Fête du Canada

Tune-in + Join me for a day of grilling great steak on the 4th of July for Create TV's Independence Day Weekend Marathon. GHL airs Saturday July 4th, 8AM + 8PM; Sunday July 5th, 2PM. 

Happy Birthday Canada!

How does one celebrate the annual Canadian Birthday? If you are in Toronto CA possibly by combining Canadian flavors between the bun.

Dubbed the “Ultimate Canada Burger” it is a fresh grind of one beef patty topped with a Nova Scotia lobster, Ontario smoke house bacon and if you haven’t guessed by now Quebec maple syrup. The bacon is infused with maple syrup, the lobster claw is dipped in maple syrup, and the sandwich also has a maple spread.

Walk, don’t run. You will have to enjoy this special Anniversary patty today as its only available at The Burger’s Priest locations on July 1st. Or, if you are gearing up for the American July 4th celebration you can make it a Sloppy holiday!

Happy Canada Day to all my friends up north!

George's SLOPPY GIUSEPPE a winning combination, Martin's Potato Rolls, Sep's Farm, Sidor's North Fork Chips with Chef George's signature smoky garlic seasoning

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Do You Prefer Grilling on Charcoal

or Gas or Both and Why?

Recently I was asked by a good friend for a recipe and tips on grilling pork tenderloin. Inspiration for sharing this post and I thought it was a good time to share options for cooking on fire! 

I received my first ‘know your fire’ lesson when I was about five years old. My Dad taught me there are three kinds of wood you needed to build a fire: twigs for kindling, branches for getting the fire going, and heavier logs that become charcoal. So much has changed, but the essence of outdoor cooking is still the same whether using a charcoal or gas grill. 

Charcoal Grilling Tips:- Use fresh charcoal, stored in a tightly sealed container, like a small garbage can- Use natural lump charcoal for a best heat source and even cooking- Light charcoal safely with a chimney and never use lighting fuels unless you want your burger flavored with petroleum- To avoid flare-ups; grill with indirect heat by banking coals on one side of the grill

Gas Grilling Tips:- Keep an extra propane tank handy, for the unexpected "gas outage"- Safety First; store propane and grill outdoors only—never in a garage or shed- Always shut-off gas supply after each and every use- To clean grates, turn up heat to high, close cover for 4-5 minutes, then brush well with a wire grill brush and turn off heat- Before lighting grill, lightly brush grates with cooking oil to ‘season’ the metal; which may require more than one application- To avoid flair-ups, grill with an indirect heat (one burner on / one burner off when cooking fattier foods- Try something new; use a smoker box with a few hickory wood chips on the grill for a charcoal like smoke flavor.

Pork tenderloin is an inexpensive and very widely available cut of meat ideal to grill on either charcoal or gas grill. Enjoy served as is or sliced into Pork Sliders as I prepared on George Hirsch Lifestyle.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Makes 6 servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com  | George Hirsch Lifestyle 

1/2 cup Pork Dry Rub (below)

Two 1 1/4 –pound pork tenderloins, unseasoned and not marinated

1 cup Honey Pork Sauce (below)

Cut off any excess fat from the pork and remove any sinew (the tough fibrous tissue). Cover the pork on all sides with dry rub and refrigerate overnight or for at least 8 hours. 

Charcoal

Light charcoal in a chimney 45 minutes before grilling pork. When coals become white, dump coals on one side of grill. Place grid on grill. Place pork tenderloins on grill. Cover and grill the pork for 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally. Baste with Honey Pork Sauce during the last 5 minutes of grilling.Remove meat and allow the pork to rest for 5 minutes before slicing. 

Gas

Pre heat gas grill 5 minutes before cooking. Place pork tenderloins on hot grill. Close lid and grill the pork for 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally. Baste with Honey Pork Sauce during the last 5 minutes of grilling. Remove meat and allow the pork to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

For the Pork Rub

1/4 cup sweet paprika

2 Tablespoons dried thyme

2 Tablespoons dried rosemary

2 Tablespoons garlic powder (not garlic salt)

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cayenne In a small bowl mix all ingredients. 

Can be made ahead and stored in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Never add salt to a rub because it will draw out the meat juices. 

For the Honey Pork Sauce

1 cup catsup or ketchup

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup sweet wine or apple juice 

2 Tablespoons cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon soy sauceIn a small bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well. 

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Know Your Fire: Sizing it UP!

Fish markets sell shrimp according to size: colossal, large, medium, etc., but a more accurate way to judge the size of shrimp is to buy them by counting them: colossal, less than 10 to the pound; jumbo, 11 to 15 to the pound; extra large, 16 to 20 to the pound; large, 21 to 30 to the pound; medium,  31 to 35 to the pound; small, 36 to 45 to the pound, and miniature, 60 to 100 to the pound. 

Shrimp cooked in the shell has more flavor. If you can find shrimp in the market with the heads on go for it, they are fresh. And, for grilling best to use 21-30s or larger-- such as 16-20 to 11-15s. To make a real statement on the grill use U/15's Colossal, and U/10s Extra Colossal with the heads still on. BTW, U stands for under.

The nice part about today's post recipe is that just about any vegetable will go well with grilled shrimp, so use what you have on hand. Or, if you are heading to the market and you see good looking asparagus, that would be ideal at this time of the season to pair up with grilled shrimp.

Grilled Shrimp & Vegetable Salad

 Makes four servings 

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

20 large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Marinade for Shrimp:

2 Tablespoons Olive oil

Juice from one lemon

2 teaspoons lite-soy sauce

1 Tablespoon honey

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1 Tablespoon fresh mint, chopped

Mix all ingredients for shrimp marinade and pour over shrimp. Marinate 5 minutes.

For the vegetables:

2 green squash, split and grilled 

2 large tomatoes, split and grilled

1 large sweet onion, cut into 4 pieces and grilled

4 Tablespoons olive oil 

1 Tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

juice of one lemon  

pinch sea salt

fresh ground black pepper 

Mix lemon, oil, thyme, pepper and salt with vegetables. 

Pre heat grill to a very high heat.

Grill vegetables on high heat until light brown and vegetables are tender.

Two minutes before vegetables are done place shrimp on grill.

Cook shrimp on hot grill and cook two minutes on each side, turning once. Baste the shrimp with any remaining marinade. Do not over cook.  Pink means done. Remove shrimp from grill and serve with grilled vegetables.

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Taste NBA All Star GameDay

Chef George supporting Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation's Soul Kitchen, "sharing the love"

Need a quick dish for Gameday? Try this flavorful winner, a burrito you'll hit net everytime!

Chef George's Winning BBQ Burrito

Barbecue Burrito

Makes 6 serving

chefgeorgehirsch.com | From Grilling with Chef George Hirsch cookbook

*2 pounds boneless and skinless chicken thighs

1/4 cup Barbecue Chicken Burrito Rub

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 cups your favorite barbecue sauce

Twelve 10-inch flour tortillas

Season chicken with rub and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Pre heat grill to high.

Brush chicken with olive oil, place on grill and sear for 2 minutes on each side. Move the chicken to a cooler side of the grill and continue cooking for 4 to 5 minutes longer. Remove the chicken from the grill and allow to cool for five minutes. Shred the meat, combine it with barbecue sauce in a small saucepan and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes on the grill or side burner.

To serve, place 3-4 Tablespoons of the chicken mixture in the center of each flour tortilla. Fold each side toward the center and roll up from the bottom. Place the burritos on a medium-hot grill and heat on both sides for a total of 1 to 2 minutes.

*Tip: Ideal to use left over chicken in place of grilling chicken

Chicken Burrito Rub, makes 1/3 cup

1 Tablespoon each sweet paprika, oregano, black pepper, garlic powder, ground cumin, and lemon zest

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Store in a tightly covered jar.

Corn Tortilla Soup

In NYC Sunday 1/25?  Join George for a meet & greet at the NY Times Travel Show at Create TV Exhibit (#978). He'll share his Signature Seasoned North Fork Chips for the first 100 who stop by. And, one lucky winner will be selected to receive an autographed cookbook. 

All Natural, Farm Fresh, Grown and Kettle Cooked From Sidor Farms. North Fork Chips Original Chef George Hirsch's Signature Seasoning dusted with Herb & Spice and a Smoky Garlic Kick!

The making of tortillas dates back approximately 10,000 BC, according to Mayan legend. Tortillas are really not much different today. Tortilla soup is ideal to serve up on numerous occasions from a game-day party to even a church supper. The ingredients are universally available along with it's wide appeal. I've prepared this recipe around the globe with several variations including fish, shellfish, beef or pork.

Taking the time to pre-grill the chicken, sausage and vegetables in this recipe makes a great flavor enhancer to this soup. After-all, when tailgating, the entire soup would be prepared on a grill. I've also included instructions for this recipe to be fully cooked indoors, in case the snow happens to bury your grill, or just dig that grill out!

Chef George's Corn Tortilla Soup Corn Tortilla Soup

Makes 4 servings | Adapted from Know Your Fire cookbook

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

1 pound boneless chicken thighs*

2 chorizos or spicy sausages*

Olive oil

2 ears of corn or 1 cup frozen corn kernels

1 sweet onion, *thickly sliced

2 red bell pepper, *halved and seeded

2 jalapeño peppers, *split and seeded

3-4 plum tomatoes, *halved

1 head caramelized garlic, pureed

3 scallions, chopped

1 Tablespoon cumin

1 cup tomato sauce

6 cups chicken broth

1 Tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon hot sauce

3 (8-inch) corn or flour tortillas

fresh ground pepper to taste

1 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded

* Chop into small pieces if not pre-grilling the chicken, chorizos and vegetables.

Pre heat the grill to medium high if grilling vegetables and meat. Or, directly add vegetables and meat into a large soup pot if making indoors.

Brush chicken thighs with olive oil. Grill chicken and chorizos 7-8 minutes on each side. Remove, cool and cut into half inch pieces.

If using fresh corn, grill the corn. And, if grilling vegetables - brush with olive oil and grill 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove, cool and chop into small pieces. Or, if not grilling vegetables chop into small pieces for the next step.

Pre heat a large soup pot to medium temperature. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, all the grilled vegetables, chicken, chorizo, tomatoes, cumin, and tomato sauce. Cook for 5 minutes. 

Add chicken broth, bay leaves, and hot sauce. bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, on a low temperature grill place the tortillas on grill and toast lightly on both sides. Cut the tortillas into strips 1 inch long and 1/4 inch wide. Tortillas may also be cut into strips and lightly toasted in a hot oven- if not toasting on a grill. Add 3/4 of the tortilla strips to the soup during the last 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and season with pepper and cilantro. 

Serve hot soup topped with cheese and remaining tortilla strips. 

Chef George Favorite Kitchen Knife CLICK TO ORDER