Leeks are root vegetables that look quite like giant green onions, to which they are related. Their flavor is onion-like but much milder. People who avoid leeks because they don’t like onions should try them — their flavor is mellow and not overpowering, and many onion-haters love leeks.–WiseGeeks

I was the proud recipient of some unwanted leeks this week.  Free leeks aren’t exactly the greatest gift a guy can get, I mean they aren’t free bacon, but leeks have become one of my new favorite vegetables.  Up to this point I’ve only cooked leeks in braising liquids with tougher cuts of meat.  They add a great flavor to broth and the resulting gravy.  I love leeks…

Leeks have a wonderful onion flavor and are great for adding flavor to other dishes.  As a side dish they might not be for everyone, but for me grilling leeks gives them a nice little flavor that when combined with a little olive oil and vinegar makes them one of my favorites.

Here’s how I grilled my leeks!

Trim the root end of the leeks off and the leafy tops.  Remove the first layer or two from the leeks.  They should look something like the picture on the left above.  Bring a pot of water to a boil, add some salt and/or a little BBQ rub to the water.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook the leeks for about 12 minutes or until they just start to get tender.  Remove and drain well.  Be careful, you want to try to keep the leeks in their original shape.  Try to keep them from coming apart.  When the leeks have cooled, give them a light coating of olive oil and grill, over medium heat, until they start to char and get grill marks.

Remove the leeks from the grill and immediately rough chop them.  Toss them in a bowl with a little more olive oil and a splash of vinegar.  Add a dash of salt and serve.  The mild onion flavor works great with the acid from the vinegar.  A little sweetness comes out from the caramelizing from the grill.  Great…great flavor.

In the process for cooking I used an interesting salt I picked up at the Winter Fancy Food Show from The Salt Works.  The Hellfire salt is smoked for days with mesquite wood and infused with Habanero and a little lime.  I added 1/2 tablespoons of the Hellfire sea salt to the water during the initial cooking process. The salt with Habanero added an amazing flavor that actually held up through the entire cooking process.  I added a pinch more when I served the chopped leeks.

This salt has a lot of strong smoke flavor and is quite hot from the Habanero, so a light hand is needed.  It would be very easy to ruin your meal with a heavy hand.  I’m going to have to see about ordering some in quantity because I’m already thinking about a new chicken brine using the salt.

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One of the interesting things about green tomatoes is no one in their right might would think eating an uncooked, unripe tomato.  But grill or fry them and they become something quite yummy.  The process is very simple.  Slice them, drizzle with olive oil and some seasoning and grill them to juicy, tender vegetable goodness.

Sliced, drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with a little Todd's Cajun Dirt.

The tomatoes were very, very tasty and would go great as a side dish for just about any grilled meat.

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Hasselback potatoes are said to have originated at Hasselbacken “Hazel Hill” in Stockholm, Sweden.  I don’t know if that’s true or not, but I do know I love potatoes cooked this way.  For me there isn’t a potato dish that fits cooking on the grill or smoker.  They are so easy to make and look pretty darn impressive.  There are many different recipes for enhancing the flavor of Hasselback potatoes.  I’m not sure if there is an original recipe, but I do know I like this one.

When the guys are J&D’s offered to send me some of their new Bacon Rub I jumped at the chance to give it a try.  My first thought was to grill up some chicken or pork chops with the rub, but as I was preparing my Hasselback potatoes the new Bacon Rub kept calling out for me.  (Meat and meat flavored products often do that)  “Baked” potatoes and bacon just go together.  So that’s how these came about.

With a very sharp nice cut the potato, short side, in slices about 1/8 to 1/4 inch wide.  After doing these for the first time I realized the thinner you can make the slices the better.

There are a couple of good techniques for cutting almost through the potatoes without cutting the bottoms.  The best one I found says to place the potato in a large wooden spoon and then cut through the potato all the way down to the lip of the spoon.  This sounds like a winning way to do it.

I then melted equal parts of olive oil and butter and added a tablespoon of Bacon Rub.  After the mixture cooked for a couple of minutes I poured it over the top of the sliced potatoes.

I cooked the potatoes on my Weber kettle using indirect heat at about 375 degrees for 45 minutes.  Keep the potatoes in your pan or pie plate so you can use the butter/olive oil mixture to baste the potatoes every couple minutes.

They turned out great.  The outside of the potato was nice and crispy while the inside had a nice soft texture.

Next time you’re looking for something a little different for a potato side dish, give Hasselback Potatoes a try.

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 Larry Gaian

There’s something about the combination of sweet and heat that just goes with BBQ.   And Cowboy Candy takes the combination and kicks it up a couple of notches.  I love all kinds of pickles, except sweet pickles.  I can’t stand sweet pickles.  Weird I know.  And what makes it even stranger is that I love sweet pickle relish.  Go figure.  But jalapeno done up like sweet pickles is an amazing mixture of sweet and heat.  These babies will tickle the front of you tongue with sweetness and once they make the turn and head down your throat they’ll light you up.  I made this batch so that I would have them for the sandwiches made from my Cha Cha Pork Belly.

Cowboy Candy (Candied Jalapenos)

Ingredients:

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds fresh, firm, jalapeno peppers, washed
• 2 cups cider vinegar
• 6 cups white granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
• 3 teaspoons granulated garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground chipotle powder

Remove the stems by cutting a small slice off the end of the jalapeno peppers.  Slice the peppers into uniform 1/4 inch rounds.  (WEAR GLOVES) Set aside.

Add the cider vinegar, sugar, tumeric, celery seed, granulated garlic and chiptole powder in a large stock pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes.  Add you In a large pot, bring cider vinegar, white sugar, turmeric, celery seed, granulated garlic and cayenne pepper to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add the jalapeno slices and simmer for 4 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon transfer the cooked jalapeno slices into clean, sterile canning jars.  Leave 1/4 inch head space in each jar.

Return the syrup to the stove and bring to a rolling boil.  Boil the syrup for five minutes to thicken.

Using a ladle pour the boiling syrup into the jars to just cover the jalapeno slices.  Make sure you leave the 1/4 inch head space in each jar.  Using a wooden chopstick or similar utensil insert into each jar two or three times to release any trapped air.  Add additional syrup if necessary.  Wipe the jars with a clean, damp paper towel and screw on new two-piece lids.  Make sure they are only finger tight.

Place jars in a canner and cover with water by 2-inches.  Bring the water to a rolling boil.  Keep the jars in a full rolling boil for 10 minutes for 1/2 pints and or 15 minutes for pint jars.  cover with water by 2-inches.  Bring the water to a full rolling boil.  When it reaches a full rolling boil, set the timer for 10 minutes for half-pints or 15 minutes for pints.    When time is up remove from water bath and place on a cooking rack.  Leave alone for 24 hours then wipe clean and label.

It’s best to let the Cowboy Candy sit for two weeks to mellow and allow flavors to blend together.

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 Larry Gaian

Normally sliced potatoes would take a long time to cook on a plank, but by par-boiling you cut the cooking time down by about 2/3 without sacrificing any flavor.  If you like potatoes and Parmesan cheese this dish is a must to make.

You need a plank that is fairly wide to make this recipe.  The planks I normally like to use were really to narrow.  At about 4 inches wide they just didn’t hold the potatoes on the plank without a lot of juggling.  I think when I cook these again I’ll just go buy me a 6 or 8 inch alder board from Home Depot.  That should do the trick.

Parmesan Herbed Potatoes

(Adapted from The Plank Grilling Cookbook)

Ingredients:

• 2 large baking potatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• Sour Cream

Directions:

Soak plank for an hour.

Parboil potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water over medium-high heat until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes.  Drain potatoes, pat dry and allow them to cool.

In a large bowl, combine all remaining ingredients except sour cream.  Cut potatoes into 1/4 inch slices and coat with Parmesan mixture.

Pre-heat grill to medium-hot.  Remove plank from water and dry.  Coat the plank with a thin layer of olive oil.  Place potato slices on plank.  Close lid and grill for 15 minutes.  To serve, top potatoes with a dollop of sour cream, if desired.

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 Larry Gaian

Earlier in the week I published a couple posts with meat entrees.  Today’s post is all about a great potato side dish that will match up well with either the planked Salmon and cucumber salsa or the planked Pork Loin with Cola Balsamic Reduction.  First up Wood Planked White Cheddar Mashed Potatoes.  This recipe is taken from  Ted Reader’s excellent cookbook on all things plank grilled, Napoleon’s Everyday Gourmet Plank Grilling .  The cheeses along with the herbs make this a fantastic dish that would pair nicely with all types of grilled foods.

After soaking the Chef Locke Alder wood planks from TailgatingPlanks for an hour they are placed on the grill.  Once they start to smoker quickly slide your “loaf” of potatoes onto the plank and close the lid.  Make sure you oil the plank well with a little olive oil so the potatoes don’t stick to the wood.

Here they are all done with lots of gooey cheese both inside and out.

Wood-Planked White Cheddar Mashed Potatoes

(Adapted from “Everyday Gourmet Plank Grilling” by Ted Reader)

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 4 cheese strings, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
• 1/2 cup white cheddar
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• Salt & Pepper
• Butter
• Additional Cheese for topping

Directions:

Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water.  Add garlic, onions and salt and bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 – 30 minutes or until potatoes are fully cooked and tender.  Drain and return pan to heat.  Shake pan to remove excess moisture from potatoes, farlice and onions.  Remove from heat.

Mash potatoes, garlic and onion using a potato masher.  Add butter, cream and sour cream to mashed potatoes.  Stir to combine.  Cool for 20 minutes.  Stir in cheese string pieces, white cheddar and parsley.  Season with salt and pepper to taste, mix well.  Transfer to a large bowl and cool completely.  Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Mound potatoes onto the plank.  Firmly pat and smooth evenly.  Preheat grill to medium-high heat.  Place plank on grill and close lid.  Plank bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the potatoes are golden brown and crisp on the outside and hot all the way through.  (5 minutes before potatoes are done I topped them with slices of Tilamook Colby  Cheese).  Carefully remove plank from grill and serve potatoes topped with extra butter.

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 Larry Gaian

Grail Note: Just a reminder to all my readers.  Many times the sauces and/or products used here at BBQ Grail HQ are provided by the manufacturer.  That is the case with the sauces from Scotty B.  It may also appear that I like everything you sent to me.  I don’t, I promise.  It just seems like it sometimes because I rarely write negative reviews, it’s a karma thing.  If someone sends me something I don’t like I normally just let them know why and we move on to something else.  In rare cases something is so bad I do let you know.  But because taste is so subjective I just feel it’s best to just not publish negative reviews.

I’ve decided the next step for The BBQ Grail is hot sauces.  Certainly hot and spicy foods go right along with BBQ and Grilling.  I’m not interested in just being able to sprinkle (or douse) my foods in some fiery, burn both ends, hot sauce.  I want to be able to cook with the sauces.  And that’s why the gourmet hot sauces from Scotty B interested me. They look like sauces that were created with cooking in mind, not just heating up already cooked food.

I had some salmon in the refrigerator and thought I’d give the Berries in Heat sauce a try.  Not knowing exactly how hot the sauce was or what the flavor profile would be like after I cooked with it I was a little hesitant to try it on the salmon.  I mean, salmon is the greatest grilled fish on Earth and wiping it’s flavor away with some super hot sauce wasn’t really what I had in mind.  (Click the picture for more details)

I decided to cook some carrots and see if I could glaze them with the sauce.  This would be a really good test for the Berries in Heat.  You see, I don’t like cooked carrots.  Raw carrots and carrot cake are pretty much the only way I like to eat carrots.  If Scotty B’s hot sauce could make carrots taste good Then we’d probably have a winner here.

The carrots were peeled and quartered.  I then par-boiled the carrots in heavily salted water until they just started to get soft.  One of my complaints about most cooked carrots is they are normally cooked to the mush stage.  So cook the carrots to the point where you get an initial soft bite but there is still a crunch in the middle.  When you reach that point submerge in ice water to stop the cooking process.  Drain and return to the pan.

Depending upon how many carrots you have in the pot add enough butter and Scotty B’s Berries in Heat in a 50/50 mixture until the carrots are completely coated.  Now slowly heat the carrots until the sugar in the hot sauce starts to caramelize.  Don’t burn the sauce or the butter.  You want to make sure the coating stays on the carrots.  When the carrots are warmed through you are ready to serve.

Were they good?  Yes, they were.  I could have pumped up the hot sauce a little more for my taste, but it had a nice sweet heat.  This sauce would work on a variety of different foods.  And I probably could have put it on the salmon without any problem.

The salmon was seasoned with Todd’s Crabby Dirt.  (Yes, I use a lot of Dirt when I cook).  And grilled on a plank from a wild apple tree.

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 Larry Gaian

Ponzu is a citrus-based sauce commonly used in Japanese cuisine. It is tart, with a thin, watery consistency and a light yellow color.  Ponzu is made by simmering mirin, rice vinegar, katsuobushi flakes, and seaweed (konbu) over medium heat. The liquid is then cooled, strained to remove the katsuobushi flakes, and finally the juice of one or more of the following citrus fruits is added:yuzu, sudachi, daidai, kabosu, or lemon. –Wikipedia

I set the Weber kettle up for indirect heat using one chimney of charcoal.  After peeling the parsnips I cut them in half and grilled them on the flat side, to get some nice color, directly over the coals.  The parsnips were then moved to the indirect side and glazed with a mixture of 3 tablespoons honey and 1 teaspoon of Ponzu Vinegar.  Close the lid and roast the parsnips, glazing every couple of minutes until they are done.  Serve immediately.

The parsnips combined with the tartness of the Ponzu and sweetness of the honey was fantastic.

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 Larry Gaian

Sometimes called “sweet potato squash” or “Bohemian squash,” delicata squash is one of the tastier winter squashes, with creamy pulp that tastes a bit like sweet potatoes.

The delicata squash is actually an heirloom variety, and is a fairly recent reentry into the culinary world. It was originally introduced by the Peter Henderson Company of New York City in 1894 and was popular through the 1920’s. Then it fell into obscurity for about 75 years, due to poor yields, disease susceptibility and because its thinner, more tender skin, isn’t well suited to transportation over thousands of miles and storage for months. Delicata squash will keep well at room temperature for only 4 to 6 weeks.

Delicata is particularly suited to simple preparation. Simply slice the seeded squash into 1/3-inch thick rings and sauté in hot olive oil over medium heat until richly colored on the bottom, about 6 minutes. Turn and cook on the second side until tender. Season with your favorite herbs or a pesto of parsley, garlic and salt.  –Green Earth Institute

The preparation was indeed very simple.  Cut the the squash in half lengthwise.  Remove seeds and pulp.  I seasoned the squash with some salt and Todd’s Cajun Dirt.  Pour 1 tablespoon of honey into each of the cavities in the halves. Smoke the squash for about an hour (or until tender) at 300 degrees.  Every 10 minutes use a brush to baste the squash all over with the honey you poured intot he cavity.  The moisture from the squash will mix with the honey and provde a nice glaze all over the squash.  Unlike other winter squashes the skin is edible so brush a little honey on the outside too.

Remove the squash from the smoker and let it rest for a couple of minutes before serving.  There’s a reason it’s called a “sweet potato squash” the color, texture and flavor are a little like a sweet potato.  This is a great squash and I’m going to figure out some other ways to prepare it.

Brussels sprouts are a cultivar of the same species that includes cabbage, collard greens, broccoli, kale, and kohlrabi; they are cruciferous. –Wikipedia

Brussels sprouts may be the most disrespected and hated vegetable there is.  And certainly if someone likes brussels sprouts they don’t acquire a taste for them until they reach adult hood.  In our house we’ve started eating them on a semi-regular basis and coming up with different ways to cook them is fun.

One of the complaints about brussels sprouts is they can sometimes have a bitter aftertaste.  It’s probably the bitterness that leaves the bad taste in the brussels sprouts eater mouth (sorry, I had to say it).  If you search the internet for ways to remove the bitterness you’ll come up with a multitude of reasons for the bitterness and techniques for removing it. 

When selecting brussels sprouts try to select the smallest ones from the store.  It seems the smaller they are, the less likely they are to be bitter. 

After getting your sprouts home remove the ends.  It’s important when cutting off the ends that you cut off some of the bottom of the actual sprout.  Some people believe some of the bitterness comes from the bottom of the sprout.  Remove any loose leaves and those leaves that have yellow or brown in them.

Heat a large pan of heavily salted water to boiling.  While the water is heating get a large bowl and fill it with a 50/50 mixture of cold water and ice.  When the water is boiling cook the sprouts for five or six minutes.  After cooking, quickly put the sprouts in the ice water to stop the cooking process.  Again, some believe the par-boiling helps cut down on bitterness.

For grilling I cook the sprouts on skewers.  This makes it easier to turn a large amount of sprouts quickly.  Skewering them through the bottom of the sprout seems to work the best.

Make sure your brussels sprouts are dry and all moisture from the water bath has been removed.  Spray the skewers of brussels sprouts with non-stick spray or brush, sparingly, with olive oil.  Season them on all sides with what ever you want.  I like something heavy in garlic.

This time I used a great seasoning from Instant Gourmet called Butter Blast.  This seasoning is fantastic on veggies and gives you a nice garlic butter flavoring without the risk of burning butter.

Grill the sprouts on all sides until done.  Test for doneness by sticking a toothpick into the cut bottoms of the sprouts.  When the toothpick has little resistance they are done.  Some people like them a little firm, so you’ll just have to learn the timing to get yours to your liking.

Serve immediately.