Peri Peri Chicken Skewers. The term "Peri Peri" (also known as "Piri Piri" or "Pili Pili") refers to the bird's eye chili, a type of capsicum chili. The Portuguese combined the chili with oil, lemon, and red bell peppers to create Peri Peri Sauce. The sauce - used as seasoning or marinade - spread to several countries in the southern part of the African continent (including South Africa). From South Africa, the restaurant Nando's Peri Peri Chicken helped popularize the sauce. Several of my fellow halal pitmasters used Nando's bottled hot sauce to marinade chicken, and I was able to find it at World Market. The below recipe was quick and easy. The bottled sauce makes a tasty, well-balanced marinade. ------------------------------------...
On the grill, brussels sprouts develop a charred crunchy exterior and a nutty soft interior. In the below recipe, Indian/Pakistani spices add an additional layer of flavor. Masala Brussels Sprouts Recipe. Ingredients 12 oz brussels sprouts (wash and remove any yellowing outer leave) 2 tablespoons grapeseed or peanut oil (or any neutral oil) 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder 1/2 tablespoon fenugreek seeds 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika Salt and pepper to taste 1/2 lemon Directions: Preheat grill for direct cooking at 400 degrees (medium high heat) To make rub/paste, combine all ingredients except brussels sprouts Precook brussels sprouts in microwave for 2 minutes. This makes them soft enough to skewer. Skewer brussels sprouts on metal or wooden skewers....
Burnt ends are cubes of smoked brisket that are smokey and sweet – often described as “meat candy.” Making them involves multiple steps: cook a packer brisket (8-12 hours), separate the point from the flat, cube the point, coat with BBQ sauce, return to smoker (for 1-2 hours). Not only does this process take time, brisket can be quite expensive. To overcome these limitations, several “Poor Man’s Burnt Ends” recipes are published online. These recipes use chuck roast rather than brisket. The below recipe is modified from “Hey Grill, Hey.” I previously made burnt ends with brisket point (in fact, burnt ends are the reason I came in second in our 2017 Brisket competition; otherwise I wouldn’t have placed…my brisket was...
After grilling and smoking meat for weeks, it was time to change things up a bit. I ran across a grilled watermelon salad recipe in the book Go Kamado by Chef JJ Boston. Below is my modified version. I was pleasantly surprised at the savoriness of grilled cucumber, pairing nicely with the sweetness of the watermelon. Grilled Cucumber Watermelon Salad Recipe Ingredients: 2 medium sized cucumbers 3 lb watermelon 1/3 cup of chopped mint 2 tblspn lemon juice salt (Kosher or Sea) to taste Directions: Heat grill to 450 degrees Peel 2 cucumbers and halve them lenghtwise Remove rind and cut watermelon into thick slices Grill watermelon and cucumber slices on the grate about 3-5 minutes per side. Cucumbers on...
I previously made a lamb leg using the same recipe/technique as below. It came out a bit dry, prompting me to try lamb shoulder (which has more fat). The below recipe resulted in a lamb with 2 different textures: a crunchy outer crust and tender moist inner meat. Recipe: Yogurt-Spiced Lamb Shoulder Ingredients 2 tablespoons of garlic ginger paste 2 tablespoons turmeric 2 tablespoons garam masala mix 2 tablespoons cumin 2 teaspoons paprika handful coriander leaves juice of 1 Lemon 250ml (1/2 pint) natural yogurt 1 tblspn salt 1 boneless lamb shoulder Put all ingredients in a bowl (except lamb shoulder) mix together Coat the lamb and leave for 6 hours or better overnight in a fridge Lamb marinading Prepare...
