Remember my promise to learn the secrets of the grill while attending the Dibs on my Ribs event last week? If learning how to be a grill master is on your to-do list as well, get excited. Not only did I get secrets from pros and amazing home chefs but I also get inspired to make a recipe that was nothing short of delicious. In fact, they may just have to invite me back as a competitor next year, where I'll be tweeting abotu #dibsonmyribs from behind the grill... and then I'll start winning all kinds of awards... and then... Wait, I'm getting ahead of myself.
Secret of the Grill #1: Invest in a good pair of rain boots.
I woke up the morning of the BBQ cook-off and thought, "Surely this isn't still going to happen. Grilling happens outside and outside is extremely wet." Turns out true grill masters are able to work in any kind of weather condition. In fact some of connoisseurs of the grill had a special BBQ smoker that was insulated to work perfectly in cold and wet conditions.
Lesson- These guys didn't mess around! If you're going to grill do it all the way!
Secret of the Grill #2: Don't be intimidated
While meeting all the contestants I was struck by the variety of experience that these folks had. Paul from Arizona was cooking in his first contest ever but had been a backyard grill master for years while Jeanette from West Virginia had literally lost count of the cooking contests she had entered.
Sandi from Oklahoma doesn't even have a working stove but managed to be a finalist in the indoor BBQ competition. I didn't get a taste but the apple infused ribs that she was making in a crock-pot smelled heavenly.
Lesson- It takes all kinds; even newbies like me who hardly know how to turn on the burners.
Secret of the Grill #3: Cook from the soul
Hand down my favorite part of the day was the concert by Joey and Rory. This huband and wife team reminded me that real music, just like real food, can make you enjoy things when you least expect it. This couple's harmonies exemplified what happens when you are true to your own style.
I took the lessons I learned from the grilling pros and made it my own. This is my concoction of taking something I know that works (ham and pineapple that I've had a hundred times over the past 28 years of Christmas and Thanksgiving), combined it with BBQ, and made into an appetizer. The creation: Pork + Pineapple + BBQ = Paige's PPQ Skewers
Ingredients for PPQ Skewers:
- 1.25 pound pork tenderloin, cut in half inch wide medallions
- 2 small red onions, cut into eighths and separated into small pieces
- 1 package of Cinnabar Smoke Seasoning from The Spice and Tea Exchange (1 ounce)
- 3 cups pineapple chunks fresh or canned
- 3/4 pound thick sliced bacon, cut in half
Ingredients for PPQ glaze:
- 3/4 cup Kraft Sweet and Spicy BBQ Sauce
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
Half the tenderloin medallions and toss them in a bowl with the spice rub. If you don't happen to have a Spice and Tea Exchange in your neighborhood (like we do here in Bentonville) check out their website or just use a spice rub that is meant to be used on meat. I REALLY liked the subtle smoky cinnamon flavor in this one. Cover the bowl with saran wrap and put put it in the refrigerator for a few hours. Mine sat for 5 hours and was wonderfully tender and juicy in the end, but if you're running low on time, an hour should be sufficient. Once that's in the fridge, take your *appetizer sized skewers and soak them in a bowl of water.
*These skewers were about half the length of regular wooden skewers but the same width. I believe they were intended to be skewers for corn.
When your meat is almost finished marinating, start making your glaze by pouring all the ingredients into a sauce pan and place that pan on the stove on low heat. Stir occasionally until the BBQ sauce has thinned out considerably and then keep the glaze on super low heat while you're prepping the rest of your meal.
Once the meat has had a chance to chill out in the fridge, preheat the grill to medium. (I know this isn't terribly technical but cut me a little slack: I was learning how to make the thing light right before I figured out the whole temperature thing. I think my final temperature was around 450.)
While the grill is heating up, prep your skewers.
Add a slice of bacon, followed by a chunk of pineapple, and then loop your bacon around and skewer it again. Add a few slices of onion, loop the bacon, and skewer it one last time. This should create an "S" shape with the pieces of pineapple and onion in between the loops. Finish the skewer with a piece of tenderloin that is now finished marinated.
The secret behind snaking the bacon in between the separate foods on the skewer is that the acidity in the pineapple can adversely affect the tenderloin. By separating the pineapple and the tenderloin (and having several "barriers" in between them) the pineapple doesn't "muddy" the flavor of the pork and each flavor stays unique and delicious.
When everything is prepped, pour half of the glaze into a separatee bowl. With one of these bowls of glazes, use a basting brush to cover the top half of your skewers. (Don't worry, we'll get the bottom half soon.) Place the glazed skewers on the grill at a forty-five degree angle- this allows for those awesome grill marks that make everyone think you are a grilling pro. Shut the grill and allow the the skewers to cook for about 5 minutes. Feel free to waft the heavenly smell of PPQ over the fence so others can enjoy your new skill.
(I took this is picture before I perfect the "s" technique and was doing a "c" technique instead. Both work but i feel like you get more protection with the "s"... plus it's prettier.)
Open the grill back up but be careful- bacon makes grease and grease makes tall flames when it drips.
Using a pair of tongs, flip each skewer. I found that the bacon was most likely to stick to the grill so be firm when you're flipping and show that bacon who's boss. Glaze the side the is now facing up, shut the grill and let it cook for another four minutes.
Take the skewers off (remember: bacon = firm hand) and around them on a platter and let them sit for a few minutes while you call over your neighbors over to show off your new skills. This isn't too hard at this point because they've all started smelling your grilling awesomeness even without any wafting. Serve the second half of the skewers with the glaze that you set aside earlier and make sure there are plenty of napkins around.
After this, clear your calender for next summer.
You're new found fame as grill master will make you the hottest commodity at every block party in town. For more details- check out my Google + album.
Also! As I've mentioned before, I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Kraft. However, everything I've expressed above stems from both my dorky excitement to become a legit grill-master and my community pride that such a fun event was being held just down the road. Yay for BBQ! #CBias #SocialFabric