Foodie Friday Plus Grilling Like a Champion

 

 Summer is like a guest who is slow-moving and hot-tempered. Sometimes she's just too much to handle, and we wish she'd pack her bags so a cooler friend--Miss Autumn--can take her place. Heaven knows we'll miss Summer's warmth. We'll miss her easy-going ways: running around in sleeveless dresses and neon pink flip-flops; grilling burgers under the trees; eating a cold, drippy ice cream cone on a hot afternoon.

For me, the end of summer means the beginning of a new and exciting grilling season.

 There's something magical about cooking outdoors on a crisp autumn night. And I have found

the perfect cookbook to keep the magic going year-round: Grilling Like a Champion.

The book is much more than recipes--it's an insider's guide, packed with the secrets of prize-winning pit-masters, all of it put together in a user-friendly format by editor Rudolf Jaeger

 Divided into three sections, the book is a comprehensive guide to grilling. Part 1 covers the basics--grilling methods, types of grills, accessories, a guide to spices and herbs, and a clever shopping list.

You'll find recipes in Part 2 (beef, pork, lamb, sausage, fish, poultry, side dishes, and desserts), with step-by-step, illustrated instructions.

Part 3 is an appendix (as a cook and an author, I appreciate the work that goes into an index, and this one is top-notch).

I couldn't decide which recipe to try first. Finally, I settled on a grilled meat loaf.

 Don't forget the cole slaw.

 (candid photo by Tyler West)

Grilled Meat Loaf

                            serves: 4 to 6

2 pounds ground beef

1 egg

Mix and place in a large bowl.

...

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 garlic cloves, minced

Mix and add to meat mixture.

...

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon thyme

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Place pepper, chili powder, thyme, and salt in a food processor. Grind into a fine powder.

Add to the onion-carrot meat mixture.

Blend ingredients and shape the meat into a loaf. Place on a flat, tempered glass board or

other thin surface.

Make the Glaze:

1/2 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon Tabasco

Mix and place in a clean bowl.

Heat the grill. Use indirect heat by pushing the briquettes aside. (You can also put a drip pan beneath the loaf.) Slice loaf onto the grill and cook until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit (or 70 minutes, depending on thickness of the loaf). I added the glaze during the last 20 minutes of cooking.

Remove the loaf from grill. Let the meat rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve on buns or French bread.

A Note from Bandwith

"The Chemistry of the Cook"

Searing Meats 

"A typical steak (or cut of beef) consists of mostly water H20, roughly 70%. But it is the protein in meat that creates the sear. These proteins can be pulled to the surface by seasoning the meat with salt. This draws water-soluble proteins/enzymes, such as sarcoplasmic proteins, to the surface.

This denatures the proteins and they undergo a chemical reaction, thus creating the coveted "sear."

-- Bandwith, Biochemist and Self-Taught Cook

Resource:

Schiffer Books

Are you contributing a recipe to this week's Foodie Friday?

 If so, locate the blue Inlinkz icon in the lower, left-hand portion of this post. Click on the icon and follow the directions. After you complete the process, you will see a red "x" beside your name. This allows you to delete your link if you made an error; the red "x" is visible to you only.

You can read a complete guide to this linky party HERE.


If you'd like to share your food photos--or photos of other FF participants on Pinterest, join the Pinterest foodie board, Consuming Passions. Leave a message on the most recent "pin" if you'd like your name added to the list.

If you'd like to share your food photos--or photos of other FF participants on Pinterest, join the Pinterest foodie board, Consuming Passions. Leave a message on the most recent "pin" if you'd like your name added to the list.

***Participants' photos will be pinned to Foodie Friday's group Pinterest board.   

Every Friday, we are joined at this big, virtual table--thank you for stopping by today. I'm grateful to all of you who spend your days cooking. I'm grateful to old and new friends who contribute recipes every week. I'm grateful to friends who leave a comment. I'm grateful for the silent folks, because you are brought here by your love of all things culinary.
The Foodie Friday Link-Up

Have a great Labor Day Weekend!