| a BBQ virgin... lol
Posted: 10/21/2009 2:02:13 AM | OK so my daughter turns 18 in 2 1/2 weeks and we have at least 17 family members descending on us (yes at my invitation... how silly am I!!) and we will be having a BBQ at my house. Now... I'm a veggo as is my kid but I want to cook meat other than the obvious sausages for the family. Basically... I need help! BBQ for dummies  What can and cant be barbequed, marinades, cooking times ANYTHING please! I'm going to do potato bakes and salads but any sides suggestions would also be much appreciated as I have never BBQ'd in my life! I'm really looking forward to it.  | |
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| a BBQ virgin... lol
Posted: 10/21/2009 3:53:29 AM | Pork tenderloin can be really nice on the grill. One of our faves is super simple, just put the tenderloin in a ziploc with a bottle of Franks red hot hot sauce and let marinate in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. When you grill it you get most of the sauce off and then just baste it with the sauce as it cooks. You get a nice heat but not too much as it is just in the outer layer of the meat. Be careful not to overcook and also let it rest tented under foil for about 10 minutes before carving. Feeds a bunch, quick to cook and easy.
Salmon is another really nice BBQ thing and super easy if you have fish lovers. When you preheat your grill either put foil on half the grill and poke holes in it or use one of those finer mesh fish baskets. Just get a nice fillet with the skin on. Slap it skin side down on the grill and then drizzle well with maple syrup, salt and pepper generously. When the skin is starting to curl and brown. Very carefully flip onto the foil or into the basket to the flesh side. Cook until it is crisping up and browning on the edges and when tested in the middle is almost completely cooked. Again be sure to let it rest to finish up cooking....yummy, just like candy! Use the basket or foil to take it off the grill to prevent the soft cooked flesh from breaking apart.
For veggos you can't beat marinating portobello mushroom caps in Italian or Balsamic dressing and grilling them, just be sure to peel them first and remove the stems as they can be tough. Nice on a toasted bun with cheese if you are a lacto veg...goat cheese is nice with some grilled peppers and lots of cracked black pepper. The non-veggies might be jealous! | |
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| a BBQ virgin... lol
Posted: 10/21/2009 9:31:20 AM | scan down the page, there you will find one of the easiest ways of making BBQ ribs,,,Sweet Baby Rays sauce works very nicely and l sprinkle a little dark brown sugar on after the sauce is applied and back into the oven for the last 15 min.
Hope this is a good option for you. :) | |
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| a BBQ virgin... lol
Posted: 10/21/2009 10:11:13 AM | Kebabs are an alternative for a large party. I typically thread the veggies together separately than meat or seafood. This promotes similar cooking times for the ingredient(s) on the kebab. Couple of advantages to kebabs ... you can make a variety of flavours ... pork, chicken, shrimp, scallops, beef, lamb, as well as more than one vegetable combination ... and you can load them on to cook as demand dictates and freeze any uneaten ones for later use, and they're convenient to load onto a paper plate and eat. You can marinate the same thing in two or more different marinades as well for variety. Bamboo skewers, soaked for a while, work well for parties ... no clean up.
I sometimes thread baby new potatoes on my veggie kebabs ... if so, I give them a bit of a head start in the microwave to help them catch up.
I do portabellos a lot, but a little differently than the previous post. I soak mine in olive oil (don't be shy, you'd be amazed how much they'll soak up), then sprinkle with BAM! You can Google the recipe as Emeril's Essence. Very easy to whip up a batch.
Another dish I like to make is grilled corn, and again, different people do it differently ... I silk the corn, but leave the husks on and tie them up if necessary, then soak them for about an hour before putting them on the bbq. Although the husks may appear burnt when the corn is done, the corn will be fine, and have a nice smoky flavour. Some husk the cobs and cook them directly on the grill, some add flavoured butters to the husk and cook ... I just serve the flavoured butter on the table with the salt.
If you have, or can get, one of those veggie grilling baskets, they're an alternative for stuff I don't normally thread onto a kebab ... cauliflower, broccoli, carrots ... then I'll typically add the softer veggies at the appropriate time(s), like a stir fry ... peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, onions ... season or sauce as you prefer. Again, you get that nice smoky flavour to them.
For that many people, you might want to have a spare tank handy and filled, or borrow an extra bbq to divide the work load. Good luck. | |
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| a BBQ virgin... lol
Posted: 10/21/2009 10:19:32 AM | Okay, first off for that many people, you will need more than one grill! No way a single grill can cook enough to feed that many people.
Second, some foods cannot cook rapidly on a grill. Ribs even baby backs take almost 3 hours and they will burn horribly within about an hour with temps at 350F. You will be making rib jerky. Chicken legs are delicious BBQ'ed but due to their thickness and the fact there is a bone inside, they take about an hour to an hour and a half to cook properly, again they will burn badly if the temps in the grill go over 350.
The bigger/thicker the meat, the longer the grill must hold it's cooking temp. Gas grills tend to cook hotter and drier than charcoal, although you can adjust them to hold a constant heat easier than charcoal. Charcoal must be added periodically for a long cooking time or else it will all burn up and the heat goes out before the food is done.
If you can find a friend who grills often, shouldn't be too hard to find, get them to help you. Maybe find someone who can bring a grill or two, or even family that's coming.
Now for the foods: BBQ pork baby backs are really good, here's how I do mine:
Strip off the thin membrane on the bone side, you have to get this at one end and you can then tear/peel it off the meat. Sprinkle both sides of the meat liberally with:
cinnamon
curry powder
basil
then, sprinkle on some cayenne pepper sparingly, a little goes a long ways!
Next, put these bone side down on the grill and let them cook about 2 1/2 - 3 hours at 300F turning as necessary. How do you tell when they are done? Stick a toothpick through them near the thickest part, if it goes through easily, they are done!
Use a basting brush and slather both sides of ribs with BBQ sauce of your choice, cut the heat down to 200F or so and let the sauce thicken until it is dark and gooey, about 20mins.
Chicken legs and or thighs:
Coat chicken with chicken rub you get in the store spice section, if you can find Sylvia's, it's really a good flavor combination. Cook on a 300F grill turning as necessary until meat is pulled up away from the end of the bone, and is fork tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Cut the heat back in the grill, apply BBQ sauce and let thicken until dark and gooey.
My fav all time BBQ sauce? Kraft original, thick & spicy, hickory smoke, mixed as follows 1/2 Kraft original, 1/4 Kraft thick & spicy, 1/4 Kraft hickory smoke flavor.
For a 2" thick pork tenderloin, use the same times and temps as chicken.
For a 2-4lb boston butt, or any other large thick piece of meat, your cooking times will easily exceed 4 hours.
Okay, that concludes the slow-cooked pointers, now for the fast cooked items:
Steaks and burgers can be cooked over a fairly hot grill, as they will cook quickly! You will want to have the grill very hot to 'sear' a steak, so once it's nice and hot and your favorite steaks have been seasoned, lay them on the hottest part for 2-3 minutes, then turn for 2-3 more minutes. Move them to a cooler area to finish cooking.
Burgers: try to get the heat even, spread the coals out if you are using charcoal, lay burgers on the grate and immediately close the top, allow the smoke to fill the grill and suffocate any flames that might occur from the fat dripping down on the hot coals. This not only lets you cook hotter, the smoke really flavors the meat with that traditional grill flavor. Flip after 3 mins, and cook the other side until done.
Hope this helps, best tip? Let the word out you need a grillmaster! Offer them FREE BEER! If that don't get you some help, NOTHING WILL!! Good Luck!
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| a BBQ virgin... lol
Posted: 10/21/2009 10:39:21 AM | I would also readily agree with t-razz, I DEARLY love salmon on the grill!
I like the skin, as it is very rich in omega fatty acids and vitamins, even more than the flesh, so when I do salmon on the grill, I first scale it with a spoon, and I use a tin foil tray to cook it in.
Make a double-thick tin foil pan, season the pan with butter, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and a bit of steak seasoning, and garlic. Yes, salmon works ~very~ well with things you use for steak..
Place the salmon fillets skin side down into the seasoned pan, then season the top the same way.
Place in a 325F grill for about 30 mins and if you have hickory chips for smoking, this works wonders on salmon. Check at the end of 30mins, it is done when it flakes easily with a fork. You may use less cooking time but a 1" thick filet won't cook all the way through in 20mins. I have also noticed that if you cook it longer, until the top corners are looking a little dry, it actually takes on more of the smoked/grill flavor and less of the fish taste, so in this situation, it is not only permissible to slightly overcook the fillets, it's also recommended!
You talk about a delicious way to make salmon? Oh yeah! This is the kind of grilling that guests will remember!
This also works for swordfish, halibut, sea bass, shark, etc, even though they may be steaks and not fillets, you still need to cook them in a pan to retain the juices. | |
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| a BBQ virgin... lol
Posted: 10/21/2009 10:45:26 AM | First a quick definition... BBQ is SLOW, basically low temp cooking. Indirect heat, sometimes with smoke from fruitwood chips. It sounds like GRILLING is more like what you're (OP) doing. Some different techniques for each, but a lot of similarities too.
Burgers, sausages, even some veggies all work well for grilling. A basic inexpensive (you're feeding 17 people, gotta keep it reasonable, right?) starter is grilled chicken wings. Separate the wings into 3 pieces, save the tips for stock, and toss the rest in your favorite sauce. Toss the wings until covered with sauce, then lay them out on a HOT! grill, about 10 minutes per side. Let the fat drip right into the coals and flare to get a nice charred skin.
You can also grill the rest of a cut up chicken- same idea, toss until covered in BBQ sauce, then grill- legs & thighs about 10-15 minutes per side, breasts a little longer. You can also go plain with chicken- remove the skin, toss in a little olive oil to coat, and then in some of your favorite dry seasonings.
Marinade steak or beef ribs in a vinegar-based sauce for 24 hours, and put on the grill- time depends on thickness so have a cooking thermometer handy (or learn the "finger trick"). Fish, poultry, pork, etc all work- it will be a factor of your budget for the party.
If you're going to BBQ, use indirect heat and covered BBQ temp around 200 to 275*F. Pork tenderloin, slabs of ribs, beef roasts, and whole fish all work very well for slow cooking.
There's already been a portobello recipe posted, I don't 'skin' them, just remove the stem and gills (save the stem), toss in a bit of olive oil, sprinkle with garlic & onion powder, a little salt & pepper, and grill directly. You can stuff them with a mix of cheese- I've done about a 25% mozzarella, 25% provolone, 40% Romano Reggiano, 10% Ricotta. Shred the harder cheeses, add a little dried basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes, mix well with the ricotta. Grill the mushroom about 10 minutes on the stem side FIRST, then stuff with the cheese, return to grill for about 5 to 10 minutes to grill the top and melt the cheeses.
Some Dry Rub Recipes:
http://forums.plentyoffish.com/datingPosts6784711.aspx
One of mine for chicken or pork:
1 part generic honey-lemon instant iced tea mix (the powdered stuff from a can)
1/8 part Old Bay Seasoning (for bite)
1/8 part Parsley Flakes | |
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| a BBQ virgin... lol
Posted: 10/21/2009 10:57:35 AM | DriftingInTheWishingWell wrote lots of good stuff, but this too...
You talk about a delicious way to make salmon? Oh yeah! This is the kind of grilling that guests will remember!
I did a whole salmon in a tin foil tray... Made a pesto-like rub of fresh parsley, lots of fresh crushed garlic, and olive oil. Rubbed the salmon inside and out with the pesto, stuffed the cavity with rolled up parsley, and about 20 minutes per side in an indirect heat (about 325*f) covered grill.
I also like when the skin crisps up, so when it was almost done I set the fish down on the grill without the tray to get some direct heat on it- maybe 30 seconds on each side. Even the fish haters came back for seconds. | |
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| a BBQ virgin... lol
Posted: 10/21/2009 11:06:31 AM | Jojo darling, before I answer this question, I need to know the details of what YOU will be doing and BBQ'ing with...
What type of grill, smoke pit, covered or not...?
What type of fuel, charcoal, wood, gas, electric...?
How much time will you have, or want to devote to it?
Do you plan on tending it carefully, or do you want to walk away for a while to do other things?
Are you looking for tropical flavors, spicy, or a sweet BBQ sauce thing?
Suggestions for side will totally depend on your style and flavor choice.
Grilled fruit and grilled chile peppers are fast easy amazing sides of low cost.
These are the most impotant things to know FIRST, before deciding what is best for you to attempt. And being your first time, you need something that will not overwhelm you.
Salmon is one thing I would suggest, as well, unless you did not want to do fish, but I would most definitely do a whole salmon or thick salmon steaks, not a filet. I have some awesome recipes. A filet for a first timer can be quite frustrating, as they tend to stick and tear apart unless you have prepared everything perfectly.
Steaks, beef ribs, chicken, lamb, shellfish, pork of any kind except ribs, are easy, quick and great on the grill. I am sure we all have our own specialty recipes that can take a lot longer, but they certainly are not necessary.
Let me know and we can get you set up with something you will be quite happy with and that will flow with the day and time you have planned.
SS  | |
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| a BBQ virgin... lol
Posted: 10/21/2009 1:03:26 PM | I would definitely take suggestions from everyone here for a BBQ menu. But if you have "Never" bbq'd before. I strongly suggest, you figure out which one of the 17 guests that are coming, is well versed in cooking on a bbq grill.
Not to say that you couldn't do it, but since you don't eat meat, it wouldn't be a great idea.
A dyed in the wool meat eater should be cooking meat. So, i'm sure that one of your guests would love to Man the grill.
Just supply that person with your menu and meat fixins and let'em loose...
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| a BBQ virgin... lol
Posted: 10/21/2009 2:57:56 PM | get a couple of boneless pork loins..preferably with a lil fat left on.slice into chops....marinate for an hour or so..salt and pepper them..and grill till done
to glaze them.....take about 1 1/2 cups of red raspberries....3 tablespoons of honey and 3 tablespoons of yellow mustard.....mix well......curshing the berries......brush on the chops the last few min of cooking......make sure you coat both sides.
for dessert.........brush some pineapple rings with maple sryup and grill till you get nice char marks......peaches are great grilled too | |
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| a BBQ virgin... lol
Posted: 10/21/2009 4:14:58 PM | JoJo
Two things that strike me...1) youre not a regular bbq-er. and 2) your cooking for a party.
which means to me...keep it simple. You can make a simple menu that will please a crowd.
Hot dogs- kids love them and I find that kids just want to be running around, and are not going to eat pork tenderloin or salmon.
Burgers- Everybody loves a good burger and there easy to make.
Shish Kabobs- these are fun and guest love them...you can mix in lots of veggies and you dont use that much meat per kabob...My secret, cook the meat first, then cube and place on the kabob and final grill with the veggies. I use chicken, pork and beef and chunks of onion, bell pepper, zucchini and even pineapple.
chicken-skinless/boneless chicken thighs. good price, grill easy, stays moist and can season so many differnt ways. marrinate with lime/lemon juice and spices for chicken style fajitas...or season and grill plain for that great grilled chicken taste, mop on bbq sauce on some at the end of cooking for thise that like sauce.
even if you bought stuff to make Dogs, burgers and chicken, above you have six diffrents choices for your guests.
My biggest pointers, placed cook meat in aluminum/foil disposable pans and cover with foil to keep warm and moist. I buy those disposable aluminum deep dish serving pans.
Blend half LEAN ground beef and half REGULAR ground beef to make patties with right amount of fat. regular beef to fatty and will shrink and cause flare ups...to lean, the patty dries out and has less flavor. Make patty larger than bun, so after cooking shrinkage wont make your patty look like a Hockey puck. Season the meat(while youre mixing the beef...you want the seasoning on the inside) with spice blends like McCormicks Grill Mates or something similar.
Chinken thighs should be skinless and boneless...skin causes fat flare-ups. The thighs can be marinated all sorts od ways...most grocery stores have so many marinades...Hawaiian, Jamaican Jerk, Southwest style, Lemon pepper, Buffalo. I love cooking some thighs till done, then slice to the size of wings and baste in Tabasco sauce, return to grill for a couple of minutes and sreve as "wings"...
My last suggestion, what ever your menu, try cooking a small test batch this weekend, invite a bbq-er over and cook your menu... | |
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| a BBQ virgin... lol
Posted: 10/21/2009 5:42:00 PM | Here's one I did at a bbq that got rave reviews.
Boneless leg of lamb
Marinate 24 hours in -
Chambord
blackberry preserves
mirin or rice wine vinegar
sake
garlic
juniper berries
herbs
Char all sides well on hot part of the grill and then move to a cooler part.
Cover and cook till medium rare while basting with fresh marinade (some that you
set aside before soaking the meat) at about 10 minute intervals.
Should take 90 min to 2 hrs.
And if my friends Phil and Kate from Nowra show up give them my aloha. | |
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| a BBQ virgin... lol
Posted: 10/21/2009 11:40:15 PM | Wow everyone! Thank you all SO MUCH for the ideas so far- they are all things I would love to try. To SS- I have a large gas powered grill to use- its a loaner and I will check it out tomorrow to see what bells and whistles it has. To those suggesting I get experienced BBQ cooks to handle most of the meat?? You bet I will!! The brothers-in-law are champing at the bit so thats easy. I suppose they are actually ex- BIL's but my ex's family and I have never let a lil old divorce stand in the way of a get-together
Fish, probably salmo,n will definitely be on the menu as I have access to good fresh local produce. Grilled mushrooms too just because I love them... The family will be chipping in with some of the meats such as sausages and thin steaks, and I intend to provide 3 or 4 really good mains. I think the marinated chicken wings are a go for the kids, and I have a fancy to make lamb kebabs and serve with a yoghurty-minty-garlicky sauce- or mebbe skhordalia (sp?) that garlic bread sauce? That boneless
Sides so far will be a huge potato bake, a good greek salad, a tabbouleh, maybe some dips like hommus and baba ghanoush? Dessert as this stage is my ex making 2 huge tiramisu as he does fabby ones and it's the birthday girl's fave.
I have PLENTY of time to cook, marinade etc- have taken the Friday off work as it is the actual birthday day so I will be cleaning and pottering all day. Then I can cook for most of Saturday as the clans gather mid afternoon. That marinaded leg o' lamb sounds good too... ^^^^^ tell Phil and Kate (not Kennedy is it???) to follow their noses.
The party is on the 7th November so I have 2 weeks to plan it. Can't wait! Again... thank you all so much for inspiring me! | |
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| a BBQ virgin... lol
Posted: 10/22/2009 12:41:50 AM |
To those suggesting I get experienced BBQ cooks to handle most of the meat?? You bet I will!! The brothers-in-law are champing at the bit so thats easy.
I guess this was a false alarm... | |
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| a BBQ virgin... lol
Posted: 10/22/2009 1:22:34 AM | Hi Jojo, this sounds like a fabulous feast! I had a similar party when my sweet girl turned 18. It is a very Middle Eastern theme, so if you think you will like the recipe below, you can try it. Get lamb leg meat and cut it into kebab size cubes and let marinate a day and a half before grilling in the following...
Coat the lamb cubes with the following rub, that has been mixed together. This should cover 2#-3# of cubes...
3 tsp cardamom, ground
2 tsp corriander, ground
2 tsp fresh nutmeg, or ground mace
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp tumeric
2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp saffron threads (can leave out)
1/3 cup brown sugar
Make sauce.
In a large pot pour in...
4 cups pomegranate juice
2 cups tangerine or orange juice
1 cup lime juice
3 cups brown sugar
a cinnamon stick
6 cardamom seeds
Process the rind of the limes and tangerine or orange used and put that in. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer until thick like thin pancake syrup, then let cool to very warm, strain and then bring back to simmer and leave until thick like honey.
Lamb does not need much cooking or it will dry out, so grill on high heat until brown outside and still pink inside, then coat well with sauce and grill only a couple of minutes more to get a good caramelized hot coating of the sauce on them. You can alternate the lamb cubes with some heavily peppered onions, some carrot slices and some eggplant cubes, if you like.
Any leftover sauce can be used with beef, chicken, turkey ro duck.
(Just suggestions, what you already have sounds great)
Can serve on a bed of rice cooked with saffron threads that is then mixed with fresh pomegranate seed pods and fresh pistachios (not roasted) after the rice is done. Place finished kebabs on top drizzle any extra sauce from pan and place a few oranger wedges around.
A salad of julienne cut and frersh orange juice or tangerine juice marinated jicama, cucumber, fennel bulb, celery, celeriac, hearts of palm and parsnip, goes great.
For the grilled salmon, if you are doing a whole one, stuff the inside with fresh rosemary and lemon slices. Cut diagonal shallow slits down each side of the fish through skin and barely through meat. Heavily coat with olive oil. Grilling fish works best if you start with a very scrubbed clean smooth grill that has been oiled. Oiling the fish and grill keeps the fish from sticking AND you must not put the fish on until the grill grate is quite hot. Grill fish on medium low. While grilling place more fresh rosemary and lemon slices on the up side, the turn when skin is criso and place fresh rosemary and lemon slices on the new up turned side. Unless you like overcooked salmon, do not overcook. Slightly underdone is great, it keeps cooking for about 5 minutes after removing from heat.
If you are doing salmon steaks, do all the same, you just will not be stuffing. You already have some great sides going, but this is great served with a good fruit and nut couscous. I know you know what I mean, cooked with some Middle Eastern spices like the ones in the kebab recipe above. An Algerian or Moroccan type.
Have a GREAT Party!  and tell the daughter  from me! Please let us know what you do.
SS | |
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| a BBQ virgin... lol
Posted: 10/22/2009 2:44:25 AM | tell Phil and Kate (not Kennedy is it???) to follow their noses.
No it's well... a Greek name.
The mom Debbie was in charge of animal rights for the state.
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| a BBQ virgin... lol
Posted: 10/22/2009 2:01:07 PM | ^
not NSW just the Nowra area.
She passed away from leukemia last year.
I was there fortunately two years ago.
It wasn't animal rights she was an advocate for animal disturbances.
She had just got that, her dream job a year earlier :( | |
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| a BBQ virgin... lol
Posted: 10/22/2009 3:13:59 PM | Have you also thought of roasting vegetables on the BBQ as well ??
like - corn on cob ? zuccini, tomatoes, capiscums - all colors, and potatoes ???
just a suggestion ?
or cook in oven inside ?? | |
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| a BBQ virgin... lol
Posted: 10/23/2009 1:37:02 AM | | ^^^^^^^ ohhhhhh yeah there will be corn!! lol it grows well here and is plentiful at the moment! I might do some thin sliced onion, potato and sweet potato or pumpkin wrapped in baking paper with herbs and a splash of white wine- had that once and it was deeeelicious | |
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| a BBQ virgin... lol
Posted: 11/9/2009 11:06:05 PM | Just wanted to thank you all for your help- the birthday weekend was just great, thanks in large part to0 super-fabby BBQ you made happen! I ended up with only 14 for the BBQ so I cut back on some things but the menu included SS's lamb kebabs with a minty yoghurt dip, the pork loin recipe- I cheated tho and just bought the chops not the whole shebang- which got rave reviews, chicken skewers (marinated chicken thighs in orange, lemon, ginger and garlic) seafood skewers of prawn and scallop tossed in chili and coriander, rump steaks in a mustard marinade , corn a la lapilot ( I cut each cob in two then ti9ed the husks back on as we had little kids who didnt want a whole cob each) potato, capsicum, mushroom and veggie sausage for the birthday girl, along with felafels and hummus, lots of sides and lashings of champagne, beer and red wine. My most excellent brother in law cooked the meats to perfection. We had the kid's dad make 2 huge tiramisu for dessert. OMG.... we were full!
The next day I put on a picnic for 20 (simple foods tho! Bread, salads and cold meat ,mainly) at the local animal park where we all had so much fun- a private animal show just for us, heavy on the reptiles because my daughter is a fan- and ... well. It was an 18th to remember.
So and to all of you who helped me plan the feast. I'd have been lost without your assistance!! | |
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| a BBQ virgin... lol
Posted: 11/9/2009 11:53:50 PM | Jojo, that sounds soooooooooooooooo good and like you had a few very busy days!
Congratulations on everything. What a feast! And congratulations on raising a great daughter to 18
SS | |
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