Hickory Wings with Bourbon-Molasses Glaze

Ladies and gentlemen, I have the perfect grilled appetizer for your summer get-togethers. How about smoky, sweet, and spicy wings with the unmistakable taste of Kentucky bourbon? Be prepared to have a reputation amongst the neighbours!

I love making wings on the grill, since they're so different than what I'm used to getting in a restaurant. Once you try them, there will be no going back. Trust me, you're about to start just staying home on wing night. These wings are rubbed with a flavourful mixture of smoked paprika, mustard, garlic, onion, and chipotle before being smoked over hickory wood chips.

A glaze consisting of bourbon, soy sauce, molasses, and butter is cooked just long enough to melt the latter; therefore, you should use a bourbon that you like, since the glaze will taste strongly of it. When the wings have had a chance to get comfortable on the smoky grill, brush them with the glaze, basting them a few times until they're ready to eat.

Amazing. Serve them up with some chunky blue cheese dressing, of course (along with lots of napkins).  They'll quickly become a favourite. You may find yourself going through a bottle of Wild Turkey in no time...just a friendly warning!

Hickory Drumettes with Bourbon-Molasses Glaze: The Recipe

From "Weber's Way to Grill" by Jamie Purviance

Amanda's notes: Contrary to what you may think, this blog is not sponsored by the Weber people. What can I say? I just find myself not having to look anywhere else for great recipes for the grill. 

I use salted butter and dark molasses, and the wings taste fine to me!

Ingredients

Rub:

1 tbsp smoked paprika

2 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp granulated garlic

1/2 tsp granulated onion

1/4 tsp ground chipotle chile

20 chicken wings, split (about 3 lbs)

Glaze:

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp bourbon

1 tbsp light molasses

1 tbsp unsalted butter

2 handfuls hickory wood chips, soaked in water for at least 30 min

Directions

In a large bowl mix the rub ingredients. Add the wings and toss to coat them evenly. Prepare the grill for indirect cooking over medium heat.

In a small saucepan, bring the glaze ingredients to a boil over high heat and cook just until the butter melts. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool.

Drain and scatter the wood chips over lit charcoal or put them in the smoker box of a gas grill, following manufacturer's instructions. Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the wings over indirect medium heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until the meat is no longer pink at the bone, 20 to 30 minutes, turning and basting with the glaze once or twice during the last 20 minutes of cooking. Serve warm.

Classic Burgers with Barbecue Spices

When you make sure to buy good quality ground beef, it's true that you can make it into delicious burgers with nothing more than a little bit of salt and pepper, and maybe some Worcestershire sauce. However, if you feel like adding a little kick to your burger meat, do I have the spice blend for you!

This spice blend is adapted from Weber's "Charcoal Grilling" and is our go-to rub for hamburgers. It's the perfect combination of spicy, sweet, salty, and pungent ingredients, and it's the only thing you need to add to your beef before forming patties. Forget the eggs, oatmeal, or bread crumbs; as Iron Chef Bobby Flay would say, these are burgers, not mini meat-loaves! Simplicity is best.

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I wanted to try a blend of cream cheese and blue cheese as a burger topping; I've had it since then and it's a new favourite. The creaminess and the strong flavour of the cheese really complements the beef.

I combine roughly equal amounts of the cheeses together, spread the mixture on some pita buns and then place them on the burgers when they're close to being done. Mouth-watering meltiness ensues. Mmmmm mmmm!

With your favourite fixings and condiments (lettuce, tomato, and lots of mustard for me) these classic burgers with barbecue spices make for the perfect summery meal. Simple, cheesy, juicy...what more can you ask for on a nice, grill-friendly day?

Classic Burgers with Barbecue Spices: The Recipe
Adapted from Weber's "Charcoal Grilling: The Art of Cooking with Live Fire" by Jamie Purviance

Ingredients
1.5 lb ground chuck (80% lean)

1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pure chili powder
1/2 tsp light brown sugar
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp celery seed
1/4 tsp ground cumin

Directions
Combine rub ingredients in a small dish. Add to ground chuck and gently incorporate. Form 4 equally-sized patties. Grill or fry as usual to your liking. Enjoy!

Dad's Prime Rib with Garlic Crust

My mother and brother are always raving about a prime rib that my father cooks on the barbecue. Although I've never been fortunate enough to be visiting when he's made it, they've each described it to me several times: Slow-cooked over indirect heat, this roast is covered in chunky garlic paste that eventually becomes a mouth-watering crust. I knew I was missing out on something special.

A little envious, and not the type of people who wait for a dinner party invitation to try a special dish, Jeff and I picked up a prime rib roast from the farmer's market and decided to make it ourselves.

We found out that we were already in possession of the recipe, since we own the same Weber's Real Grilling cookbook (from which my Dad, Master Griller, says that he gets 90% of his recipes, FYI. A good investment.) The paste is full of fresh flavours: the aforementioned garlic, as well as rosemary, basil, and dijon mustard. It looked amazing spread on the roast before it hit the grill.

The hardest part was waiting for the roast to finish grilling, while its tantalizing smell filled the air. You won't want to leave its side.

After 1-2 hours of grilling and about another half hour of resting, we finally sliced up the roast with anticipation. This prime rib is outstanding! The meat is perfectly tender and juicy, its level of doneness decreasing with every slice, and the outside crust is just beyond description. The recipe as written suggests serving it with a blue cheese dressing, but you should do the same as we did, and just ignore it. It needs nothing more.

Thanks for the inspiration, Dad! You're my grill hero.

Prime Rib with Garlic and Blue Cheese Dressing: The Recipe

From Weber's Real Grilling by Jamie Purviance

"1 bone-in standing prime rib roast, 5 to 6 pounds, trimmed of excess fat
6 large garlic cloves
1/4 cup lightly packed fresh rosemary leaves
1/4 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Dressing
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 medium garlic clove, thinly sliced
6 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Allow the roast to stand at room temperature for 30 to 40 minutes before grilling.

2. In a food processor finely mince the garlic, rosemary, basil, salt, and pepper. Add the mustard and olive oil, and process to form a paste. Smear the paste all over the top and sides of the roast.

3. Grill the roast, bone side down, over indirect medium heat (350°F to 450°F). with the lid closed, until cooked to desired doneness, 1-1/2 to 2 hours for medium rare. Transfer the roast to a cutting board and remove the bones. Loosely cover the roast with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes. The internal temperature will rise 5°F to 10°F during this time.

4. Meanwhile, make the dressing. Place the cream and garlic in a medium saucepan. Bring the cream to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook until the cream coats the back of a spoon, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the cheese, stirring to help it blend into the cream. Season with pepper to taste. Carve meat into slices. Serve warm with the dressing.

Makes 6 to 8 servings"

Enjoy!

Cedar-Planked Salmon Glazed with Maple Syrup, Hoisin, and Mustard

After a lifelong irrational fear of all seafood, I have finally started to incorporate fish into my diet. I started with fish and chips, of course, but have recently moved up to ordering pan fried or baked fish at restaurants. It turns out that I love it, and it makes me sad to think of all those years I wasted refusing to eat it. It has therefore become my mission to make up for lost time; now that I'm comfortable eating fish, this weekend I was finally ready to try cooking it at home.

Jeff and I decided to be brave and barbecue a salmon fillet. We found a recipe for cedar-planked salmon with a hoisin and dijon mustard glaze, and since he's a fanatic, Jeff modified the recipe a bit to include maple syrup (like any good New Brunswicker would).

The fillet went onto the smoking cedar plank, and the lid went onto the charcoal grill.

We were very patient, and didn't peek for 20 minutes.

And, boy, were we rewarded for it.

The salmon was extremely moist and flaky, with a wonderful smoky taste from the cedar plank. The sweet, sharp, and sticky glaze was to-die-for, and its flavours perfectly complemented the the fish without overpowering the taste of it. It was even better than what I've recently enjoyed in restaurants. Cooking at home can be so rewarding.

I'm glad that I've finally learned not only to enjoy fish, but also to cook it myself; I feel as if a whole new aspect of the foodie world has opened up for me. My goal when I decided to try fish was to get to the point where I eat it at least once a week. With a recipe like this, that doesn't seem like very much of a challenge!

Cedar-Planked Salmon with Maple Syrup, Hoisin, and Mustard Glaze: The recipe

Adapted from Weber's Charcoal Grilling: The Art of Cooking with Live Fire by Jamie Purviance

Amanda's notes: Add a tablespoon of maple syrup to the Weber recipe if you so desire.

We used a skinless fillet, which didn't seem to affect the suggested cooking time. Jeff seasoned the plank with salt and pepper before adding the fillet.

"Prep time: 10 minutes Grilling time: 15 to 25 minutes

Glaze
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1 large salmon fillet, with skin, 2 to 2-1/2 pounds, about 16 inches long and 3/4 inch thick
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 untreated cedar plank, about 16 inches by 8 inches, submerged in water for at least 1 hour
1. Prepare a two-zone fire for medium heat (to see how, click here).
2. In a small bowl mix the glaze ingredients.
3. Place the salmon, skin side down, on a large cutting board. Using needle-nose pliers, remove any pin bones from the salmon. Cut the salmon in half lengthwise but do not cut through the skin. Then cut the salmon crosswise to make 6 or 8 servings, but again do not cut through the skin. Brush the glaze evenly over the salmon flesh, brushing some glaze between the individual servings. Season the top evenly with the salt and pepper.
4. Place the soaked plank over direct medium heat and close the lid. After a few minutes, when the plank crackles and smoke begins to escape from the grill, place the salmon, skin side down, in the center of the plank. Close the lid and let the salmon cook until lightly browned on the surface and opaque all the way to the center of the flesh, 15 to 25 minutes. If at any point you see a lot of smoke pouring out of the grill, use a water bottle to extinguish the flames on the wood plank. Moving the plank over indirect heat will also prevent flare-ups, but the cooking time will be longer.
5. Using sturdy tongs or spatulas, carefully remove the salmon and the plank from the grill together and lay it down on a heatproof surface. Serve the salmon on the plank or pick up individual servings by sliding a spatula between the skin and flesh. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 6 to 8 servings"

Grilled Chicken, Potato, and Vegetable Skewers

I'm so happy that barbecue season is finally here to stay. The days are much longer, and the weather is consistently pleasant. Also, we’ve been heaving a bag of charcoal into our cart every time we go for groceries. Is there a better sign of spring?

Making skewers is a great way to barbecue. Not only is it a fun way to eat, because everything is bite-sized, but also it makes it easier to flip the food on the grill. (Note: if using wooden skewers, make sure to soak them in water for at least a few hours to slow down the burning process.) Last Saturday, Jeff marinated pieces of chicken breast overnight in a mixture of lemon juice, olive oil, honey, red wine vinegar, whole grain Dijon mustard, basil, oregano, rosemary, and salt and pepper. On Sunday, he marinated baby red potato slices for about three hours in olive oil with thyme, rosemary, and salt and pepper. This blog entry won’t contain a recipe section, because there aren’t any; Jeff’s style of marinating is as follows:

- Opens a Ziploc bag
- Dumps in any combination of ingredients that he likes, in arbitrary amounts
- Adds food

Although no two marinades have turned out alike, it has never failed him. Why not live on the wild side?

As I’ve mentioned before, I am picky when it comes to potatoes; therefore, I prefer relatively thin slices for maximum flavour and crispiness. However, you could simply halve the potatoes before skewering, if you like (tip: poke some holes in them with a fork so that the marinade seeps through.)

The vegetables weren’t marinated; once skewered, we simply brushed them with olive oil, and seasoned them with salt and pepper. These babies don’t need any more help in the flavour department.

The potatoes went onto the grill first, since they take the longest to cook through; up next a little while later were the veggies. Have I ever confessed that I love burnt food? Well, I do.

Just look at the char marks on these potatoes. Burnt potatoes are a must for me (other food I prefer with a bit of a burn: onions, toast, Brussels sprouts, hot dogs, marshmallows.) Delicious!

Once the veggies were done, they were placed in a 300C oven to keep warm. The chicken skewers replaced them on the grill.


Mmmmmmmmm. What more can I say?

Once the chicken was cooked through and the potatoes were fork-tender, it was finally time to eat.

Success! The chicken was bright and tangy, with a strong lemon taste. The potatoes were perfectly crispy, and woodsy from the rosemary. The vegetables were naturally flavourful, tasting almost as if they had been roasted. All three food groups had the unmistakable and delicious taste of being grilled over charcoal. Served with my ever-present coleslaw, this spring meal of skewers left nothing to be desired. What a great way to wind down from the weekend!

First Barbecue

Last Saturday was a wonderful day. Not only was the weather extremely pleasant, but also we were hosting some very special company; therefore, in honour of these two occasions, it was finally time to dig out the charcoal barbecue.

And dig it out, we did. (Well, Jeff did). Notice the giant block of ice thrown off the porch to make room for our Weber. We knew the hard work would be worth it, in the end.

To get back into the groove of barbecuing after a long winter, we decided to start off the new season with a simple menu: burgers, sausages, and hotdogs. Classic, simple, and satisfying.

However, it still wasn’t just any other barbecue; Jeff seasoned, mixed up, and formed the hamburger patties out of fresh ground beef from the local Stephen Taylor farm, while the local Degenhardt Sausage Farm supplied the chorizo sausage and German vieners (which are very similar to what we know as hot dogs, only without any unrecognizable ingredients). What better way is there to show someone that you appreciate their visit, than by cooking them such quality products?

Add in some fixings, crispy potatoes, and creamy coleslaw, and you have some extremely happy (not to mention stuffed) diners. It was a fantastic spring weekend meal, and an exciting preview of summer.

Welcome back, barbecue; it’s been far too long. I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other in the next few months.