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PrintIt’s been an entertaining summer at the grill. Whatever the occasion that brings us together, we’ve got recipes for your summer of GRATE grilling.
2020 was the year for updating our backyards and outdoor entertainment spaces. 2021 is the year of showing off, grilling out and entertaining our friends & family!
DATE NIGHT – DONE RIGHT
To finish your Tomahawk, we recommend moving it from the rails side to the flat side for a good ”Ruth’s Chris Kiss”! This allows for more of that amazing char flavor between your flavor bars. We must admit, there’s something caveman-esque about gloving up and whipping that steak around by the bone, and we love it!
One of our new favorite cuts to grill is a thick-cut Tomahawk Steak. What was once a specialty cut served only in steakhouses, is now one of our favorite date night go-to’s.
Available at your local supermarket meat counter, this cut is not only fun to cook and impressive to look at, but it’s the perfect portion for two people. Serving 4 people? Just buy two.
Believe it or not, this is a simple steak to grill. It must be reversed seared. Roast for about an hour on your gasser, charcoal or pellet grill. When it reaches the desired internal temp (between 118°F – 125°F), pull the steak, tent it under foil and ramp up your grill for that final sear.
GRILLGRATE TIP: Brad likes to have a hot grill standing by, ready to go for the final sear.
THE INTIMATE DINNER PARTY
When it comes to entertaining at the grill, no one does it better than grilling queen and Professional Chef Tina Cannon.
Tina invited us to her stunning home in Newnan, Georgia for a day of grilling and chilling. Like many of us, Tina spent the lockdown working on projects around her home. During that time she remodeled the kitchen in her house and completed her secondary “outdoor kitchen” which she uses for filming and entertaining.
She even has a “she shed” that includes a mini-kitchen and covered area for her Grilla and Big Green Egg.
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- Tina and Brad get ready to start shooting in her main kitchen.
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- Tina shows off her recently completed outdoor kitchen where she loves to host friends.
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- Tina’s “She Shed” provides coverage for her favorite grills as well as a serving area.
But our visit wasn’t just about Tina’s renovated spaces. We asked her to share her favorite recipes when she entertains around the grill. With a few simple steps and a little prep, she’s able to feed a crowd and still enjoy her pool.
For an intimate dinner party with just a handful of friends, Tina cooks up Ground Lamb Kebabs with Greek Salad, topped with Homemade Tzatziki Sauce. They’ll think you slaved over this amazing meal – let them! The prep is less than 5 minutes. Blend ground lamb with seasoned feta cheese and then mold it around skewers to make kebabs and you’re DONE! Keep them in the refrigerator until it’s time to grill.
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- We grilled up the lamb kebabs and added some pitas and eggplant to round out the meal. We topped it off with fresh feta and homemade Tzatziki sauce.
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- This is the perfect light, flavorful summertime meal.
PRO PLATING TIP: If you want to catch those lamb drippings for a more flavorful salad, serve like you see on the right.
WOW A CROWD
Got a crowd coming over? Take the low country boil to the GRILL. That’s right, a Low Country Grill is easy to prep and so much better when grilled. Tina preps the potatoes and corn by parboiling them early, with a heavy dose of Old Bay.
Before you get your grill heated up, we recommend flipping your grates to the flat side.
When ready, the low country grill is cooked in a sequence…
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- Potatoes, sausage and onion first. Then add your corn.
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- Pull your potatoes and sausage. Rotate your corn and move it over to the side. Then add shrimp and some lemons (they get extra juicy on the grill).
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- Pull the corn when done, work shrimp into the middle, place crab legs around the outside.
Above: Shrimp, onion, kielbasa, Andouille, Potatoes, Corn and Crab Legs are a feast, but Tina takes it to the next level by topping everything with a Garlic-Old Bay-Butter-Sauce at the end.
SWEET ENDINGS
Perhaps the biggest show-stopper of our day was the Boozy Berries that Tina grilled up alongside angel food cake and served with vanilla ice cream.
Why “Boozy”? Tina uses a Strawberry Corer to get the stem out of her strawberry without losing the whole top of it. Then she uses a meat injector to put her favorite spiced rum (we used Captain Morgan) into each strawberry before grilling. Most of the alcohol burns off in the cook but the flavor remains.
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- Boozy Berries
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- Grilling alongside the angel food cake.
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- Those sear marks were caramelized sugar.
Tastes even better than it looks!
What’s your favorite recipe when entertaining at the grill? Leave a comment below and let us know! We would love to feature you in the recipe section of our website.
GrillGrate. Eat Well.
-Meagan
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