Posts Tagged ‘Canadian BBQ’

I have had a pinterest board for a while now. I have to thank one of my team members Patrick for that. Fun way to share and add items of interest. I have a few boards.

I have a lot of pictures up from BBQ Crawl.  (This is also the new official logo !! Can’t wait for Spring)

Plus I have been working on a board for BBQ Team Logos.  I love the creativity behind some of these logos. Fun to see what people come up with. IF you have a BBQ Competition Team logo and would like it pinned to this board please send me a JPEG of your team logo to divaq@rogers.com

 

 

I love smoking chuck roasts. I think they are so versatile. You can smoke them to a nice rare (125F) or take them to the pot roast stage where you have broken down all of the protein strands.

Shiitake & Herb Crusted Umami chuck roast

2-4lb boneless chuck roasts
4 cups low sodium organic beef broth
2 sweet onions peeled & slivered

Marinade ingredients:
1 cup cold pressed olive oil
1/2 cup dried shiitake mushroom powder (place dried shiitakes in coffee grinder – works great!)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh thyme
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh oregano
1/4 cup kozliks horseradish mustard
(Or a combination of 1/8 cup horseradish & 1/8 cup Dijon mustard)
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp granulated onion
2 tbsp cracked black pepper
2 tsp kosher or sea salt

In large sized casserole dish combine all of the marinade ingredients. Completely coat both the roasts in the marinade, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for a minimum of 4 hours. Turn the roasts over at least once during the marinade time.

Preheat grill to 225F creating an indirect heat zone or alternately directly on the grill if using a pellet grill (Traeger)

Remove each roast from the marinade.
Place roasts on grill – use  hickory & oak chips or pellets or mesquite for chuck roasts * If using chips add a small handful of each every hour until you foil

Baste with the remaining marinade

Grill chuck roasts until the internal temperature is 175F  approx 2-3 hours

Place each chuck roast in a 1/2 size disposable aluminum pan

Add 2 cups organic beef broth & slivered onions to each chuck roast.  Cover tightly with heavy duty foil.
Grill (approx 1-2 hours) until internal temperature is 205F or when the chuck roast easily comes apart with a fork.

Remove from au jus and rest covered with foil.

Strain the fat from the au jus and serve with the chuck roast.

  

  

  

  

Served with some creamy mashed potatoes, veggies and biscuits it makes a great meal.

But….

You can do a lot of things with a chuck roast like:

CHILI!!! Perfect for these fall days! 

Substitute slices or shreds of chuck roast in your favorite Chili recipe. I like caramelizing a big batch of onions first then adding in some tomatoes, garlic, spices and peppers. Last add the chuck roast and bring to a simmer. Where I am from beans are always added too.

Then how about some chuck roast stew? I really prefer to serve my stews over mashed potatoes. Simply take some of the shredded chuck roast add some low sodium beef stock and add your favorite veggies like onions, mushrooms, carrots & green beans. Throw in a handful of whole garlic cloves and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for at least an hour. Then to thicken make a corn starch slurry and add that to the pot. Bring to a boil and serve over mashed potatoes. Super easy.

 

psst.  If by any chance you have any left shredded chuck roast is also awesome in quesadillas, burritos, nachos and tacos too!

Earlier this year I headed up to Ottawa for a fun weekend of BBQ demos with Capital Appliance

 

They asked me to do some short videos on pork butt prep for home.

 

Having been on the road pretty much for the last 6/7 weeks I have been craving a lot of comfort foods. Since coming home last week from filming BBQ Crawl I have been looking forward to getting back to my grills at home.

Its been raining and cold and generally not the nicest weather either. This leads me to making soothing bowls of happiness.

This is not so much as a recipe that needs to be followed exactly but really a lot of what I had at home at home already just thrown together.  No fuss no muss and its ready quickly. All of my kids love it too so no arguments at the dinner table either. PS- You can also add some bacon to this for added goodness.

• 5 cups hominy
• 5 large jalapenos or more to taste
• 3 Chicken Breasts
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 box low sodium organic chicken broth
• 1/4 c Pork Barrel BBQ All American Rub
• 1/8 c Smoked Paprika
• fresh thyme to taste
• fresh chives to taste
• pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp corn starch

 

Generously season the chicken breasts with pork barrel BBQ rub and smoked paprika. Preheat your grill to 250F  Using hickory wood smoke the chicken breasts and the jalapenos until the internal temperature of the breasts is 155F. Remove both the chicken and jalapenos when done and set aside.

In a large heavy stock pot pour in the chicken broth and the cream of chicken soup. Chop the chives and the thyme and add them to the pot.  Add the hominy and the frozen corn. Bring to a simmer. Chop the chicken into bite size pieces and add to the pot. Now here is where it gets personal. If you like spicier foods chop the smoked jalapenos and add them to the pot. Or as we do in our house add the jalapenos whole and then for individual portions chop the jalapenos. This way you benefit from the good smokey flavor of the jalapenos but none of the heat.

To thicken I took the super duper easy route. I had no time to make a roux today so I opted for the corn starch slurry program. In a small bowl mix 1/2 c water with a couple tablespoons of corn starch. Mix until completely dissolved and lump free. Add the entire slurry to the simmering chowder and keep stirring until thickened. Bring the chowder to a boil and then serve. I did not add any additional salt as the rub on the chicken was plenty for my family. Adjust salt & pepper to your liking and dinner is done.  Pretty darn easy for a Tuesday dinner.

 

We have been on the road for a month already and time has flown by. We have traveled from Texas to Kentucky and lots of places in between. We still have a few more BBQ joints to head to and a couple more things to see. Our last stop and where we end this crawl will be at the American Royal in a couple of weeks. Its been a blast up to now with the crew who has been working hard.

Here is your very first look at BBQ Crawl coming this Spring 2013 on the Travel & Escape Channel produced by RTR Media. I hope you like it. Let me know what you think. Its my life on the road.

 

BBQ Pitmasters Returns for another season with a sneak peak on Destination America tomorrow at 10 p.m. Eastern and premieres on Sunday, June 3, at 9 p.m. Eastern.

Here is our BIG news: 

I am really excited to be able to share that once again team Diva Q was thrilled to be on BBQ Pitmasters. Yup thats right you heard it here first that I can finally confirm that our team got another go at it. To be chosen to go back again was terrific.  We have to thank Original Media and the entire crew. They worked their butts off.

It was a freaking blast to be with the crew again. To be judged by 3 UBER awesome real BBQ judges Myron Mixon, Aaron Franklin and Tuffy Stone.  This time around things are different. I loved this years format. Real meats. Real Time. Real Pressures. ALL BBQ!!  I can’t give away any more details you will have to tune in to the show. Thanks to our friends and family for all their support. I am truly the luckiest woman in BBQ. Blessed beyond blessed.

Each year Mom’s everywhere will be treated to he obligatory Card, flowers and dinner out. If they are lucky maybe breakfast in bed or brunch. How about something different for your Mom. Something that shows you put thought and care into her special day.

My first recommendation isn’t BBQ. This may come as a shock. As a Mom of 3 and a busy one at that I like nothing better than coming home to a clean house. Yes that makes me very very happy. IF the laundry is done even better. Even if you are broke a little sweat equity is sure to make your Mom happy.

I love these coupon templates. Perfect for giving your Mom a break.

Once you get through the coupon giving or cleaning … then I think you need to give your Mom this if she likes to cook:

The super fast splash proof Thermapen from Thermoworks. Every person on the planet that cooks should have one.  I love mine. Available in an array of colors you can even co-ordinate it with her purse. Plus if she carries it in her purse (and yes I have one in my purse at all times- you just never know when you will be grilling or cooking) she could also protect herself from creeping marauders, wanna be thugs etc. The thing is sharp. Sharp as a shiv. (Please note in no way does Thermapen  support this use of a Thermapen in this manner – just my own ideas).

If your Mom doesn’t cook well then its time for you to giddyup and stock her freezer full of BBQ goodness.  BBQ Jerk Chicken, Smoked Meatloaf and Pulled pork all freeze wonderfully. Stocking your Moms freezer would give her a break come meal time planning.

There is also of course the option of making your Mother a beautiful BBQ feast.

Start with a yummy cocktail:

Mix 2oz Jack Daniels honey with 4 oz Peach cider or Mango nectar. Serve shaken over ice in a chilled stemmed glass.

 

Then serve with a grilled appetizer flatbread

Diva Q Goat Cheese Spinach Flatbread 

A terrific quick mid week dinner or a delicious appetizer for BBQ parties…..

Ingredients
1 Flatbread
1/2 cup Roasted Red Pepper Spread
1/2 cup Baby Spinach Leaves stems removed
140 gr Goats Cheese thinly sliced
1/8 cup Basil Chiffonade
1/4 cup Thinly sliced ham (prosciutto, black forest etc)
1/2 tsp garlic pepper

Preheat grill to 325F
Hickory Oak Apple pellets/wood chunks/chips recommended

Spread the 1/2 cup Roasted red pepper spread over the flatbread
Layer the spinach, slices of goats cheese and thinly sliced ham.
Sprinkle the garlic pepper and basil over the flatbread
Grill until the cheese is just beginning to melt and the spinach begins to wilt.
Slice into 12 pieces.

*****

Main Course

One of my all time favorites is herb crusted Prime Rib served with grilled asparagus and parmesan topped grilled mushrooms. Any Mom I know would be happy to feast on this.

 

For dessert I love anything to do with apples and caramel. This simple grilled dessert pizza paired with a glass of Prosecco is a wonderful finish.  Then make sure to drive your Mom home. She has had a few cocktails by this time.  Happy Mothers Day to all.

 

 

Headed back to Marilyn Denis for a taping today on how to clean and Prep your BBQ !

About The Show

Hosted by Marilyn Denis and broadcast live before a studio audience, THE MARILYN DENIS SHOW is a daily entertainment and lifestyle talk show featuring Canadian and international celebrities and experts, established and emerging alike. Building on Marilyn Denis’ connection to her fans, interviews and ideas are delivered with the ease and humour of a conversation with your best girlfriend. Celebrities who have appeared on THE MARILYN DENIS SHOW include Sir Elton John, Bradley Cooper, Shania Twain, Anderson Cooper, Donny & Marie Osmond and many more.

THE MARILYN DENIS SHOW airs live Monday-Friday at 10 a.m. ET on CTV and CTV.ca, and then again at 11 a.m. ET (CTV Two) and on demand at marilyn.ca. Fans can also watch Marilyn seven days a week with THE BEST OF THE MARILYN DENIS SHOW, airing Saturdays at 2 p.m. ET on CTV and Sundays at 2 p.m. ET on CTV Two (check local listings).

 

***

Today we covered lots of great tips on cleaning your BBQ and grill. No matter what grill or bbq you have make sure to consult your manufacturer’s instructions. Also all of the items for the show from the heavy duty cleaning brush to the grill wipes came from a store I love to shop at Ontario Gas BBQ. They also stock replacement parts for your BBQ’s so check them out. As the worlds largest BBQ store they have everything you need and more. (Its also the only place my always cool hubby gets nervous for my shopping- shoe stores and malls are no problem- but when I walk into Ontario Gas BBQ its just so darn hard to resist all the great BBQ stuff cha-ching!  )

Click here to see the entire segment

Much thanks to Marilyn, Tara and the entire crew. Lots of fun yet again!

Yikes. 2 weeks since I last updated…

I have been on a BBQ crawl all over Maryland, Virgnia and North Carolina. I ate everywhere and anywhere I could get to and as time allowed. I also had a great experience at a place called Serenbe with the great group of Char-Broils all star bloggers along the way.

AS I head home back to Canada I am just trying to play catch up to everyday life.  Over the next week or so Ill blog about all the fantastic places I got to eat and where I got to meet some awesome BBQ people. It was one heck of a trip and another thing off my own personal BBQ bucket list.

I love stuffed burgers. They are like Christmas packages full of surprises.  There are thousands of stuffed burger recipes out there. With good reason .. burger consumption is continuing to rise throughout North America. Economical and easy to make we just love burgers.

Source

 

This isn’t so much aa recipe as it is a method of how I make stuffed burgers.

start with your ground beef. I use ground brisket wherever possible but use whatever you prefer.  The final mixture should be 80/20. I have found any more % fat – the stuffing comes out too easily.

Place your ground beef on a cutting board. Here I have made mine into balls that give e a general idea how many burgers I will be making. Each was the size of a hardball.

 

Squish them down into one large rectangle shaped patty. Cover with plastic wrap and roll out with a rolling pin. This really does help make sure they are all an even thickness.

Using a pizza peel makes cutting easy. Much easier than dragging a knife through.  Figure out how many burgers you want. I decided on 8. Enough to feed my family and also provide lunches the following day.

 

Then take inventory of your fridge. You can go out and buy foie gras and lobster if you would like but I need to get rid of some stuff in my fridge.

I love this stuff. We always have it on hand.

Bacon, jalapeno, mushroom, red onion and to bring it all together in one creamy package Philadelphia Herb and garlic cream cheese.

 

 

Spread out a few tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture on one patty for each of the burgers

 

Add some sauteed mushrooms

Add some sauteed onions, roughly chopped cooked bacon and finely minced  jalapenos

 

Generously sprinkle the burgers with freshly cracked black pepper and kosher salt.

 

 

Time for the assembly. I use a slotted fish spatula. Its easy to side under the ground beef and flip it over.  Then seal the edges pressing them together and molding the burger shape.

 

 

Then its time for the grill at medium high heat. I used my Big Green egg for today’s burger cook. I also used Basques an all natural lump charcoal.

Cook until the internal temperature is to your liking. The recommended minimum temperature for ground beef is 160F

These burgers hold up well even with all the stuffing. You won’t have a lot of leakage. Using the rolling pin really helps you make sure that you have a uniform thickness.

Lots of flavor and great texture. This is a favorite of our house.

Make sure you let them rest for 10 minutes after they come off the grill.