Tidbit Tenderloin Treats

A very easy and tasty treat by itself, or with other items! The concept of this is to cut up some beef tenderloin fillets into 1" (or slightly larger) cubes and cook on a very hot grill. Serve this as an appetizer type treat or with other items. So take some beef fillets and cut up into byte size pieces, toss in a bowl with some light olive oil to lightly coat, then season with kosher salt and plenty of fresh ground black pepper. If you like, you can also sprinkle in some onion powder, garlic powder or what you like, however, salt and pepper work just fine. Let the beef cubes come to room temperature and marinate for a bit, then place on a clean, very hot grill surface. Cook on one side for a couple of minutes, and then turn for about one minute. You want to cook these to no more than medium rare as they will cook a bit more. Remove early if you like them more juicy however do not overcook. When done, place into bowl and toss about a table spoon or less of extra virgin olive oil and serve!!!

 

Caribbean Pineapple Curry Sauce

This is a new sauce introduced at the KGB floating tidbit bar this spring (2004) that is great with pork, chicken, and other items as a topping, glaze, or side sauce. It combines the flavors of pineapple, west Indies curry (not hot), sesame, and heat (optional). Start by making a simple syrup using sugar and water and reduce down by about 1/2 to 1/2. Add in a small can of crushed pineapple, dash of sesame oil, dash of cyan pepper (vary depending on how spicy you want), table spoon of west Indies curry, tablespoon or two of rice wine vinegar, and about tablespoon of Dijon mustard. Simmer for about 30 minutes and serve warm, or let cool.

 

Beer Can Chicken (Or Turkey)

A very flavorful, juicy, and fun way to prepare Chicken or Turkey on a grill and pretty easy to! The key or concept to this technique is to essentially steam the Chicken or Turkey with the Beer as it roasts. So why Beer? Why not! While you can use what ever your favorite Brew happens to be, the best flavor comes from using a "robust" beer like a Honey Vies, or something else to help infuse flavor into the foul as it roasts and steams. The variations on this are numerous however a simple and fun method is to rub or marinate the bird with various spices and aromatics. You will be surprised at how easy, and fast the bird cooks and how tender it is as well!

What you will need:

1 - 4 to 6 Lbs Chicken (Whole Fryer, Not Pieces)

1 - Can of Honey Vies Beer or similar (Hey, feel free to have a few more)

Some Salt (Kosher or Sea Salt if you have it)

Some fresh ground pepper

Some Lemon Pepper

Some Garlic Cloves

Some Aromatics like Thyme, Rosemary, Paprika

For some fun add a little bit of Cyan Pepper

If you have the time, roast the Garlic Gloves with some olive oil for about an hour to 45 minutes at about 425 or so, peel, and smash into a paste. Otherwise finally chop and place in a bowl and combine the dry ingredients. How much of each ingredient, I'll leave that up to your own taste buds! Prepare the bird by removing the goodies that might be inside of it and wash followed by patting dry. For safety sake you might want to install a thermometer to monitor during cooking. Get your grill ready or oven for that matter by pre-heating to roasting temperature. When using the grill or oven I like to use a drip pan made of aluminum foil or similar so now is good time to put that on the trill as well. Now take and remove about 1/3 of the beer from the can, yes of course, drink it! Drizzle or spread the dry mixture over and around the bird and don't forget about the inside. Now set the Beer can down on a counter, and turn the bird upside down so the large opening or cavity is facing down and slides over the can. Cover the can about 2/3 or so and place this all on the grill. Cooking time will vary however for a 4-6 Lb bird and good heat you should check it around 30-45 minutes. Cook to about 165-170 based on the thermometer and then let rest for 10-15 minutes when done!

Enjoy!

Some other ideas include making a wet or damp marinade and placing the bird in a zip-lock bag (a big one) with the marinade for 12-24 hours practicing safe poultry handling techniques of course! Play around with other full body beers, or perhaps a good stock if you have one! 

 

Curry Roasted Vegetables

This quick and easy dish can be done in the oven or on the grill with a lot of variations. You will need some curry, balsamic vinegar, seasonings, sweat potato or yam, onion, garlic, olive oil. Some other options would be some regular potato, maybe celery, red or green peppers, or other veggies. For something special, add some marinated chicken, pork, sausage, or beef.  Cut vegetables into chunks of about 1/4" to 1/2" with garlic and green onions if you like into smaller 1/8" to 1/4" size and toss with a tablespoon or so of olive oil in a flat roasting pan, tin foil, or similar. In a separate bowl, combine the curry, teaspoon of balsamic, spices and dissolve curry. Spice to taste and combine with vegetables and toss. Cover and roast in oven or BBQ for about 20-30 minutes at about 350. Serve with roast chicken, and most anything else as a side dish. To take it up a notch by adding your favorite hot sauce.

Additional Recipes and Treats

Ginger Beer

Drummies/Wings

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp

Jambalaya

Caramelized Onions

Garlic Smashed Potatoes

Tossed Salad With Raspberry Vinaigrette

Compound Butter