Kay's Cooking Corner
April 29 - May 5, 2013
Kay Bona
Memorial Day will be here before you know it, and for many people that means grilling and picnics. I love to grill out. I love being outdoors when I’m cooking and I love the smell whether it’s my burger or my neighbors.
It always reminds me of when we went on camping trips as we were growing up. They are some of the best memories I have. Even when we went fishing one day in the mountains while my Mom was at work.
My grandmother, now deceased, went with us. This wasn’t necessarily a camping trip, but it is one of those adventure trips that you will always remember.
We went to this mountain in Colorado to go fishing. My Dad wanted to wander on down the river they were fishing in, and so he got us children together and told her to stay right where she was until we returned.
Right. That was his mother. Mothers mind their children as well as children mind their mothers! Anyway, as predicted, she didn’t stay put. Instead, she decided to go on downstream and fish.
Later in the day it started raining – well actually, thunder storming. My Dad grabbed us kids and we started heading back to the spot my grandmother was supposed to be. Only she wasn’t there. In fact, after calling her name in that raging storm, she didn’t seem to be anywhere.
My dad didn’t usually panic, but I could feel the tenseness in the situation. What could have happened? Where could she be? What do I do with these kids and go about finding her?
He led us back up the mountain, in the pelting rain, which wasn’t an easy feat. The mud on the mountainside would make your feet slip and slip out from under you, and Pine tree branches aren’t the easiest things to grab hold to for support.
After a bit, we did make it back up the mountain and he put us in the car to make his way back down the mountain and find his mom. After what seemed like hours to us, we saw him trudging up the mountain with his mother in tow, both of them looking like drowned rats! Only dad looked like a very mad drowned rat. Us kids didn’t make too many waves at that point.
The rain had pretty much subsided so my Dad built a campfire out beside the car so we could dry out before we left because it had turned quite chilly. Those mountain thunderstorms can be pretty darn fierce.
See? Quite an adventure! And I can’t remember, but it could be that on that campfire we grilled some of the fish they had caught. Aw-w-w, I doubt it. I remember that my Dad was really mad at my grandmother for wandering off, and it was getting late.
Speaking of excitement and cooking out, I have accumulated some grilling tips that might help prevent any unwantedexcitement at your next cookout, and a great recipe for Chipotle Crusted Pork Tenderloin. It goes great with a salad and Garlic Mashed Potatoes.
• Statistics show that gas and charcoal grills cause an average of 1,500 structural fires and 4,800 grill fires annually. The leading cause of structural fire is from unattended cooking and placing combustibles to close to the heat. That doesn’t necessarily mean the lighter fluid; in some cases it was placing the grill too close to the exterior trim and walls, causing them to ignite.
• The leading cause of gas grill fires is leaks or breaks in the gas line.
• Set grill in an open area away from buildings, overhead combustible surfaces, dry leaves, trees, or brush.
• Use long-handled barbecue utensils to avoid burns.
• To put out flare-ups: raise the grid the food is on, spread the coals out, or adjust the controls to lower the temperature.
• Have either a bucket of sand, a garden hose or commercial extinguisher nearby.
• Propane and charcoal BBQ grills are for outdoor use only.
Chipotle Crusted Pork Tenderloin
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons Chipotle Chile powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons brown sugar
2 (3/4 pound) pork tenderloins
Preheat grill for medium-high heat. In a large re-sealable plastic bag, combine the onion powder, garlic powder, chipotle chile powder, salt, and brown sugar. Place tenderloins in bag and shake until coated evenly. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes. Lightly oil grill grate, and arrange meat on grate. Cook 20-25 minutes, turning meat every 5 minutes. Let rest 5-10 minutes before slicing.
