I wanted smoked short ribs and the rest of the family wanted beef with roasted potatoes for dinner tonight.  I had to come up with a compromise so I decided to smoke the ribs for a couple of hours while we were at church and then toss them in a dutch oven with some potatoes and carrots at a low temp for the afternoon.

The first thing I needed to do was trim some of the fat and "silver skin" off the short ribs. Normally I wouldn't bother trimming some of the fat off because they would be on the smoker long enough to render the most of it out. But since they were only going to be on the smoker for three hours I figured it would be best to trim it.

I seasoned the short ribs with some kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. No "rub" at this point. All I wanted was the smoke and meat to be highlighted.

I used one of my grill racks to smoke the ribs on in the Traeger. I really like using the racks it just makes like easier carrying things in and out of the house.

Got some great smoke and the pull back on the ribs were just getting started when I got ready to take them off the smoker. This was about 3 hours in.

Here's where it started to get good. Put the smoked short ribs along with some peeled potatoes and carrots in the dutch oven. After seasoning everything with a good dose of Todd's "Bayou Dirt" I put them into the oven for another four hours at 225 degrees.

A couple of short ribs with roasted potatoes and steamed broccoli and cauliflower with cheese sauce.

The short ribs were tender and flavorful. Seasoning them with just salt and pepper made the "meat" flavor just jump right out. The smoke ring was pretty nice too!

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For as long as I can remember I have had an aversion to squash.  Growing up we didn’t eat it at all and then once I left home my only exposure to squash was in the Army mess hall where zucchini was steamed/boiled to something that resembled green mush  with seeds.  (I had a more vivid example but since it dealt with baby diapers I decided to leave it out)

I did learn to love zucchini bread and I could power down a plate of of breaded and fried zucchini when it was available.  But eating squash on a dinner plate just didn’t happen much.  Over the years, with my wife’s help, I have learned to cook and eat a variety of squashes.  You know the “soft” or summer squashes.  But the rock hard  winter squash just wasn’t something I was willing to try.  Last night I may have changed my squash eating habits for good with some grilled acorn squash.

Give yourself yourself plenty of time to cook acorn squash, at least an hour of actual time on the grill. 

Cut your acorn squash in half and remove the seeds and pulp

Brush the squash with mixture. Set your grill up for "indirect" heat with about 3/4 of a chimney of lit charcoal. I used my 22.5 inch Weber Kettle for this recipe. If using a gas grill make sure you can set up your grill for indirect cooking. Most gas grills today allow you turn onside off while have the other side still lit.

30 minutes (about half way) I brushed on another coating of the mixture and sprinkled some additional "Todd's Dirt" on the squash.

Sprinkle the Asiago Cheese over the squash. The asiago cheese will compliment the nutty flavor of the acorn squash and give it a nice little crunch as it browns.

Continue to grill the acorn squash until it's done. It's done when a knife or fork can easily be inserted into the flesh of the squash.

Grilled Acorn Squash Recipe

• 3 Acorn Squash, halved with seeds and pulp removed
• 1/2 cup grated Asiago Cheese
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar (dark if you’ve got it)
• 1 teaspoon “Todd’s Dirt Seasoning” *
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup

Mix all ingredients, except Asiago Cheese, in a small sauce pan until melted and evenly mixed.  Brush this mixture on your acorn squash.

*I prefer “Todd’s Dirt Seasoning” but you can substitute any other herb you want.  Sage works very well with this recipe.

© 2009, The BBQ Grail. All rights reserved. On republishing this post you must provide link to original post.

Grilling with wood planks is a unique and interesting way to add additional flavor to your fish and meats.  There are a variety of different types of planks available.  I received a sample of grilling planks from Rocky Trails  recently and had a chance to use them with some fresh Sockeye Salmon on my vacation to Washington.

The planks from Maine Grilling Woods are different from others I’ve seen.  According to the their website “competitors’ grilling planks are just like boards from a lumber yard cut to fit the grill. The grill surface is the long grain of the wood. Our Organic Natural Ovals are much different. The trunk of a tree is made up of long tubular cells that go from the roots to the branches carrying water and nutrients to all parts of the tree. The distinctive flavors of each wood species are contained in these cells. Our oval planks slice across these cells and the result is a slow releasing of the wood flavors into your steak, etc. as it cooks on the grill or broils in the oven. It is incredible…You will love our planks and our prices, too!.”

I was excited to try these out for a family dinner on the shore of Lake Goodwin.  The planks come in a variety of usual and unusal types of woods.  I selected Black Cherry and Sugar Maple for the salmon.

You can see just how different these planks are from the normal “cedar” type planks you’re used to.  The first step is the soak the planks in water for about an hour.  This is a critical step and don’t short cut it.  After the soaking and rub down with olive oil the planks are ready for the salmon.

I seasoned the salmon with some of the best salmon seasoning on earth, “Todd’s Dirt.” 

The salmon came out fantastic.  You could taste the added flavor from the wood planks.  The only option available for cooking was an older gas grill with very little control over the flame.  I’m looking forward to giving the planks another try using an indirect cooking method over coals. 

All and all Maine Grilling Woods are a great product.  They provide you with a unique way to add additional flavor to your grilling and being able to service the grilled meats and fish directly on the grilling planks provides an interesting presentation opportunity. 

Maine Grilling woods are available online at www.rockytrail.com.

© 2009, The BBQ Grail. All rights reserved. On republishing this post you must provide link to original post.