Tag Archives: indirect

rack of lamb in spicy herbs

Today, since it’s officially spring (although the weather is not really working with us here….), I’ve done a nice rack of lamb.

To make the spices to rub it with I’ve used my homemade rub for lamb. I’ve oiled up the racks and sprayed a nice layer of rub on it, and after that I covered the remaining bone parts with aluminum foil to make sure it wouldn’t burn.

I’ve prepared my OTP for indirect grilling and grilled it first until there was a nice crusty part, all around. I started with the meat side, as this is the most fatty part.

After the nice crusty part, just move it to indirect, and insert your core temperature sensor (or thermometer), and let it go with the lid closed until you’ve reached a nice core temp of about 68 degrees (for medium, I guess). Some like it a little rarer, and to be honest, everything above 55 degrees (Again, Celcius, my readers, not Fahrenheit), is nice! Just grill it to your own perfection. Don’t blame me, please.

Once done, I’ve only had to remove the foil and cut it up and we had a great meal. I also did some grilled red and yellow bell peppers to accompany it. It was really good!

Pasta Salad with Smoked Salmon

Lovely and tasty pasta salad for those hot days that you don’t really want hot food. Very simple, but yummie.

Ingredients :

  • fusilli pasta
  • cucumber
  • little tomatoes
  • Basil leaves (fresh)
  • Lemon juice of half a lemon
  • homemade pesto (recipe following here)
  • smoked salmon on cedar wood.

 

Just cook the pasta as described on the package and cool it down using running cold water. Set aside for later use. For the cucumber, just cut it in half over the long side and use a spoon to remove the seeds. Now cut it up on long small bits (length of the fusilli pasta, roughly) and mix in the pasta. Also make the tomatoes as small as you like (I’ve cut it up 4 ways, but 2 might do if you have very small tomatoes. Also mix that in the pasta and now continue on making the pesto. When done, just add the pesto to the pasta and keep mixing it all well. Everything can be added to taste, no real measurements are taken here. I’ve added a handful of fresh basil leaves as well for smell and taste.

Squeeze in the juice of half a lemon and mix up well.

Now for the salmon, I’ve just added some salt and pepper to the salmon side and soaked a cedar plank in water. I’ve heated up the Q (WGA) and placed them together on the grill. The lid was not able to close completely due to the size of the plank, but that allowed for more heat, air, and thus smoke under the lid and the salmon was really really smoked and great of taste.

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With your hand, just break up the salmon and add the pieces to the pasta as well. Keep mixing and your done.

Let it cool a little and enjoy your meal!

 

Grilled chicken with sour cream

Chicken, chicken, chicken. I’ve done it a milion times, but I wanted something else today. Time the kids learn the true meaning of different flavours. I’ve been thinking and using the internet, and I’ve found something I (and the kids) really love.

Grilled butterflied chicken with a sour cream under the skin. Not the easiest to do, but a great taste and good moisture.

To start with the sour cream semi-stuffing, you just use the following.

  • 3/4 cup of sour cream
  • 1/4 cup dice red onion, although I’ve used about twice that amount.
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon of dried dill
  • 1/2 a teaspoon of salt
  • 1/2 a teaspoon of black pepper

First, put the sour cream in a bowl and add the dried oregano and dill. Stir well and enjoy the smell. It smells great already.

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After this, I’ve chopped up 2 red onions and the garlic and put that in the blender. (lazy me, I know, but yeah. I just have the thing, so not using it is even worse, I guess). About 3 seconds later it’s done.

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Scoop it through the mixture and add the salt and pepper.

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Now put it aside and begin a new and uncharted journey into butterfly chicken….

To properly butterfly a chicken, you just have to remove the spine. Not that hard, if you have to correct tools for it, but with a simple knife, this can be tricky. I use a good pair of bone scissors. Love the thing!

I’ve started by cutting of the wing tips, as there is no meat on it whatsoever, and they tend to burn pretty quickly, not looking nice on your beautiful hot chick.

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Place the chicken, back up, bottom facing yourself on a board and start cutting it, alongside the spine, al the way up to the neck.

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Now repeat that step on the other side of the spine and remove the thing altogether. You can use it for some stock or just throw it away. You’re choice. I’ve threw it away.

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Now the fun part. Turn it back with the open side down and press down on the breast part until you hear 2 bones snap. This is the wishbone that either breaks or snaps out of place, allowing for a much more flat chicken.

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Once butterfly’d, or butterflied, (not sure, as I’m not native english …. 😉 ), start by pushing your fingers gently between the skin and the flesh and release it from the flesh, al the way down to the legs and back. It’s kind of an addictive job, as it feels pretty nice to do so …. or is that just me. The wings I left alone, since that would be too much to get the skin loose from. Just be careful not to puncture or break the skin.

Now, start spooning the opening up with the created sour cream and massage it all the way through. Nice job, that might take up some time too.

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After this nice massage of this good looking chick, just wrap it in and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour (preferably overnight), and take it out once you’re ready to go grilling.

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The grilling part is the easiest, of course, as allways.

Start by firing it up and prepare for indirect grilling on roughly 180-200 degrees Celcius.

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Now take out the chicken and rub it in with some olive oil and season it with salt and pepper.

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Can’t get it more spot on ;-). Keep it there for the next 1 – 1,5 hours. Place the chicken indirectly on the grill and close the lid up.

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After about 30 minutes, it’s just this. Nothing much, but it’s getting there!

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But after about 1 hour, just poke it with a fork and see if the fluids are nice and clearly white, that way you know it the chicken is perfectly cooked.

I’ve served it with rice and my very own home made sate sauce. Kids loved it, as always, haha!

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It’s a battlefield, once finished, but it was fantastic! Worth a try if you have some time to spare and a chicken and the rest of the ingredients lying around…

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Enjoy!

Beercan Burgers, yet once again.

it’s been some time since I made these, but they are still soooo easy and definitely one of my favorites. Beercan Burgers (or made with a coca cola can, but it’s probably size that matters 😉 ).

You just need a few things for 2 of these big boys.

  • 300 grams of minced meat (in my case 100% pure beef)
  • 1 egg
  • bread crumbs
  • ketchup
  • 5-4-3-2-1 rub (but any good rub will do)
  • bacon (long slices)
  • chedar cheese (the chewy melty kind of cheap cheese)
  • some grated cheese of a kind
  • 1 red onion
  • 1 green bell pepper (but any colour will do, of course)
  • BBQ Sauce

First start by making the minced meat ready for the can… Mix the minced meat, the egg, a squish of ketchup, a dash or rub and the bread crumbs to a non-stick, non-watery substance. Sounds difficult, but you know it once you’ve got your hands in it.

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I’ve divided this in 2 balls of roughly 150 grams each. Pretty nice size. Then, form balls and once done, press the beercan (or Coca Cola, for the observing people) in the center and form the minced meat neatly around it.

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Now the even more easy part, wrap it with 2 or 3 slices of bacon until it’s nicely packed.

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Now it’s back to cutting up some veggies and making them soft in a pan. You can of course use the BBQ for that too, but mine is not lit yet, so I’ll use the stove for now.

The bell pepper and unions are cut up and softened and I’ve also added a cloaf of garlic. Never hurt anyone. (almost …. depends, I guess, of the situation…)

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Once soft, let cool down, before you put it in the burgers, of course. I’ve also sliced up a few pieces of cheese, due to the lack of grated cheese here on sunday and no open stores around for miles ….

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Now I’ve added some very little vegetables (cold!) in the burgers and some cheese and I’ve repeated this until it was full, topped of with …. more cheese.

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Now a squeeze of BBQ sauce, mine is ‘sweet baby ray’s’, Hickory and brown sugar. Some sweet touch. I like it, but it’s up to your taste too, of course. You can very easily chop down some peppers in there. Everything you like. Mushrooms will do great too, but I didn’t have any ….

I’ve prepped the grill for indirect grilling on roughly 160 degrees and I’ ve placed my 2 beauties on the grill rack. 45 long minutes of waiting without looking might stress you out, but no fear, all will be well. Just mind the temperature. That’s the most important one.

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After about 30 – 35 minutes I’ve topped them off with a slice of cheddar melting cheese and let it go for the last 15 minutes.

But know, that after 45 minutes of pure agony, you will be left with 2 of those gorgeous pieces of meat and vegetables. You can’t find a better burger anywhere! I’ve ate them with some home made DO bread, and it was delicious! Definitely worth a try!

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Best BBQ chicken ever! (According to Jamie…)

This weekend, we had chicken. I love chicken, my wife loves chicken, the kids love chicken. Who doesn’t love chicken? I’ve searched the net for a decent way to cook some legs and thighs, since I didn’t want to do it the ‘old fashioned’ way, just grilling it of on the Q.

I’ve found a wonderful recipe from Jamie, which I really loved, and since I (almost) had all the ingredients in house, I decided to give it a go.

Continue reading Best BBQ chicken ever! (According to Jamie…)