Easy Rib Tips

So, I have stumbled around trying to find a good way to make some rib tips.  I have tried baking, crock pots, grilling, and even I think an open fire. I've never been able to get a good method for them.  I've also not had a good way to season them.  But, thanks to my good friend Cara in Minneapolis, I now have a wonderful way to make them.  She sent me over her method for making them and it is fantastic.  This works fantastic with a dry rub, but would probably work with sauce too. So, with out further ado, here is one of the easiest ways to make rib tips (and full racks of ribs) I've ever tried.

Ingredients:
A bunch of Ribs or Rib Tips
Seasoning you like
Ice Cubes
Aluminum Foil
A Grill

Directions:
1. Rub the rib tips and let them sit in the fridge all day (6-12 hours)
2. Heat up the grill to about 400 and grill the tips for about 5 minutes per side. Just enough to get a bit of char on the sides.
3. Remove the tips from the grill and wrap them in two layers of heavy duty Aluminium.  Put 3-4 ice cubes on the ribs before wrapping. This helps keep them from drying out.
4. Put the rib packets back on the grill, set the grill to low or indirect heat, and don't touch them for 30 minutes.
5. Flip the packets and leave them there for another 30 minutes.
6. Take the steaming ribs out of the packets and those that you don't eat on the spot, put back on the grill to finish them off. Just a few minutes per side.
7. If you are generous, take them back to the house and share with your family. Otherwise, just hide out in the garage and eat them all.

Other Notes: The rub I used was just some Hungarian Paprika, Cabela's Steak Seasoning, and Stubb's Bar-B-Q rub. Next time I'll add a bit more salt, some cayenne, and maybe some of my secret ingredient. No sugar here.  They are pretty much strictly savory, but they are soooo good!

Balsamic-Garlic Crusted Pork Tenderloin

Here's a very simple way to make pork tenderloin that is just melt-in-your-mouth good. We've had it many times and the whole family loves it.

Ingredients:

5 garlic cloves, finely minced or crushed
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 1/2 tsp coarse salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
2 pork tenderloins (about 1 1/4 pounds each)

Directions:

1. Stir together garlic, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and olive oil.
2. Coat the tenderloin with the rub.
3. Let marinate for anywhere from 30 minutes up to 6 hours.
4. Sear the tenderloin on all 4 sides.
5. Grill until the internal temperature is about 160, rotating every 10 minutes.
6. Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.

This has become a family favorite and is great when served with sour cream.  The recipe was from the Kitchen Confidante website.

When grilling the tenderloin, I seared it on high heat on the grill, then moved the tenderloin pieces to the top rack in the back of the grill.  Then I left only the front burner on to cook it indirectly.  It took longer, but was extremely tender and juicy.

Pork Kebabs with Salsa Verde

Tonight's dinner turned out to be one of the easiest and best meals I have made in a while. The whole family loved it.  Takes about 10 minutes prep and 15 minutes to cook.

Ingredients:
2 large pork tenderloins (3 lbs total)
2 cups fresh cilantro leaves, lightly packed
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp water
salt to taste

Directions:
1. Put cilantro, parsley, onion, and garlic in a food processor and process until finely chopped.
2. Add the olive oil, vinegar, and water and process until it is about like a thick paste.
3. Cut the pork tenderloins in half and then crosswise into 1" chunks.
4. Toss the salt on the tenderloin while still on the cutting board to season well.
5. Mix 2/3 of the salsa into the pork tenderloin so the pieces are covered.
6. Fill up 6 or so skewers of the tenderloin grill about 6 minutes per side. Use the rest of the salsa to cover while grilling.

This recipe was based on one from the Atkins Best Recipes cookbook.

Happy Birthday to me - LC style

Dinner tonight was awesome. It's my birthday today and I said I wanted a birthday steak instead of a birthday cake. So, here's my rib-eye birthday steaks:




Yep, that's just 2 rib-eyes stacked on top of each other.
And no, candles don't stand up well when they are in a nice, tender, juicy rib-eye.




My entire birthday meal was excellent.
Grilled rib-eye steak, cauliflower poppers topped with Parmesan cheese, cottage cheese, and fresh avocados. One of my favorite meals. I love all of it.

Italian Pork Chops

Here's a nice simple recipe for some wonderful pork chops.  Some of the best I have made on the grill.

Ingredients:
6-8 pork chops
1 bottle Italian Dressing
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Mix the Italian Dressing, Parmesan Cheese, Salt, and Pepper in a large bowl.
2. Put the pork chops in either a large dish or gallon zip-lock bag and pour in the marinade.
3. Let marinade from 30 minutes up to several hours.
4. Remove from marinade and grill over high heat for a couple minutes per side to get a nice sear on the outside, then lower to medium heat until cooked to your liking.

That's it. It's that simple and they turn out fantastic. Just don't overcook them on the grill or they will be too dry. If you want a nice side, just add some zucchini and onions on the grill as well in a grill basket and toss with some olive oil as you cook the pork chops. It's a very easy addition to the meal.

Russian Shashlik

These are pretty much Russian Shish-ka-bobs, but they were wonderful.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 -2 pounds boneless beef sirloin or tenderloin tips

1 large onion coarse grated

1 large onion, cut into 1 inch pieces

6 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup dry red wine

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 bay leaves

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

1 large green pepper (I used red instead)

Directions:

1. Trim meat into 1 1/2 inch cubes

2. Combine grated onion, garlic, wine, wine vinegar, olive oil, bay leaves, salt, and black pepper in large dish.

3. Add beef and toss to coat beef.

4. Let marinade for 4-8 hours, the longer the better.

5. Assemble Kabobs using marinaded meat, cut onion, and cut pepper.

6. Grill over high heat until done, marinading every few minutes if desired.

7. Enjoy!!!

This recipe was from Steven Raichlen's Barbecue Bible

Lettuce Bundles with Grilled Beef in a Lemongrass Marinade and Thai Peanut Sauce

This recipe is a bit complex, but very good. There are 3 parts to it, so I will do one section for each. This isn't a LC recipe but I cut out the sugar and noodles it calls for, and it turned out good.

Main Ingredients:

1 boneless sirloin steak cut one inch thick

1 bunch fresh basil, stemmed

1 bunch fresh mint, stemmed

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and thinly sliced

1 head Boston or Bibb lettuce, separated and dry

Aromatic Lemongrass Marinade

Thai Peanut Sauce

Aromatic Lemongrass Marinade Ingredients:

3 stalks fresh lemongrass or 3 strips lemon zest

2 large shallots, coarsely chopped

5 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

5 tbsp Asian fish sauce

3 tbsp fresh lime juice

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Thai Peanut Sauce Ingredients:

2 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger

1 hot chile (serrano, jalapeno, etc)

1 clove garlic, minced

2 scallions, both white and green parts

1/3 cup chunky peanut butter

1/3 cup coconut milk

2 tbsp Asian fish sauce or Braggs liquid Aminos

1 tbsp fresh lime juice

1/4 cup fresh cilantro

Thai Peanut Sauce Directions:
1. Combine the ginger, chile, garlic, scallions, peanut butter, coconut milk, fish sauce, lime juice, and cilantro in a small saucepan.

2. Bring to a boil, stirring to mix well, then reduce to low and let simmer 5-10 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and taste for seasoning. Should be served warm or at room temperature. Should be think but pourable.

Aromatic Lemongrass Marinade Directions:

1. Combine lemongrass, shallots, and garlic in a mortar and pound to a coarse paste.

2. Work in the fish sauce, lime juice, and pepper.

3. If you do not have a mortar and pestle, use a blender and process to smooth puree.

Main Directions:

1. Cut steak into 1/8 inch wide strips and put in the marinade. Let marinade in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or longer.

2. Put the meat on skewers and grill over high heat, 1-2 minutes per side for well-done.

3. Combine the basil, mint, jalapeno slices, and meat on a lettuce leaf and dip in the peanut sauce and enjoy.

This recipe is based on one from Steven Raichlen's Barbecue Bible.

Beef Sirloin Salad

Simple salad with some nice grilled beef sirloin.

Ingredients:

8 oz sirloin steak, 1 inch thick

2 cups romaine lettuce, washed, dried, and broken up

1/2 medium ripe tomatoes (I used cherry tomatoes)

1/8 sweet red onion, thinly sliced (I used scallions)

Salad Dressing of your choice (I use Ranch or Blue Cheese)

Directions:

1. Prepare Steak as desired (Grilled or broiled are best)

2. Arrange lettuce on plate.

3. Cut steak into thin slices across the grain.

4. Put on tomatoes and onions and top with dressing.

Very simple, yet very yummy, especially if the meat is still warm. Can also be done with chicken as well.

Recipe from Dana Carpenders 500 LC Recipes

Shish-Kabobs

I know, this isn't difficult, but figured I'd post it just to give someone the idea. We had not made them in about a year because we just never thought about it.

Ingredients:
Stew Meat or whatever else you want
Red, Yellow, and Green Peppers
Grape Tomatoes
Mushrooms

Directions:
1. Dice everything up.
2. Put on skewers (don't forget to soak the wooden ones first if you use them)
3. Grill on medium heat about 5 minutes per side.

You can use whatever you want to for seasoning on the meat. A marinade would be good. We just use olive oil to coat the meat, then seasoned with black pepper, seasoned salt, blackened seasoning, garlic, coriander, and a bit of paprika. Turned out very good.

Just grillin'

Ok, I know I haven't put up a post in a few weeks, but I've been doing some simple grilling lately with no new recipes. Just yummy food.

Dinner tonight was grilled chicken, grilled ribs-on-a-stick, and some deep fried jicama. Very simple but oh so tasty.

Chipotle Burgers

Here's a burger that takes a bit of work making the different sauces, but it is worth it. Very good. A bit spicy, but you can always back down on the amount of chipotle to meet your needs.

There are 3 different parts, so I'll go through them one at a time.

Dana's No-Sugar Ketchup
Ingredients:
6 oz tomato paste
2/3 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup Splenda (optional)
2 tbsp minced onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp pepper

Directions:
1. Put everything in a blender and run until onion disappears. Store in a container w/tight lid in the fridge.


Chipotle Sauce
Ingredients:
3/4 cup mayo
3 chipotle chilies canned in adobo
2 tbsp Dana's No-Sugar Ketchup

Directions:
1. Measure mayo and ketchup into a bowl.
2. Chop up the chipotles quite fine and mix into mayo/ketchup sauce.

Chipotle Burgers
Ingredients:
2 pounds ground beef
6 chipotle chilies canned in adobo sauce
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup minced onion
1/2 tsp salt
6 oz Monterrey Jack cheese, sliced

Directions:
1. Mix everything but the cheese in a big bowl and form into 6 big burgers (or however many you want).
2. Let the burgers chill for an hour in the fridge (it makes them easier to handle).
3. Grill on medium heat until done (approx 7-10 minutes per side).
4. Put on the cheese to let melt and then serve with the chipotle sauce on top.

This recipe was from Dana Carpender's LC Barbecue book.

Grilled Chicken with Marinade

I know this chicken is a bit close to the Greek Roasted chicken recipe, but I tweaked it a bit and enjoyed the change.

Ingredients:
1 Cut-up Chicken (or whatever you want to grill)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic

Directions:
1. Mix marinade ingredients and put in a 1 gallon zip-lock bag with the chicken.
2. Let marinade as long as you want. I prefer letting it go overnight.
3. Grill the chicken and enjoy.

I've added a salad and cottage cheese to round out the meal.

Hamburgers and Veggies

Well, this is probably the least technical and defined recipe I've posted yet. I just wing it and it turns out pretty good.

Ingredients:
Green Peppers
Red Peppers
Onions
Zucchini
Butter
Ground Beef
Worcestershire Sauce
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Garlic Powder
Seasoned Salt (The stuff I made here)
Blackened Seasoning
Black Pepper

Directions:
1. Saute Onions, Peppers, and Zucchini in Butter until yummy.
2. Mix the Ground beef, W. Sauce, a hand full of the shredded cheddar cheese, garlic powder, seasoned salt, blackened seasoning, and black pepper together and make burgers.
3. Grill the Burgers. (I usually sear them over high heat, then finish over medium or indirect.)
4. Put on plate, top with whatever you want and enjoy.

Pizza and Poppers

Pizza and Poppers??? Yep, Pizza and Poppers. It's the best Pizza I have ever made and some of the best I've had (outside of my moms and Teds, of course). My jalapeños were too big and I didn't get all the seeds out, but the poppers were good too.

Pizza Ingredients:
3 eggs
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp basil
1 tbsp tomato sauce
+ whatever you want for toppings (We used more mozzarella cheese, mushrooms, and Canadian bacon.)

Directions:
1. Combine mozzarella cheese, eggs, garlic powder, and basil in a bowl and mix very well.
2. Press evenly onto a non-stick (or Pam sprayed) pizza pan or cookie sheet.
3. Bake at 450 until golden brown (about 10 to 15 minutes).
4. Remove the crust from the oven.
5. Spread on the tomato sauce.
6. Add the rest of your toppings.
7. Put pizza under the broiler and broil until cheese is melted and toppings are cooked to your desired done-ness.

Jalapeño Popper Ingredients:
Jalapeño peppers
cream cheese
bacon

Directions:
1. Cut the peppers open and take out the seeds.
2. Fill the peppers with cream cheese (I found some Roka Blue Cream Cheese that was amazing).
3. Wrap the peppers with bacon.
4. Cook the poppers either on the grill or broil them until the bacon is done and the peppers are a bit soft.

The peppers I used were too big, but they didn't have any smaller ones when I was shopping for them.

Both of these recipes were ones I had found online posted by people who pulled them from other people. Not sure who originally came up with the recipe.

Greek Roasted Chicken

This is a very simple chicken recipe/marinade that makes the chicken taste like the stuff you get at a small town fair or at a small carnival/festival put on by local groups like the Lions Club or Snowmobile Club (for you northerners). Not sure why, but it really reminds me of that. Note that it needs up to a day for marinading.

Ingredients:
3-4 pounds of chicken (cut-up, split, whole, whatever you want)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:
1. Wash chicken and pat dry.
2. Combine lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and stir in together.
3. For a whole chicken, rub all over the chicken, including in the cavity. For chicken parts, put in a zip lock bag and pour in marinade.
4. Let sit in a fridge for at least an hour, up to a day. The longer it sits, the better the flavor.
5. One hour before cooking, take chicken out of the bag and let sit.
6. Grill, bake, or broil the chicken as you desire. I prefer to slow grill it.

To slow grill chicken:
1. Heat 1/2 the grill (with charcoals on one side or 1/2 the gas burners turned off).
2. Sear the chicken for 3-5 minutes per side directly over the high heat.
3. Move the chicken to the indirect side, turn heat down a bit, and let sit for about 20 minutes per side, flipping once.
4. After about 10 minutes of high heat and 40 minutes of low heat it will be about done.
5. If you want to crisp up the skin, turn up to high again and put directly over the heat for a minute or two per side.

Overall it was a very easy meal, yet very tasty.

This recipe was based on one from Dana Carpenders 500 LC Recipes

Garlic & Lime Pork Chops

A wonderful marinade for pork chops that give them a bit of a kick and some very good flavor. We used some very thin pork chops and it was ready in about 5 minutes.

Ingredients:
6 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp soy sauce (Braggs Liquid Aminos)
2 tbsp fresh gingerroot, peeled and grated
2 tbsp Dijon Mustard
1/2 cup lime juice
4 oz olive oil
1/2 hot chili pepper, finely diced
8 pork chops

Directions:
1. Combine the garlic, Braggs (soy sauce), gingerroot,Dijon mustard, lime juice, oil, and chili pepper into a zip lock bag.
2. Add pork chops and let marinade up to a day. The longer the better.
3. Remove Pork Chops and grill (or broil).
4. If you want, you can boil the marinade and use as a sauce on top, but ours was wonderful just off the grill.

This recipe was based off of one in Gillespe's 501 Recipes for LC Life cookbook.

Grilled Chicken Leg Quarters and Sauteed Zucchini and Onions

What do you do when you don't feel like prepping anything? Weber to the rescue. Here's a couple very simple ideas that combine for a very yummy meal.

Grilled Chicken Leg Quarters

Ingredients:
Chicken Leg Quarters
Olive Oil
Homemade Seasoned Salt (Recipe)

Directions:
1. Preheat the grill to about 350
2. Brush the chicken leg quarters with the olive oil.
3. Sprinkle on the seasoned salt.
4. Turn off 1/2 the burners (or move the charcoal to one side) and put the chicken on the side that is on/heating for about 3-5 minutes per side. Enough to crisp up the outside a bit.
5. Move the chicken to the side that is turned off/not heating for about 20 minutes per side.
6. Cook until the chicken is about 165-170 degrees and the juices are running clear.

Sauteed Zucchini and Onions

Ingredients:
Zucchini
Onions
Butter

Directions:
1. Slice up the Zucchini and Onions.
2. Put the Zucchini and Onions in a pan with the butter.
3. Saute until they are nice and golden brown.

It's easy to make up the Sauteed Zucchini and Onions while the chicken is grilling.