Steak Pizza

Our weather in southwestern Ontario tends to be not as harsh as the rest of Canada but we still see subzero temperatures and a fair amount of snowfall each year.  That does not deter us or many in our region from outdoor grilling.  The grill is typically very close to the back or patio door, within an easy shovelling distance if need be.  Our grill is under a soon to be enclosed roof on the deck making it a three season room.

The weather was unseasonably warm so we grilled rib steaks.  Now, these were quite large steaks at an inch and a half thick as hubby does not like grilling thin steaks.  We buy our beef in bulk so the abattoir does a custom cut for our meat.  He likes his steak rare while I like mine medium rare but on occasion will eat rare.  

The real focus of this meal was the lightly seasoned rib steaks.  We served them with campstyle potatoes and a Caprese salad.  The sweet basil is homegrown mainly hydroponically and in the Aerogarden.  I currently have several basil plants on the go and honestly, you can never have enough basil!  

Campstyle potatoes is a rather simple, versatile dish always made in cast iron usually with potatoes and onions but sometimes mushrooms.  Cast iron gives the perfect caramelization for this dish!

I know many will think this funny but we always have left-over steak.  That's just the nature of the beast.  On the other hand, we love cooking once but getting two or more different meals out of what we cook.  We try very hard to minimize food waste so lef-overs are used within a couple of days or froze for later use.

Left-over steak can be used in so many ways.  One of our favourites is as a sandwich in pita bread.  This time I made sourdough flatbreads for steak pizzas.  These were a bit of a spin on the Margherita pizzas.   Toppings included red onion, sweet basil, fresh tomato, steak and of course lots mozzarella cheese.  The end result was a delicious meal with very little effort.
 

Using the Grill to Cook Mac & Cheese and Nachos

We spent much of May at our vacation home in sunny Florida where it was considerably warmer than at home in beautiful Ontario, Canada.  Warm weather regardless where we are means a stronger reliance on the outdoor grill.  Our outdoor grill at our vacation home is propane only while our main home grill is a dual fuel (charcoal, propane) Nexgrill.  The outdoor grill is considered one of our must have kitchen appliances.  While we use our grills year round, they definitely see an increased use during the warmer summer months.  An outdoor grill can be used not only grilling (short cook time) and barbequing (long cook time), it can also be used very much the same way an oven is used.  It is however, even more versatile as certain foods like some vegetables can be cooked without the use of pots and pans, although a grill pan or mesh tray is nice if cooking smaller pieces.  Other than that, I use the same bakeware I use in the oven. 

Nachos are incredibly easy and quick to make on the grill if you start with pre-cooked ground beef from the freezer or home canned ground beef, either plain or seasoned.  Pre-heat the grill to medium heat (350°F).  Place the nacho chips on a baking sheet.  Top with browned ground beef and shredded cheese.  Bake on the grill until cheese is nicely melted.  Remove from grill.  Transfer to serving dish.  Top with chopped tomatoes, onions and green peppers or toppings of choice.

Mac & cheese is another very easy dish to prepare on the grill.  Use your favourite recipe, 7 Cheese Mac 'n Cheese, or variation.  I like keeping cooked macaroni on hand for this purpose.  Simply mix with cheese and bake on the top rack on the grill in an oven proof baking dish. 

Bring a bit of extra flavour when cooking dishes like nachos on the grill by using a smoker packet or box.  A small reusable smoker box will cost less than $10 or you can make a simple smoker packet from aluminum foil.  You will need about a quarter cup of wood chips.   Wood chips of sugar maple, apple, hickory, pecan, cherry, mesquite and more are available wherever grilling accessories are sold.  Soak the wood chips in liquid of choice for 30 minutes.  Drain and put them in the smoker box or in the centre of a square of aluminum foil.  Seal the aluminum foil to form a pouch.  Poke a few holes in the foil.  Place the smoker box or foil smoker packet over direct heat.  Place food on the grill when chips start releasing smoke.  Smoking with add a subtle, mellow flavour to the food.

Grilled Salmon

We are very fortunate to have a few fisheries within a 100 mile radius of our home in addition to being able to fish ourselves.  It is an interesting way so spend a bit of time watching the fishing boat dock with their delicious cargo.  As a result we are able to enjoy local fish like perch, pickerel (walleye) and bass of a fairly regular basis.  Most of these fisheries also have fresh fish like Atlantic salmon, rainbow trout, lake trout and whitefish as well as other fish and seafood.  We recently stopped at one of the fisheries, Purdy's Fisheries who have three locations in Ontario:  Grand Bend, Point Edward and Port Franks.

We live in a smaller community with two grocery stores but only one carries a very limited supply of fresh fish.  That fish is transported to the grocery store and while it is fresh fish, it is not a fresh as the fish at the fisheries.  We brought home a lovely pickerel fillet and salmon fillet.  I cooked them on foil over charcoal along with acorn squash wrapped in tin foil and grilled potatoes.
Salmon is a nice, sturdy fish that lends itself nicely to grilling directly on the rack, in a pouch or on a prepared cedar plank.  Pickerel, on the other hand is a bit more delicate and sticks to the grill easily so needs to be cooked on foil or in a foil packet when grilling.  The fillets were lightly seasoned with lemon juice, butter and garlic pepper.

Fish is the ideal fast food because it does cook quite quickly.   Charcoal adds a lovely flavour to the fish that can be enhanced using wood chips if desired.  Salmon can be cooked to rare if desired but pickerel should be grilled until the flesh is opaque and flakey yet moist.  It is important to not overcook the fish as it will become dry.  Place the fish on a baking sheet with holes or tin foil with a few holes poked into it.  Let the fish fillets cook without turning.

We certainly love our fish but the two fillets were too much for dinner.  I vacuum sealed the remainder of the salmon fillet to be frozen.  Pre-cooked like this, salmon is excellent for making salmon dip for entertaining, flaked for salmon sandwiches or used in seafood chowder.  It certainly will not go to waste!

Frugal Kitchens 101 - The Outdoor Grill

 
We have always had some type of outdoor grill from the time we were newlyweds, always within a few steps of the kitchen.  We even had a tabletop model for our RV and one of the first purchases we made for our vacation home was an outdoor grill.  We grill year round regardless of the weather.  In all honesty, if we had our druthers we would grill every day of the year!  Outdoor grilling has many advantages.  It gives a flavour to the food that you really can't get using other cooking methods.  In fact, the only way I cook my homemade roasted tomato sauces is on the outdoor grill.  Outdoor grilling keeps all the cooking odours and heat out of the house.  There's less dishes to do using an outdoor grill as well.  However, an outdoor grill is an appliance that does require maintenance.  The type of maintenance will depend on the fuel or in our case the fuels being used.

In general, there are a few tips that apply to all outdoor grills:

• don't cover - A outdoor grill should not be covered as that will eventually lead to rust and it encourages rodents.  If you want to protect your grill put it in a sheltered place like a garage or shed.
• salt is the enemy - Many seasoning blends and commercially made barbeque sauces are high in sodium.  This promotes rusting of the burner and grates.  Avoid using salt directly when grilling.
• avoid flare-ups - Part of what adds to the flavour of grilled foods is the flame but you don't want excessive flare-ups.  They not only burn the food, they create soot on the inside of the grill and they can be down right dangerous.  Any built up soot should be brushed from the inside of the grill to prevent contaminating foods.  Do not use water to control flare-ups as that can make them worse.   Instead turn the heat down and move the food to a cooler spot on the grill.
• don't clean the grate -  The grate should be left as is after each use.  Heat the grate to burn off any left overs at the start of the next use of the grill.
• cleaning the exterior - Use a hot soapy water with a little household ammonia to clean the exterior surfaces.  A non-scratching cream cleaner can be used on stainless steel portions of the grill to clean, rinse then buff to a shine with a clean, dry cloth.
• repainting - Painted portions of the outdoor may need to be repainted to protect the metal from rusting.  Use a high heat, rust proof paint on the box and hoot.  A standard rust proof paint can be used on other parts like the legs.

Each of the fuel choices have maintenance tasks specific to that fuel.  Here is what we have learned over the years.

• charcoal -  Charcoal creates ash.  Old fashioned lump charcoal creates less ash than charcoal briquettes.  The ash must be cleaned out on a regular basis but always leave a thin layer of ash in the tray.  Never use chemical charcoal starters as they leave residue on your food as well as inside the grill.  Instead, invest in an electric charcoal starter or use a newspaper chimney to start your charcoal.  Be sure the ashes are cool before cleaning out the ash tray. 
• natural gas - The biggest problem we noticed with natural gas is it encourages earwigs and spiders.  Earwigs are simply annoying but spiders will spin webs that can obstruct the flow of the gas causing a rather dangerous situation.   The burner on a natural gas grill will likely need replacing every five years.  The ceramic briquettes if there should not need replacing, simply turning them over occasionally will clean them.  If you have a wave style bed over the burner, it will need to be replaced every three to five years. 
• propane - The electronic igniter seems to break faster on propane grills.  Perhaps it is because they can be moved easier. The burner will likely need replacing every five years.
• electric - Electric grills are not ideal but for those living in apartment buildings it may be the only option.  Inspect the cord to be sure it is not damaged before plugging it in.  Place a bit of water in the bottom of the grill to prevent flare-ups.  Electric grills should always be stored indoors when not in use.

Charcoal Grilled Jerk Seasoned Chicken

I am currently tweaking the final two Ranch recipes I will be submitting for the Hidden Valley Ranch™Recipe Challenge.  When I received my box of five delectable Hidden Valley Ranch™chicken immediately popped into my mind and I already had a idea in mind.  The recipe would used chicken but not any chicken.  My creation would use charcoal grilled jerk seasoned  chicken to give a unique flavour that would go nicely with the Ranch.  Before I post that recipe to be submitted for judging, I wanted to share with you exactly how I make the chicken.

When I took these pictures for the first run of the recipe we were using charcoal briquettes.  We ignite them using an electric starter rather than use lighter fluid.  Briquettes are wonderful and used properly you can get some amazing results.  They add a smokey note that you can't get using propane or natural gas grills.  We have since switched to using old fashioned lump charcoal in favour of briquettes.  Briquettes burn hotter than lump charcoal and they are cheaper but they produce a lot of ash.  Lump charcoal is all natural.  It lights quickly, burns hotter with little ash production but it burns faster and is more expensive.  Still, we are finding we are getting better results using lump charcoal in terms of flavour and performance.  Whether you use charcoal briquettes or lump charcoal, the method for grilling the chicken is the same.

The Hidden Valley Ranch™ Recipe Challenge specified using fresh ingredients with a strong emphasis on fresh vegetables and kid friendly.  I picked up two fresh whole chickens to start creating.  The reason being, I knew I would have to recreate my recipe a few times to get it the way I wanted.

Pictured is one of the fresh chickens.  I removed the fatty portions around the cavity opening as they would cause flare-ups on the grill.  They went into the freezer bag of chicken parts for stock making.    Once the chicken was clean-up, I cut in in half, butterfly style.

For this purpose, it didn't matter whether I cut along the rib cage (butterfly) or breastI cut from end to end along the breast line.  The cut really didn't matter as all the meat would be cut from the bones. Leaving the chicken somewhat whole gives a juicier result than cutting it into individual pieces.  Leaving as many bones in the chicken gives nice stock bones.

I used Cool® Runnings Jerk Seasoning to lightly season both sides of the chicken.  I reasoned the seasoning would compliment the smokiness of the charcoal without over powering it.

I put the chicken on the grill when the briquettes were covered with white ash.  The heat can be adjusted by lowering or raising the coal bed or the chicken can be moved to the upper shelf to cook slower.

When cooking on charcoal, it is important to avoid flare-ups much the same as any other types of grilling.  Flare-ups cause heavy charred or burned parts on the food.  The standard trick of using water or beer to douse the flames doesn't work with charcoal as that causes ash to rise and stick to your food.  Keep a close eye on the food and move it to another part of the grill when flare-ups occur.  Be sure to adjust the coal tray level to reduce flare-ups and add fresh coal if necessary especially if you are doing a slow cook.

The chicken is cooked when the juices run clear and the meat is no longer pink.  Note the smoke surrounding the almost cooked chicken?  This adds an amazing flavour that permeates the meat without overpowering.  It is mouthwatering!  This is my current favourite way of cooking chicken on the grill.

Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the grill and allow to rest 10 minutes before deboning.  The meat will fall from the bone rather nicely.  Cut larger pieces into strips or you can cube if desired.  Make sure you leave bits of the skin on as it really does add flavour.  Most of the fat has dripped off anyway.  Cool the chicken pieces.  Reserve bones for stock.  When the chicken pieces are cooled they are ready to be used in sandwiches, salads or you can freeze for a taste of summer during the winter months.

Charcoal Grilled Rib Steak

[An Aside: As I type this our custom woodworker is here doing the finishing touches in our kitchen.  Oh my gosh, I am so pleased with the results!  I'll post a picture or two tomorrow.]

We a huge fans of grilled foods, especially meats and poultry.  Our grill is used year round but sees heavier almost daily use during the hot summer months.  We have had plain charcoal grills, hibachis, propane, natural gas and electric grills ranging from tabletop/countertop, stove cartridges and full sized stand alone units.  Each type of fuel gives good results but each behave differently.  Electric built-in and stove cartridges don't give the depth of flavour when compared to gas or charcoal grills.  Propane runs hotter than natural gas so gives better grilling results.  Propane and natural gas are convenient giving good results but by far, the best fuel for flavour is charcoal.

Sunday night we grilled rib steaks for dinner.  It was the second last package of steaks in the freezer.  We are getting ready for our beef-on-the-hoof order so I want the freezers cleaned out.

The steak was grilled on charcoal to between blue and rare.  At one point I would not eat steak this way and still like it medium rare but grilled this way is delicious!  Now this is the way steak is meant to be cooked!   I served it with steamed asparagus garnished with sesame seeds and grill baked potatoes garnished with parsley flakes.  It was a delectable meal to welcome in the warmer spring weather.

No doubt there will still be a few chilly days but we are quickly approaching the ADLF (average day last frost) here.   That means my windowsills are filled with seedlings and trays waiting for germination.  All is good!

New York Strip Steaks on Charcoal Grill

My husband and I are steak lovers!  Our criteria is the meat must be organic, hormone free beef, it must be cut thick and the steaks must be grilled to perfection.  The best grilled steaks are those grilled on charcoal.  Yes, you can get good results on a natural gas or propane grill and suitable results on an electric grill but the best tasting steaks are those grilled on charcoal.

Our new outdoor grill has charcoal and propane compartments.  I would hazard a guess that the charcoal compartment will get a lot more use than the propane one.  Grilling with charcoal takes a bit more planning and effort.  Unlike grilling with natural gas or propane, grilling with charcoal takes about 15 minutes to get the coals covered with grey ash suitable for the proper temperature for grilling.  The temperature on our grill can be determined by the temperature gauge but it is good to know the hand test to judge the temperature as well.  Once the coals are ready for grilling it may be necessary to move them around to get a suitable even grilling surface.  When the coals are ready with an even grilling surface, grill the steaks as normal.  You can create a nice grill cross-hatch mark by turning the steaks a quarter turn once the first hatch mark is created.  Flip the steak then repeat for lovely cross-hatch mark on the other side.  When grilling steaks do not flip more than once and do not ever, ever, ever puncture the meat at that will cause the steak to dry out while losing flavour.  Oh and the steaks tasted every bit as good as they looked!  Simply divine...