Grilled Chicken with Red Onion Jam

 This sounds like my next grilling adventure!

As some of you may know Kimber and I like to brew our own beer and Kimber really likes to make hard cider. Well we had a batch of cider that didn't quite turn out the way we wanted. So instead of throwing out I decided to use it for marinating some of our recipes in it. Our ribs turned out fantastic so I reworked this recipe and I'll let you know how it turns out!

 

Grilled Chicken with Red Onion Jam

 INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CHICKEN:
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup minced parsley
¼ cup minced basil
2 tbsp. minced rosemary
2 tbsp. minced thyme
1 tsp. crushed red chile flakes
4 cloves garlic, minced
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to ¼" thickness, halved

 FOR THE RED ONION JAM:
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 large red onions, sliced thin
¾ cup dry hard cider
½ cup sherry vinegar
½ cup sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Make the chicken: Mix oil, parsley, basil, rosemary, thyme, chile flakes, garlic, and lemon juice and zest in a gallon-size resealable plastic bag; add chicken. Seal bag, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (or overnight).

2. Meanwhile, make the jam: Heat butter in a 12″ skillet over medium heat. Add onions; cook, stirring, until soft but not browned, about 15 minutes. Add wine, vinegar, sugar, liqueur, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring, until thick, about 40 minutes; let jam cool.

3. Build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill to medium-high. Working in batches, grill chicken, turning once, until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Serve with the onion jam.

Home Remedy For Indigestion - The Natural Cure That Really Works.

Natural cures and home remedies always come in handy after a cookout. Even the best meals can effect some people with digestive pains. I know because it happens to me every once in a while. Then I found what works for me. And it can work for you!

Now we can always just go to the corner store and buy that pink stuff, but why spend money, especially in today's economy, when that cure you need is hanging out in your kitchen.

Here is a common scenario I have encountered quite often and usually when we have a big party.

You just had a fabulous meal with home made flat bread, grilled steak, and roasted veggies all on the cooked on the barbie. You kicked back a few brews, light a hand rolled cigar then... burp!

Heart burn hell has just setup camp in your "paid for" beer belly. A great day just turned into a pain burning with an intensity of 10 flaming suns. You can swear that at any moment steam will shoot out of your ears and putrid odors will emanate from your lower digestive tract. What to do and fast?

Do what your fathers and their fathers did back in the stone age. Pray to the "Grill Gods"? No, that's so 1600's. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but my salvation has always been to grab that yellow box hidden behind all the spices you don't use.

Who knew baking soda had so many uses. But every time heartburn visits my digestive tract I down a tablespoon of baking soda mixed with a tall glass of water. Wait a few minutes and relief in the form of a belch will subside that sour stomach.

So never let BarBque heartburn ruin a great cookout. Keep that soda handy and kick heartburn to the curb.

For a FREE Report: What Your Doctor Won't Tell You About Digestive Pain! click here...

Grilling Your Steak The Right Way

Grilling Your Steak The Right Way


No matter what you prefer in a steak, maintaining good moisture should always be your goal. When searching for a  good cut of beef, look for a cut with marbling. Fat equals flavor so very low fat content in meat will tend to dry it out and have much less flavor. You should not have to coat a great piece of meat with sauce just to get flavor, in fact you should avoid using a sauce at all. You want to see visible grains of fat running through the meat but not large pieces of fat. If you do see larger pieces simply trim them off. As you cook your steak the fat will melt and naturally tenderize the meat.

Always season the meat with generous amounts of salt and pepper. Many other herb and spice combinations can be added to your taste just be sure you have plenty of salt and pepper in addition to any other seasonings. And always allow the meat to come to room temperature before grilling.

Before grilling your steak first make sure that you have your grill nice and hot. This will give the outside a nice crust
and will also help seal in its natural juices. If you fire flares up at any point, move the meat off the flame. While you want a hot grill, you do not want direct flame on the meat for any extended time period. The worst mistake that most grillers make is to continually flip the meat time and time again. Continually flipping the meat does nothing but cause the meat to dry out. Flipping the steak over and over does not make you a grill master, doing it right, does. In the end you will flip your steak 3 times which will mean you have cooked both sides twice for 3 minutes on each side. For cross-hatch marks on your meat simply turn it 45 degrees when flipping. Total cooking time should be roughly 12 minutes. This will achieve a medium rare steak depending on how hot your grill is. Because every grill it different you will need to experiment o get the desired results.

There is no exact way to tell when the steak is done. Without cutting the meat open and risking the release of its juices, the best way is to either press the meat to judge its tenderness or use a meat thermometer. If you choose not to press the meat, you can use you hand as a guide. For instance if you take you index finger and touch the fleshy part of your palm right under your thumb, that is what rare should feel like. Conversely if you touch you pinky to that same part of your palm that is the consistency of well done. So from finger to the next starting with your index finger and ending with the pinky it would be: rare, medium-rare, medium and well done.

Herb rub:
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
2 teaspoons mustard powder
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon onion
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Mix all ingredients thoroughly in a bowl. Brush the steak lightly with olive oil and rub in herbs.

Barbeque and Grilling Blunders

Barbeque and Grilling Blunders | Learn to Eliminate Outdoor Cooking Mistakes that Kill Your Cookout
author:Billy Bristol


We all make grilling and barbeque cooking mistakes. Sometimes we don't even know what they are until we realize that the barbequed and grilled food you cook is not as good as you've had elsewhere. Make a mental note of these outdoor cooking tips and get in the outdoor cooking game.

Your average backyard cook is no expert in the barbeque or grilling field. He has no television shows on the Food Network. He has no grilling cookbooks out. Nor has any of those been part of his lifetime goal.

No, your average outdoor cooking enthusiast makes more mistakes with bbq grilling than you could ever imagine. The meat ends up dry and tough time after time, despite marinating for hours. Or the meat is burnt or cooked too long. 

These mistakes are made time and time again because your average backyard cook usually does not know any different.



Here are some of the more common mistakes and do's and don'ts made in bbq grill cooking:

1) If you started with frozen meat, make sure the meat is thawed completely. Trying to cook the inside of a still-frozen piece of meat is next to impossible without burning the outside.

2) When using a charcoal grill, try to start the fire without charcoal lighter fluid. Lighter fluid taste will always get into your meat no matter how much you cook the coals down first. A chimney starter makes starting the fire a breeze. It also allows you to add charcoal along the way should should the coals burn out along the way.

3) Never poke the bbq meat with a fork after cooking has begun. This is one of the most common mistakes and one of the most deadly for your barbeque. When poking with a fork, the juices will run out of the meat and right into the bottom of the barbeque pit or grill. Your meat will be dry and less tender. Use a long set of tongs to turn the meat.

4) Lower the heat. Except for steaks, that need a quick searing, cook slow over low to medium heat. Lower heat is much more manageable and it will make the meat tender and juicy.

5) Quit lifting the lid to check the meat. Every time you do that it changes the temperature inside the bbq grill or pit. Air from you opening the lid acts like a sponge and dries the meat up. Opening the lid also increases your chances of flare-ups.

5) This is more of a food safety mistake. Do not put the cooked meat back on the same plate or platter that the raw meat was on without washing it first. Mixing the cooked with the raw just begs for someone to get sick.

Of course, these are not all of the mistakes made by the amateur outdoor cook, but are some of the more common. But if you will prevent doing these yourself, you will eliminate many of the things that cause barbeque failures.
Your guests and family will wonder how come your grilled or barbequed food is so much better then it used to be. And, who knows?...Maybe the Food Network will come looking for you. 

10 Smoky Tips To BBQ Food Safely

10 Smoky Tips To BBQ Food Safely


Here are some great tips by Terry Nicholls

Cooking outdoors was once only a summer activity shared with family and friends. Now more than half of Americans say they are cooking outdoors year round. Use these simple guidelines for grilling food safely to prevent harmful bacteria from multiplying and causing food-borne illness.

1. Defrosting

Completely defrost meat and poultry before grilling so it cooks more evenly. Use the refrigerator for slow, safe thawing or thaw sealed packages in cold water. You can microwave defrost if the food will be placed immediately on the grill.

2. Marinating

Meat and poultry can be marinated for several hours or days to tenderize or add flavor. Be sure to marinate food in the refrigerator, not on the counter. If some of the marinade is to be used as a sauce on the cooked food, reserve a
portion of the marinade before putting raw meat and poultry in it. However, if the marinade used on raw meat or poultry is to be reused, make sure to let it come to a boil first to destroy any harmful bacteria.

3. Transporting

When carrying food to another location, keep it cold to minimize bacterial growth. Use an insulated cooler with sufficient ice or ice packs to keep the food at 40° F or below. Pack food right from the refrigerator into the cooler immediately before leaving home. Keep the cooler in the coolest part of the car.

4. Keep Cold Food Cold

When using a cooler, keep it out of the direct sun by placing it in the shade or shelter. Avoid opening the lid too often, which lets cold air out and warm air in. Pack beverages in one cooler & perishables in a separate cooler.

5. Keep Everything Clean

Be sure there are plenty of clean utensils and platters. To prevent food-borne illness, don't use the same platter and utensils for raw and cooked meat and poultry. Harmful bacteria present in raw meat and poultry and their juices can contaminate safely cooked food.

6. Cook Thoroughly

Cook food to a safe internal temperature to destroy harmful bacteria. Meat and poultry cooked on a grill often browns very fast on the outside. Use a food thermometer to be sure the food has reached a safe internal temperature. Whole poultry should reach 180° F; breasts, 170° F. Hamburgers made of ground beef should reach 160° F; ground poultry, 165° F. Beef, veal, and lamb steaks, roasts and chops can be cooked to 145° F. All cuts of pork should reach 160° F. NEVER partially grill meat or poultry and finish cooking later.

7. Keep Hot Food Hot

After cooking meat and poultry on the grill, keep it hot until served -- at 140° F or warmer. Keep cooked meats hot by setting them to the side of the grill rack, not directly over the coals where they could overcook. At home, the cooked meat can be kept hot in a warm oven (approximately 200° F), in a chafing dish or slow cooker,
or on a warming tray.

8. Serving Safely

When taking food off the grill, use a clean platter. Don't put cooked food on the same platter that held raw meat or poultry. Any harmful bacteria present in the raw meat juices could contaminate safely cooked food.

9. Safe Smoking

Smoking is done much more slowly than grilling, so less tender meats benefit from this method, and a natural smoke flavoring permeates the meat. The temperature in the smoker should be maintained at 250° F to 300° F for safety. Use a food thermometer to be sure the food has reached a safe internal temperature.

10. Pit Roasting

Cooking may require 10 to 12 hours or more and is difficult to estimate. A meat thermometer must be used to determine the meat's safety and doneness. There are many variables such as outdoor temperature, the size and thickness of the meat, and how fast the coals are cooking.

Copyright (c) Terry Nicholls. All Rights Reserved.