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BBQ & Grilling

Grilling Steak: A Chef’s Guide to Cuts, Tips, and Techniques

by ChefPerry

  Humans have been eating beef since prehistoric times and for good reason. Pound for pound, beef is one of the best sources of high-quality protein and nutrients. It’s also the third most widely-eaten meat in the world, accounting for about 25% of modern meat production, after pork and poultry.  I love beef. It’s such a straightforward and simple food to cook.   Though you can get fancy with it, if you want to, all you really need is a little salt and heat to create one of the most delicious foods on the planet. Loaded with health-promoting amino acids, and it’s one of the single biggest sources of protein in the human diet.  How much to serve:I recommend 8oz (½ lb) per “average” person, or ¾ lb (12 oz) for big and lovers of leftovers.  Some Definitions:  Grass-Fed “Grass-fed” beef refers to cattle that were allowed to graze for their own fresh forage, possibly supplemented with some alfalfa during the winter, providing the closest approximation to the animal’s natural diet.  Grains, which are much…
Score: 1.5

Cambodian Grilled Chicken (Mann Oeng K’tem Sor) Recipe

by ChefPerry

     This ancient Cambodian grilled chicken recipe, called Mann Oeng K’tem Sor, may look complicated, but it’s really just a series of simple steps.       The stone walls of the Bayon temple in Cambodia, built at the end of the 12th A.D, includes an amazing series of bas-relief pictures of the army supply trains, encampments, field kitchens, and some of the earliest depictions of Asian barbecue.   Specifically, you'll see chicken skewered on split sticks and grilled over pyramid-shaped fires. Nine hundred years later, you'll find the same chicken grilled exactly as it was done during the height of the Khmer empire.         This recipe may look complicated, but it's really just a series of simple steps.  Like most S.E. Asian recipes, the end result is a succulent, savory, melt-in-your-mouth delight. (Feet are optional... ;) )     For the Chicken and Marinade: 1 whole chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds) 5 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1…
Score: 1.29

Chef's Tips for Better Burgers

by ChefPerry

  Chef's Tips for Better Burgers  Burgers might just be my favorite food.  Now, there's not a thing wrong with the good old-fashioned American Cheeseburger, in fact, it's awesome, but if you feel like expanding your horizons just a bit, here are my three favorites "gourmet" burger styles, as well as some tips for cooking a better burger.  All the patties for these recipes are prepped and grilled the same way, so it's easy to make a big batch of one recipe, or set up a burger-bar and let your guests choose which style they want to try.  Pan-searing your burgers in a hot skillet is a great method as well!           Four “Better Burger” Tips · 80/20 ground beef · Chill patties 15 minutes, after forming · Season AFTER grilling (except salt) · Toast buns for flavor and burger stability · I like to sear my burgers REALLY close to the fire, so I flip my top grill over so that the grates are resting directly on the coals. You can also “re-purpose” an old flat grate from another type of grill. Works great!     1.…
Score: 1.12

Advanced Charcoal Grilling Techniques

by ChefPerry

  I started out, many years ago, grilling with a good old fashioned Weber Kettle, the most popular charcoal grill in American since, well...ever. 😉  Sadly, these marvels of simplicity rarely get used to their full potential. Sure, you can grill up endless burgers, dogs, and brats…and they’ll be awesome, but let’s look at some advanced (dare I say Home Chef?) techniques to take this old classic to the next level!  I have used the Weber to make everything from jerky, to smoked salmon, to traditional Southern Pulled Pork, to authentic Texas-Style Briskets and Pork Bellies, and I’m going to show you how to, as well.  Direct vs. Indirect  There are two basic styles of grilling, direct & indirect.  Direct Grilling   Direct grilling cooks your food “directly” above the hot coals. Best for searing and charring foods that you want to grill quickly.Of course, with this higher heat, you have to be more watchful to ensure that foods, especially those with sugary marinades or glazes, don’t burn before they’re…
Score: 1.07

4 Rules for Becoming a Pit-Master

by ChefPerry

  4 Rules for Becoming a Pit-Master Chef Perry Perkins     PitMaster: One in charge of the pit. Someone who, not only has mastered the techniques to create great BBQ, but is proficient in using a variety of pits, or grill to do so.   While there's no one single accepted definition of the title, "Pit Master" (in fact, they vary wildly), I like the one above. I see someone who has "mastered" the pit, as being able to produce delicious BBQ with any number of meats, and a variety of equipment.  The proof, as they say, is in the pudding.  Here are four things that I think anyone needs, to achieve the title.    1. Practice Practice Practice!It can't be said enough (though I'll stop at three times), like anything else, the more you do it, the better you get.Chose the cut of meat you want to perfect, then keep working on it until you're doing it the best it can be done. I recommend starting with pork shoulders (the most forgiving) and working your way up to smaller, thinner cuts.Experiment with varied cook…
Score: 1.07

Shopping Tips for Bulk Foods

by ChefPerry

  Shopping Tips for Bulk FoodsWhether I'm shopping for my family's dinner, or for recipes I'll use in a pop-up restaurant charity dinner, by buying the ingredients in bulk, I can save as much as 75 percent of what it would have cost to get the same amounts in pre-packaged products.  Filling a shopping cart with items from the bulk food section of the grocery store is a key way to both cut food costs and reduce waste, since you can buy small amounts of foods that you don't need much of or don't use very often.  Measuring out 1-1/2 cups of ground ginger I'll need for a fund-raising dinner. In the regular spice aisle, buying this much ginger would cost $15.03. In the bulk section, it cost just 98 cents.  Size matters when it comes to bulk food sections. Larger bulk food sections have the largest varieties of nuts, trail mixes, rice, and sweeteners.  Spices from the bulk foods section are usually a fraction of the cost of the bottled versions found in the spice aisle. And there's often quick…
Score: 1.07

Carne Asada Street Tacos

    Tailgate parties...a great place for football fanatics to gather, or a convenient place for food fanatics to gather?  Who cares?   As long as you can run your taste-buds into the end zone with traditional Mexican street tacos, baby!    Carne Asada is a Mexican recipe for marinated, grilled beef served in tortillas. This is not your run-o'-the-mill taco!  This is a flavorful and delicious fistful of awesome that's great for any occasion, and, for my money, skirt steak is one of the best cuts of meat you can ever toss on the grill.   Serves 6 to 8   2 pounds skirt or flap steak                             24 corn, or 12 flour tortillas 1/2 cup tequila                                    1/2 cup lime juice 1/4 cup orange juice                            4 cloves garlic crushed 1 medium onion chopped                    2 teaspoons black pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt                                 2 tablespoons cumin 1 cup Fresh Pepper Pico                      1 cup simple guacamole 2 teaspoons hot sauce   Mix…
Score: 1.07

Marinating a Spatchcocked Chicken for Grilling

  Spatchcocking: "Cutting a chicken or other type of poultry down the middle, removing the backbone, and pressing flat in preparation of roasting or grilling."  Spatchcocking is a great method for adding some amazing flavors while reducing your grilling or roasting time by nearly half!  To spatchcock a chicken, use strong kitchen shears and cut down either side of the spine. Pull out the spine, turn the chicken over and press down on the breast of the chicken, until you hear the breastbone crack, to flatten it out into an even thickness.    Here’s the marinade recipe I like to use 2 Tbs Tabasco Sauce (I like the new Buffalo flavor) 1/4 cup olive oil 2 Tbs apple cider vinegar 2 Tbs Lemon Juice 2 Tbs Light Brown Sugar 2 Tbs Worcestershire Sauce 2 Tbs fine sea salt 1/2 orange Juice 2 cups apple juice   Whisk together the marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Put the chicken in a gallon-size resealable plastic bag in a rimmed dish. Pour in half of the marinade. Seal the bag and rotate it around to…
Score: 1.07

Cooking with Kids: Part One

by ChefPerry

    I’ll let you in on a little secret, but only if you promise to tell everybody…  The #1 way to overcome Picky Eater Syndrome (and the parental guilt that often accompanies it) is to teach our children how to cook.  Kids a far more likely to try something new, if they prepared it themselves.It’s true!  One of the things I've most enjoyed, in this grand adventure of fatherhood, is teaching my little one the joy of cooking.You see, both my father and grandfather were chefs, and though their own teaching methods were not always…stellar, I'm excited about passing this passion and enjoyment of cooking on to The Pickle, and as many other kids as I can.        The Secret IngredientWorking closely with under-served youth, many of whom have (literally) never boiled water before, has taught me that fear and anxiety, which most of these kids are already dealing with, only increases the likelihood of an injury, mistake, and discouragement.  My personal philosophy is that the younger the child, the more praise…
Score: 1.06

How to BBQ Brisket like the Pros

by ChefPerry

    In many parts of the country, beef brisket is BBQ. Indelibly tough and bland when cooked with conventional methods, brisket magically transforms, after a long bath in smoke, into a melt-in-your mouth, sweet, savory, smoky treat.   Starting with a full 10-12 pound brisket (called a "Packer.") A “packer” brisket is made up of two parts, the flat, and the point.        The "flat" runs the whole length of the brisket (slice this against the grain and serve as brisket) while the "point" is a cap that sits on top of one end. (It's this cap or "point" you want to use for your burnt ends, more on that later...) 1/4 cup sea salt 1/4 cup Hickory salt 1/3 cup coarse black pepper 1/3 cup granulated garlic First, mix all of the rub ingredients together in a shaker bottle with large holes.  One hour before smoking, pat the brisket dry, and set in on a sheet of butcher paper in a rimmed baking dish. Next, trim off as much of the hard, external fat as you can, until only about 1/4 inch remains.        Next, coat both…
Score: 1.06