BBQ recipes, product reviews, & how-to's
Smoked turkey breast is a great idea for your smaller holiday gatherings, such as Friendsgiving. It’s an underrated meat the rest of the year. Not sure why because it tastes so dang good! In this post, we will go over the full process of how…
Folks seem to have a love – hate relationship with Brussels sprouts, mostly because some don’t know how to cook them. When Brussels sprouts are roasted, the outsides have a Milliard reaction and creates that tasty, browned crust. This roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon and…
Biscuits are the ultimate comfort food: they can be a side to your comfort food main dish or be the main dish itself. They are also acceptable to eat with any meal any time of the day. With a kiss of hickory smoke, as well as the appeal of making them in a cast iron, this recipe will make you want to eat biscuits with every meal!
Of course! If you don’t have access to a grill that can provide you indirect heat, or don’t want to go outside in the elements, then put them in the oven! They’ll still taste great, but without that hint of hickory smoke to them.
Getting down to business, start by getting a large mixing bowl. Add two cups of flour, along with a tablespoon of baking powder, a tablespoon of sugar, and a teaspoon of salt. Mix these dry ingredients together. I prefer to mix with my hands, but with a mixing spoon will work just fine.
Next comes what might be the most important ingredient here: butter. The key to flaky cast iron biscuits (or any homemade biscuit, for that matter) is cold butter. The colder, the better. This is why I highly recommend a frozen stick of butter for this recipe. I simply grate the butter with a cheese grater and freeze my hand off in the process, but it’s worth it. It is okay if you don’t get the entire stick of butter grated. At least six tablespoons worth will suffice. I recommend grating onto a smaller cutting board so you can slide it all into the mixing bowl with less mess.
Mix the grated butter into the dry ingredients. Pour in a 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream and a 1/2 cup of milk and mix altogether. You should form one big, flaky ball of dough.
One debate when it comes to making biscuits is how many times to fold the dough, if at all. Some swear by four times, five times, etc. I’ve tried folding the dough as much as six times to get more layers and help with the flaky crust. But, in my experience, three times is the charm. When folding the dough, make sure to spread some flour on the board or surface you’re working with first.
Smash down the dough with your hands until the dough is about 1-1.5 inches thick. Use a cookie or biscuit cutter to cut circles in the dough. Make sure to not twist as this will keep the biscuits from raising and getting fluffy.
Move these biscuits over to a medium-to-large size cast iron skillet (10-12 inches). I like to lay down some parchment paper in the cast iron to help keep the bottoms of the biscuits from burning, especially when the grill I am using has the indirect heat source coming from the bottom.
Before starting the whole biscuit making process, it is important that you get your grill preheated. This can take some time, especially since we are going to a higher temp with indirect heat. Make sure to use hickory wood chunks for your charcoal grill (go indirect heat) or hickory pellets for your pellet grill. Place cast iron biscuits on the grill for about 20 minutes.
You’ll know the biscuits are done when you touch the top and they feel firm. Another indicator is to look at the bottom of the biscuits to see if they are getting brown. I prefer tapping the tops. When done, remove from grill and let rest for a few. You can brush melted butter on top of them now to add some of that buttery flavor. If you want them to look more golden brown on top then I suggest brushing with melting butter before they cook on the grill.
These smoky, flaky cast iron biscuits are great with almost any meal! Here are some recipes you can pair biscuits with:
Biscuits are the ultimate comfort food: they can be a side to your comfort food main dish or be the main dish itself. They are also acceptable to eat with any meal any time of the day. With a kiss of hickory smoke, this recipe will make you want to eat biscuits with every meal!
1. Put butter on tops of biscuits either before going on the grill or after. Putting them on before should help them look more golden brown.
2. This recipe can easily be adapted to be made in the oven. However, there will be no hickory smoke flavor.
3. Frozen butter is highly recommended for this recipe as it is a key to flaky biscuits.
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
Pork tenderloin is a fantastic cut of meat to cook up and is very versatile to different types of flavors. If you’re new to smoking, it is a great cut of meat to begin learning on (I have a recipe for that, by the way).…
Ham and cheese sliders are a smashing success in my home. Both the picky little eaters and adults alike love it! Using King’s Hawaiian rolls, a mixture of toppings, and the ham and cheese (of course), these sliders are quick to put together and quick…
This post is sponsored by Kingsford but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.
Grilled steak kabob skewers are a classic summertime dish, but are good to be eaten any time of the year. Combining chunks of marinated steak and vegetables helps you and your guests get a balanced meal on one skewer. Let’s dive into the quick process of cooking these up (along with the marinade recipe)!
To be honest, whichever cut of beef you enjoy the most should be used for your grilled steak kabob skewers. For this recipe, I’m using tri-tip, which comes from the bottom sirloin of the cow and has tremendous flavor (click here if you want to learn more about tri-tip).
Slice up the steak into 1-2 inch cubes. The size of the cubes will depend on two things: 1) the amount of steak you have and 2) the number of people you will be cooking for. Since tri-tip roasts usually weigh around two pounds each, I cut mine into 2-inch cubes for my family. Then I put the cubed up steak into a gallon-sized storage bag and begin to make the marinade.
Marinating the beef will enhance the flavor and make for a better kabob experience. For these kabobs, I created a marinade consisting of half cup teriyaki sauce, one-fourth cup Worcestershire sauce, three cloves of minced garlic, and a half teaspoon of both salt and pepper. Mix the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and pour the freshly made marinade into the same gallon-sized storage bag the steak is in. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour or up to 24 hours. When ready, remove steak from marinade and put on skewers. Speaking of…
Before prepping the grilled steak kabob skewers, get the grill ready. Fire up a batch of Kingsford Charcoal in a charcoal chimney starter. You’ll want to get the coals to where they are mostly grey in color before cooking on them. The ideal temp for your grill will be 400 degrees.
As you wait for the coals to heat up, prep the skewers by rinsing and slicing up the vegetables. For this recipe, I’m using mushrooms, red onion, and sweet mini peppers. If you don’t have access to sweet mini peppers, bell peppers will work fine. Regarding the skewers themselves, if using wood skewers then soak them in water for 30-60 minutes before using. If metal skewers, be sanitary and wash them.
Organize the steak and veggies on each skewer in a way to make sure you have enough of each ingredient on them for your family and/or guests. I recommend using two skewers per kabob to prevent the steak and veggies from spinning around when you flip them over. That way, you aren’t trying to spin certain pieces to the right side over a very hot grill. By the time you are done organizing the kabobs, place them on the grill over the heated Kingsford coals. Cook for four minutes on both sides or until desired level of doneness.
You can either eat your grilled steak kabob skewers right on the skewer itself or slide the steak and veggies off onto a plate. Enhance the experience by putting a little seasoned salt. Check out more awesome recipes from Kingsford by clicking here!
Grilled steak kabob skewers can be enjoyed year-round and are a good way to ensure you get a balance of meat and veggies. The garlic teriyaki steak marinade in this recipe enhances the flavor!
1. Steak can marinade for a minimum of one hour or up to 24 hours.
2. It is recommended to have extra of the vegetable ingredients in case some break when being poked with the skewers.
3. Use your favorite cut of steak for these.
4. Steak will have great flavor as it, but apply seasoned salt for veggies (and steak if you prefer).
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
The bacon wrapped jalapeno popper burger is a perfect blend of appetizer and main dish. A burger topped with bacon, three types of cheeses, roasted jalapeno, all packed within a toasted brioche bun? Does it get much better? You be the judge. For starters… Let’s…
If you’ve ever been to a gathering of sorts, especially those where watching sports is involved, then there’s a chance you’ve had smoked bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers. But have you had them stuffed with chorizo? And with a kiss of hickory smoke? Next level. I’ll…
Smoked salmon on the grill is my favorite way to eat this fish (although grilled on a cedar plank is a close second). The texture of the salmon and smoky goodness infused provide a different element that baking in the oven just can’t match.
In this smoked salmon recipe, I’ll go over the brining, drying, and smoking of the salmon. While the overall time will take many hours, the labor is minimal and the results are outstanding!
To make the brine, you’ll need to start with four cups of water and one cup of soy sauce. Then add 1/4 cup kosher salt, 1/2 cup brown sugar, two cloves minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder and 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger. Mix all of the ingredients together in a medium-sized mixing bowl until no granules remain at the bottom of bowl.
As far as a container to hold the salmon and the brine, it depends on the size of the salmon fillet. A 13″ x 9″ pan should be fine, especially if you cut the salmon into sections beforehand.
Also, you need to make sure you can fit container in your fridge. If not, then put in a cooler with some ice (make sure the cooler isn’t stored in a hot place). Brine for a total of eight hours.
After brining, remove the salmon fillet from the solution and rinse briefly. If you don’t, then the outside of the salmon will taste a wee bit salty. Pat dry with a paper towel and then place the fillet(s) on a cooling rack and in the fridge for five hours.
In my experience, no excess drips from the salmon during this time. If you are concerned, place a cutting board underneath the cooling rack to be safe.
Placing the salmon in the fridge on a rack to cool for hours helps it develop a pellicle. The pellicle is a thin layer of protein on the surface of the meat. This pellicle is great for absorbing smoke. Hence, this process is vital for smoked salmon to be…well, smoked.
Speaking of smoked, let’s get the grill going! Preheat your grill to 170 degrees over indirect heat, using pecan wood. Keep the salmon on the cooling rack and place in the grill and let smoke until internal temps reach around 140 degrees. This will take around four hours.
Each hour while the salmon is on the grill, brush maple syrup on the fillets, coating the top and sides. I highly recommend using a digital thermometer, like the Thermapen ONE, to monitor temps during the process.
With most meats, I recommend a resting period before digging in. But this smoked salmon on the grill can be eaten right away! The smoked salmon should have a flaky texture when you dig in with a fork. My family agrees this is their favorite way I cook salmon and your family and friends might feel the same!
Smoked salmon is a process that involves hours of brining, cooling, and smoking, but is mostly hands-off and low maintenance. This maple glazed smoked salmon just might become your favorite way to eat this fish!
1. If you salmon fillet is too big for container (for brining), slice into smaller serving portions.
2. Salmon is technically ready to eat at 125 degrees internal temp, but 140 would seem appropriate for the smoking process.
3. Smoked salmon should have a flaky texture when digging in with a fork.
4. Use a digital food thermometer to get the most accurate finishing temps.
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
NOTE: Omaha Steaks sponsored this grilled shrimp post. Occasionally, I do sponsored posts with products I truly enjoy using. With that said, this recipe is one of them. My favorite way to cook shrimp is on the grill, especially if it is either grilled shrimp…
