Friday, April 11, 2014

SEASON FOR GRILLING, RUBS, MARINADES, & BRINES





I didn't know about rubs and brines until 
I started watching the cooking channels. 
I have collected several kinds of prepared 
grill seasoning for beef, pork, and chicken. 
I save money by purchasing them for 99c
at nearby close-out inventory stores. I use
prepared  grilling mixes and the convenient 
instant charcoal briquets when I need to do
quick grilling.

I have made some of the rubs and fancy 
marinades that I saw on the cooking T.V
channels. I even tried to brine once time.

I will feature some rub, marinade, 
and brine recipes that are  simple
and don't require any hard to find
or costly ingredients.  I don't use 
rubs and marinades unless I have 
plenty of time for scratch grilling.
This usually happens during the
week-end or a holiday.

*******************************************
                                    RUBS
*******************************************

NOTE:

All rubs can be mixed in a small
bowl.  Rubs enhance the flavor
of the meat and forms a very 
nice crust. It can dry out your 
meat if left on too long. I will
leave the rub on my chickens,
thin chops, and thin steaks no
longer than 30 minutes.  The
amount of rub you use depends
on your family's taste. Most of
the rub recipes will flavor about
3 pounds of beef or chicken.











 




ALL PURPOSE RUB

2 T  salt
2 T paprika
1/2 T cayenne pepper
1/2 T  black pepper
1  T onion powder
1  T garlic powder














 






MOROCCAN RUB 


2 tsp  lemon  pepper
1 tsp  onion powder
1 tsp  garlic powder
1 tsp  sea salt
1/2 tsp red  pepper
1 tsp  cinnamon
1 tsp  ground coriander
1 tsp  ground ginger
1 T brown sugar 

Tip: Enough rub for 3 pounds of beef,
chicken, or fish.





 











CURRY RUB

1 T sugar
1 T salt
1 T curry powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder 







 








STEAK RUB

1 T  salt
1/2 T Jane's Original Mixed Up Pepper*
1  T onion powder
1  T garlic powder


* I found this pepper at Food Lion
spice section.








 








BEEF BRISKET RUB
 
1 T brown sugar
2 T black pepper
1 T cumin
2 T chili powder
1 T paprika 
2 T allspice
1 T salt 

Tip: Enough dry rub for 10 pound beef brisket






 









PORK RUB #1

1 T paprika
1 T chili powder
1 T salt
2 T garlic powder

2 T onion powder
1/2 T black pepper
1/2 T cayenne pepper



PORK RUB #2

2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper 
1 T oil

Tips: Enough rub for 2 lb.
pork tenderloin. Coat both 
sides of the pork with the 
oil then sprinkle on the rub. 














 








CHICKEN RUB

2 T salt
1 T garlic powder
1 T black pepper
1 T onion powder

2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp dried thyme













 








 ANCHO CHILI RUB

2 T salt
2 T ancho chili powder
2 T brown sugar
1 T garlic powder
1 T cumin
1 tsp black pepper



****************************************

                           MARINADES

**********************************************
 
There are some marinade basics that are 
good to know. You will need an acid which 
can be vinegar, lemon juice, or lime juice. 
The acid is required to tenderize the meat.
I love to collect vinegars.  I get the store
brand white wine, red wine, and tarragon
vinegars from an organic food market.The
oil is should be a neutral vegetable oil, so
that it  will not over power the flavor of the
meat. The salty can be sea salt, soy sauce,
teriyaki, and worcestershire.  I have begun
to use kosher and sea salt instead of table 
salt.  The flavors in the marinade are onion, 
garlic, and herbs.   Some people like a kick
from  red (cayenne) pepper, hot sauce, hot
chile peppers like the jalapenos & pablanos.
Ancho and chipote chili powders useful also.

My pet peeve with cooking shows is they don't
show the cooks and chefs washing their hands 
before they start cooking.  They probably do it
but new cooks need to see it.   The practice of 
hand washing is a must in the kitchen.Newbies
may think that hand washing is not important 
since they don't see the popular TV celebrities 
doing it. 

IMPORTANT:  YOU NEVER SAVE OR REUSE MARINADE.  WASH HANDS THOROUGHLY
AFTER HANDLING RAW MEAT!!


ALL PURPOSE MARINADE

1 1/2  C  oil
1/2 C vinegar
2 T mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced

Whisk together vinegar, mustard, salt and 

pepper. Slowly add the oil and whisk until
well blended. Add onion and garlic and mix 
well. Store in refrigerator until ready to use.   









STEAK MARINADE #1

2 T mustard
1 minced garlic clove
1 C teriyaki sauce
1 T sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Add steak to a large lock and seal plastic 
bag. Mix marinade ingredients and pour 
over the steak.  Massage marinade into 
meat refrigerate 24 hours. Turn the bag
over periodically so both sides of steak
will be tenderized.

Tip:  Enough marinade for 3 steaks


 STEAK MARINADE #2

1 C Italian salad dressing,
1/2 T steak sauce
1/2 T worcestershire sauce,
1/2 T lemon juice

Add steak to a large lock and seal plastic 
bag. Mix marinade ingredients and pour 
over the steak.  Massage marinade into 
meat refrigerate 24 hours. Turn the bag
over periodically so both sides of steak
will be tenderized.

Tip:  Enough marinade for 3 steaks










CHICKEN MARINADE #1


1/2 C oil
1/2  C  vinegar
1 T Dijon  mustard
2 T  Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp Kosher salt  or to taste
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp  garlic powder
1 tsp  onion powder    


Add chicken to a large lock and seal plastic 
bag. Mix marinade ingredients and pour 
over the chicken.  Massage marinade into 
meat refrigerate 24 hours. Turn the bag
over periodically so both sides of chicken
will be tenderized.

Tip: Enough marinade for 3 chicken breast



CHICKEN MARINADE # 2

1/3 C  lemon juice 
1/3 C oil
2 T  honey 
1 tsp thyme 
1 tsp  black pepper
1/2 tsp  garlic powder 
1/2 tsp onion powder
 

Add chicken to a large lock and seal plastic 
bag.   Mix marinade ingredients and pour 
over the chicken.  Massage marinade into 
meat refrigerate 24 hours.   Turn the bag
over periodically so both sides of chicken
will be tenderized.

Tip: Enough marinade for 3 chicken breast


CHICKEN MARINADE # 3

1 C zesty Italian salad dressing
1/2  tsp oregano
salt & pepper to taste 




Add chicken to a large lock and seal plastic 
bag.   Mix marinade ingredients and pour 
over the chicken.  Massage marinade into 
meat refrigerate 24 hours.   Turn the bag
over periodically so both sides of chicken
will be tenderized.

Tip: Enough marinade for 3 chicken breast


**************************************************
                                   BRINES
**************************************************





I learned from watching chefs on TV that
preparing a brine for certain cuts of meat
is a good thing.  It is especially good for 
turkey since it can be dry and tasteless if 
cooked improperly.   Most of their brine 
solutions had equal amounts of salt and 
sugar. Kosher salt was used most of the
time since it has coarse grains than table
salt.  The sweetener ranged from white
sugar to various flavors of honey.  One
TV chef pointed out that it is possible to 
overdo the brining process.  He made a
suggestion-DO NOT LEAVE MEAT IN THE
BRINE MORE THAN 4-12 hours. The sugar
in the meat can cause it to burn easily as
you grill so, stay alert!!



 














TURKEY BRINE



2 qrts water

1/2 C kosher salt

1/2 C wild flower honey

2 tsp rosemary
2 tsp savory
1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 large bay leaves

In large plastic container add all of the brine
ingredients.  Stir the brine until the has salt dissolved. Add the turkey and make sure it
is completely submerged in the brine.  Use
a heavy plate on top of the turkey if needed.  Refrigerate for 5-12 hours.

Remove turkey from brine. Discard the brine.
Pat the turkey skin dry with paper towels.This
will help turkey have crisp skin when smoking 
or grilling.
TIP: ENOUGH BRINE FOR 5 POUNDS TURKEY
BREAST, LEGS, OR THIGHS OR 4-5 POUNDS
OF CHICKEN 


Most of the time you see brine for poultry and
pork.  Large cuts of beef can also benefit from 
a brine.  I discovered that boneless beef roast required extra ingredients to make sure that it 
wasn't tasteless and tough. I only knew about
old method of covering the beef roast with can mushroom soup and dry onion soup mix. Then 
I saw a cooking show use a brine to insure that
their roast came out tender and juicy.







BEEF BRINE

1/4 C  sugar 1/4 C  salt 
2 peeled garlic cloves 
2 bay leaves
2 T  black pepper (or peppercorns)
4 C water
4 lb beef roast


In large plastic container add all of the brine

ingredients.  Stir the brine until the has salt 
dissolved.   Add the roast and make sure it

is completely submerged in the brine. Use

a heavy plate on top of the roast if needed.  Refrigerate 5-12 hours.Remove roast from 
the brine. Discard the brine. Beef is ready 
for grilling.



Wednesday, April 9, 2014

SEASON FOR GRILLING, CHICKEN





Grilled chicken is my family's favorite grilled 
food.  My grilled chicken wouldn't get done 
to the bone.  I tried two different methods 
to insure that my chicken was done. I would 
parboil my chicken for 15 minutes then grill
it.The second method was to grill both sides
of the chicken until golden brown then transfer
it to the oven until the juices run clear. I chose 
the latter method most of the time, because 
it allowed me to continue grilling my other
food as the chicken was getting well done. I 
could also cook chicken on the coolest side of 
the grill until it was done.  I grill enough food 
for three days when I grill, so I need all of my
grill space at all times. 

I prep all of my food before I start grilling. 
My burgers and hot dogs ready to go. My 
steaks are on the counter so they will be
room temperature when I grill them. I will
always have  a spray bottle of water, my 
soda, my newspaper, and my radio on my
table. The spray bottle is used to tame the
wild flames that flare up. I try not leave my
grill until until I have finished grilling.

I learned the hard way that an unattended 
grill will result in burned under cooked food.

Some of my recipes offer quick marinades and
rubs from grocery store mixes and others are
from scratch.  I always use the mixes if I have
a busy day ahead.










FAIL SAFE GRILLED CHICKEN

16 OZ zesty Italian dressing
1 cut up chicken

Put chicken in large plastic lock 

and seal  bag and add bottle of  
zesty Italian dressing.Marinate
the chicken overnight. 
 
Prepare the charcoal grill. Grill the 

chicken after the coals have turned
white.  Brown the chicken on both
sides. Transfer the chicken to oven
proof platter and place in 250 degree
oven. The chicken is done when the 
juices run clear.








SODA CAN CHICKEN


3 lb chicken
12 oz can soda 
1 T oil 
2 T chicken grill seasoning

Prepare your charcoal grill. The
coals can be getting hot while 
you are preparing the chicken.

Rinse the chicken and remove the giblets.
Pat chicken dry. Pour out 4 oz of the soda. 
Put the soda in the beer can holder.  Make
sure you hold the chicken upright and insert
the soda & the can holder firmly in the cavity
of the chicken.   Rub the oil on the chicken.
Sprinkle your favorite grill seasonings all over
the chicken. Use a drip pan under the chicken.
Place drip pan and chicken on the grill. Grill the
chicken for 1 hour or until the juices run clear. 
 
Other soda options: cola, cherry

cola, lemon-lime, orange, ginger
ale





GRILLED HONEY MUSTARD WINGS

2 lb chicken wings
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 C yellow mustard
1/4 C honey
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Prepare grill. Make sauce while waiting
for coals to get hot. In bowl add honey,  
mustard, and garlic powder.  Mix well.
Pat wings dry and sprinkle  them with 
salt and pepper. 

Grill wings 8 minutes both sides. Brush
both sides of the wings with the sauce. 
Wings are done when juice runs clear. 







GRILLED HONEY DIJON CHICKEN

4 chicken breast
4 T honey dijon mustard 

1 T  oil
1/2 tsp  salt
1/2 tsp  black pepper



In large resealable plastic bag add all of the ingredients. Add  chicken breast and shake
to distribute the marinade. Marinate 3 hours.
Remove from marinade and grill chicken until
the juices run clear.
TIP: I use French's honey dijon mustard for
marinating chicken.











LIME KISSED GRILLED CHICKEN

1/2 C oil
1 pack zesty Italian dressing mix
1/4 C lime juice
1/2 tsp salt
3 lb chicken


In large plastic lock and seal 

bag add oil, Italian dressing 
mix, salt, and lime juice.Seal
tight and shake contents until
well mixed.  Add the chicken.
Massage marinade into chicken
until each piece is well coated.
Marinate in frig at least 4 hours.

Grill both sides of the chicken.
Transfer chicken to oven-proof
platter and place in 250 degree
oven. The chicken is done when 
the juices run clear.






  GRILLED TERIYAKI CHICKEN 
 
8 chicken legs
1 C teriyaki sauce
1/4 C vinegar
1 tsp minced ginger
2 tsp minced  garlic
2 tsp  oil

toasted sesame seeds for garnish


In large plastic lock and seal bag add teriyaki 

sauce,vinegar, ginger, garlic, and oil. Seal bag
and shake to blend marinade. Add the chicken
and massage the marinade  into chicken until 
each piece is well coated. Marinate chicken in refrigerator at least 8 hours. Remove chicken
from bag and discard marinade. Grill each side
of the chicken until golden brown. Chicken is 
done when juices run clear.  I garnish with a
sprinkle  of  toasted sesame seeds.







MEXICAN GRILLED CHICKEN # 1

4 chicken legs
4 chicken thighs

MARINADE

1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1/4 C oil
2 T lime juice


In large plastic lock and seal bag add all
of the marinade ingredients. Shake and
mix well.  Add the chicken and shake to 
evenly coat each piece of chicken. Place
in frig and marinate at least 8 hours.


Remove the chicken from the bag
and discard  the marinade.  Grill 
each side of the chicken until it is
golden brown.The chicken is done
when the juices run clear.









MEXICAN GRILLED CHICKEN # 2 


8 chicken thighs
1.25 oz packet mild chili seasoning mix

1/4 C oil


In large plastic lock and seal bag add the
chili mix and oil. Shake and mix well. Add
the chicken and shake to evenly coat each 
piece of chicken. Place in frig and marinate
at least 8 hours.

Remove the chicken from the bag and
discard the marinade. Grill each side of
the chicken until it is golden brown.The 
chicken is done when the juices run clear. 






EASY GRILLED JERK CHICKEN #1

4 chicken legs
4 chicken thighs
3 T jerk seasoning
1/2 C oil




In large plastic lock and seal bag add the
jerk seasoning and oil.Shake and mix well. 
Add the chicken and shake to evenly coat 
each piece of chicken. Place chicken in frig
and marinate at least 8 hours.

Remove the chicken from the bag and
discard the marinade. Grill each side of
the chicken until it is golden brown.The 
chicken is done when the juices run clear. 





EASY GRILLED JERK CHICKEN # 2

4 chicken legs
4 chicken thighs
1 C jerk marinade


In large plastic lock and seal bag add the
jerk marinade. Add the chicken and shake
to evenly coat each piece of chicken. Place
the chicken in frig and marinate 30 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the bag and
discard the marinade. Grill each side of
the chicken until it is golden brown.The 
chicken is done when the juices run clear. 









GRILLED TURKEY BURGERS

1 lb ground turkey
2 tsp cajun/creole seasoning
1 egg, beaten
¼ c plain crumbs
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder



In bowl mix all of the listed ingredients. Form
4 patties. Rub oil on both sides of the burgers. 
Grill both sides of burgers until golden brown.  Burgers are done when center is firm to touch.  
The inside of the burgers will look white in color 
when cooked through.




 



GRILLED TURKEY CHEESE BURGERS

1 lb ground turkey
1 packet dried onion soup mix
1 egg, beaten
½ tsp garlic powder

Garnish: 4 slices pepper jack cheese



In bowl mix all of the listed ingredients. Form
4 patties. Rub oil on both sides of the burgers. 
Grill both sides of burgers until golden brown.  Burgers are done when center is firm to touch.  
The inside of the burgers will look white in color
when cooked through. Remove the burgers from 
the grill.  Top each burger with a slice of pepper 
jack cheese.