Food Fun Family

Homemade Memphis BBQ Sauce {Playing With Fire Cookbook}

Lolli — Fri, 13 Apr 2018 15:56:55 +0000

Love a good BBQ? Me too! Clarkson Potter sent me a copy of Playing With Fire AND is providing a prize pack for one of my lucky readers! All opinions and photos of my recipe recreation are my own. Amazon affiliate links are included.

The weather is finally starting to feel like spring, and I can’t wait for BBQ season to be here in full magnificence. There’s nothing quite like hot, flavorful barbecue.

I’ve spent the last week drooling over the recipes in Michael Symon’s new cookbook, Playing With Fire. The recipes are easy to follow, the dishes flavorfully delicious, and the photos are stunning. I want to make EVERYTHING.

I decided to start simply and recreate the recipe for Memphis BBQ Sauce (along with a side of Broccoli Salad). The sauce was a hit with the entire family, and a perfect addition to some grilled chicken. The recipe is included below, along with a fabulous giveaway that you won’t want to miss!

About MICHAEL SYMON’S PLAYING WITH FIRE

Co-host of The Chew and celebrated Iron Chef and restaurateur Michael Symon returns to a favorite subject, meat, with his first cookbook focused on barbecue and live-fire grilling, with over 70 recipes inspired by his newest restaurant, Mabel’s BBQ, in his hometown of Cleveland. In preparing to open his barbecue restaurant, Mabel’s BBQ, Michael Symon enthusiastically sampled smoked meat from across America.

The 72 finger-licking, lip-smacking recipes here draw inspiration from his favorites, including dry ribs from Memphis, wet ribs from Nashville, brisket from Texas, pork steak from St. Louis, and burnt ends from Kansas City–to name just a few–as well as the unique and now signature Cleveland-style barbecue he developed to showcase the flavors of his hometown. Michael offers expert guidance on working with different styles of grills and smokers, choosing aromatic woods for smoking, cooking various cuts of meat, and successfully pairing proteins with rubs, sauces, and sides.

If you are looking for a new guide to classic American barbecue with the volume turned to high, look no further.

Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Crown Publishing Group. In stores now…or buy it on Amazon today!

About the Author

Michael Symon cooks with soul, having grown up in a Greek and Sicilian family. The Cleveland native shares his exuberant, approachable cooking style and infectious laugh with viewers as an Iron Chef on Food Network and as a co-host on ABC’s The Chew. Michael is the chef and owner of more than 18 restaurants, including Lola and Mabel’s BBQ in downtown Cleveland, locals of B-Spot Burgers throughout the Midwest, and Angeline at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City. He is also the author of five cookbooks, including Playing With Fire (Clarkson Potter, 2018). When he’s not working, Michael loves cooking at home, playing golf, gardening in the backyard and spending time with his wife Liz and their bulldog Ozzy.

Memphis BBQ Sauce

Reprinted from Michael Symon’s Playing With Fire. Copyright © 2018 by Michael Symon. Photographs copyright © 2018 by Ed Anderson. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

This sauce is perfect for any grilled meats, but is especially tasty on grilled chicken!

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, halved and finely diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
Kosher salt
2 cups tomato sauce
1/2 cup tomato paste
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup dark molasses
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons celery seeds
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Instructions

1. In a medium nonreactive saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, brown sugar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, celery seeds, and red pepper flakes, whisking to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors come together, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and blend or puree until smooth. Stir in the vinegar.

2. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

**Baste grilled foods with sauce only during the final stages of grilling to prevent the sugars in the sauce from burning.

Note from our family: we found that the sauce was even tastier the 2nd day!

Interested in the recipe for the broccoli salad that is pictured here? That can be found on page 210 of Playing With Fire! The sauce is made with plain Greek yogurt and is simply delicious!

Connect with Playing With Fire

Buy Playing With Fire on Amazon
Hashtag #PlayingWithFireCookbook
Follow Clarkson Potter on Instagram
Follow Michael Symon on Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
Learn more about the book at PenguinRandomHouse.com

TOOLS FOR THE GRILLMASTER Giveaway

Be prepared to play with fire! One winner from Food Fun Family will receive:

Copy of Michael Symon’s Playing With Fire
A Cuisinart Deluxe 20-piece grill set
And a barbecue pit mitt glove!

ARV $110 | Giveaway open to US addresses only | Prizing and samples provided by Clarkson Potter | Giveaway ends 4/25 at 11:59pm ET

Entry -Form

Sweet ‘n’ Southern Burgers #burgertour

Lolli — Mon, 27 Jun 2016 14:30:26 +0000

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Martin’s Food Markets for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

To me, the 4th of July means barbecuing with friends and family, sitting under the stars on a big blanket with all of the kids around, waiting for the fireworks to begin.

Over the years we’ve fallen into a 4th of July food rut. Basic hamburgers and hot dogs with a big bowl of watermelon and a couple bags of chips are so….easy. This year, we’re shaking things up a little with a new delicious burger with a twist. You are going to LOVE this burger. And trust me, this is NOT your ordinary run-of-the-mill burger.

This Sweet ‘n’ Southern Burger from the recipe center at Martin’s Food Markets has inspired me to look for even more tasty and simple recipes that I can make this 4th of July to add some fun variety to our celebrations.

I’ve been browsing through some of the other recipes from Martin’s Savory Recipe Center and can’t wait to try more of them. They’re made with easily accessible and affordable ingredients (which I love!) and they take the work and the worry out of planning our 4th of July events with family and friends.

Ok…back to these delicious burgers. Did I mention that they are made with ground chicken? I have fallen in love with using ground chicken to make burgers – both for the flavor and for the lower fat content. These burgers combine a few ingredients I never would have thought to pair in a burger recipe, but they work better than you could ever imagine.

Trust me. You are going to want to try this recipe! Like now. Grab your keys, head to the store, and get the ingredients. Then come back, cook it up, and let me know how much you loved it, too. Deal?

Sweet 'n' Southern Burgers

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

40 mins

Author: Lolli

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 small carrot
1 small red onion, halved
1 lb ground chicken breast
¼ cup panko bread crumbs
2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
4 sesame seed hamburger buns
!Salsa:
1 large peach, chopped
1 Tbsp orange marmalade
1 Tbsp red onion, finely chopped
2 tsp cider vinegar
½ tsp grated fresh ginger

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Mist a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Grate the carrot and ½ onion into a large bowl. Add the chicken, panko, hoisin sauce, and ginger. Mix until combined.
Shape the chicken mixture into 4 patties and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until cooked through, about 20 minutes.
Serve on buns and top with the peach salsa.
!Salsa:
In medium bowl, combine all ingredients.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Makes about 1 cup.

Get the recipe for this Sweet ‘n’ Southern Burger and a ton more tasty and affordable ideas for your summer BBQ, picnic, and any-day-dinner plans at Martin’s Savory Recipe Center. Who knew that something as simple and American as the hamburger could be so easy to customize to your preferences – right at home?

Which of these tasty burgers are you most excited to try?

NY Pizza Burger
Chesapeake Crab Burger
Northwestern Burger
Philly Cheesesteak Burger
West Coast Burger
Midwestern Farm Burger
Asian Chicken Burger
Firecracker Burger
And there’s MORE!

Get all of these burger recipes plus a ton of easy-to-prepare side dishes, salads and desserts (I’m eyeing that summer berry tiramisu, personally!) at Martin’s Savory Recipe Center. They are perfect for summer meals outdoors or around the family table. Enjoy (and save me a serving)!

5 Delicious Uses for Leftover Barbecue

Lolli — Mon, 16 May 2016 15:47:52 +0000

You had a great cookout, but you’re still stuck with a lot of leftovers. If your family doesn’t like eating leftovers, or you’re just looking to mix things up a bit, you can turn that leftover meat into something delicious that everyone will want to eat. Whether it’s barbecue stuffed baked potato skins or barbecue chicken pizza, you’re going to love these suggestions.

Barbecue Stuffed Baked Potato Skins

You can use any type of barbecued meat for this. All you need to do is bake potatoes, slice them in half, and scoop out the middle (use those for something else, like baked potato soup), fill the skins with the heated meat and top with shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted, top with green onions and serve with ranch for dipping. These make a great appetizer. If you want a meal, stuff baked potatoes with the barbecue and all your favorite baked potato toppings.

Barbecue Nachos

Nachos don’t have to be the same every time. Heat up your tortilla chips and top with the leftover heated barbecue, drizzle with barbecue sauce and nacho cheese, and top with green onions, salsa, and sour cream. These are great with pulled pork, chicken, or even brisket.

Barbecue Spaghetti

Love pasta, but want to try something new? Toss spaghetti with barbecue sauce and top with the leftover heated barbecue meat. You can also mix the spaghetti, barbecue sauce, and meat and pour into a baking dish. Top with shredded sharp cheddar or pepper jack cheese and bake until the cheese is melted.

Barbecue Chicken Pizza

Does your family love pizza? Then they’ll love this use for leftover barbecue chicken. Top your pizza dough with barbecue sauce, a Mexican cheese blend, and small pieces of barbecue chicken. Bake until the crust is golden brown and serve. If you like onion, sliced red onion is another great topping for this pizza.

Barbecue Burritos

Last, but not least, use the leftover barbecue to make burritos. You can fill a tortilla with all your favorite ingredients, but instead of ground beef, use the leftover barbecue. For example, add rice, refried beans, salsa, and lettuce. Top with a drizzle of barbecue sauce.

If you find yourself making too much when you cook out, the good news is there are so many great ways to use it. Best of all, your family will never think about the fact that they’re eating leftovers. Whether it’s pizza or pasta, you’re going to love these great meals.

The BEST Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken

Lolli — Sat, 08 Aug 2015 10:00:40 +0000

I’m so glad you’re here!

Are you ready to learn the secret of the BEST slow cooker BBQ chicken?

I adore cooking with my slow cooker, but I often don’t think of using it in the summer, for whatever reason. Crockpot meals are comfort food for me…and comfort food makes me think of cold weather.

This week, though, I cooked two meals in the crock pot – one old recipe and one new recipe. The new recipe – slow cooked BBQ chicken – was such a hit that I watched my boys devour the entire pan before my eyes. I’m talking plates piled high with cleaned-off bones.

I was impressed.

I’ve made easy 2-ingredient BBQ chicken in the crock pot plenty of times (you know the recipe – dump chicken in the crock pot and cover with BBQ sauce). It’s good and it’s certainly easy, but it doesn’t wow me.

As much as I love chicken in the crockpot, I do have one complaint…the chicken becomes so tender that it falls off the bone and becomes a mess. But when I cook drumsticks and thighs on the grill or in the oven, I often find that the flavors don’t get on the part of the chicken that I’m actually eating (I’m not a skin-eater, so I like my chicken – not the skin – to be infused with flavors).

This recipe seemed to take care of both issues. You start out with a full-flavor dry rub of spices and seasonings and top with a small amount of BBQ sauce over the top. Instead of swimming in liquids that you add at the beginning, this chicken starts out relatively “dry” and is cooked in its own juices.

I know…I’m probably being too picky. But I’m telling you. I’m VERY enthusiastic about this chicken. It was the best bone-in chicken I’ve cooked inside my house.

The cast iron searing at the end was the clincher for me. It took a basic crockpot chicken to a whole new level of slow-cooker awesomeness. Yes, it means that you have another dish to clean (ask my husband…I am not a fan of hand-washing the crock pot!), but the added depth of flavor is totally worth the extra time and effort.

Ready for this recipe? Get it HERE!

15-Minute Grilled Kabobs

Lolli — Thu, 23 Jul 2015 10:00:46 +0000

I’m so glad you’re here!

This recipe for easy 15-minute grilled kabobs is sponsored by Target but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’m convinced that summer was made for grilling. Or grilling was made for summer. Whichever way you look at it, there’s nothing more perfect for a summer dinner than meats and veggies cooked on the grill.

This past month has been filled with road trips and lots of time hanging out with family. When we’re on the go all day long during the summer (who am I joking? We’re on the go all year long!), the last thing I want to do is spend precious together-time grocery shopping and cooking a complicated meal. With more mouths to feed, there’s an even greater need to find quick and easy dinners to make.

After a long day of hiking recently, I needed something easy to whip up for dinner. I had an idea, made a quick Target run to grab a few fresh ingredients, and dinner was on the table in a flash. I love that Target is filled with everything I need – from fresh vegetables to chicken and hot dogs to skewers for our kabobs – and I can find my way around the store, whether I’m shopping in Maryland or Utah or anywhere in between.

Our 15-minute kabobs on the grill could not have been a more perfect fit for a night when we were tired and hungry. All it took was cutting ingredients up into bite-sized chunks, adding them to a skewer, and throwing them on the hot grill.

Possibly one of the best things about this easy dinner is that it is easy to customize each skewer for each person of the family. If someone doesn’t like mushrooms, then you simply leave it off their skewers. Next time, I’m going to have everyone put together their own skewers.

Are you convinced yet? You NEED this recipe! Here it is…

Cabbage and Pineapple Slaw Burgers

Lolli — Mon, 30 Jun 2014 13:08:37 +0000

This recipe for MIRACLE WHIP Cabbage and Pineapple Slaw Burgers is brought to you by MIRACLE WHIP but all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

MIRACLE WHIP and proud of it.

It’s officially summer break now that the kids are out of school, which means we’re spending long hours at the pool most days. When I spend those long, hot hours at the pool the last thing I want to do is come home to cook in a hot kitchen. That’s why I like to find summer-time-friendly meals like these tangy-sweet slaw burgers that I can cook on the grill in the backyard. Dinner is ready quickly, and my kitchen stays cool.

Summer is also a perfect time for firing up the grill for a crowd. I know that the sides that we serve at our cook outs are just as important as the main dishes…and this recipe handles both! We’ve taken a standard side dish, kicked it up a notch…and then added it to the main dish. This coleslaw is the perfect compliment to a hot burger. And burgers and summer and BBQs were all meant to go together, don’t you think?

I was blown away by how easy this coleslaw came together. I just threw it together while the burgers were on the grill. In just 30 minutes I had a perfect summer BBQ meal…and a whole lot of smiling faces as I served dinner.

MIRACLE WHIP CABBAGE AND PINEAPPLE SLAW BURGERS

5.0 from 1 reviews

Cabbage and Pineapple Slaw Burgers

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

1 hour

Author: Lolli

Serves: 8

Ingredients

2 lb. lean ground beef
2 tsp. garlic powder
¾ cup MIRACLE WHIP Dressing
1 pkg. (14 oz) cabbage slaw blend
1 can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple, (drained)
¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
2 tsp. Sriracha sauce (hot chili sauce)
8 hamburger buns

Instructions

HEAT grill to medium heat.
MIX meat, garlic powder and ¼ cup dressing just until blended; shape into 8 (1/2-inch-thick) patties. Grill 5 to 6 min. on each side or until done (160ºF).
COMBINE remaining dressing with all remaining ingredients except buns.
FILL buns with burgers and coleslaw.

Check out how easy this recipe is to make in this cute video:

BBQ party tip: Want to avoid BBQ party-crashers (I’m talking about those pesky bugs that love your BBQ foods as much as you do!)? Serve up your potato salad, coleslaw, fruit salads, and other side dishes in single serving jars with lids. Your sides will be portioned out for easy serving AND they’ll be stylish as a fun bonus. Want to wow your guests even more? Place those filled jars in a wide bucket or bowl full of ice to keep your sides nice and cool for the entire get together!

For more ideas on delicious crowd-pleasing salads, dips and sandwiches for your summer time BBQs, visit MiracleWhip.com.

Grilled Pork Medallions and Vegetables

Lolli — Tue, 10 Jun 2014 17:45:38 +0000

It’s officially BBQ season…and I’ve got an incredible recipe to share that is not only tasty, but revolutionary in its brilliance. Kidding. A little.

I was given a challenge recently to develop a BBQ recipe using pork, veggies, and Reynolds Wrap Aluminum Foil for a post I wrote on Epicurious. (Yes, I was compensated for writing this recipe but all opinions are my own). I played around with some flavors, tried a few things out with my more-than-willing family of taste-testers, and came up with this:

What is so brilliant about this recipe, you ask? Part of the brilliance is this…the amazingly delicious spice rub (but that’s not all…):

If you know me at all, you won’t be surprised to hear that I like meals that are simple to make and don’t create a huge mess. These meals made in foil packets and cooked on the grill are just that – they are simple to throw together AND the foil packets practically eliminate all mess. Another bonus? The packets are portioned out for individual servings. So if someone in the family doesn’t want onions or peppers…leave them out of their packet before cooking.

made-to-order
no-mess
portion-controlled
delicious
need-I-say-more?

I was so excited about how easy these were to make AND clean up after that I’ve been grilling all of our meats in foil for the last month!

The whole family will love these made-to-order vegetable and pork medallion meals, perfectly seasoned and conveniently grilled in single-serving packets made with Aluminum Foil. Grilling with foil packets means moist and tender meat, flavorful veggies, and no mess to clean up!

Grilled Pork Medallions and Vegetables

Save Print

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

55 mins

Author: Lolli

Serves: 6

Ingredients

⅓ cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 pounds pork tenderloin
4-6 medium potatoes, skin on, thinly sliced
3 medium zucchini, sliced
6 small sweet peppers, seeds removed and quartered
1 large onion, cut into large slices
Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Prep:
PREHEAT grill to medium.
COMBINE brown sugar, minced garlic, seasoned salt, paprika and black pepper in a small bowl; set aside.SLICE pork tenderloin into 1-inch medallions; set in a large baking dish. Generously rub each side of the pork slices with seasoning rub. Set aside.
TEAR off 6 sheets (12x18 –inches each) of Reynolds® Wrap Aluminum Foil and set on a flat surface. Lay 2-3 pork medallions in the middle of one sheet of foil. Add one-sixth of the potatoes, zucchini, sweet peppers, and onions on top of pork. Drizzle vegetables with a small amount of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bring up foil sides. Double-fold top and ends to seal packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside. Repeat to make six packets.
Cook:
GRILL over medium to high heat. When grill is hot, ADD packets directly to the grill, meat-side down. Lower lid and cook for 10-15 minutes.
TURN the packets over to cook vegetable-side down, with lid closed, for another 15 minutes.
AFTER 20-25 minutes total cooking time, check for doneness by removing one packet onto a plate and. OPEN packet carefully by cutting along top fold with a sharp knife, allowing steam to escape; then open top of foil packet
If additional time is needed, place packet back on the grill and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.
SERVE: simply open packets and serve each individual portion on a plate.

Seriously. Make this. Or grill something. Anything…in foil packets. You won’t regret it.

To see my recipe post (and give it some votes…pretty please!) head over to Epicurious. There are tons of other “Make Meal Magic” recipes from fellow bloggers using Reynolds products, from grilled meats and veggies to breakfast muffins and desserts (go…my mouth hasn’t stopped watering after checking them out!)