Back Yard BBQ

Mmmm. This is a delicous compelation of some of my easiest grilling recipes. We’ve got a few things going on, including:
Honey balsamic veggies
Garlic Cajun burgers
And the good ol’ beef frank.

Here are your recipes:

1. Honey Balsamic Veggies

• 1 Tbs Honey
• 1 Tbs Balsamic Vinegar
• Your selection of veggies.  Here are my favorites: Asparagus, Red, Yellow, & Green Peppers, & Steak Tomatoes.

Simply toss them all in the sauce and throw them on the grill.  Don’t forget to spray the grill (Some people use a grilling wok to make life easier.)  I usually grill them over medium high heat until they are caramelize on the tips (a little blackened is perfect for me).  This will give you a nice crunch, delicious flavors, and a beautiful presentation. I usually sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper.

2. Garlic Burgers

• 1 lb ground beef or ground turkey*
• 2 Tbs Cajun Seasoning
• 1/4 c breadcrumb
• 1 egg, beaten

Mix this together in a bowl (be careful not to use a smashing motion.  You just want to combine the ingredients, not destroy the meat. )

Make patties about 3-4 in in diameter and about 1/2 in thick.  Grill them over medium low (or if you like a redder middle, cook it faster over medium high).  Once your burger starts to brown around the top of the edges, it’s time to flip.  Let the grill marks form and you’re done.  *Turkey burgers should be cooked thoroughly.  Be sure to cook them over medium low and for about 5 mins per side.  This should ensure that you don’t overcook and you get a moist delicious center.

Serve with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, buns, etc. (whatever you like)

Cajun or garlic herb turkey burgers. Delicious.

Mmmm…hickory smoked brisket with a garlic-honey rub.

Prepping rainbow trout & tetiaki beef kabobs

Alright, a lot of you have asked for my Teriyaki Beef recipe. Unfortunately, I cannot claim that recipe to be mine, so I cannot give it to you. However, I’m happy to give you my Dad’s recipe. Here you go:

Teriyaki Beef
– 2lbs cross-rib roast sliced as thin as you can get it (1/8in or thinner)
– 1/3c Sesame oil
– 1/3c Sugar
– 1c Soy sauce
– 6-8 Cloves of garlic
– 2 tbsp Ginger
– 5-6 stalks chopped green onion

The Marinade:
This is fairly easy: Peel garlic & ginger. Finely chop garlic & ginger. Combine all ingredients in medium bowl. Whisk until sugar is completely dissolved. Add beef, one strip at a time (make sure each strip is completely covered in marinade). This should marinade on the bottom shelf of the fridge for a minimum of 2-3 hours. Preferably overnight.

The Grill:
This should be hot and fast. Turn your grill up to high. Charcoal grills should be very close to a bed of redhot coals. Lay the strips on the grill. Really we just want to get the grill marks on them. As soon as they start to turn brown around the edges it’s time to flip (this should only be a minute or two tops!). If there aren’t pronounced grill marks, your grill isn’t hot enough. Put the lid on your grill to keep the heat in. For charcoal grills, give those coals some air! After 2-5 minutes, you should be taking them off the grill and keeping them in a warmer. Let them sit for about 4-5 minutes before serving over rice.

*Tip: DO NOT boil the marinade to make a gravy/teriyaki sauce! After raw meat has been marinading in it, it should be discarded. However, if you make the same recipe without adding raw meat, feel free to boil that on high heat for 3-5 minutes before lowing the heat to a medium-low. Keep it at medium low for about 10-15 minutes so it can reduce. Let that cool and stick it in the fridge overnight (minimum 2 hours). I’ll add my spicy teriyaki sauce recipe in a different post.

Happy Grilling!

Today was a great day for a BBQ! We had my mother-in-law over and we were all able to play in the back yard while I made some garlic turkey burgers and grilled honey balsamic asparagus.

The great thing about tonight’s backyard BBQ is it’s fairly healthy yet there is no lack of flavor!

Here’s how to make them:
Turkey Burger
1lb ground turkey*
1-2 Tbl garlic powder
1 Tbl kosher salt
1/2 c bread crumb
1/2 c egg beaters*
1/8-1/4 c onion flakes or fresh diced onion

*For those less inclined to watch your caloric/fat intake, you can use ground beef and real eggs!

Grilled Honey Balsamic Asparagus:
1 bunch of fresh asparagus
2 Tbl balsamic vinegar
1-2 Tbl honey
cracked pepper
kosher salt
low fat cooking spray*

*again, if your not interested in watching your weight, feel free to use 1Tbl extra virgin olive oil.

What a great time to barbeque! Invite friends over, watch college football, and devour some awesome grilled delights. I’ll give you my recipes and the story in another post, but this picture will have to do for now.

-BBQ spare ribs
-BBQ baby back ribs
-BBQ chicken breasts
-BBQ asperagus
-BBQ fresh veggies
-BBQ pineapple
-Lovely green salad
-Lime cilantro rice

Hope you have enough people for this feast!