[FTC Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Certified Angus Beef® brand in conjunction with a social media campaign through Sunday Supper LLC. The recipe and opinions are my own.]

Ask anyone to name their favorite comfort foods and more likely than not meatloaf and mac-and-cheese will top the list.

While both dishes are relatively basic in both preparation and presentation -- especially in the age of Instagram food pron -- something truly magical happens as soon as they hit the table. Life could literally be falling apart around you yet suddenly you’re back in your childhood home enjoying mom’s “Meatloaf Monday” or in your college dorm room diving into instant mac-and-cheese (completed with neon orange “cheese” powder) after a night out on the town.

But why choose between two truly comforting dishes when you can crank the nostalgia levels up to eleven and create something truly epic for dinner? Enter our Smoked Mac and Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf recipe, created as part of Grillocracy’s ongoing relationship* with the fine folks at Certified Angus Beef® brand.

Already mouthwatering meatloaf is stuffed with ooey gooey homemade mac-and-cheese before hitting the grill for some smoky BBQ goodness. The end result? A whole lot of wonderful memories all stuffed into a smoked, sliceable loaf!

SMOKED MAC-AND-CHEESE STUFFED MEATLOAF

Ingredients

Mac and Cheese

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

2 cups grated sharp cheddar

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 package (8 ounces) elbow macaroni, cooked

Meatloaf

2 pounds Certified Angus Beef® brand ground beef

2 eggs, beaten 

3/4 cups seasoned Italian breadcrumbs 

1 teaspoon Kosher salt 

1/3 cup milk

2 tablespoons of your favorite BBQ dry rub seasoning 

1/4 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce

Additional Tools

Parchment paper

One wire cooling rack (optional)

Instructions

Prepare grill for two-zone cooking, placing one charcoal chimney full of ashed over charcoal on one side of the grill to create a hot and cool zone. Adjust the bottom vents to bring the grill temperature to approximately 350°F.

As the grill comes to temperature, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour to the butter and whisk until smooth. Slowly add the milk, stirring constantly until fully incorporated. Reduce the heat to low and add the cheese, salt, and pepper to the saucepan. Continue to stir the mixture until the cheese has melted. Add the cooked pasta to the saucepan and stir until the pasta is completely coated with the cheese sauce. Remove the saucepot from the heat, cover, and allow it to sit while you prepare the meatloaf mixture.

In a large bowl, add the ground Certified Angus Beef®, eggs, breadcrumbs, salt, and milk and mix well until fully combined.    

Lay one sheet of parchment paper on a cutting board and spread meatloaf mixture into a ½-inch thick rectangle. Spread an even layer of macaroni and cheese across the top of the meatloaf mixture, leaving a 1-inch border on one short side of the rectangle, a 1-inch border on both longer sides, and a 3-inch border on the remaining short side.

Starting on the 1-inch border short end, begin forming the meatloaf by lifting the parchment paper and rolling the meat over the mac-and-cheese to create a cylinder. Once rolled, press the center and side seams to seal. Season the loaf on all sides with the dry rub mixture.

Add 2-3 chunks of your favorite smoking wood to the charcoal for maximum smoke flavor. Gently move the stuffed meatloaf onto a cooling rack (this will make it easier to remove the meatloaf from the grill once it is cooked) and place it on the cool side of the grill.  Cover the grill and allow it to smoke until the center of the beef has reached an internal temperature of 160°F, approximately 45 minutes. 

Remove the stuffed meatloaf from the grill, brush it with barbecue sauce, and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. 

What happens when you take an already great rack of smoked spare ribs, wrap them in thick cut bacon, and then smoke ‘em again?  Pure pork perfection!

Fire these bad boys up at your next backyard bash and you are certain to be deemed “God's gift to the grill” from that day forward.

DOUBLE SMOKED BACON WRAPPED RIBS 

Ingredients

1 rack St. Louis spare ribs

1 tbsp. yellow mustard

Your favorite BBQ dry rub seasoning

2 lb. thick cut bacon

 

Instructions

Prepare grill for indirect cooking, placing a water filled aluminum half pan in the center of the charcoal grate and placing preheated charcoal briquets on each side of the pan.  Add 3-4 chunks of your favorite smoking wood to the charcoal briquets and adjust the grill vents to bring the temperature to 250 degrees. 

Remove the membrane from the bone side of the ribs then rub the ribs with mustard, and season both sides of the ribs liberally with BBQ dry rub.  Place the ribs on the smoker or grill. 

Cover and allow the ribs to smoke for approximately 5-5.5 hours until tender (note: ribs should bend at a 45 degree angle when held on one end with tongs).  Remove the ribs from the smoker or grill and open the bottom grill vents to bring the temperature to approximately 400 degrees, adding 2-3 additional wood chunks for maximum smoke flavor.   Slice rack into individual ribs.

Wrap each rib tightly with two slices of bacon so that the meat is entirely covered. 

Dust the bacon with dry rub seasoning then place the bacon wrapped ribs on the grill over indirect heat.  Cover the grill and allow the bacon wrapped ribs to smoke for approximately 20 minutes until the bacon is nicely browned and crisp.

Remove the double smoked, bacon wrapped ribs from the grill and serve immediately.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE GREAT BBQ & GRILLING RECIPES

If you like macaroni-and-cheese and you like burgers, then you’re going to love this recipe for the Ultimate Mac-and-Cheese Burger featuring a cheese stuffed burger set between a bun made entirely out of deep fried mac-and-cheese!  Oh, and we’ve added some bacon just because!  

Created by our grilling guru Clint Cantwell on behalf of Kingsford.com, this is arguably the cheesiest burger you'll ever have!

ULTIMATE MAC-AND-CHEESE BURGER

Yield:  Serves 2

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time:  10 minutes

Ingredients

¾ lb. ground beef (preferably an 80/20 blend)

1/8 cup shredded Colby jack cheese

4 slices thick cut bacon, cooked

Panko crusted mac-and-cheese buns (recipe follows)

Instructions

Fire up a full chimney of Original Kingsford® Charcoal, or light a pile of about 100 briquets. Configure the coals for a two-zone fire, placing the briquets on one half of the charcoal grate to create a hot zone for grilling and a cool zone for moving the burgers during flare-ups. Adjust the bottom grill vents for medium-high heat cooking, approximately 400-425 degrees.

Form ground beef into 4 flat patties.  Place 1/2 of the grated cheese in the center of each of two patties.  Top with the remaining two patties and pinch the edges closed to create cheese stuffed burgers.

Place the burgers on the grill and cook until they reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees. 

To assemble the burgers, place the cheese stuffed patties on the bottom mac-and-cheese buns.  Add 2 slices of bacon and the top bun to each burger then serve immediately.

PANKO CRUSTED MAC-AND-CHEESE BUNS

Ingredients

2 (8oz.) boxes elbow macaroni and cheese mix

2 cups flour

1 tsp. Kosher salt

4 eggs, beaten with 2 tbsp. milk

4 cups panko breadcrumbs

Canola oil or peanut oil for frying

Instructions

Make macaroni and cheese mixes according to directions.  Place the mac-and-cheese in a large bowl and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes to cool completely and thicken. 

Using your hands, form 2 divided cups of the mac-and-cheese into two 4.5-inch wide disks for the bottom buns.  To create the top buns, use 3-4 cups of mac-and-cheese to create two 4.5-inch wide domes.  Wrap each bun half tightly with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 15-20 minutes to harden but not completely freeze.

As the grill comes to temperature, place the flour and salt in a shallow bowl and stir to combine.  Place beaten eggs in a second bowl and the panko in a third.  Working one at a time, dredge each bun half in flour, then the egg mixture, then panko.

In a medium saucepan, add approximately 4 inches and heat over medium-high heat.  When the oil begins to shimmer, add the mac-and-cheese “buns” one at a time and fry for approximately 2 minutes until golden brown.  Remove the bun from the oil and set on paper towels to drain.

DISCLOSURE: Recipe was created on behalf of Kingsford.com and reprinted thanks to Kingsford.  Compensation was received for the development of this recipe.

If you are a fan of the club sandwich then you are certain to fall in love with this carb-free deconstructed version featuring sous vide and griddle-grilled stuffed chicken breasts.

The post Zero Carb Sous-Vide-Que Deconstructed Club Sandwich appeared first on Meathead's AmazingRibs.com.

Valentine's Day is only 2 days away.  But instead of rushing out to buy some cardboard heart filled with sub-par chocolates, why not surprise your loved one with something truly special -- Smoked Candied Bacon Chocolates.

My latest creation for Kingsford.com, the grilled bacon chocolates strike the perfect balance of sweet and savory with bacon that is rolled into spirals before being smoked on the grill then finished with a dip in either white or dark chocolate.  

To really take it over the top, dump those cheap chocolates from a store bought heart-shaped box and replace them with the grilled candied bacon chocolates!

VALENTINE’S DAY BACON CHOCOLATES

Ingredients 

18 slices thick cut bacon 

3 tbsp. agave sweetener 

1 cup dark chocolate chips

1 cup white chocolate chips

 

Additional tools 

Wooden toothpicks 

2 medium mixing bowls

1 small saucepan

1 large empty heart-shaped box

 

Instructions 

Preheat charcoal briquets in a charcoal chimney. Once the briquets are ashed over, place them on one side of the grill’s bottom grate to create a 2-zone cooking surface with one hot side and one cool side.  Replace the top cooking grate, cover the grill, and adjust the bottom grill vents to bring it to approximately 300 degrees. 

Lay bacon slices on a sheet of parchment paper.  Starting at one end of the slices, begin rolling them in to a tight spiral.  Insert one toothpick through each spiral to keep the outer end of the slices in place while they cook.  

Place the bacon spirals on the cool side of the grill as far from the charcoal as possible.   

Cover the grill and allow the bacon to cook for approximately 30 minutes until cooked through and nicely browned.  

Remove the bacon spirals from the grill, place them on a plate or sheet of parchment paper, and brush six of the 18 with agave sweetener.  

Fill a small saucepan by 1/3 with water.  Place saucepan on the hot side of the grill and once the water is warm top the saucepan with 1 medium sized mixing bowl to create a double boiler.  Add the dark chocolate chips to the mixing bowl and allow the chocolate to melt while stirring frequently. 

Once the chocolate has melted, dip the top half of six of the remaining 12 bacon spirals (ie the non-agave slices) then return them to the plate or parchment paper to cool.  Carefully remove the mixing bowl from the top of the saucepan using an oven mitt or tongs and replace it with a second clean mixing bowl.  Add white chocolate chips to the mixing bowl and allow them to melt while stirring frequently.

Dip the top halves of the remaining six bacon spirals in the white chocolate then return to the plate or parchment paper to cool.  Once cooled, place bacon candies in an empty heart shaped box and present to your loved one.

* Recipe by Clint Cantwell, courtesy of Kingsford.com

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After months of heated rivalries, miraculous plays, and last second wins, the NFL season comes down to one final winner-take-all showdown.

For many of us, that means weeks of planning the ultimate big game bash. The giant flat screen is in place, all of your friends and family have RSVP’d, and the themed cocktail menu is on point. So with so much on the line – not only on the field but in your living room as well – do you really want to be “that guy (or girl)” whose idea of great game day eats is some generic potato chips and a few sub-par delivery pizzas?

Imagine, however, if instead of discussing a favorite play or commercial at work the next day your guests are bragging about your BBQ and grilling skills. “You should have been there…John from accounting literally threw the last rib at the TV at halftime! They were so good I actually rinsed it off and ate it! I even snuck some of their amazing bacon wrapped shrimp out in my jacket pocket for the ride home. Epic party.”

To help get you started, our team at Kingsford® have put together an extensive collection of how-to’s here, covering off any number of great dishes for your big game bash.  There you’ll find steps for creating mouthwatering pulled pork, ribs, brisket, wings, burgers, brats, tri-tip, kebabs, and much more!

Taking it one step further, we’re embracing one of the hottest trends in football party planning – the food stadium. Created by grillmaster Clint Cantwell, our mock stadium greets fans with a huge collection of BBQ and grilling items that are just waiting to be devoured. And while you may not have the time to constructed your own snackadium, there are plenty of pre-made models available on-line and at select retailers. Game on!

Whether it's your turkey, side dishes, or dessert, taking your Thanksgiving to the grill not only frees up valuable space in the kitchen but also adds an unforgettable depth of flavor to your holiday meal.  

To help in your Thanksgiving menu planning, here are some of our favorite grilled holiday dishes.  Simply click on the image for the full recipe!

This weekend, millions of Americans will head to the backyard and fire up their grills in celebration of Labor Day.

In order to help take your cookout to the next level, the Grillocracy team has compiled some of their favorite barbecue and grilling recipes including:

Charred Corn and Red Pepper Salsa, a tasty dip for tortilla chips as guests wait for the main course to be served.

Grilled Gazpacho Soup, a smoky chilled soup that is perfect for cooling off on a hot summer day.

 

Smoked Sriracha Dry Rub Wings, a sauce free alternative to traditional Buffalo wings.

 

Grilled Mexican Street Corn, a flavor packed alternative to traditional grilled corn.

 

 

Grilled Guacamole, a smoke enriched alternative to traditional guacamole.

 

 

Grilled Pork Quesadilla Bites, the perfect bite-sized appetizer to get your party started right.

 

10 Amazing Hot Dog Topping Combos, a guide to kicking up ordinary hot dogs for the holiday weekend.

 

 

"So Good You'll Slap Yo Mama" Pulled Pork, a smoked pork butt recipe that puts others to shame.

 

 

Smoked Bruleed Ribs, a recipe for smoked to perfection ribs finished with a crunchy sugar topping.

 

Southern Pimento Cheese Burger, a stepped up version of the traditional cheeseburger.

 

Low and Slow Smoked Brisket, a simple-to-follow recipe for achieving beef brisket perfection. 

 

Smoked Chicken Lollipops, a buzz worthy change from over cooked chicken breasts with burnt on sauce.

 

Grilled Potato Salad with Bacon and Scallions, the "go-to" side dish for anyone looking to impress their guests.

 

Grilled Coleslaw with Pickled Ginger, a slaw that is sure to go as quickly as you can make it.

 

 

Grilled Peach Crumbles, an easy to execute fresh fruit dessert with a sweet and crunchy topping.

 

Grilled Red, White & Blue Poundcake, a patriotic way to end your backyard bash.

 

Warm Molten Lava Cake, an over-the-top grilled chocolate dessert from Jamie Purviance. 

Grilled chicken has rarely tasted better than it does in this recipe for whole chili-lime rubbed butterflied (spatchcock) chicken, fired up on my Grill Dome ceramic cooker.  By removing the backbone from the chicken and grilling it bone-side down, you are not only allowing the chicken to slow roast without drying out or burning from direct flame but also making sure the dark and white meat cook evenly.

GRILLED CHILI-LIME BUTTERFLIED CHICKEN

Ingredients

8 cups water

¼ cup Kosher salt

¼ cup brown sugar

2 (3lb.) chickens

¼ cup olive oil

Chili-lime salt (recipe follows)

 

Instructions

Combine water, salt, and brown sugar in a container large enough to hold the two chickens and stir until the salt has completely dissolved.

Place chickens on a large cutting board breast side down and remove the backbone from each chicken using kitchen shears or poultry shears.  Turn the chickens over and open up like a book, pressing down until the breastbone cracks and the chickens lay flat.

Place chickens in the brine mixture and refrigerate for 4-6 hours. 

Prepare Grill Dome for medium heat cooking, approximately 325 degrees.  Add 2-3 chunks of your favorite smoking wood to ashed over charcoal for maximum smoke flavor.  Place a water filled aluminum half pan on the indirect cooking rack and put the main cooking grate in place.

Remove the chickens from the brine, rinse, and pat dry.  Coat both sides of the chickens with olive oil then season liberally with chili-lime salt. 

Place one butterflied chicken bone side down on the main cooking grate.  Add the grill extender rack and set the second chicken bone side down on the rack.  

Close the Grill Dome lid and allow the chickens to grill for approximately 1.5 hours until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees in the thickest part of the breast meat.  Remove chickens from the grill and allow them to rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

CHILI-LIME SALT

Ingredients

2 tbsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. lime zest

1 tsp. chili powder

½ tbsp. brown sugar

 

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and blend well. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Disclosure:  My Grill Dome cooker was provided for free by the company for recipe testing purposes.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE GREAT BBQ & GRILLING RECIPES

Memorial Day weekend is finally here and that means tens of thousands of Americans will be firing up their smokers and grills to mark the holiday with friends, family, and neighbors.

To get the party started right, we've compiled several of our favorite Grillocracy recipes for you to choose from when creating your grilling menu!

SMOKED BACON WRAPPED WINGS.  We love wings and we love bacon so why not combine them both into one epic appetizer?  Click here for the complete recipe. 

 

ARMADILLO EGGS WITH HATCH CHILIES.  Armadillo Eggs are a favorite among backyard grillers, combining cheese and chilies (traditionally jalapenos but hatch chilies in this case) then wrapping them in ground sausage before smoking.  Amp them up with a crunchy layer of Panko breadcrumbs and you've got a surefire winner!  You can find the recipe here.

 

SMOKED PIG BALLS.  Appetizers don't get any easier than these "pig balls" -- bacon wrapped Kielbasa sausage that is coated in dry rub then smoked to perfection.  You can find the complete recipe here.

 

GRILLED GUACAMOLE.  Ordinary guacamole gets a welcome dose of smoke by hitting the grill with the avocados, limes, and onions in a recipe that can be found here.

 

RUSSIAN ROULETTE JALAPENO POPPERS.  Add a game of chance to your smoked jalapeno poppers by leaving the seeds intact in a handful of the peppers.  Will they be mild or wild? You won't know until after that first bite!  Find the recipe here.

 

GRILLED GAZPACHO SOUP.  Take the heat out of a hot summer day with this cool and refreshing grilled gazpacho soup, perfect as a small starter or a hearty main course.  You can find the recipe here.

 

GRILLED ROMAINE WITH SMOKEY CAESAR DRESSING.  Thrill those guests who are "watching their weight" with this grilled romaine salad featuring a smokey Caesar dressing and fire toasted croutons.  You can find the complete recipe here.

 

REVERSE SEARED COWBOY RIBEYE.  Nothing beats meat on a stick, especially when it is a beautiful cowboy ribeye that has been started over indirect heat to soak up the smoke before being finished with a quick high heat sear.  You can find the complete recipe here.

GRILLED ORANGE GINGER GLAZED CHICKEN.  We've all spent too many holiday cookouts gnawing our way through overcooked grilled chicken with burnt on BBQ sauce.  Well no more!  These moist and tender grilled chicken breasts with orange ginger glaze will change your life forever!  Find the full recipe here. 

 

SMOKED LOLLIPOP CHICKEN.  Chicken drumsticks can be a little "blah" but a little trimming can elevate them to new levels, creating the perfect smoked chicken lollipops!  You can find the complete recipe here.

 

"So Good You'll Slap Yo Mama" Smoked Pork Butt.  Low-and-slow is the only way to go with this mouthwatering smoked pork butt.  Find the complete recipe here.

 

DOUBLE SMOKED BACON WRAPPED RIBS.  Who doesn't love smoked ribs? Imagine, though, if you took those same ribs, wrapped them in bacon, then hit them with another dose of flavorful smoke!  You can find the complete recipe here.

 

LOW-AND-SLOW BEEF BRISKET.  Many people are afraid to try cooking a beef brisket at home.  After all, it is a large daunting cut of meat but this recipe makes it oh so simple!  You can find the complete recipe here.

 

SMOKED RED RICE.  Cold smoked rice is the secret behind this flavorful low country red rice side dish.  Find the complete recipe here.

 

GRILLED COLESLAW.  Charring the cabbage transforms ordinary coleslaw into something truly special!  Find the complete recipe here.

 

CANDIED BACON RICE CRISPY TREATS.  What guest wouldn't love a big ol' batch of rice crispy treats for dessert, especially when they've been kicked up with the addition of grilled candied bacon.  Find the complete recipe here.

 

SMOKED COFFEE ICE CREAM.  Cold smoking coffee takes a little time but the end result is a homemade ice cream that puts all others to shame.  Find the complete recipe here. 

 

GRILLED POUNDCAKE WITH GRILLED BERRIES.  Get your patriotic game on with this picture ready red, white, and blue grilled poundcake with grilled strawberries, blueberries, and whipped cream.  Find the complete recipe here.

 

SMOKED CHOCOLATE CANDIED BACON.  Do you like chocolate? Yes, we like chocolate!  Do you like bacon?  Yes, we like bacon!  Do you love smoked chocolate candied bacon?  Damn straight!  You can find the complete recipe here.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE GREAT BBQ & GRILLING RECIPES

For many, St. Patrick's Day is all about green beer and day long pub crawls.  But for me it means some sweet deals on ready-to-prepare corned beef, especially a couple days after the holiday.  And while I love to have a few on hand it the freezer for corned beef sandwiches throughout the year (or, better yet, for my corned beef burger recipe found here), they are also a great shortcut for making your own smoked pastrami.  

I first learned of this shortcut a few years ago when master griller John Thomas of Grilling24x7 posted his "how to" for something he called cheater pastrami.  Being the kind soul that he is, John offered to share his recipe with Grillocracy nation.  You can also find his original post here.

CHEATER PASTRAMI by Grilling24x7

A few years ago I made homemade pastrami. I “corned” a beef brisket and then smoked it to make authentic homemade pastrami. Well, that’s a lot of work. I wanted to explore one of the cheater pastrami recipes that I have been reading about. Basically you just put a simple dry rub on a corned beef brisket (bought from the store already corned) and then smoke it. It turns out that this makes some really tasty cheater pastrami!

Around St. Patrick’s Day you’ll find some really good deals on corned beef. Even though it’s not even close to St. Patrick’s Day, I still managed to pick up a corned beef “point” brisket. Costco usually has a bunch and you can always ask your butcher.

The night before making the pastrami open the package and put the corned beef into a casserole dish or zip top bag and totally submerge it in water. This will help get rid of some of the salt. Corned beef is really salty. A good overnight soak will help out a lot and significantly improve your pastrami results.

Corned beef usually comes with a small spice packet. Throw this out. It’s really easy to make a simple pastrami dry rub. I took a few tablespoons of coriander seed and put it in to a small food processor. This essentially cracks open the coriander seed to make it really fragrant. I mixed a 50/50 ratio of black pepper with the coriander seed and mixed it up.

I set up my ugly drum smoker for 275-300 degree heat with apple wood. The corned beef will take about 2 hours to smoke.

I smoked the corned beef until an internal temperature of about 170-180 degrees. At this point the corned beef comes inside for some authentic steaming. Real NY deli style pastrami is steamed right before slicing. This is a little trick to take the homemade pastrami up a few notches. I found that on the Katz’ Delicatessen website so it must be legit!

I used a large pot and put a little steamer basket in the bottom. I put about 1/2 inch of water in the bottom and turned the stove on high.

After about 30 minutes of steaming the smoked corned beef was at 200 degrees. Oh was it tender!

I let the pastrami rest for about 30 minutes prior to slicing.

One note regarding the corned beef selection. I chose the brisket point. I think this was a mistake. The brisket flat corned beef is more even which makes it cook more evenly and also slice easier. However, this was really tasty and I will most certainly make it again when I’m craving a pastrami sandwich.

CHEATER PASTRAMI RECIPE

An easy cheater pastrami recipe made from a store bought corned beef brisket that is smoked and then steamed.

Ingredients

1 Corned Beef Brisket

2 T Black Pepper

2 T Coriander Seeds (cracked in a food processor)

 

Instructions

1. Soak corned beef brisket overnight in water to remove salt.

2. Mix pepper and ground coriander and rub all over the rinsed corned beef.

3. Set up smoker for higher heat 275-300 degree smoking.

4. Smoke corned beef until internal temperature of about 175.

5. Set up steamer basket and steam the smoked corned beef until internal temperature of about 200 degrees.

6. Rest for 30 min.

7. Slice thin.

8. Enjoy!

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This Thursday is St. Patrick's Day and in celebration of the holiday, we've got one of my favorite original burger recipes -- the St. Patty Melt.

It all came to me as I walked past one of the countless delicatessens surrounding my New York City office and spied my favorite corned beef Reuben sandwich!  A great sandwich, true, but why stop there?  I then turned to another local favorite, the patty melt, and asked myself why the heck I couldn’t turn corned beef into a burger and create a Reuben inspired patty melt.

Now for those of you who are unfamiliar with corned beef, it is basically beef brisket that has been brined for several days and is then boiled until extremely tender.  My plan, therefore, was to treat it as a brisket, grinding it to the consistency of hamburger meat before forming in to patties and grilling.  As with a brisket, corned beef has two distinct cuts – the flat and the point.  Given the fact that the point is the fattier of the two I opted to use it in the burger making process.

With uncooked corned beef in hand, I then turned to my trusted local butcher for advice on the best way to grind it.  After a few test runs we eventually determined that triple grinding the meat produced a perfect burger consistency and eliminated any firmness that had been caused by the brining process.  A quick test burger sandwiched on rye bread with a slice of Swiss cheese, some homemade sauerkraut and a touch of course ground mustard confirmed what I already suspected…the St. Paddy Melt parade has begun!

 

ST. PADDY MELT

Ingredients

1 uncooked corned beef brisket (preferably the point cut*), approximately 3 pounds and triple ground to achieve a hamburger-like consistency

8 slices Swiss cheese

16 slices rye bread

Course ground mustard

Kwik ‘kraut (recipe follows)

 

Instructions

Form ground corned beef into eight even sized patties.  Heat grill to high and cook burgers for approximately 5 minutes per side until medium (160 degrees internal temperature).  Meanwhile, place bread slices on the grill, turning occasionally until lightly toasted, 2-3 minutes per side, and remove.  Top each burger with kwik ‘kraut and a slice of Swiss, cover grill and cook an additional 1-2 minutes until cheese has begun to melt.  Spread mustard on each slice of rye according to personal preference, sandwich burger between two slices and serve.

* Available in many grocers’ meat department labeled as “point cut” or “thick cut”

 

KWIK 'KRAUT

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic minced

½ sweet onion, thinly sliced

½ head of green cabbage, cored and thinly sliced

1 tsp salt

¼ cup apple juice

¾ cup apple cider vinegar

¼ cup water

Sugar to taste

 

Instructions

Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat.  Add olive oil, garlic and onions and sauté until soft.  Add cabbage and stir to combine.  Pour in apple juice, water and vinegar and reduce heat to medium.  Cook mixture, stirring occasionally for approximately 10-15 minutes until cabbage has become tender and most of the liquid has evaporated.  Drain sauerkraut in a colander, squeezing out any excess moisture and add sugar to taste if too bitter.  Refrigerate sauerkraut until ready to use.

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Looking for the perfect dishes to fire up for the upcoming Super Bowl?  Well we've gotcha covered with some of our favorite BBQ and grilling Super Bowl recipes including:

GRILLED BACON WRAPPED SMOKED SAUSAGE BITES

 

GRILLED PORK QUESADILLA BITES WITH GRILLED GUACAMOLE

 

BIG GAME BURGER BAR

 

CHEESE STUFFED SAUSAGE BITES

 

CHARRED CORN AND RED PEPPER SALSA

 

SMOKED WINGS WITH SRIRACHA DRY RUB

 

MEMPHIS DRY RUBBED RIBS

PULLED PORK (SMOKED PORK BUTT)

DOUBLE SMOKED BACON WRAPPED RIBS

SMOKED BRISKET

 

SMOKED CHOCOLATE BACON

CLICK HERE FOR MORE GREAT BBQ & GRILLING RECIPES

Made up of parsley, garlic, and lemon, gremolata is an easy-to-make condiment that is quite popular in Italy and pairs nicely with grilled veal, steak, and more. 

For this recipe, I use some amazing Wagyu New York strip steaks from Snake River Farms* which are perfectly marbled and packed with flavor, but you can substitute virtually any steak.  To really take the flavor over the top, I finish the steak with a homemade chipotle olive oil.

NEW YORK STRIP STEAK WITH GREMOLATA AND CHIPOTLE OLIVE OIL

Ingredients

4 New York strip steaks (I used Snake River Farms Wagyu steaks)

1 tbsp. canola oil

Gremolata (recipe follows)

Chipotle olive oil (recipe follows)

Citrus flake salt (optional)

 

Instructions

Prepare grill for high heat cooking.  Rub steaks with canola oil then season liberally with salt and pepper on both sides.  Grilled the steaks for approximately 6-8 minutes per side until they reach an internal temperature of 130 degrees for medium rare.  Allow the steaks to rest for 5 minutes.  Top the steaks with a tablespoon of gremolata, drizzle chipotle olive oil over the steak, and sprinkle with citrus flake salt (optional) before serving.

GREMOLATA

Ingredients

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

½ cup parsley, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tsp. lemon zest

¼ tsp. Kosher salt

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and blend together. Refrigerate gremolata until ready to use.

 

CHIPOTLE OLIVE OIL

Ingredients

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 dried chipotle pepper, seeds and stem removed and finely chopped

Instructions

Add olive oil and 1 tbsp. finely chopped chipotle pepper to a small saucepan and warm over low heat for 15 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat and pour the chipotle infused olive oil through a fine mesh strainer into a glass jar or bowl.  Seal the bottle or bowl and allow the oil to sit overnight before using.

 

* Note: Steaks were provided for recipes development purposes by Snake River Farms 

 

 

With Thanksgiving just a week away, it's not only time to consider what to cook for the big meal but also what to do with that leftover turkey. 

And while few things beat a little turkey, Dukes mayo, and pepper on white bread, one of my family's favorite post-Thanksgiving dishes is a soul warming leftover turkey gumbo.

LEFTOVER THANKSGIVING TURKEY GUMBO

Ingredients

1 pound. smoked sausage such as Kielbasa

1 pound grilled or smoked turkey, roughly chopped

1/2 cup canola oil

3/4 cup flour

1 cup minced celery

1 cup minced onion

1 cup minced green bell pepper

64 ounces chicken or turkey stock

2 tablespoons file powder

Kosher salt and ground cayenne pepper to taste

 

Instructions

Prepare grill for medium-high heat (approximately 400 degrees).  Pre-heat a large stockpot on the grill. 

Slice smoked sausage into 1/4-inch rounds and add to stockpot. Sauté sausage slices until lightly browned.

Remove sausage from the stockpot, leaving the grease. Add canola oil and flour to the pot to create a roux.  Cook flour and oil for approximately 20 minutes, stirring frequently until it turns chocolate brown.

Add vegetables and cook until softened, stirring periodically.

Add the turkey, sausage, and chicken broth.  Allow the gumbo to simmer for 30-45 minutes.  Stir in file powder to thicken the gumbo.

Add salt and cayenne pepper to taste.  Serve immediately along with white rice and/or crusty bread.

Impress your guests this Thanksgiving by giving up the oven in favor of your smoker or grill when preparing holiday bird.  To get you started, here's our recipe for the perfect smoked turkey.  

As with any protein you are grilling, the key to success is to pay close attention to the desired internal temperature as even a few extra degrees can mean the difference between a moist turkey and a dried out bird-shaped brick.  

As such, we recommend investing in a quality instant read thermometer like the chef favorite Thermapen (MRP $99.00) or ThermoPop (MRP $29.00).  

NOTE:  Before preparing, note that this recipe calls for brining the turkey first in order to ensure maximum moistness and flavor.  That said, be careful in selecting your bird as many of the big brand turkeys come pre-injected with a salt-base solution designed to keep it moist during the cooking process.

If using one of these pre-injected turkeys, it is important to skip the brining process as this will result in an overly salty main course.

SMOKED TURKEY

Ingredients

12-14lb. turkey, thawed

2 gallons water

1 cup Kosher salt

¾ cup brown sugar

1.5 cup BBQ dry rub seasoning

3 tbsp. canola oil

 

Instructions

Heat the water, Kosher salt, brown sugar, and 1 cup BBQ dry rub seasoning in a large pot over medium high heat.  Simmer for approximately 20 minutes until the salt, brown sugar and dry rub have completely dissolved.  Remove from heat and allow the liquid to cool to room temperature.

Place turkey in a large stockpot and cover completely with the saltwater brine, weighting it down if necessary to ensure it is completely submerged.  Refrigerate for approximately 1 hour per pound.

Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse well.  Discard the brine and allow the turkey to air dry for approximately an hour.  Prepare a chimney of charcoal and add to the smoker*.  Add 3-4 chunks of your favorite smoking wood.  Preheat smoker for medium low cooking, approximately 250 degrees.  Rub the turkey with the canola oil and season with the remaining ½ cup of BBQ dry rub.

Place the turkey on the smoker, cover, and allow it to smoke for 4-5 hours until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Remove the turkey from the grill, tent loosely with foil and allow it to rest for 30 minutes before slicing and serving. 

* Editor’s note:  If you do not have a smoker, prepare grill for indirect cooking, placing charcoal briquets on two sides of the grill and a disposable aluminum half pan in the center. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE GREAT BBQ & GRILLING RECIPES

As part of our continuing partnership with the fine folks at Smithfield*, today Grillocracy is taking a trip to Vietnam with our unique twist on the popular bahn mi sandwich by utilizing one of the brand’s newest marinated fresh pork products -- Smithfield Applewood Smoked Bacon Marinated Fresh Pork Loin Filet.

Perfectly seasoned and easy to prepare, the entire roster of Smithfield Marinated Fresh Pork products include pre-seasoned tenderloins, sirloins, and loin filets.

In addition to our Applewood Smoked Bacon Pork Loin Bahn Mi recipe below, you can also get into the flavor game with the “Smithfield Real Flavor, Real Fast” contest.

Between now and November, Smithfield will offer consumers three chances to win amazing prizes including a trip to wine country by simply submitting their tips and tricks for getting dinner ready in 30 minutes or less using Smithfield® Marinated Fresh Pork. Consumers also have the chance to win a $25 Visa gift card by voting for their favorite tips. To enter the contest and/or to place your vote, please visit http://www.smithfieldrealflavorrealfast.com/.

Also be sure to check out the video recipe for Smithfield’s Smoked Bacon and Pork Alfredo by clicking here.

APPLEWOOD SMOKED BACON PORK LOIN BAHN MI

YIELD: 4 sandwiches

PREP TIME: 20 minutes

COOK TIME: 30 minutes for pork loin, 5 minutes for sandwiches

Ingredients

·       ¼ cup rice wine vinegar

·       ¼ cup sugar

·       ¼ cup warm water

·       1 tsp. Kosher salt

·       1 daikon radish (peeled and julienned)

·       2 carrots (peeled and julienned)

·       1 (27.2 oz) package Smithfield Applewood Smoked Bacon Marinated Fresh Pork Loin Filet

·       1/2 cup mayonnaise

·       2 tbsp. Sriracha

·       1 cup fresh cilantro leaves

·       1 cucumber, thinly sliced

·       Thinly sliced jalapeños

·       4 10-inch sections of French baguette, sliced lengthwise

 

Instructions

Combine vinegar, sugar, water, and salt in a medium mixing bowl and stir to combine. Once the sugar and salt have completely dissolved, place julienned radish and carrots in a large resealable bag, cover with the liquid, then seal the bag while removing as much air as possible. Place the bag in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight to allow the vegetables to marinate.

Once the vegetables are done marinating, prepare grill for 2-zone cooking by placing pre-heated charcoal briquets on one half of the grill’s charcoal grate for direct grilling while leaving the other half empty for indirect grilling.  Add 2-3 chunks of your favorite smoking wood (preferably apple wood) to the charcoal briquets, replace the main cooking grate, then adjust the grill vents to bring the temperature to approximately 300°F.

As the grill comes to temperature, combine the mayonnaise and Sriracha in a small bowl and blend well.  Refrigerate the spicy mayonnaise until ready to use.

Place the pork loin filet on the cool side of the grill as far from the main heat source as possible.  Cover the grill and allow the pork loin to smoke until it reaches an internal temperature of 150°F, approximately 20-30 minutes.  Remove the pork loin from the grill and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before thinly slicing.

Begin assembling the bacon pork loin bahn mi by spreading the spicy mayonnaise on the cut sides of the baguettes.  Place several slices of the pork loin on the bottom halves of the baguettes, followed by sliced jalapeños (to taste), picked vegetables, sliced cucumber, and cilantro. Add the tops of the baguettes and serve immediately.

 

* Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Smithfield as part of their 2017 Marinated Bloggers Network but the recipe, opinions, and love of pork are all mine. 

With three young kids, I’m always on the lookout for great ways to “cook once and eat twice.”  Recently Grillocracy featured a great recipe for leftover pulled pork – twice grilled pulled pork potatoes – and today is no different as we fire up a flavor packed Pulled Pork Lasagna!

PULLED PORK LASAGNA

Ingredients

1 18oz bottle of KC Masterpiece barbecue sauce

2 cups tomato sauce

1 lb. pulled pork

12oz. box of oven ready lasagna noodles

2 cups grated smoked Gouda cheese

2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

3 cups ricotta cheese

2 tbsp. of your favorite BBQ dry rub seasoning

 

Instructions

Prepare grill for medium-high heat cooking, approximately 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine barbecue sauce and tomato sauce.  In a separate bowl, mix smoked Gouda and mozzarella cheeses.

In a 9”x13”x3” baking dish, spread sauce to evenly coat the bottom. Add 1 layer of noodles, then top with 1/2 pound cooked pulled pork, 1/3 of the cheese mixture, 1 cup of ricotta cheese, and sauce.  Repeat once. Top with a final layer of noodles, an even coating of sauce, and the remainder of cheese.  Sprinkle with your favorite dry rub.

Cover lasagna with foil and place it on the grill for 50 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes to brown the top. Let the lasagna rest before slicing.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE GREAT BBQ & GRILLING RECIPES

I love cooking flank steak because when it’s done right, it is perfect for so many dishes.

The base of this dish is a flavor packed coconut and curry noodle soup but the real star is the steak which receives a healthy dose of an Asian inspire dry rub seasoning before being grilled hot-and-fast.  The true secret to flank steak, though, is in the slicing, as cutting along the natural grain of the meat will result in an extremely chewy bite while slicing against the grain renders it a fall apart tender addition to this soup.

THAI COCONUT CURRY SOUP WITH GRILLED FLANK STEAK

Ingredients

1 package rice noodles

1 tbsp. canola oil

4 green onions

1 stalk lemongrass

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. minced ginger

¼ cup cilantro, roughly chopped

1 tbsp. lime juice

3 tbsp. red curry paste such as Sharwood's Tikka Paste

1 tbsp. fish sauce

3 cups chicken broth

1 can (approximately 14oz.) coconut milk

Asian dry rub (recipe follows)

1 (20oz.) flank steak

½ tbsp. olive oil

4oz. baby bella mushrooms, thinly sliced

Lime wedges

 

Instructions

Prepare grill for high heat cooking (450+ degrees). 

Bring a sauce pot of water to a boil, add rice noodles, and cook for 3-4 minutes until tender.  Drain the noodles and set it aside until ready to use.

Remove ends of the lemongrass stalk and peel away fibrous outer layers.  Thinly slice the bottom half of the lemongrass and smash the upper half with the backside of a knife.  Thinly slice the white portion of the green onions and slice the upper green portion on the bias.

Heat canola oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add sliced lemongrass, whites of the green onions, minced ginger, and garlic, to the oil and sauté until fragrant, approximately 2 minutes.   Add curry paste, chicken broth, coconut milk, fish sauce, and smashed lemongrass stalk.  Stir and allow the soup to simmer for 15-20 minutes. 

As the soup simmers, coat flank steak with olive oil and season liberally with Asian dry rub seasoning mix.  Place steak on the grill and cook for 8-10 minutes per side until it reaches an internal temperature of 130 degrees for medium rare.  Remove the steak from the grill and allow it to rest for 5 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain.

Add sliced mushrooms and lime juice to the coconut curry soup and simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes.

Place rice noodles in the bottom of each bowl, add the coconut curry soup, and top with slices of flank steak, green onion, and cilantro.  Serve with a lime wedge.

ASIAN DRY RUB

Ingredients

½ tbsp. Kosher salt

½ tsp. ground black pepper

½ tsp. dried lemongrass

½ tsp. ground ginger

½ tsp. onion powder

½ tsp. garlic powder

 

Instructions

Combine ingredients in a small bowl and blend well. Store in a sealed container until ready to use.

* This post is sponsored by Omaha Steaks but the recipe and opinions are my own.

This Mother’s Day, why not show dear old mom how much you truly appreciate her by skipping the cheap deli flowers in favor of something much more delicious -- smoked candied bacon roses! 

Covered in a light layer of caramelized agave sweetener and brown sugar then smoked low-and-slow on the grill, this edible arrangement that I created for Kingsford.com will make this Mother’s Day gift an instant hit!

SMOKED CANDIED BACON ROSES

Ingredients

1lb. thick cut bacon

2-3 tbsp. agave sweetener

¼ cup brown sugar

 

Additional tools

Wooden toothpicks

Pastry brush

1-2 bunches of fake flowers (available at most craft and dollar stores)

 

Instructions

Preheat charcoal briquets in a charcoal chimney. Once the briquets are ashed over, place them on one side of the grill’s bottom grate to create a 2-zone cooking surface with one hot side and one cool side.  Replace the top cooking grate, cover the grill, and adjust the bottom grill vents to bring it to approximately 300 degrees.

Lay bacon slices on a parchment covered baking sheet pan and brush the topside of the slices with agave sweetener.

Sprinkle brown sugar over the slices and use the pastry brush to create an even coating of agave syrup and brown sugar over the slices.  

Turn the slices over.  Starting at one end of the slices, begin rolling them in to a tight spiral.  Insert one toothpick through each spiral/rose to keep the outer end of the slices in place while they cook. 

Place the bacon spirals/roses on the cool side of the grill as far from the charcoal as possible.  

Cover the grill and allow the bacon to cook for approximately 30 minutes until cooked through and nicely browned.

Remove the bacon spirals from the grill and set aside.  Remove the flowers from the fake flower bouquet(-s), leaving only the stems and leaves.  Place the bouquet(-s) in a vase and place one bacon spiral/rose on the end of each stem (note that the bacon might slide down the stem.  If so, make a small loop in the stem approximately 1 inch from the top).

Present the candied bacon bouquet to mom!

 

- Recipe by Clint Cantwell, courtesy of Kingsford.com