Creative Cooks

4 Easy BBQ Marinades

Basic Marinade

Whisk together 1/2 cup each olive oil and cider vinegar, juice of 1 lemon, 2 cloves chopped garlic and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper.

Tex-Mex

Add 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, 2 teaspoons cumin and 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce. Replace lemon juice with juice and zest of 1 lime.

Mediterranean

Add 1/2 cup chopped mixed herbs, such as parsley, oregano or thyme, and a splash or two of Worcestershire sauce. Replace cider vinegar with balsamic.

Asian

Add 1/2 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice. Replace cider vinegar with rice vinegar, and salt and pepper with 2 tablespoons light soy sauce. Stir in 1/4 cup finely chopped scallions

Bacon Explosion
TOTAL TIME 3hrs 15mins PREP 15 MINS COOK 3 HRS SERVINGS 8

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs thick cut bacon
2 lbs Italian sausage
3⁄4 cup barbecue sauce (your favorite)
3 tablespoons barbecue seasoning (your favorite rub)

DIRECTIONS

To kick off the construction of this pork medley you’ll need to create a 5x5 bacon weave. If the strips you’re using aren’t wide enough to span 5x5 inches, then you may need to use a few extra slices to fill out the pattern. Just make sure your weave is tight and that you end up with a nice square shape to work with.
The next step is to add some barbecue seasoning on top of your bacon weave.
Now that your pork is well seasoned, it’s time to add more pork. Take two pounds of Italian sausage and layer it directly on top of your bacon weave. Be sure to press the sausage to the outer edges of the bacon creating a patty that is the same thickness all the way across. Most grocery stores carry loose sausage, so just pick out one you like.
Next up is bacon layer number two. Take the remaining bacon slices and fry them up the same way you would for breakfast. If you like soft bacon, make it soft. If you like crunchy bacon, make it crunchy.
Since this is a barbecue recipe, we need to add another layer of barbecue flavor. Take your favorite sauce and drizzle it all over the top of the bacon pieces. Once you’ve sauced the bacon, sprinkle on some more of the barbecue seasoning you used on the bacon weave.
Very carefully separate the front edge of the sausage layer from the bacon weave and begin rolling backwards. You want to include all layers EXCEPT the bacon weave in your roll. Try and keep the sausage as tight as possible and be sure to release any air pockets that may have formed. Once the sausage is fully rolled up, pinch together the seams and ends to seal all of the bacon goodness inside.
At this point we can start to see the final shape of our Bacon Explosion, but we’re missing one key item. To complete the construction process, roll the sausage forward completely wrapping it in the bacon weave. Make sure it sits with the seam facing downward to help keep it all sealed up.
Sprinkle some barbecue seasoning on the outside of the bacon weave, and now it is ready for the smoker. Cook your Bacon Explosion at 225°F in a constant cloud of hickory smoke until your meat thermometer gives an internal temperature reading of 165°F Normally this will take about 1 hour for each inch of thickness, but that could vary depending on how well you maintain your fire and also how many times you open the smoker to take a peek. Recommend 2.5 hours, for a roll 2.5 inches in diameter.
Now that the Bacon Explosion is fully cooked, you need to add some finishing flavors. Remember that barbecue sauce you used for inner flavor? You’ll be using that same sauce to glaze the cooked bacon weave. Using a basting brush, coat the entire surface with a thin layer of sauce. Sweet sauces are loaded with sugars, so they’ll give your fatty a nice glossy finish. Spicy and vinegar based sauces don’t contain as much, so they won’t set up as well. If you’re dead set on using those sauces, just cut them with a bit of honey and you’ll get the same effect.
Slice the Bacon Explosion into quarter to half inch rounds to serve. If your roll was good and tight, you should now see a nice bacon pinwheel pattern throughout the sausage.
Obviously pork is best served by itself, but if you feel the need to make this meat monster into a sandwich, place a couple Bacon Explosion slices on a warm Pillsbury’s Grands Biscuit.

TexaCali Turkey Tailgate Fiesta

Ingredients
2 lb ground turkey
6 slices turkey bacon, browned and drained
1 large Poblano, Anaheim or red bell pepper
1 md white or yellow onion, diced
2 Tbsp olive oil, light
1 Tbsp ground cumin
2 Tbsp ground chili powder
1 pinch salt and pepper to taste
1 pkg romaine lettuce leaves
2 large tomatoes, sliced
2 large avocados
¾ c mayonnaise
1/3 c fresh cilantro
1 dash hot sauce
8 slices pepper jack or cheddar cheese (optional)
1 pkg large burger buns
2 Tbsp spicy mustard

Directions

1- Heat your grill
Finely dice the pepper and onion.
Brown the bacon and set aside to drain.
In a large mixing bowl, add ground turkey, pepper, and onion. Take the bacon and crumble it into the mixture. Add the spicy mustard, cumin, chili powder, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix lightly. Make patties out of the mixture for grilling.

2- For the cilantro aioli, in a food processor add the mayo, the fresh cilantro (without stems), a squeeze of lemon if you have it and a dash of hot sauce (or two or three…) Mix and set aside in a small bowl in the cooler or fridge.

Immediately before you assemble the burgers, slice the avocados.

3- Grill the patties and set aside under a foil tent to allow them to cook a little more.

4- To assemble the burgers, heat the buns on the still hot grill and place in a basket.

Spicy Grilled Shrimp

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground peppercorns—hot or mild mixture
1 teaspoon olive oil with dash of red pepper flakes added
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1-1/2 pounds raw medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper


In small saucepan, combine butter, garlic, peppercorns, and the oil with red
Pepper. Simmer over low heat until butter is melted and the just garlic
Begins to sizzle. Remove from heat; stir in the fresh parsley. Thread shrimp on
Four or five skewers. Brush with olive oil. Place the shrimp in center of
Cooking grate. Grill 4 to 5 minutes until pink, and no longer white. Turn once
During grilling. Remove shrimp from skewers; toss with butter mixture. Serve
Hot. Makes 4 servings. NOTES: If you have a grill pan with holes in it you can
Toss the shrimp in there instead of using the skewers. You may have to grill
Half at a time. Serve as an appetizer, or on top of pasta.

Grilled Chicken with Bourbon Peach Butter
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 breast half and 1/4 cup sauce)
Total: 3 Hours, 12 Minutes

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds coarsely chopped peeled peaches (about 5 medium)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons water
1/2 cup bourbon
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 250°.
2. Combine the first 3 ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Combine peach mixture, bourbon, brown sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor or blender, and process for 1 minute or until smooth. Transfer peach mixture to a 13 x 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Bake at 250° for 2 hours and 15 minutes or until thickened.
3. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
4. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper evenly over chicken. Place chicken on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 6 minutes on each side or until done. Serve with sauce.

Nutritional Information
Amount per serving

Calories: 304
Fat: 2.5g
Saturated fat: 0.6g
Monounsaturated fat: 0.6g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.6g
Protein: 40.4g
Carbohydrate: 23.8g
Fiber: 1.7g
Cholesterol: 99mg
Iron: 1.6mg
Sodium: 409mg
Calcium: 37mg

Light Beer Hamburgers, *Mushroom-Beer Ketchup, *Beer-Braised Onions
Light Beer Hamburgers
Serves: 4 Cooking Time: 18 min
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*Mushroom-Beer Ketchup
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*Beer-Braised Onions
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Grilled Chicken with Cherry Chipotle Barbecue Sauce
Serves: 8
Preparation time: 2-3/4 hours (including 2 hours marinating time)

Ingredients
1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) dark sweet cherries, pitted and chopped
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup cherry preserves
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1-1/2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, or more to taste
1-1/4 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat

Preparation
1. Stir cherries, broth, preserves, ketchup, vinegar, chipotle peppers, thyme and allspice in a small deep bowl. Transfer to a shallow non-reactive dish large enough to hold chicken. Add the chicken and turn to coat well. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.

2. Preheat grill to high. Oil the grill rack. Remove the chicken from the marinade. Transfer the marinade to a medium skillet.

3. Reduce the grill heat to medium and grill the chicken until cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 7 to 9 minutes per side. Meanwhile, bring the marinade to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the sauce is reduced by about half, 12 to 15 minutes. Let the chicken cool slightly; serve with the sauce.