Girls Can Make BBQ Memorial

Time for the last holiday of the summer: Memorial Day and what better of a way to send off summer than with the last major bar-b-que! My boyfriend usually the one who prepares and cooks the meat but since he's gone this weekend it is up to me to take the tongs by the reins. My biggest hurdle is figuring how to cook the meat perfectly.

Having already written this blog, there is great information about the different types of grills and BBQ tricks and after scouring the net for BBQ tips (because yes, that is how really people BBQ - off the web) I came across this article from Associate Content giving great insight on how to prep and cook meats and veggies simple enough for girls of all BBQ stages!

When cooking fish on the grill, brush olive oil onto the fish or directly onto the grill to prevent sticking.Where possible, cook fish that has skin on it. Cook the fish skin side up for the first 1-2 minutes, to grab the smoke lines of the grill for the sake of aesthetics and then flip it over to cook the rest of the fish skin side down.

 That way, if you do have a sticking problem, the skin will stick to the grill, but the edible goodness will come up on your spatula. One more tip with fish: If the piece of fish you are cooking is less that one inch thick, consider starting the grilling process when the fish is partially frozen.

Ribs are a no brainer on the grill, but to be fair, the best barbecue ribs require some time in the oven. 40 minutes in the oven with a little bit of water at 350 degrees is enough to thoroughly cook the meat, keeping it juicy and sealing in the flavor before transferring the ribs to a preheated hot grill for barbecue sauce and the burned edges that make good ribs into great ribs.

For great veggies on the grill, the following tips should help: Cook well soaked corn on the cob still in the husk. Tin foil is your best friend for locking in flavors and moisture when cooking other sorts of veggies. Use the heat rather than the actual grill process unless cooking with a hearty vegetable such as asparagus spears, or yams.
One of the most common grilling mistakes is putting the barbecue sauce on too early. When it goes on too early, you end up wasting all of your sauce. Good grillers know that the you wait until the last couple of minutes of cooking to add barbecue sauce. The reason? If you put it on too early, the sauce all slides off into the drip tray instead of adhering to the meat. Let your meat cook thoroughly and then brush on your barbecue sauce when there is just enough time to heat it up before removing your yummy goodness from the grill.

When cooking chicken on the grill, ideally you will have a two rack grill at your disposal. Regardless of that, though, the secrets to successful juicy, chicken that pulls in all of the smoky flavor of the grill are patience and water. Patience comes from knowing to cook chicken on a medium flame rather than high. Fill a small oven safe dish with enough water to last through the entire cooking process, and close the lid of your grill during cooking. As the water comes to a boil, it will create enough steam to satiate the heat's greed for moisture, and your chicken will stay juicy and full of flavor.


And try these recipes!

Appetizer

Baked Brie with Rosemary, Almond & Cherries
Serves 4-6
2 T chopped fresh rosemary
2 T chopped slivered almonds

2 T honey
1 brie cheese round

8 fresh cherries, pitted and chopped
crackers (of your choice) Preheat oven to 400F. In a small bowl, combine rosemary and almonds. With a pastry brush (or knife), coat the sides of the brie with honey and dip into rosemary-almond mixture, pressing. Place brie on a sheet pan. Brush the top with honey and sprinkle with the remaining herb mixture. Place in oven and bake 20 minutes. Remove brie from oven and top with chopped cherries. Bake an additional 5-10 minutes until brie is soft when cut. Serve with crackers.

Dinner

Prize Winning Baby Back Ribs

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 pounds baby back pork ribs
• 1 cup barbeque sauce

Directions

1. Preheat grill for high heat.
2. In a small jar, combine cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Close the lid, and shake to mix.
3. Trim the membrane sheath from the back of each rack. Run a small, sharp knife between the membrane and each rib, and snip off the membrane as much as possible. Sprinkle as much of the rub onto both sides of the ribs as desired. To prevent the ribs from becoming too dark and spicy, do not thoroughly rub the spices into the ribs. Store the unused portion of the spice mix for future use.
4. Place aluminum foil on lower rack to capture drippings and prevent flare-ups. Lightly oil grate, and lay ribs on top rack of grill. Reduce heat to low, close lid, and leave undisturbed for 1 hour. Do not lift lid at all.
5. Brush ribs with barbecue sauce, and grill an additional 5 minutes. Serve ribs as whole rack, or cut between each rib bone and pile individually on a platter. 

 Dessert

Death by Chocolate

Ingredients

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package German chocolate cake mix
• 1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1 2/3 cups milk
• 3/4 cup strong brewed coffee
• 1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 6 (1.4 ounce) bars chocolate covered toffee bars, frozen and crushed

Directions

1. In a 9x13 in pan, bake cake according to package directions. Cool and crumble. Make pudding, according to package directions, with milk.
2. In a large trifle or other glass serving bowl, place half of the crumbled cake. Pour half of the coffee over the cake, and spread half of the pudding over that. Top with half of the whipped topping, sprinkled with half the crumbled candy bars. Repeat layers in the same order. Refrigerate until serving.