Grilling Recipes and Tips to Make Your Cookout a Hit

The 2024 grilling season is finally here, and New Jersey grilling enthusiasts are fired up! Mybergen.com will feature summer grilling recipes and tips throughout the season to hopefully add a new and exciting twist to your spring and summer grilling enjoyment. Now let’s get grilling!

Cajun Shrimp Burgers with Tartar Sauce Recipe from Weber

This is something a bit different from the standard weekend fare. With this delicious cajun recipe, turn your weekend barbeque into a quick trip to the delta!

Serves 4. Prep time: 30 minutes. Chilling time: 30 minutes to 2 hours. Grilling time: about 8 minutes.

Ingredients:

Patties:

• 2 scallions (white and light green parts only)
• 1 rib celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed
• ½ cup loosely packed fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• ½ teaspoon mustard powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• ¾ cup panko bread crumbs
• Extra-virgin olive oil

Sauce:

• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons dill pickle relish
• 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
• ¾ teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 4 hamburger buns, split
• 4 leaves of romaine lettuce
• 8 very thin slices of red onion
• 8 pepperoncini, thinly sliced into rings (optional)

Instructions:

• Combine the scallions and celery in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add the remaining patty ingredients, except the bread crumbs, and pulse briefly until the mixture forms a very chunky mixture, about 8 one-second pulses. There should be many pieces of shrimp remaining, each about the size of a pea. Transfer to a bowl. Add the panko to the shrimp mixture and stir gently until just combined. Form into four equal-sized patties, each about 4½ inches in diameter and no more than ½ inch thick.
• Lightly coat a platter with oil. Arrange the patties on the platter, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
• Combine the sauce ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium heat (350° to 450°F) and preheat a grill-proof griddle.
• Lightly brush the patties on both sides with oil, place on the grill, and cook over direct medium heat, with the lid closed, until golden and firm, about 8 minutes, carefully turning once after 5 minutes. During the last 30 seconds to 1 minute of grilling time, toast the buns on the cooking grates, cut side down, over direct heat. Build each burger on a bun with sauce, lettuce, a patty, onion, and pepperoncini if used. Serve warm.

Click here for more grilling recipes from Weber.

You Can’t Forget the Hot Dogs!

It’s also hot dog season in North Jersey! Here are a few helpful tips for successful hot dog grilling and a quick lesson on hot dog etiquette!

According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, Americans are expected to eat at least seven billion hot dogs between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The Council estimates that Americans eat 20 billion hot dogs each year, but more are eaten in the warm weather months when the grills are fired up, and hot dogs have that great barbecued taste.

For a complete Council hot dog etiquette guide, view this YouTube video: 

Now it’s time for some tips from the pros at Morton’s The Steakhouse. After more than 30 years in the business, they’ve got summer grilling down to a science! Morton’s The Steakhouse offers its Top Grilling Tips to help you achieve grilling perfection.

• Choose your beef wisely: Look for USDA prime, grain-fed aged beef. Look for superior marbling – the little ribbons of white running through the meat. If you can’t find prime beef, choose “choice” beef with abundant marbling.
• Size does matter: Choose at least 1” to 1½” thick steaks. Marbling and thickness make ribeye, New York strip, porterhouse, and T-bone steaks ideal for grilling. Bring ’em in from out of the cold Steaks should be at room temperature before grilling.
• Check the oil: Lightly oil the grilling rack. It keeps the meat from sticking and tearing – and losing its natural juices. It’s got to be hot Heat grill to 600-800 degrees. High heat sears the meat and seals in tasty juices.
• Use a seasoned approach: Add some salt and pepper to bring out the flavor. Stick a fork in it? Never! Always use tongs or a spatula to turn over a steak during grilling. Piercing it with a fork allows the juices to seep out.
• One good turn is enough: Turning too soon can prevent searing from taking place. The steak should be seared on one side, then turned, seared on the other side, and allowed to cook to the preferred doneness.
• Won’t let go? Let it cook. If the steak sticks to the surface when you’re trying to turn it over, it’s a sure sign that it needs more searing on that side.
• Keep your lid on: Keeping the lid closed during grilling increases the broiling temperature while decreasing the cooking time.

A Healthy Take on Potato Salad: The #1 Summer BBQ Side Dish!

Check out this easy new recipe for a favorite summer dining must-have for every cookout! 

Americans have pronounced potato salad as their no. 1 pick among barbeque side dishes. According to a poll on CookingLight.com, potato salad is the favorite summer side, surpassing other traditional sides like coleslaw, pasta salad, and baked beans.

The United States Potato Board (USPB), representing the nation’s 2,500 potato growers, has you covered when it comes to potato salad.

This healthier potato salad recipe is a new spin on the traditional American side dish. It is ideal for serving alongside any summertime entree, from chicken and fish to summer favorites, such as hot dogs and burgers.

A Healthier (and Delicious) Potato Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs mixed fingerling potatoes
• 2 large lemons2 tablespoons coarse kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds
• 3/4 teaspoon whole coriander seed
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh dill
• 2 cups baby arugula

Preparation:

• Cook potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender when pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes. Drain and cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, slice 1 lemon into 1/8-inch-thick rounds. Combine sliced lemon, 2 cups of water, and 2 tablespoons of kosher salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until lemon slices are tender, about 10 minutes. Drain lemons, then very coarsely chop. Cut the remaining lemon in half and squeeze out enough juice to measure 2 tablespoons. Mix chopped lemons, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, white balsamic vinegar, and oil into a small bowl. Coarsely crush cumin and coriander seeds using a mortar and pestle (or wrap in foil and pound firmly using a rolling pin). Mix seeds into lemon dressing. Season to taste with pepper.
• Cut lukewarm potatoes lengthwise in half. Place potatoes in a large shallow bowl. Mix in green onions and dill. Pour lemon dressing over the potatoes and toss to coat.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add arugula and toss gently. Serve salad slightly lukewarm or at room temperature.

Did we mention that potato salad is healthy?

Where to buy grills in the Bergen County-North Jersey Area