Tag: grill

Holy Ghost Skewered Meat (Carne Espeto)

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Traditional at any Portuguese feast, Carne Espeto, is one of my most treasured culinary connections to my culture.  As I went over briefly in my post, “The Holy Ghost Feast at Espirito Santo Church…” it is a long-standing and continued tradition that the men in my family gather raw meat and roast it over an open pit of coals at my church’s feast each year.  I love this dish so much that I decided to come up with my own recipe.

As seen in my recipe for Grilled Montreal Steak, I normally like to give a salt rub time to work it’s way into meat, but in keeping with the method used at the feast, this will be a quick rub method. As a result, what you get is a very salty meat… although still not as salty as what you get at the actual feast.  This works for me though as it’s an added bonus to be able to control the flavor a bit more.  Using just 5 simple ingredients, anyone can bring home Holy Ghost Skewered Meat.

Start by Skewering about 3 lbs. of cubed chuck or stew meat.

Start by Skewering about 3 lbs. of cubed chuck or stew meat.

Start the spice rub with one cup of kosher salt.

Start the spice rub with one cup of kosher salt.

To the salt add 1 Tablespoon of dry crushed red pepper, 2 Tablespoons of garlic powder and one Tablespoon of ground black pepper.

To the salt add 1 Tablespoon of dry crushed red pepper, 2 Tablespoons of garlic powder and one Tablespoon of ground black pepper.

Mix all your spices together. You will likely have about half of this left over for next time. Just pop it in an air tight container or bag and you’ll have it for next time.

Coat each piece of meat generously with the rub.

Coat each piece of meat generously with the rub.

Place the seasoned skewers on the grill... I am using a charcoal grill, you could use a gas grill turned up to high heat, but if you can use a charcoal grill, the flavor will be much more similar to that of the Holy Ghost Feast meat.

Place the seasoned skewers on the grill… I am using a charcoal grill, you could use a gas grill turned up to high heat, but if you can use a charcoal grill, the flavor will be much more similar to that of the Holy Ghost Feast meat. (How to light a charcoal grill)

Turn the meat every 5 mintues or so. This is not a “walk away from the grill” type of recipe… these skewers need to be watched pretty closely… So, grab a beer and enjoy the process.

I normally like my beef cooked to medium... but, for some reason with this recipe I tend to lean toward well done. To achieve this without burning, you'll want to start with a sear on the meat over the "hot" side of the grill and then moving to the "cool" side of the grill.

I normally like my beef cooked to medium… but, for some reason with this recipe I tend to lean toward well done. To achieve this without burning, you’ll want to start with a sear on the meat over the “hot” side of the grill and then moving to the “cool” side of the grill.

When through, this is what you should see. Let the meat rest a good 10 minutes.

When through, this is what you should see. Let the meat rest a good 10 minutes.

done4Recipe for Holy Ghost Skewered Meat (Carne Espeto):

(Serves 5-6)

3 lbs of beef, cubed

1 Cup Kosher salt

1 Tbls. dry crushed red pepper

2 Tbls garlic powder

1 Tbls. ground black pepper

Directions:

Skewer beef, set aside.  In a medium-sized bowl, mix salt, red pepper, garlic and cracked black pepper together.  Sprinkle liberally on each piece of meat.  Roast meat over charcoal.  Attend the grill frequently and turn every 5 minutes or so. Once you have a good sear on the meat, move to a cooler area of the grill.   Once done to your liking, remove from grill and let rest about 10 minutes.

 

Grilled Montreal Steak

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Grilled Montreal Steak has to be one of my husband’s favorite meals.  I am always sure to make enough for that night’s dinner and then some left over for the next day.  Not being a big fan of just re-heating steak, we use it to pop into Quesadillas, top a nice salad, or make some yummy Beef Stroganoff.

I used to use a pre-made Montreal seasoning mix, until one day, I ran out.  But, we still wanted Montreal Steak, therefore, I came up with my own blend… and I have to say, we like it even better!  You can make up a batch as you need it, or multiply the recipe and fill up a mason jar to keep it at the ready.

This steak would be perfect paired with Stacy’s Best Potato Salad and Low-carb Grilled Veggies!

Let’s start with mixing up the seasoning rub:

Start with making your own Montreal spice rub... You'll need some kosher salt, dried crushed pepper, fresh cracked black pepper, garlic powder, ginger and smoked paprika.

Start with making your own Montreal spice rub… You’ll need some kosher salt, dried crushed pepper, fresh cracked black pepper, garlic powder, ginger and smoked paprika.

Add altogether and mix.

Add altogether and mix.

This is what you will end up with.

Now onto preparing the steak:

This is our favorite cut of meat. My butcher calls it “Beef Loin Flap” It’s got lots of connective tissue making it flavorful and juicy.

Although this is called a rub. we aren’t going to actually rub the meat just yet. Sprinkle on the steak on all sides pretty liberally.

After a few minutes, the spices start seeping in. You want to do this at least a few hours before cooking if possible. The salt really changes the meat.

Cover and place in the fridge up to 24 hrs before cook time… But, be sure to take the meat out about an hour before you are ready to cook it to allow it to come to room temperature.

This steak is delicious grilled outside on your gas or charcoal grill or inside on a grill pan.  Just a warning though, if you are doing this inside, be sure you have good ventilation, you will need your burner on high for a properly seared steak.

Set your grill to high to get a good sear. Grill for 4 minutes on each side for medium rare.  If you wish to have less pink in the middle, now is the time to turn the burner down to medium and continue cooking — 6 minutes for medium and 8 minutes for well done. The meat is safe to eat once the internal temperature reaches 145°F with a meat thermometer.

Serve with some potato salad and enjoy!

Serve with some potato salad and enjoy!

Let rest at least 5 minutes before cutting.

Let rest at least 5 minutes before cutting.

Recipe for Grilled Montreal Steak:

(serves 6)

3 lbs. steak (here we use beef loin)

8-10 Tbs. Montreal Steak Seasoning

For Seasoning Mix:

6 Tbs. kosher salt

3 Tbs. dry crushed red pepper

3 Tbs. fresh cracked black pepper

3 Tbs. garlic powder

2 Tbs. smoked paprika

1 Tbs. ginger

Directions:

Mix together all seasoning ingredients. Sprinkle seasoning onto meat, place in a bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap, store in fridge for 3-24 hrs until 1 hr before cook time.

Let meat sit at room temperature for one hour.  Grill on high to preferred level of doneness.  Meat should have an internal temperature of 145°F.  Let rest for 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

*note: this is a gluten-free recipe.

Low-Carb Grilled Veggies

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Summer time is a great time for vegetables and grilling!  I love taking advantage of all that summer has to offer, the fresh air, the sunshine and the fresh produce!  Low-carb veggies are a delicious way to replace the old winter stand-by of canned corn or peas.  I would so much rather have a healthy ear of corn which has 15-net carbs next my protein and fill the rest of my plate with delicious freshly grilled veggies and I especially love it when my veggies are being grilled over charcoal!

Today’s tutorial is super simple and you can tailor it to your families tastes and preferences like with most recipes.  If you love summer squash, but hate zucchini, then swap it.  If you love onions, but don’t care for tomatoes, then by all means add more onions! If you want to get your kids to eat more veggies, then take them to the store and let them pick which they like and add that! This recipe is more about being a guide on the method of cooking your vegetables.

I have a bunch of low-carb veggies on hand these days and am always trying new things with them to keep things interesting… This, however, is an old stand-by.  The weather has been so beautiful lately that I have decided to do all my cooking outside today, including prep, it’s a great way to let the kids play while getting dinner on the table.

Start with placing some grape tomatoes in a medium sized metal bowl. I like grape tomatoes because they are small, so no cutting required, and they are sweet.

Start with placing some grape tomatoes in a medium sized metal bowl. I like grape tomatoes because they are small, so no cutting required, and they are sweet.

Cut one medium onion into 1/8 chuncks. The goal here will be to cut things about the same size. You don't want tiny onions and big giant peppers etc.

Cut one medium onion into 1/8 chuncks. The goal here will be to cut things about the same size. You don’t want tiny onions and big giant peppers etc.

pepper

Cut your bell pepper in half, remove the seeds. I like the orange, yellow and red as I find them to be sweeter than the green. If you prefer green or that’s all you have on hand, use the green.

Cut it up to about the same size as your onions. (I am keeping my zucchini in sliced discs, so the zucchini is really driving how large to cut all the other veggies)

Slice up a zucchini. Since this is being grilled, you will want to cut them pretty thickly as you don’t want the fire to break them down too much. You want them to hold their body.

Mix all your cut veggies together in your bowl.

Mix all your cut veggies together in your bowl.

Add a couple tsp. of olive oil and a pinch of kosher salt.

I got this little pan at the dollar store of all places. So, I thought I would give it a try, and I love it!

Spray your pan with cooking spray before placing in veggies.

Pour your veggies in the pan.

Pour your veggies in the pan.

Place pan on over medium heat. You want the vegetables to char up a bit, but you don't want to burn.

Place pan on over medium heat. You want the vegetables to char up a bit, but you don’t want to burn.  You will want to tend to them every few minutes.

See the char they are getting? That's nice. Let it cook another 5-10 minutes once the reach this point.

See the char they are getting? That’s nice. Let it cook another 5-10 minutes once the reach this point.

Serve with your favorite low-carb dish. Here they are accompanying my Portuguese Grilled Chicken and an ear of corn.

Serve with your favorite low-carb dish. Here they are accompanying my Portuguese Grilled Chicken and an ear of corn.

Recipe for Low-carb Grilled Veggies:

(serves 4)

8-10 grape tomatoes

1 medium onion, chopped into 1/8 th chucks

1 orange bell pepper, chopped into similar sized chuncks as the onion

1 zucchini, thickly sliced

2 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp. kosher salt

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a bowl.  In an outdoor grill veggie pan, add in the veggies coated in oil.  Tend to the veggies every few minutes as they cook so they may cook evenly.

Enjoy!

note: this recipe is gluten-free