Cherry Cola BBQ Sauce

One of the great things about barbecue, and especially barbecue sauce, is that there are seemingly infinite different options. I love experimenting with different sauces and getting completely different flavors, all of which still count as “barbecue sauce.”

My latest creation is a cherry barbecue sauce, flavored with cherry cola and cherry preserves in addition to the usual suspects (like ketchup and apple cider vinegar). It combines sweet and a little heat, with a cool kick from the cherry flavor. Give it a try, and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

½ stick butter
1 cup ketchup
1 can cherry cola

3 tablespoons cherry preserves
½ cup cider vinegar
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
½ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon each of the following: salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion salt, ground red pepper (add more or less depending on your taste)
2 TBSP lemon juice

Directions:

1.    Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat.
2.     Stir in all other ingredients.
3.    Simmer 30-40 minutes, until reduced. Enjoy!

Goes great with any of these grilling recipes!

Smoked BBQ Pork

Fall-off-the-bone Ribs

Beef Brisket

15-minute BBQ Pork

BBQ Beer Can Chicken

Be sure to try these other sauces to compare and find your favorite:

Dr. Pepper BBQ Sauce

Carolina Style Mustard Sauce

Ketchup and Molasses Sauce

Mango BBQ Sauce

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Grilled Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Blue Cheese

As the temperatures drop, many people cover and close their grills for the fall and winter. Huge mistake! Not only does your grill work perfectly fine this time of year, I’d argue that it almost makes more sense to grill in the fall and even winter than it does during the summer. Think about it. When would you rather stand around a hot grill and reach over hot flames, when it’s 100 degrees outside, or when it’s in the 40s or 50s?

There are also a number of great fall and winter harvest vegetables that are perfect for grilling, and over the next few months, and I’ll post recipes for as many of them as I can. On tap today: Brussels sprouts. But not just any Brussels sprouts – these ones are grilled, then topped with crumbled blue cheese and fresh-cooked bacon bits.

Brussels sprouts have a bad rap, and I’m not sure why. I guess if you over-boil them, they smell (and taste) like bad eggs. That’s obviously gross. But when prepared right, they’re delicious. And they’re perfect for grilling – they get nice and crispy on the outside, soft on the outside, and have great flavor.

So keep your grill going this fall, and give this recipe for Brussels sprouts with bacon and blue cheese a shot – you won’t regret it.

Ingredients:

1 pound Brussels sprouts
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Approx. ½ teaspoon dry mustard
4 pieces bacon, cooked and crumbled (the thicker the better)
About ¼ cup blue cheese, crumbled

Directions

1.    Wash Brussels, chop off the stems, remove outer layer of leaves, and cut in half.
2.    Coat with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and dry mustard. The easiest way to do this is to put them in a large re-sealable bag and shake them up.
3.    Place Brussels on skewers.

4.    Place skewers over direct heat and cook for five minutes on each side. If they begin to get too charred, move them over and let them cook indirectly (will take a little longer than 10 minutes total cooking time if you need to do this).

5.    Remove from skewers, place in bowl and top with crumbled blue cheese and bacon. Enjoy!

Dry Rub BBQ Beer Can Chicken

In my ongoing quest to grill as many different varieties of beer can chicken as possible, I realized that I haven’t really done a classic barbeque dry rub. This recipe is great on its own or with BBQ sauce (like my favorite Dr. Pepper sauce).

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken (about 4.5 pounds)
Approximately one tablespoon vegetable oil
Salt and pepper

Dry rub ingredients (these are all approximate. Add more or less of each to get the flavor you want):

2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon ground red pepper

Directions:

1.    In a small bowl, mix all dry rub ingredients.
2.    Remove chicken neck and giblets (I try to freeze them to save for stocks). Rinse the chicken inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels.
3.    Coat chicken with vegetable oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then cover with dry rub.

 
4.    Fill your chimney starter with charcoal and light. Soak some wood chunks or chips.
5.    While your coals are getting hot, drink half a can of beer (soda is fine too).
6.    Set up your grill for indirect cooking, with all of the coals and wood chunks on one side, and a drip pan on the other. Or, place the coals in a ring along the outer edge of the grill, with the drip pan in the center.

 
7.    Shove can with remaining beer into the cavity of the chicken, and place on the grill above the drip pan. Use the legs and the can to form a tripod to hold the chicken upright.

 
8.    Place the lid on the grill. Smoke, covered, for approximately one hour and fifteen minutes. The chicken is ready with the temperature reaches 165 degrees in the breast and 180 degrees in the thigh. Juices should run clear and skin will be nice and crispy.
9.    Let chicken rest at least 10-15 minutes before carving.

If you like this recipe, please be sure to click on the links below to share it - and don’t forget to follow @youcangrillthat on Twitter!

Bacon-Wrapped Scallops

Ingredients (serves 2)

8 large scallops
8 pieces bacon
Sea salt
Pepper

Directions:

1.    If you’re going to use wooden toothpicks or skewers, soak them in water for about 30 minutes before you put them on the grill. This will prevent them from scorching.
2.    Lay the bacon flat, over wax paper, on a baking sheet, and cook for 12 minutes. Remove and pat dry with paper towels.
3.    Wrap each scallop with one piece of bacon, and hold it together using a toothpick or skewer. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

4.    Place over direct heat on grill.

 
5.    Cook for about 90 seconds on each side. Don’t overcook, or they’ll be chewy! Basically, one they have grill marks, they’re ready to go.

 
6.    Remove and enjoy!

Pulled Pork Leftover Edition – Carnitas Burritos!

I’ve been smoking A LOT of pork shoulders lately, and while I could eat BBQ pork sandwiches just about every day, it’s always nice to have a little variety. Of course, when you’ve already done the work of smoking the shoulder, you’re looking for a recipe for the leftovers that’s quick and easy. For leftover pulled pork, it’s hard to beat carnitas burritos.

I’m going to keep this recipe pretty vague. In fact, it’s not really a recipe so much as a suggestion – if you have leftover pork, make some burritos. That said, here’s what I used:

Ingredients

Leftover smoked pork shoulder (here’s my recipe for smoking BBQ pork on the grill)
One can of black beans
1 cup of white rice, cooked according to package directions
Shredded cheese
Salsa of your choice (here’s a great recipe for salsa with grilled corn)
Plain Greek yogurt – a tasty, healthy substitute for sour cream. Bet you won’t taste the difference!
Tortillas, warmed on stove, grill, or in microwave
Lettuce (grilled if you want!)

Directions

1.    Directions? Seriously? Ok, I’ll play along. Place tortilla on plate. Pile all other ingredients high. Wrap up in tortilla. Eat!

If you like this “recipe,” please be sure to click on the links below to share it! And don’t forget to follow @youcangrillthat on Twitter!

Peanut Butter, Apple and Oatmeal Cookies – for Dogs!

When I grill, my dog Mollie is always my number one grilling buddy. Don’t worry; she doesn’t handle the food, though not for a lack of trying. Her primary jobs, in addition to keeping me company, are protecting the grill from squirrels, making sure that anything I spill gets cleaned up right away, and barking at any potential intruders into our backyard.

However, she’s always devastated when the food comes off the grill and she doesn’t get to eat. The unfairness of it all! She toils away for hours helping prepare what certainly smells like a delicious meal, and she doesn’t even a taste? That’s just wrong.

So for her birthday, I cooked some cookies on the grill that were just for Mollie. These are really healthy treats for dogs, and she LOVED them. I’m sure your four-legged friends will too.

Mollie attacking her kong to get a cookie out!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 egg
½ cup unsweetened apple sauce
2 tablespoons molasses
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 apple, cored and finely chopped (or grated)
Nonstick cooking spray

Directions:

1.    Mix the peanut butter, egg, apple sauce and molasses well.
2.    Add the apple and dry ingredients and mix well.
3.    Spoon cookie dough onto well-greased baking sheet (one you don’t mind putting right on the grill).
4.    Heat your charcoal and spread the coals into one layer covering the bottom of the grill.
5.    Place the cookie sheet in the center of the grill. Cook for about 5 minutes, covered. Flip the cookies over, and cook for another 5 minutes. They should be nice and crispy on the outside, but still chewy on the inside.
6.    Remove the cookies from the grill, and let them cool for at least 20 minutes. Then serve!

If you like this recipe, please be sure to click on the links below to share it! And don’t forget to follow @youcangrillthat on Twitter!

Curry Chicken Salad (aka, Indian-Style Beer Can Chicken Leftover Edition)

Looking for a way to stretch your leftovers after making an Indian-style beer can chicken? This curry chicken salad is light and healthy but packed with delicious flavor. It’s perfect to pack for lunch or enjoy on a hot summer day.

Ingredients:

2 leftover chicken breasts from Indian-style beer can chicken

2 cups grapes, sliced in half

1 tablespoon lemon juice

6 oz plain Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon curry powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.    Shred chicken breasts.
2.    Combine all ingredients and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy – it’s that easy!

If you like this recipe, please be sure to click on the links below to share it! And don’t forget to follow @youcangrillthat on Twitter!

Chocolate Pecan Bars – On the Grill!

Looking for another awesome dessert you can bake right on the grill? Try these gooey, chewy, delicious chocolate pecan bars!

Crust ingredients:

1 stick butter, softened
1 ½ cups flour
¾ cup sugar
Quarters-worth of salt

Filling ingredients:

3 eggs, beaten
1 ½ cups pecans, halved
3 TPSB butter, melted
¾ cup Karo syrup
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 TBSP bourbon (optional)
12 oz semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1.    Beat crust ingredients together.
2.    Press crust into heavily greased cast iron pan.
3.    Stir filling ingredients together.
4.    Pour filling over crust.

5.    Set up grill so that coals form a ring around the outside of the grill, leaving the middle of the grill empty.
6.    Place pan in middle of grill. Grill, covered, for 15-20 minutes, until filling is completely melted.
7.    Let cool for at least 30 minutes, preferably at least an hour. It’s going to very tempting to cut in early, I know, but if you do, it’s going to fall apart. After 30-60 minutes, cut into bars and enjoy!

If you like this recipe, please be sure to click on the links below to share it! And don’t forget to follow @youcangrillthat on Twitter!

Grilled Watermelon Salad

Watermelon? Yeah, you can grill that!

You want to grill it quickly over high heat, just enough to get some good grill marks. It retains the juicy, crispiness that makes watermelon so tasty and refreshing on hot summer days, but the grill adds an extra layer of flavor.

Grilled watermelon tastes great on its own, but it’s perfect for salads. Wow your guests with this recipe for grilled watermelon with spinach salad, topped with an easy, homemade honey balsamic vinaigrette.

 
Ingredients (serves 4):

*Don’t pay too much attention to the amounts here, except for the dressing. This is just to give you an idea. Serve however much spinach, feta and walnuts you want.

Approximately 6 cups loosely packed raw spinach
About 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
About 4 ounces chopped walnuts (or other nut of your choice)
4 slices watermelon
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt

Honey balsamic vinaigrette ingredients:

½ cup olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
Quarters worth of salt
Quarters worth of pepper
About two tablespoons of honey (Tip: measuring honey is a huge pain, and inevitably you waste some because it gets stuck in the measuring spoons. I just squeeze it straight from the bottle, and have figured out that a good, two-second squeeze is about 1 tablespoon.)

Directions:

1.    Whisk all salad dressing ingredients together in a small bowl (or pour into an empty jar and shake).
2.    Brush watermelon slices very lightly with olive oil, and sprinkle lightly with salt.
3.    Place watermelon on grill over high, direct heat. Cook for about two minutes on each side, so that you get some good grill marks.

 
4.    Plate the spinach, topped with crumbled feta and chopped nuts. Drizzle with the balsamic vinaigrette, then top with the grilled watermelon. Enjoy!

If you like this recipe, please be sure to click on the links below to share it! And don’t forget to follow @youcangrillthat on Twitter!

Grilled Strawberries with Grilled Cinnamon-Sugar Tortillas

If you’re looking for an easy, delicious grilled dessert, look no further. Fresh, juicy strawberries served over sugary, cinnamony (new word), buttery, crispy tortillas, with just a hint of grilled flavor. Best of all, it takes just a few minutes to prepare and even less time to grill.

Ingredients (serves four)

4 soft-taco-sized flour tortillas
1 pint strawberries
About 3 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
Approximately 2 tablespoons cinnamon

Directions

1.    Cut the stems off the strawberries. Sprinkle them with brown sugar and about one tablespoon of granulated sugar. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour, so the sugar forms a nice syrupy texture.
2.    Skewer the strawberries (and save the juices that should be left in the bottom of the bowl they’ve been sitting in).
3.    Brush both sides of each tortilla with melted butter or margarine, then sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon to taste.
4.    Grill the strawberries skewers over direct heat for about three minutes, turning once.
5.    Grill the tortillas for about one minute, turning once, so they get crispy but not charred.
6.    Serve the strawberries over the tortillas, drizzling with the remaining sugary strawberry juice.

Thought for next time, because I’ll definitely be doing this again: top with some chocolate sauce? Honey? Fresh whipped cream? Vanilla ice cream? Go crazy . . .

If you like this recipe, please be sure to click on the links below to share it! And don’t forget to follow @youcangrillthat on Twitter!

Pork Tenderloin and Red Cabbage Slaw Tacos

Looking for a pork tenderloin recipe with a little Latin flavor? Try these pork tenderloin and red cabbage tacos! They have a little heat, a little sweet, topped with some cilantro and lime juice. The slaw adds some tanginess and helps cool down the spice in the pork tenderloin.

Ingredients (serves 4)

Eight soft flour tortillas
Cooking spray
Pork tenderloin

Dry rub ingredients:

3 TBSP brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 TBSP salt
1 TBSP black pepper
1 TBSP garlic powder
1 TBSP smoked paprika

Red cabbage slaw ingredients:

½ head red cabbage, shredded
2 large carrots, shredded
½ cup cilantro, loosely packed
½ white vinegar
½ cup vegetable oil
½ TBSP salt
½ TBSP black pepper
2 TBSP brown sugar
1 TBSP lime juice

Pork tenderloin directions:

1.    Combine all dry rub ingredients. Rub generously over pork. Let sit at 2 hours, preferably overnight.
2.    Grill over direct heat for 15 minutes, turning once.

3.    Let meat rest for 10 minutes, then slice.

Slaw directions:

1.    In a large mixing bowl, combine shredded cabbage, carrots and cilantro.
2.    In a smaller bowl, mix all other ingredients.
3.    Add oil and vinegar mix to shredded vegetables and stir well.
4.    Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.

Putting it all together:

1.    Spray both sides of tortillas lightly with cooking spray (or lightly brush with oil). Warm on grill for about one minute, turning once.

2.    Place slices of tenderloin in tortillas, then top with slaw. Enjoy!

If you like this recipe, please be sure to click on the links below to share it! And don’t forget to follow @youcangrillthat on Twitter!

BBQ Beef Brisket – Smoked on the Grill

Looking for smoky, moist, tender, flavorful beef brisket on the grill? Give this recipe a shot. Remember the key – low and slow!

How to buy beef brisket: When you’re buying brisket, you have a few different options. You can get a whole brisket (or “packer cut”), which is boneless and cut from the breast section of a side of beef. Since each cow produces two whole briskets, this is a huge piece of meat. It consists of a “flat” section, and a “point” section, and you can also purchase those separately. The flat section is basically just a lean, flat cut of beef. This is what you usually see sliced when you order beef brisket. The point section is a much fattier, so it has a lot of flavor and moisture, but it also falls apart easily, so it’s usually chopped or used for burnt ends.

If you go with the whole brisket, be prepared to smoke it for a good 15 hours. That’s an awesome way to spend the day, but you probably won’t be able to find a whole brisket at your local grocery store. They probably won’t have the point section either, but it shouldn’t be too hard to find a flat cut, which is what this recipe calls for. Look to buy a flat cut that has a layer of between a quarter-inch and a half-inch. If it’s more than a half-inch, trim it a little bit. If it’s less than a quarter inch, keep looking for a better cut!

Ingredients:

One beef brisket, flat cut, 5-6 pounds
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup canola oil
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

Dry rub ingredients:

½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup salt
¼ black pepper
¼ paprika
2 tablespoons onion salt
 2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons chili powder

Directions:

1.    Combine all dry rub ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Set aside two tablespoons of the dry rub mix.
2.    Brush brisket with the olive oil, then coat generously with the dry rub. Refrigerate at least two hours; overnight is preferable.

 
3.    One hour before you’re ready to cook, take the brisket out of the fridge. Start soaking your wood chunks in water so they’ll be ready to go.
4.    Fill a chimney starter about halfway with charcoal and heat. Once the coals are gray, pour them onto one side of the grill, so you’re set up for indirect heat. Place a drip pan on the other side of the grill.
5.    Use a thermometer to monitor the grill temperature carefully. You want to keep the temperature between 225 degrees and 250 degrees.
6.    When the grill has reached the target temperature, place the wood chunks on top of the coals. Place the brisket, fat-side up, above the drip pan.

7.    Grill, covered, For the first two hours, add more wood chunks approximately every 30 minutes to keep the smoke going.
8.    Mix the cider vinegar, oil, Worcestershire sauce, and reserved two tablespoons of the dry rub mix together.
9.    After two hours, pour the cider vinegar mixture into a grill-safe pan. Remove the brisket carefully from the grill, and place it in the pan, like so:

 
10.     Cover immediately with foil, and continue cooking over indirect heat.
11.    Cook for about 3-4 more hours, continuing to monitor the temperature of the grill carefully. Add more charcoal as needed. Be sure to only add hot coals in order to maintain a steady temperature. TIP: I found it works best to add about 8 hot coals (heated in the chimney starter) approximately every hour.
12.    When the meat reaches an internal temperature of 200 degrees, it’s ready to go. Remove the pan from the grill, then remove the brisket from the pan and the vinegar mixture. Place on a cutting board and cover with foil.
13.    Let the brisket rest for 15-20 minutes. Then slice across the grain – this is important for breaking apart the fibers that run through the brisket. You don’t want to spend all day slowly smoking this brisket only to render it tough and hard to eat because you sliced it the wrong way.

(See that pink ring around the edge of the brisket? That's how you know the smoke has penetrated just enough to give it great smoke flavor, without adding so much smoke that the meat gets bitter.)

 
14.    Serve it with your favorite barbecue sauce – on a bun or straight up – and enjoy!

(Served here with gooey, cheesy grilled macaroni and cheese)

Try it with You Can Grill That’s Dr. Pepper Sauce, Ketchup and Molasses Sauce, or even let your worlds collide with Texas-style beef brisket and Carolina-Style Mustard Sauce!

If you like this recipe, please be sure to click on the links below to share it! And don’t forget to follow @youcangrillthat on Twitter!

Triple Grilled Caesar Salad

This a great, refreshing salad for the summer – cool, crisp, and a hint of smoke. It combine three great grilled ingredients – grilled chicken, grilled homemade croutons, and grilled hearts of romaine lettuce, then topped with a fresh Caesar dressing a little shredded parmesan. Enjoy!

Serves 4.

Grilled Chicken

Ingredients:

-    4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
-    About 1 tablespoon olive oil
-    Salt
-    Pepper
-    About 2 teaspoons each of Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes

Directions:

1.    Brush chicken with olive oil.
2.    Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes.
3.    Grill for about 15 minutes, covered, turning once. Chicken is ready when the juices run clear.

Grilled Croutons

Ingredients:

-    ½ baguette, cut into slices about one-third of an inch thick
-    1 tablespoon olive oil
-    1 teaspoon Italian season

Directions:

1.    Stir Italian seasoning into olive oil.
2.    Brush both sides of each baguette slice with olive oil mixture.
3.    Grill slices over direct heat for about 3 minutes, turning once, until gold and crispy on each side.

Grilled romaine

Ingredients:

-    2 hearts of romaine, cut in half lengthwise
-    1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

1.    Brush lettuce with olive oil.
2.    Grill lettuce for about 2 minutes on each side. You want it to get a little crispy without wilting.

Caesar dressing

Ingredients:

-    4 cloves garlic, crushed
-    ½ cup olive oil
-    2 tablespoons mayonnaise
-    1 teaspoon lemon juice
-    1 tablespoon white vinegar
-    1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
-    About ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper

Directions:

1.    In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together garlic, olive oil, mayo, lemon juice, vinegar and mustard.
2.    Add salt and pepper to taste.

Putting it all together:

1.    Roughly chop grilled lettuce and toss with dressing. Plate lettuce.
2.    Slice grilled chicken and place over lettuce.
3.    Top chicken and lettuce with croutons.
4.    Sprinkle with shredded parmesan and enjoy!

If you like this recipe, please be sure to click on the links below to share it! And don’t forget to follow @youcangrillthat on Twitter!

Dr. Pepper BBQ Sauce

This Dr. Pepper barbecue sauce has just the right amount of sweet and heat. The Dr. Pepper flavor (or should I say, the 23 Dr. Pepper flavors) shines through without being overpowering. It goes great with grilled ribs, chicken, pork, pretty much anything, and it’s really easy to make – no chopping, no blending, just combine a bunch of ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen and simmer. So give it a try!

Ingredients:

½ stick butter
1 cup ketchup
1 can Dr. Pepper
½ cup cider vinegar
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
½ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon each of the following: salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion salt
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 TBSP lemon juice

Directions:

1.    Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat.
2.     Stir in all other ingredients.
3.    Simmer 30-40 minutes, until reduced. Enjoy!

If you like this recipe, please be sure to click on the links below to share it! And don’t forget to follow @youcangrillthat on Twitter! 

Beer Can Chicken – Buffalo Style

Love buffalo wings but don’t want to have to eat 20 of something to get full?  Try this recipe, which combines the moist, tender, smoked flavors of beer can chicken with hot buffalo wing sauce and a smooth blue cheese béchamel sauce.

For this recipe, you start with a cayenne pepper-based dry rub, smoke the chicken beer-can-style, and then drizzle it with the two sauces.  Enjoy!

Ingredients (serves 4):

1 whole chicken, abut 4.5-5 pounds
¼ cup vegetable oil
Salt and pepper

Pepper dry rub:

1 tablespoon each of the following: sea salt, black pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, onion salt, mustard powder
2 tablespoons chili powder
3 tablespoons brown sugar

Buffalo sauce:

1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
½ cup hot sauce (I strongly recommend Frank’s Hot)

Blue Cheese Béchamel:

3 tablespoons butter
¼ cup vegetable oil
½ cup flour
3 cups milk
½ pound blue cheese, crumbled

Directions:

1.    Drink half a can of beer. Boo-yah!
2.    Remove giblets from chicken, rinse inside and out, then pat dry with paper towels.
3.    Brush chicken with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
4.    Combine all dry rub ingredients. Rub generously over chicken.

5.    Set up grill so that charcoal is on one side, along with some wood chips that have been soaked in water, and a drip pan is on the other.
6.    Shove the beer can into the cavity of the chicken.  Place chicken on the grill, and stand it up so that the can and two legs form a tripod.  Tuck the wings into the chicken so they don’t dry out.
7.    Cook the chicken over indirect heat, covered (with the holes in the lid directly above the chicken) for approximately 75 minutes, until it reaches 165 degrees in the breast or 180 degrees in the thigh.  I’d recommend spinning the chicken around about halfway through so that one side doesn’t get to blackened.

 
8.    When the chicken is almost ready, prepare your sauces.  The buffalo sauce is super easy.  Melt the stick of butter, add hot sauce, and stir. Voila!
9.    For the blue cheese sauce: Add the butter and oil to a saucepan and melt butter over medium heat.  Whisk in the flour to form a roux, and whisk briskly for about 2 minutes.  Slowly add  the milk, whisking constantly, and then simmer for 8-10 minutes, whisking occasionally.  Stir in the blue cheese and you’re good to go.
10.    When the chicken is cooked through, remove it from the grill and let it rest – still standing on the can – for 10 minutes before removing the beer can (be careful, it’s still going to be pretty hot) and then carving the chicken.
11.    Serve the chicken, drizzle with the sauces, and enjoy!

If you like this recipe, please be sure to click on the links below to share it! And don’t forget to follow @youcangrillthat on Twitter! 

Twice-Grilled Cheesy Potato Cakes

Yum . . . super cheesy, moist-on-the-inside, crispy-on-the-outside potato cakes – cooked not once but twice on the grill!  This is definitely my new favorite side dish, and they’re really easy to make.

 
Ingredients (serves 4):

4 potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
3 TBSP butter
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion salt
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.    Spread out four squares of aluminum foil.  Place one chopped potato in each, then sprinkle with onion salt, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and place one small pad of butter over each potato.  Reserve remaining butter.
2.    Fold foil over potatoes to form pouches.
3.    Place pouches over indirect heat on grill, and cook for about 30 minutes.
4.    Remove potatoes from foil and place in mixing bowl with remaining butter.  Mash (and you really want to mash them, not whip them, so they’ll hold together.  A little chunky is ok).
5.    Stir in cheese.
6.    Form potato and cheese mixture into patties.  Let the patties sit in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes to hold their shape.

7.    Carefully place patties on grill, over direct heat.  Grill, covered, for 8-10 minutes, flipping with a spatula once.
8.    Remove and dig in!

If you like this recipe, please be sure to click on the links below to share it! And don’t forget to follow @youcangrillthat on Twitter! 

Beer Can Chicken – Indian Style!

This dish is a spicy, savory, Indian play on the classic beer can chicken.  The chicken is rubbed with a spicy, flavor-packed Indian dry rub, and then smoked on the grill over a can of beer.  The result is chicken that's crispy on the outside and incredibly moist on the inside.  It’s served with a coconut and curry sauce that’s sweet and savory, along with some zucchini and some lightly grilled flatbread to soak up all the extra sauce.

And besides, who doesn’t want to try a recipe when step one is, “Drink half a can of beer”?

 
Ingredients (serves 4):

1 can of beer
1 whole chicken (4 to 4 ½ pounds)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
4 pieces flatbread

Indian dry rub:
3 TBSP curry powder
1 ½ TBSP coarse sea salt (substitute regular table salt if you don’t have sea salt)
2 TBSP red pepper flakes
1 TBSP ground cumin
1 TBSP ground coriander
½ TBSP dry mint
½ TBSP ground ginger

Coconut Curry Sauce with Zucchini:
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno chili, chopped
1 tsp lemon juice
2 TBSP olive oil
2 zucchinis, cut into bite-sized pieces (feel free to substitute other vegetables, like squash, carrots, etc.  Just be sure to adjust the cooking time as needed.)
¼ cup chicken broth
1 TBSP curry powder

Directions:

1.    Drink half a can of beer.
2.    Remove chicken giblets and rinse chicken inside and out.  Pat dry with paper towels – get it as dry as possible.
3.    Brush chicken with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4.    Combine dry rub ingredients, and coat chicken generously with the rub.

5.    Shove the beer can into the cavity of the chicken.
6.    Set up your grill so that the charcoal and some wood chips (pre-soaked in water to get the smoke going) are one side, and drip pan is on the other.
7.    Place the chicken on the opposite side of the grill from the coals, above the drip pan, so that it will cook indirectly.  Position the chicken so that the can and the two legs form a tripod to hold the chicken upright.
8.    Smoke the chicken, with the grill covered, for about an hour and fifteen minutes.  
9.    While the chicken is ready, go ahead and prep for your coconut curry sauce.  Puree the onion, garlic, jalapeno, and lemon juice in a food processor (or blender).
10.    When the temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees in the breast or 180 degrees in the thigh, and the juices run clear, remove the chicken and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.  This will give you time to put together your curry sauce.
11.    Place a cast iron pan on the grill directly above the coals.  Heat the olive oil.
12.    Add your pureed blend and stir for about 2 minutes.  Then add the zucchini and chicken broth and cook for another 2 minutes.  Stir in the curry powder, then the coconut milk, and cook until it begins to bubble.  Move the pan to the other side of the grill to simmer for about 10 minutes.

13.    Quickly heat the flatbread – about a minute on each side – while the sauce simmers.
14.    Remove the bread and sauce, serve with the chicken, and enjoy!

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Grilled Clams with White Wine Sauce and Linguine

Plump, juicy clams with a hint of smoky flavor, served over pasta with a delicious white wine sauce – give it a try!

Note: Yes, I know the pasta in this photo is not linguine. My wife wanted whole grain pasta, and the grocery store did not have whole grain linguine. However, if I could make this recipe any way I wanted, I'd use linguine, ergo, I've included linguine in the title and recipe.

  

Ingredients (serves 4)

4 dozen clams
About two dozen cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 ½ cups white wine
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon oregano
1 pound linguine or other pasta

Directions:

1.    Boil pasta according to directions.
2.    Heat olive oil and butter until butter melts. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for two minutes.
3.    Add wine, red pepper flakes, and oregano.  Simmer over low heat until reduced.
4.    Grill tomatoes, on skewers, over indirect heat for 6-8 minutes. Remove from grill and add to sauce.
5.    Place cleaned clams on hot grill.  Cook, covered, for about four minutes.  Remove lid.  Pull off clams as they open (careful not to spill any of the juices). Discard any clams that do not open.
6.    Place clams over pasta, and then pour sauce over clams and pasta.  Enjoy!

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Grilled Lamb Gyros

A quick note - gyros are traditionally made by mixing ground lamb and spices and forming it into a firm meatloaf, cooking the meat on a rotisserie, slicing it, and then serving in pitas.  For this recipe, I’ve formed the ground lamb into kofta shapes, grilled them without skewers, and then stuffed them into pitas gyro-style.  

Give them a try!

Ingredients (serves 4-6):

1 lb. ground lamb
½ onion, chopped
½ cup loosely packed parsley
3 cloves garlic
½ cup bread crumbs (I used panko)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon marjoram (optional – don’t go running to the store if you don’t have it on hand)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (this amount gave just enough of a kick for me and was perfectly balanced by the cooling tzatziki sauce.  Adjust according to your taste, but even if you don’t like things spicy, I’d recommend using at least a half teaspoon)
1 egg
Fresh chopped lettuce
Tzatziki sauce (recipe below)
6 pitas or flatbreads

Directions:

1.    In a food processor, puree onion, garlic and parsley.
2.    In a large mixing bowl, use your hands to mix together pureed mixture, ground lamb, potato crumbs, salt, pepper, marjoram, rosemary, lemon juice, cayenne pepper and egg. 
3.    Form into elongated patties and spray both sides with cooking spray (this is critical. You don’t want the lamb to stick to the grill and fall apart).
4.    Grill over high heat for 10-12 minutes, turning once.

5.    Spray both sides of pitas lightly with cooking spray (or brush with olive oil) and grill quickly, about 30 seconds on each side.
6.    Serve lamb over pitas with chopped lettuce and tzatziki sauce.  Enjoy!

Tzatziki sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 cucumber, chopped very finely
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions:

1.    Combine all ingredients in medium-sized bowl, stir well.
2.    Cover, place in refrigerator and let sit for about two hours before serving.

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Perfect Marinade for London Broil

London broil is a really affordable cut of beef.  It can be a little tough, but if prepared correctly, it can be tender and delicious.  The key is in the marinade.  Give this recipe a try, and enjoy tender, juicy, flavorful London broil on the grill.

Marinade ingredients:

½ cup olive oil
½ cup white vinegar
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, smashed

Directions:

1.    Whisk all ingredients together in a mixing bowl.
2.    Place London broil in a re-sealable plastic bag, pour marinade over meat and seal.
3.    Store in refrigerator for 24 hours.

To grill the London broil:

1.    Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking to bring to room temperature.
2.    Place meat directly over hot coals.  For medium-rare, cook for 6 minutes on each side.

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