BBQ Salt and Pepper Broccoli

broccoli is awesome. i hate that it gets a bad rap as a pedestrian or common veggie. it tastes awesome, has great texture, and you can prepare it in many ways. sure, it doesn't have the same distinguished history as say asparagus or the panache of the multi-colored sweet pepper, but it is a loyal provider that always comes through in a pinch. that's my kind of veggie. here is a recipe i have been using at all my bbq's all summer. it is seriously the only thing that is always on the menu. there is never any left overs and its quite possibly the easiest recipe i will ever post.

BBQ Salt and Pepper Broccoli

1 large head of broccoli cut into large pieces (you dont want them to fall through the holes in the grill)
lots of Salt Pepper
olive oil to coat

Directions

1. light the coals on your bbq and let run hot, or turn your bbq to high.

2. put the broccoli in a large bowl and add olive oil, salt, and pepper. toss to coat

3. add contents of the bowl to the grill and cook for 1 to 3 minutes a side, or until the edges just begin to char

4. remove from grill and serve immediately.

this goes well with anything that comes off the grill or is good on its own.

i dont have any good pictures, so the one above will have to do for now.

shout outs to skratch bastid who showed me this recipie

steak and eggs

ive been bugging out on bbq sauces since the summer started. ive tried about 40 different recipes that i got from friends, got from books/Internet, and some i just came up with myself by building off the other recipes i picked up along the way. for all my effort i think i kept 3 that i was really happy with. this entry is not about those sauces (ha!). it is instead about a more simple bbq. something that i have been working with over the past 2 weeks and i have been loving it. i made some slow bbq'ed Cornish hens for some of the lads last night with just some Chinese 5-spice that i served with a dressing inspired by the Portuguese Piri Piri sauce. but again, this entry isnt even about that meal. i wanted to get super basic for this one. im talking just salt and pepper. in my opinion, this simple take on bbq works best with big cuts of meat so you can pile the simple spice duo on thick. for dinner tonight i made a thick cut rib eye steak w. baby romaine and a slow fried egg on top. 2 things i would do different with this dish is, i would use a smaller cut of meat. i was done the egg and greens before i was done with the steak. the rest of which i am going to make a steak and cheese sandwich with tomorrow. a strip loin would have been perfect. the second is some crispy fried shallots on top for a little sweetness and a little texture. other than that, i was quite happy with my venture into a more simple way of the bbq.

Rib Eye Steak w. Baby Romaine and a fried egg

ingredients

1 rib eye, about an inch thick
2 large fists full of baby romaine
1 large fresh egg
vinaigrette
olive oil for frying the egg and for brushing the steak
lots of salt and pepper

directions

rib eye

1. light your charcoal and let coals heat until very hot or turn your bbq up to high and let heat for 10 minutes, until the grill is very hot.

2. season steak with lots of salt and pepper, and using your hand brush olive oil over both sides of the steak.

3. put the steak on the grill turning once after 4 minutes and removing after an additional 4 minutes for a total cooking time of 8 minutes for medium rare. remove the steak from the grill and let sit for 5 minutes

Baby Romaine

1. put 2 hand fulls of baby romaine in a large bowl and gently toss with your favorite home made vinaigrette. dont put too much because you dont want there too be too much acid. set aside.

fried egg

1. take a pan and put it on the burner at medium high heat. let it warm up for 2 minutes and add a little olive oil to the pan.

2. once oil has heated, add the egg and gently cook for 3 minutes if like me you like your yolk runny. i also dont flip the egg. instead i use the hot oil in the pan and spoon it over the top of the egg so it gently cooks the top. when egg is at your desired doneness, remove from the pan.

assembly for presentation.

the idea is to have some steak, greens, and egg in every bite. so lay your steak on the plate and cover with greens, then top the whole thing with the egg. season egg with fresh cracked pepper and a good quality sea salt. some of the romaine will wilt between the heat of the egg and the steak, which is perfect for mopping up any juice that runs out from the juicy steak. its not a new way to eat a steak, but it is a simple and very satisfying way to eat a steak. enjoy.

this is what i cooked for lunch today for me an my nephew. we skipped breakfast, so we didn't mind having such a large lunch. you can easily cook this for dinner and serve with polenta and a salad afterwards.

Cornish hen and tomato casserole

1 large cornish hen cut into 1/8ths
4 or 5 small carrots or 2 medium carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, diced
1 stock celery - top and bottom removed, chopped
half a can of Italian tomatoes, chopped (i used pastine) - reserve juice
1 clove garlic, minced
4 or 5 sprigs of fresh thyme, left whole
1 cup chicken stock
half a cup lardons
salt
pepper
oil for browning

1. heat oven to 350 and place a medium sized casserole dish, with lid, in there.

2. turn burner to medium high heat and place pan on top. heat for 3 or so minutes so the pan is very hot. add cooking oil to the pan and heat for 1 minute. add Cornish hen and brown on all sides then set aside in a bowl. drain about half the fat off being careful to reserve all the brown bits in the pan. reduce heat to medium. add onion to the oil and cook till soft, about 2 minutes. add lardons, garlic, celery, and carrots and cook for another 2 or 3 minutes, until veggies are soft. add stock and reduce by half. add tomato and juice and cook until heated through.

3. remove casserole dish from oven. remove top and add the hen and the contents of the pan. cover and cook for 45 minutes with lid on.

4. reduce heat to 300, remove lid and cook for an additional 15 minutes

5. remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes. serve with bread, polenta, or over rice.