Tag: main course
Greek Rack of Lamb
Greek Rack of Lamb
I’m a huge fan of lamb; especially of lamb from New Zealand and Iceland. Unlike the numerous amounts of customers I help on a daily basis that buy single-bone lamb rib chops like they’re going out of style, I prefer to cook my lamb on the rack, whole (I know sure-than-shit that these customers are cooking those rib chops well done). By cooking a rack in one piece, you can achieve a nicer outer crust while still maintaining that medium rare center. The rack of lamb I prepared for this recipe has a simple Greek marinade consisting of olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, oregano, thyme, and black pepper. This marinade works great on chicken, beef, pork, and just about all seafood.
Equipment
- chimney starter
- charcoal
- charcoal grill
Ingredients
- 1 rack of lamb
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp thyme
- 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Mix the marinade ingredients together.
- Marinate the rack of lamb for at least 4 hours.
- Let your charcoal turn gray in your chimney starter. Pour the charcoal into the grill in a single layer. Place the grill grate on the grill. Take the rack of lamb and place meat side down directly over the charcoal. Place the cover with the vent open on the grill and grill the rack for 5-6 minutes.
- Flip the rack over and grill for another 5-6 minutes, covered.
- Stand the rack up vertically. Grill for 5 more minutes covered.
- Let the rack rest for 5 minutes.
- Cut each bone off the rack.
Blackened Grilled Shrimp
Blackened Grilled Shrimp
Blackened seasoning was made popular in the 1980’s by the godfather of Cajun and Creole cooking, Paul Prudhomme. The seasoning was used to mimic open-fire grilling, but on cast iron in a commercial restaurant kitchen; creating a blackened crust. Blackened seasoning is great on chicken, fish, seafood, and vegetables; giving a nice smokey flavor.
Equipment
- metal skewers
- chimney starter
- charcoal
- charcoal grill
Ingredients
- 1 lb 16-20 ct. shrimp peeled and deveined
Blackened Seasoning
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp thyme
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Mix together the blackened seasoning.
- Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels. Toss the shrimp with the blackened seasoning.
- Add 5-6 shrimp on each skewer.
- Let the charcoal turn gray in a chimney starter. Pour the charcoal into the grill in a single layer and place on the grill grate. Place the skewers directly over the charcoal.
- Grill for 3-4 minutes a side until the shrimp are cooked through.
Mexican-Style Grilled Chicken Hearts
Mexican-Style Grilled Chicken Hearts
Chicken hearts are such an underrated organ. They’re quite tender and fairly inexpensive. They might be hard to find in regular grocery stores. The best place to find them is at Mexican or Arabic ethnic markets. These hearts are citrusy in flavor with a little heat from the ancho chili powder. They grill up in about 10 minutes and are great as the protein on tacos.
Equipment
- metal skewers
- chimney starter
- charcoal
- charcoal grill
Ingredients
- 1/2 orange juiced and zested
- 1/2 lemon juiced and zested
- 1 lime juiced and zested
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 tsp vinegar
- 1 tsp ancho chili powder
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 lb chicken hearts
Chicken Heart Tacos
- corn tortillas
- cilantro chopped
- white onion finely chopped
- you favorite hot sauce
Instructions
- Mix all of the marinade ingredients together.
- Marinate the chicken hearts for 4 hours.
- Place 10 chicken hearts on each skewer(you get about 40 hearts per lb).
- Start the charcoal in a chimney starter until they turn gray. Pour into the grill in a single layer and place on the grill grate. Place the skewers directly over the charcoal.
- Grill the hearts for 5-6 minutes a side.
