The Little Red Hen

April 10, 2011

Week 15 - Animal=Cornish Game Hens

Cornish game hens are very similar to chicken and equally delicious, just smaller.  The Cornish hens were split in half and seasoned with a dry rub of kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, lemon peel, and paprika.  They were grilled over a combination of direct and indirect heat.  The Spouse took the obligatory two bites.  However, she is currently in protest as evident by the vegetarian tofu dish she made for her dinner.  She is apparently no longer eating meat unless it is the two bites she has agreed to (Travesty).  In addition to the hens, chicken was also prepared using the same rub. 

Non-Meats
The Spouse gave me a grill frying pan for my birthday. I used the pan to saute bell peppers and sweet onions over direct heat.  The non-meats were seasoned with olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. 


Till next week...

T-Bone steaks and bratwursts

March 19, 2011

T-bones were on sale at Schnucks for a price that was too cheap to pass up.  They looked like and tasted like steaks.  Brats were delightful.  Nuff said.

Pulled Pork

March 27, 2011

Pork was brined for 24 hours in a kosher salt and molasses brine.  After the first 24 hours it was drained and left to sit in the fridge for an additional 12 hours. 

Cherry wood was used to smoke the pork for approximately 8 hours on an indirect fire. 

Could have used additional time on the grill.  Will modify for next time.  Better pictures will be presented with the next pork butt.

Study Break Bratwursts

April 2, 2011

Hungarian Bratwursts to procrastinate from dissertation.

Crawdads Should Stay in the Mud

April 3, 2011

Week 14- Animal= Crawdads

This will be a very brief entry.  The crawdads were grilled in a Kitchen-aide grill pan over direct heat for only a few minutes.

The taste was very much like licking the inside of an old tacklebox.  (Not that I have experience with that or anything).

They will not be making it into the rotation.  According to my wife they taste nothing like lobster.  Curse you Jamie Andrews. 

Lone Elk; Not Just a Park Anymore

March 27, 2011

Week 13-Animal=Elk

Elk burgers.  One would think that they would closely resemble beef burgers, or possibly even bison burgers...alas they did not. 

Burgers had a very gamey taste to them and a texture that could only be described as....odd. 

Seasoned ground elk with kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.  Grilled over direct heat for approximately 3-4 minutes a side. 

The two bite rule was in effect for the Spouse.  As for the Boy...a poke with his index finger is as far as we got.  He even did not enjoy the potato spears, as demonstrated by the raspberry blowing and frantic wiping of the mouth. 

Burgers were served on English muffins and topped with cheddar cheese (both of which are excellent with burgers)

I thought the burgers were ok and finished about half of mine.  Could have been a lot better.  Oh well.

Way Down in the Bayou

March 19, 2011

Week 12 - Animal=Alligator

This week marked a historic point in this Carnivore Quest.  The Spouse and Boy both survived past the two bite rule.  Shock was evident on my face.  Not only did the Spouse eat the Cajun seasoned alligator skewers, she also ate bratwurst.  The boy also enjoyed the chicken brats.  Must have done something right. 

The alligator fillets were soaked in milk for about 2 hours to remove some of the gaminess.  They were then sliced into inch pieces and coated with a mixture of spices and herbs.  The herb/spice mixture is as follows:

• Paprika
• Kosher Salt
• Ground Black Pepper
• Garlic Powder
• Thyme
• Oregano
• Cayenne Pepper

The alligator pieces were placed on bamboo skewers and allowed to rest. 

Along with the alligator skewers, I grilled Hungarian bratwursts and Chicken bratwursts (both from Kenrick's).  All were grilled over direct heat without any wood or smoke. 

The alligator was a little chewy, but had a nice flavor and was not gamy at all.  The spice mixture proved to be a good compliment to the meat. 

As of now, alligator could find its way into the rotation on special occasions.  Till next time...

What a pheasant Sunday evening...

March 13, 2011

Week 11- Animal=Pheasant

Wild pheasant, shot and killed by either my father in-law or brother in-law and retrieved by their Black Lab was the animal of the week.

Very gamy smell before grilling.  Pheasant was cleaned and split into the breast section and leg and thigh section.  I grilled over indirect heat and smoked using apple wood chips.

Result: Pheasant had a nice flavor, very close to chicken.  the texture was much tougher than we would have liked.  This could be contributed to the amount of time on the grill or the age of the pheasant (unknown). Either way it was not terrible.  Probably won't add to the rotation but would not be opposed to trying it again.  The Spouse summed it up as, "Tough. Tough but more edible than the frog or rabbit."  The boy preferred his Beefaroni.

Results of the February poll requested Alligator.  Stay Tuned...

Mango Marinated Chicken

March 6, 2011

Chicken was marinated in a mango citrus sauce and then smoked over indirect heat for approximately 1 hour.  Cherry wood was used to smoke the chicken.  Did I mention that I really am beginning to enjoy cherry wood?

Keeping Your Head in the Sand Won't Hide You From the Quest

March 5, 2011

Week 10 - Animal=Ostrich


John's Butcher Shoppe up near St. Charles Rock Road carries ground ostrich and ground elk.  Sadly the elk was absent during my last visit.  Try as he like, ostrich was unable to escape the all seeing grill eye.

Ground meat is ground meat and really the most likely solution is a burger. 

Ostrich was seasoned with black pepper, kosher salt, garlic powder, and onion powder.  The meat was shaped into patties and grilled over direct heat for about 4 minutes a side.  The burgers were topped with colby/jack cheese during the last two minutes of grilling.  The Spouse said that they were edible and better than the frog legs and rabbit.  The Boy took a few small bites so he gets credit for this one. 

Non-Meats
Baked potato spears - Potatoes were microwaved for approximately 8 minutes.  They were allowed to cool and then were sliced into spears.  A mixture of olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder was brushed on the potato spears.  They were grilled over direct heat for 4 minutes a side.

This week was successful.  Thinking ahead...

Sausage, Sausage, and More Sausage

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Kenrick's has the BEST bratwurst and Andoille sausage anywhere.  Grilled brats, sausage, and Hebrew National hot dogs over direct heat.  Pretty hard to screw up.

Shrimp - The Midget of the Sea

February 26, 2011

Week 9 - Animal=Shrimp

This week marked another voyage into the depths of the sea.  I, being a land lover and consumer of all things not seafood, grimaced at the prospect of having to eat a shrimp.  The Spouse, of course, was excited to be receiving seafood once again. 

The shrimp were cleaned, deveined, and rinsed.  I then skewered them on dual bamboo skewers as a means of balancing them and turning them easily.  They were then marinated with olive oil, kosher salt, crushed black pepper, garlic powder, and crushed lemon peel. 

Pork steaks were grilled in addition to the shrimp.

The grill was laid out with dual fires on opposite ends with the food being grilled around the fires.  The center of the grill was designed to be a cool zone to avoid overcooking the pork and shrimp. 

Hickory wood chips were used on both fires to give a nice smoky flavor to the pork and attempt to disguise some of the fishy smell/taste of the shrimp. 

I did take two bites of the shrimp to make sure that I followed my own confounded rules.  They were not as bad as I thought they would be.  They smelled fishier than they tasted.  Still not a fan.  Moving on...

Oh, by the way the photo is a before shot of the shrimp.  I do not have an after photo but visualize the same thing only pinker.

Cherry Wood Smoked Chicken

February 19, 2011

I have been pretty busy and neglected to update the latest chicken grilling excursion.  The Spouse said that my standard chicken, pork, and beef items have not been as stellar since I embarked on this journey.  I believe that she once again is throwing down a challenge. 

Baumann's Fine Meats on Manchester and Brentwood has one of the greatest selections of wood smoking chips available anywhere.  They also have a secret supplier of various animal species (this will need to be explored in greater detail).  Anyway, I was told that cherry wood is excellent with poultry and decided to give it a try. 

Let us say that I may have found a new favorite wood to smoke with. 

I soaked the wood chips for 30-40 minutes in cold water.  An indirect fire was used to smoke the chicken for approximately 1 and 1/2 hours.  Result was an excellent smoky, tender chicken.  The Spouse withdrew her challenge.

It's Not Easy Being Green...But it is tasty.

February 18, 2011

Week 8-Animal=Frog

Frog Legs.  This was a first for all three of us.  One of us didn't even attempt to eat it (I won't fault him because he is only 2 and a half) and he did raise it triumphantly over his head when prompted.  Finally, he did come to believe that it was indeed frog he was served. Quote of the night, "We don't eat froggies".  Oh grasshopper, it will be a long year for you.

The other one failed the two bite rule.  Her claim was that you could tell that it was a frog and could really and truly see the frog's posterior end.  Claiming nausea, she threw in the towel (or frog) after one bite.

I, on the other hand, found the frog to be very tender, very lean, very good, and nothing like chicken.  That could have been attributed to the marinade, an Asian garlic soy marinade.  I will be trying frog again (solo....as the other two members of this quest look on with disturbed expressions).


Frog legs were marinated in Soy Vay Hoisin Garlic Marinade for 24 hours.
Grilled over direct heat for 3 minutes a side.

Spring Chicken?

February 16, 2011

Wonderful weather and a perfect night for BBQ.  Grilled chicken over a direct fire with apple wood chips.  Very tender and juicy chicken.  Even the Boy enjoyed the chicken.

Great night to be outside playing soccer and wearing out the two year old (and spouse). 

Chicken does not count toward the animal total. 

Salmon

February 12, 2011

Week 7 - Animal= Salmon

Today was the first time in well over 15 years that I ate seafood.  I took the obligatory 2 bites (If I make the wife do it, I have to as well; She and the boy were witnesses to this historic event).  It was not nearly as disgusting as it could have been.  Fortunately I warmed up a New York Strip steak as well as the salmon.  Repeating animals already consumed is fine as long as a new animal is featured each week. Agree?

Anyway, the salmon was seasoned with olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper, and lemon juice.  The steak was cut off the cow and slightly heated.

Non Meats

• Pearl onion and bell pepper Kabobs
• Baked potatoes - Russet and Sweet

Superbowl- Superbrats - Superdogs

February 6,2011

Superbowl Sunday requires grilled bratwursts and grilled hot dogs. Nothing more needs to be said. Except.....


DELICIOUS.

Little Bunny Foo Foo...

February 5, 2011

Week 6 - Animal = Rabbit

This week marks the beginning of what the spouse expects to be a very long year.  We have now begun grilling some of the more odd species or less commonly consumed species. Today was grilled rabbit with olive oil, garlic, and rosemary.

Grilled over indirect and direct heat using a hickory and pecan wood blend.  Rabbit had a decent flavor but the texture was slightly tough and stringy.  The spouse, good sport that she is, took the obligatory two bites before declaring that was enough.  The Boy did not attempt and refused to believe that it was rabbit. I ate two portions. Probably will not become an addition to the regular rotation.

Might have been better had the meat been marinated for longer or cooked differently.  Onward we go....

Blizzardcue. 2011

February, 1 2011

Not rain nor snow nor sleet can stop the quest. Only stupidity can do that. Challenge thrown down by wife must be answered.

Sadly, today does not count as an animal species due to repetition of chicken and pork sausage. However, hot dogs might e able to be counted as their own species. Ruling by the judges?

Grilled chicken tenderloins, hot dogs, and Hungarian bratwursts over direct heat. Delicious. Then again BBQ in the snow and cold is always better.

Only delay was having to defrost the grill vents with a hairdryer. Quite interesting.

Bison Sirloin Steak

January 28, 2011

Week 5 - Animal= Bison

Whole Foods has an excellent meat department.  Could spend hours.

Bison steaks seasoned with kosher salt and black pepper.  Grilled over direct heat and cooked for approximately 6-7 minutes per side.  Cooked til rare.

Non Meat

• Roasted orange Bell Pepper

Before

After

Very tender and better than beef.

Porterhouse Steaks

January 22, 2011

Week 4 - Animal= Cow

The realization hit me this week that I have already used the four most basic animals that one usually grills...hmmm....this may complicate things down the line...creativity will be essential.

Anywho....

Porterhouse steaks (T-bone shaped steak comprised of a NY strip and Filet) seasoned with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Grilled over direct heat until medium rare (any longer is a sin).  Small amount of hickory chips used to add some aroma and a hint of smokiness. 


Pretty tender and decent grill marks.

Non Meat

• Roasted Bell Peppers
• Foil Roasted Sweet Onion
• Slice onion into 8ths 
• Drizzle with Olive Oil
• Season with kosher salt and Black pepper
• Wrap tightly in foil and add to the grill

Apple/Hickory Smoked Chicken

January 16, 2011

Week 3 - Animal= Chicken

Sam's club or Costco are some of the best places to buy whole chickens.  Usually come 2 to a package and are better quality and cheaper than at a grocery store.  (Information on how to cut up a whole chicken will be added at a later date)

Chicken was grilled indirectly around a center fire.  Wood chips used for the first half of cooking to add flavor and aroma.

Toby gave his seal of approval by actually eating.

Chipotle Pork Steaks

January 8, 2011
Week 2 - Animal = Pig

Pork steaks - with chipotle based dry rub.  Indirect grilling with 2 small fires on both sides of the grill.

Combination of Pecan, Apple, and Hickory wood chips used to impart smoky flavor to the pork.

No wet sauce used or needed.  Pretty flavorful for pork steaks.

Non-Meat

• Grilled Red Bell Pepper
• Roast over direct heat to char the skin
• Rotate frequently to evenly char.

Kansas City Style Dry Rub

1/4 cup paprika
2 T smoked paprika
2 T ground black pepper
1 T brown sugar
2 teas Kosher salt
2 teas garlic powder
1 1/2 teas chili powder
1/2 teas celery salt

New Year, New Grill, New Mission

January 1, 2011.

Because a 22" Weber isn't big enough... enter 26.75" inch...(cue dramatic music- insert your own oohs and aahs).


The idea of attempting to grill a different species of animal every week for the duration of the year entered my head near the end of 2010.  The realization of how daunting a task this might be soon came to fruition.  Worth a shot.

Week 1 - Animal= Turkey

The first grilling was technically a smoking. Two turkey breasts and turkey thighs.  The turkey was brined for 24 hours before grilling to help maintain juiciness and impart flavor to the meat.

A combination of pecan and hickory wood chips were used in the smoking process.

The turkey was smoked on indirect heat for upwards of 3 hours.


Result:  Excellent smoky flavor.  Nice coloration and smoke ring.  Cooked slightly longer than I would have liked.  I believe that this was due to a new grill, quantity of meat, and inaccurate meat thermometer.