Smokin' - The Big Easy® Is Your Entry Into The Big Leagues

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and nothing is going to treat your bird better. How often have you wanted to make big league BBQ but you didn't have the big league equipment to do it. You don't have a 30 foot rig with decals and and a pit master to go with it nor do you have the space to park something like this. Drum roll please - in walks The Big Easy your answer, your ticket, your golden egg. Living in New York City I don't have room for a big rig but if I did you know I would get one so instead I get all my smoking and low and slow bbq action done in my Big Easy. Big turkey day will be here before you know it so whether its a big bird, a small bird or several little birds you want to be ready now.

Hey maybe you don't want to make turkey this year - then don't - no one said you have to so instead make some ribs.

I get my ribs ready by boldly rubbing them down with an exotic mix of chiles and spices.

The tall rack is ideal for ribs, I am also using the optional rib hooks that attach to the basket.

I have the electrical unit because I already have a large charbroil grill with a propane tank and I don't want to have too many propane tanks up on my roof for safety reasons. This unit gets nice and hot. I usually fill the smoker drawer with left over rosemary sticks that I save up.

You know I just had to show you how perfect the ribs are.

I like to switch things up when I make a bbq sauce - this one is a cactus fruit and habanero sauce that is sweet, tangy and tropically spicy.

The Big Easy is awesome. You get a nice smoke ring, you get depth of flavor, you get it cooked perfectly because of the built in thermometer and heat settings, you get to show off. I have made turkey, porchetta, leg of lamb and lots and lots of ribs and every single thing has come out perfectly cooked. If you are short on space but you want to be long on flavor I wholeheartedly recommend you get your hands on a Char-Broil Big Easy. I actually don't know what I would do without it, grilling is one thing but low and slow smoking and making BBQ is something else entirely. You will love it.

Maybe you want to make a leg of lamb - then do it.

Lamb so Juicy, so flavorful so delicious I want some right now.

What about a nice juicy Porchetta - can't you taste that crispy skin?

Traditional turkey is always a winner  - hands down. Juicy breast, crispy skin, moist and smoky flavor - its making my mouth water just typing this.

So what ever you choose, be it a big turkey a few racks of ribs, a leg of lamb or a crispy skinned porchetta you can bet The Big Easy is gonna make it easy. Don't these fine BBQ's items look awesome. Good BBQ takes time. For something special this Thanksgiving - go with The Big Easy.

*I am a char-broil all-star and I get compensated for my opinion

Grilled lamb skewers with watermelon and mango

When Kitchen Play invited me to participate in this watermelon event I was as excited as all get out - that is until I sat down and really thought about it. My first reaction was "yay watermelon"  followed by that blankness that you feel on a hot summer day lounging by the pool or beach or lake without a care in the world. Then it hit me. This is December, where am I going to find watermelon this time of year? Well that was no problem since watermelon is everywhere all the time. Most people overlook watermelon in the winter months, but it is available year-round, typically as a mini-watermelon or in the pre-cut section of your produce aisle. Loaded with vitamins A, B6 and C, watermelon is a healthy choice any time of year. "Fill Up Without Filling Out." Watermelon is 92% water, so you can feel good about filling up, as it hydrates while satiating your appetite. Then it hit me again. I was asked to do an entree. 

As you look over this lovely tropical salsa you can imagine that my head was spinning with absolutely no thoughts what so ever - remember I was in that blissfull blankness that you feel on a hot summer day. So I set out to make the salsa.

Tropical Watermelon Salsa

1 large ripe plantain

1 ripe mango

1 large wedge of watermelon

10 grape tomatoes

2 scallions

1 jalapeño chile

1 serrano chile

1 anaheim chile

1 yellow hot

1 sweet cherry pepper

3 tablespoons fresh chopped coconut

juice from one lime

juice from one meyer lemon

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Dice everything and toss in a bowl with the citrus juices and salt and pepper to taste. Let sit for 15 minutes to lightly macerate. 

With the salsa done, its time to move on to the main dish. Now I know I said my mind was blank but as I was buying the ingredients I remembered that all watermelon needs to grow is water, sunshine and bees and don't ask me how but it suddenly hit me to do skewers of lamb, watermelon and mango. Thankfully my mind was only blank for those few minutes at home and not while I was out sourcing my components.

Grilled Lamb Skewers with Watermelon and Mango and Watermelon Gastrique

Serves 4

1 pound of blade lamb chops cut into 16 uniform cubes

16 uniform cubes of watermelon

16 cubes of mango

Dash of cumin

Salt and Pepper

Gastrique

2 cups of watermelon juice (watermelon in the blender and pureed till liquid)

splash of red wine

splash of balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon of honey

Reduce in a sauce pan until reduced by half.

Preparation

Soak your wooden skewers.

Mix the salt, pepper and cumin together and sprinkle over the lamb - let sit for 5-10 minutes.

Assemble the skewers alternating a cube of watermelon then lamb then mango then watermelon then lamb then mango so that each skewer has two pieces of each item. Make 8 skewers.

On a hot grill pan or hot grill sear each side for 3 minutes each for medium rare lamb.

Place some of your tropical salsa on a plate, place two skewers on top of the salsa and drizzle your gastrique over the grilled items. Enjoy

A complex dish that is easy to prepare. You will wow your guests, yourself and even your in-laws and dont worry you will maintain that summer blissfull blankness with each and every bite.

I have been as busy as bunnies (get it?)

Thanking my lucky stars lately since I now have a bit more work to keep my busy hands busy but this new bit of business has slowed up my blogging. If you are longing for my snark and sassiness then you will have to wait a bit longer because it seems like my backhanded verbosity is on hiatus. Laziness will have to suffice and with that you will have to accept that I will simply post a synopsis of pictures that would have been and could have been blog posts chock full of my witty repartee. Take this Molé Poblano for example - imagine what I could say about it.

Chocolatey, spicy goodness in an enchilada suiza cannot hardly get any better than this.

With more time I could go on and on about the sweet and succulent lamb chops dripping with the lamb unctuousness that only lamb can drip and with this extra time I could tease you with the curried lentils it is bathing in but lo I do not have even a spare second.

Morels, specifically, need more of my time and attention and should not be treated like latch key kids with parents too busy to care but sadly this is their fate and this is their life. Morel mushroom barley soup is, by far, the best mushroom barley soup that exists.

Steamy goodness with an earthy bite the delicate yet toothsome barley pearls give a good chew with the husky deliberateness of the morel mushroom. So with all my lagging and veiled bragging I did what I normally do - post pictures and write nonsense - so things are really not that different after all.

CopyCat

I am such a friggin' lemming, I see lamb burger I gotta make lamb burger, I am so glad me and all the other "turkeys" are not being piled into a truck to "go for a ride" because it seems like I would follow right along.

I fire up the grill (pan) so hot the kid thinks the house is on fire.

Then I weigh it down with my pig press.

And after I have "criss crossed" the bread I cut it with a mold and put it on a plate with some chips, then the little man eats, voila - lamb burger.