Over the years as our travels have whisked us from sea to shining sea, from one continent, breathtaking mountaintop and smoky backyard barbecue to the next, without question my favorite corner of God’s green earth is still a small, Mayberry-esque farming community in the great white, rustic north of Pure Michigan. Huddled only miles from the near-endless pristine shorelines of Great Lake Michigan our family home rests far off the beaten path of a long and narrow country road – a destination every November for loved ones to gather, break bread and celebrate as we enjoy each other’s company, a homemade meal, and the fleeting moments of fall before the onset of a long, chilly winter season ahead.

On this brisk evening our plane arrived just in time to catch the fading colors of autumn and a golden sunset on horizon – undoubtedly, there is no place like home.

3 hours in the air and another 2 traversing bumpy back roads, we pulled into the familiar, long-winding driveway of my childhood home, only to be greeted on doorsteps by family and friends, a campfire billowing in the backyard and beer chest loaded to the brim with cases of ice cold craft brew. And, it is here that our holidays commence, a 5-day weekend starting annually on the eve of Thanksgiving, with this gathering and feast affectionately known as, “Steaksgiving!”

While the trek was long, I gladly volunteered to take the reigns as “Steaksgiving” chef (again this year). Perfect for the occasion and serving a crowd, my inspiration for this recipe was a throwback to a holiday I spent abroad nearly 10 years ago, traveling for weeks from the cityscapes of Melbourne, over Sydney’s Harbour Bridge, to the farm fields and ever-breathtaking mountainscapes of Tasmania.

These gorgeous cuts of Australian grassfed beef filet mignon were infused overnight in an simple bath of smoked soy, brown sugar, roasted garlic and shallots, then paired with seasonal vegetables from the local farmer’s market and paired together on wooden skewers. The ka-bobw were grilled to medium-rare perfection over the barbie, then dressed with an aromatic garden of fresh herbs and served family-style alongside two handfuls of ice cold, craft-brewed amber ale.

Bright and colorful. Fresh and flavorful. Simple and seasonal. Every last bite and morsel devoured. This is live fire perfection.

Print Recipe

Amber Ale-Marinated Filet Mignon Steak and Wild Mushroom Skewers

Servings: 12 Skewers

Author: Chef David, Live Fire Republic

Ingredients

• 2-3 pounds Australian grassfed beef flitet mignon, trimmed and cubed
• 1/2 cup BLiS smoked soy sauce, or regular soy sauce
• 1/2 cup amber-colored ale
• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus additional for basting skewers
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 2 medium-sized shallots, diced
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1/2 head garlic, roasted in oven until golden and tender
• 3-4 cups assorted wild mushrooms, rinsed
• 2 green peppers, chopped
• 2 large red onions, chopped
• Kosher salt and fresh ground peppercorn, to taste
• 1 bunch fresh parsley, to garnish
• 2 cups homemade chimichurri recipe, or store-bought
• 1 dozen wooden skewers, soaked in water 30minutes before use

Instructions

• Place cubed steak, soy, beer, oil, sugar, shallots, mustard and roasted garlic into an air-tight resealable plastic bag. Combine and ensure all portions of meat are well-covered. Marinate for 8 hours, up to over night. Remove steak from refrigeration 1 hour prior to grilling, discard marinade and rest on the counter until near room temperature.
• Meanwhile, preheat the barbecue for direct grilling and medium-high heat. 
• While the grill is warming to temperature, arrange the marinated beef cubes, mushroom, onion and peppers on the skewers, careful to not overload the ka-bobs. Drizzle with olive oil and season to taste. 
• Grill the skewers with the grill lid open for 3-4 minutes per side, until the beef has reached an internal temperature of at least 125-130F. Remove skewers from the grill, place under a tin foil tent and rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. 
• Plate family-style, garnish with parsley and a spoonful of chimichurri per skewer. Serve alongside family, the best of friends and an ice cold craft-brewed amber ale. Cheers!

Now, it’s time for board games, a few dozen rounds of euchre, midnight karaoke, and prepping for a full weekend of family, food, fall fishing and a bit more fun than I deserve at my age. From mine to yours, be blessed, stay hungry and long live the adventure. -David

With Thanksgiving only weeks away, I couldn’t be more excited to share one of my very favorite holiday recipes & perfect alternative to the classic stuffed, dry roasted, flavorless, cardboard-tasting, over-baked bird in the oven.

As I mentally prepare for a feast & lay this turkey to flame, I prefer to imagine myself as a Knight of the Round Table, spinning yarns of battle, rejoicing in fellowship of my kinsmen, singing songs of the land, dancing about with fair maidens galore, consuming goblets of brewski, & recklessly devouring one handful after another of these gargantuan, bad2bone, mouth-watering grilled turkey legs!

OK.  OK.  I think you get the idea.  Before my imagination runs upon a wild tangent of which I shall not recover… allow me to indulge for a moment upon this slice of Thanksgiving Heaven.

First & foremost, this fool-proof recipe is both mouth-wateringly delicious (needless to say, as it would not be posted to this blog otherwise) & a huge time-saver when comparing against the traditional roast bird, which consumes upto 24 hours in brine & minimum 8-10 hours in prep / cooking (1. 34hrs to cook a bird is a shit-ton of time.  2. Ain’t nobody got time for that.  3. If you do got time for that… consider getting a job or volunteering for the needy, then making this recipe (ie. Win/Win)).  Following brine, these legs will be from grill grates to guests plates in LESS THAN 2HOURS – Providing ample opportunity for maximum time allocation to partaking in song, dance, & beverage consumption amongst kinsman!

That said, this recipe starts with a traditional brine, soaking the turkey in a solution of salt, water & sugar.  After brining, the savory dry rub is liberally applied & the turkey is brought to fire where it is seared over intense direct heat of the grill’s hottest grates.  Then, the bird legs are set to rest upon alder planks, over indirect heat, where in the final minutes of grilling a honey glaze is applied, caramelizing over the crisp exterior skin, encasing the tender dark meat just below the surface.  This sweet honey glaze brings full-circle the natural juicy, salty & smoky flavors of the turkey, with the bold, coarse & spicy seasonings of the dry rub.  Absolutely.  Incredible.

Indulgence upon delectable nature of this recipe, complete.

Now, do the right thing.  Grab those bird legs & get to your grill – It’s time to deliver a holiday meal your loved ones won’t soon forget!  Until then, may this Thanksgiving find you rich in blessings & gratitude, poor in misfortune, & surrounded by family, friends & those you love the most!  To you & yours, Cheers!

Honey and Spice Grilled Turkey Legs

Print Recipe

Honey and Spice Grilled Turkey Legs

Prep Time12 hrs

Cook Time1 hr 15 mins

Total Time13 hrs 15 mins

Servings: 4 Turkey Legs

Author: A Bachelor & His Grill

Ingredients

• 4 turkey legs
• 2-4 alder wood planks soaked in water approximately 20-30minutes
• Simple Brine
• 1/4 cup table salt
• 1/4 sugar
• 3 cups warm water
• Turkey Dry Rub
• 4 tablespoons olive oil plus additional for basting
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1/2 tablespoons ground allspice
• 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
• Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
• Honey Glaze
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup lite brown sugar

Instructions

• To create the brine, dissolve the salt and sugar into the water. Mix thoroughly and then let the brine cool to room temperature.
• Immerse the turkey legs in brine, cover container and refrigerate for 12-24 hours.
• Remove the turkey legs from the brine, thoroughly rinse under cold water, and pat dry. Discard brine.
• Place the legs back in the refrigerator for one hour, uncovered, to additionally dry and tighten the skin.
• Pulse the olive oil, chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, allspice, cumin, salt and pepper in a food processor to create the rub. Set aside.
• In small bowl, whisk the brown sugar and honey. Set aside.
• Preheat the grill to medium, 300-400 degrees, using indirect cooking (one side of the grill off).
• Liberally massage the dry rub into the turkey and allow 20 minutes for the turkey to rest at room temperature before taking to the grill.
• Over direct heat, sear the turkey legs for 3-4 minutes per quarter turn.
• Lay the alder wood planks over indirect heat, then place turkey legs over the planks and baste intermittently with oil.
• Grill turkey over planks for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees.
• In last 15 minutes of grilling brush the brown sugar-honey mixture over the legs.
• Remove from the grill and place under a tin foil tent for five minutes. The internal temperature of the legs will rise to a serving temperature of 180 degrees.
• Lightly brush with additional honey, season to taste, plate, and serve immediately.

Notes

Don't let the prep time unnerve you... 95% can be attributed to brining of turkey overnight in the refrigerator. From there forward... this recipe is easy breezy!