How to keep your grilling game strong and unique!
Labor Day might have come and gone already (seriously, where does time go!?), but thankfully there’s still plenty of time to fire up the grill. Now, don't get me wrong, I like a good grilled steak and veggies, but with endless grilling possibilities, be sure to mix things up (don’t be a victim to the dreaded “cooking rut” - more on that topic next week)!
Here are 7 of my favorite not-your-ordinary-BBQ recipes:
Korean Barbeque Short Ribs: These are nothing “short” of amazing; they were a hit at my son’s birthday. The flavor is a balance between sweet and savory, somewhat similar to teriyaki, but I’d venture to say waaay better. Get my easy recipe here.
Sliders: If you love burgers and anything mini (like me), you are destined to love sliders. I evolved my mom’s meatloaf recipe, giving the meat an extra punch of flavor. Go ahead, be extra cheesey and use my tips and tricks to making this family recipe extra special.
Mexican Corn: Some call it “elote,” I call it delicious! Spread a thin layer of mayo or butter around your grilled corn on the cob. Next, roll the corn in cojita or parmesan cheese, then sprinkle with cayenne or chile powder. Lastly, don’t forget to squeeze lime all over. Good to the last kernal!
Creamy Cilantro Lime Chicken: Here’s a way to upgrade your chicken, from one of my favorite blogs. It’s a total “winner, winner, chicken dinner!” The yogurt makes it creamy and tender, but the spices and lime make it nice and zesty. Difficulty ranking: Easy! Get the recipe here.
Jamaican Jerk Chicken: Global Grub's authentic Jamaican marinade is sweet, savory and spicy all at once. I love using the marinade on both chicken and shrimp. Don’t take it from me, this Jerk recipe has been recognized by Food and Wine and awarded by the Specialty Food Association!
Leftover tacos: When all is said and done, I like to take leftover food and repurpose them into just about any kind of street taco. In my latest rendition pictured, I used some Jerk chicken over coconut rice, Jerk fish over avocado/mango salsa and fried chicken over cole slaw.
Don't forget dessert: Isn't it a shame when your charcoal grill is still hot and steamy but there's no more food to grill? Here's a sweet solution: break out some marshmallows and sticks for some good ol' fashion smores.
A little tangent: We love to get our grill on… so much, that we have two grills. We have a Charcoal grill that we like to use for an added smokey flavor, when time permits. But we probably use our Gas grill a little more often cuz it’s faster and a bit easier to use (and while my hubs thinks we need a new one, I actually find the "wear and tear" to be quirky and charming, in a wow-we’ve-grilled-thousands-of-things-on-this kind of way).
So, how about you, charcoal or gas?
Also in Global Grub's Blog: Adventures in Cooking
How to Throw a Simple Tamale Party
For many Mexican families, a tamalada (the Spanish word for “tamale party”) is synonymous with the holidays. Multiple generations gather around the kitchen to make a ridiculous amount of tamales, oftentimes in the hundreds. The tamales are shared and enjoyed with family and friends throughout the season, sometimes given as a gift (I accept!). Traditional rituals include the Grandma’s prayer to the tamales and Spanish guitar music in the background, to name a few.
To me, a tamalada is an excellent excuse to gather your crew for a memorable dinner party. The whole point of a tamalada is to enjoy the company of your friends while you prepare the tamales together. But, if hundreds of tamales seem a little much, rest assured you can host a simple tamale party on a more doable scale. I’m talking about a dinner party for 4-8 people to make 18-36 tamales. And you don’t have to be a tamale expert, and it doesn’t have to take all day. How’s how…
Tamale Kit Comeback (and filling ideas!)
My love of tamales prompted me to create the DIY Tamale Kit when Global Grub launched back in 2012. I know I might be a little biased but I still think it’s one of the coolest kits… I mean, how many people can say they’ve made their own tamales from scratch!? I was so bummed when I had to discontinue the DIY Tamale Kit in 2014, but it didn’t make sense to keep it “on the menu,” mainly because of some production issues with those pesky little cornhusks (examining each husk to ensure the dirt, bugs and imperfections that are so natural to produce weren’t passed on as a yucky surprise in the kit; it accounted for too much time and waste).
To my delight, my super awesome customers have expressed a longing for the return of the DIY Tamale Kit. They’ve said things like, “the tamales are absolutely delicious,” “the flavors are so authentic,” and “I would’ve never tried making tamales, if it weren’t for your kit”...
The Jerk Kit is Baaack (and special offer)
Summer is flying by, but there's still plenty of time to fire up the grill. So, I'm happy to report that Global Grub is up and running at our new facility in NorCal, and our delicious DIY Jerk Kit is back in stock! Since you’ve been so patient, I have a special offer for my loyal Jerk Fans...