Grilling ideas

[Pete (Mr. Marcia)]

We're getting ready for our annual April trip to STJ. We like to grill at the villa a couple of nights. I was hoping that you would share some of your favorite grilling recipes. I seem to recall that, about a year ago, someone posted a recipe where you make the whole darn dinner in a tin can...I may be misremembering. Anyway, I'm in a grilling rut and could use your help. Thanks.

[Xislandgirl]

We grill everything and all year long, I shovel a path to the grill.

One of my favorite marinades is from upstate NY and you can buy it online. I think it is best w/ pork but it works great with chicken too.
Are you packing food? If not, this will not work, but here it is anyway:

I cut a pork Tenderloin into chunks and marinate in Spiedie sauce at least overnight. You can also vac seal the meat with the marinade and freeze.
Put pork on skewers and grill. I am telling you, you will love this marinade. The upstate way of eating this is to put the meat on a good piece of italian bread and eat it like a sandwich but you can skip the bread and just eat it as is.

Here is the link to buy the sauce:
http://www.spiedie.com/aboutus.htm

Here is a link to make your own: (I have tried it and it is just not as good as the Salamida sauce)
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1826,15 ... 93,00.html


I have a bottle in the pantry and I am noe having Spedies for dinner tomorroe. Thanks for the inspiration.

[liamsaunt]

Do you like chicken? This recipe is super simple, from Ian Garten:

Juice of four lemons
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves, or 1.5 tsp. dried
2 lbs. chicken breasts

Combine everything in a ziploc and marinate overnight. Grill until just cooked though.

Here's what it looks like:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/2204346995/" title="chicken finished by liamsaunt, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2388/220 ... 1df308.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="chicken finished"></a>

One thing I am doing this year to make my life easier is deciding what I am going to grill in advance. Where possible, I am going to assemble the marinades at home, and then freeze them and bring them down. That way when I get there I can just dump whatever I am cooking into the marinade and save time in the kitchen.

I've been experimenting with some grilled indian dishes with some success. If that type of flavor interests you, let me know and I will post the recipes.

[Pete (Mr. Marcia)]

Xisland girl...thanks for the link to the Spiede sauce. That sounds like a winner.

Liamsaunt...yes, we do like Indian food. Suggestions would be appreciated.

We're not going to bring food down with us, but there's no reason why we can't pack a bottle or two of that Spiede sauce in our bags.

Great suggestions thus far. Please keep 'em coming.

[waterguy]

Go to starfish pick up a flank steak mix 1/2 cup soy sauce 1 cup red wine. garlic ginger and chopped cilantro pour over the flank steak in a zip lock bag merinade over night. Grill about 4 to 5 min. per side slice thin left enjoy. Left overs make killer beach sandwiches.Or over the top of a salad

[Eric in NJ]

Nothing fancy but for some reason I always remember this grilling on island. we bought a ham steak and pineapple at starfish and sliced the pineapple into rings and grilled it all up. Put a little Pick-a-Pepper sauce on it and I'm drooling just writing this.

[liamsaunt]

Are you going to bring down spices? Because if you are not than indian food is pretty much out. But here is an easy recipe anyway!

1 tbsp. corinader seeds
2 tsp. cumin seeds
1" cinnamon stick
1 tsp. cardamom seeds
1 onion, rough chop
8 cloves garlic, rough chop
1" ginger, peeled and rough chop
1/4 tsp. ground clove
1/2 tsp. cayenne
3 tbsp. oil
1 tbsp. tomato paste
3 tbsp. distilled vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1.5 lb. chicken breast, cut into 1/2" strips

Dry roast the corinader, cumin, and cinnamon, just until aromatic. Grind them up in a spice grinder or mortar.

Blend everything but the chicken in a food processor.

Place chicken and spice paste in a bag, work the marinage around, and refrigerate overnight if possible.

Grill til cooked through.

Here's another good one, for bone-in bird (my preference)

1 chicken, skinned, spatchcocked

2 tsp. coriander seeds
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 onion, rough chop
5 cloves garlic, chopped
2" ginger, peeled and chopped
1 cup plain yogurt
zest of one lemon, finely grated
3 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. white vinegar
1 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. garam masala

Make slits in the chicken meat--about 1" long--don't cut all the way to the bone, just enough to get the marinade in there.

Dry roast the spices until aromatic and then grind them up. Add all the ingedients except the chicken to a food processor and grind up.

Marinate overnight, then grill until done. Chop into serving pieces.

Money shot: melt 2 tbsp. butter and toss the chicken with the butter when it comes off the grill (after you chopped it up). Serve with lemon and sliced onion rings.

[augie]

Here's one that I really like. I make two batches of the marinade - one omitting the oil that I marinate the chicken in, and then a batch with the oil for basting.

I mix all of the dry ingredients ahead of time, then just add the liquids right before use.

ROADSIDE CHICKEN (From Bryan S. on the Virtual Weber BB)
1 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup veg oil
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
1 TBS Sea or Kosher salt
1 TBS white sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp celery salt

Mix/shake till well dissolved. You can marinate the chicken in the sauce for 2-8 hrs before cooking. If so discard marinade and make fresh for the cooking sauce.

I apply the sauce every 5 min to both sides and turn every 5-10 min. Apply one final coating 5 min before removing from the grill. You can't put too much sauce on while grilling. It will build up a nice layer of flavors. Add one small piece of apple wood while grilling also.

[Pete (Mr. Marcia)]

Damn! All of it sounds so good. Thanks for taking the time to type out those recipes.

Well, Marsh, no more weenies on the grill...we're gonna step up our game!

[Marcia (Mrs. Pete)]

There really was something about a can of beer or something in the animal (chicken?) that was put on the grill. Does anyone have a link to that or are any of us "off-liners" the one who posted that about a year or so ago? It just seemed so perfect for a villa gravity day as you do this whole thing early and enjoy a tender (chicken?) later...

Sorry Pete for chiming in on your post. You ARE the grill master.

[mbw1024]

There really was something about a can of beer or something in the animal (chicken?) that was put on the grill. Does anyone have a link to that or are any of us "off-liners" the one who posted that about a year or so ago? It just seemed so perfect for a villa gravity day as you do this whole thing early and enjoy a tender (chicken?) later...

Sorry Pete for chiming in on your post. You ARE the grill master.

It's a Rick thing. I think he was the poster. But I recall Tom and maybe Augie does it too.

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[augie]

Beer can chicken - a classic!

Have the can half full - it can be beer, but I often use wine and some fresh herbs, and some folks I know have used soda or fruit juice.

Use a small potato or an onion to seal the neck cavity and put the can in, the, er, other end!

Cook indirect - the smell while it cooks will drive you wild!

[waterguy]

Augie has it down good I like fresh thyme and rosemary in the can

[StJohnRuth]

Pete,
RickG's beer can chicken was in this thread about what to cook in your villa:

http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.com/f ... .php?t=252

-Ruth