I was inspired by (I stole this idea from) another of my daily blog reads, Steamy Kitchen. A few days ago, Steamy published a photo and recipe that looked beautiful. Click here.
I spent a few days pondering the photo, and wanted to give it a try; Grillin style.My wife is a garlic lover, so I knew I was going to use garlic. I had a red bell pepper and a green sweet pepper in the drawer, and wanted to add color to the dish. I plopped some garlic, about a third of the red pepper and one sweet pepper (tops, bottom and seeds removed) into my handy dandy mini chopper.
I ground them up as fine as the chopper would.
I then cut the potatoes up as Steamy described in her post. My manual slide slicer cuts a little thicker than hers does, so my photos will not match as well, but since I was going to cook these on the grill, thicker would work better. I added a teaspoon of Olive Oil, and coated the potato slices as well as I could with the goop.
I then took a wooden skewer (soaked in oil for about an hour to make sliding easier) and arranged in a row.
I made a little boat of tin foil, poured some butter over the potatoes, and started cooking over an indirect medium heat. With the lid closed, this setup cooks like an oven. After about 45 minutes, added a bit of Provolone cheese on the top, and allowed that to melt while I grilled a steak and fresh Corn on the cob.
The potatoes were pretty very unique looking and very well received. Best of all, the garlic and peppers toasted nicely, the smoke from the grill added a layer of taste and these were a big hit.
The weather was beautiful, and the meal was a success. The potatoes were pretty. We enjoyed a bottle of wine and stayed out on our deck for hours. Eventually, our neighbors brought some beer over and we missed the Tonight Show again. Not sure who Conan had on, but I would bet we had more fun!
Very cool presentation!
ReplyDeleteBTW, I got myself a brisket today and I'm going to marinade it in POM, lemon, ginger and a couple of other things, then BBQ! I couldn't find any of that Wood's sauce at my local grocery store, so I'll have to go a bit farther afield.
ReplyDeleteBrisket... yum. Low and slow, rub for a bark to hold the juices in...but you know that. Keep me informed, my wife LOVED the pomegranate BBQ sauce, and a Pom marinated brisket would be a real treat. I even have a couple in the freezer. Maybe Sunday
ReplyDeleteHow low & how slow? My brisket is about 3lbs.
ReplyDeleteAnd no...I don't know about the rubbing bit...I didn't rub anything...
WOW Coyote, this is a complicated question...
ReplyDeleteFirst, lets define a few terms so we are on the same page. You have a brisket tip, which is a very good thing. A full brisket is around 10 pounds. Full Briskets are thicker at one side than the other, and are more difficult to cook evenly. SInce yours is just the tip of one side (usually the narrower side), it is going to be easier to cook evenly.
next, you say you are planning to BBQ this project, which is perfect. BBQ is the best way to cook a brisket, moist and tender. BUT, I am concerned that you actually mean that you are planning to grill it. BBQ is a cooking process, meaning indirect heat (Meat is NOT over the coals), low temperatures (225 to 250 degrees) and slow cooking times (generally, an hour and a half per pound). So, a full brisket will take 15 hours and your tip will only take 4 and a half hours. BBQ and smoking generally mean the same process (add wood to get a smokey flavor is the only difference). But, Grilling is direct heat (meat directly over the coals), hot (usually 500 degrees) and fast cooking times. Think of it this way, easy to cook a hamburger over coals, but very difficult to cook a turkey over coals. The outside will get over done before the inside is cooked. But by putting a turkey in an oven and lowering the temperature to 325, the bird cooks all the way through before the outside gets over done.
I found a great website that goes into detail about how to BBQ on a grill...
http://knol.google.com/k/scott-turner/cooking-texas-style-brisket-on-a-gas/1gorjg36v8vw7/2#
take a look at that page before you read the rest of my advice...
Only two things I would add would be to put the meat on a rack (like a cookie cooling rack) inside the foil pan. This gets the meat above the bottom so the hot air circulates around the meat. It also gives you enough room to put a small layer of beer on the bottom (or some of the POM marinade would work well also).this will add steam and moisture to your meat, keeping it from drying out over the long process (it is good you are marinating, adding moisture. Drying out is one of the things to be concerned about when BBQing).
ReplyDeleteAlso, I would add a couple ounces of ground coffee (really) to the rub. Makes a great bark, and really holds the moisture in.
If you are using coal, it is the same process, just know that you want even temperatures throughout the process. So, once the coal is lit, shove it all to one side of the base. Put a foil drip pan on the other half of the base to keep the lit coals from spreading. Cook the meat above the drip pan, as far from the lit coals as possible. Add half a dozen new briquetts each hour. Whenever you open the lid, pour a little more of the marinade on the meat (basting adds moisture)
Only a couple basic tips that will separate you from a beginner...
Resist the urge to open the lid. It lets all the heat out, and forces your grill to continually reheat. You want your grill to be as evenly heating temps as possible).
NEVER cut into your meat to test for doneness. It lets all the juices out. If the meat is not done, it guarantees that your project will be presented dry. Also, do not turn the meat, never use a fork, only a spatula or tongs.
Your meat will not be done sooner than 1 hour 15 minutes per pound, and really not before the full hour and a half. to test for doneness, use an instant read thermometer, try for an internal temp of 185 degrees.
And here is a cheat that home cooks should use (competitive BBQers scoff at this, but it works perfect). It is called a Texas cheat or Texas Crutch. Once the internal temp is 185, put a thin layer of honey over the meat and wrap in tin foil (shiny side facing the meat). Let it sit for 2 hours before cutting. This lets the meat relax from the cooking process, and the juices settle into the meat. guaranteed when you cut the meat, the meat will be juicy, while they will not run out.
I do hope this helps. BBQ is a full days process, but certainly worth the effort.
Let me know how it works out
Dave
OK. I have the brisket on indirect heat on foil (I didn't know about the foil pan until now...hmmm...the foil it's on will have to do...), with the lowest temperature I can get on the other side of the BBQ. My brisket is about an inch or so thick, less on one half. I don't have a fancy BBQ, and there are no coals. It's also very small.
ReplyDeleteNo, no I know not to grill it!
Do I not have to baste it?
I guess I won't be eating by 6:30...
THANK YOU so much for the info! I really appreciate it, and I will for sure let you know how it goes!
Basting will make it better...about once an hour. Especially if you do not have a rub.
ReplyDeleteIf you have any of the marinade left, use that. Also, apple juice works fine.
Anyway you can get moisture into the cooking chamber will make your meat more moist. If you don't have a rub, the slow and low process sucks the moisture out of the meat. Try this, take a ceramic coffee mug, fill it with water and put it over the heat. this will add steam to the chamber, and keep the juices in your meat.
Also, that Texas crutch idea will work... try this. When you decide to eat, decide the meat is done, cut it in half. Immediately, pour some honey and some of the marinade (heat the marinade) over half the meat and seal with tin foil. Put this in a cooler (no ice, just the foil wrapped meat) overnight. I promise that this section will taste better than the section you are eating tonight. Your left overs will be better than the meal. And with some Pomegranate BBQ sauce on a hoagie roll... Good eatin
As you can tell, I love BBQ. Good luck, enjoy
Brisket was a success! I should have a post up sometime tomorrow or Saturday.
ReplyDeleteThanks again for all the info and the help - I do appreciate it! I can definitely tell you are passionate about BBQ!
The POM sauce was very good, BTW, and I also made POM salad dressing that was excellent!
Wow...these taters are awesome!! Just found you through Wandering Coyote...YUM!
ReplyDelete