Paella is a classic dish from eastern Spain. Recipes vary widely, but are always based around rice, saffron, and olive oil. It is traditionally cooked over an open fire in a wide, flat pan called a paellera. In that spirit of outdoor cooking, this is a simple version that has been adapted to work well on a grill.

Paella Mixto (serves 2-4)

• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon of saffron
• 1 teaspoon of sweet smoked Spanish paprika
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 2 inch chunks and lightly salted
• Olive oil
• 1/4 lb of Spanish cooking chorizo, cut in 1/4 inch slices
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1 red or yellow bell pepper, cut into 2 inch strips
• 1 lb medium raw shrimp, shelled
• 1 1/2 cups Bomba or Calasparra rice
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
• 3 tablespoons capers

Like a lot of dishes on the grill, timing is everything with paella. Having all of the ingredients measured, washed, chopped and placed in individual bowls lets you concentrate on cooking and makes even complicated dishes easy to put together.

Heat the broth with the saffron and the paprika. Keep warm and nearby.

Get your grill up to medium-high (about 400°F). You want to provide a wide, even heat that can be maintained with the lid open. You don’t want any hot spots. You can accomplish this on the Big Green Egg by putting the paellera directly over a well-established fire on a raised grid.  On other grills you can achieve this by cooking indirectly, or by using a diffuser like a pizza stone under the pan.

Use a metal paella pan with about a 13-14 inch bottom. I really like this enameled pan that Cook’s Illustrated rated highly. Add enough olive oil to cover to bottom well. Heat the oil for a few minutes and then add the chicken pieces and fry until brown. Remove the chicken to a plate.

Add the chopped onion and garlic. Saute until the onion is soft. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes break down and the mixture thickens and darkens. Add more oil if needed. This is your sofrito. It adds depth to the dish and provides a base for all you other flavors.

Add the rice and saute 1-2 minutes until the rice is translucent.

If you want to add some wood for smoke, now is the time. Grape vine is traditional but any fruit wood will work.

Stir in the chicken broth and try to spread the rice out as evenly as possible. Once you have a relatively uniform layer, leave it alone. This is the last time you will stir the paella as the rice needs to sit undisturbed on the bottom of the pan to developed the tasty brown crust called the soccarat.

Arrange the browned chicken, pepper, chorizo, peas, capers, and shrimp on top of the rice. Try to make it even and pretty. Close the lid and lower your grill temperature to 350°F degrees. Cook until all the liquid is absorbed - about 30 minutes.

Once the liquid is gone, bump the heat up to 400°F and start listening closely. The paella will start to crackle, and you might smell a  toasted odor that tells you the rice is browning and forming the soccarat. Test by running a spatula under the rice to feel for a slightly bumpy bottom. Once you feel this, remove the paella from the heat.

Let the paella rest, covered with foil, for about 10 minutes before serving.

• 2 tbsp butter, softened slightly
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp candied ginger
• 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
• 3 freestone peaches or nectarines, halved & pitted
• 1 tbsp butter, melted

Heat grill to high.

Combine softened butter, honey, vanilla, and candied ginger together in a food processor and pulse until mixed into a soft paste. Refrigerate.

Brush cut side of peaches with melted butter. Grill cut side down 3-5 minutes until you get good grill marks.

Turn peaches over and fill pit hole with a teaspoon or so of the ginger/butter mixture.

Grill for 1-2 minutes cut side up until the butter has melted.

Carefully remove from grill, top each half with with 1 a dollop of mascarpone, and serve with remaining ginger/butter mixture on the side.

The Meat

Pick USDA Choice or Prime beef. These top 2 grades will have enough marbling (thin streaks of fat in the muscle) to give you a tender, juicy, flavorful steak.  Know your cuts and what you like.  Filet mignon will be oh-so-tender, but not necessarily very flavorful. Rib-eyes have excellent flavor, but can be very rich.  Strip steaks have good flavor, but are tougher. Sirloin is tasty, but lean and can get dry. T-bones and porterhouses offer a compromise by combining the strip and the filet.

Once you pick a cut, make sure you get a nice one. Go to a butcher and have them cut your steaks right off the primal. Get them at least an inch and a half thick. Look them over. You want a nice, red, compact steak with a minimum of excess fat.

Even good meat can use a little enhancement. Give the steaks a light coating of olive oil, a splash of red wine vinegar, and a dusting of kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. Stash these in the fridge for at least 3 hours, overnight is best.

The Cook

Take the steaks out at least an hour before you start grilling. The cook is going to happen very fast, and you want them very close to room temp so you’re not fighting a cold center.

Grilling is nothing but inverted broiling, so you want your grill HOT. We’re talking a minimum of 600°F, but the hotter the better. A loaded kettle grill can reach 700°.  Some of the infrared burners on the gassers go to 1200°. The Big Green Egg will hit 1500° with all the vents open. Once it’s hot, get the grate clean. You want nice sear marks, not a lot of sticking.

Do a final prep before putting the steaks on. Dust them again with a little more kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. Shape them with your hand so that they are as tight, high, and compact as possible. You don’t want any loose bits to burn off.

Put the steaks on the grill using tongs or a spatula (no forks allowed). Put the steaks over the hottest part of the grill and close the lid. Give them 60 seconds of undisturbed searing. After a minute, flip them over. If they won’t come away from the grill easily. give them another 30 seconds. Once flipped, close the lid and give them another 60 seconds of undisturbed searing.

Now open the lip and leave it open for the rest of the cook.  Flip them again - yes this violates most “perfect steak” rules. But flipping the steaks often minimizes flareup and maximizes the amount of steak that’s done the way you like it. Keep flipping the steaks once a  minute until they are done.

When is it done? Press on the center of the steak or use an instant-read thermometer to determine doneness:

• Rare is 125°F, warm bright red center, feels soft like a sponge
• Medium-rare is 135°F, mostly pink with a hint of red center, yields easily to a little pressure
• Medium is 145°F,  has a large pink center, yields only slightly
• Medium-well is 155°F internal, has a hint of pink, and feels firm
• Well is anything over 160°F, the meat is solid brown with no give

Most steaks are at their best at medium-rare, but will be tasty anywhere from rare to medium. Leaner steaks will start to suffer at medium-well. When in doubt, err on the side of under cooked. You can always put a steak back on the grill if it’s too rare but, you can’t uncook it if it’s overdone.

When they are done to your liking, put the steaks on a warm plate, cover them gently with another one, and let them rest. Meat is muscle and muscles contract when cooked. If you want tender steaks, you need to allow time for the muscle to relax and the juices to redistribute.  Let them sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

The Copper River flows some 300 miles through Alaska, and the salmon that attempt the journey up that river are some of the richest, tastiest fish in the world.

The Copper River king salmon has a firm red flesh and a rich, nutty flavor that really calls for a minimalist approach when grilling.  I almost always do them on a cedar or alder plank. Plank cooking deepens the flavor while letting you use high temperatures to seal in the juices.

Use a food-grade plank that’s been soaked in water for at least half an hour. Set your grill up for direct cooking at medium-high heat (about 450°F). Oil the skin side of the salmon and season both sides with a little sea salt.

Put the plank on the grill by itself for about 5 minutes, or until you see the first wisps of smoke coming from the board. Flip the plank over and put the salmon on skin side down.

Close the lid on the grill and cook for 10-15 minutes. Salmon is best medium rare, so take the fillet off when it starts to flake, but is still a little translucent red inside - about 135°F internal. Remember that the fish will continue to cook a little once it’s off the heat, so you want it to be slightly underdone when you take it off.

In the butcher case yesterday, I looked over all the usual suspects. Nothing was leaping out of the case saying “cook me, cook me.” I was looking at the chickens, but gave up and was actually considering grilling pork chops (and I hate pork chops!) for dinner. But right next to the pork was the veal. Suddenly my interest was being peaked.

Hmm, veal chops? It’s been a long time since we’ve had veal chops. Veal cutlets? It’s been longer since we’ve had veal cutlets. A good veal parmigiana would be an nice meal. But no, it always upsets my stomach, I thought.

What’s this? A veal roast? I’ve never made one of those. How different can it be then a regular roast beef? “Cook me,” it called. I grabbed the little guy, or gal I should say, and headed to the cashier.

So last night I followed the sun. I rubbed that boneless veal roast with some Bob Tallman’s All Around Texas Style Fixin’s and smoked the veal roast over a charcoal and apple wood fire for about 3 hours. I smoked the veal until it was medium rare. And I did it by feel. No thermometers of any kind were used in this cook.

Sweet BeJejbus! It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed a meal so much. It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed a cook so much. No pressure. No deadline. No complicated meat preperation. Yes, this is what cooking is all about.

Picture courtesy of Bob Tallman’s Ranch Fixin’s.

It’s Summertime, and that means hamburgers and fresh sweet corn hot off the grill. This recipe takes preparation and a little coordination to get everything on and off the grill at the right time, but the results are well worth it.

Double Cheese Bacon Onion Double Burgers with Southwestern Sweet Corn

For the burgers:

• 1lb ground beef (preferably chuck), divided into 4 thin patties
• 2 slices of bacon
• 1/2 sweet onion, sliced into rings
• 1/2 oz Bleu cheese crumbles
• 2 slices Colby Jack or Cheddar cheese
• 2 buns, sliced and buttered

Cut the bacon strips in half and pan fry until crisp. Remove from pan and set aside, but don’t drain the pan. Add the sliced onions to pan and cook until soft. Set aside with the bacon.

Divide the Bleu cheese and place half on each of 2 of the beef patties. Top with remaining 2 beef patties, pinching the edges to seal. Season each side with your favorite steak seasoning (I like Dizzy Pig Cowlick). Let rest in the fridge while you prep the corn.

For the corn:

• 4 ears of corn, husked and cleaned
• 2T butter
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1t chili powder
• 1t sweet smoked paprika
• 1t kosher sea salt

Melt the butter in a small saucepan (I love the making this right on the grill with the Lodge Cast-Iron Melting Pot). Add the remaining ingredients (except the corn) and stir to combine. Keep this warm and nearby.

Okay, this cook moves kind of hot and fast. Get your get your grill up to medium-high (about 400°F) heat, get your mis en place, follow along closely, and nobody gets hurt.

1. Put the stuffed burgers on the grill.
2. Put the ears of corn on. Baste the ears with the butter mixture.
3. Cook the burgers until you see the juices forming on the top (about 3 to 5 minutes).
4. Flip the burgers.
5. Turn the corn and baste again.
6. Cook the burgers for another another 3 to 5 minutes. Flip and top with the sliced cheese, bacon strips, and onion rings.
7. Turn the corn and baste again.
8. Put the buns on, buttered side down.
9. Cook the buns and burgers for another 2 to 3 minutes until cheese is melted and the buns are golden brown. Remove from the grill.
10. Turn the corn and baste again. It should be getting some nice grill marks by now.
11. Assemble the burgers.
12. Remove the corn and serve with the remaining basting sauce on the side.

A man can never have enough barbeque accessories. I was gifted a Smokenator 1000 last Father’s day by Ms. Goofy and the boys. They sure know my weak spot. The Smokenator is a device which converts your Weber Kettle into a smoker. It is a stainless steel insert that fits to the side of the kettle. You load 50 charcoals and a couple of wood chunks and you’re set. The Smokenator is fitted with a small water pan.

Today I am going to attempt to smoke a small bone-in Pork Roast. I picked up a Taylor Bi Metal Candy thermometer to monitor the temperature in the Weber. The ideal smoking range is 225-250 degrees. To achieve this temperature, I am closing the bottom and top vents to 3/16 of an inch. You can gauge this by a pencil. A pencil is 5/16 of an inch. Close the vent on a pencil and a smudge more. Light 10 charcoal in a starter chimney. When they are glowing, add them to remainder of charcoal and wood chunks. I used apple wood. Fill your water pan.

I rubbed my Pork Roast with my own special rub. Place on grill and relax. I would check the fire every couple of hours. If the temperature drops a little, open the grill and stir the charcoals with the included rod.  I cooked this roast to the internal temperature reached 150 degrees. It took approximately 4 hours. I let it rest for 20 minutes. It was a long 20 minutes.

This pork roast was so juicy that I should have worn a bib. I actually served it with some red beans and rice. It was perfect for soaking up all the yummy pork goodness. The smokenator is a great device to turn your Weber into a smoker. I may have to go out and buy some ribs for more testing.

Mario Batali and his son, Benno, make an appearance in a new music video. The new video is from the Bloodsugars, and is called “Purpose Was Again.” Unfortunately, I can’t post the video here, since our software doesn’t allow embedding of video, so you’ll have to take a look at it on YouTube.

Enjoy The Bloodsugars - “Purpose Was Again” - the official music video.

Photo of Mario’s feet courtesy of Mariobatali.com.

The heat of the grill does a lot to tone down the spiciness of the marinade.

Chipotle Marinade

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 chipotle chile canned in adobo sauce
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (about 2 medium limes)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2-4 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon kosher sea salt
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Put all of the ingredients (except the chicken) in a food processor and give them a whirl until they are well-combined. Put chicken in a freezer bag and coat with the marinade. Squeeze the air out of the bag and seal. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, overnight is best.

Remove chicken from marinade, letting excess drip off. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper (or kick it up with a dusting of Dizzy Pig’s Swamp Venom). Set your grill up for direct cooking over medium heat (around 400°F). Cook chicken for 4 minutes, rotate 45 degrees and cook an additional 4 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook until the internal temperature hits 165°F.

After enjoying pozole (a stew made from hominy, pork or chicken, and green chilies) in Mexico, I decided to try a version of the dish on the Big Green Egg.

I wanted to try the barbacoa technique, where the meat cooks over the stock. I started with one nice roasting hen that was rubbed with Goya Sazón. The BGE was stabilized at 350°F and set up for indirect cooking. I put a cast iron dutch oven full of stock (water, onion, chicken neck, 1/2 cup Mojo Criollo, garlic, and jalapeño) onto the inverted plate setter. BGE feet were used to raise it off the plate so it wouldn’t scorch.

The idea had been to vertically roast the bird over the stock, but in one of those measure-once-cut-twice moments, I discovered that this setup would be too tall to fit in the Egg, so the bird ended up just sitting on the grid above the stock and I just had to make sure that the bird’s juices drained into the stock.

Everything was cooked together until the bird hit 165°F in the breast. The bird was removed to let rest, and the stock cooked for another half hour just to reduce it a bit and increase the smoky flavor.

The chicken was shredded into the stock and then I added hominy and green chilies and let it simmer for another half hour. It was amazing - rich stock, tender chicken, smoky aroma, wow!