Recipe Box, Grilling with HH, tips & tricks

the Painted Apron

8 years ago

HH has been saying for years that when he retired he was going to learn more about cooking than just throwing meat on the grill and a potato in the oven

I never thought he would actually do it, but now he reads recipes, plans out meals days in advance, makes a grocery list, and goes shopping

He even made this cookbook, putting his recipes in plastic sleeves for easy reference and wiping clean

He has learned to prep chicken on a plastic board

And prepare a beautiful General Tso’s Chinese Chicken

I know you are probably fainting with envy, and yes, I am very 🍀 lucky…

it gives me time to do other things I love 🏊 🎨 📚

but it’s weird to have to share “my kitchen”

and it’s hard for me to be neat and perfect ~~ever~~ all the time…

artists are messy by nature

HH dedicated his career to giving people beautiful smiles and keeping their mouths healthy and pain free. Because he is so used to working efficiently under surgical conditions, he is meticulous in everything he does– he is the definition of “mise en place”

Everything lined up in the proper order, sigh…

This is what my work area looks like, and I’ve cropped the photo to show the least amount of hot mess I usually create

Isn’t cooking supposed to be messy???

Anyhoooo…

He’s a little bit proud, “hey you really should get a picture of this chicken…”

Sigh…

HH said I could share some of his favorite tips and new recipes with you

Here’s a mind blower…

Tip #1 Cook your steak frozen

That’s right, freeze your steak before cooking!

We have tried this several times and here’s what happens…

The outside of the steak will char beautifully without overcooking the inside, you can cook it rare, medium or well and still have a lovely sear on the outside while the meat stays moist on the inside

Note: We prefer the ribeye cut, and often cut them down into smaller portions

Tip #2 Grilled Asparagus

Drizzle asparagus with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place directly on hot grill for 1-2 minutes roll over for 1 additional minute

That’s it! It will be crisp tender and perfect

Tip #3 Vegetables in Foil

Just like the camping days, slice red potatoes and lay on a piece of foil. Add slivers of onion and red pepper. Season with olive oil, salt & pepper, basil and rosemary. Wrap and seal. Place foil packet on hot 400 degree grill for 45 minutes

Tip #4 Steak Sauce

Everything’s better with a little sauce right? Here’s 3 easy ways to brighten your steak

Butter. Yep, that’s what they do in the fancy steak houses, top the hot steak with a pat of real butter
1-2-3 Steak Sauce: equal portions of Worchestershire, Dijon Mustard and melted butter. Serve on top or on the side for dipping
Onion Bleu Cheese Sauce: Onions sauteed in butter with Worchestershire and bleu cheese

Bonus sauce for Lamb Chops:

Just add a dash of vinegar and garlic powder to mint jelly and melt it down in a small sauce pan. Serve with hot grilled lamb chops

Here is a printable of these tips and sauces

Vegetables in Foil

Course Cook out, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Grill

Keyword foil packs for grill, potatoes on the grill, vegetables in foil

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 45

Servings 1

Ingredients

2-3 red potatoes sliced into 1/4″ thick rounds
1/2 onion sliced
1/2 red pepper cut in strips
salt pepper, olive oil, rosemary, basil

Instructions

Place red potatoes on a large piece of foil overlapping flat in a row down the center.
Top with onion and peppers. Season.
Fold foil together sealing tightly into a large package.
Cook on a hot, 400 degree fire, for 45 minutes.

Grilled Asparagus

Ingredients

Asparagus
olive oil
salt & pepper

Instructions

Break of tough ends of asparagus and rinse and pat dry.
Place asparagus on a pan and coat asparagus with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Place on hot grill grate for 1-2 minutes, turn and cook for 1 more minute.

Frozen Steak

Course Cook out, Main Course

Cuisine American, Grill

Keyword cooking frozen steak

Ingredients

steak

Instructions

Place frozen steaks on grill over direct heat, 450-500 for 5 minutes per side.
Move steaks from direct heat to an indirect part of grill and continue to cook for 10-12 minutes or until desired doneness.
Use an accurate thermometer to read the inside temperature of the meat. Let steak rest 5 minutes before serving or cutting