Cape Fear Grill Guy

Grilling and Cooking, Eating and Drinking and Building Custom Outdoor Kitchens

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Birdsong brewery jalapeño pale ale bear float with homemade peach ice cream (grandma's recipe). Not a bad dessert at the end of the summer. #charlottegrillco #capefeargrillguy #grillinandchillin #beerfloat #beer #birdsongbrewery #elon

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Frying Peppers

I had forgotten this but the first time I had shishito peppers was when I was in Spain. There were served as tapas somewhere in Barcelona or Salamanca while I was visiting my study abroad live abroad brother. I was doing my best to fit in by drinking wine, beer and even the occasional scotch and soda, somewhere between the ham, cheese, bread, olives, pig’s tail, tortillas, sausage and yummy things from the sea, there were blistered peppers in olive oil and salt.  Fast forward to this summer and while visiting family in Greensboro I went to their downtown famers market, where a lady was selling “frying peppers”. I was intrigued so she explained to me how to cook them and of course I said I can grill that, so we had some that night and they were excellent. The next time I talked to my brother on the phone I mentioned them and said I couldn’t find them at any famers markets here. He told me they had them at Trader Joe’s and then he reminded me that they were served as tapas, oh yea I totally forgot.

Shishito peppers are traditionally blistered or fried in a pan with olive oil and served on a plate with sea salt sprinkled over them. You simply pick them up by the steams and eat. As my wife can attest to 1 in 10 are hot, (she got 2 in row one time and there were no other hot ones out of the batch) I like to say it’s lucky to eat the hot one I mean what else can you say to someone who’s mouth is on fire and is looking at you like you betrayed them.

Well my take on the peppers is this, toss them olive oil then place on a hot grill and cook on high until they are soft and blistered but not burnt.

 Depending on your grill grate you want to use a veggie basket or grill try so you don’t lose any. Depending on the size of the peppers they be ready at different times, just take them off as needed.

 It shouldn’t take more than 10 mins to do a whole grill full of them, so just hang out and keep an eye on them. Finally take them off put them on  a plate and sprinkle sea salt over them and serve

Hope you enjoy

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Smoked Meatloaf

I set out to smoke a meatloaf for the first time and it was a success. The smoke flavor really showed up in the taste and since it was in a pan the fat and liquid pooled up and kept it from drying out. It really turned out very well.

 I look at meatloaf like burgers and chili, everyone’s got there on recipe and far be it from me to tell you mine is better. I have been doing clean eating since the spring and so I made up a meatloaf recipe this time that fit in with that and at the same time hide some veggies for the kids. But there is a basic meatloaf make up we can all agree on, meat, onions, bell peppers, seasonings, some sort of tomato, and something to hold it all together.  For this meatloaf, which was really good, I used 1lb beef, 1lb pork, 1 chopped onion, 2 chopped bell peppers, and then a puree of 4 cloves of garlic 2 carrots and 4 cups of chopped kale. All of this was mixed together and seasoned with salt, pepper, and bbq sauce. Then to hold it together (since I forgot to pick up the eggs) I used tapioca starch like you would cornstarch, ½ cup hot water mixed with 2tsp. Then lined the bottom of my pan with bacon, scoped in the mixture and then covered the top with bacon and bbq sauce.  

But, this post is more about the process than the recipe. I got the fire up in the 300s and then added my wood chunks, you only need a few chunks or even a handful of wet chips, you’re just adding the flavor. I used pecan but just use your favorite or experiment.  You want to keep the temp in the mid-300s high 200s for this, so adjust your grill accordingly. Put your meatloaf in an oven/grill safe loaf pan, or just pick up some aluminum ones. And place in the grill.  It should take about an hour to an hour and a half, you are looking for internal temp of 160 degrees (165 if you use poultry)  

Pull it off the grill when you get to temp and let it sit and rest for 10 mins.

About 3/4s of the way through I drained off half the liquid in my pan, I don’t think it was necessary, next time I will wait and drain off less the half at the end. That is more of a personal preference on how you like your meatloaf, I wouldn’t drain it all out even at the end because it will soak up some of that liquid while you let it rest and that keeps it moist and holds a lot of the smoky flavor.

Hope you enjoy.

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Smoked Chicken with Sir Charles and Queen Carmen Mild Rub, that stuff is good and from Greensboro, NC. #charlottegrillco #capefeargrillguy #grillinandchillin #biggreenegg #chicken #sircharlesqueencarmen

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Grilled Clams

So, one of my favorite shellfish has always been clams, especially in the summer. Usually I just add things to a pot; onion, garlic, herbs, country ham or sausage, and wine or beer. Then add the clams and boil them. But this time I tried a new technique, grilling them. They turned out great, they absorbed some flavor from the charcoal fire and didn’t dry out. I came up with a sauce to put over them, garlic fried in butter and bacon fat and garnished with a little flat leaf parsley.

Get your grill really hot, and then add the clams (if your shells are not wet spray with a little water)

Close you lid and check after the first 10 minutes and then probably every 5 minutes after that.  Once they open take them off and put in a pan.

In a salute pan, melt butter and bacon fat on medium heat (if you don’t keep your bacon fat, shame on you, just fry up some bacon in the pan and eat it or garnish the clams, then melt the butter in the left over fat) then fry garlic until it starts to brown. Stirring frequently so I doesn’t stick.

 I used 2 table spoons of butter and 2 table spoons of bacon fat, then minced 6 cloves of garlic for 2 dozen clams.

Pour your fried garlic sauce over the clams and add chopped parsley

Hope you enjoy

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#Repost @juniorleagueilm ・・・ Someone is going to win one of these Big Green Egg grills tomorrow night thanks to @charlottegrillco! It could be you! Roast on the Coast tickets are still available on our website - www.jlwnc.org #rotc #jlwnc #shuckingoodtime

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#Repost @charlottegrillco ・・・ New Napoleon grills in stock. Travel Q and Professional Kettle Grill. Some of the best built pieces in their category! #charlottegrillco #napoleongrills #grills #charlotte #southend #dilworth #wilmington #shoplocal

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Grilled Corned Beef

Looking for something different to do with your corned beef, I was, so I did a little research and decided to grill mine. If you really want to play with the flavor add some wood chips or chunks to it and see what it does, I plan on doing just that at the end of the week, when all that corned beef goes on sell.

Soak corned beef in warm tap water for 30min a lb or at least 2 hours. Every 30 min change water and rinse off meat. 

After soaking pat dry and season with rub;

  Rub is 2 table spoons cracked black pepper

2 table spoons of cracked or 1 table spoon of ground coriander seeds.

1 tea spoon onion powder

1 tea spoon dried thyme 

.5 tea spoon paprika 

.5 tea spoon red pepper 

  Grill temp should be 250 to 300 use one burner and put meat on opposite side (indirect heat) cook for 2 to 3 hours until internal temp is 175 no need to flip. While grilling you will need to baste every 30 min

Baste

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup oil

1/4 cup vinegar  (I suggest sherry or apple cider)

Any rub that is left over.

  When meat is done take off the grill and let sit wrapped with tin foil for at least 15 min.

I will be more like Pastrami texture wise, than the corned beef you are used to but  it will be delicious.

Hope you enjoy 

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Why boil your cornned beef when you can grill it. #capefeargrillguy #charlottegrillco #grillinandchillin #cornnedbeef #stpatricksday #biggreenegg #goodness #beef #brisket

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Try Grilling your favorite Eggplant, just slice grill on high heat, untill you have good grill marks and the inside feels mushy. Take off the grill and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with some finishing salt. #capefeargrillguy #charlottegrillco #grillinandchillin #goodness #biggreenegg #eggplant

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Delta Heat Grill with FireMagic Power Burner and Bimini in Carolina Beach. #charlottegrillco #capefeargrillguy #grillinandchillin #deltaheat #firemagic #powerburner #grill #outdoorkitchen #outdoorlife

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#happyhoppday Pinner throwback ipa, really good fresh tasting hoppy beer by Oskar Blues. #capefeargrillguy #charlottegrillco #grillinandchillin #timechangerocks #ipa #oskarbluesbrewry #beer

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Rooftop on Broadway #nashville #charlottegrillco #capefeargrillguy #grillinandchillin #rooftop #youngguns #hpbexpo (at Rock Bottom Brewery Nashville)

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What a lovely evening for a boat ride. #charlottegrillco #capefeargrillguy #hpbexpo #firemagic #rhpeterson #nashville #generaljackson #grillinandchillin #grills (at General Jackson Riverboat Cruise)

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Winding down from expo, at Rippy's. #charlottegrillco #capefeargrillguy #grillinandchillin #hpbexpo #nashville #broadway (at Rippy's Bar & Grill)

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Check out this kettle grill by Napoleon #charlottegrillco #capefeargrillguy #hpbexpo #grillinandchillin #napoleon #grills (at Music City Center)

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These fridge drawers could be in your outdoor Kitchen. #charlottegrillco #capefeargrillguy #hpbexpo #True #grillinandchillin #grills (at Music City Center)