Cooking Article

Grilling hamburgers
one of my earliest backyard grilling memories. Our Family would get together
usually on the weekends
and have a hamburger and ice cream supper as we say here in Texas. I can fondly remember sitting on top of the old ice cream freezer while my Dad
Uncles and Granddad took turns at spinning the old hand crank attached to the water soaked wooden ice bucket.

Today
the hoodless grill would resemble a throw away variety you would take to the beach
but then we were in tall cotton and in for some delicious eating. The ice cream would be flavored most of the time with a can of crushed pineapple. Or
just maybe
someone would have given us some fresh ripe peaches to mash and toss into the vanilla ice cream mixture.

Cooking out then was a real big treat for the entire family
always with a lot of laughter
running and playing.

Grilling the hamburgers soon became my responsibility
even though I was only about 10 years old at the time. Carefully building the charcoal fire in that old grill we had was a test of my better Boy Scout skills. Once the charcoal was covered in a fine white ash the grilling could begin.

The ice cream was being packed in more ice mixed with a generous amount of rock salt mixture to be allowed to season
while we all ate our terrific tasting hamburgers always topped with lettuce
red ripe tomatoes and onions. The catsup bottle would be passed around as everyone would take their turn
shaking or popping the bottom of the bottle to get the thick tomato sauce from the jar.

Ribs today are one of my favorite backyard treats
but the hamburgers still to this day come sliding across the plate for a delicious grilling feast.

Ah the ribs
good tender slab of ribs with the meat falling off the bone
slathered with a generous portion of smoky chipotle barbecue sauce. Just enough heat in the sauce to add a nice warm blanket right on top of your tongue. Did you know the chipotle is nothing more than the Jalapeno smoked and dried usually with mesquite wood? They are quite delicious giving a nice smoky flavor to your food.

Guacamole is also a favorite topping with just about any grilled meat
especially beef
pork or chicken. Creaming those fresh ripe avocados together with a nice garden ripe tomatoes
chopped green onions
try a little chopped chipotle as well. Season your delicious concoction with a squeeze of fresh lime juice
toss in some cilantro
salt and pepper and call it a meal by it self.

Thick juicy T-Bone steaks are a great treat as well as chicken fajitas. Fun to do because everyone gets to pile their own into a large flour tortilla made just to suit them.

Yes grilling today is just as much fun today as it was when I was growing up. The old three legged grill has long since been tossed onto the trash heap. Replaced with a big cast iron wood smoker and grill
sure I have a handy gas grill for almost daily use but nothing is better than firing up the old trusty smoker.

My great nieces and nephews are now the ones running and playing. They are always beaming with delight as the scoops of homemade fresh peach ice cream is served up with one of "Nana's" homemade cookies.

Someday though I think I will pull out the old hand cranked ice cream freezer. After all
they are missing one of the best parts of the family cookout. Sitting on the old freezer
holding it down while their Dad
Uncle and Granddad take turns cranking the old beast.

I wonder if they would sit still that long?