# Tasting Menu Centered Around a BBQ/Grill **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 26, 2010, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tasting-menu-centered-around-a-bbq-grill/537365 "2010-04-26T02:48:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tasting-menu-centered-around-a-bbq-grill/537365/21 "2010-04-27T03:21:13Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > If you can get your hands on some peaches at this time of year, cut them in half and grill them. I find it actually works better if they’re not too ripe, but a bit hard. Drizzle them with maple syrup and put on a dollop of sour cream that’s been sweetened with sugar. > [@emacknight](#): > > Nice, that’s noted. I love serving it family style right off the plank. Salmon with an Asian inspired glaze would work with the rice. > > I like the grilled pineapple idea more than grilled peaches, the latter never quite works out the way I want it too. time to kick the peaches up a notch or three. Cut the peaches in half, remove the pit. Season with cinnamon, nutmeg (just a bit) and white sugar. Do this before you start grilling dinner. when you have pulled the main course off the grill, put a mound of brown sugar in the center of the peach half, and drizzle some peach schnapps or peach brandy on it. Place on grill and let the residual heat do its magic. when you are done with dinner, the peaches will be ready. Serve in a bowl, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and garnish with a cinnamon stick. As far as planking goes, try this Cedar planked maple glazed Cajun salmon. Place a salmon fillet on a soaked cedar plank. Season with Cajun seasoning (Fish magic or similar) and drizzle with maple syrup. Toss on direct heat. You can also cook chicken on a cedar plank. Damn good too. Brine a cut up chicken in a salt water/ brown sugar brine for about 4 hours and then cook turning once 1/2 way through. Pretty damn wonderful. ---
**Author:** ![emacknight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ec8ea/32.png) [@emacknight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emacknight)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tasting-menu-centered-around-a-bbq-grill/537365/22 "2010-04-27T04:44:18Z")
> [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > [Jamaican Jerk Pork Tenderloin](http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=226513) – This is one of our go-to grill recipes–it’s delicious, and if you do it like I do and just throw four whole habaneros into the food processor for the marinade, it’s nice and spicy. Great with some grilled pineapple or mango salsa. If you do the slider thing, you could thinly slice it and use the salsa as the condiment, with some of those little mini Hawaiian rolls. > > Seconding the Turds recipe up there–we call them Atomic Buffalo Turds around here, and if you google that you’ll find a ton of recipes. > > I make a variation of this [grilled mussels](http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=452657) recipe. I tend to reduce the wine a little bit rather than just throwing raw uncooked wine into the sauce. In any other situation I’d be all over that, but this couple finds black pepper too spicy, so I have to be a bit careful. I like the Hawaiian roll idea, that’s been noted. ---
**Author:** ![emacknight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ec8ea/32.png) [@emacknight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emacknight)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tasting-menu-centered-around-a-bbq-grill/537365/23 "2010-04-27T04:49:30Z")
> [@parthenokinesis](#): > > I’ve done a soft na’an directly on the grill, sans stone. I think I like the texture that way a little better. Also there’s any number of things you can do with foil packet cooking on the grill; potatoes, mushrooms, mixed vegies, bread pudding with crumbled sausage… Bread pudding, noted. Is it still “in”? I know it was really fashionable for a while there, I feel like I’ve been through every conceivable variation, so I assume by now it’s gotten old. Have you tried na’an on the pizza stone? It’s a LOT more like traditional because they place it on the inside wall of the oven. Gives the nice bottom and all the bubbles on top, brush with a little garlic butter, takes me right back to Goa. Foil packets are okay, look a bit too much like any random picnic. But I might try papillote. ---
**Author:** ![emacknight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ec8ea/32.png) [@emacknight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emacknight)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tasting-menu-centered-around-a-bbq-grill/537365/24 "2010-04-27T04:51:07Z")
> [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > Get some prosciutto slickes and butter them with room temperature chèvre cheese. Little bit of ground pepper, then roll a stalk of fresh asparagus in it on the diagonal. Grill for about 7-8 minutes, cut into 1 inch rolls. Optional - drizzle with balsamic vinegar. wow, I like that too. do you normally blanch your asparagus before hand? ---
**Author:** ![emacknight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ec8ea/32.png) [@emacknight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emacknight)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tasting-menu-centered-around-a-bbq-grill/537365/25 "2010-04-27T04:53:27Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > time to kick the peaches up a notch or three. > Cut the peaches in half, remove the pit. Season with cinnamon, nutmeg (just a bit) and white sugar. Do this before you start grilling dinner. when you have pulled the main course off the grill, put a mound of brown sugar in the center of the peach half, and drizzle some peach schnapps or peach brandy on it. Place on grill and let the residual heat do its magic. > when you are done with dinner, the peaches will be ready. Serve in a bowl, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and garnish with a cinnamon stick. > As far as planking goes, try this > Cedar planked maple glazed Cajun salmon. Place a salmon fillet on a soaked cedar plank. Season with Cajun seasoning (Fish magic or similar) and drizzle with maple syrup. Toss on direct heat. > You can also cook chicken on a cedar plank. Damn good too. Brine a cut up chicken in a salt water/ brown sugar brine for about 4 hours and then cook turning once 1/2 way through. Pretty damn wonderful. Okay, those peaches sound good. When are peaches in season? I’m temped to do this with apples instead because that would make my wife really happy. Haven’t tired chicken on the plank, which reminds me I need some planks. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tasting-menu-centered-around-a-bbq-grill/537365/26 "2010-04-27T05:16:27Z")
> [@](#): > > I’ve done a soft na’an directly on the grill, sans stone. Exactly what I was going to suggest. It would be great with your baba ghanouj, or you could make a grilled mango or pineapple chutney to go with it. Perfect first course. Or you could do a grilled pizza. Forget the stone–at that point you’re just using the grill as an oven, which is awesome in itself but not in the spirit of what you’re doing here. Do it right on the grate. There are plenty of tutorials about it on the web (including a great article in Cook’s Illustrated a while back, if you have access). Top it with rosemary, salt, and good olive oil for a first course, or something a little more substantial for a second. One of my favorite combos is pear, gorgonzola, and pumpkin seeds. I also think the grilled salad is a great idea. Radicchio and endive grill up particularly well, and they’ve got enough flavor that you can dress them with just a little oil and lemon juice. Love the planked salmon, too. Instead of an actual mini-burger, you could do what I call the Swarovski Krystal–grill a nice London broil or flank steak to medium rare, slice it paper-thin, and serve it on mini-buns with homemade red onion relish. The idea should be showing off all the crazy things you can do with your awesome grill. To that end, if you’re doing seven courses, I’d make three or four of them meatless. A lot of people never even think to do anything but meat on the grill, so even as simple a foray outside that zone as grilling up sliced zucchini can blow people’s minds. ---
**Author:** ![emacknight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ec8ea/32.png) [@emacknight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emacknight)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tasting-menu-centered-around-a-bbq-grill/537365/27 "2010-04-27T05:44:12Z")
> [@DoctorJ](#): > > Exactly what I was going to suggest. It would be great with your baba ghanouj, or you could make a grilled mango or pineapple chutney to go with it. Perfect first course. > > Or you could do a grilled pizza. Forget the stone–at that point you’re just using the grill as an oven, which is awesome in itself but not in the spirit of what you’re doing here. Do it right on the grate. There are plenty of tutorials about it on the web (including a great article in Cook’s Illustrated a while back, if you have access). Top it with rosemary, salt, and good olive oil for a first course, or something a little more substantial for a second. One of my favorite combos is pear, gorgonzola, and pumpkin seeds. > > I also think the grilled salad is a great idea. Radicchio and endive grill up particularly well, and they’ve got enough flavor that you can dress them with just a little oil and lemon juice. > > Love the planked salmon, too. > > Instead of an actual mini-burger, you could do what I call the Swarovski Krystal–grill a nice London broil or flank steak to medium rare, slice it paper-thin, and serve it on mini-buns with homemade red onion relish. > > The idea should be showing off all the crazy things you can do with your awesome grill. To that end, if you’re doing seven courses, I’d make three or four of them meatless. A lot of people never even think to do anything but meat on the grill, so even as simple a foray outside that zone as grilling up sliced zucchini can blow people’s minds. No, I really love the stone. A standard kitchen oven really struggles to get up over 500 degrees. With all four burners running wide open this sucker is up over 900. I’ve done the grilled bread thing before, but it wasn’t until I plopped it down on a crazy hot stone did I reach nirvana. I really think it produces and amazing result, akin to having my own tandoor. It’s a texture thing that’s hard to match: crispy bottom, bubbly air pockets, soft interior Heaven. I like the flank idea, but I’m not thrilled with the idea of slicing it, tends to be a hassle outside, and if you end up with a piece just a little too thick it’s sort of off putting. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tasting-menu-centered-around-a-bbq-grill/537365/28 "2010-04-27T11:48:04Z")
> [@emacknight](#): > > wow, I like that too. do you normally blanch your asparagus before hand? No, it just cooks in the 7 or 8 minutes on the grill. I like my asparagus ‘al dente’. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![emacknight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ec8ea/32.png) [@emacknight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emacknight)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tasting-menu-centered-around-a-bbq-grill/537365/29 "2010-04-27T13:04:21Z")
> [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > No, it just cooks in the 7 or 8 minutes on the grill. I like my asparagus ‘al dente’. 🙂 Understood. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tasting-menu-centered-around-a-bbq-grill/537365.md?page=1)