When it comes to barbecue and grilling two cuts of beef seem to standout far more than any other.  With BBQ it’s brisket and for grilling it’s tri-tip that gets the most press.  But, in my book the chuck roast is under appreciated when it comes to outdoor cooking.  The juicy meatiness of a well smoked chuck roast is something I look forward to.  Normally I just rub the chucky and toss it on the smoker.  A few hours later it’s moist and tender and waiting for any number of treatments.

This time around I decided to do something a little different.  I broke out my favorite cast iron skillet and tossed the seasoned chuck roast in it.  The whole thing went into the smoker for about four hours at 235 degrees.  I used the cast iron skillet so I could keep the drippings for some gravy.  It seemed to work to perfection.

After the four hours of smoke past I put the potatoes and carrots into the skillet and covered the whole thing with foil.  I didn’t want smoked potatoes or carrots, so this method allowed to me keep using the smoker outdoors and not get smoky potatoes.

Everything was cooked until the potatoes were done.  While the meat rested I made up a nice, simple gravy and we were able to chow down on a great dinner.

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.

Zucchini Fries

Ingredients:

• 4 zucchini
• 1 1/2 Tbsp “The Rub Co. Santa Maria Style Rub”
• 1/4 cup Canola oil
• 1/8 cup Balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp Black pepper, ground fresh
• Parmesan cheese, to taste

Directions:

Wash the zucchini under cold water and drain well.

Trim about 1/8″ from the stem of each squash.

Square each zucchini by removing a sliver from each side and

Quarter each zucchini.

Combine the seasoning, oil, vinegar and pepper in a large zip-top bag.

Seal the bag and shake to combine the marinade ingredients.

Add the zucchini to the bag, seal, and set aside for one to two hours.

Prepare your grill for direct cooking at medium heat (about 350º).

Oil the cooking grate lightly with canola oil.

Remove each zucchini from the bag, shake off the excess marinade, and lay them on the grill at a 45º angle. Reserve the marinade left in the bag.

Grill each side until they are nicely browned, about 2-3 minutes.

Lightly brush the zucchini with a small amount of the marinade each time you turn them.

Remove the zucchini to a platter in a single layer and immediately shave the cheese over them to taste.

Serve and enjoy!

As I was getting the butter out of the fridge to saute the onions in I spied a little left over fatty.  I decided that a couple of diced slices would go nice.

One cup of diced onion, the fatty and 3/4 of a stick of butter cooking away in a pan.

After the onions were cooked I added a little over 1/4 cup of flour and cooked the roux for about 3 minutes.  When that was a nice brown color I added 2.5 cups of chicken stock and 1/4 cup of milk.  When that had thickened up nice I added 2 cups of smoked chicken, 2 cups of frozen veggies and 1 tablespoon of Todd’s Dirt.

The filling then went into a larger crust filled ramekin.

Added a top crust.

Here the pie is in the oven.

Lots of good stuff in the pie.

And on the way to the mouth…

Here they are on the grill. It took me almost 90 minutes to grill all of the kabobs.

I also made a “smokey fajita sauce” and a pineapple salsa to go with everyone