Hickory Smoked Pepper/Garlic Crusted Tri-Tip Roast

Tonight we really loaded up the grill. Everything was done with lots of hickory smoke. We did a pepper and garlic crusted Tri-Tip roast on the rotisserie. Along with Zesty Potatoes topped off with Parmesan Cheese, Grilled Tomatoes topped with Flaked Asiago Cheese, smoked garlic finished off with Grilled Peaches with Blue Cheese, honey, with course black Pepper.

Meat Preparation:

Injectable Marinade:

1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce

1 Tsp. Liquid Smoke

1 Tbs. fine ground white pepper

1 Tbs. onion powder

1 Tbs. garlic powder

Pepper Crust:

Shaker course ground black pepper

Shaker of ground garlic

Olive oil

Note: I keep garlic and pepper in big shakers for times when I need a lot like making a crust.

Inject your marinade into the meat. Working your way all around the meat, get as much of the marinade into the meat as possible. You’ll see the meat swelling up as your marinade goes in.

For the crust: drizzle olive oil liberally over the meat and using you hand rub a good coat of oil on it. Shake a HEAVY layer of course ground black pepper followed by the garlic onto the meat one side at a time. Try to work the seasoning into the meat with your hands as best you can. You may need to add more seasoning as you go along. You want to end up with a thick crust that will be magic on the grill and you will lose some of it in the cooking process.

Place meat on a clean platter and back into the refrigerator for at least a few hours or overnight would be even better. This is to give the flavors time to blend.

Zesty Potatoes Topped with Parmesan Cheese

3 large red potatoes (what we had, any good potato will do)

1 Package of Chili Mix Seasoning

Parmesan Cheese

Olive oil

Plastic bag

Potatoes take a long time to cook on the grill. So I cut these into rounds about 3/8 of an inch thick and boil them for about 3 minutes. Be careful not to overcook or you will end up with MUSH on the grill. I’ve done it. (You can use bigger potatoes and cut them into steak fries) Drain your potatoes and let cool enough that you can handle them. Place them into the plastic bag and drizzle enough olive oil over them to coat. Take the package of Chili seasoning and sprinkle onto the potatoes. Mix with your hands until covered evenly. You may need to add more seasoning a few times until the potatoes are well covered. Place them on a lightly oiled smaller grill for veggies and more delicate foods. Place over the direct heat when the meat goes on.

Hickory Smoked Roasted Garlic

Texas Caviar

I love smoked garlic, the trouble I find is in finding the large garlic bulbs like you see on the cooking shows. I have done every grocery store and farmers market in 3 counties. I have even made the drive up to Gilroy. I have learned that when you slice your average large garlic in half it falls apart and through the grill.

So try this …

Make a foil pan or use small pie tins it comes out a real treat. Cut garlic in half and place on the foil. Sprinkle thyme, pepper and salt to taste. Cover generously with olive oil and place on grill. The garlic will take about an hour to cook at medium heat. I sometime quarter some sweet onions and season them the same and put them on the grill too…

Ingredients:

2 or 3 nice blubs of garlic

Olive Oil

Thyme ground

Course ground pepper

Salt

 Hickory Smoked Grilled Tomatoes with Flaked Asiago Cheese

Ingredients:

2 or 3 nice tomatoes

Flaked Asiago Cheese

Cut your tomatoes in half and place cut side down over direct heat for 3 -4 minutes. Then turn over and cook 3-4 minutes, over the tops with the cheese and serve when the cheese is melted. These need to cook hot and fast or you will end up with stewed tomatoes.

Hickory Smoked Grilled Peaches

The ingredients for smoked peaches sound a little odd. You would not think that blue cheese, honey and black pepper would go together on anything much less a peach. But they dance. This is a dessert from Heaven…

Ingredients:

1 Peach per person

Blue Cheese

Honey

Pinch of black pepper

Cut peach in half and remove pit. Place cut side down on the grill with medium high direct heat for 2-3 minutes. Then turn over again for 2-3 minutes. Cover with cheese and close BBQ. When the cheese is melted plate the peaches and drizzle honey over them. Finish off with a good sprinkle of course black pepper.

Preparing Grill:

Preheat your grill to medium heat (350) and turn off one side so you will be cooking with indirect heat. Add your wet hickory chips over the hot side of grill. (Note: you can add your hickory directly to the grill or you can use foil smoke packets.(Two handfuls wet chips and one dry, fold foil into a packet, poke holes in it with a fork and you’re good to go.)

Directions:

Put the meat on the rotisserie and set it up on the cool side of the grill. Put the potatoes and garlic on at the same time. The potatoes over direct heat and the garlic on the warming rack away from the direct heat. Keeping the temperature around 350, adding hickory chips as needed smoke for 1 hour or until the meat reaches an internal temperature around 120-140. The meat will be rare to medium rare.

With a large spatula turn the potatoes to brown evenly. When the potatoes are done plate them and cover generously with Parmesan Cheese. Cover them to keep warm. Pull the meat and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Turn the heat up and do the tomatoes. While the tomatoes are doing their thing slice the meat and start plating. Pull the tomatoes directly off the grill onto your plates. Leave the heat on for the peaches.

Pour the wine and set to…

Now it is time for the peaches. I don’t care for peaches myself but Patti loves them. Every time I make these for someone the first time I get less than ENTHUSIASTIC RESPONSE. But in the end they always fuss over how goes they were and always request them when they come over again. Well I took a bite last night, then 2 more …

All I can say is “Oh My” (And I don’t like peaches) !!!

Remember that a recipe is simply an outline; it is not written in stone. Don’t be afraid to make changes to your taste.

Take it and run with it….

Enjoy,

Ken & Patti