Chicken Curry

I fell in love with curry in London.  That’s right, the most-loved dish of England is no longer bangers and mash or some other odd-sounding meal. It is a nice, flavorful curry.  You can either imagine yourself in Mumbai or the UK while you dine on this tasty dish and your taste buds should feel right at home in both places.

There are many ways to enjoy a curry: with chicken, shrimp, beef, lamb, pork or vegetables.  In India, curry is traditionally eaten with basmati rice or a flatbread called naan and in the UK it is eaten with a football match playing on the telly.

Libby Davis, who prefers rugby to football,
though she can barely understand either

- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon grated ginger root (or ¼ teaspoon powdered ginger)
- ½ teaspoon white sugar
- Salt to taste
- 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into pieces
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- ¾ cup coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- Juice of ½ lemon
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 naan or 2 cups basmati rice
- Skillet

1.  Heat olive oil in skillet.
2.  Sauté onion until lightly browned.
3.  Stir in garlic, curry powder, cinnamon, paprika, bay leaf, ginger, sugar and salt and continuing stirring for a few minutes.
4.  Stir in chicken, yogurt, coconut milk and tomato paste.
5.  Bring to a boil, then remove from direct heat to simmer for 20–30 minutes.
6.  Remove bay leaf.
7.  Stir in lemon juice and cayenne pepper.
8.  Simmer for 5–10 more minutes.
9.  Serve either with naan or over basmati rice, cooked either at home or in a saucepan on your grill.

Simple Brats

I call this Simple Brats because the recipe has few steps and fewer ingredients.  Pack this one at home, so it can marinate on your way to the grill site.

- ½ pound bratwurst
- 1 sliced onion
- 1 bell pepper, seeded and cut into slices
- Hoagie rolls (optional)
- Aluminum foil

At Home:
1.  Tear off 2 sheets of aluminum foil.
2.  Cut brats in half.
3.  Place ¼ pound of brat in the middle of each piece of foil.
4.  Place half the onion and pepper slices on each piece of foil.
5.  Gently wrap the foil around contents.

At Your Grilling Site:
6.  Open up each packet, remove the brats and cook brats on grill until nearly done.
7.  Return brats to foil package, rewrap package and cook together for 10 minutes, allowing flavors to steam together.
8.  Remove and enjoy either in roll or alone on a plate.

Grilled Burrito

Grilled?  Yes, grilled.  You can either make this whole burrito at home, freeze and take it with you or you can prepare everything at the grill site itself.

- 1 pound chicken or beef
- 1 onion, chopped (optional)
- ½ cup taco sauce or seasoning and a bit of water
- 1 cup salsa plus a little extra for topping (mild, medium, hot depending on your preference)
- 8 large soft flour tortillas
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 1 cup cooked beans (black or pinto, depending on your preference)
- 1 cup shredded cheese
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 skillets

1.  Brown meat and onion in skillet.
2.  Drain grease from pan.
3.  Add taco sauce/seasoning and 1 cup of salsa.  (It may be necessary to drain some of the water from the salsa.)
4.  Add 3 tablespoons of meat to center of first flour tortilla.  Add an eighth of the rice, beans, cheese, and cilantro as well.
5.  Fold burrito up tightly.  Moisten a finger and draw it along the edge of the burrito, then press the edge against the burrito, helping it to seal on itself.
6.  If you are at home and preparing these burritos ahead of time, you can freeze them by wrapping them in wax paper or plastic wrap and putting them in the freezer.
7.  At the grill site, place the burrito directly on the grill and heat until golden brown.
8.  Top with salsa and sour cream.

Marinated Grilled Chuck Roast

I may have grown up on the East Coast but my parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins were all born and raised in Indiana.  I spent every summer vacation in the Midwest, playing with my cousins on their farm and splashing about in Lake Michigan.  My grandfather always insisted we eat the delicious ice cream parfaits that my grandmother made for us, as if he needed to twist our arms!  Family to romp with and a bounty of food laid out on the table, from hot buttered corn on the cob to mouth watering watermelon, made my summer vacations wonderful.  And the deep fried “Elephant’s Ears” that we ate at the annual 4-H fairs were the stuff of childhood legends.  So please enjoy the next recipe from the Midwest.  As far as I am concerned, nothing bad can come from there.

Libby Davis, who has an east coast
exterior and a Midwestern interior

- 1 tablespoon meat tenderizer
- 1 tablespoon garlic salt or garlic powder
- 4 pounds boneless chuck roast
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 3 tablespoons wine vinegar or red wine
- Sealable bag or container

1.  Mix together tenderizer and garlic salt or powder.
2.  Sprinkle on both sides of the meat.
3.  Poke meat all over with a fork and let stand for 30 minutes, covered.
4.  Combine the soy sauce, water, sugar and vinegar or red wine.
5.  Place in a large, sealable plastic bag and marinate at least 6 hours or overnight, turning and poking with a fork occasionally.
6.  Grill chicken until internal temperature reaches at least 165° F.
7.  Slice against grain, serve and enjoy.

Sosaties

Sosaties are what South Africans call meat skewers.  These delicious morsels are often served at braais.  Traditionally lamb is the meat of choice for sosaties but you can use chicken instead if you prefer.

Skewers
- 1 pound lamb, cut into 1-inch cubes
- Red pepper, sliced into 1-inch squares
- Onions, cut into 1-inch squares
- Skewers, soaked in water before use

Marinade
- 2 chopped onions
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 1 ½ cups white wine
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 3 tablespoons curry powder
- 2 tablespoons coriander
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- Dish or container deep enough to hold marinate and large enough to hold skewers

1.  Combine marinade ingredients and simmer.  Allow to cool.
2.  While marinade is cooling, alternately thread meat, red peppers and onions onto one skewer at a time.
3.  Place skewers into a large rectangular cooking dish or any other container that will hold all the skewers.  (A sealable container would be ideal in order to transfer to grilling site.)
4.  Pour marinade over the skewers and marinate in a refrigerator for 24 hours.
5.  When at grill site, remove skewers from marinade and grill until lamb is cooked through.

You Go, Grill!

Hello, grillers!  With the recent launch of Pocket Grill on Kickstarter, our manufacturers are getting their machinery warmed up to crank out our first set of prototypes, and we’re busy doing more grill research than ever to make sure our final design for Pocket Grill is absolutely awesome.

The following is some information we’ve compiled about similar grills to Pocket Grill which are also currently on the market.

Grills Requiring Propane

These grills are hearty and robust because they’ve got their own fuel source, and most of them, like the Weber 1520 Propane Gas Go-Anywhere Grill, have matchless ignition.  There are certainly many advantages to cooking like this, but these grills, while great for tailgating or balcony grilling, tend to be heavy and difficult to transport without a car.  While a propane grill offers convenience and reliability, it also requires the additional purchase of small propane tanks which can be costly and wasteful.

When a Pocket Grill Would be Better:

Campers, hikers, and backpackers might prefer a lightweight alternative like the Pocket Grill, which weighs in at only 1.5 pounds and which you can fold up and toss into your backpack.  With folded dimensions of about 6” x 3.7” x 2”, Pocket Grill has a rather compact footprint, and its carbon footprint is equally impressive.  The Pocket Grill is fully reusable, so it will last for years and encourage users to take advantage of a natural fuel source like kindling straight out of the woods.

Grills Requiring Charcoal

Charcoal is a more eco-friendly fuel source than propane, but it’s still a hassle to buy and tote around.  Some charcoal grills, like the Grill Dome, are ceramic and rather beautiful, coming in a range of different colors.  Often, these grills contain the charcoal in such a way that they reduce heat loss, which is an efficient use of fuel.  However, others, like the Bodum Fyrkat Picnic Charcoal Grill, are made of steel and dissipate quite a bit of heat: a trade-off for being rather lightweight.  Both of these grills have circular grates, which reduces the area of their grilling surfaces significantly.

When a Pocket Grill Would be Better:

The Pocket Grill can be used over a pit of charcoal, but unlike grills which can be used only with charcoal, it can also be used over a campfire built with logs and kindling.  This gives it flexibility that other grills just don’t have.  Additionally, because the Pocket Grill is collapsible, it has a much greater cooking surface area (over 230 square inches) than most other grills can offer.

While many grills hold the heat source internally, and therefore take a long time to cool, Pocket Grill is independent of your fire, so it can be moved away (using proper heat-resistant gloves or cookware) from it easily to expedite cooling.

Disposable Grills

As is the case with most products, in terms of sheer convenience, the disposable option ranks highly.  However, when we designed Pocket Grill, we thought long and hard about what was the most environmentally responsible, sustainable option, and we urge you to do the same.  Disposable grills are cheap and you can often buy them in packs of three or more.  For the most part, they are ready-to-use straight out of the package.  Most consist of an aluminum pan which looks kind of like a disposable turkey pan with a grate affixed.  In the pan there is usually charcoal or charcoal briquettes ready for lighting.  Because there is no way to remove the grate and add more fuel, these grills burn for a prescribed amount of time which you can’t increase by adding more charcoal, as you would be able to in most reusable charcoal grills.

When a Pocket Grill Would be Better:

We love that the Pocket Grill leaves behind no waste and that it will last for years.  It is made out of stainless steel, which allows it to be used, washed, and reused for every camping adventure.  It’s rugged, so even when it looks like it’s at its dirtiest, a spin in the dishwasher will make it as good as new, and its carrying case can be washed in the washing machine, in case it’s gotten dirty as well.

Additionally, buying a disposable grill is cheap if you’re only doing so once in a while, but the cost adds up if you’re buying one frequently.  By making an investment in Pocket Grill, you’ll have a reusable grill for years to come, and if you’re using a natural fire source, you won’t even have to worry about spending money on fuel.  Pocket Grill isn’t just ecologically friendly; it’s economically friendly, as well.

Reusable Grills Requiring an External Heat Source

These grills usually perch over a fire pit or charcoal pit, suspending the food to be grilled over the flame.  Largely because they aren’t carrying their own fuel, they tend to be the most lightweight of all the different categories of grills.  One popular such grill is the Grilliput, a compactible grill which can be contained in a tube about one foot long.  However, these kinds of grills often compromise cooking surface space in order to be small and light.  Grilliput’s cooking area is approximately 90 square inches, which is much smaller than most of the grills you’ll find in the other categories.

When a Pocket Grill Would be Better:

Because of the Pocket Grill’s unique method of folding, it offers an expansive cooking surface of almost 2×1 feet, which is much larger than other similar grills and even many charcoal, propane, and disposable grills, yet it folds down to under 6”x3.7” when not in use.

Most grills don’t allow you to adjust their height to tailor the intensity of the fire on which you’re grilling, but the Pocket Grill has three distinct height options.  It can also be adapted to uneven ground by simply folding up one or more of the leg brackets where the land is higher.  Additionally, many other grills have grates made up of parallel bars going in one direction.  Pocket Grill’s grate consists of many perpendicular bars, so you don’t have to worry about sliced vegetables or hot dogs slipping into the flames.

Corn-Husked Trout from the US Southwest

Corn-Husked Trout

The more grilling experience you gain, the more fun it gets.  So after you have tried some of these recipes, experiment with a little mixing and matching.  Try tilapia in the banana leaf recipe.  Or use banana leaf in place of corn husk in this recipe.  Shake things up with a different combination of spices below.  Decide which works best for you.  Just make sure that you stick to leaves or corn husks that are safe to eat.  So unless you are an expert in foraging, buy your banana leaves from a food store and don’t go tearing a broad leaf off of your office plant or from a tree you find in the wild because you never know what toxins it may contain.

- Corn husks
- 1 trout, scaled and cleaned
- 1 Vidalia onion, sliced
- Your favorite curry powder mix or make your own by combining 1 teaspoon coriander, 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon crushed fennel seed, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Natural string (optional)
- Bowl of hot water with extra water for rinsing

1.  Place the corn husks in a bowl and pour hot water over them.
2.  Leave the husks to soak for 30 minutes.
3.  Rinse under warm water to remove brown silks and grit.
4.  Soak once more for 15 minutes or until needed.
5.  Stuff trout with onions and your curry mix.
6.  Wrap soaked corn husk around fish and tie with natural string.
7.  Cook fish and corn husk combination on top of grill until fish is ready to eat.

Oysters from the US West Coast

Oysters From a Good Ol’ California Boy

This recipe was taught to me by a true Californian.  (As opposed to the transplant kind.) This recipe is best when cooked over a fire pit at the ocean, while watching the sun set.  But then again, what isn’t best at the ocean, watching the sun set?  If you have no ocean, I suggest making soft wave noises and from time to time, breaking it up with a little seagull call.  Better yet, make your own magic moment wherever you are and appreciate the beauty around you, whether it’s in the woods or at a lake or simply your own little backyard.

Libby Davis, who thinks all moments deserve some magic,
whether you are in a subway car or on a mountaintop

- Oysters (the kind and number are up to you but this recipe works well with 10 oysters)
- ⅛ cup butter
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 tablespoon garlic chopped or crushed (fresh or from a jar—both work well for this recipe)
- Small saucepan

1.  Rinse the oysters well to make sure they are free of any sand or debris.
2.  Put oysters straight on the grill.  That’s right, just place them on the grill and watch the magic.  When they are cooked, they will let you know by opening slightly.
3.  While the oysters are cooking, melt the butter in the saucepan.
4.  Stir in the wine and garlic.
5.  Remove oysters from the grill when they are done.
6.  Pop the oyster the rest of the way open with your knife.
7.  Pour a bit of the sauce into the oyster.
8.  Slurp up the oyster and sauce.

News!

PocketGrill.com has been pretty unchanged over the past year or so, but that doesn’t mean all kinds of new things haven’t been going on behind the scenes.  We’ve been in discussion with manufacturers, evaluating prototypes, and of course, cooking tasty food.  That’s not all: we’ve also submitted our full patent application (already published!) and created a cookbook, containing recipes from all over the world well-suited to cooking on portable grills, but especially on the Pocket Grill.  We’ve also created a Twitter feed—follow us at twitter.com/PocketGrill.

Website Changes Coming

In the coming days, we’ll have a variety of updates to our website.  Expect photos from tests of our prototypes, updated recipes, a new page about our cookbook, and animations depicting the ease of use of the Pocket Grill.  In the meantime, for other photos, check out our Facebook page.

Kickstarter

The other big news is that we’ll be officially launching the Pocket Grill soon on Kickstarter.com.  Kickstarter is a crowdfunding platform that allows anyone to contribute to all kinds of creative projects.  For us, Kickstarter will be where the Pocket Grill will be available for pre-order.  The cookbook will be available too, as well as other interesting and exciting rewards for contributions!  In the meantime, check out the site to see how it works.

Stay tuned!