from the marinade and place it on a large plate. Carefully pat the dry rub all over the pork until it is thickly coated. Loosely cover the pork with plastic wrap and return to the refrigerator until 1 hour before placing it on the grill. 1 hour before grilling, set the pork on the counter and allow it to warm up to room temperature.
While the pork is coming to temperature, soak the 4 cups of wood chips in water.
Preheat a charcoal grill to 225 degrees F. Right before cooking the pork, carefully scatter 1/2 cup of drained wood chips among the coals. Place the pork on the grill and cook, maintaining the grill temperature at 225 degrees. Replenish the coals as they burn out and the wood chips as the smoke dissipates.
Barbecue Sauce (Day 2 or 3)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/4 cup smoked bacon, cut into rectangles about 1-inch long and 1/2-inch wide
1/4 cup sweet (Vidalia or Maui) onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup tomato ketchup
1/8 cup yellow mustard
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup apricot preserves or dried apricots chopped and re-constituted in hot water
1/8 cup apple juice
Cider vinegar (to taste)
Place canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped bacon to the pan and cook until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp. (4-5 minutes) Turn the heat down to low and add in onion, garlic, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and cloves. Stir well and continue to cook for five minutes, stirring frequently. Next add the sugar and water and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Add in the ketchup, mustard, honey, apricot preserves or pieces, and apple juice. Stir well and let sauce gently simmer for about 20 minutes or until well thickened. Take the pan off the heat and stir in cider vinegar to taste. Pick out the bacon pieces and discard (or snack on them). Once the mixture has cooled slightly puree it with a hand blender and set aside until ready to use. If making a day ahead, place the sauce in the refrigerator until use.
Cider Mop Spray (Day 3)
1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 cup water
1/8 cup cider vinegar
Combine all ingredients in a small spray bottle or bowl.
After the pork has cooked for 6 hours, spray the pork with cider mop every half hour. Continue to cook the meat until a thermometer placed into the thickest part of pork reaches 185-190 degrees F.
Transfer the pork to a platter and baste it with the barbecue sauce. Tent the pork with foil and let it rest for 30 minutes. To serve, slice the roast into 1/4″ thick slices, place on plates or cemita buns and serve with extra sauce alongside.
When I am completely immersed in the natural world, it is then that I feel truly alive.
If an evil curse forced me to eat only one type of cheese for the rest of my life I would cry. Then I would eat burrata. Burrata causes me to swoon and wax poetic. I will ramble on about how it tastes of spring meadows, rainbows and butterflies; how one bite will cause you to have a cheese epiphany consider quitting your job, importing a herd of water buffalo, and starting a cheese making business. (Mr. B logically pointed out that the water buffalo would probably not enjoy sub-zero temperatures. Dream killer.) How every time you visit a Whole Foods you will ask the cheese monger if they have any burrata, and become so disappointed when they do not that all the other cheeses loose their appeal (well almost). Burrata is my cheese.
What is burrata you may ask? It is a silky ball of fresh Italian cheese traditionally made from the milk of water buffalo. This milk is richer than cows’ milk and lacks yellow carotene so it is pure white. The cheese is created by creating an outer shell with mozzarella curds and filling it with a mixture of curd and fresh cream. This means that when you break the soft outer shell of a burrata ball it will ooze a buttery creamy liquid onto the plate. Oh, the liquid goodness! This is definitely a case where the cheese stands alone. You do not need much more than a bit of bread or a slice of heirloom tomato to convey the cheese directly into your mouth.
Burrata is best eaten within 24 hours after it is made and beyond 48 hours is considered past its prime. Much like fish, it should be handled with care and enjoyed at the peak of freshness. Now last I checked, there are not any water buffalo herds in the U.S. and overnight shipping from Italy would make this cheese cost prohibitive. However we are in luck, for on the outskirts of L.A. a man named Vito Girardi is creating Italian quality burrata for our enjoyment. He manufactures 1500 pounds a day, with each ball formed by hand. A marvelous L.A. Times article featuring Vito can be found here.
As burrata has grown in popularity over the past few years, I have seen a copycat version pop up at Trader Joe’s. Sadly, it does not compare to the quality of burrata produced by Vito. Whole Foods carries Gioia’s burrata (Vito’s brand) and while it is not cheap (about $10- $16 per pound) it is well worth the price. Each creamy bite will fill your mouth with a burst of freshness. Tasting of spring grass, tangy curd, and a haunting sweetness it will leave you daydreaming about water buffalo and making cheese.
Burrata Cheese on Grilled Bread (Printable Recipe)
Ingredients:
1 lb fresh burrata cheese
1 loaf artisan bread (nice and crusty)
High quality olive oil
Freshly ground pepper
Sea Salt
1/2 lemon
2 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half
Directions:
Pre-heat your grill on medium-high (to about 400 degrees). Remove the burrata from the fridge and let it warm to room temperature while you prepare the bread.
Slice bread in 1″ thick slices. Brush both sides of each slice with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Once grill is hot, place bread slices on the grill, turning them over after three minutes to cook on the other side. Grill until bread is toasted and grill marks begin to show. Remove bread from grill. Lightly rub the garlic halves across the top of the bread (You want just a hint of flavor here- not garlic bread.) Rub the cut half of the lemon across the top of the bread.
Remove the burrata from the liquid in the container and place it in the center of a large plate. Drizzle a generous amount of olive oil on top of the cheese. Lightly sprinkle the burrata with a little sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
To serve, slice into the burrata and spread it on each slice of bread.
Enjoy!
First I found a buffalo:
Ultimate Buffalo Burgers (Printable Recipe)
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 pound Ground buffalo
4 oz Extra sharp cheddar cheese, sliced into 4 pieces
Salt and Pepper
4 large leaves Bibb lettuce
4 slices of Tomato
1/2 Avocado, sliced
4 tablespoons Mayonnaise
4 Cemita Buns (Recipe Here)- Can be made 1 day to 1 month ahead (keep frozen)
Chipotle Ketchup (Recipe Here) – Can be made up to 1 week ahead
Buttermilk Onion Rings (Recipe Here) – I used a mix of red and white onions
Directions:
Pre-heat a grill to medium-high heat (400-500 degrees). Shape ground buffalo into four equal size balls. Flatten balls slightly, maintaining a thick center. Season both sides of the meat with salt and pepper. Let meat rest a few minutes while you prep the other ingredients.
Once the grill is hot, place the burgers on the grill and cook for about four minutes. Flip burgers and place cheese slices on top. Continue to cook burgers until they reach your desired level of doneness- about five minutes longer for medium rare on my grill. Check doneness by discreetly cutting into one of the burgers. Once burgers are cooked to your liking, remove from heat. Spread 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise on each cemita bun, place a burger on each bun, and then layer with remaining ingredients as desired. Enjoy!
Everyone needs a go-to recipe that can be pulled out of a back pocket for company. Something you can prep in under an hour and cook while holding a drink in one hand and carrying on a discussion with three people. Something that will elicit praise from both the pickiest eater and the die hard food lover. It is your secret weapon. The dish that allows you to make it look effortless (because it is) and encourages you to spontaneously invite people to dinner. This grilled rib-eye steak over a leek confit with marinated asparagus is my secret weapon.
While I’m all for making my own spice rubs, for this recipe I go straight to my favorite pre-packaged rub. The Made in Napa Valley Beef and Burger rub is so fantastic on grilled meat that I’ve never bothered to try and re-create it. I usually find it at Cost Plus World Market but you can also buy them online directly from the company. (If you’re shopping online the Lamb and Seafood rubs are excellent too.) Accompanied by a leek confit, grilled asparagus that you cook while the steaks are resting, and a bold red wine, this is the perfect meal for summer entertaining. If you really want to jazz it up, an easy chimichurri sauce from Gourmet is excellent on top of the steak.
This dish is so forgiving that even if you discover after the steaks are on the grill that somebody hasn’t checked the propane level since last August and you no longer have any heat… the steaks can be quickly finished in a grill pan on top of the stove and no one will know the difference! (Not that something like that could ever happen to us…)
Grilled Rib-Eye
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 (1 inch thick) dry aged rib-eye steaks
Made in Napa Valley Beef and Burger Rub
Directions:
Liberally sprinkle the rub on the steak and press it in firmly. Repeat on the other side of the steak. Allow steaks to sit for 1 hour or even 24 hours (put steaks in the fridge and remove about 30 minutes before cooking if you’re rubbing them more than an hour ahead of cooking.)
Heat up your grill to high medium high (about 400-500 degrees) and place steaks on the grill. Cook for 3-4 minutes on the first side and 2 minutes on the second side for a medium rare steak. (You can discretely cut into one of the steaks to check for doneness if you are unsure.) Remove steaks from grill, and allow them 10 minutes to rest on a plate tented with foil. While steaks are resting cook the asparagus.
Grilled Asparagus
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 Bundle of asparagus, washed and ends trimmed
1/4 cup Olive oil
Freshly ground salt and pepper
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Lime, sliced in quarters
Gallon size Ziploc bag
Directions:
Place all ingredients inside the Ziploc bag. (Be sure to squeeze the lime quarters while you are putting them in to release the juice.) Seal the bag and squish it around to make sure the asparagus are well coated by all ingredients. Place the bag in the fridge for an hour or up to 24 hours before serving.
When you take the steaks off of the grill, place a grill grid or a large piece of aluminum foil on top of the grill and add the asparagus. Cook asparagus for 4 minutes, stirring frequently until they begin to char on the outside. Remove from grill and serve immediately.
Leek Confit
Recipe created by Orangette (Molly Wizenberg) and published in Bon Appetit
Makes 2 cups
Ingedients:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) Unsalted butter
4 Large leeks (white and pale green parts only), halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 5 cups)
2 tablespoons Water
1/2 teaspoon Salt
Directions:
Place a large pot with a lid over medium low heat. Add the butter and melt it in the pot. Next add the leeks and stir to coat well with the melted butter. Add in water and salt. Cover with the lid and cook, stirring frequently for 25 minutes, or until the leeks are soft and tender. Remove the lid and continue cooking to evaporate any excess water (2-3 minutes). Serve warm. (This can be made up to a week ahead, and stored in the fridge.)
