Family Friendly Labor Day Grill

It's your last chance to grill before school starts! Well, some of you in other parts of the country have already started school, but Labor Day weekend does serve as the other pillar to Memorial Day that means summer is over, fall shall begin.

Here is a post I wrote for Char-broil. It's a recipe for grilled chicken with my secret to sneaking vegetables to my kids without their knowing it. Spoiler alert: I wait till they are so weak with hunger they'll eat anything I put in front of them. No, not really. To find out you'll just have to read the whole post here.

If you feel more like steak this weekend, you should read How to Make Perfect Sear Marks. In that post there is a contest to win a jar of pickles. I know that's not an Ipad or Ipod or I-something, but they are really great pickles, if I may be so bold.

Labor Day Menu: Grill Roasted Chicken with Sage, Butter & Wine Sauce

I cannot believe it's almost Labor Day. No way is it almost Labor Day. I still haven't posted the promised whole pig smoke bonanza promised in July! Sigh. I want to show it in part via video and I'm slow at these things. And, I know you've heard the whine before, but I'm a barbecue caterer, people! Summer is the Superbowl. A really really long Superbowl before we all blow out our knees and fall back to the B leagues or whatever it is in football.

I really shouldn't speak in football analogies. I'll only embarrass myself.

Lucky for you, you get this TIMELY post for Labor Day. I wrote it for Char-broil a while ago. They are smart and give me deadlines well ahead of the actual publish date.

An even though I cooked it months ago, I'm still thinking about this chicken. Chicken on the grill, slathered in sage and drizzled with a shallot, butter white wine sauce. Mmm. Finished indirectly on my grill, it stayed so moist that it melted in my mouth. I'm just going to have to make it again. For Labor Day! Read the recipe here.

And the winner is....

Happy 4th of July! Well, happy day after. It's 11 am and I'm still in jammies. Not that we had a "rager" last night, just a busy day. While Eric slung ribs at the restaurant, I grilled veggies, made slaw, slathered chicken, and picked up socks. He came back earlier than I thought he could and clean up and weed-whacked the backyard.

It was our first backyard barbecue with guests since we moved! Both the Char-broil Infrared and the Big Green Egg were used, so we covered the charcoal and gas bases.

On the menu was grilled chicken, burgers, steaks, grilled veggies, plus all the other accompaniments. Not a speck of smoked meats, potato salad, or traditional coleslaw (mine had golden raisins, almonds, collards, and was dressed with a mustard vinaigrette). What can I say, we get enough of that on a daily basis.

What did you all cook for the 4th? How about YOU, Shane Conrad? Because you are our winner! My daughter blindly picked your name out of a bowl. Congratulations!

Chinese New Year Tea Smoked Chicken

Happy Chinese New Year! The Year of the Snake is upon us and I've put together two recipes for you to try. The first is a Tea Smoked Chicken recipe I did for Char-broil. The next is literally on my infrared grill as I write this. Hopefully I won't get too sidetracked with this post and burn the darn thing!

Whole chicken and whole grilled fish are both traditional dishes for Chinese New Year. Keeping them whole, to be cut at the table, represents good fortune, abundance and health. Read the Tea Smoked Chicken recipe and let me know what you think. It's really simple, which starts with "S", like snake. Check back tomorrow for the fish.

Right! The fish. I'd better get out there and take it off the grill. I'm sure it's ready.