July 2009 Hot Off The Grill Newsletter - Grill Recipes for Independence Day

About Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet

The Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet Newsletter

July, 2009

One of the most popular dishes for a holiday barbecue is the venerable grilled kebab, and yet we have never done a kebab recipe for our newsletter. We have taken up the challenge wholeheartedly, and bring to you four kebab recipes for your Independence Day barbecue. Each one is not only flavorful, but also easy to prepare and grill. We hope you enjoy them, and have a safe and happy holiday weekend.

Cheers,

Russ Faulk

Hot Off The Grill! Archive

Independence Day Grill Recipes

The official grilling season begins with the Memorial Day barbecue and ends with the Labor Day cook out. In the middle, Independence Day shines as perhaps the biggest grilling holiday of the year. Make the most of your gathering with these four fantastic kebab recipes. The cantaloupe kebabs make a great starter, followed by the surprising shrimp and peach kebabs. More traditional, but with flavorful twists, the chicken and beef kebabs round out the day's grilling.

Cantaloupe Prosciutto Kebabs

Sweet and summery cantaloupe meets the heat of the grill for nicely caramelized sugars contrasted by salty, cured-pork. This simple appetizer is sure to be a hit every time you serve it.

Cantaloupe and Prosciutto Kebabs

Servings:	6
Ingredients:	1 large cantaloupe
	4 to 5 ounces thinly-sliced prosciutto (or Speck, see note)
	6 skewers, about 8 inches long

Directions:

Preheat the grill for direct grilling at about 500°F.

Cut the cantaloupe into cubes, roughly 1-1/2 inches in size. Slice the prosciutto into strips about 1 inch wide. Wrap one piece of cantaloupe at a time with one slice of prosciutto, and slide it onto the skewer so that the skewer holds the prosciutto in place. Continue this process until you have completed 6 skewers.

Grill over direct heat for a couple of minutes on each of the four sides, until the cantaloupe is nicely marked and the edges of the prosciutto are crisped. Serve warm.

Note: Speck is a version of prosciutto that is smoked in addition to being salt cured. For this recipe I used Speck La Quercia Americano, made in Norwalk, Iowa. The apple wood smoke flavor added nicely to the dish, and the Speck was quite a bit leaner than traditional prosciutto.

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Shrimp and Peach Kebabs with Habanero Honey Glaze

Our first foray into combining peach and habanero flavors was our delicious and popular Peach Bourbon Habanero Hot Wings. The wings, I am afraid, were pretty complicated, but I am happy to say these kebabs are a snap to make.

Shrimp and Peach Kebabs with Habanera Honey Glaze

Servings:	6
Ingredients:	3/4 cup honey
	3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
	2 to 4 habaneros, halved
	About 6 thick slices of bacon
	18 shrimp, peeled (the bigger, the better)
	2 fresh peaches, pitted and sliced thick
	6 flat skewers, about 8 inches long

Directions:

Prepare the grill for direct grilling at about 500°F.

Combine the honey and lime juice in a small, non-stick pan and warm up to a very low simmer over low heat. Slice 2 to 4 habanero chiles in half and place in the honey mixture. Use 2 chiles for a mild version of the dish, more for added fire. Let the chiles simmer in the honey while you prepare the kebabs. Be careful not to boil the honey.

Cut the bacon slices crosswise into square pieces. Skewer the shrimp, peach slices and bacon pieces, using a piece of bacon between each shrimp and peach slice.

Remove and discard the habaneros from the honey. Grill the shrimp kebabs over direct heat on the grill for about 4 minutes per side until the shrimp and bacon are cooked through. Baste ocassionally with the Habanero Honey Glaze along the way. Serve hot.

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Tequila Barbecue Chicken Kebabs

A quick and easy tequila barbecue sauce lends robust flavor to these basic chicken kebabs. Make a little extra sauce if you want to experiment using it in other dishes.

Tequila Barbecue Chicken Kebabs

Servings:	6
Ingredients:	1 cup ketchup
	6 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
	1 cup light brown sugar
	2 teaspoons hot sauce
	1 cup tequila
	8 cloves garlic, crushed
	1-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
	3 red bell peppers (or use 1-1/2 red and 1-1/2 orange for added color), cleaned and cut into squares
	2 poblanos, cleaned and cut into squares
	2 ears corn on the cob, shucked and cut into 1-inch pieces
	1 red onion, cut into squares
	6 skewers, about 8 inches long

Directions:

Combine the first six ingredients to make the tequila barbecue sauce. This will yield about 2 cups. Reserve 1 cup, covered in the refrigerator. The other cup will be used to marinate the chicken.

Cut the chicken into large cubes for the kebabs and place it in a zip-lock freezer bag with the remaining 1 cup of tequila barbecue sauce. Remove as much air as possible, seal and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.

When it is time to prepare for cooking, get the grill ready for direct grilling at about 500°F.

Assemble the kebabs, alternating between chicken, poblanos, bell peppers, corn and red onion.

Grill the kebabs over direct heat for a few minutes per side, brushing with the reserved barbecue sauce each time you turn the kebabs. The chicken should be cooked through within about 15 minutes total cooking time. Be careful not to slop too much barbecue sauce onto the grill while you baste because the sugars will burn quickly.

Serve hot.

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Orange Teriyaki Beef Kebabs

Beef tri-tip is tender and perfect for kebabs, and the homemade teriyaki gets a flavor boost from fresh orange for a winning combination.

Orange Terriyali Beef Kebabs

Servings:	6
Ingredients:	3 cups freshly-squeezed orange juice
	1-1/2 cups light brown sugar
	3/4 cup toasted sesame oil
	3/4 cup soy sauce
	2 tablespoons freshly-grated garlic (use a microplane)
	4 tablespoons freshly-grated ginger (use a ginger grater or microplane)
	1-1/2 pounds tri-tip beef, cubed
	1 red pepper, cut into squares
	1 orange pepper, cut into squares
	1/2 pound cubed fresh pineapple
	1 sweet onion, cut into squares
	24 large fresh spinach leaves
	6 skewers, about 8 inches long

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, reduce the 3 cups of orange juice down to 1 cup over medium heat.

Whisk 1 cup of light brown sugar together with the sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and orange juice reduction.

Combine all but 1/2 cup of the teriyaki with the tri-tip in a zip-lock freezer bag. Remove as much air as possible, seal and refrigerate for about 2 hours. Stir the remaining 1/2 cup light brown sugar into the reserved 1/2 cup teriyaki. Cover and refrigerate to use later for basting.

When it is time to prepare for cooking, get the grill ready for direct grilling at about 400°F.

Assemble the kebabs, alternating between beef, bell peppers, sweet onion, pineapple and folded spinach leaves.

Grill the kebabs over direct heat for a few minutes per side, brushing with the reserved teriyaki glaze each time you turn the kebabs. Total cooking time should be about 10 minutes for beef cooked to medium doneness. Be careful not to slop too much teriyaki glaze onto the grill while you baste because the sugars will burn quickly.

Serve hot.

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Orange Pimm's Refresher

Pimm's No. 1 Cup is a gin-based spirit with a spicy citrus taste. Traditionally combined with tonic, our drink here is a spin on the classic that we think is perfect for summer barbecues.
Servings:	1
Ingredients:	2 ounces Pimm's No. 1 Cup
	2 ounces freshly-squeezed orange juice
	1/4 teaspoon blood orange bitters
	Crushed ice
	Club soda
	Orange slice for garnish
Directions: Stir together the Pimm's, orange juice and bitters in a tall glass. Fill the glass half-way with crushed ice. Top with club soda and garnish with an orange slice.

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Grilling Tip: Flat Skewers

A lot of companies are offering some very nice grilling tools these days, including some pretty fancy skewers for kebabs. Some are forged stainless steel, and some have "pusher" disks to help you transfer the kebab bits to your plate without getting your fingers dirty.

The most important skewer design criteria in my opinion, however, is a flat blade. A flat blade will help keep the pieces of food from rotating on the kebab. The blade doesn't have to be very wide to do this, just markedly wider than it is thick.

When the piece of food can rotate on the skewer, it is harder to turn the skewer for even cooking. Worse yet, when some of the pieces are rotating and some are not, you have to realign them over and over or totally forget about even cooking. A flat blade will keep all the food aligned so that you can easily cook everything evenly with a few turns of the skewer.

I use a couple of different types of flat bamboo skewers for cooking. All of them work well. Some have double prongs which make for a nice presentation. If you can't find flat bamboo skewers, you can use pairs of round skewers in parallel to accomplish the same thing. Most importantly, if you are going to invest in a nice set of grill skewers, choose a set with flat blades.

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We Want to Hear from You

As we continue our efforts to help you maximize the joy and satisfaction of your outdoor grilling and entertaining experience, we would love to know what you think:

Share with us your favorite grilling recipes or outdoor gourmet entertaining tips.
Share pictures of your grill or outdoor kitchen.
Tell us what you like most about your Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet product or which product features you would like to see added to or improved on our equipment.
Offer feedback on our website or service.

Feel free to drop us a line at hotg@kalamazoogourmet.com with your thoughts on any of the above, or just to say hello.

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About Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet

Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet™ custom outdoor kitchen equipment delivers the ultimate in performance, luxury and quality. From hybrid grills that cook with any combination of wood, charcoal and gas — to powerful and energy efficient outdoor refrigerators, wine chillers, ice makers, keg tappers and freezers — to countertop pizza ovens — to weather-tight stainless steel kitchen cabinets — to the one-of-a-kind martini bar — the entire line is designed and built from the ground up exclusively for outdoor gourmet cooking and entertaining. You can learn more at www.KalamazooGourmet.com.

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