Pork Cakes

While I had originally planned to make tenderloin cheese steak this weekend, I decided to hold off on it until the 4th. Instead, I came up with something a bit different that I like to call Pork Cakes. They are so named because, once we bit into them, my wife and I realized that they were lacking a bit for flavor. So, as if they were pancakes, we starting adding different toppings getting great results. My personal favorite was raspberry jam. Some more options are listed below, although the sky is really the limit.

Have a look:

Pork Cakes



Prep Time: 30-60 minutes
Time to Marinade: 0 Minutes
Grill Time: 1-2 Hours

Ingredients:
1 - Pork Tenderloin
1 - Apple cored and chopped
1/4 - Cup dried apricots
1/2 cup & 2 Tbs. - Orange Marmalade
1/2 cup & 2 Tbs. - Orange Juice

Spices:
1 Tbs - Chives
1/8 tsp - Ground Cardamom (Note: if you do not have Ground Cardamom, substitute 1/2 Tbs of Chives)
To Taste - Sea Salt

Toppings:
Honey
Brown Sugar
Pinneapple Salsa
Raspberry Jam
etc.

Other items:
Butcher String

Directions:
Note on Grill Prep: My approach was to smoke the meat indirectly using wood chips. A very clear approach to this technique on a gas grill can be found here.

1.) Preheat grill to medium heat and lightly grease.

2.) Mix chopped apples, dried appricots, chives, ground cardamom, 2Tbs orange marmalade and 2Tbs orange juice. Set aside.

3.) Trim excess fat from pork tenderloin. Cut the meat in half lengthwise to creat an opening (as if it were a hot dog bun). Be careful not to cut all the way through the meat! Place the meat on top of butcher string, which will be used to tie the meat shut after it has been stuffed. (Note: For help stuffing the meat, watch the video on my previous post)

4.) Fold open the meat. Take the mixture from step 2 and spoon it into the opening in the meat until it is fully stuffed. If desired, add sea salt to the inside of the meat. (Note: I was going for a sweeter taste when I made this, so I went very light on the salt. If you want a spicier or saltier meat, spice accordingly)

4.) Close the meat over top of the stuffing. Using the butcher string, tie the meat shut using a surgeon knot (watch the video on my previous post). Lightly salt the outside of the tenderloin.

5.) Turn off the burners on one side of your grill. Place the tenderloin on the side of the grill that has the burners turned OFF. Cook with grill lid closed.



6.) Turn the meat a quarter turn every 10-15 minutes for 1-2 hours or until cooked clear through (internal temp. of 160F).

7.) Remove the meat from the grill and place it on a cutting board. Wait 10 minutes - this will help the meat to tenderize and taste more juicy.



8.) Cut the tenderloin width-wise into small, circular "cakes". Serve with the toppings listed above, or with additional toppings or spices to your liking.

Inspired principally by this recipe: http://www.bhg.com/recipe/meat/fruit-stuffed-pork-chops/

Tenderloin Cheese Steak over Wood & Grilled Garlic Bread

Hate to post two YouTube videos in a row, but this one is my project for Saturday and I don't want to lose track of it! Although, I'll have to adapt it for my gas grill.

Widely-applicable tips from the video:
1.) Never cut into meat hot off the grill. Wait 10 minutes for the meat to relax and you will find it much more juicy.
2.) Be sure to add plenty of flavor - grilling is delicious but not subtle.
3.) To oil a grill, impale half of an onion with a butcher fork, dip it in oil, and use the onion to spread the oil across the grill grate.

Grilled Pizza

On Sunday I decided to experiment with some grilled pizza. I made the standard - Pepperoni and cheese with marinara sauce. For the crust I just used some Pillsbury Dough Boy readymade pizza crust; so all I had to do was throw it straight on the grill, add the pizza sauce, cheese, and pepperoni, and let cook for a few minutes.

It amazes me how absolutely everything tastes better on the grill! Pizza was no exception. What makes grilled pizza particularly great is that in only takes ~10-15 minutes - prep time included.

Here's a cheesy, but informative video on the process:

Too long without cleaning

A week ago on Friday I had some friends from work over for a BBQ to help break-in the new grill. I had owned my grill for 2 weeks at the time. What I had forgotten, was that I had used it 9 times since I brought it home...

In those two weeks, I had also forgotten to clean the grease pan. Even showed up and I starting cooking some steaks and chicken over low heat. When I noticed the temperature of my grill was rising to an overwhelming level, I opened it up to find that my grease pan was on fire.

I quickly turned off the gas, but the damage had been done. The steaks had all been charred and the chicken was as dry as saltine crackers.

Yes, I'm an idiot.

Welcome - Lemon/Lime Chicken

Welcome to Sneak's Grill.



In this blog I intend to post all about my grilling experiences. Posts will consist of my successes, mistakes, recipes, and tips that I pick up along the way.

For this, my first post, enjoy a chicken recipe that I created last week:


Lemon/Lime Chicken

Prep time: 20-30 minutes
Time to marinade: 3hours+ (optional)
Grill time: 10-20 minutes

Ingredients:
2 - Chicken Breasts
1-2 - Cans of Sprite/7-Up
0-1 - Cups of Water
1 Tbs - Lemon Juice
1 Tbs - Olive Oil
1 - Fresh Lime

Spices:
Lemon Pepper
Sea Salt

Directions:
1.) Place un-spiced chicken breasts (frozen or thawed) in a pot or sauce pan (must be large enough to hold all ingredients). Add Sprite or 7-Up and Lemon Juice. Add water, as needed, until chicken breasts are completely submerged.

2.) Cover the pot or sauce pan and allow chicken to marinade for at least 3 hours. (Note: This step can be skipped if you are in a time-crunch)

3.) On a stove-top, bring the liquid to boiling over hi-heat. Boil for about 1 minute.

4.) Remove chicken from the liquid and place on a plate. Pour olive oil over top of the breasts. Lightly spice both sides of the breasts using lemon pepper and sea salt to taste. Remember that the Sprite or 7-Up will make the chicken sweet.

5.) Grill over high heat with the lid closed until chicken reaches appropriate internal temperature (approx. 10-15 minutes), flipping halfway through. The chicken will cook more quickly than normal because it has just been boiled! While the chicken is on the grill, squeeze one half of the fresh lime on both sides. For additional lemon flavor, consider squeezing fresh lemon juice onto the chicken as well.

The Good: Boiling the chicken in Sprite or 7-Up softens the chicken and allows you to cut down time on the grill, keeping the chicken from drying out. Boiling in soda also delivers a sweet flavor very deep into the chicken.

The Bad: Requires more prep time than I'd like, but the prep time certainly isn't prohibitive!