In the video above, Mike Hedrick, a barbecue expert, does a great job demonstrating how to put skewers together using steak, peppers, squash, zucchini and onions.

I like that you can use pretty much any meat on the skewers — you don’t have to spend a lot for chicken, and steak always seems to be on sale around the holiday weekends — and that the vegetables can be tailored to suit each family member (this is doubly great for picky kids!). Adding cherry tomatoes and mushrooms would be fantastic, too.

Mike also has videos on grilling Kentucky Grilled Bone-In Pork Chops, Homestyle Deviled Eggs, Chicken Drumettes, grilled fruit (which would be delicious with homemade vanilla ice cream), and don’t forget the drinks — bloody marys and “red eyes,” or what my sister-in-law calls a “red beer.”

Steak and Vegetable Kabobs
from Good Housekeeping

1 lb top round steak, cut into 1.5 inch chunks
1 medium Spanish or vidalia onion, quartered and separated
3 Tb soy sauce
1 Tb salad or olive oil
1 Tb chili sauce
¼ tspn ground ginger
1 medium zucchini
1 medium yellow squash
1 red red pepper
1 green pepper
½ lbs mushrooms
½ lb cherry tomatoes
¾ c Italian dressing

~ In a medium sized bowl, mix the first 7 ingredients. Cover mixture and refrigerate at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

~ Cut all vegetables into one-inch chunks. On long skewers, alternately thread zucchini, yellow squash, peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions and steak.

~ Place skewers on grill over medium heat. Cook about 10 minutes. Turn skewers several times.

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Easy Grilling for Labor Day

INGREDIENTS :
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp sage powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp Italian seasonings
1 tbsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
a sprinkle of red pepper flakes (optional)

Grilled Dry-Rubbed Marinated Pork (Image © Dexie Wharton)

Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Put the chops in a marinating container.

Sprinkle each pork chops with the dry-rub. Gently massage the run into the chops. Do this on both sides. Cover the container and store it in the fridge overnight or 3-4 hours before grilling.

Grill each sides of the pork chops for about 8-10 minutes on each side. This of course depends on how thick the chops are.

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Grilled Dry-Rubbed Pork Chops

Grilled Peppered London Broil

INGREDIENTS :
London Broil (2-3 pounds)
black pepper
paprika
salt
garlic powder
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
juice of half lemon

Combine a generous amount of black pepper, paprika, salt, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice in a bowl. Season the London Broil with the mixture. Marinate for 3-4 hours before grilling or overnight.

Grill each sides of the London Broil depending on how you like your steaks cooked.

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Grilled Peppered London Broil

I like that the 4th is on a Saturday this year so that we have the whole day to celebrate, instead of just the evening. We’ll be hanging out at home this year, though sadly we don’t have a barbecue at our new house yet (my husband has some big plans when it comes to “designing his own” out on the back patio). So, whatever we do will need to happen in the kitchen, which I don’t mind. That’s what grill pans are for, right?

Our standard 4th of July dinner, when we’re at home and not at a friend’s, is usually steak with some oven fries and roasted vegetables. The kids, who, at this age, can take or leave steak, will probably get hamburgers. For that, I like to mix one pound of ground beef with a packet of onion soup mix and a tablespoon or so of Worcestershire sauce and some salt and pepper.

I think this year, because it is on a day we’ll all be together, I’m going to spend a little extra time on dinner, and make some homemade potato salad and dessert. This time of year always reminds me of my grandpa, who loved my Chocolate Zucchini Cake, so I think I’ll be surprising my family with that.

What’s on your 4th of July menu? Are you staying in or going out?

[image: flickr]

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What’s on Your 4th of July Menu?

Memphis’ Rendezvous serves up a great dry rib. Folks from Alabama will argue that Dreamland is the best. I prefer Rendezvous to Dreamland. I especially like eating at Rendezvous restaurant because they give you get a complimentary bowl of Red Beans and Rice and no matter how much you beg they will not give you the recipe.

My ribs are far from award-winning, but my husband and son love them and that’s all that really matters to me. Cooking ribs can be an involved process, but I’ve learned a few things that make them a bit more mom-friendly You’ll want to allow about 2 1/2 to 3 hours for cooking and resting and about 30 minutes for prepping.

Here’s my recipe and why Moms may prefer it:

I prefer St. Louis ribs. They cost more – much more – but you get what you pay for, right? Baby backs are my second choice. The spare ribs are just too … eh.

Rub your ribs. You can do store bought brand according to your taste, or make your own. Mine is fab, if I do say so myself. I’m one of those palm-measurers, but I think this is how my rub would measure out:

• 4Tablespoons Smoked Paprika
• 3 Tablespoons Dark Brown Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
• 2 Tablespoons Ground Cumin
• 2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Dried Oregano
• 1 Tablespoon Black Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon White Pepper
• ½ Tablespoon Chipotle Chili Pepper

We like a lot of spice, so we use a whole recipe of rub per slab, but that’s a bit much for the average person. Once you have your slab perfectly slathered, wrap the ribs in aluminum foil. If you’re not ready to cook, store them in the fridge. Take them out and let them rest on the counter for about 30 minutes to an hour before you’re ready to start cooking.

Meantime, preheat the grill. Some fanatics will argue that one should use a charcoal grill and maybe add chunks of hickory or mesquite. But if you’re chasing around a kid or four then you have little time to nurse a fire. So I use gas. You’ll want to turn on all burners and let the grill heat to about medium, or 350, if you have a temperature gauge. When the grill is ready, turn off the burners on one side. (The temperature will drop during the cooking process so don’t be alarmed.)

Keep the ribs sealed tight in the foil. This is another piece of mom-friendly advice. You can sit by the grill and baste the ribs in a mixture of melted butter, vinegar and lemon juice every 30 minutes or so (which is how my FIL made his fabulous ribs), or you can wrap them in foil and allow them to baste themselves, which is what I do.

Place the rib-foil packs on the side of the grill with the burners turned off, and close the lid. Let the ribs cook in this indirect heat for an hour, opening the lid only if you have to.

After an hour, take the ribs out of the foil packet and place them directly on the “off” side of the grill. Let them cook another hour or so. You know they’re ready when the meat is tender and starts to pull away from the bone. (It may start to pull away before you take the ribs out of the foil.) That charring is from the brown sugar so don’t freak.

When they’re done, place the ribs in a casserole dish or baking sheet. Completely cover with heavy-duty foil and let rest for at least 30 minutes. You can also put them in a 200-degree oven until you’re ready to serve them.

If you want to glisten them with barbecue sauce, then do so no. Place them on the grill and paint with sauce. Or, just serve the sauce on the side. We’re a sans-sauce family now, though. And it’s somewhat easier on the child-cleanup side.

Enjoy!

Photos, JWJourney

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How to BBQ Mom-Friendly Ribs

Grilled Italian & Honey Chicken (Image © Dexie Wharton)

INGREDIENTS :
chicken pieces (quarters, legs or thighs)
1 cup of Italian dressing
1/4 cup of honey
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp of soy sauce
a sprinkle of red pepper flakes
water for par-boiling the chicken

Because you are grilling the chicken, you must par-boil them first. Par-boil the chicken pieces in water until fork tender. Par-boiling will prevent a burnt skin and raw meat. Drain the water once done par-boiling.

Put the chicken pieces in a large container.

Whisk together the Italian dressing, honey, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and red pepper flakes.

Pour the marinade on the chicken pieces. Coat both sides. Cover the container and let the chicken marinade for 3-4 hours or overnight.

Grill the chicken pieces on both sides. About 8-10 minutes on each sides.

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Grilled Italian & Honey Chicken

Bacon-Wrapped BBQ Shrimp Kabobs

INGREDIENTS :
10 slices OSCAR MAYER Fully Cooked Bacon, cut in half
20 uncooked large shrimp (about 1 lb.), peeled, deveined
2 zucchini, trimmed, cut into 10 slices each
2 yellow peppers, cut into 10 pieces each
1 cup BULL’S-EYE Original Barbecue Sauce

HEAT grill to medium heat. Wrap 1 bacon piece around each shrimp. Thread 2 each shrimp, zucchini slices and pepper pieces alternately on 10 skewers.

GRILL 3 to 4 min on each side or until shrimp turn pink, turning and brushing occasionally with barbecue sauce.

I am looking forward to making this. I think it’ll be a great addition to meat kabobs during summer parties as well.

(Image/Source : Kraft Foods)

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Bacon-Wrapped BBQ Shrimp Kabobs

Some new grilling utensils from Cuisinart also topped the list of must haves, which the Jamisons feel are better balance and more user friendly than many of the tools you might already have.

Check out this excellent article to get yourself educated on the up-to-date and the what-can-wait categories!

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Barbecue and grilling, 2009

Mesh Grill-Top Chef’s Pan
Retails for $49.95

Made of heavy-gauge stainless steel mesh, this pan has a detachable lid, and an extremely generous size. It’s 8 inches high and 12 inches in diameter. This would be a great pan for grilling either vegetables or seafood.  If you are interested in a recipe using the pan, scroll down the shopping page and you will see Roast Chicken with Smoky Potato Salad. 

This looks fun, for your favorite pepper lover….

Jalapeño Pepper Roaster
Retails for $19.99

Stuff peppers with cheese, place inside the roaster rack, then roast over the grill. It holds up to 18 stuffed jalapeño peppers.

Image credit: Williams-Sonoma

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Great Finds From Williams-Sonoma

Grilling Tips

• To grill shrimp, place them on a skewer, one on top of the other. Watch them closely, because they will cook quickly.
• To grill scallops, place them on a skewer with the flat side up. This allows them to pick up more flavors from the grill.
• If using wooden skewers, soak them overnight in water so they do not ignite on the grill.
• Several red wines pair perfectly with grilled seafood, such as Sutter Home Cabernet Sauvignon.

Wood Grilled Shrimp & Scallops with Fresh Lemon Butter

Grilled shrimp and scallop skewers served over fresh asparagus and couscous with a light lemon butter drizzle; serves 4.

Image: Red Lobster

Ingredients

• 16 ea. jumbo shrimp, cleaned
• 16 ea. jumbo sea scallops
• Sea salt (to taste)
• Black pepper (to taste)
• 1 Lb. fresh asparagus (trimmed)
• ¼ C. lemon butter (softened)
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1 ea. fresh lemon (halved)
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley
• 2 C. couscous (favorite packaged variety)

Lemon Butter:

• 1 C. butter (cut into ¼” slices)
• 2 ea. lemon
• ¼ C. lemon juice (fresh if possible)
• ¼ C. white wine Sea salt (to taste)

Preparation

Fresh Lemon Butter:
1. Zest two lemons, being careful not to cut too deeply. Peel remainder of lemon, and remove individual sections.
2. Place lemon zest, lemon segments, juice and white wine in small skillet, and bring to a simmer.
3. Allow liquid to reduce by ½.
4. Turn heat down, and stir in butter a few slices at a time. Keep the heat just hot enough to melt butter and not separate butter.
5. When butter is completely melted, place contents in covered container and refrigerate.

Shrimp and Scallops:
1. Prepare packaged couscous per instructions. Leave in pan covered until ready to serve.
2. Place lemon butter in sauce pan on low heat, and reserve for later use. Do not allow to simmer or boil as butter will separate.
3. Season shrimp and scallops with sea salt and black pepper.
4. Place shrimp and scallops on hot grill and cook approximately 2-3 minutes per side, using caution not to burn.
5. At the same time as cooking seafood, add asparagus to lower heat portion of the grill, season with salt, and carefully grill. Use caution not to burn or overcook.
6. To serve, place couscous on plate and top with asparagus. Arrange shrimp and scallops on plate.
7. Drizzle lemon butter lightly over dish, and garnish with fresh lemon and chopped parsley.

For more informaiton on grilling seafood at home, check out this two part how-to video.

Images and information, courtesy of redlobster.com/kitchen

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Wood Grilled Shrimp & Scallops