Cooking Outdoors Grilling, Camp and Dutch oven Cooking!

Reverse Sear Grilled Hamburgers

Though it’s not summer yet, these grilling hamburgers tips should get you salivating plenty early this year. My friend Roger Williamson is introducing his take on grilled hamburgers with an extra special technique known as the “Reverse sear”, a great way to grill burgers!

Reverse Sear Grilled Hamburgers

Nothing says summer to me like a sunny day at the lake, a great group of friends, a few brewski’s and burgers done on a Charcoal BBQ. I remember growing up the smell of the charcoal, and to this day it makes my mouth water and my belly growl. I also remember the burgers always had a hint of gasoline and where crispy burnt on the outside, let’s just say my tastes have evolved.

Charcoal BBQing has evolved as well, no longer is lighter fluid preferred means of lighting your coals (the gasoline taste), and neither do you put the whole bag into the kettle ( which would create a single zone of extreme heat resulting in the burnt burgers). But they did get something right, they always started with fresh ground beef and this recipe takes the best of all and brings it together.

The key components of a great burger are, freshly ground beef, a little flavor, a variety of toppings and good buns. Everybody likes good buns. Here is my take on the classic grilled burger.

This recipe is based on 6 burgers and 2lbs of freshly ground medium beef, add more as appropriate depending on how many folks you are making for. This recipe is not for those on a diet, but those who love a great flavorful burger. And obviously you can do this on a gas grill as well, but the flavor is just fantastic on a charcoal.

Ingredients:

2lbs Freshly ground medium beef – use medium or regular, as the more fat the better the flavor and juicier they will be

2 heaping tablespoons of saved bacon fat – this adds incredible flavor to the burger, even better if it is maple smoked bacon fat

Pinches of Salt, Pepper, and Onion powder

A Dash of Worcestershire

Make sure your hands are washed and put the ingredients in a bowl, thoroughly mix together and make 6 patties out of them and place them on wax paper. Let them sit for 30 min in the fridge before putting on grill.

Buns – if you don’t have a local bakery nearby check and see what they have for “gourmet” buns in the local grocery store. They make a big difference over the mass produced pack of 12 you see everywhere.

Fresh toppings – lettuce, pickles, Sweet Vidalia onions, local tomatoes, and bacon (maple smoked if you can find it)

Set up the grill

Set the grill up for 1 side high heat and the other side low. If using charcoal, light the charcoal with a charcoal chimney starter to avoid using lighter fluid. Here is where we do something out of the ordinary; it’s called the “reverse sear”.

The “Reverse Sear”

The reverse sear is a technique you use to keep tenderness and juiciness to the burgers. When burgers are cooked over direct heat until done they can turn out dry, and we want to avoid that. We need to ensure the meat is cooked to 160F for safety reasons, but we don’t want to lose all that juicy goodness. The “reverse sear” will ensure that.

Place the burger patties on the low heat side of the BBQ, put the top down and wait about 4 min until the pink burgers have turned grey. At that point move them to the high heat side and sear the outsides. Once they are properly seared on the outside, move them back to the low heat side, place onions, cheese, bacon or whatever else you want on them and wait for the cheese to melt. In the mean time, toast those buns on the high heat side, for a little extra flavor; spread some butter on them before you toast them.

Once the cheese is melted and the buns are toasted, bring them together with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

Roger is a professional technology geek, a father of 3, husband of 1 and an avid live fire cooking enthusiast who spends his free time in Fall River cooking outside. If you have any questions send me an email FallRiverBBQguy@gmail.com or follow me on twitter @Ragaa

Thank you Roger!

Love those “Reverse Seared burgers you grilled! We are all hoping to see many more great cooking outdoors tips, tricks, techniques and recipes from Roger in the near future. Drop him a line or visit him on Twitter to tell him “More”!

Grilling Vegetables Tools, Techniques & Tips – part 2

Following up on her first article “Grilling Vegetables: Tools, Tips and Techniques pt 1“ Beverly Jo Noble of www.aLifetimeofRecipes.com shows us how to grill vegetables in foil and use skewers. The food looks amazing!

Grilling Vegetables: Tools, Techniques & Tips (part 2)

Last time, we talked about using an accessory grill to keep your vegetables on the grill, as well as cooking times and seasoning ideas. Here are two other techniques to cook vegetables outdoors successfully.

Aluminum foil packages: This is a cross between grilling and steaming. You will get some browning (see the picture of the potato-onion mixture) but the texture will be softer than true grilling. I do like mixed vegetables with herbs, lemon juice or white wine, and olive oil cooked this way. Yes, it is steamed, and you could accomplish the same thing in the microwave or in a bamboo steamer. But this gives you a way to prepare the vegetables ahead of time, let them marinate in the seasonings, and then cook everything outside rather than running back and forth from the grill to the kitchen. Make sure you use double strength foil so that it holds up to the tongs as you turn the packages over. Several small packages (1 or 2 servings per package) will cook better and turn more easily than one large package.

Here’s how:

Lay the foil out on a flat surface. Make sure the foil is long enough to wrap around the food 2-1/2 to 3 times. Brush with a little olive oil. Add the vegetables in the center, along with the herbs. Fold up all the sides, then carefully add the liquids: citrus juice, soy sauce, or wine. Now bring the shorter sides together, and fold them over 3 or 4 times. Press the creases firmly. Next grab the remaining sides, bring them together, and crease until the foil is close to the food. Leave a little room for the steam, which will develop during cooking. That’s it… just let them sit while you prepare the meat. If you used citrus juice, start cooking within 15 minutes; with other liquids you can wait longer. Cooking time depends on which vegetables you have chosen, 10 – 20 minutes. Turn packages over midway.

For the potato-onion mixture shown, I used 3 red potatoes and ½ of a large red onion. I added 3 sprigs fresh cilantro, ½ tsp. dried dill, one smashed garlic clove, and 1 tsp. olive oil. They were delicious! We cooked them for 20 minutes. No pre-cooking was needed, as both onions and potatoes need about the same amount of cooking time.

Skewers can combine a variety of vegetables, vegetables with meat, chicken, scallops, or shrimp. The biggest drawback is the variation in cooking times.

To minimize those differences: Cut onions or potatoes in quarters; place in a small bowl with about 2 Tbsp. water. Microwave 2 minutes; drain thoroughly. Add to the marinade with the other vegetables. If using tomatoes, place them in the refrigerator for 15 – 20 minutes before grilling so they will cook a little slower.

I find that beginning and ending my skewers with either onion or bell pepper helps to keep the softer vegetables on the skewer.

Marinades: this is the basic marinade I use for most vegetables. You have several options for seasoning. Please don’t use them all together… Marinate vegetables for 15 – 20 minutes, then grill; about 5 minutes per side.

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. lemon or lime juice

1 tsp. salt

1 clove garlic, mashed

seasoning: pick from the following list

1 tsp. dried Italian herbs

1 tsp. Greek seasoning mix

1 Tbsp. fresh basil, minced

1 tsp. dried dill, or 1 Tbsp. fresh dill

1 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, minced + 1 tsp. cumin

1 Tbsp. soy sauce & 1 Tbsp. white wine

Vegetable preparation:

Asparagus, cut in 2” lengths

Bell peppers: discards seeds & pith, cut in quarters lengthwise, then cut each

wedge in half crosswise

Onions: cut in quarters; separate into 2-3 ring sections

Mushrooms: rinse and cut off stems

Grape or cherry tomatoes: refrigerate to slow cooking time

Summer squash & zucchini: trim ends; slice about 1 inch thick

Potatoes: cut in chunks; parboil first if you use them in a combination

My choice of seasoning usually depends on the main dish selection. Use the same or related flavors for both the meat and the vegetables; it will work better on the plate that way.

I used a Lime-Cerveza marinade for the steaks and vegetables shown in the picture:

Using jalapenos makes this HOT! Poblano peppers work better for the veggies, in my opinion. But I’m a bit of a wimp in the chili arena.

1 red onion, minced

¼ cup chopped cilantro

2 Tbsp. minced jalapeno or poblano peppers

1 garlic clove

¼ cup olive oil

2 limes, juice & zest

¼ cup Mexican beer, or blonde ale

1 Tbsp. tequila

½ Tbsp. freshly ground pepper

1 tsp. cumin

Combine all ingredients in blender. Process until smooth. Place meat or vegetables in zipper plastic bag; add marinade. This will make enough marinade for 2-3 lbs. of meat or vegetables, or split in separate bags to marinate both. It will tenderize the meat if you leave it in the marinade at least 2 hours; overnight is best. But only marinate vegetables for 15 minutes.

This entire meal cooked on the grill in 30 minutes, including the time to clean and heat the grill. It’s nice to do everything outside, and to be able to relax and enjoy the process without running back and forth to the kitchen.

Next: my adventures with the Island Grill Stone! Will test my existing recipes for any changes needed, and try some new items that haven’t worked well with other techniques. Happy grilling!

About the Author: Beverly Jo Noble

Beverly received her first cookbook as a birthday present at age 8, and has been cooking for family and friends ever since. Growing up in the small town of Spenard, Alaska, long winters and long distances combined to make fresh produce a luxury. The family moved to Pomona, California when Beverly was 12. Suddenly, fruits and vegetables were FRESH, and oh, what a difference that made.

As a single young adult, Beverly continued to cook for her own pleasure. Collecting and trying new recipes became a hobby. She soon started to play with recipes… modifying ingredients, and trying duplicate restaurant dishes at home. Fruit trees and berries in the back yard produced seasonal abundance that led to new uses in the kitchen.

Heart disease, diabetes, and weight control concerns in the family led her to modify old favorites and search for new items to replace high-‐fat, high-‐sodium foods while balancing proteins and carbohydrates. Then a dark time: first Mom, then a son, then her husband died, all within an 18 month period. Hiding out in the kitchen helpedto disguise the loneliness…. Enough already! She left the sorrow behind and moved to a new town and a new life.

The Series: The first book in the series, Fabulous Fresh Fruit, is focused on seasonal, locally grown food and how to use it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Go beyond pies and cakes to Lemon Raspberry Chicken, Pork with Pears, Nectarine-‐Red Onion Salsa, and 400 more…. Future books include Veggie Love; Recipes from the Farmers Market, and Long and Slow: Soups and Stews.

You can reach the author at bev4recipes@gmail.com on LinkedIn, as Beverly (Wilson) Noble, at

www.Facebook.com/Beverly.Jo.Noble or at www.ALifetimeofRecipes.com

Garlic and Herb Brined Rotisserie Chicken on the Grill

Another great grilling article from my friend Roger Williamson. Roger is becoming a popular contributor to Cooking-Outdoors with his brilliant perspectives on Grilling and BBQ. This time he is taking chicken on the grill to another dimension - old school rotisserie style chicken!

Garlic and Herb Brined Rorisserie Chicken

As much as I would like to, you can’t eat beef and pork all the time. This BBQ post is all about chicken, and awesome chicken. There is a technique to cooking poultry that elevates it from just an everyday piece of white meat to something spectacular.

Years ago before refrigeration, people would pickle and brine meats to make them last through the long winters. Nowadays people brine to add flavors and enhance the juiciness of meats. A few years ago I started brining poultry, and by poultry I mean either Turkey or Chicken. Much to the dismay of my wife I started my first brine on the Christmas Turkey, in order to convince her that this would not ruin Christmas, I had to cook 2, one of them brined, and one the “regular” way. Needless to say the brined turkey was a hit, and it was the first one completely devoured by our 10 guests. From that point on we have been brining every chance we get.

You can do this on either a propane or charcoal grill, you need to set the grill up for indirect heat on the birds.

The Brine

The first thing you need is a good container to hold the brine and the birds. I use a cooler in the winter months to do this because you can set it outside and it keeps cool without freezing (depends on the temperature of course). For this recipe I used a large cooking pot, and put it in the refrigerator once the chicken is in the brine, as it is important to keep the food cool during the brining process.

Brine Recipe

4 litres of cold water

2 cups of kosher salt – do not use table salt

½ cup of suger

1 crushed and chopped head of garlic

1 squeeze of lemon

2 tbsp rosemary

2 tbsp tyme

2 tbsp black pepper

One good test to know if you have enough salt in the brine is that a raw egg will float when it reaches the right amount.

Once you have the brine put together, add the whole chickens, cover and refrigerate. Leave in the brine for 4-6 hours, no longer than 8.

The Rotisserie

After the birds have soaked in the brine for 4-6 hours, take them out, pat them dry and position them on your rotisserie. If you don’t have a rotisserie that’s ok, just ensure when you put them on the grill that they are not over the direct heat of the coals or the burners.

One thing you do need to do is make sure you have positioned a drip pan underneath the chickens to catch the drippings, otherwise you will make a lovely grease fire on your grill that will coat the chickens in a filmy oily black coating – definitely need to avoid that.

The Grill

Set the grill up for indirect grilling, and get the heat up to about 400 F. At 400 F the birds will develop a nice golden crispy outer skin. The chicken will cook for about an hour and 15 minutes, give or take 15 depending on the heat of your particular grill. You should have a good meat thermometer for cooking poultry; you don’t want to under or over cook them, undercooked is gross and will ruin your reputation, and overcooked is dry and will do the same. The chickens are done when the internal breast temperature is at 165F exactly.

Take the chickens off and let them sit for 15 min before cutting into portions. Serve with some fresh local grilled veggies and potato salad.

Enjoy.

And remember you don’t make friends with salad.

Roger Williamson profile

Roger is a professional technology geek, a father of 3, husband of 1 and an avid live fire cooking enthusiast who spends his free time in Fall River cooking outside.

You can email roger at fallriverbbqguy @ gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @ragaa .

Garlic and Herb Brine

Recipe type: Brine

Author: Roger Williamson

Ingredients

4 litres of cold water
2 cups of kosher salt – do not use table salt
½ cup of suger
1 crushed and chopped head of garlic
1 squeeze of lemon
2 tbsp rosemary
2 tbsp tyme
2 tbsp black pepper

Instructions

One good test to know if you have enough salt in the brine is that a raw egg will float when it reaches the right amount.
Once you have the brine put together, add the whole chickens, cover and refrigerate. Leave in the brine for 4-6 hours, no longer than 8.