My wife proclaimed these sous vide then grilled shrimp with spicy lime butter to be the best shrimp I’ve ever made. I was shocked. No, not because these aren’t fantastic shrimp. They are fantastic shrimp. No, I was shocked because I have made literally 100s of shrimp variations. Almost all were great. So it’s saying something when these rocketed to the top of her list. And I have to agree. The perfect combination of citrus and garlic and a touch of heat, these truly are great shrimp! And easy to make to boot!
You don’t have to have a grill to finish off these sous vide spicy lime butter shrimp. Just get a skillet (cast iron works best) nice and hot and toss the shrimp in. Cook for 30 seconds per side and remove immediately. No, you won’t get that wonderful grill flavor, but you’ll get that nice little crust on the shrimp, and that’s still great stuff!
I use an Anova sous vide cooker. It’s my immersion circulator workhorse!
A grill basket makes grilling these shrimp much easier. And clean-up is much easier, too! I use a heavy-duty basket that has lasted me for years. I have a big one for jobs like this, and a smaller version for when it’s just the two of us.
They’re not anything fancy. Heck, you might even consider them to be ‘kids’ food, but for some reason I really, really enjoyed these easy French onion burgers. I made mine on the grill, but you can just as easily make them on the stovetop. Think of them as French dip burgers in a way. The patties soak up some of that French onion yumminess. And just in case you want more, there’s a little bowl of more French onion on the side for dippin’. And I did a lot of dippin’, I tell ya!
The key to these easy French onion burgers is to not overcook the patties before they go into the soup to ‘finish’. Get them close to done, then remove them and let them go a for a soupy swim to soak up all that great oniony flavor. The patties will come out juicy, dripping good stuff, ready to devour!
Shape the beef into 4 patties. Season well with pepper.
On the grill
Fire up your grill for direct cooking 400 – 450 F.
Pour the soup into a pan and place on the grill near the direct heat so it begins to warm.
Grill burgers as desired but do not cook completely. When they reach around 140 F remove from the direct heat and transfer to the hot French onion soup.
Continue cooking the burgers in the soup until they reach 165 F.
Remove the patties and place on the bun bottoms.
Top with cheese and bun tops.
Serve with soup on the side for dipping, if desired.
On the stovetop
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the burgers and cook on both sides until medium rare, around 140 F.
Spoon out any fat from the skillet and stir in the soup.
Continue to cook the burgers in the hot soup until they reach 165 F, another 5-10 minutes.
Remove the patties and place on the bun bottoms.
Top with cheese and bun tops.
Serve with soup on the side for dipping, if desired.
I love my Kettle Pizza grill attachment. But I am by no means an expert at using it. I have, however, come up with a simple technique for using it that produces great pizza each and every time. Some day I aspire to be a pizza aficionado, baking completely scratch-made pizza after pizza without a single mistake. Until then, I prefer my easier method that still produces absolutely fantastic pizza with a crunchy crust and hot, bubbly, melted cheese.
When I first started making pizzas using the KettlePizza I ran into two obstacles. First, my homemade dough had too much moisture in it and it liked to stick to my pan or stone. A lot. Second, my heat was not even or didn’t last long enough for more than a few pizzas.
There are plenty of great dough recipes out there (Matt Frampton’s for instance) if you want to make your own. I prefer to use store-bought frozen (Tiseo’s brand), for now at least. I’ve never had anything but success with it. I can make a big batch of pizzas at once with no fuss at all. Each and every one comes out as good as the last. The dough is also great for making bread sticks.
I’ve tried pizza screens and cooking directly on the pizza stone, with some success but I’ve found the most success using pizza pans. I have 5 pans so I can pre-make several pizzas. I oil the pans very lightly by pouring olive oil onto a paper towel then wiping it around the pan. And I also sprinkle the pan with a light coating of cornmeal, as if I was cooking directly on a stone. I’ve never had a pizza stick with this technique. Well, the dough doesn’t stick. Cheese that melts and runs over the sides will stick to the pan. It’s going to happen, but it’s not the end of the world.
My fire arrangement now is simple: make a horseshoe-shaped pile of unlit coals around the grill, but not underneath the tombstone-shaped stone. I then add lit charcoal on top of that, and then wood chunks. If the temperature drops too far I’ll add more fist-sized wood chunks around the edges and in the basket that comes with the Kettle Pizza. I use long tongs to add the wood so that it doesn’t fall beneath the stone. I press it lightly into the piles of charcoal to make sure it doesn’t roll off.
If you’re serious about making pizza on your 22″ charcoal grill, get the “Serious Eats” kit from Kettle Pizza. You can also make calzones on a Kettle Pizza in no time!
Place the dough in the fridge and let defrost overnight.
Two hours before cook time, remove the dough from the fridge and place on the countertop to come to room temperature.
I prefer to assemble my pizzas while the charcoal is getting hot. You can also make them ahead of time and keep at room temperature until ready to cook.
Place 1/2 chimney of unlit charcoal around the back of your grill in the shape of a horseshoe, with the open part towards the front of the grill.
Light another 1/2 chimney of charcoal. This is when I assemble my pizzas as it can take 20-30 minutes for the charcoal to get hot.
To make the pizza, lightly dust a flat surface with flour. Using your hands, shape the dough as desired. Try to not overwork the dough, and do not use a rolling pin.
Add sauce and toppings as desired.
Lightly oil a pizza pan. Yes, you can make the pizza directly on the stone but I've had more luck with a pan. You can read more about that in the recipe text in my post.
Lightly sprinkle the pan with cornmeal.
Slide the pizza onto the pan.
Once the charcoal is ashed over pour it over the unlit coals. Add 3-4 fist-sized wood chunks around the edges (I use tongs to keep them from falling beneath the stone) and a few good chunks in the charcoal basket. Add the KettlePizza grate and stone. Add the grill cover.
Let the stone get good and hot. Usually I let it go to around 600 F.
Transfer the pan to the grill. Bake for 5 minutes then spin the pan 90 degrees. Keep baking/spinning every minute or so until the pizza is done to your liking.
You can cook 3-4 pizzas without adding more wood or charcoal. If you do add fuel let it burn a while before adding more pizzas.
Let the pizza rest a few minutes before slicing.
Notes
These instructions are for the Kettle Pizza Tombstone-shaped baking stone. The same approach should apply when just using a round stone, but I have not tried it.
I’m always on the lookout for a simple, quick and easy grilled side dish. It doesn’t have to be fru-fru, but it does have to be tasty, like these planked lemon pepper Brussels Sprouts. I recently purchased a big lot of Kosmo’s Q wing seasonings. The lemon pepper seasoning is off-the-charts yummy on wings, and it got me thinking… how great would it be on grilled Brussels sprouts? Well the answer, of course, is fantastic! Nothing goes together better than lemon, pepper and sprouts!
You could roast these planked lemon pepper Brussels sprouts in the oven, or grill them directly on your grill or in a vegetable basket. But I love cooking on cedar planks. They add just a hint of cedar, something different, something good.
If you decide to use a grill basket instead of a cedar plank, an investment in a good, quality basket is well worth it. I use mine a lot. It makes dishes like this easier to make. And it’s super easy to clean up. I have a large one and a small one.
Place a cedar plank in water while preparing the sprouts.
Bring a medium pot of water to a slow boil.
Trim the ends off the sprouts and remove any loose leaves. Cut each sprout in half lengthwise.
Add the sprouts to the water. Let simmer for 10 or so minutes, until the largest ones can be poked with a toothpick with just a little resistance.
Remove the sprouts from the water and rinse with cold water. Drain very well.
Fire up your grill for direct cooking, around 400 F.
Gently toss the sprouts with the oil. Just use enough to lightly coat them.
Sprinkle with the Kosmos Q Lemmon Pepper wing dust. How much you add is up to you, but my opinion is more is better.
Transfer the sprouts to the plank. If you place them cut-side down you won't have to worry as much about them rolling off as you move the plank.
Transfer to the grill and grill for 20-25 minutes or until the plank is charred and the Brussels sprout leaves have a little char on them too.
Notes
Kosmos Q wing dust contains enough salt so you won’t need to add any to the sprouts. You can add freshly ground black pepper if you like.Nutritional values do not include the wing dust.
This was our second attempt at making calzones using the Kettle Pizza attachment on our 22″ Weber grill. We were so happy with how easy they were to make. We learned a few things our first time out. Our second attempt was fantastic. These calzones are one of the reasons we really, really love our Kettle Pizza. Delicious food, each and every time. And it’s kinda fun too!
The crust on these calzones was perfect. We have not mastered making our own dough (at least not consistently) so we use a pre-made frozen store-bought dough instead. The sausage filling is crazy good. It’d be great on a sub roll served as a sandwich too. Or use it on a pizza.
My fire arrangement now is simple: make a horseshoe-shaped pile of unlit coals around the grill, but not underneath the tombstone-shaped stone. I then add lit charcoal on top of that, and then wood chunks. If the temperature drops too far I’ll add more fist-sized wood chunks around the edges and in the basket that comes with the Kettle Pizza. I use long tongs to add the wood so that it doesn’t fall beneath the stone. I press it lightly into the piles of charcoal to make sure it doesn’t roll off.
If you’re serious about making pizza on your 22″ charcoal grill, get the “Serious Eats” kit from Kettle Pizza. Try me easy pizza recipe.
Place the dough in the fridge and let defrost overnight.
Two hours before cook time, remove the dough from the fridge and place on the countertop to come to room temperature.
For the stuffing
Crumble the sausage into a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the peppers and onion and cook until the sausage just starts to brown, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic. Stir and cook another 2 minutes.
Stir in the Creole seasoning and salt, if using. Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes.
For the calzones
I prefer to assemble my calzones while the charcoal is getting hot. You can also make them ahead of time and keep at room temperature until ready to cook.
Place 1/2 chimney of unlit charcoal around the back of your grill in the shape of a horseshoe, with the open part towards the front of the grill.
Light another 1/2 chimney of charcoal. This is when I assemble my pizzas as it can take 20-30 minutes for the charcoal to get hot.
To make the calzones, divide each dough into 4 equal pieces. Lightly flour a work surface. Using your hands or a rolling pin, stretch each piece of dough into a 6" round.
Divide the ricotta between each round, placing on one half, leaving around 1/2" around the edges.
Divide the sausage mixture between each round and top with the mozzarella.
Fold the dough half over the topped half. Crimp the edges with your fingers, making sure to seal it well.
In a small glass or bowl, whisk together the egg and water. Brush over the top of the calzones. Sprinkle with salt.
Lightly oil a pizza pan. Yes, you can make the calzones directly on the stone but I've had more luck with a pan. You can read more about that in the recipe text in my post.
Lightly sprinkle the pan with cornmeal.
Slide 4 calzones onto the pan. Try to not let them touch or overlap.
Once the charcoal is ashed over pour it over the unlit coals. Add 3-4 fist-sized wood chunks around the edges (I use tongs to keep them from falling beneath the stone) and a few good chunks in the charcoal basket. Add the KettlePizza grate and stone. Add the grill cover.
Let the stone get good and hot. Usually I let it go to around 600 F.
Transfer the pan to the grill. Bake for 5 minutes then spin the pan 90 degrees. Keep baking/spinning every minute or so until the calzones are done to your liking.
Let the calzones rest a few minutes before slicing.
Note: Before attempting this recipe, make sure you have a grill that can accommodate a 10″ cast iron skillet and can maintain 425 F indirect heat. You do not want any flame directly below the skillet, so the heat will come from burners that are away from the skillet. It can be hard to get to 425 F, so you might want to do a trial run (I highly recommend placing an oven thermometer on the grill grate where you would put the skillet) before diving in! Can’t do it? That’s ok, you can make this delicious pizza in the oven too!
I cannot even begin to describe how much we both loved this easy deep-dish pizza we made on our gas grill. It so reminded us of the pan pizzas we could get years ago from Pizza Hut. Thick crust that has a wonderful crunch on the outside, but is soft and airy inside, each and every slice was like a slice of pizza heaven. The cheese on the sides of the pan got a great char and crunch to them, much like a Detroit-style pizza. All on the grill. Easy. Crazy easy.
I could make (and eat) these easy deep-dish pizzas all day long. There’s nothing complicated about them. I was worried the first time.. would I get the right heat on the grill? Would I burn it? Well, my fears were very much unfounded. This pizza was pretty much a ‘grill it and forget it’ dish.
Make extra, because the leftovers are just as good as the day you make it.
your favorite pizza cheesesyou'll want a good melting cheese. I recommend freshly grated (not sliced) mozzarella or Monterey Jack.
Instructions
Transfer the dough from the freezer to your fridge the night before using.
Set the dough on your countertop 2 hours before you want to start making the pizza.
Coat a 10" cast-iron skillet with 2 tablespoons of oil, or use a 12" skillet and 3" of oil for a thinner pizza.
Add the dough and use your fingers to flatten it out to 1/2" from the edges of the pan. It's ok to get oil on top of the dough as you move it around.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let sit for 1 1/2 hours. Note: I found that my plastic wrap adhered to the slick skillet better if I took a bit of oil on my finger and ran it around the edges of the pan first.
Fire up your grill for 425 F indirect cooking.
Remove plastic wrap from skillet and spread pizza sauce over top of dough. Don't go crazy the sauce. More wet toppings mean a less crispy pizza.
Add the remaining toppings and cheese. Get the cheese right up to and even a it up the edges of the pan. Using your fingers, press the cheese in around the edges. You want the cheese to extend up the sides of the pan as much as 1/2".
Transfer the skillet to the grill and bake over indirect heat at 425 F for 30 minutes. Check on the pizza every 10 minutes, rotating the skillet 90 degrees each time so it cooks evenly. After 20 minutes check the bottom of the pizza to make sure it's baking. The pizza could take less than the full 30 minutes.
Transfer the skillet to direct heat above the flames and cook another 3 minutes. This will get a nice crust on the bottom.
Remove the skillet from the grill. Use a butter knife or spatula around the edges to loosen the cheese an crust from the pan.
Transfer pizza to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes.
Slide the pizza onto a cutting board and slice as desired. Serve.
Notes
You’ll need a gas or charcoal grill that is large enough to handle a 10″ (or 12″ skillet over indirect heat. You do not want the pan to be directly over the fire while the pizza is baking.
Note: This recipe was developed using the Char-Broil Big Easy Oil-Less Fryer. If you are cooking using the Char-Broil Smoker-Roaster Grill you should cook with the lid open and the temperature set to High. You might also need to adjust the cooking time.
I have a major addiction to shrimp cooked in stainless steel oyster shells with a sauce. Any kind of sauce. Lots of sauce. The kind of sauce that I can dip grilled garlic bread in. Shrimp and soppin’, that’s my style. These Italian barbecue shrimp combine super yummy shrimp with a wonderful sauce. A soppin worthy sauce of butter, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and seasonings.
Maybe, like me, you’re wondering what makes these Italian barbecue shrimp? There aren’t any tomatoes, or basil or things I might think of when I think Italian (ok, there is garlic). Well, thanks to the fine folks at Louisiana Kitchen and Culture, I found the answer:
The original version is said to have originated in New Orleans’ Italian community nearly a century ago, to be added to a very long list of the city’s Italian-Creole classics. So in honor of the history we called ours Italian Barbecue Shrimp. There are many variations on the original recipe, but any authentic barbecue shrimp dish worth its name has great flavor, spices and needs bread for sopping up the juices.
Fire up your grill for indirect cooking at 350 F. Or pre-heat your Big Easy. You can also prepare these in a pre-heated oven at 350 F.
Divide the shrimp between 12 stainless steel oyster shells.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, pepper, Creole seasoning, garlic and lemon juice.
Divide the butter mixture between the oyster shells. It's ok (very ok!) to have extra. Just put it in a small bowl for serving alongside the shrimp.
Transfer the shells to the grill, Big Easy or oven and cook for 15 minutes or until the shrimp have turned pink and translucent and the butter is good and hot and bubbly.
Serve with crunchy French bread for dipping into the buttery sauce.
Grilled French bread pizza is one of my favorite, quick, dishes to make. I love the crunchy bread, the melty cheese and the slight grilled flavor. I don’t go too crazy with the toppings, just a bit of cheese, some sausage or pepperoni, and maybe some onion or mushrooms. That’s all I need. You can load them up, though, if you want. The bread can handle it. If you’re worried about lifting them off the grill when they’re done, I recommend using a wide spatula or slide them to the edge of the grill and gently onto a baking sheet.
These grilled French bread pizzas pack extra flavor thanks to the garlic butter and a bit or oregano. They’re really what make them special. Of course, in a pinch, you can make these yummies in the oven too. Just heat it to 400 F and then follow the directions below. If you want a little color on top, just toss the pizzas under the broiler for a little before slicing and serving.
Favorite pizza toppingsI like pepperoni, cooked and lightly chopped Italian sausage, a bit of red onion and sometimes mushrooms… use whatever you want!
Fire up your grill for indirect cooking. You want the temperature where you're going to cook to be around 400 F. Alternatively, you can use direct, low, heat.
Melt the butter and stir in the garlic salt. Use a brush to spread the mixture on the cut sides of the bread.
Transfer the bread to the grill and cook for 5 minutes or until slightly toasted. If you find that your grill is toasting one side but not another, rotate the slices in the grill halfway through.
Remove the bread. Divide the sauce between the two pieces, spreading to the edges (to quote Jeff Mauro: Edge-to-edge is our pledge!).
Add the cheese then the other toppings. Finally, sprinkle with the oregano.
Return to the grill and continue baking until the cheese is melted. Again, if one side is cooking faster than other simply rotate the pieces as necessary.
Remove and let cool slightly before slicing.
Notes
I cut my bread twice, into three ‘planks’. I prefer my French bread pizzas to be thinner. So I cut about a 1″ thick bottom piece and a 1″ thick top piece. This leaves me a center piece that I then use for making croutons (or sometimes, the birds get it!).
The first time I picked up a smoked turkey leg was at a Renaissance Faire outside of Baltimore, Maryland. The turkey had these great ham-like texture and flavor that I could not get enough of. And I thought it was cool to walk around with a huge turkey leg like a good heathen might do. At every Renaissance Faire I’ve ever been to, the smoked turkey leg booth is always the first place I stop.
Making smoked turkey legs at home is easy. I found fresh legs in the poultry section of our grocery store, but you might have to look into the frozen section if you can’t find them fresh. I found super duper big turkey legs, and I found more manageable ones (which is what I went with). Either will do just fine, just keep in mind that the really big ones take more space on your smoker.
I made my legs with the skin on. I think it keeps the legs a bit more moist during the smoking process. The skin does not get super crispy (you’re not smoking them at a high temperature) so feel to remove it before or even after cooking if you wish.
