I’ve been cooking outdoors – grilling, barbecuing and even baking – for a long, long time but I remember when I first started and the mistakes I made including shattering a plate glass sliding door by having a hibachi too close to the door (that turned out to be a $500 steak). Outdoor cooking has a learning curve… it’s not that steep but it still takes time to convert your indoor culinary skills to the backyard. These are some “rookie” mistakes I made and how to avoid them.
Baja Shrimp Martini
This “martini” is a refreshing and spicy blend of shrimp, avocado, tomatoes, cilantro and lime… gazpacho with shrimp!
Spicy Vietnamese Spring Rolls
It’s summertime… hot and humid. You don’t want to be heating up the kitchen and cooking but would like something light, tasty and different for dinner. Try some Vietnamese spring rolls served cold with a peanut dipping sauce. While there is a bit of a learning curve to master rolling the rolls once that’s accomplished the rest is easy.
Summer Firepit Grilling
Can you cook on a fire pit? Sure you can. It doesn’t make any difference if it’s propane-fired or a traditional wood burning pit… cooking is cooking. And you can do a lot more than S’mores, hot dogs and hamburgers.
Camp Chef’s Explorer Camp Stove and BBQ Grill Box
I recently got a Camp Chef two-burner “Explorer” camp stove and a “barbecue grill box” for use while camping and during power outages (that are somewhat common during New England winters or hurricane season). What makes the Explorer different from a traditional BBQ grill is that it has two 30,000 BTU burners but no grilling surface. Without the BBQ box or other optional accessories, pots and pans are needed for cooking.
Island Grillstone
I’ve cooked on salt blocks from the Himalayans, cedar planks from the Northwest, apple wood planks from New Hampshire and a bunch of other stuff but never a piece of volcanic rock! I used it to cook steak, poultry, veggies, seafood and even pizza! Unlike a salt block, the grill stone doesn’t add any salt flavor to the food so you need to season the food before cooking.
Hell, yeah, we talk about Fight Club
Hog Heaven, located adjacent to Centennial Park in downtown Nashville, is literally a hole in the wall BBQ joint. While there are a few “outdoor” tables most of the business is takeout with folks enjoying the hickory-smoked meats in the park. What makes Hog Heaven unique is they make a white barbecue sauce that is absolutely fantastic for poultry.
