With all of today’s hustle and bustle, we all seem to have a hard time finding time to make something creative. Sometimes you just need a simple recipe for your grilling.  This marinade is great with virtually no preparation time!

Lawry’s make several different kinds of Marinade, but we chose the Steak & Chop with garlic and cracked black pepper.  I wouldn’t put this on my steak, but it was pretty good on pork chops.  Toss your chops in a Ziploc bag with about 3/4 of the bottle of marinade.  Put it in the refrigerator in the morning before you run to work, or for at least 4 hours.

For thick chops, I like to get two heat zones going; one high heat for searing, and one medium heat for the remainder of the cook time.  To start, place the chops on the high heat for about 2 minutes per side for a good searing.  Then, move to medium heat for about 5 minutes per side with the lid closed.  Brush on a bit of marinade remaining in the bottle while cooking on medium heat.

Pull those juicy chops off and serve up with some easy sides.  OK, mashed potatoes aren’t exactly quick, but you get the idea.  Maybe try some minute rice instead.

Oh, and don’t forget your Pirate’s Booty!  A healthy alternative to Cheetos!

-GrillDude

As part of our dinner of appetizers of Hot Stick Meat, asparagus, Shrimp on the Barbie, and a few filets, Stuffed Peppers were a great addition and created a lot of flare-up fun.

• 4 Anaheim peppers (go for jalapenos if you want them really hot)
• 8-12 pieces of bacon
• Pepper Jack Cheese

Cut the peppers down one side and partially cut the top off so you can cut out the seeds.  Stuff the peppers with cheese.  Wrap the cheese in 2-3 pieces of bacon.  You can also spear the peppers with tooth picks to keep everything in place.

stuff the pepper

Have a friend with you to pose with your new creation.  Or better yet, have him prepare the peppers.

Place the peppers on a hot grill and cook until bacon is crisp.  Turn occasionally to cook the bacon all around and to avoid the flare-ups.

Let them cool off 5-10 min before serving.

-GrillDude

-GrillDude

With a grilling blog, it was only a matter of time until I wrote about BBQ ribs.  There are soooooo many ways to make ribs and any good BBQ book will have a bunch of great recipes, and you guys probably have your own favorites.  I have found a favorite recipe and method that I really like, so let me share. 

Mastering ribs is as much the cooking temperature and time as it is the recipe.  As often as I grill, I like methods that are quick, but I am convinced that slow cooking is best for ribs (and this isn’t even as slow as you can go).   The following is a mish-mash of various recipes and methods that I have tried in the past:

Rub Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoons Paprika
• 2 Teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspons fresh ground pepper

Other

• 2 Racks of Baby Back Ribs  
• 2 Quarts of Apple Cider
• Stubb’s Bar-B-Q Sauce Original(optional)
• Hickory wood chips
• Corn on the cob (4 ears)
• 4 Tablespoons butter
• Crushed red pepper
• Ground pepper

Peel the membrane off of the ribs as shown in the picture.  The skin membrane makes the ribs a bit more chewey.  Place ribs in a large pan and pour most of the apple cider in with the ribs and cover for 2-4 hours.  Save about 8 ounces of the apple cider and put in a spray bottle.

Prepare the wood chips by soaking in water for an hour.   After an hour, wrap in 2 foil packets and poke some holes in the foil.

Prepare your grill for Medium-Low heat (about 250 degrees) and place a foil packet directly over one of the flames 15 minutes before you place the ribs on the grill.  Sprinkle the rub over the ribs and press the rub into the meaty side. 

Cook on indirect heat (bone down) for 2 1/2 to 3 hours on Medium-Low heat, spraying with the apple cider every 20 minutes.  Halfway into the cook time, add the other wood chip foil packet.  Keep the lid down during the cooking.  My wife and kids love Stubbs BBQ sauce, so I pour the sauce on their slab of ribs about 20 minutes before they are done.

Since it is winter, corn was not in season.  I actually got sweet corn on the cob in a package, without the husk.  Put a tablespoon of butter and some red pepper flakes, a bit of salt and ground pepper on the corn and wrap in foil.  Cook the corn directly over the flame.  Try to time the corn cooking during last 20 minutes of the ribs, turning the corn occasionally.  The ribs should be done when the meat pulls back from the end of the bone by about a quarter of an inch.  If you are not sure, you can cut one rib off and check….it makes for a good snack after all that work!

Pull the corn and the ribs off of the grill at the same time and serve. 

-GrillDude