New Blackstone Griddle

 My daughter and grandson got me a Blackstone Griddle for Father's Day. I had been kicking around the idea of getting one but kept putting it off. Wasn't sure how much I'd use it.

Well, problem solved. They got me one and it is terrific. I followed directions from YouTube videos as to seasoning it and got a real nice cooking surface on it with about 3 seasonings. Now it's easy to cook on and after each use, I clean it and add a thin layer of oil.

My first attempt was smash burgers. Perfect. Can't do them on a grill but wow, they do great here. I forgot to take pictures but will next time.

My grandson did stir fry last night and I am doing sloppy joes tonight. I'll try to remember pictures.

I love cooking outside and now there are more opportunities.

Grilling Chicken Thighs

 Personally, I prefer chicken breasts. I like the white meat. That carries over to turkey as well.

Having said that, I do like barbecuing chicken thighs from time to time. The fact is they come out juicier.

To me, the skin has to be crispy, more so on chicken thighs than chicken breasts. Don't get me wrong. Crispy skin on chicken breasts is always my goal as well, but the taste of the breasts van overcome skin that's not as crispy as I might prefer.

Here are some thighs I barbecued. You can see the crispiness. The last couple minutes I brush on barbecue sauce, but I wanted you to see them before they get coated.

The secret is to cook them on lower heat until they are close to being done. I use a meat thermometer on chicken and pork because you don't want to undercook these meats. 

Once the meat temperature reaches about 130 degrees, I turn the grill to high so I can crisp the skin. Then, as I mentioned, about 2 minutes before they are finished, I add the barbecue sauce.

How to Make a Smash Burger

 

I'll admit it blew my mind when I found out a lot of people don't know what a smash burger is. Then again, I may have been late to the party as well.

Basically, a smash burger is just what it sounds like. A burger that is smashed. If you have read some of my previous posts, I always say when you grill a burger, you don't press down on it with your spatula.

Ever!

Now this is different. First, you're using a frying pan. You're also using ground beef. Make a large meatball. Put it in a pan with melted butter. 

Now put some parchment paper over it and get something that allows you to smash it down. I use a small plate.

Now press down on it and smash that meatball. I press down and the kind of move my hand around to make sure I smash the heck out of it.

The idea is to flatten it to your desire. Some like it a tad thicker, but I prefer mine thin. The thinner it is, the faster it cooks.

This is what it looks like. It browns on one side in a minute or so. Flip it and do the other side. Toss a slab of cheese on it if you like cheeseburgers.

Put it on bread or a bun with lettuce, tomato, mustard and ketchup and, I'm telling you, it'll taste like the burgers you use to eat at drive-ins or dives.

Try one and see if you don't love it. But remember, this is pan fried. If you grill, DO NOT press the burger.

Witness the First Barbecue?

 Could this have been the first barbecue ever? 

Or maybe an incident that started the caveman wanting to change the way he ate meat?

Curious? You should be. Check out this video and see what you think. Could this have been the start of barbecue?

First Barbecue?

Make Your Own Homemade Gravy

 One of the things I like most when cooking chicken or beef is gravy. But it's not always possible to get enough juices to make it.

Not to worry. Here is a gravy recipe I make all the time.

Pour your juices from the chicken or beef into a saucepan. If there's not enough to make gravy for the meal, you can add broth. I don't bother keeping broth. I use chicken or beef bullions and mix it in water. In this case pour a cup or so of the water you need to make a generous amount of gravy into the juices and add the bullions cubes. I'll usually add 2 or 3 cubes per cup. 

A little trick to make the gravy even better is to mix beef and chicken bullions. 

Now add some flour into a shaking container and add water. Shake until the right thickness. Bring the gravy mixture to a boil and slowly add the flour mixture to the juices. Keep stirring and only add a small amount at a time. Add until you reach the thickness you want.

This is delicious and when my chicken recipes call for mashed potatoes, I'm good to go.

Trouble at the Barbecue

 I thought you might get a kick out of this. I do animations as a hobby, and this is one I did about a confrontation as a barbecue.

It's made for fun, and I hope you get a kick out of it.

I'm toying with adding some animations into this cooking blog. I'd love to hear your comments as to whether you like this idea or you think I should only focus on cooking. My idea with this animation and cartoons is to make a cooking site that not only gives you some good ideas for your next meal, but entertains you along the way.

Easy Hamburger Pie - Cheap and Delicious

 It's always nice to be able to make delicious recipes that don't cost much. Nowadays, it's pretty much a must.

Here's a hamburger pie that is not only delicious but is also easy and won't cost much. It is a casserole and will feed 3 - 4 people. I'm a widower and I can get a couple meals out of it, although one of the meals has to be with my grandson since it's his favorite.

Ingredients:

    1 pound hamburger

    2 cans tomato soup

    1 can peas (drained)

    4 - 5 potatoes

The number of potatoes is your choice. I like a lot of mashed potatoes on top and, if I make too many, I put the leftovers in the refrigerator for another meal.

Brown and drain the hamburger. In a casserole dish, add the 2 cans of tomato soup and the peas. Mix well. Add the hamburger and, once again, mix well. I like to add salt and pepper to taste.

Mash the potatoes. Don't make them too runny or too thick. This is going into the oven so they will be losing some of their moisture. 

Scoop the potatoes evenly onto the tomato soup mixture. Turn the oven to 400 degrees and put the dish on the middle rack without preheating. Set the timer for 20 minutes. Check at 20 minutes to make certain the mixture is boiling.

Serve. Yep, it's simple. But wait until you tase it.