Catfish, Corn, And Mango Cucumber Salad...

After my wife's positive reaction to the grouper cook a few days earlier; I decided to go with a new and previously untried fish, catfish. I have had catfish plenty of times and really like it, but it was a new one for the rest of the family.

Decided to make it easy and prepare it the same way I did the grouper; butter, Swamp Venom, and then blackened. I changed this cook up by also making some corn on the cob and still being on a mango kick, a mango cucumber salad that I made up as I went along.

First the salad...

4 ripe mangoes diced
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and diced
2 green onions chopped
2 Tablespoons of fresh chopped mint
2 the juice of two large limes

Prep the stuff above, add the lime juice, and stick it in the fridge for a few hours...

 For the corn, I cheated a little and bought already cleaned ears...

I spray them with a little olive oil and then coat them in sea salt,  pepper, and a little garlic salt. Add a couple of pieces of butter and wrap them tightly in the foil.

I got my egg set up direct cooking at the normal grid level; and let the temperature go till about 350F. The foil wrapped corn goes on first and cooks for about 40 minutes, turning it a couple times during the cook. After the corn comes off; the cast iron skillet went on for about 10min to heat up for blackening the catfish...

Here are the results...

The mango cucumber and mint salad was crisp and refreshing; the corn tender and flavorful, and the fish turned out really well. Since they are thinner than the grouper, I cooked the catfish for 2min a side. I tried an Orange Vanilla finishing butter from Wegmans on the fish...

The family asked when how soon would we be having catfish again...

Enjoy!

Ed

Blackened Red Grouper & Mango Salsa

Can you believe it?!?!?!? An actual post about food... About time I know.


Okay, here goes...

My wife isn't really a fan of fish except for tuna steaks. I wanted to try some other fish on the egg, specifically doing something with a lot of spice that I could cool with a tropical salsa. While at the store a few weeks ago, I wandered past the seafood department and struck up a conversation with the guy behind the counter. After I told him what I would like to try; he suggested Red Grouper. Figured I'd try it, if the wife didn't like it, I'd have a chicken breast on standby... Brought home two filets and cut them in half for 4 servings, as a friend was joining us for dinner. This was fresh caught wild Red Grouper, supposed to be very mild in taste and since they filets were thick, they could stand up to being blackened in a cast iron pan. I also picked up some fresh fruit and veggies to make the sides.

I found the recipe for the mango salsa on Allrecipes.com... here is the link
Mango Salsa Recipe

Here is the salsa being made... it was simple and very tasty. I will be making this one and ones like it throughout the warmer weather.

 Then it was on to prepping and cooking the fish. I simply melted some butter, brushed the filets with the melted butter, and then coated them thoroughly with Dizzy Pig Swamp Venom. Not the hottest spice mix out there, but it does have a really nicely balanced kick to it...

 Along with the grouper and salsa, I also made some simple grilled asparagus that was tossed with Wegmans Basting Oil and some sea salt, garlic salt, and course ground pepper. As a surprise for my daughter who loves strawberries; I also prepped and grilled some strawberries that where coated with a little EVOO and some Dizzy Pig Pineapple Head rub. This rub is great on any fruits and especially grilled corn on the cob.

The strawberries came off the egg after about 8 min. They were a little soft; but the flavor was amazing. I think they might be better egged in a small sauce pan and then served over ice cream. The juices after they were cooked tasted crazy good.

Here is the fish on the egg. I got the egg to about 350 dome temp and then let the cast iron skillet heat up for about 10 mins. I used a little bit of oil and the remaining melted butter to blacken the grouper. I did them about 3 min a side for the thicker pieces and 2 min a side for the thinner ones.

 I can say the aroma coming off the egg while cooking this had my mouth watering...

Here it is plated up... My daughter loved it, as she is always up for trying new things. My wife gave it two thumbs up and asked when we were having fish next. I would say that counts as a successful cook...

Don't be afraid to try grilling on cooking fish on the egg or whatever grill you happen to have. Ask your fish guy at your favorite seafood counter for suggestions; they are rarely wrong with the help they provide.

If you plan on using a lot of mangoes over the summer, either buy the pre sliced packaged type or get yourself one of these... Oxo Good Grips Mango Splitter  This handy tool will make working with the mangoes so much easier.


Enjoy!

Ed
 

Brisket... Finally Got One Right!

This past weekend; during the snowstorm that wasn't (at least where we are) I wanted to do a low and slow cook and see how my egg did in the heavy snow and high winds. We had snow, a very little, but we did have wind...

I picked up a 12 pound Choice packer brisket from Shady Maple and decided to do a straight low & slow cook, no foil crutch during the cook, no in a pan braising either. Get my egg to between 225 and 250 on the dome thermometer and let her go until done.

I prepped the meat by injecting the flat portion in several spots with some simple Herb-Ox beef broth; and then rubbed it with a heavy coating of sea salt, cracked pepper, and Tasty Licks Black Bart's Brisket rub.

In order for it to fit on the large egg; I need to use an inverted roasting rack to raise the middle, allowing the ends to fit inside the dome. The egg settled in at 230 around 7:30PM and the smell of hickory was all over my deck as the wind picked up. I sat and enjoyed some Woodford Double Oak along with a good cigar while a sturdy umbrella protected me from most of the weather.

I called it a night around 12:30AM as the snow was winding down and the wind was really howling. Slept in and checked on the egg around 8:30AM to find it still at 230 with delightful aromas coming from the daisy wheel on top. Here it is around 10:30AM as it is coming out of the stall and at about 185 internal temp. My target internal temp was 205...

And here it is; at 205 internal and ready to be foiled and loaded into a cooler with some towels for a few hours rest until dinner later that day. The brisket came off the egg at about 1PM. This was a total egg time of about 18 hours and then about a 5 hour rest in the cooler.

The result; the best brisket that I have done so far in my almost one year of egging... the meat was tender, moist, and had great flavor... Got thumbs up from everyone on this one.

This was my 4th brisket packer and I think I am on to something. Despite my egg's lack of gasket; waiting till Spring to put the replacement on, it held temperature in the cold and wind without any issues. Don't be afraid to try this particular cut of meat... learning how to do it is all part of the fun!

Served it with some simple slaw and Bush's Black Bean Fiesta...

Enjoy!

Ed

Smoked Meatloaf And Mashed Cauliflower...

It's been a while since my last post. My apologies...

Meatloaf is one of my wife's favorite meals. She it requested for her birthday recently, being a great husband how could I say no? We have been watching our carb intake in an effort to get a little healthier and more creative in our meals; so instead of making some kind of potato dish, I decided to do some mashed cauliflower. The meatloaf was cooked on my Big Green Egg, set up for indirect, and cooked at about 400 with some hickory chunks until the internal temp was 160.

I am always looking for new ways to try making old staples; and meatloaf is no exception. I did a little searching on Google and found several mentions of using a mixture of saltine crackers and milk to the meatloaf to keep it moist. There where also tips on the how finely ground the meat was before being mixed. Sauteing the veggies until they are tender before using them in the mix was also something I hadn't done before. Well, here we go...

Ingredient List

For the meatloaf...

• 3lbs of 80/20 ground beef
• 2 medium onions diced small
• 1 large green pepper diced small
• 4 slices of bacon
• 2 cups of crackers (didn't have saltines, so I used some Cheese Nips)
• 1/2 cup of milk
• About a 1/3 of cup of seasoned bread crumbs

For the mashed cauliflower...

• 1 head of cauliflower cut into florets
• Butter
• Milk
• Salt & Pepper
• Garlic ( to taste, it doesn't  take much) 

Now for the pictures...
Saute the bacon for a few minutes; once it renders a little fat into the pan, add the peppers and onion. Cook on medium heat until they are tender. Add a little salt & pepper.

 While the veggies where on the stove top, I began to prep the rest of the meatloaf. Here is my crackers and milk mixture. In hindsight; I think I would continue to use these instead of saltine crackers. The cheese crackers added some really good flavor to the meat.

 Once the cheese nips and milk were blended well in the food processor; I began adding the ground beef to the mix of crackers in the processor. The meat was originally a courser grind, and as I was going for better texture, I decided to blend the meat in the processor with the cracker mixture.

 Then it was time to add the rest of the ingredients. Once I had it all mixed up; I placed the mixture in an aluminum loaf pan and set it in the fridge for a few hours.

 When the egg was up to temp; I took the loaf pan and turned it upside down in a baking dish so that when cooking the meatloaf, it could get more of crust over more of the meatloaf. I have it a quick coating of Dizzy Pig's Dizzy Dust as well...

Once the meatloaf was on it's way, I started to make the side dish. I simply cut the cauliflower up and cooked it until tender in the microwave. Then into the food processor with some milk, salt, pepper, melted butter, and garlic. Process just like if you were making potatoes...

 

Once the meatloaf reached an internal temperature of 160, I pulled it off the egg and set it aside to rest.

 

Here is the finished meal...

My wife loved the meatloaf; saying the taste with the addition of the cheese crackers out it over the top. My family also like the texture of the meat, saying it was unlike any meatloaf they'd had before. The cauliflower was a big hit...

I will have to continue practicing making meatloaf, while this tasted very good, it didn't stay together as much as I wold have liked.

Please let me know if you try a meatloaf of your own; what worked and what didn't...

Enjoy,

Ed

Fire Roasted Salsa and Grilled Chicken...

Over the 3 day weekend I was able to take advantage of the nice weather and do most of my cooking outside; on the Egg, the way nature intended...

I wanted to try something new; and decided that fire roasting up a bunch of fresh veggies and pairing them with some grilled chicken sounded just right. Fresh, healthy, and not to heavy...

No special recipe here; my basic wing it process applies to this one.

Here the fresh veggies; washed and ready to go...

 Cut, and and removed the cores and seeds from the peppers. I then tossed them all with some olive oil and seasoned them with sea salt and pepper. I had the Egg prepared and was going to cook them direct at about 350 for about 45 minutes or until they got a nice char on them.

Just on the Egg. This set up in from the Ceramic Grill Store, The PSWoo3 and the now unavailable Woo Extender. They make great products and their customer service is top notch as well...

Here they are ready to chill in the fridge for bit before I complete the salsa...

 While waiting for the veggies to cool a bit; I prep the chicken for the grill. Tossed with a little Wegman's Basting Oil and some Dizzy Pig Jamaican Firewalk . Great rub with some heat and touch of citrus sweetness.

 After putting the chicken on the Egg to begin cooking; I finish up on the salsa. The veggies are rough chopped and the tomatoes peeled before being chopped and added. To finish the salsa; I added some fresh chopped cilantro and minced garlic, along with a little extra virgin olive oil and some fresh lime juice. Also added some sliced black olives too...

After the chicken finished cooking; to 165 on an instant read thermometer, it was time to plate the meal. Topped it with some freshly sliced avocado. My family gave this meal two thumbs up and enjoyed the salsa even more the next day with some corn tortilla chips.

Don't be afraid to throw your veggies on the grill and let them get some fire time...

If you do make the salsa or this dish; let me know how it turned out.

Enjoy,

Ed

Another Good Weeknight Meal... Pork

Like my last post; this one is another meal that's possible to get to the table without too much fuss and will leave leftovers for lunches.
 Pork tenderloins are are great source of protein and are low in fat (if you're worried about that sort of thing)... The veggies in this dish are pretty straight forward as well.
  The tenderloins are usually packed in packs of 2; so I would recommend cooking them both. Again, I did these direct on my egg; you can use the grill or method that works best for you. Just a side note; the more I cook outside, the less there is to clean up inside which can make dinner (at least the prep and clean up part) go much faster and leave more time for the important part which is sitting down with your family.
The veggies this time were cauliflower and eggplant. I grilled both on the egg. Cauliflower was a yes, the eggplant? Not so much. Never been a big fan of eggplant, and this cook didn't help. I am going to have to keep trying to find a way to prepare it that will work for me...

 The tenderloins are pretty easy to make. As you can see; when I grill tenderloins, I double back and tie the thin end so it is about the same thickness as the rest of the loin. This allows the entire length to cook more evenly so you don't wind up with the overcooked and burnt thin end. Cooked over direct coals, the dome temperature on my eggs was around 350 with the grid at normal level.

 Here they are on the fire... seasoned them simply with some Wegmans Basting Oil, sea salt, pepper, and garlic salt.

 The cauliflower was tossed with some basting oil as well and dusted with some Dizzy Pig Dizzy Dust BBQ rub. I cooked them on the egg in a grill basket once the pork was done. Cooked them until they were fork tender and had a slight char on them. Tossed them in a bowl with some shredded cheese.

And here is the plated meal... was very good (except for the eggplant).

Success on the pork and cauliflower... Fail on the eggplant. But that's what this blog is about; what works and sometimes what doesn't.

Enjoy!

Ed

Good Weeknight Meal...

Like most people; my wife and I can be pressed for time at the end of the day to get something healthy on the table for dinner. Luckily for us; our daughter Elise is pretty adventuresome when it comes to food for a 9 year old, so we can try more things for dinner without having to always have a plate of chicken nuggets nearby (not that's there anything wrong with that)...

This is just a classic meal of chicken, veggies, and potatoes with a paleo twist... The potatoes are actually cauliflower!

This meal is easy and quick to prepare...

The organic chicken breasts can be cooked any way you normally do your chicken. My preferred and recommended method of course is to do them on your Egg or whatever grill you happen to have. Cooking over fire is always better than cooking inside. Another thing I recommend is buying the chicken in bulk and then cooking the entire batch. For me in this case it was 10 breasts. Left over breasts can be sliced up for salad and used in other recipes in the following nights to take care of the protein component of your meals.

The veggies are even easier...

First the strings beans. I used a bag of organic string beans and simply steamed them right in the bag using the microwave. When they were done, tossed them in a bowl with some garlic infused olive oil and some sea salt.

The cauliflower was pretty easy too and turned out to be the star on this plate. I used two heads of organic cauliflower, stemmed and cut up into little chunks, removing any of the tougher stem parts. Cooked them in microwave until tender and then turned them into "potatoes". Used my blender and pureed the cauliflower, adding melted butter, sea salt,  fresh ground pepper, and a little garlic salt. Blended them until everything was smooth and about the same consistency as normal mashed potatoes. They turned out great.

If you want to make this healthy meal even quicker, use chicken from an early cook and just reheat along with the fresh veggies...

Here is the plated meal...

Enjoy!

Ed