Sesame Ginger Chicken Thighs

A nice change from BBQ chicken on the grill is to switch to an Oriental theme. One way to do this is to prepare Sesame Ginger Chicken Thighs. Start by marinating skin on, bone in, chicken thighs with Lawry's Sesame Ginger marinade, along with some diced green onions to provide a taste, as well as color contrast. Let them marinate for several hours in the refrigerator before grilling.

When it's time to grill, set the grill up for indirect,high heat by pushing the coals to one side and placing a drip pan on the other side. Clean and oil the grill grate and use the 3 second technique for determining when the grill is ready. Next, place the chicken thighs skin side up on the grill over the drip pan and grill covered for 17 minutes. Starting skin side up allows the skin to tighten up and lock in the flavor. After 17 minutes, flip the thighs and continue cooking covered for another 17 minutes over the drip pan.

At this point you can add some char and crisp up the skin by cooking for an additional 2 minutes covered on each side over direct heat.

When finished grilling, remove the chicken and baste with Kikkoman's Toasted Sesame marinade to add an additional layer of flavor.

A suggestion for sides would be Asian slaw and Peanut Noodles with Snow Peas.

This will round out the meal and prove to everyone that you are the Master of the Grill !

Basics of Grilling - Charcoal Storage

Having easy access to your charcoal is essential if you want to keep the grilling process simple and enjoyable. Kingsford makes a storage container that is ideal for this purpose. You merely open one end of the bag, place the bag in the container. and put the top back on the container. Now you have a watertight container that can be stored outside with your grill. No mess in the house and easy access at grill time. What could be simpler ?

Trader Joe's Everday Seasoning Grilled NY Strip Steak

Trader Joe's has a variety of seasoning blends that come in their own grinders. One that I like to use on steaks is the Everyday Seasoning - sea salt, mustard seeds, black peppercorns and a few other spices. Combine this with the smoke from the grill and you have the perfect partners for grilled NY Strip.
Season both sides of the steak liberally with the seasoning blend making sure to pat or rub it into the meat. A nice touch is to add a sprinkling of rosemary. Set the grill for direct high heat using the 3 second technique. Next, clean and oil the grate. When the grill is ready, place the steak on the grill grate at 10 o'clock ( see Grill Mark article ), cover and grill for 2 minutes ( 1 1/4 inch thick ), rotate to 2 o'clock, cover and grill for another 2 minutes. Next, flip the steak over and repeat the process. The steak should now be a nice rare/medium rare. Remove from the grill and let the steak rest for 5-10 minutes.

Add a serving of grilled asparagus on the side and you have a superb dinner prepared by a Master of the Grill  !

Easy Grilled Asparagus

An easy addition to any grilled dinner is grilled asparagus. The cooking time is so quick that I like to prepare this while the meat that I grilled is resting. The smokey flavor and charcoal char make this a perfect companion for a steak dinner !
Before grilling, season the asparagus with canola oil and Trader Joe's Lemon Pepper seasoning blend. When ready to grill, set the grill for direct high heat using the 3 second method. If this is the first item you're grilling, do so for 1 1/2 minutes covered, then flip and repeat. If you're grilling after you have done steaks,chops, etc extend the time to 2 minutes per side. Always make sure that you place the asparagus on the grill perpendicular to the grill bars, paying special attention when you flip them.


Adding grilled asparagus to your grilling bag of tricks places you one step closer to becoming the Master of the Grill !