How do you experiment?

Info@Workman · Site Admin Joined: 29 May 2003 Posts: 581

With the weekend coming up (and hopefully some nice grilling weather!) I was wondering, how do you experiment?

Are you inspired by what's on sale at the grocery store? A new type of wood? A vacation, or a trip to a restaurant? What's the most unexpected source of inspiration you've found?

Also, any advice for grillers trying to go outside their comfort zone?

tpizel · Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 6:59 am Post subject:

All of the above!

But my main sources of trying something new lately come from three sources:

1.) I got 4 new BBQ books for the holidays. Open one up, and find something that looks good.

2.) See something on this website that looks/sounds good, that I've never done before.

3.) My neighbor down the block - he's one of those guys who, when his wife is away (or even when she IS home) will bluntly say something along the order of, "You grillin tonight? 'Cause I was thinking...maybe I could help you make sure there's no left overs." he also says "Hey, I was thinkin..maybe we should try this...." So we do....
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Kenny 13 · Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 9:10 am Post subject:

This forum is great for getting new ideas to experiment with. I'll read something here and think "that sounds great", but after awhile I'll usually also start thinking "I bet it would also be good if I..."

Books help too. I usually try to go by a recipe the first time, then after knowing how it was supposed to taste I'll start getting creative and putting my own touch on it. Of course, lots of times there is no reason to change things at all.

BTW, this is a great topic and I'm really interested in seeing what others have to say.
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QJuju · Posted: Sat May 09, 2009 5:52 am Post subject:

I decide what sounds good. If I want one of my tried and true recipes I do that. If I want something different I decide between Beef, Pork, Chicken, of seafood. Then I usually look around the forum or thumb through one of Stevens books and try to find the inspiration for what I want to cook. The forum is a great place to start. I haven't made everything I wanted to try yet. Laughing

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Brad_Olson · Posted: Sat May 09, 2009 12:55 pm Post subject:

While reading this thread I'm watching an America's Test Kitchen segment about salting meat. I just happened to pick up a couple of sirloin tip steaks at the store this morning so I'm going to give ATK's 18-hour salting technique a try and grill them tomorrow night.

Brad

kmvet72 · Posted: Thu May 14, 2009 12:46 am Post subject:

Travel, I travel a lot for both work, and fun. I always try to make friends with a local, and if at all possible get invited home for dinner. You can learn more about a place from a simple home cooked meal, than you can from the five star restaurant in town. I have been lucky enough to eat in homes all over the world, from shacks in South, and Central America, to mansions in Europe, and lot's of places in between. When ever I get the chance to eat in some ones home while traveling I savor every bite, and use it as inspiration in my own kitchen when I get home.

Mark
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CanadaBBQGuy · Posted: Thu May 14, 2009 9:07 am Post subject:

I usually start by looking at what I have in the freezer and then checking out my cookbook library or this website for any ideas that might work with whatever spices and other ingredients I might have on hand. The pics here also help a lot. Very Happy

Other times I'll be looking at a post here and I'll think "maybe if I did this.... or this...." and eventually I'll come up with an idea myself. A lot of Steven's newsletters give me that kind of inspiration, too.

One thing I'll often do is cook a number of different recipes at once. I've got a CharGriller Outlaw so this means I've got quite a bit of cooking space. Often I'll fill that space with a couple chicken recipes, 4 or 5 different kinds of ribs, and maybe a pork shoulder or chuck roast. That way if I've got a new supply of some kind of smoking wood I get to try several recipes at once. Cooking several different rib recipes on a rib rack also gives me a better idea of what works well, and what doesn't.

My advice for folks wanting to go outside their comfort zone? Don't be afraid to try something new. Grilling may be a bit of a challenge, but indirect cooking and smokings are both very forgiving cooking techniques. And don't be discouraged if something doesn't work out the first time, but don't get too wrapped up in the details of your grill or smoker, either. In the end, the rig you're cooking on doesn't matter nearly as much as the food you're creating. Very Happy

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Adayoff2Q · Posted: Thu May 14, 2009 11:32 am Post subject:

First off, a great post!

One of my ways to experiments is sort of inspired by the Food Network's show Chopped - I will either choose a few ingredients that I have at home or have my wife will set out 4 or 5 various ingredients that normally wouldn't work together - the results are usually great.

Also, I rarely go out to dinner anymore, so I just try to recreate restaurant-inspired dishes that I have ordered and enjoyed in the past. This usually requires a little bit of research, but it is well worth it.

I am not sure if many of you keep a food journal, but this is something that I starting doing a few years ago. It is more than just recipes, in that I also try and include the occasion, who was invited, and maybe any incidents/monets that were associated with the meal. At first I was a little standoffish about the idea, but if many of you have not tried this, it is well worth it.[/u]
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Info@Workman · Site Admin Joined: 29 May 2003 Posts: 581

kmvet72 · Posted: Fri May 22, 2009 1:42 am Post subject:

[quote="Info@Workman"]

riggins44 · Posted: Sat May 23, 2009 6:23 am Post subject:

Inspiration can come from most anywhere. Reading different books, this forum, food network, or wild hair. Even is see recipe on TV or in a book, will try to put a twist on it to make my own.

My wife and kids sometimes don't like for me to experiment with one of my tried and true recipes. For me it's trying to create interesting variations.

This weekend want to try and roast whole vidalia onions. Saw this done in an oven, so thought why not on the grill.

This thread reminded me of something an aunt once told me when asked her about cooking new things. She said, "I've eaten a lot of mistakes". Laughing

Happy Cooker · Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 6:10 pm Post subject:

I get ideas from everywhere. Some I make up on the spot.Some from newspapers. I subscribe to America's Test Kitchens magazines. Some times I get them from the books I read. I would like to get a copy of Food to die for: Secrets from Kay Scarpetta's Kitchen. And Scarpetta's Winter table.

I even have Mary Cratchett's cook book from Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol. Of course, for fun I have a road kill cook book. JT

ronnyvous1 · medium-rare Joined: 25 May 2009 Posts: 56 Location: WNY

Food Channel, and books. Don't restrict yourself to "grillin' " or "smokin'" texts only. Hit the bargain bins, one of the better books I grabbed about using a slow cooker was in the clearance rack at Tractor Supply. Another great place is to find cookbooks from the local church ladies, or at yard sales and flea markets. The Warden has a cabinet full of cookbooks acquired 50 cents at a time, and there are wondrous things lurking within!

Just about any recipe, if it catches your eye, can be done over charcoal or wood. We have been active reenactors, and over the last 25 years have done huge amounts of cooking over open wood fires, using period appropriate gear from the 1640-1840 era. Going from Dutch Oven Pizza to CG Pizza isn't much of a stretch.

csbrass · Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 4:24 pm Post subject:

I'm experimenting with sauces, rubs & marinades. I have Steves HTG and have made some of the rubs & mop sauces from there. I have also checked some of the links this site offers. I will also go to a book store(the cooking section) and glance at the recipes in the grilling books. I'm looking for that basic all purpose rub, sauce or marinade that will provide great flavoring to what ever I use it on. Something that will be a staple that will provide a consistant flavor. Nothing too sweet or vingery or over whelming with a particular spice flavor but I don't want it bland either. Sounds like I have a long process ahead of me.

DropaStone · Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2009 7:03 am Post subject:

I've been experimenting with a rub I've been working on for about 4 years now. The thing is it all started out with a rub recipe I that I made from one of Steven's books. When it started running low I just started putting anything I hand on hand that sounded good into it, kinda like a hunters stew only it's a rub. The rub is actually pretty good the only problem is when I get it just right I can't remember what Is actually in it so I will never be able to duplicate it. So I'll just keep doing what I've been doing. It's worked out so far. Twisted Evil

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