bbq

Coffee and Spice Rubbed Boneless Chicken Breast with BBQ Raspberry Sauce.
by

Coffee and Spice Rubbed Boneless Chicken Breast with BBQ Raspberry Sauce.

We bought this Coffee and Spice rub at Williams and Sonoma outlet store and tried it on Steak and fish but it just couldn’t find the right fit. For some reason the combination of this with chicken did not appeal to me so I never went there, but my wife did the other night and we both enjoyed it very much. So yesterday after returning home from Wholefoods with some air chilled chicken breasts I grab one and rubbed it with the Coffee rub, wrapped it and left in frig overnight.   I decided that I would use some of the Raspberry BBQ sauce as a last minute glaze and the combo was very good. Juicy, Tender, Melt in our mouth. This got the two heads bobbing approval from Lyn and I.

Ingredients

  • 1 boneless Chicken breast
  • Coffee and spice rub
  • Raspberry BBQ sauce (I had left over from the Rib Eye steak in the frig)

How

Liberally rub the chicken breast with the coffee rub, wrap and refrigerate. I refrigerated overnight but I think at least 3 hours would work.

Preheat and prepare the grill, I like to rub some olive oil on the grates to help with sticking

Place chicken breast on grill and grill for 4-5 minutes flip and repeat.

Brush on raspberry sauce and grill sauce side down for 1 to 1.5 minutes

Brush on remaining sauce and flip cook about 1 minute.

Note: each grill is different so you will have to determine the length for doneness.

Remove from grill and left sit loosely covered with tin foil for 8 minutes.

Slice and serve.

Herb Rub Flank Steak
by

Herb Rub Flank Steak

I love flank steak you can do so much with it tonight we are trying a stir fry, recipe to come. Anyway this is one of my favorite especially around late spring early summer when my rosemary is growing and calling me to run my hands along a sprig. I just love the smell it leaves on them. We tried many different combinations and came up with this but as I said we like to experiment so send me ideas you think might work.

Herb Rubbed Flank Steak with Sweet Potato Pancake and Broccoli

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ to 2 lbs. beef flank steak.
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh rosemary or 1 Tbsp. dried crushed if your house is too dry and it just never last the winter.
  • 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh marjoram or 1 tsp. dried, crushed.
  • 3 table Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano or 1 tsp. dried, crushed.
  • Yes you should see my deck in the height of the summer.
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced about 1 ½ tsp. minced.
  • 1 ½ tsp. paprika (try with the different kinds each adds a slightly different kick).
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt.
  • 1 tsp. crushed red pepper.
  • 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 Tbsp. extra virgin Olive Oil.

ingredients

How

Trim fat from the meat. Score both sides of the steak in a diamond pattern by making shallow cuts at 1 inch intervals, set aside. In a small bowl mix the rosemary, marjoram, oregano, garlic, paprika, kosher salt, crushed red pepper, and black pepper. Stir in the oil until combined. This makes your rub.

rub

Divide the mixture roughly by half, spoon mixture over one side of steak and rub in with your fingers. Repeat on the other side. Come on give it a good massage it is a rub.

give it a roob rubbing all sides

I like to wrap it with plastic wrap then put on plate but you can put in a shallow dish unwrapped as long as you can cover it tightly. Place in refrigerator for 1 to 24 hours, got better results the longer I waited.

wrap in plastice wrap

Grilling: Ok I have done both but I mostly use a gas grill but since I am a nice guy you can grill directly over medium coals. Grill 17 to 21 minutes uncovered or until medium doneness about 160° turning once halfway. For gas grill I found preheating grill to high, reduce heat to medium. Place on grill over heat.  And grill as above Ha fooled you, both about the same.

Transfer to a cutting board cover loosely with tinfoil let stand for 10 minutes. To serve, slice very thinly across the grain. Some say across and at an angle you try it an let me know which way you prefer just remember across the grain.

slice and serve (2) slice and serve (1)

Grill Tip:

  • I keep tin foil shinny side down on the grill while preheating this really cooks anything that was left on last time and turns it into easy to remove ashes.
  • Wipe down with veggie oil on a wad of paper towels held by tongs.
by

Bonelss Buffalo Wings

About a year or two ago I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic which was odd since I thought, actually every one thought, I ate right and did get some exercise it puzzled everyone but I took it in stride and much like when you got married everyone you saw was married, when you had kid there were kids everywhere I was surprised to find so many friends family and acquaintances with one stage of another diabetes.  So I took action change my eating habits some, walk at least 2 miles 5 times a week do three flights of stairs at work etc. etc. and my doc calls me her poster person. My blood sugar is normal and I have lost weight by just cutting back a little. The recent holidays took their toll but you got to live if you know what I mean.

We found this recipe for buffalo chicken wings and thought it was great. We did not notice that it was an appetizer and that it fed 14 until our second time eating it, it made a good meal with left overs for salads the next day or two.

Boneless Buffalo Wings

Prep 20-30 minutes

Cook: 25 minutes

 Ingredients

  • Vegetable oil spray
  • 2 Tbsp. Whole Wheat Flour
  • ¼ tsp. salt free season pepper blend or I like mixed ground pepper corns or just ground black pepper
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, remove all visible fat
  • ¼ cup fat free or low fat butter milk. I keep the dried kind in the refrigerator all the time.
  • 1 tsp. red hot pepper sauce
  • 1 cup crushed cornflakes cereal about 2 ½ cups flakes
  • ¼ cup BBQ sauce (Whole Foods has a great sauce with no high glucose corn syrup)
  • 1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp. honey

 How

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a backing sheet with vegetable oil spray.

In a large airtight plastic bag stir together the flour and the pepper. Cut chicken into 28 strips. Add to the flour mixture. Seal the bag, I like to blow some air into it first, and shake to coat.

Now add the buttermilk and hot pepper sauce, reseal and shake gently to coat.

Put the cornflakes in a shallow bowl. Add the chicken, turning gently to coat. Arrange the chicken in a single layer on the baking sheet. Lightly spray the chicken with vegetable oil spray.

Bake uncovered for about 25 minutes until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the coating is crispy. After a while you can tell just by touch when it is done.

Meanwhile in a medium bowl, stir together the BBQ sauce, vinegar and honey.

Add chicken to the sauce, stirring gently to coat or serve on the side.

Hints:

I put the cornflakes in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush.

I will spread parchment paper on the baking sheet, make clean up easier

by

Pork Kebab with Orange and Thyme

Summer time brings out the grill, although I grill all year round, and kabob are always fun. Swords filled with veggies, meats, chicken, and fish grilled to perfection and then piled high on the plate on maybe a bed of rice pilaf. This one is my wife’s favorite and she is mine so I post this among the first of my post. Fish, beef, pork, chicken vegetable give me a skewer and I can make a kabob that is worth eating.

Pork Kebab with Orange and Thyme

Prep easy about 10 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice, plus 1 tablespoon freshly grated zest, and orange wedges for garnish
  • 5 garlic cloves
  • 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh thyme, plus sprigs for garnish
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/4 pounds boneless pork loin, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
  • 4 to 6 skewers wood or metal – Remember if using wood skewers soak them first to prevent them from burning right up.

How

1. Whisk together orange juice and zest, garlic, thyme, mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Whisking constantly, pour in oil in a slow, steady stream; whisk until blended well. Add pork and coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and let pork marinate about 20 minutes at room temperature.

2. Heat the grill medium-hot. Thread 5 or 6 cubes of pork onto each of the skewers; season with salt and pepper. Discard marinade. Grill pork, turning occasionally, until cooked through and slightly charred, about 12 minutes.

Serve on a bed of rice or rice pilaf with a side salad. I also like to make a few veggie kabob with red,yellow, orange bell peppers, mushroom., onions, zucchini etc.

Options : You could use chicken or lamb

by

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

While in the film distribution business I had the great please of being transferred to New Orleans and then Texas offices for 20th Century Fox. I handling the territory including Memphis areas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Florida panhandle, Gulf coast, Oklahoma  and Texas but not the first run houses the small independent owners in the smaller city’s and towns. When I got transfer back to Boston I was a lot heavier and had a fond appreciation for many of the foods especially BBQ. I remember bringing my parents to Sonny Bryant’s in Dallas and my Dad, after taking a look at the outside,  saying quietly to my Mom “I am not eating here again”. We went in, were lucky enough to hit him before he ran out for the day, sat in the old school chairs and devoured some damn good sandwiches. We went back 3 or 4 times before their visit was over. That was beef this recipe is pork but I have those also. I can’t remember where I got this one but we liked it.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Prep: 30 minutes and then overnight (preferred)

Cooking: about 6 hours

Serves: 12

For the pulled pork

  • 3 tablespoons smoked paprika
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon dry mustard
  • 2 tablespoons sea salt
  • 1- 5-pound pork roast, preferably shoulder or Boston butt
  • 12 hamburger buns, for serving

Mix the spices and salt together in a small bowl, and then rub the spice blend over the pork, cover, and let stand for at least 1 hour and up to overnight in the refrigerator. (In the meantime, prepare the sauce.)

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Put the pork in a roasting pan and bake, covered, until it’s falling apart and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 170 degrees, about 6 hours. Remove the pork from the oven and transfer to a large platter and let rest for 10 minutes. While still warm, use two forks to shred the pork. Put the shredded pork in a bowl, add barbecue sauce, and mix well to coat. Serve with coleslaw, chips or fries, Ice tea or beer. Yes ice tea, I miss the huge glasses of ice tea served in the south and they always left a pitcher on the table when you ordered.

For the barbecue sauce

  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • ½ cup hot water
  • 1½ cups apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

In a small saucepan, stir the brown sugar into the hot water until completely dissolved. Add the remaining ingredients and cook on low heat for approximately 5 minutes.