Kick-off to Summer Grilling Recipes
Memorial Day (unofficial grilling season kick-off), is only a few weeks away. For the upcoming weeks, we will have recipes for your backyard cookouts.
If you have a favorite grilling or side, that you would like to share, send it in! Recipes, with photo (and a short story/history), if available, can be submitted to ads@thedrummer.com.
Ginger-Peach Soda
1 c. sugar
2 T. minced fresh ginger
2 very ripe peaches
2-liter Seltzer
16 fresh mint leaves
In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, bring 1 cup water, sugar, and ginger to a gentle simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove simple syrup from heat, cover, and steep for about 30 minutes.
Over a medium bowl, pour syrup through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing minced ginger against sieve with the back of a spoon to extract flavor. Discard ginger. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well-chilled.
Evenly distribute peach slices among 8 tall glasses. For each glass, lightly press peaches with the back of a wooden spoon to release their juice. Pour about 2 tablespoons chilled syrup over peaches. (Store remaining syrup in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.) Add ice cubes; then top with seltzer. Stir to distribute syrup, peach juice, and seltzer evenly. Garnish with 2 mint leaves. 8 servings
Chicken and Black Bean Nachos
Yields: 6 Servings
Total Time: 25 Mins
3-1/2 c. shredded rotisserie chicken
1 c. red enchilada sauce
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 c. fresh corn kernels (from 2 ears corn)
1 (15-oz.) can black beans, rinsed
12 oz. pepper-Jack cheese (about 3 c.), divided
Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
8 oz. tortilla chips
Fresh cilantro & lime wedges, for serving
Set up grill for indirect cooking and heat to medium. Toss together chicken, enchilada sauce, onion, corn, beans, and 8 ounces cheese in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
Tear six 12-inch squares of aluminum foil. Place one-sixth of chips, chicken mixture, and remaining cheese on one end of a piece of foil, leaving a 3-inch border. Fold foil over filling to create a packet and crimp edges to seal. Repeat with remaining foil, chips, chicken mixture, and cheese.
Grill packets over indirect heat until cheese is melted and chicken is warmed through, 6 to 10 minutes. Transfer packets to plates and carefully open. Top with cilantro and serve with lime wedges alongside.
Sweet-and-Smoky Cedar-Planked Salmon
Yields: 8 Servings
Total Time: 1 Hr. 35 Mins
2 T. light brown sugar
2 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 (2-1/2 lb.) skin-on salmon fillet
Soak a large cedar grilling plank (about 15 inches by 7 inches) in water, 1 to 2 hours.
Heat grill to medium. Combine sugar, paprika, lemon zest, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a bowl. Season salmon with salt and rub spice mixture all over flesh side.
Place salmon on soaked plank, skin side down. Grill, covered, to desired doneness, 25 to 28 minutes for medium.
Smoked, Spice Rubbed, Texas-Style Brisket on Texas Toast
Level: Advanced
Total: 15 hr 50 min
Prep: 40 min
Inactive: 6 hr 30 min
Cook: 8 hr 40 min
Yield: 8 servings
3 T. ancho chile powder
2 T. kosher salt
1 T. allspice, ground
1 T. celery seeds
1 T. coriander seeds, ground
1 T. garlic powder
1 T. mustard seeds, ground
1 T. dried oregano
1 T. smoked Spanish paprika
1 T. freshly ground black pepper
1 (8-10 lb.) brisket, untrimmed
2 c. apple juice (in a spray bottle)
Favorite BBQ sauce, heated
Texas Toast, recipe follows
Pickled Red Onions, recipe follows
Grilled Texas Toast:
2 tsp. canola oil
4 cloves garlic, smashed & chopped to a paste
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
2 loaves good quality bread, sliced into 2” thick slices
2 T. finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Pickled Red Onions:
1-1/2 c. red wine vinegar
2 T. sugar
1 tsp. mustard seeds
Kosher salt
1 small red onion, halved & thinly sliced
Special equipment: 3 cups oak or pecan wood chips, or 6 big chunks, soaked in cold water for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.
Mix together all the spices in a bowl. Liberally rub the entire brisket with the spices, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours. Remove the brisket from the refrigerator 1 hour before beginning the smoking process to take the chill off, and remove the plastic wrap.
Get your smoker running at 225 degrees F with hardwood charcoal and a few handfuls of soaked wood chips. This temperature should be maintained throughout the entire smoke. (If you are using a grill: Set up the grill for indirect heat, banking the coals on one side of the grill and scattering the wood chips on top. Maintain the temperature at 225 degrees throughout the smoking process, adding chips as necessary, until you wrap the brisket in foil.)
Place the brisket fat-side up on your smoker grate and close it up for the long smoke.
Open your barbecue smoker every hour or 2 and spray the brisket liberally with apple juice to help keep the meat from drying out. Also keep apple juice in the water pan if you are using a water smoker.
When the internal temperature reaches 165 to 170 degrees, after about 4 hours, wrap the brisket in aluminum foil and continue to cook for another 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 hours. This little trick is a big help in getting the meat tender, especially for beginners. Figure that a brisket smoked at around 200 degrees will take about 1-1/2 hours per pound. The brisket is done when the internal temperature reaches 185 degrees F. Remove and let rest 20 minutes before slicing. Remove the foil from the brisket over a large pan or disposable pan and reserve the liquid. Cut off the brisket points and reserve for another use (such as Honey-Rum Pinto Beans with Burnt Ends). After the points are removed, look to see which way the grain runs and slice thinly across the grain. Smear some barbecue sauce on Grilled Texas Toast, top with brisket and Pickled Red Onions.
Grilled Texas Toast: Preheat the grill to medium-high. Heat the oil in a small saute pan and cook the garlic for 1 minute. Let cool slightly. Stir in the butter and season with salt and pepper. Grill the bread until lightly golden brown on both sides. Remove from the grill and spread 1 side of each slice with some of the garlic butter.
Pickled Red Onions: Bring the vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil in a small saucepan and cook until the sugar and salt dissolves, about 1 minute. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool for 10 minutes. Add the onions and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
American Macaroni Salad
Level: Easy
Total: 30 min
Prep: 20 min
Cook: 10 min
Yield: 6 servings
2 c. dry elbow macaroni, cooked, rinsed, & drained
1/3 c. diced celery
1/4 c. minced red onion, soaked in cold water for 5 minutes, drained
1 T. minced flat-leaf parsley
1/2 c. diced vine-ripened tomato (optional)
1/2 c. prepared mayonnaise
3/4 tsp. dry mustard
1-1/2 tsp. sugar
1-1/2 T. cider vinegar
3 T. sour cream
1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
In a large bowl, combine the macaroni, celery, onion, parsley and tomato, if using. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, sugar, vinegar, sour cream and salt. Pour the dressing over the salad and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve. Store covered in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days.
Grilled Banana Boats
4 med. unpeeled ripe bananas
4 tsp. miniature chocolate chips
4 T. miniature marshmallows
Cut banana peel lengthwise about 1/2 in. deep, leaving 1/2 in. at both ends. Open peel wider to form a pocket. Fill each with 1 teaspoon chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon marshmallows. Crimp and shape four pieces of heavy-duty foil (about 12 in. square) around bananas, forming boats.
Grill, covered, over medium heat until marshmallows melt and are golden brown, 5-10 minutes. 4 servings
Quote of the Week:
“The art of mothering is to teach the art of living to children.”
~ Elaine Heffner
“When your mother asks, ‘Do you want a piece of advice?’ it’s a mere formality. It doesn’t matter if you answer yes or no. You’re going to get it anyway.”
~ Erma Bombeck
