There are just some foods that make winning combinations. Apples and cinnamon. Chocolate and peanut butter. Tomatoes and basil. Prosciutto and provolone.

So when I was flipping through the channels a few weeks ago and noticed a rerun of America’s Test Kitchen was featuring a flank steak filled with prosciutto and provolone rolled, sliced, skewered, and then grilled, I knew I had to watch.

The idea is so yummy sounding and I have made something quite similar in the past. You might have noticed a version of this in the butcher block. They do look and sound delicious, but in reality, the meat is difficult to cook evenly and the filling is usually dry and overcooked, if it didn’t all drip out into a gooey mess all over your oven or grill.

I really like how the people at America’s Test Kitchen tackle these big cooking dilemmas, they attempt the recipe hundreds of times so we don’t have to. Saves the rest of us a lot of money, time, and headaches.

So they had a couple great ideas. The first is to butterfly the flank steak, I actually used a flat iron because I like the flavor better and I happened to have one in my freezer. Okay, so this sounds scarier than it really is. I can assure you I have sharp knives, but not the best knife skills. And I was still able to pull this dish off. I would guess that nearly every butcher would butterfly this for you though when you make the meat purchase. I made a couple mistakes in mine (holes), but I just proceeded with the recipe and no one was the wiser.

I used a meat tenderized to pound the meat even, you then slather it with an herb/shallot blend and top with prosciutto and provolone. You roll it, tie and here is the great part or the recipe, you skewer it and then cut the into individual portions; think meat lollipops. This really helps the filling stay intact during cooking.

These looked good, smelled great and tasted even better. My husband took one bites and said “holy cannoli these are good.” My three year old was the only one that was not in agreement, I think the taste is a bit grown up for a preschooler.

Although these aren’t difficult, there are quite a few steps so I am including more photos than usual so you can see what is going on.

I think this would be a great choice for entertaining, not only is flank steak or flat iron steak inexpensive, but this feeds quite a few people. The meat could easily be prepared before hand and refrigerated until ready to skewer/slice. I would save that step because the skewers need soaked before grilling to prevent burning. It is fabulous to start with an inexpensive cut of beef and end up with something worthy of company.

I only had a one pound steak in the freezer, so I adjusted the meat and cheese accordingly and we still got 8 slices of meat. And both provolone and prosciutto can be purchased by the slice in the meat/deli section of nearly every grocery store, so you can simply buy a few slices for the recipe.

Also, prosciutto is thinly sliced, dry-cured pork. Of course read the label, but I have never seen any ingredients resembling gluten, just pork and salt.

A flat iron steak

After I attempted to butterfly it.

Slathered in the herb/shallot/garlic paste.

Add some proscuitto and provolone.

Rolled, tied and skewered through the twine.

Sliced and ready for the grill.

Ready to eat. As you can see most of the filling stayed intact.

Grilled Stuffed Steak

I actually used a much smaller cut of meat and just reduced the cheese and meat amounts accordingly.

• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 2 TB fresh minced parsley leaves
• 1 tsp fresh minced sage leaves
• 2 TB olive oil
• 1 flank steak or flat iron steak 2-2 1/2 lbs (it is easiest to butterfly if it’s slightly frozen)
• 4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
• 4 ounces thinly sliced provolone cheese
• 8-12 skewers soaked in water for 30 minutes
• 8-12 pieces of butchers twine
• salt and pepper to taste

1. In a small bowl, combine garlic, shallot, parsley, sage and olive oil.
2. Lay steak on a cutting board, with grain running parallel to the edge of the counter, butterfly the steak and pound to an even thickness.
3. Spread herb mixture evenly over surface of steak, leaving a 1-2 inch border along top edge. Cover with prosciutto and cheese, leaving the same size border along top edge.
4. Starting from the bottom edge, roll the meat away from you, placing the seam side down on the cutting board.
5. Starting on the outside edges, tie 8-12 pieces of butcher’s twine at 1-inch intervals around steak. Work from outermost ends first, so the filling doesn’t get pushed out the ends.
6. Skewer the beef through the string, and using a sharp knife cut into 1-inch thick pinwheels. Season with salt and pepper.,
7. Cook on preheated med-high grill for about 6 minutes per side of until desired doneness. I actually had difficulty using a meat thermometer on these, due to the filling, so I just sliced into one of them to check for doneness (not real scientific, but it worked).
8. Remove from grill and allow to rest five minutes before discarding skewers and twine. Serve.

BBQ, Main Dishes grilled flank steak, rolled flank steak

I am becoming a huge fan of the flank steak. Seriously, they cook up in virtually no time and when cut thinly against the grain they are very tender and juicy.

I typically do a lime juice and cumin type marinade for beef fajitas but I am a little bored with that version, so I adapted an allrecipes marinated flank steak recipe. It had great flavor and although we loved it with some onions and bell peppers, served fajita style, I think it would be equally good on a salad or with some rice and vegetables.

Since it is a marinade you do have to plan ahead. But the flank steak cooks so fast, you’ll have dinner on the table in no time. And it’s perfect this time of year when you don’t want to heat the oven. Enjoy!

Marinated Flank Steak in a fajita.

Marinated Flank Steak

Although I used lemon juice, I think lime juice would be a great alternative.

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup soy sauce (SanJ makes a gf one)
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• juice of 1 lemon (about 2 TB)
• 1 1/2 TB Worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrin’s is gf)
• 1 TB Dijon mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• dash cumin, optional
• 1- 1 1/2 lbs flank steak

1. In a glass 9×13 pan mix all ingredients except steak. Place meat in the pan and turn to coat. Cover and allow to marinate at room temperature for about an hour or refrigerate 4-6 hours or overnight.
2. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
3. Remove steak from pan and discard marinade (or bring marinade to a boil and serve with meat if desired).
4. Grill steak for approximately 5 minutes per side, or until desired doneness. Allow steak to rest five minutes before slicing against the grain.

BBQ, Main Dishes, quick and easy gluten free beef fajita, marinated beef for fajitas

Nothing says summer quite like grilling. And what better to grill than corn on the cob?

And I don’t mean the soak it for an hour in the husk method, I mean shuck the corn, remove the silk and slather it in some herb butter and grill it.

It is so simple, quick, and tasty to cook corn on your grill. No baskets, skewers or special equipment required.

Personally, I don’t wrap my corn in foil because I like the flavor and the grill marks that you get with the direct heat method; not to mention it reduces the cooking time substantially.

We like the flavor butter imparts, but if you prefer not to use butter, you can simply spray or coat the corn in olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Grilling corn couldn’t get much simpler than this and it makes a great summer side dish. Enjoy.

Shucked corn on the cob slathered in herb butter

Corn on the cob hot off the grill

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Although we like this combination, almost any herb butter would work. I did a post on flavored butters if you need some additional ideas.

• 4 ears corn on the cob, husks and silk removed
• about 4 Tb butter, softened
• salt and pepper to taste
• dash of each: onion powder, garlic powder, dried parsley

1. Place the corn directly on the grill grate over medium-high to high heat and grill about 10 minutes, turning as necessary to evenly brown. You don’t want to overcook it or it will get mushy, I carefully touch it or pierce a kernel with a fork to test for doneness.

BBQ, Sides grilled corn on the cob

Although I have always referred to these as 4th of July Beans I have noticed that almost identical recipes can be found called Settlers Beans, Party Beans, BBQ Beans, etc. Whatever you call them, they are sure to be a hit.

The combination of beans, bacon, onions and BBQ sauce make this a great summertime side dish, perfect to take to potlucks and picnics.

Although the directions are for the oven, I have made this many times in my crock pot and that is a great way to make it if it will need transported. All the ingredients are cooked, so basically you just need to make sure it gets really hot before serving.

Hot 4th of July Beans, Yummy!

4th of July Beans

The perfect side to bring to a family get together or potluck.

• 1/2 pound bacon, diced (I prefer pepper bacon)
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 can (28 oz) pork and beans
• 2 cans (16 oz) drained and rinsed beans of your choice (I use kidney, black, or cannellini)
• 1/2 cup favorite BBQ sauce
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (light of dark is fine)
• 2 Tb yellow mustard
• 1 Tb molasses
• 1 tsp salt, optional
• 1/4-1/2 tsp chili powder

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a large skillet, cook bacon and onion until onion is tender and bacon is cooked thoroughly.
3. Transfer to a large dish, I use a 9×13 glass pan, and stir in beans.
4. In a small bowl (I use a glass measuring cup for convenience), combine all remaining ingredients. Mix well and pour over bean mixture.
5. Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes; uncover and bake 15 minutes longer.

BBQ, Sides bbq beans, fourth of july beans, settlers beans

Potato salad. Easy to prepare and make ahead, it makes for the perfect BBQ side dish.

Simple is best when it comes to potato salad. I like to stick with the basics: potatoes, mayo, pickles, celery, and eggs. I do subscribe to the notion that bacon makes everything better, so I add some bacon.

Although, truly I think you can make potato salad without following a recipe exactly, I do have a few tip:

1. All potatoes aren’t equal. Use a waxy potato, not a starchy potato. Red potatoes and Yukon golds make great salads and will hold their shapes; Russets and Idahos will get dry and fall apart.
2. Salt the water you boil the potatoes in; it’s your only chance to get salt into the potatoes rather than on them
3. Make the salad while the potatoes are still warm. This really improves the flavor.
4. Make potato salad ahead of time, unless planning to serve warm, so there is time to chill it thoroughly.

Here is one of my family’s favorite potato salads. It is based on a recipe from Emeril and although I know many people are intimidated by his recipes, he really knows what he is talking about when it comes to food. His recipes work.

With red potatoes, pickles and bacon, this salad is sure to be a hit.

Bacon Potato Salad

I like my potato salad lightly dressed, not swimming in mayo, so I listed 1/4-3/4 cup mayonnaise as a guide. Personally, I use 1/4 a cup, but I know others will not think it has enough that way. And always read the bacon labels, some brands of bacon contain gluten.

• about 2 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, optional
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 2 Tb freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
• 1 large pickle, chopped
• 2 Tb finely chopped green onions (about 2 onions, white and green parts)
• 1 Tb chopped fresh parsley
• 4 strips of crisp-cooked bacon, crumbled
• 1/4-3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 Tb Creole of Deli-style mustard

1. Place the potatoes in a saucepan, add water and salt and bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes are fork-tender, about 10 minutes.
2. Drain the potatoes and transfer them to a large bowl. While still warm, season with the cayenne, pepper, and lemon juice. Toss well to combine.
3. Add celery, eggs, pickle, onions, parsley, and bacon and stir to combine.
4. In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise and mustard together.  Add to the salad and stir gently to thoroughly incorporate dressing into salad.
5. Can be served immediately, or refrigerated and served chilled.

BBQ, Sides bacon potato salad, emeril's potato salad

I don’t drink alcohol, it’s not really my thing. But cooking with it is a whole different story. When used correctly, alcohol can really elevate an ordinary dish like chicken into something truly special. You don’t have to appreciate tequila, bourbon or any other alcohol to enjoy the flavor it imparts to cooked dishes.

And don’t feel embarrassed about going to the liquor store clueless, I just ask the salespeople what inexpensive brand they would recommend for cooking. Sometimes they will try to suggest something expensive, but more times than not they give me an idea of what lower-priced bottle will do, and often have smaller bottles that better fit my needs. I don’t need a huge top-shelf liquor at home just to make a marinade or cake occasionally.

One of my favorite grilled chicken recipes  is tequila-lime chicken. I have a couple different marinades that use tequila, but this one is my favorite.

We like to eat it over brown or wild rice but it would be equally good in a salad. You are supposed to serve it with a pineapple-citrus salsa, but my kids just prefer eating it with some fresh pineapple, either way it is very good.  You reserve some of the marinade to serve with the grilled chicken; the tequila does not get cooked out of this, so I would not serve this sauce to children.

The Tequila Marinated Grilled Chicken.

The Tequila Chicken with Pineapple-Citrus Salsa served over wild rice.

This recipe can easily be halved.

Tequila Marinated Grilled Chicken Breasts

• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/4 cup tequila
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 bunch cilantro, I cut the stems off close to the top of the bunch
• 1 Tb peeled and freshly chopped ginger
• 1/2 a jalapeno pepper, seeded
• 1 Tb white vinegar
• 1 Tb sugar
• 1 Tb Kosher salt
• 1 cup olive oil
• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1. To prepare the marinade, in a food processor, combine the lime juice, tequila, garlic, cilantro, ginger, jalapeno, vinegar, sugar and salt. Pulse about 10 times. With motor running, add oil in steady stream until emulsified. (I have made this in a blender,  but it doesn’t work quite as well)
2. Reserve 1/4 of the marinade and set aside to serve with cooked chicken.
3. Place chicken breasts in a non-reactive bowl or a resealable plastic bag. Pour marinade over chicken and refrigerate 1-3 hours.
4. Grill over medium heat, turning once, until meat is done, about 7 minutes per side (I always use an instant read thermometer to check)
5. Serve cooked chicken with reserved marinade and fresh pineapple or Pineapple-Citrus Salsa.

Pineapple-Citrus Salsa

• 1 Ruby Red grapefruit
• 1 orange
• 1 cup diced fresh pineapple
• 1 small red onion, diced or small bunch of green onions, diced
• 2 Tb chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 jalapeno, seeded and diced
• 2 tsp raspberry vinegar (or another fruit vinegar)
• 2 tsp sugar
• salt to taste, optional

1. To prepare orange and grapefruit, using a knife, cut off the peel, removing as much white pith as possible (this part is bitter). Slice into segments, catching the juice and fruit into a bowl.
2. Add remaining salsa ingredients to bowl and stir to combine.
3. Refrigerate until ready to use.

BBQ, Gluten Free, Main Dishes citrus salsa, grapefruit salsa, grilled tequlla chicken, tequlia-lime chicken

The first time I saw a recipe for this I thought it sounded crazy, but then I got Weber’s Real Grilling cookbook and I read the description and saw a picture. It seemed a bit unconventional to me, but it really reduced the cooking time for a whole chicken and it seemed worth a try. The results are amazing.

Whole chickens are usually fairly inexpensive, and go on sale for less than $1 a pound quite frequently, making this one of the most economical main dishes I can think of. The skin gets crispy and the meat stays very juicy and tender. The rub is simple, but adds the right amount of flavor. It is my absolute favorite way to cook a whole chicken. And I don’t actually own bricks, I just use a heavy cast iron skillet and it does the trick. The hardest part is probably cutting the backbone out of the chicken, this is necessary to flatten the chicken; you can use a knife, but kitchen shears will work better. Don’t worry if you don’t do this part perfectly, mine never look pretty, you just want the chicken flat. You might want to watch for flare-ups, as you can see in the picture mine got a little blackened, but it was still very good; you can also see how tender the meat is, it is practically falling right off the bone.

Chicken Under Bricks

Rub:

• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp granulated garlic
• 1/2 tsp granulated onion
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1. In small bowl, mix the rub ingredients.

Chicken:

• 1 whole chicken, about 5 pounds, excess fat removed
• vegetable oil
• 1 cup your favorite bbq sauce, optional

1. Place chicken, breast side down, on a cutting board. Using a knife or poultry shears, cut along the backbone and remove it. Open the chicken like a book and flatten as much as possible; cut and discard wing tips.
2. Season the chicken with the rub.
3. Place the chicken, skin side down, on the grill over indirect high heat. Lightly coat the bottom of a baking sheet with oil. Place the baking sheet on top of the chicken and weight it down with foil-wrapped bricks or a cast iron pan (I actually oil the bottom of my cast iron pan and place it directly on the chicken, why wash a baking sheet if you don’t have to?).
4. Grill until golden brown, about 30-35 minutes.
5. Using pot holders, carefully remove baking sheet and bricks/pan. Using a wide spatula, carefully release chicken from grate and move to medium high heat and grill 5-10 minutes  more (I like to flip chicken at this point to get nice skin on both sides, but the original recipe doesn’t do this).
6. Transfer chicken to cutting board and let rest 5-10 minutes before serving. Cut chicken into serving pieces and serve with bbq if desired.
   

BBQ, Main Dishes bbq whole chicken, Gluten Free, Weber's chicken under bricks, Weber's Real Grilling

I am having one of those weeks. You probably know what kind of week I mean; the one where it would help if I was more organized, planned my meals better and just had more time. So, last night in an effort to be more of this organized super-mom I wish to be, I surveyed my fridge, seeing what quick meal ideas I could come up with. I had leftover homemade BBQ Sauce, so I decided I would defrost some chicken in the fridge overnight and make slow cooker bbq chicken the next day.

So, the next day happens. I go to throw my ingredients into the slow cooker, only to remember we don’t eat gluten. The only way I know how to serve shredded BBQ chicken is on a roll. And sure, I have made some gluten free breads and rolls, but they aren’t all that special. And truth be told, homemade bread is only worth the trouble if it tastes great, or at least good. And even if I did have a gluten free bread recipe up my sleeve, today was not a day I had time to make bread.

I do the only think I know to do, I call my sister and ask what else her family eats bbq shredded meat on or with. She suggests a baked potato, apparently this is popular in bbq country. So I chopped up some green onions, grated some cheddar cheese (although I think colby-jack would be better, I had none) and went about my day. When I arrived home, very tired and way past our regular dinner time, with a very grumpy toddler at my foot, I quickly washed up some potatoes, threw them in the microwave and had dinner on the table in no time. It was delicious, thanks Lynn. Dinner Saved.

BBQ Baked Potatoes

Slow Cooker Shredded BBQ Chicken

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 1 1/2 cups BBQ Sauce
• 1/2 cup Italian Dressing
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• diced onions and garlic, optional (my homemade bbq sauce has onions and garlic, so I don’t add more)

1. Add all ingredients to slow cooker and cook around 3 hours on low. Using a fork, shred chicken and stir back into sauce to combine.
2. Cook on high for approximately 1 more hour, or until meat is done.

• 4-6 baked potatoes
• sour cream, cheese, green onions or chives, all optional but delicious

1. To serve, split open potatoes, lengthwise. Spoon chicken on top of potatoes. Top with optional ingredients if desired. Enjoy.

BBQ, Crock Pot, Main Dishes bbq baked potato, bbq chicken baked potato, Gluten Free

There is something so good about barbecue. The aroma of the meat and the sauce. I don’t let the rain stop me, I grill year round. I know there are some gluten free bbq sauces on the market, but I have just started making my own all the time. Homemade barbecue sauce is really quite simple to make, and tastes better than the bottled stuff. It is also very easy to adapt to your family’s taste and it is good on so many things. I usually make up batch and store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator of freezer to use later.

I have always been a huge Emeril fan, but I especially enjoy his last few cookbooks. They are full of quick and flavorful recipes that are very kid-friendly. The following recipe is an adaption of  the Homemade BBQ Sauce in Emeril’s new cookbook Emeril at the Grill: A Cookbook for All Seasons.

My version of a gourmet burger, minus the bun, dripping with Homemade BBQ Sauce.

Homemade BBQ Sauce

• 1 Tb oil
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 tb chopped garlic
• 2 cups kechup
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1/8 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 TB red hot sauce, optional
• 1 Tb yellow mustard
• 1 tsp creole seasoning

1. Heat oil in saucepan over med-high heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute longer. Add all remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened and flavors have blended, about 15-20 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. *Any unused sauce can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or frozen (I like to use a glass salad dressing or canning jar with lid).

BBQ, Sauces & Dressings Emeril's bbq sauce recipe, Gluten Free, gluten free bbq sauce, homemade bbq sauce