The BetterTV Show

Looking for great Summer Dishes for Entertaining?  Tune in to The BetterTV Show today - airing live nationwide for some of my favorite dishes and cocktails!

Bistro Skirt Steak Sandwiches
http://www.better.tv/view/food--amp--recipes2-food--amp--recipes-chef-matt-moore-makes-skirt-steak

Brown Derby Cocktail + RGB Slaw
http://www.better.tv/view/food--amp--recipes2-food--amp--recipes-chef-matt-moore-makes-the-brown-derby-and-red-cabbage--chive--blue-cheese-slaw

Reverse Marinade

Writing about food can be tough.  After all, there are only so many recipes one can write - re-takes on classics, healthy versions of comfort food, or creative twists on the mundane.  After a while, it seems like I'm just re-hashing the same old stuff.  Ok I get it - I'm bitching about small potatoes (pun intended).  Food writing isn't tough like running a marathon or anything.  Perhaps I should say sometimes I'm less than 'inspired'.

That's why I love coming up with new techniques - such as this 'reverse marinade'.

A few weeks back, I was having some friends over for a 'Greek' themed meal - Charcoal Roasted Chicken, Oven Roasted Potatoes w/ Lemon Thyme Oil, and my famous Greek Salad - all with a fresh heaping of Tzatziki for dipping anything and everything.

Minutes before serving - I realized my friend had a deathly aversion to cucumbers - the tzatziki just wasn't going to do it.  So, I whipped up this quick dressing instead - doused it on top of his chicken, and viola - I was a genius in his book.

Moral of the story?  The next time you are grilling up Turkey, Pork, Fish, Chicken, Steak, or Wild game - skip out on the lengthy marinade process.  Instead - cook your meats to temp - rest - slice - and pour this tangy 'dressing' over the top.

I can promise you will not be let down.  In fact - It'll be hard for me to go back to eating a steak w/out it.

Cheers!

MM

Reverse Marinade - good for use on basically any protein
(Prep 5 mins, Yeild 6 - 8 servings, Keeps 1 week covered in fridge)

1 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/3 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
1/4 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
1 Tablespoon Spicy Mustard
1 Shallot, minced
4 Cloves Garlic, minced
1/4 Cup Chopped Parsley
Kosher Salt + Pepper, to taste

Whisk all ingredients until combined - pour over sliced meat.  If prepped in advance, bring back to room temperature, mix well and serve.

Surf and Turf

Enjoyed a slow weekend playing catchup in Nashville.  I finally got back to the basics in the kitchen.  Morning omelets with a strong cup of coffee, a mixed salad with lean protein after a mid-morning workout, and a bit more of an indulgence with a glass or two of wine for dinner in the evening.

I've got 2 more weekends at home prior to the crazy July travel schedule.  By then, I'm sure I'll be ready to hit the road, but I can tell you that I'm gonna savor every bit of 'home' over these next few weeks.

Where am I going?  I'm glad you asked.

I'll be headed back up to my beloved Prince Edward Island, Canada to once again join forces with the Cavendish Beach Music Festival.  It promises to be four days filled with great music and food.  Once again, I'll be cooking up my low-country boil with plenty of local PEI ingredients.  I mean damn- life is good when you are cooking up over 100 lbs of fresh lobster each day while listening to country music and throwing down a few cold Molson Canadians.

From there, I'll hop a flight to Detroit by way of Lansing, Michigan to cook for a few days at the Common Ground Music Festival.  It promises to be another great weekend.

After that - it's off to the big apple.  I'll be doing a national spot on throwing the perfect picnic live on your television on the BetterTV network.  Excited to head back to NYC and do more live television - always a challenging, fun, and thrilling experience!

So, with all that travel ahead, I'd say I deserved such an indulgent meal as the one below.  Seafood + Steak + Fresh Veg + Wine?  Yes, yes!

Grilled Top Sirloin Filet + Pan Seared Sea Scallops + Roasted Broccolini

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Arrange broccolini spears in a single layer on a baking sheet and drizzle with EVOO and season with kosher salt and fresh crack pepper.  Top with thinly sliced red onions and a few smashed garlic cloves.  Roast - uncovered - for 12 - 15 minutes.

Cook sirloin over direct heat (either on grill or grill-pan) for two minutes, turn 45 degrees (creating nice grill marks) and cook for another two minutes.  Flip steak, and cook for 2 - 3 more minutes for medium rare.  Remove from heat, season with salt, and rest for 5 minutes.

Finally, quickly sear sea scallops in melted butter for 2 minutes per side in a cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Season with salt and pepper - or creole seasoning.  Remove from heat and plate.

Voila!

Grilled Pizza (Re-visited)

Several weeks ago I posted a recipe from my sister on her fantastic Grilled Pizza.

Well, it's become a hit!  So much so that it is now our go-to appetizer when entertaining.

In my original post, I only had my iphone on hand, so the picture I took just didn't do it justice.  So I'm back!  Check out the beautiful photo and recipe below.

Thanks sis!

MM

Ashley's Famous Grilled Pizza

1 Store-bought Pizza Dough, thawed
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
10 oz Fresh Mozzerella, sliced thin
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1/2 Cup Feta Cheese, crumbled
2 Roma Tomatoes, sliced thin
Fresh Basil, sliced thin
Pinch of Sea Salt

Preheat one side of a grill over direct heat.  Meanwhile, roll out the pizza dough as thin as possible (less than 1/8 inch) and coat in olive oil.  Melt butter and garlic together in a microwave for 45 - 60 seconds.  When grill is ready, carefully stretch the dough over the grate and grill for 60 - 90 seconds - the dough will puff up and bubble.  Flip dough and move to indirect heat.  Brush dough with garlic butter and top with remaining ingredients.  Cover grill, and continue to cook pizza over indirect heat until cheese is melted; 10 - 15 minutes.  Remove from heat, slice, and serve.

Cast Iron (Grilling)

Spent another long weekend soaking up the sun and fun with family and friends at my lake house on Lake Oconee.  Of course, we were also surrounded by great food and cold drinks throughout the weekend.

Keeping things positive, I'm also excited to share that I've partnered up with a few production companies out of NYC to begin shooting scenes for a new pilot we are working on based here in Nashville.  It's been a long time coming, but as they say - it's all about the journey.

Mark Kelly and the great folks over at Lodge Cast Iron provided me with their Sportsman's Grill to utilize in the shoot, so I got to test it out over the weekend.  The results are in . . . BEST STEAK EVER.

Most grills can't get hot enough to really sear a steak properly, and although searing that steak in my cast iron pan inside can often do the trick, it results in quite a bit of smoke indoors.  I found this handy, sturdy grill to be the perfect solution.  From delicately grilling shrimp, to putting a steakhouse quality sear on a NYC strip - I am absolutely in love with this portable grill.  Can we say tailgating?  Yes please.

So that's that - working on some recipes for the shoot over the next week or so.  Hope you and yours are doing well.  Oh, check out the pics below, and go buy one of these - now!

MM

 

Building a Better Burger

It's officially summer!  Head over to The Art of Manliness and check out my guide to grilling up the perfect burger.

WGN Chicago

Headed to Chicago tonight to do a spot on WGN Chicago tomorrow at noon.  For those of you wanting to catch the segment on your lunch break, check out it out online.

The segment is all about preparing a fancy steakhouse dinner at home.  Check out the recipe below. 

Lemon-Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

2 lbs Small Red Potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
¼ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Fresh Cracked Pepper
1 Lemon
2 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary
4 Cloves Garlic, crushed and peeled

Preheat oven to 425 Degrees F.  Add cut potatoes into an oven-safe casserole dish and drizzle with olive oil.  Season the potatoes liberally with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper.  Next, add the juice from the lemon.  Using hands or tongs, toss the potatoes to ensure an even coat of oil and seasoning.  Finally, arrange the garlic cloves and rosemary sprigs amongst the cut potatoes.  Bake 45 - 50 minutes, shaking pan on occasion, until potatoes are fork tender and browned.  Serve.

Grilled Strip Steaks

2 (6 - 8 oz) Strip Steaks, about 1 inch in thickness
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Fresh Cracked Pepper

On the stovetop, preheat a cast iron grill pan over medium high heat.  Coat the steaks in olive oil and season both sides liberally with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper.  Add steaks to grill, allowing to cook undisturbed for 1 - 2 minutes.  Next, turn steaks a quarter turn and continue to cook for another minute or so, creating nice grill marks.  Flip steaks and grill for another 2 minutes for medium/medium rare.  Remove from heat and rest for 3 - 4 minutes before serving.

Arugula Salad

3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
1 Pinch Kosher Salt
2 Handfuls Arugula
2 oz Parmigianno-Reggiano Cheese, shaved

Whisk together the first three ingredients into a mixing bowl.  Add the greens and toss until evenly coated.  Plate the dressed greens on a serving plate and top with cheese.  Serve.

Taste of Atlanta

Many thanks to all of those who kicked it with me at Taste of Atlanta.  Great weather, great food, cold drinks, and good people.  Much enjoyed.

MM

How's your Burger?

"Why don't ya eat up and we'll tell ya" - You nailed it - another Dumb & Dumber quote.  Sorry, but it was just too easy.

But seriously, how is your burger?

Nowadays it's hard to find a good, true hamburger.  Don't get me wrong, I love great food.  However, something is seriously flawed when I walk into a restaurant and see a $15.00+ hamburger listed on the menu.  Kobe Beef, ground filet, ground ribeye?  You know what?  I don't care.  Save those expensive cuts for steaks.  Give me ground chuck.  80/20.  I want fat, and I want flavor. 

 "Where's the beef?"

 
As you can see, it doesn't take much to make a great hamburger patty.  80/20 ground chuck, kosher salt, and fresh cracked pepper.  Take note of the small indention in the center of the patty.  This ensures that the burger will lay flat as it cooks, rather than plump up into a ball.  Whatever you do, resist the urge to use your spatula as a smashing device - you want to keep those juices (flavor) inside the burger.

As far as toppings go, I prefer to keep it simple.  Lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, cheese, etc.  Sure, I enjoy a Cajun seasoned burger with blue cheese, crispy pancetta, and sliced avocado.  But then again, why mess with a classic?

Don't forget about fries.  Rather than create an all-out caloric disaster of a meal, I prefer to roast my fries in some olive oil in the oven.  Trust me, it saves calories and clean up.  Besides, these 'rustic' fries definitely beat anything that comes out of the freezer.

Fortunately for me, I was able to spend a long weekend relaxing at the lake.  Football, cold beer, sun, sand, water, and great food.  Can life get any better?  Not really.

Enjoy!

MM

Grilled Hamburgers with French Fries

Fries
4 Large Russet Potatoes
1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 1/2 Tablespoons Cajun Seasoning  

Hamburgers
1 lb 80/20 Ground Chuck
Kosher Salt
Fresh Cracked Pepper
4 French Hamburger Buns, sliced
Unsalted Butter 

Toppings
American Cheese
Lettuce
Sliced Tomato
Sliced Onion
Dill Pickle Chips
Assorted Condiments

Method:

1.  Fries - Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Wash and rinse potatoes thoroughly.  Cut each potato in half.  Next cut each half into 4 wedges, creating 8 fries from each potato.  Add to a baking sheet and toss with oil and seasoning.  Roast potatoes in the oven, shaking pan on occasion for 45 - 60 minutes, or until browned and tender.

2.  Burgers - Preheat a grill over medium high heat.  Divide ground chuck into 4 patties, using your thumb to create a small well in the center of each patty.  Season liberally with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper.  Lightly butter the cut side of each bun, and add to the grill for 60 - 90 seconds, or until just toasted and browned.  Add hamburger patties over direct heat and grill covered for 4 - 5 minutes on each side for medium.  Remove from grill (or top with cheese to melt) and rest 3 - 4 minutes.

3.  Serve - Build burgers with desired toppings and condiments.  Serve immediately with fries.

Taste of Atlanta

Howdy -

A few months back I got invited to participate in Taste of Atlanta.  Seeing as though the great city of Atlanta was my childhood home, I couldn't be more excited to be a part of this years event.  Couple that with the fact that I'm leading a class on one of my favorite cooking devices - The Big Green Egg - and I'm a happy camper. 

So, I'll be manning the fire on Oct 23rd at 5:30 p.m. showing off one of my favorite recipes, Grilled Skirt Steak Fajitas.  Can I get a cold SweetWater to go with that?  Yes, thank you.

To make the deal even sweeter - my friends over at Lodge Cast Iron have donated some skillets that I'll be giving away to the top participants. 

Great food, cold beer, and free stuff - come see me!  Don't forget about Rock4Research the night before! 

MM

Grilled Rosemary Shrimp Kebabs

After a few weeks of idyllic weather - high's in the mid-80's, and low's in the mid-60's - the Indian Summer gods have decided to bestow upon us Southerners a week that feels more like early August than late September.  Truth be told, the September Grass I wished for earlier this month is brittle and brown - oh well.

Don't get me wrong - I like hot weather.  But, considering I'm less than 8 weeks away from my next marathon, and that I just enjoyed two weeks of 'fall running', the idea of logging countless miles in 90 degree heat just doesn't do it for me anymore.

Speaking of which - anyone running in Richmond, Va on November 13th?  I sort of thought this was an 'under the radar' race, which I prefer, but based on the fact that all of the downtown hotels are already booked - I fear I may be participating in a traffic jam instead of a race.  Better hope they they do corrals.

Anywho - the one good thing about having hot weather is that it extends my desire to eat light, healthy meals. 

I know what you are thinking.  A meal of grilled shrimp, coupled w/ my penchant for throwing out Dumb and Dumber quotes at random?  In the words of Lloyd Christmas . . .

Austria!  Well, then.  G'day mate!  Let's put another shrimp on the barbie! 

Grilled Rosemary Shrimp Kebabs -

6 - 8 Large Rosemary Sprigs, soaked in water for 10 minutes
1 lb Large Shrimp, peeled and deveined
Kosher Salt
Fresh Cracked Pepper
1 Lemon, juiced
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Preheat one side of the grill to medium high heat.  Meanwhile, season shrimp in a bowl with a few generous pinches of salt and pepper.  Add lemon juice and olive oil - toss until thoroughly combined.  Begin skewering shrimp, starting at the bottom of the rosemary sprig and working your way to the top (with the leaves), careful not to overcrowd.  Add shrimp to grill over direct heat, 1 -2 minutes.  Move shrimp to indirect heat and cook for another 3 - 4 minutes, or until firm and pink.  Remove from grill and serve immediately with plenty of cold beer.

The Other Side of Grilling

Check out this piece I wrote for our friends over at The Art of Manliness.  Hopefully this will encourage you to start utilizing all of your grill's potential this summer.  Besides, you'll be able to impress your friends.

If you've yet to check out Brett & Kate's outstanding blog, I would highly suggest doing so immediately.  The quality of their content, research, and advice is well above par than any other men's lifestyle publication I've come across.  Even better, the two have successfuly released an incredible book containing the very best of what it takes to be a man.  It's a must read for any gentleman.  Order your copy today.

Heading to the beach for a few days - maybe some more seafood inspiration upon my return.

Be easy,

MM