September 3, 2011: Spicy Inside Out Burgers Recipe

Are you planning on barbecuing burgers for your Labor Day celebration? Here’s a different kind of hamburger that will turn them from humdrum to exciting! It only takes a few ingredients to transform this grilling staple, including my favorite spice, garlic salt.

The cheese started to ooze out of this inside out burger when the top bun was in place.

Spicy Inside Out Hamburgers

1 pound 80% lean ground beef

1 T. bold steak sauce

1 t. tequila (your choice of varieties)

1 t. lemon juice

1 t. garlic salt

Pinch of sugar

4 slices pepper jack cheese

Montreal steak seasoning

Mix together the ground beef, steak sauce, tequila, lemon juice and garlic salt. Form into 6 or 8 thin patties (depending on how big you want your burgers to be). Cut cheese slices into fourths. Place one quartered cheese slice on top of one thin patty. Top with another hamburger patty. Press the edges together to seal. Sprinkle top with Montreal steak seasoning to taste. Continue with remaining ingredients so that you have 3 or 4 hamburgers.

Heat grill to 400+ degrees. Cook patties 7 to 10 minutes, until desired doneness. Serve with lettuce, slices of tomato, French fried onions, avocados, and green chiles or jalapenos, if desired.

May 25, 2011: Beef Fajitas Recipe

When it comes to grilling meat for fajitas you have a couple options. Number one is to use a large hunk of meat, such as a skirt steak, and place the whole thing on a grill to cook. The other option is to use meat that is already cut up, such as the butcher’s package of “stir fry meat”, which is usually quite reasonably priced.

When I made this recipe I used the latter, and cooked them quickly on the cast iron griddle on the side burner of my propane grill. It doesn’t really matter which method you use (although it’s easier to get rare meat when you use the whole piece), in either instance the idea is to cook the meat very quickly, just searing the outside surfaces. If you do opt for pre-sliced beef, be sure to use a cast iron griddle or skillet over high heat.

Beef Fajitas

Marinade:
1 cup tequila
Juice of one lime
1 T. kosher salt
1 t. dried or 1 T. fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic, crushed or 1 T. freeze dried garlic
2 T. vegetable oil
1 pound beef (cheap, tough cuts such as sirloin, skirt steak, etc. are perfect)

Combine all ingredients through the oil; add the beef (either as a whole slab or cut into strips as discussed above). Marinate in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight, turning the meat occasionally.

4 soft taco sized flour tortillas, warmed in the microwave for half a minute
1 white or yellow onion
1 bell pepper, optional
1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
Nacho jalapeno slices
Sliced black olives
Salsa
Sour cream
Avocadoes, thinly sliced (or prepared guacamole)

Thinly slice the onion and bell pepper and sauté in olive oil just until soft. Set aside. Assemble remaining ingredients in bowls for diners to make their own burritos.

Cook the meat on a hot grill or griddle for 1 to 2 minutes per side for medium rare. Remove from heat and tent with a sheet of aluminum foil to keep warm until ready to eat; it will continue to cook. If you cooked a large piece of meat, slice it thinly after letting it rest under the foil for about 5 minutes.

Beef fajitas served with a simple salad with Chipotle Garlic Ranch dressing and Spanish rice

To assemble, take a flour tortilla and spread with shredded cheese, top with fajita meat, sautéed onions and peppers and additional ingredients as desired. Roll up and enjoy!

May 17, 2011: Drunken Chicken Recipe

Here’s another grilling recipe that might be just the thing for your Memorial Day barbecue. It’s best to marinate chicken in this liquid overnight so that it really soaks up all the great flavors. When you grill it up, the skin will get incredibly crispy on the outside but leave the meat on the inside really tender and juicy.

For accompaniments, consider guacamole, salsa and chips, a tossed green salad, quesadillas, and black beans tossed with red bell peppers, green onions, and jalapeno slices.

Drunken Chicken Marinade

2 cups tequila (a cheap variety is just fine)
Juice and zest of one large or two small limes
1/3 cup kosher salt
1 T. black peppercorns
3 sprigs fresh cilantro
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 T. red pepper flakes

Combine all ingredients in a large, nonmetallic container. Add the chicken (whole or in pieces) and marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

An hour before eating, heat the grill to medium. Place the chicken on the grill, indirectly over the heat so it doesn’t flame up. Cook for 45 minutes to one hour.