The “On Our Grills:4 Ingredient Challenge”began in the Fall of 2010 with four BBQ friends who were looking for a way to challenge themselves with ingredients they might not normally cook with. And if they did cook with the ingredients it was never in the combination with them all.
We like the word Challenge,not because this is a contest,but because we try and challenge each other and ourselves to come up with creative and unique ways to incorporate all the ingredients into one meal. We don’t have a bunch of rules. For the most part there’s only two. The meat (or protein) has to be cooked outdoors using some type of traditional outdoor cooking method. We don’t really care if it’s a charcoal or gas grill,a smoker,a dutch oven or anything else as long as it’s cooked outdoors using some type of “open flame.” If you think you might have the cooking chops to join our little group of nuts drop me an email using the link above. You must have an active (and by active we mean very active) food blog,the ability to cook outdoors and a good sense of humor. If random emails from Challenge Members with little messages of encouragement (and taunting) upset you then don’t bother asking to join. 
Hot Dogs,Blueberries,Baked Beans and Dill PicklesEvery month is National “Something”month and our challenge in July takes three ingredients from this theme. July is National Hot Dog Month,National Blueberry Month and National Baked Bean Month. I tossed in the dill pickles because I needed a fourth ingredient and it’s the first thing that came to mind. 
Turkey,Soba noodles,Almonds,and a vegetable that isn’t greenJune’s ingredients are once again an odd mix. As you might imagine,this month’s offerings all had an Asian theme,yet all were very different. Must have been those noodles… 
Chicken Breasts,Wild Rice,Fava Beans,and Something that begins with the first letter of the cook’s nameTime for the May challenge,bad puns,and a chance once again to totally screw up a meal. There is a quote from Silence of the Lambs where Hannibal Lecter says “A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.”Fortunately none of the cooks were inspired by that quote this month. 
Ribeye Steak,Polenta,Rutabaga,and Frozen StrawberriesIf there is a way to ruin ribeye steak it would be to pair it with rutabagas. Larry took the blame for this one,and rightfully so. Between sourcing ingredients,fighting the flu,and preparing foods prohibited by the doctor,April’s offering was truly a challenge. | |