Happy New Year! A new year to try out new recipes and cooking activities. Grilling is a great outdoor cooking activity. Each grill day can be a unique food experience even during the less popular grill seasons. The winter season is a nice time to grill delicious and tasty foods.
Winter Season for Grilling
Colder weather can be a better time to grill compared to humid, hot summer days. Though it may be easier to grill food during the warmer season, the winter season can also be an enjoyable experience. Many people enjoy the cold weather for grilling, though it is not for everyone, as longer prepping and cooking time is often required. Winter grilling outdoors can be beneficial. Bugs are less likely to be a nuisance, there is no humidity, and the heat from the grill can be warming during the cold, making it ideal for winter grilling.
Grill Equipment: Concrete blocks, grill grate, firewood, baking sheet, metal skewers, and a cooking brush.
Grill Food: Meats: pork chops, chicken, chicken wings, fresh corn, potatoes, and barbecue sauce. Marinade ingredients: tomato, cilantro, green onion, white onion, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and lemon.
Grill Food
Marinade: Vegetable Vinegar Marinade
Many different types of marinades can be made and used for grill days. A combination of vegetables, fruits, citrus flavors, and cooking oils can be used to make a flavorful marinade. There are various brands of marinades available in US supermarkets. Many of these brands include a barbecue sauce. Light and all-natural vinegar marinades may also be available. Marinades can be made at home with a variety of ingredients.
Many of the ingredients I often use are fresh vegetable ingredients from the supermarket. Fresh vegetable ingredients for vinegar marinades work the best. For this marinade I opted for a blend of vegetables and vinegar-based dressing. I cut a tomato, cilantro, green onion, and white onion, then diced garlic cloves. For the vinegar dressing, I used olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and lemon juice. I used a fresh lemon for the juice. This enhances the flavor of the marinade.
Meats: Pork Chops, Chicken, and Chicken Wings
Many grill cooking days include some type of meat. Meat is a common food item for the grill. Mixed meats are nice to add to the grill. This gives a variety of different flavors to a grilled dish. Thick pork chops are common meat options for the grill. Chicken is also a very common and popular choice for grill day. Chicken wings, in particular, are especially nice for the grill when it comes to large social gatherings, making it great for guests to pick and enjoy grilled chicken wings.
Many supermarkets often have specials when it comes to meats. It is a good idea to scout the meat section for specials on meats. I purchased the meats at my local warehouse club retail store. These types of warehouses sell in bulk and at times can be a better price compared to local grocery stores or supermarkets.
In a container, I added the pork chops, chicken, and chicken wings. Then the barbecue sauce and the vegetable marinade were added and fully combined. This delicious meat combination with the sauces was marinated overnight for a deep, flavorful, and moist meat blend.
Corn
Corn is a great food item for grilling in any season since it is often available year-round in the states. Fresh corn is the best option for grilling. The fresher the corn is, the better. Corn that is fresh often provides sweeter flavors and a nice texture. Plain corn can be grilled with no seasoning or sauces. Fresh plain corn can be enjoyed without the extra seasonings, sauces, or marinades. In addition, corn can be grilled with or without the husks. Grilling corn with husks can help the corn from overcooking from the heat. In contrast, grilling corn with no husks can provide a nice, smoky, charred flavor. Corn is a versatile food item that can be prepared and cooked in numerous ways.
I often buy corn in bulk and stock up, especially when in season. When I buy corn, I will freeze the corn for an extended period of time until I am ready to use it. I defrosted the corn the night prior. On grill day, I decided to grill two corns with the husks and two without the husks.
I added metal skewers to the corn without husks. The skewers help to turn the corn over occasionally on the grill while cooking.
Potatoes
Potatoes are a versatile food item that can be cooked different ways. They are also very popular for the grill. Potatoes can be grilled different ways. Potato rounds, wedges, or whole potatoes can be grilled on the grill. Round and wedge potatoes are great for the grill because they generally cook faster compared to whole potatoes. Whole potatoes usually take longer when cooking. Aluminum foil can be used for potatoes when cooking.
Russet potatoes are popular potato options in the states. It is commonly used for various dishes. Russet potatoes are often available at supermarkets across the United States. Different bags of potato brands can be found in the produce section. I often like to buy a bag of russet potatoes for cooking. Russet potatoes are large, thick-skinned, and do well on the grill. I opted to cook the potatoes with the skin. I used aluminum foil to cover the russet potatoes for this grill day.
Grill
Meats, Corn, and Potatoes
This is a homemade grill that was put together for simple grill days. I used concrete blocks and a grill grate and placed firewood between the concrete blocks. Once the grill was heated, I first added the meats on a baking sheet to the grill then began cooking the meat first.
I then added the corn with metal skewers the baking sheet. I then added the wrapped foil potatoes and the corn with husks on the concrete blocks over the grill grates.
The meats cooked quite fast on the grill. The meats were able to cook faster than the potatoes and corn. All the meats were browning and were ready to be removed from the grill. The potatoes that were placed on the concrete blocks cooked very little. On the contrary, the corn with husks on the concrete blocks began to cook lightly.
Corn and Potatoes
After the meats were done cooking, I removed the meats and then added the potatoes and corn directly to the grill as the grill was still well heated.
At this point the corn was grilled. The corn grilled faster than the russet potatoes. The potatoes required more time to cook.
The russet potatoes took a while longer to cook compared to the meats and the corn. I left the potatoes on the grill even though the fire went out. The grill was still warm, which still allows the potatoes to still continue cooking under warm heat.
Grilled Food
Grilled Meats
Once the meats were grilled, I added the combination of meats to the container. Then brushed on the vegetable vinegar marinade to the meats. The combination of the barbeque, smokey flavors, and the marinade creates such an amazing meat dish to savor.
Grilled Corn
The corn with husks can take a bit longer to cook compared to corn with no husks. When all the corns were done cooking, I removed the metal skewers from the corns and then added them to a bowl. I then brushed on the vegetable vinegar marinade to all the corns.
Thoughts
There are so many grill food ideas to put together for any grill day. Meats, corn, and potatoes are excellent options for the grill. The combination of cooked and smokey meats, corn, and potatoes provides a flavorful grilled dish.
Grill winter days can be great days for cooking outdoors. Though some harsh winter days may not be possible to be outside, mild winter days can be ideal to be outdoors, enjoying the refreshing cold air outside and staying warm by the grill. The cold weather can be enjoyable for grill days. I often like to grill when it is cool or even cold outside. The feeling is uniquely different compared to hot summer days.
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