Author: Keegan

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Grilled Tri-Tip Roast

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Tri-Tip sirloin is a tasty affordable cut of meat that can feed a whole family.  If prepared correctly it is tender, juicy, and bursting with flavor.  This marinated version will send you back to your butcher for another Tri-Tip soon after you try it.

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Because sirloin is not the most tender beef out of the package, we are going to marinate this tri-tip roast overnight to pack some tenderness and flavor into the roast.  Before marinating, take the tri-tip roast out of the package and cut off any large areas that are primarily fat around the edges of the beef.  Then, mix the marinade ingredients together in a large ziplock bag and  submerge the tri-tip in the marinade.  Place it in the fridge overnight, rotating it a few times if possible.

When ready to grill, fire up the grill to high heat, or over 500 F.  Place the tri-tip directly over the hottest portion of the grill and grill each side for 5 minutes.  This will develop a nice char on the meat.

Then turn down the grill to low (350 F) or place the tri-tip over indirect heat for another 5 minutes on each side.  If your tri-tip is over 1.5 inches, then you may need to grill it longer at this lower temperature.   The best way to check doneness is to take the temperature of the center with a meat probe or cut into the meat to check how red/pink the center is.  I take my tri-tips off the grill at 120 degrees.  When you are grilling over high heat and the cut of meat is not very thick, the temperature can change from 120 to 140 very quickly.  Error on the side of more rare, as you can alway place it back on the grill.

After you pull the tri-tip roast off the grill, let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing the steak against the grain 1/2 inches thick.  Crack some fresh pepper and sprinkle a little salt over the freshly cut steak and enjoy!

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Grilled Tri-Tip Roast

A quick method to prepare a delicious tender Tri-Tip Sirloin Roast.  Quickly grilled for an easy meal. 

Course Dinner
Cuisine American, BBQ, Grilled
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 3 -4
Author Keegan

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs Tri-Tip Sirloin Steak

18-24 Hour Marinade

  • 2 Tablespoons Black Vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
  • 8 Tablespoons Water
  • 1 Tablespoons Black Pepper

Instructions

  1. Marinade Tri-Tip overnight
  2. Grill over high heat for 5 minutes on each side

  3. Grill over low heat or indirect heat for approximately 5 minutes on each side

  4. Check internal temperature of tri-tip and keep cooking if needed. I like to pull the tri-tip off at 125-130 F for a medium rare finish.  

  5. Let steak rest for 10 minutes and slice 1/2" thick against the grain

  6. Crack fresh pepper over the freshly sliced steak and sprinkle with salt lightly.
  7. Serve and enjoy!

 

 

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Grilled Half Chickens

rubbed and grilled chicken halfs
grilled half chickens on the weber kettle

Half Chickens vs Whole Chickens

Tonight we are grilling a whole chicken on the grill, with one catch…. we are splitting the chicken in half to make the process easier.  Sometimes making the process easier sacrifices results, but not in this case.  I actually enjoy half-chickens just as much as roasted whole chickens.  It allows for uniform cooking and extremely juicy tender meat.  If you like chicken you will love this.  If you are on the fence about chicken, this recipe will move you to the chicken side of the fence.  The delicious side with crispy skin. 

The chicken turns out crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.  This will cure you of craving fried chicken on a regular basis. Let’s get started on creating a perfect grilled half chicken…

If you prefer to watch videos, check out my video below with all the same instructions…. 

Splitting a Whole Chicken

To split the chicken, you need a nice sharp knife with some heft to it.  The best way to do it is to cut through the chicken just right or left of center.  By going just left of right, you avoid most of the breast bone and it is a little easier to cut through.  I find using a serrated edged knife works a little better too.  Now, just commit and slice through with some aggression! 

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split chickens

Seasoning the Chicken Halfs

After you tackle splitting the chicken, season your half chickens on both sides heavily with a delicious rub.  Tonight I am using my Good Lov’n Everything Rub.  It brings a little love to everything it touches.  It is truly good on about everything and works great on chicken.  Rub heavily and get the grill started for indirect heat at 400 degrees.

Want more Amazing BBQ Rubs that will take your Backyard BBQ to the Next Level?  Download my favorite Everyday BBQ Rub Recipes below…. 

Download my Free Everyday BBQ Rub Recipe E-book

Grilling the Half Chickens

Once the grill is hot, put the chicken on the indirect heat side of the grill, skin side down.  Cook for 20 min and then flip skin side up.  Cook for another 20 min and then rotate the chicken for even cooking.  Cook for another 20-30 minutes and then check internal temperature.  Pull the chicken off when at 165 F or cook a little longer if you want the skin crispier.  Then pull off the grill to rest for 10 minutes.

Cut into pieces for serving and enjoy the flavor of the grill.  This will NOT be your last Half Chicken on the Grill, I would bet.

rubbed and grilled chicken halfs
rubbed and grilled chicken halfs
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Grilled Half Chickens

Split a whole chicken in half to create the most delicious chicken that is easy to cook in one hour.
Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine American, BBQ, Grilling
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 2 -3
Author Keegan

Ingredients

  • 3-5 lb Whole Chicken

2-3 Tablespoons of Good Lov'n BBQ Rub

  • 12 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
  • 4 Tablespoons Seasoned Salt
  • 2 Tablespoons Celery Salt
  • 2 Tablespoons Lemon Pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons Garlic Powder
  • 2 Tablespoons Onion Powder
  • 4 Tablespoons Paprika
  • 2 Tablespoons Ancho Chile
  • 2 Tablespoons Black Pepper
  • 2 teaspoons Cumin
  • 2 teaspoons Oregano
  • 2 teaspoons Thyme
  • 2 teaspoons Rosemary
  • 2 teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
  • 2 teaspoons Mustard Powder

Instructions

  1. Cut Chicken in Half
  2. Rinse Chicken with water and dry off

  3. Rub all sides heavily with BBQ Rub

  4. Heat grill to 350 - 400 degrees

  5. Grill skin side down over indirect heat for 20 min
  6. Flip and grill skin side up over indirect heat for 20 min

  7. Rotate, still skin side up and grill for 25 min.  Pull off of grill when internal temperature reaches 165 F in the breast and thigh, or leave on if you want the skin crispier. 

  8. Let rest for 10 minutes
  9. Cut into pieces and serve

Want this Amazing BBQ Rub and others that will take your Backyard BBQ to the Next Level?  Download my favorite Everyday BBQ Rub Recipes below…. 

Download my Free Everyday BBQ Rub Recipe E-book

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Rotisserie BBQ Ribs

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I recently found a love for using the rotisserie on my Weber Kettle grill.    It is a great way to cook a lot of different meats, including BBQ Ribs.  I used a rack of St. Louis spare ribs this time around, but you could also baby back ribs too.  The best part is the self basting that happens when you rotisserie a rack of ribs.  The outer layer becomes this delicious salty sweet crust that you cannot get enough of.  These BBQ Ribs are fantastic and only take 2 hrs to cook.

Full recipe found below for this rotisserie cook.  If you would rather watch a video of another rotisserie cook I recently did, check out the video below from my youtube channel.  It uses the same method, but utilizes a larger rotisserie basket that holds multiple racks of ribs… which is pretty cool.

 

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Here are the details on the process I used for this grill session…..

As I mentioned, I used the accessory rotisserie setup for the 22″ weber kettle.  I have used this for a lot of different meats: ribs, full chickens, chicken wings, and thick steaks.  I like it best for pork and chicken, as they have a little more fat in them making them great self basters.  By slowly rotating the meat, the fat drippings stay on the meat a long time, self-basting themselves.  This is a good thing, as it creates a flavorful crust and keeps the meat moist inside.  For most rotisserie setups I have found a temperature of 350 -400 degrees to work great.  For this setup I started at 400 degrees and let it slowly drop to 300 degrees over the 2 hr cook.

In order to keep the grill clean up easy, I place a foil pan below the rotisserie to catch the drippings.  If you want to reuse the drip pan, just wrap it in an extra layer of foil.  Notice the indirect heat setup for the weber grill below.   Most of the 22″ retail packages come with the side baskets to hold charcoal, making indirect heat setup a breeze.

In order to keep an eye on the meat and the grill temperature, I will check the temperature every 20 minutes and make any adjustments to the bottom and top vents as needed.   I typically shoot to start at 400 degrees and then tighten up the vents to extend the cooking time and allow the heat to mellow over the cook.

As you check the ribs to see how they are cooking, look for the meat pulling back from the bone.  When you can see about 1/4 to 1/2″ of bone on some of the edges, the ribs are done and ready to pull off the grill.  Recipe details are below.

 

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Rotisserie BBQ Ribs

This is a quick and tasty recipe to rotisserie grill a rack of ribs over indirect heat. This setup can cut your cooking time in half (or more) in comparison to low and slow smoking. Cook these over high heat for a quick delicious BBQ rib dinner.

Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American, BBQ
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings 2 servings
Author Keegan

Ingredients

  • 1 Rack St. Louis Cut of Ribs Trimmed to fit rotisserie basket if needed

Rib Rub

  • 4 T Seasoned Salt
  • 4 T Ancho Chili
  • 5 T Brown Sugar
  • 1 T Celery Salt
  • 1 teaspoons Cayenne

Instructions

  1. Remove silver skin from bone side of ribs.  

  2. Evenly distribute about 1 Tablespoon of the Rib Rub on each side of ribs.

  3. Let rest for 30 minutes before placing on the grill. 

  4. Place ribs in a rotisserie basket.

  5. Rotisserie for 1.5 - 2 hrs at 350-400 degrees over indirect heat.  When the meat starts to pull back off the rib bones, that is a good sign they are getting close to done. 

  6. Let rest for 5-10 minutes.
  7. Slice and serve!

 

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Grilled Baked Potato Packets

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Another evening grill session with not a lot of time to prepare or clean up.   When I want a simple tasty side, I often make grilled baked potato packets along side a steak, burger, or chicken breast.  Growing up around campfires we often made “hamburger surprises” which were foil packets loaded with potatoes, ground beef, and onions.   This is a simplified side dish inspired by those experiences.

The first step in making this delicious grilled baked potato packet is selecting a good potato.  I always use Baby Red potatoes or Baby Yukon Gold potatoes.  They are nice and sweet and cook pretty fast compared to large Russet potatoes.  Typically I will use potatoes that are about 2-3″ in diameter.  Bigger than a golf ball for sure, but way smaller than a baseball. Tonight I am making dinner for myself, so just two small potatoes will do the job.  The first step is to cut them in half, trying to create 4 equally thick pieces.

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Then, score the potatoes about 1/4″ to 1/2″ deep with a paring knife. Score the potatoes in each direction to create a criss cross pattern.    This allows for faster cooking and a better presentation at the end.  I can thank my Grandma for this method, as she would bake potatoes in the oven using this technique.  Fun as a kid and delicious as an adult.

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After scoring the taters, place them in a large piece of foil to season and wrap for the grill.  Before seasoning coat the taters on each sided with olive oil.  This will help the seasoning stick to the taters and also help with the grilling process.  I use a simple seasoning of Seasoned Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper.  If you do not grind your pepper fresh, please start.  No shaking pepper from little plastic cans labeled pepper.  You want to liberally coat both sides with pepper and salt.  Adding a little butter or sour cream at the end will mellow out the salt and pepper.

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Wrap up the potatoes so they stay arranged lying flat against the foil.  Then heat up the grill to 400-450 degrees.

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Place on the grill.  Total grilling time 30-40 minutes.  After placing on grill, flip the foil packets every 10 minutes.  This is perfect for grilling steak or chicken, as you can place the foil packets on the grill while preheating for the meat.  Just account for the grilling time of the steak in your 30-40 min time frame.  The final product should look like this……

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Add some sour cream and/or butter and serve.  Toss the foil and you have a no mess dinner side ready to eat.  Simple but tasty.  All sorts of rubs can be used to season the taters in place of salt and pepper.  However this is my weekly standard.  Enjoy!

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One Hour Marinade Grilled Flank Steak

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Tonight I am making one of my favorite flank steak recipes.  It is quick, easy, and, most importantly, delicious every time. I am certifiably addicted to flank steak and this marinade elevates it to another level.

One great quality of flank steak is the ability to absorb marinade flavors quickly, making it a great weeknight meal or a good option when little planning is needed. You can throw the steak in the marinade when you get off work and have the steak on the grill an hour later.

OK, let’s get down to business.

The first step is to mix up the marinade. This is an Asian inspired recipe that enhances the natural flavor of the flank steak with a sweet and salty tangy goodness.

For 1-2 pounds of flank steak, mix up the following in a bowl:

  • 2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 Tablespoons Chinese Black Vinegar (found in the asian section of the supermarket… well worth the effort to find)
  • 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil ( or any vegetable oil)
  • 2 Tablespoons Water
  • 1 Teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper

Place the steak in a Ziploc bag or any vessel you have that will allow the steak to submerge in the marinade. In this case I am using a little glass dish shaped like a pie. I have never made a pie with it, but it has marinaded about 100 steaks.

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Flank steak taking a 1 Hour Bath in the Marinade

Let the steak marinade at room temperature for 30 min and then flip it one time to allow the marinade to work evenly. Pull the steak out of the marinade after about an hour. You can leave it in the marinade for up to 2 hours, but leave it in the fridge for the first hour. After taking it out of the marinade, grind some fresh pepper on each side. You want to see the pepper develop a nice texture on the meat. This will help develop a nice flavorful exterior crust when grilling at high heat.

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Flank steak seasoned with additional fresh ground pepper before grilling.

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This is the amount of pepper to aim for.

When you are marinating the steak, prepare the grill for high heat grilling.  You want temperatures in excess of 500 degrees F. The hotter the better. My gas grill is usually at 600 degrees when I prepare this.

When your steak is marinated and ready to go at room temperature, throw that sucker on the grill. For an average flank steak that is 3/4 inch thick, you are going to want to grill each side for 3-4 min over high heat. The goal is to cook the steak to medium or medium rare temperature. If you like your steak medium rare, go with 3 minutes a side. If you like your steak more done, go with 4 minutes a side or more.

Whatever you start with, use a good timer (iPhone) and keep a record of your cooking time and temperatures. If you do not get it quite right the first time, keep your grill temperature the same and adjust your cooking times for your next grill out.

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Always use a very hot grill for steak.

When you pull the steak off the grill you should have some nice grill marks and caramelization happening. If you do not, up the temp on your grill. This is what you are going for….

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Let the steak rest for 5 minutes before carving and serving.

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Perfect medium to medium rare flank steak.

Always wait 5 minutes before slicing 1/2 inch wide strips of beef.  Always cut against the grain when serving Flank Steak or Skirt Steak. Depending on how much salt you like, you may want a light sprinkle of salt before serving.  Enjoy!

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One Hour Marinade Grilled Flank Steak

This tangy marinated flank steak is an easy meal that will impress anyone you cook for!

Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American, BBQ
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 2 -4
Author searedandsmoked.com

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs Flank Steak about 1/2 lb per person

Steak Marinade for 1-2 of Flank Steak

  • 2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 Tablespoons Chinese Black Vinegar found in the asian section of the supermarket... well worth the effort to find
  • 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil or any vegetable oil
  • 2 Tablespoons Water
  • 1 Teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper

Instructions

  1. Grind fresh pepper on both sides of steak and rub into steak

  2. Place flank steak in marinade for 1 hour.  Flip after 30 minutes to ensure marinated evenly. 

  3. Grill over high heat for 3-4 minutes per side.  Remove from the grill when internal temperature is at 130 F for medium rare.  

  4. Let the steak rest for at least 5 minutes

  5. Slice the steak into 1/2" slices against the grain of the meat and serve!