Bourbon baked beans, kraut and spicy mustard on a dog? Insanely good! Bourbon baked beans take your standard great dog and make it just fantastic. A little sweetness, then the crunch of the kraut, and the spicy kick from the mustard. Everything great in every bite. I could’ve eaten more of these German Cowboys hot dogs than I’ll ever admit online. Or admit even in person for that matter!
No More Boring Hot Dogs
The German Cowboy hot dog is another great menu item I ran across from Duke’s Gourmet Hot Dogs. They have the most fantastic hot dog menu I’ve ever come across. Every single one makes you drool!
I’ve really enjoyed making hot dogs that don’t remind me of the pretty plain ones I remember as a kid. I mean, those weren’t bad. But they weren’t amazing. These are.
I liked to cut a shallow slit down the tops of my dogs before cooking. That way, they open up just slightly while cooking, making a wonderful little ‘trough’ for the toppings.
The simple addition of a few chipotles in adobo sauce to what is normally just a great regular-ole tomato-based BBQ sauce really makes for a totally different, utterly fantastic sauce for ribs, chicken, pulled pork… you name it. Chipotles (smoke-dried jalapenos) are one of my favorite things. I love the combination of heat and smokiness. They’re perfect for things like this southwestern BBQ sauce.
Smoky Spicy Deliciousness
I rubbed down a rack of St. Louis-style ribs with homemade Cajun seasoning. Then I smoked it for 6 hours until the meat was nice and tender. I then brushed on some of this great southwestern BBQ sauce let the ribs smoke for another 15 minutes, just long enough to set the sauce up just a bit. It’s not a thin sauce, and it’s not a thick sauce. I’d call it just the right consistency for things like ribs. You know you’re going to get messy eating them, but there’s no reason to drown in the sauce or to have it all just roll off the ribs and down your arms.
I like to keep my sandwich sauces in squirt bottles. It’s fun to squirt sauces onto sandwiches or well, just about anything.
The simple addition of a few chipotles in adobo sauce to what is normally just a great regular-ole tomato-based BBQ sauce really makes for a totally different, utterly fantastic sauce for ribs, chicken, pulled pork… you name it.
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add the onions and saute until starting to soften, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and the chipotles and cook for 1 minute.
Deglaze the pan with the vinegar and lime juice.
Reduce heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half.
Add the adobo sauce, tomato sauce, molasses, mustard, bay leaves and salt.
Increase heat and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and continue simmering, stirring often, for 15-20 minutes or until the sauce is the desired thickness.
Remove from heat and let cool slightly before straining through a fine-mesh strainer.
Not many folks think about grilling radishes. But, the radishes have a certain ‘wow’ factor when you serve them. They look like baby beets or turnips. Grilling them mellows them a bit, making them nice and sweet and really quite addicting. Grilled radishes are a nice change from the way radishes are normally served: cold on top of a green salad. Do not expect the heat and bite and crunch of raw radishes, you won’t be getting that. You’ll be getting better!
Serve Hot. or Cold.
You can also serve grilled radishes cold. Just cook them and put them into a container in the fridge for a few hours to cool. They’re great on salads and they’re great just to snack on. You expect that cold, almost spicy, radish flavor but instead get something much more mellow and totally different. It’s a welcome change. Once you do this you’ll want to serve your radishes like this forever.
I recommend that you use a grill basket when making this dish. It makes cooking easier and you don’t have to worry about anything falling through the grates. And cleanup is easier too!
Wow. I grew up eating a lot of canned cream corn. This isn’t that cream corn. This is something completely special and beyond delicious. From the first bite my wife and I just looked at each other. It was the ‘oh my goodness this is fantastic’ look. Grilled cream corn with a creamy Gorgonzola cheese sauce that is incredible. I can’t say enough just how much we enjoyed this dish.
No Fresh Corn? No Problem.
If you can’t get fresh corn-on-the-cob you can substitute canned corn. You can still make a delicious grilled cream corn with Gorgonzola cheese. Just drain it well first and spread it out on a baking dish and place under the broiler until it starts to char just a bit. Or you can actually skip the roasting and just use the corn right out of the can (after draining).
I like to use my good ole trusty Dutch oven to make this corn and pretty much darned near anything like it on my stovetop. It’s nice and big and sturdy. That extra weight helps it maintain and distribute heat perfectly. As an added bonus, it’s actually pretty easy to clean up too!
This is something completely special and beyond delicious. From the first bite my wife and I just looked at each other. It was the ‘oh my goodness this is fantastic’ look.Â
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.
You can take a big ole chicken, season it, and drop it into a Char-Broil Big Easy and in no time (15-20 minutes per pound, usually), have a fantastically tender, juicy, flavorful bird. And I cook chicken in my Big Easy just like that, and often. This time, though, I decided to go the beer can route, using a flavor-packed apple ale to infuse even more flavor and moisture into the chicken. The end result of this Apple Ale Beer Can Chicken on the Char-Broil Big Easy was delightful with a hint of apple and as always, the crispiest skin you’ve ever had.
Beer. Or Not Beer.
If you’re not a beer person, you can substitute a good apple cider or juice instead. If it doesn’t come in a can just drink up a can of your favorite drink and pour the beer or cider or whatever into the empty can. But, beer makes a difference in this Apple Ale Beer Can Chicken on the Char-Broil Big Easy.
It’s Hot!
Be careful when you remove the chicken from the Big Easy. The beer is hot (mighty hot!) and you don’t want to slosh it onto yourself. And make sure you’re also careful when you go to remove the can. Same story: hot.
Apple Ale Beer Can Chicken on the Char-Broil Big Easy
I cook chicken in my Big Easy very often. This time I decided to go the beer can route, using a flavor-packed apple ale to infuse even more flavor and moisture into the chicken. The end result was delightful with a hint of apple and as always, the crispiest skin you’ve ever had.
Combine the olive oil and balsamic vinegar and brush onto the chicken.
Combine the taragon, salt and pepper. Reserve 1 teaspoon of the mixture. Sprinkle the remaining seasoning onto the chicken.
Add reserved spice mixture to the beer (take a few drinks first to make room) and insert into the chicken.
Place chicken into the basket and insert into the Big Easy.
Cook for 15-20 minutes per pound or until the chicken has hit 165 F as measured in several locations.
Let rest 15 minutes before removing the beer can and carving.
Notes
I use the Char-Broil folding chicken roasterto hold the beer or soda cans securely. If the beer you’re using is only available in a bottle, just empty the contents into an empty beer or soda can.
Coffee and beef go together like…. uh… well all other things that go together great. The coffee flavor mellows and enriches the beefy taste. My favorite way to use this coffee rub for beef is on smoked beef brisket. I give the meat a nice generous coating of the rub and let it sit overnight before smoking it until nice and incredibly tender. Perfect. And that’s not the only great use of this rub, either. A little sprinkle on burgers just before grilling them really gives them a fantastic rich different flavor.
Chicory Adds More Wonderful Flavor
You can use whatever coffee suits your fancy when you make this coffee rub for beef. For me, the best is the coffee from Cafe du Monde. It has a wonderful chicory flavor that is incredibly rich and compliments beef perfectly. You can now find Cafe du Monde coffee in most grocery stores, thankfully. So you don’t have to go to New Orleans to get it. However, going to New Orleans is never a bad idea, so next time you go, bring back some coffee.
My favorite way to use this coffee rub for beef is on smoked beef brisket. I give the meat a nice generous coating of the rub and let it sit overnight before smoking it until nice and incredibly tender.Â
Want to surprise everyone at your next picnic or get-together? Bring jarred grilled pickles. Everyone will want to know how you did it. You don’t have to admit how easy it was, unless you really want to. The pickles do get a little char flavor, but not much. They still taste like, well, dill pickles, but when you bite into them they have just slightly less crunch. The grilled red onions do add a nice light onion flavor and bite.
What Pickles Should Be
These jarred grilled pickles are good for 5 days. My guess is that you won’t have to worry about rushing to eat them on the last day that they’re good. And don’t feel like you have to grill only spears. Sliced pickles or even whole pickles can be grilled just as well. If you don’t want to grill the pickles but still want a hint of grilled flavor, just grill some red onion and then add that to a jar of pickles and refrigerate overnight. You’ll get that hint of smoke but the pickles themselves will be totally crispy.
If you can’t fit all of the pickles back into the original jar just grab some Mason jars instead.
I’m a big fan of flavored mayonnaise on grilled sweet corn. Specially when it is nice and spicy, with just a hint of citrus. Like this grilled corn (shout out to My Dad’s Sweet Corn!) with Sriracha mayonnaise. All of my favorite things in a creamy sauce slathered over corn. Get a napkin or two, because you’re definitely going to need them.
Mayonnaise And Corn Go Great Together
The Sriracha mayo isn’t just great on this grilled corn with Sriracha mayonnaise either. It’s fantastic on grilled chicken or turkey burgers. Leave out the lime and slather it on hamburger buns. And if you’re into dipping your fries in mayonnaise, this one will definitely wake you up. If it sounds odd, try it. It’ll change your mind.
I almost always use Blue Plate mayonnaise in the dishes I make. I think it is the best around. If you can’t find it locally you can pick it up online for a fair price.
I’m a big fan of flavored mayonnaise on grilled sweet corn. Specially when it is nice and spicy, with just a hint of citrus. Like this grilled corn with Sriracha mayonnaise.
At first I thought maybe I just loved these spicy grilled mushrooms so much because I hadn’t grilled mushrooms in a while. Or maybe it was because of the full moon. But no, it was because these are now officially my favorite mushrooms. They have a perfect light Asian-inspired flavor, with a little vinegar tang and, as with everything I make, a little spicy kick. My goodness they were just delicious. I could (and did) eat them just like popcorn!
Really Fantastic Mushrooms
I used cremini mushrooms, also known as baby Portobellos to make these spicy grilled mushrooms. You can use any mushrooms you like, even mix a few different kinds in. Just remember that the smaller ones will cook faster. You might have to move the smaller mushrooms away from the hottest part of your grill before the bigger ones get done.
I recommend that you use a grill basket when making this dish. It makes cooking easier and you don’t have to worry about anything falling through the grates. And cleanup is easier too!
At first I thought maybe I just loved these spicy grilled mushrooms so much because I hadn’t grilled mushrooms in a while. Or maybe it was because of the full moon. But no, it was because these are now officially my favorite mushrooms.Â
Whisk together the soy sauce, red wine vinegar, pepper and hot sauce in a large bowl.
Add the mushrooms.
Let marinade for 1 hour, turning occasionally.
Fire up your grill.
Shake off any excess marinade from the mushrooms and grill for 10 minutes until starting to soften. I like to use a grill basket to make cooking and cleanup easier.
Obviously, I had to make a copycat McDonald’s Quarter Pounders with cheese. After making a version of the Arch Deluxe burger from McDonald’s, I could not stop jonesin’ for a good version of my all-time favorite fast-food burger from the chain restaurant. Simple but tasty. Sure, I might have cheated a bit and actually made a Third Pounder cheese burger, but hey, that just means I had more yumminess!
Ah, Just What I Was Looking For!
These copycat McDonald’s Quarter Pounders with Cheese came out fantastically. It wasn’t until after my teen years that I also became a fan of the Big Mac, which I’ve made at home several times. And now that I think about them, I’m going to have to make them again, and soon. Want an even bigger Big Mac? Try my Big Mac hoagies. Yep, that’s right, all the great flavors of a Big Mac on a big ole hoagie bun. Not into big Big Macs? My Big Mac sliders are perfect for a party.
After making a copycat of the Arch Deluxe burger from McDonald’s, I could not stop jonesin’ for a good version of my all-time favorite fast-food burger, the Quarter Pounder with cheese.
