Garlic Ginger Chicken Thighs

I've mentioned before how much I love to grill. During the Summer, of course, but I like to keep my grill active all year long. Food cooked on a grill delivers extra flavor and color that other methods of cooking just can't. 

Today's recipe is a Garlic Ginger Chicken Thigh with a glaze reminiscent of Asian cuisine. These succulent pieces of chicken bathe overnight in the deliciousness of this sauce which is both the marinade and basting liquid.

Garlic Ginger Chicken Thighs

Level: Easy

Time: 30 minutes active

24 hours inactive

Ingredients

1 lb boneless chicken thighs

(other chicken pieces will work, but I like the flavor of the thighs best)

1/4 Cup packed brown sugar

1/4 Cup low sodium soy sauce

Juice from 1/2 lemon

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)

Directions

 Mix all ingredients together except chicken thighs. 

Place thighs in a Ziploc bag, pour in liquid mixture, and remove all air possible. Place in a container in refrigerator over night, turning over occasionally.

The next day....

Preheat your grill to medium-low

Place the chicken thighs on the grill, reserving the liquid. Turn occasionally, basting generously with the marinade mixture.

Cook thighs thoroughly, until a thermometer, inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, reads 165°.

 Baste one last time before removing from grill.

 This goes wonderfully with a buttered baked potato and fresh corn on the cob.

As always, please, let me know if you like this recipe! Follow, comment, and share with your friends!

Enjoy!

Apple & Brown Sugar Pork Chops

I opened my package of pork chops today to find something extra. There, poking out from under the tender, pink meat, was a small package containing a sort of thermometer. The package claimed that its contents would let me know when my pork was "done".

 

"Cook'd Right™ Instructions:

1. Insert tip into meat while cooking, wait 10 seconds, remove & check if done. 

2. Continue cooking and checking until done. Done when dot matches red arrow. 

Discard sensor when finished."

Let's see how this little piece of plastic technology works while making this recipe. 

Apple & Brown Sugar Pork Chops

Time: 15 minutes prep time

30 minutes cook time

Level: Easy

Ingredients

Pork chops (bone in for more flavor)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup apple juice

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp ginger

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp corn starch

Directions

Preheat grill to medium.

Bring all above ingredients (except pork chops) to a boil in a small saucepan. 

Allow to cook until reduced by half.

Brush one side of pork chops with glaze and place, glazed side down on the grill. Allow to cook until good grill marks appear on bottom side.

When grill marks appear, turn chops 90° to make cross marks. 

Brush top of chops with more glaze and turn over. When grill marks appear on second side, turn 90° again to make cross marks.

Continue to baste chops with remaining sauce until done. Chops are done when the internal temperature reaches 145°.

So how did our plastic thermometer do? I checked the temperature with both the plastic thermometer and my digital thermometer. When my chops were actually done, the digital thermometer reading was at 146.7. 

At that same time, the dot on the end of the plastic apparatus had not changed. 

I did not continue to cook my chops to see at what temperature the plastic thermometer read as "done", as I didn't want to dry out my chops. 

This chop was cooked to juicy perfection, completely white throughout and not a bit dry.

Verdict:

Don't trust the "ready when" technology included in meat packaging.

 

Have a great 4th of July weekend, y'all. I'll be back next week!

God bless America... and God bless you too!

 

 

Grilled Lemon Parsley Tilapia

 My grill gets a lot of use during the Spring and Summer months, and I am always trying to find something other than burgers and dogs to cook over the fire. I was lucky enough to find whole tilapia at Sam's Club on Friday. I couldn't wait for the opportunity to grill these beautiful fish! Here is the recipe!

Grilled Lemon Parsley Tilapia 

Time: 15 minutes prep

30 minutes cook time

45 minutes total

Level: Easy

Ingredients

Whole tilapia

Nonstick cooking spray (such as Pam)

Lemons (2 per fish), sliced 1/8" thick

Bunch Italian flat leaf parsley

Kosher salt

Directions

 Preheat the grill to medium.

 Wash each fish really well with COLD water. DO NOT use hot water. 

The fish will start to cook, and that is not what you want at this point. 

Make sure that all of the red is gone, as this will make the fish taste bitter. Dry well with a paper towel.

 Score the sides of the tilapia twice, about 1/8" deep. This will allow steam to escape the fish, and allow the lemon and salt flavors to penetrate the meat. 

Salt both sides as well as the cavity liberally. Stuff with lemon slices and parsley. Be generous.

 Lay out a section of aluminum foil approximately 2 1/2 times the length of the fish. Spray well with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Lay a bed of lemon slices on the foil, place the fish on the lemon slices. Cover with sliced lemon. 

Fold up ends of the foil and crimp each edge of the packet. Don't get too fancy with your folding. We will have to get back into the packet while it is still on the grill later on in order to take the temperature of the meat.

Place each packet, seam side down, onto the grates. Allow to cook for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn the packet over gently. Allow to cook on the other side for 15 minutes more.

Open one side of the packet *CAREFULLY* STEAM IS HOT!!! Insert an instant read thermometer into the thickest part of the fish. Fish is ready when the internal temperature reaches 145°.

Serve with lemon slices. Enjoy!

TIPS & TRICKS:
Learn how to debone a cooked fish with this guy's video!

DEBONING COOKED FISH by CUCINA

If you liked this recipe, please let me know below. If not, let me know that too! I want to hear from you!

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