Tales from the grill...

wayneh

Joined Sep 9, 2010
17,496
I recently bought a dehydrator, and ran some slices of tomato in it. It was funny to see how small they got after being processed. But boy, oh boy... they were delicious when my wife mixed them in a plate of pasta and shrimp... highly commendable :)
We did sliced kiwi fruit once. Don't! It turns into thin slices of tasteless pure sour.
 

Reloadron

Joined Jan 15, 2015
7,501
A friend sent me these links just yesterday. Interesting.

That was a nice little video. Lorenzo has my vote but... That really doesn't mean very much since burgers, hot dogs and foods like pizza can have different taste for different folks. How many times does a friend or relative tell us something is really, really (insert more really) good and when we try it it's mediocre at best? Maybe even sucks as to our taste. That's it and what it's all about, our taste.

Condiments are another issue. New York city born and raised I think there is a law on the books that Ketchup can be used on a burger but using ketchup on a hot dog is illegal. Likewise you can use mustard, including spicy brown mustard, on a hot dog but its use on a burger is absolutely prohibited. Really, it's a law. :)

Thanks again for sharing the video.
Ron
 
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killivolt

Joined Jan 10, 2010
835
I prefer to use Elk Burger, it's a little on the lean side but very tasty. I will also do Buffalo, I never thought about using a Potato roll for the bun. I learned a few things in the video, the scientific look was the best for me. I always toast the bun, then I have an Air Fryer to do thick cut fry's, I make my own dipping, either Mayo or Miracle Whip together with Barbecue sauce or Ketchup. The pickles have to be Bubbies almost like home made.

kv
 

Reloadron

Joined Jan 15, 2015
7,501
I prefer to use Elk Burger, it's a little on the lean side but very tasty. I will also do Buffalo, I never thought about using a Potato roll for the bun. I learned a few things in the video, the scientific look was the best for me. I always toast the bun, then I have an Air Fryer to do thick cut fry's, I make my own dipping, either Mayo or Miracle Whip together with Barbecue sauce or Ketchup. The pickles have to be Bubbies almost like home made.

kv
When I was a kid my grandfather would often bring home venison. When the deer was cut up and butchered the remaining meat was ground up for hamburger. Like most wild game venison is very lean so grandma would add pork fat as she would hand grind the meat. We called them venison burgers and to this day I remember how good they were.

Ron
 

ronv

Joined Nov 12, 2008
3,770
Hey Ron! ... it's great to hear from you again :), anything for you, my friend.

May I suggest "Caldo Tlalpeño" ? ... it's a real tummy-warmer, and you could add a little spiciness to it using the traditional Chipotle chile, which is always served by the side. That way your significant other can season the dish to her own personal taste.


Here's a pretty decent recipe. To this recipe add a few slices of avocado on top after pouring it in the bowl, and also a few cubes of panela cheese. I suggest you skip the serrano peppers it mentions, though. Always serve with a slice of lime by the side, to be squeezed on top right before enjoyment. I guarantee instant gratification ... ;) Bon-appetite!
Very, very good!
I had to make a couple substitutions, but it came out good.
Thanks for the warning on the peppers. Killers.

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Becky liked it. And she is not big on new. She raved about the lime on top. :)
Thanks, my friend.
 

wayneh

Joined Sep 9, 2010
17,496
Didn't we once have a thread here on customer service horror stories? I couldn't find it so I thought this story belongs here.

I bought a Char-Broil grill about 10 years ago. My deck back then had a narrow opening for the grill, so I never bothered to attach the "wings" that had come with my grill. My patio was rebuilt last year and now I have room, so I pulled the original box out of my garage and proceeded to install the side burner.

I got it physically attached but was surprised that the detailed assembly manual had zero mention of making the final gas connection. The gas header had a screw-on cap on it and the side burner had a mating connector on a flexible tube. So it was obvious what needed to happen, but there was very little access to these fittings and it looked like quite a challenge.

I went to the Char-Broil online support service to see if there was a "trick" to make it easier and that's where the nightmare begins. It took at least 20 minutes just to convince the rep that my grill had come the way it did. He kept insisting that they only ship grills fully assembled. Sparing you the details of an hour or more spent online chatting, the final decision was that I would provide detailed photos of my grill and the engineers would decide what to do. Pictures uploaded.

Tired of waiting, the next day I decided to see just how bad the chore really was and with some contortions and tedium, I got it done. There was almost no room to swing the wrench so I had to flip it back and forth to both sides AND to the box end in order to rotate the nut, all while lying on my back, but that was the worst of it. Fired up and all is good.

Finally this morning, the crack team at Char-Broil delivers this email. The "HVR" is the main gas header already attached to 3 burners and the main supply. It came pre-installed and would be a bear to replace.

Thank you for contacting Char-Broil. We do not recommend attempting to reattach the side burner valve, We strongly recommend replacing the HVR for your safety. You would have to look for the new HVR through a third party due to the part being discontinued. We recommend checking with grillparts.com for the replacement.

We appreciate your business. If you have any further questions you may contact us by either visiting www.charbroil.com or by phone at 1-800-241-7548. Our hours of operation are Monday through Saturday 9am to 7pm EST.

Sincerely,

Bob
Char-Broil Grill Service Specialist

Absolutely ridiculous! Buy an expensive part in the after market, spend hours removing the perfectly good one I already have and replacing it with the new one, and THEN I'd be right back to where I already was - needing to make the final connection to the still-new side burner. What dopes. Can you imagine if this was their advice for assembling my grill when it was brand new?
 

Reloadron

Joined Jan 15, 2015
7,501
Sadly my wife isn't much on ribs. She eats them but not with the vigor I get into them. :(

I normally end up with a rib surplus in my freezer.

Ron
 

wayneh

Joined Sep 9, 2010
17,496
Oh my ... brisket has always been one of my weaknesses ... thanks for posting!
In that case, here are a couple related links. I heard the guy from Weber on a radio show and the results sounded fantastic.

This is all research for my brisket project. I know one thing - I want to do a whole brisket - and that means an investment. I prefer the fattier, "burnt ends" portion and don't really want the more popular "flat". I don't want to sacrifice such a huge cut of beef to inexperience.

 

Reloadron

Joined Jan 15, 2015
7,501
I should mention that anyone that likes grilling might like this series. I was wide-eyed watching the episode on doing Texas-style brisket, something I want to try this summer. My smokehouse beans recipe came from that episode and it's a keeper. Really, really good.
Thanks for sharing that. Years ago before I retired I decided to make a brisket lunch for my whole department at work. We had a kitchen but all the work was done at home and served at work. Somewhere in the pages of this thread I likely shared this but from years ago here is how I do brisket. I especially like the rub and the sauce. When everyone wanted to know how I did it I worked this up:

Day of the Brisket

On Monday January 24, 2011 I finally came through with a long awaited promise to provide a beef brisket lunch for my friends at Assembly and Test Department. While I of course appreciated the thank you from everyone my real satisfaction came from watching everyone return for seconds, thirds and maybe a few fourth servings. That was the ultimate reward for my efforts. You are all more than welcome.

Many have asked for my recipe. Please keep in mind that a recipe, any recipe, is nothing more than a baseline and made to be tinkered with to suit taste. Feel free to tinker. Here is what I prepared.

The Brisket:

The brisket cut I used was called “A Flat” there is also a “Point” but you want the flat. When possible I suggest asking a butcher in a meat department of your local supermarket, however, very good cuts can also be found on the shelves of the meat department. If you deal with a butcher ask him to remove the fat. A full brisket consist of the flat and point joined with a thick line of fat. If you buy a vacuum packed pre packaged brisket try to look hard at the fat side you will need to trim. A 5 to 6 pound brisket will generally yield a pound of fat so unless you plan to feed friends and family fat plan wisely. If the meat has this layer of fat carefully using a sharp knife trim away the fat. A 5 pound trimmed brisket should yield about 8 servings (less for those who savor brisket). I prefer Certified Black Angus or as a minimum a good USDA Choice brisket.

Ingredients (The Rub):

  • 3 tablespoons chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons paprika
  • 1 tablespoon cayenne
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
  • 1 tablespoon granulated onion
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
Reserve the following on the side.

  • Several minced fresh garlic cloves (about 6 tablespoons)
  • Olive Oil (Extra Virgin about ½ cup)
Combine the dry ingredients and mix well in a bowl. Personally I like to kick the cumin up to a few tablespoons but feel free to modify to your taste. Mix the minced garlic and olive oil in a small bowl.

Brisket Prep:

By hand rub the olive oil and garlic mixture into the meat on both sides. Rub means just that, Use the palm of your hand(s) to press the mixture into the meat. Don’t be bashful; work the mixture well into both sides of the beef brisket. Now sprinkle the dry rub mixture on both sides of the meat being generous, use it all. Wrap the brisket in plastic wrap like Saran Wrap (or whatever) and place it in a roasting pan overnight in the refrigerator. I like a good 8 to 10 hours.

The Cooking Process:

I start the cooking process using a Weber Kettle Grill. We are not going to cook the brisket at a high temperature. If you have a kettle grill or smoker grill you want to set up for indirect heat. Move your coals to one side and place the meat on the other side on the grill surface. I used soaked apple wood from a tree we cut down years ago. I like Apple but Mesquite wood sold in many grilling stores also works fine. Wood like apple lends a sweeter taste. Soak your wood! You want smoke and not flames. Place your brisket on the grill (less the plastic wrap) and try to maintain a grill temperature around 200 to 220 degrees F. I like to give the meat a few hour per side. Check the meat frequently; we don’t want to burn it. The trick to great tender brisket is slow cooking with good smoke initially. We don’t want to dry the meat out! Low temperature and slow cooking is the key. Before I forget, if you are one of those people who love to place foil on a grill surface… DON’T! The smoke should flow freely around the meat.

After about a few hours per side remove the meat and place back in the roasting pan it marinated in. Add about a cup of water of if you have any beef stock use that over using water. Cover with aluminum foil and set oven for 220 Degrees F. The meat should now slow cook about another 6 to 8 hours. Good things come to those who wait! Check the meat every few hours with a fork for tenderness. We don’t want it to dry out, it will become a nice tender and a fork will go right through it. Don’t poke too hard with the fork or the fork will pass through the brisket and the disposable roasting pan. The pan will begin to leak and you will get a sinking feeling. Been there and done that. J

All of this is a pretty forgiving process. We just don’t want to overcook and dry out the beef. Different briskets have different thickness so cooking times will vary. Different grills and smokers vary. Just don’t dry out the brisket! Enjoy, have a few drinks and let’s make the sauce. The sauce is a big part of the magic.

Barbecue Sauce Ingredients:

  • 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
  • 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons molasses
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon dry mustard
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce
In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, stirring, for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, vinegar, lemon juice, orange juice, mustard, Worcestershire and hot sauce, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and the flavors marry, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly before serving.

This is a sauce I really like. I could put this stuff on breakfast and like it. Use it anywhere you want a really good barbecue sauce. I always double the recipe! The lunch we had was 8X the recipe. Use fresh garlic! Don’t cheat. Again, season to taste, if you like heat be generous with the red pepper sauce or add some crushed cayenne pepper.

While I prefer the suggest rub recipe here is another I have tried.

· 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

· 2 tablespoons kosher salt

· 4 tablespoons paprika

· 2 teaspoons granulated garlic powder

· 1 tablespoon granulated onion powder

· 1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper

· 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

· 2 teaspoons ground cumin

Enjoy

Ron
This is a sauce I especially like. I use it on ribs, chicken and while I have never tried it I bet it would go well on your morning breakfast corn flakes. Well OK, maybe not that great.

Ron
 

Thread Starter

cmartinez

Joined Jan 17, 2007
8,220
Last night I had a get together with lifelong friends and grilled the unusual combination of burgers and ribs. Here are the results.



Bacon, bacon, and more bacon (and ribs) ....

Image00002.jpg





A rather tempting burger...

Image00001.jpg




Presentation is everything :)

Image00003.jpg
 

Reloadron

Joined Jan 15, 2015
7,501
Presentation is everything :)
That alone says it all. While off topic how good food is presented says a lot about those who prepare it. When trying to teach my first wife about the preparation and presentation of Lasagna she could not grasp why I was so fussy about how it looked when complete. Yeah right, we just toss everything in a pan, bake it and it's done.

When it comes to Bar-B-Que the presentation is as important as all the prep and the ingredients. Good grill people are, in a sense, artist in their own right. I really believe that! :)

Ron
 

killivolt

Joined Jan 10, 2010
835
Last night I had a get together with lifelong friends and grilled the unusual combination of burgers and ribs. Here are the results.
Bacon, bacon, and more bacon (and ribs) ....​

Yesterday I went to a food cart, been seeing it for about a year. Tacos are the many pitch, they he, also have Tamales. I order my Granddaughters and I order a Taco and a Tamale. They at it all, I however only half of each because even though I have good pico and salsa, I find they have sugared the meat. Kack, yuck. I like Vinegary, Salty, Spicy, not a fan of sweet, just saying that's me.

Is this something I would get in Mexico or is this someones thought of a Hawaiian, Mexican experiment?

kv
 

Thread Starter

cmartinez

Joined Jan 17, 2007
8,220
Is this something I would get in Mexico or is this someones thought of a Hawaiian, Mexican experiment?
You would never find something like that down here, thankfully. What you've described is a typical attempt of what we call "agringar" (which could be translated as "gringo-up" or to make something "gringo-like") Mexican food, trying to please a milder palate.
 
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Thread Starter

cmartinez

Joined Jan 17, 2007
8,220
Or here, except as something unusual to add variety to the menu, like a BBQ taco or something like that. I can't think of time I've ever seen such a thing. I like a little pineapple on my al pastor taco, but there's nothing sweet about the meat itself.
Yeah, tacos al pastor are a variant that indeed have little chunks of pinnacle in them, but that's usually found in the center and southern part of the country. The pineapple does add a little sweetness (but not too much) and also a little sourness, which in the end balances flavor quite neatly... it's not my personal sort of thing, though.
 

killivolt

Joined Jan 10, 2010
835
Yeah, tacos al pastor are a variant that indeed have little chunks of pinnacle in them, but that's usually found in the center and southern part of the country. The pineapple does add a little sweetness (but not too much) and also a little sourness, which in the end balances flavor quite neatly... it's not my personal sort of thing, though.
Pineapple isn't what I classify as sugary sweet, they could have done that, I would have been ok with that, it's natural sweetness, not processed sugar, like @cmartinez said (sort of tart) that would have worked well, it pisses me off how they sneak it in, just like "Cafe Rio" they use sugar in their food, it's disgusting like WTF are you thinking.

I haven't had processed sugar for at least 50 years, no pop, nothing. Every other year I'll drink some Root-beer with my Pizza, otherwise it's just water.

Same reason I hate canned goods, in time of famine or Zombie apocalypse, I get it, you have no choice, screw the pull date. :D

kv
 
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