Cast Iron Steaks

Just a quick food porn post. Here's a video of two bone in strip steaks I cooked in a cast iron skillet on the side burner of our gas grill. Make sure you have the sound on. Nothing else needs said...

Grilled Japanese Eggplant

2 - 4 Japanese eggplants

Kosher salt

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 heaping tablespoon crushed garlic
Fresh flat leaf parsley
Fresh mint

Juice from 1 lemon

Trim the ends from the eggplants and slice in half the long way. Carefully score the flesh with short diagonal cuts then generously sprinkle with sea salt. Allow the eggplant to sit for 20 minutes, until some liquid is drawn out.

Use a paper towel to wipe the moisture from the eggplants. Line the eggplant on a baking sheet, flesh side up.

In a small cup combine the remaining ingredients.

Generously coat the tops of the eggplant with the garlic mixture.

Grill in a grill pan for 5-8 minutes per side, starting with the skin side down. Let the eggplants get soft and creamy on the inside while the skins crisp slightly.

Remove to a plate and squeeze a little lemon juice on them.

Enjoy!

Artichokes Part II - Pan Grilled 3 Ways

This is a photo of two beautiful purple artichokes from Renew Farms in Newnan, Georgia. Yes, they are growing artichokes here in Georgia! We are lucky to live close.

Below are three easy pan grilled/pan seared fresh artichokes dishes we made. The herbs and seasonings I like to use with artichokes include thyme, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, dry white wine, sea salt & coarse black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes and sometimes shallots. Keep it simple.

Grilled Renew Farms Artichokes with linguine

Clean and prep the artichokes and cut in half lengthwise. Put in a steamer and steam for about 15 minutes. Take out and drain.

Drizzle with olive oil, add a little sea salt, coarse black pepper, thyme and lemon juice. Heat the grill and lay the artichoke halves on cut side down. I did this inside but you could easily grill them on a gas grill outside but be careful about the olive oil flaring up.

Grill until they develop some good char marks and turn over. 

Toss the linguine with garlic sautéed in olive oil (including the olive oil), sea salt, crushed black pepper, flat leaf parsley and pecorino cheese.  Add the grilled artichoke halves.

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Grilled Baby Artichokes

Unfortunately you won't find baby artichokes in a Kroger or Publix but if there is a good "for real" farmer's market near you, you might be able to find them this time of year. They are just the early versions of mature artichokes, usually about 2" - 3" long.  They are very tender and you can use just about the whole bud - no choke inside.  Just pull off a few outside leaves and trim a little.

Dressed simply with olive oil, salt & pepper and pecorino cheese. Serve as a side to roast chicken or pork.

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Pan Roasted Renew Farms Purple Artichokes

Clean and prep the artichokes, then cut in half.
Steam for about 15 minutes and drain.
Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with thyme and salt and pepper.
Put a little olive oil in a non stick pan and set on medium heat.
Add the artichokes cut side down with a sliced shallot and a couple minced cloves of garlic.
Squeeze some lemon juice, add a little white wine, more olive oil if it looks like it needs it.
Turn over when it looks like the artichokes are browning well.
When the other side is browned, turned the artichokes back over and let the juices get into and around the leaves. 
Toss in some red pepper flakes and chopped flat leaf parsley. 
Keep cooking and turning the artichokes until tender and look like the pic below.
Serve with some crusty bread

And, here is a link from Oceanmist that will fill your day with all kinds of information on Artichokes -  Oceanmist Artichokes

Grilled Pizza

Here are some recipes and ideas for grilled pizza from Artisan Bread in Five. Check it out, 

  

http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/2013/08/12/grilled-pizza-on-a-charcoal-grill

This blackberry, goat cheese, pistachio and honey pizza would make a cool dessert - 

Herb Encrusted Mediterranean Pork Spareribs

Pork spareribs are not normally part of Mediterranean cuisine. Pork ribs are rarely separated from the loin meat and are more likely to be found in the form of rib roasts and rib chops, not in slabs and barbecued as we are used to having them here. I call them Mediterranean spareribs because the ingredients are ingredients typically used in Mediterranean cooking. The rub has ground fennel, coriander and cumin seeds, herbs de provence, and light brown sugar. I also add balsamic vinegar during the cooking and a squeeze of lemon juice while on the grill. A lot of cool flavors going on - porky, savory, sweet, tart, salty, earthy, herbal, smokey. Yah, that's right, getting all the taste buds involved!

The idea is to roast the rack in the oven low and slow - 250 degrees for 3 hours, then finish off on the grill (or in a wood fired oven).

The easiest way to grind the fennel, coriander and cumin seeds is to use an electric coffee bean grinder. I have one that I relegate to only grinding herbs and spices. It's quick and easy. If you don't have a coffee bean grinder, you could use a mortar and pestle or put the seeds in a plastic sandwich bag and roll over them with a rolling pin or crush them with a heavy skillet or the side of a heavy kitchen knife.or a meat mallet - choose you weapon. But, hell, just go buy an inexpensive coffee bean grinder. You can use it for other things too.

 

Ingredients - enough for one rack of ribs - about 3 1/2 lbs - increase to meet your needs
1 rack of St Louis style pork spareribs
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Fennel Seeds
1 tbsp Coriander Seeds
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Herbes de Provence
1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar
3 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1 tsp coarse black pepper
1 Lemon

Procedure

Toast the seeds in a frying pan on medium heat until they are just lightly browned. Be careful not to burn them, so don't get distracted. Put them on a plate to cool. When they have cooled, roughly grind the seeds in the coffee grinder or use a mortar and pestle.

In a bowl, mix together the ground seeds, herbes de province, brown sugar, salt and pepper

Rinse off and pat dry the spareribs and lay on a baking sheet.

Rub with the olive oil, then rub in the herb mix on both sides. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for several hours or better over night.

Preheat the oven to 250. 

Place the ribs in a roasting pan and cover with foil, put in the oven and roast for 3 hours

After roasting for two hours add the balsamic vinegar and half a cup of water to the drippings.

Baste the ribs twice in the last half hour.

On a gas grill, line the rib rack with aluminum foil and carefully transfer the ribs from the roaster to the grill. Save the juices in the roaster. 

Squeeze the juice from the lemon over the ribs, put the lid down and grill on low for 45 minutes.

This is a close up of the surface of the ribs when done - see the crushed fennel and coriander seeds!

For the sauce - 

After the ribs are on the grill, pour the dripping from the roasting pan in a small pan and reduce on low heat by half.  The sauce should have a syrupy consistency. If it becomes too thick, add a little water. Serve the sauce at the table to spoon over the ribs.

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Pics of other pork spareribs variations made in the past

With bay leaves, black peppercorns and apple cider vinegar

With white wine, garlic, oregano and lemon slices