Grilling on the Deck All Year Long
Most people associate grilling on the deck with summer cookouts or day long pool parties, but there’s no reason to stop cooking out when the weather changes! There are many recipes that are perfect for cold winter days when you’d rather not stand outside and wait for the right moment to flip a burger. Here are a few examples.
Marinated and Seared Flank Steak
Buy a quality flank steak then marinate it in equal parts soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and balsamic vinegar with a couple of dashes of liquid smoke. Let it soak from 2 to 5 hours then pat it dry with a paper towel and apply salt and pepper to both sides. While the meat is absorbing the salt, preheat your grill to high heat, seriously high. Make sure you dab off any last bits of moisture from the steak so that it gets a good seared crust then throw it on the hot grill. Let it cook until it gets a nice brown sear and just begins to char a little then flip it over. As soon as the other side is done crusting, pull the steak off and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes so the juices redistribute. Slice the flank steak thinly against the grain for tender bites. In the end, you’ll only spend about 10 minutes outside grilling but the taste is dynamite! Also- once you master it- you can throw the steak on and wait inside, which will help when it gets really cold.
Smoked Pulled Pork Shoulder
When winter hits cabin fever may ensue. To prevent hours of boredom buy about an 8 pound pork should (pork butt), and settle in for a day of smoking. Use your favorite BBQ and liberally coat the should all over. Let it sit for 1 to 24 hours. While the pork is curing, prepare your grill for smoking. On gas grills this means filling your smoker box or foil packet with soaked wood chips (apple is a great choice!), make sure that only one burner will be lit for this. To my Charcoal grillers, this means starting a small batch of coals on one side of your grill, or in your offset smoking chamber, and adding soaked wood chips. Once the grill is producing low heat and steady smoke add the shoulder to the grill on the side opposite the heat source. You’ll need to keep adding wood chips every 30-45 minutes and remember to keep an eye on your grill temperature so that it stays between 225 degrees F and 275 degrees F. Continue to cook the pork like this between 8-10 hours or until the internal temperature reaches about 195 degrees F. Pull the meat off to let it rest and cool down for at least 15 minutes. Using forks or your hands, pull the pork apart and discard any fat. Once all the meat is in a container or crock pot slowly add your favorite BBQ sauce to moisten the meat up just a touch. Although you’ll be making trips outside to check on things, they’ll be quick and well worth it because smoked pork is delicious!
If you’re longing for those hot summer grill sessions, try out these recipes and learn to enjoy your deck and your grill in any season! For information regarding products that will keep you deck clean, contact us.
