I'd like to start this post with congratulations for my lovely fiancé, who just found out she passed her NAPLEX exam and is now a licensed pharmacist. It is a goal she has been working towards for the last 8 years. Congratulations, baby! I love you and I am very, very proud.
We had a very nice wedding shower in Benton at Northside Church of Christ last Sunday. Lots of gifts were brought and the ladies there did a great job. This was my first wedding shower, which I suppose is the way it's supposed to be for guys. We've got two more shower/receptions scheduled following the wedding. One will be at Pleasant Valley Church of Christ on Saturday, September 11th, and the other will be at 7th and Mueller Church of Christ on Sunday, September 19th. We both hope that all our friends and family can make it out to celebrate our marriage with us at one of these events. FYI - the bride and groom are registered at Belk, Bed, Bath, and Beyond, Kohl's, and Wal-Mart.
Did you know central Arkansas is one of the most naturally beautiful spots in our country? Recent visits to Petit Jean Mountain, Pinnacle Mountain, and the Buffalo River have convinced me that there aren't many places in middle America that can compete with Arkansas' natural glory. Head over to my Flickr page to see pictures from some of these visits.
One of our aforementioned shower gifts was a very nice Char-Broil grill given to us by Tiffany's parents Paul and Debra Parris. Seeing as I have been grilling with a rusty old two-burner gas grill (purchased for $40 at a yard sale) for the past year, I was extra excited about this one. I've used it twice since getting it put together Monday evening (an adventure in itself). What a difference good equipment makes! Consider last night's dinner: BBQ-spiced chicken breast (seen above).
Whenever I cook chicken (or pork, for that matter), I always begin with a brine. A brine is basically a saltwater solution that increases the juiciness of meats by osmosis. Basically, the salt in the brine moves back and forth between the water and the cells of the meat, taking moisture with it. While the salt continues to move in and out of the meat, the moisture is trapped in, resulting in a succulent and juicy cooked product. This process does take a bit of extra effort but trust me, it's worth it. Meats should be brined for at least an hour and up to overnight. Be sure to rinse your meat well after removing it from the brining solution.
The key to perfectly grilled chicken (regardless of the cut) is to incorporate dual-zone cooking. This concept is sound for both charcoal and propane grilling applications. The chicken should receive a quick sear on either side over high heat (roughly 4-5 min per side) before being transferred to lower heat to finish cooking. For gas grills, this is simple. Just set one burner to high heat and another to low, and you're done. If charcoal is your fuel of choice, bank the coals to either side of the grill so that there is a gap in the middle. Place a disposable pan filled 1/3 of the way up with water between the two mounds of coals, and you're ready to go. Cook the meat over the cooler section of the grill until the juices run clear and/or the meat hits an internal temperature of 160 degrees. As always, allow the meat to rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting into it.
BBQ-Spiced Grilled Chicken w/Blueberry-Strawberry salad
Ingredients:
For the chicken:
- 2lbs split chicken breasts, skin on
- BBQ spice rub of choice
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce of choice, warmed
- 4 cups hot water
- 1/4 cup salt
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- canola oil
- 1 pint strawberries, sliced
- 1/2 cup blueberries
- 1/4 cup grape tomatoes, halved
- 50/50 spring salad mix
- 1/2 red onion, sliced
- 1/2 cup feta cheese
- 2 tbsp fresh basil, sliced
- 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
To make the brine, combine water, brown sugar, and salt in a pot over medium heat. Heat, stirring occasionally, until dissolved. Allow brine to cool completely and pour into a large ziptop bag. Place chicken into bag with brine, making sure chicken is completely covered. Store in the refrigerator for at least an hour or up to overnight.
Put all ingredients for the salad in a large bowl and toss to combine. Cover and store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Preheat grill, using dual zone setup described above. Remove chicken from fridge, pour out brine, and discard bag. Thoroughly rinse chicken and pat dry. Coat chicken with canola oil and generously top chicken with BBQ rub ( I use the Neely's recipe with a little added red pepper and garlic powder) and kosher salt. Be sure to rub spices into chicken. Place chicken, skin side down, onto high heat section of the grill and cook for about 5 minutes or until skin is crisp and dark grill lines appear. Flip chicken and cook for another 5 minutes. After both sides are seared, move chicken to the cooler section of the grill and cook until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees, turning occasionally. Once the internal temperature hits 160 degrees, brush BBQ sauce onto both sides of chicken and remove to a cooling rack Allow chicken to set before removing. Serve with remaining BBQ sauce on the side alongside the salad topped with vinaigrette of choice. The end result should look something like this:
mmmm.....
