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

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!   

Yeah, You Can Grill That – Thanksgiving Recipes!

I love cooking Thanksgiving dinner almost as much as I love eating it. I start planning my menu and shopping list weeks in advance. I print out and write down recipes, and write up a game plan to make sure everything gets brined, rubbed, chopped, mixed and put in the oven and just the right time so that it’s all ready to go when dinner is served.

Unfortunately, like most of you, my love of cooking seriously outmatches my kitchen space, equipment and manpower. If I had two or three ovens, eight stovetop burners, and a few assistants, I could probably have everything ready to eat at precisely 7:00 PM. Instead, I can’t start cooking the dressing, macaroni and cheese, sweet potatoes or anything else that goes into the oven until the turkey comes out – which means it has to sit for about an hour and a half. I have potatoes boiling, vegetables steaming and gravy cooking on the stove, and there’s always at least one more pot than there are burners. Something is going to have to go in the microwave.

So this year, I’m taking advantage of my outdoor cooking space – my grill and my smoker. I’m going to smoke the turkey and ham over apple wood. I’m going to grill the macaroni and cheese, the Brussels sprouts with bacon and blue cheese, and the asparagus. And that will leave plenty of time and space for everything else to cook inside.

If you’re looking to free up some space in your oven or on your stovetop, or you just want to add some grill flavor to this year’s Thanksgiving, you can’t go wrong with any of these recipes:

Turkey breast – I haven’t cooked a full turkey on the grill yet (I’m sure it’s possible, and will attempt when the stakes aren’t quite as a high as Thanksgiving). But in the meantime, if you’re cooking for a smaller group, you can’t go wrong with this recipe for grilled turkey breast. It’s juicy and tender, with a great (but not overpowering) smoky flavor.

 

Sweet Potatoes – They may get overshadowed by the turkey, stuffing (or in the south, dressing) and gravy, but it just isn’t Thanksgiving without sweet potatoes. These sweet potatoes can be made quickly and easily on the grill, with the delicious brown sugar sauce you’d expect.

Macaroni and Cheese – Gooey, cheesy, bubbly and delicious, this recipe for macaroni and cheese cooked on the grill simply can’t be beat.

 

Potato and Sweet Potato Gratin – Want to mix things up? Instead of (or maybe in addition to) traditional mashed potatoes in one bowl and candied sweet potatoes in another, combine them, add a ton of cheese, and enjoy this awesome recipe for potato and sweet potato gratin.

Vegetables – You can’t go wrong with vegetables cooked on the grill. Any of these grilled vegetables – carrots, asparagus, green beans, corn on the cob, or Brussels sprouts – won’t just taste a lot better than their steamed or boiled brethren, they’ll also free up much-needed space on your stove.

 

Lobster tail – Lobster was on the menu for the first Thanksgiving in Plymouth in 1621, so if you want to go truly authentic this year, try this recipe for buttery, tasty grilled lobster tail.

Chocolate Pecan Bars – Pecan pie is a staple dessert at most Thanksgiving dinners in the south. This recipe has all the sweet, chewy, gooey goodness of pecan pie, plus CHOCOLATE. Oh, and it’s grilled.

 

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!

Grilled Cheese steaks – Whiz Wit!

One of the things I love about living in DC is that not only do we live in a great city – which has in recent years become a great food city – but we’re also a quick drive, bus ride or train from other great places to visit and EAT. Case in point: Philadelphia.

I’m a Georgetown grad, and Villanova fans will tell you that we’re rivals. I’m not so sure about that, but I will say this – when Georgetown plays at Villanova, I always try to go up for the weekend. We usually get a group of friends together, pack into a couple cars, and crash on our friends’ (or our friends’ parents’) couches and floors. Side note: I know that I’m rapidly approaching the day when I’ll be too old to do that. Some might say that day has already passed. I’m OK with that.

The game is always a blast. I’ll never forget Jessie Sapp stunning the home crowd with a half-court three as the first half buzzer sounded, and then joining fellow Georgetown fans in singing “You wish you had Jessie Sapp” to the tune of “Jessie’s Girl” as we waited in the beer lines.

After the game is when the real fun begins, because Philly is an awesome place to go out. When you’re used to D.C. bar and taxi prices, you feel like a millionaire in Philly. Everything is so cheap! A Yeungling and a whiskey shot for $3? Yes, please.

But the highlight is always the cheese steak. I’m a Pat’s guy myself. Pat’s is the original and still the best. Thin-sliced steak, gooey melted cheese, and onions on a soft roll. Pat’s doesn’t need the flashy neon signs that you see across the street at Geno’s. They just make great cheese steaks. And, of course, they top them in the classic way – with Cheeze Whiz. Whiz wit (with onions) for me, every time. 

If you love this classic Philly dish as much as I do, you have to recreate it at home on the grill. It’s really easy. You just need a few ingredients. And it tastes freakin’ awesome.

Note: I used “London Broil,” which isn’t really a cut of meat but a way of preparing flank steak or skirt steak. But since flank steaks are almost always labeled at the grocery store as “London broil,” I’m calling it that in the ingredient list to keep things simple.

Ingredients:

1 London broil
1 ½ cups London broil marinade (recipe here) or any marinade of your choice. I’d recommend something that won’t overpower the flavor of the meat.
1 onion
1 green bell pepper (optional)
4 Hoagie rolls
1 jar Cheese Whiz
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions:

1.    Pour marinade over meat and let sit overnight, or at least two hours. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before you plan to grill so it can reach room temperature.
2.    While your coals are getting hot, chop the onion into quarters and place on skewer, like so:

 
3.    If you’re using a bell pepper, cut that into quarters as well.

4.    Grill the meat over direct for 5 minutes on each side, then remove from grill and let rest for at least 10 minutes.

5.    While the meat is resting, grill the onions and peppers for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until they get a little char.

 
6.    Slice the meat diagonally, against the grain, as thinly as possible.

7.    Chop the grilled onions and peppers.

 
8.    Place a cast iron pan directly on the grill. Heat the vegetable oil, heat, then add sliced meat and chopped peppers and onions. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, until hot.

9.    Toast the hoagie rolls for about two minutes on the grill.
10.    While the rolls are toasting, microwave the Whiz for about a minute, until it’s piping hot.
11.    Serve the meat, onions and peppers onto the toasted rolls, then top with cheese. 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 – Asian Style

One of the great things about beer can chicken is that you can take the basic principle – plop a chicken on top of a can, grill it over indirect heat, and get moist, delicious chicken – and add whatever flavors you want. So far, I’ve posted recipes for beer can chicken with Buffalo and Indian flavors (along with a great curry chicken salad recipe for leftovers), and I’m always looking for new themes.

This week, I cooked an Asian-style beer can chicken. I soaked it overnight in a homemade marinade with soy and ginger, then slow-cooked it on the grill. It was (as beer can chicken always is!) very juicy, and it really soaked up the awesome flavor of the marinade.

And, of course, I served it with my grilled fried rice. The timing works out perfectly. Just steam the rice while the chicken is grilling, then fry it over the grill while the chicken rests. Makes a great meal! (Yes, Mom, we got our veggies - started the meal with a side salad.)

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, about 4.5 pounds

Marinade ingredients:

1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey (Tip - Measuring honey is a pain. Just give the bottle a good squeeze for a couple seconds)
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1.    In a large bowl, mix all marinade 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.    Add chicken to bowl and cover with marinade. Refrigerate overnight.
4.    When you’re ready to grill, 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.
7.    Shove can with remaining beer into the cavity of the chicken, and place on the grill above the drip pan, opposite the coals. Use the legs and the can to form a tripod to hold the chicken upright, like so:

 
8.    Place the lid on the grill, with holes above the chicken. 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!