Beef
In my blog “Grilled Pizza With FlavrQ: A Wood-Fired Experience On Your Gas Grill,” I introduced you to FlavrQ. The ingenious FlavrQ Grid System was developed by grilling, smoking, and barbecue experts. The FlavrQ grid system is designed to “Boost Your Q” on your gas grill. The FlavrQ system allows you to add natural, smoky, wood charcoal flavor to the food you cook on your gas grill. The system consists of the FlavrQ Grid and the ChipCharwood.
How does the system work? The FlavrQ Grid is placed under the grates of your gas grill. The ChipCharwood chips are then placed on the grid. You ignite your gas grill as usual; the chips are hot in just a few minutes. The high heat of the chips increases the temperature you can cook at and imparts a natural wood flavor. The stainless steel grid is easy to install and can be left in your grill. The patented ChipCharwood is made from Canadian sugar maple. The ultra hot chip sears your food faster than when cooking with gas alone. The ChipCharwood chips burn cleanly, leaving minimal ash. Clean-up is easy.
One problem I think the FlavrQ system will help solve is getting seafood, veggies, and other quick-cooking items seared and cooked quickly. This helps to lock in the juices and prevents your food from getting dry.
To demonstrate the high heat searing ability of the FlavrQ system, I decided to cook an Argentinian surf and turf. I selected skirt steak, shrimp, zucchini, squash, and mushrooms since they would benefit from the high heat of the FlavrQ system and cook quickly.
Surf and Turf on Your Gas Grill
The full recipe is below, but here is how I put it all together. I started by making marinade for the skirt steak. The marinade consisted of a quarter cup each of lime juice and pineapple juice; two tablespoons each of vegetable oil, soy sauce, red wine vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce; and three finely chopped garlic cloves. I seasoned the marinade with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. The skirt steak was placed in a plastic bag, and I poured the marinade over the steak and placed it in the refrigerator for a few hours.
Next, I made a chimichurri sauce for the skirt steak and shrimp. Check out our website or Steven’s book, Barbecue Sauces, Rubs, and Marinades (Workman) for a chimichurri recipe. I hand-chopped all the ingredients and mixed them with the liquid ingredients. Chopping the ingredients for the chimichurri or using a mortar and pestle gives you a different texture and flavor than if you use a food processor.
I sliced the zucchini and squash lengthwise so I could maximize the surface area exposed to the grill. The portabella mushroom caps were trimmed and cut into thick slices.
I inserted the FlavrQ Grid in my gas grill. I then put the grates back in place and spooned the wood chips over the grid. I fired up the grill as usual. While the grill and the chips heated up, I removed the steak from the marinade and patted it dry with a paper towel. I skewered the shrimp with flat metal skewers. The flat skewers keep the shrimp from spinning when flipping the shrimp over. The shrimp was seasoned simply with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Once the grill and the FlavrQ woodchips were hot, I started cooking the zucchini, squash, and mushrooms. The veggies quickly developed a nice char on both sides. I finished the veggies with the juice of a grilled lemon, grated parmesan cheese, and fresh basil from my garden.
The skirt steak cooked for one minute before I gave it a quarter turn and cooked for another minute. I repeated the process on the other side. The high heat of the FlavrQ system seared the skirt steak while it remained juicy inside.
I placed the skirt steak on a wire rack over a sheet pan to rest and then cooked the shrimp. The shrimp only took about a minute per side. The whole meal came together quickly due to the searing power of the FlavrQ system.
To keep with the Argentinian theme, I made salt-crusted potatoes to pair with the grilled veggies, skirt steak, and shrimp. Minus the potatoes, the total cooking time for this meal was less than fifteen minutes. The skirt steak and the shrimp were topped with the chimichurri, and it was time to eat.
The Results
The skirt steak was seared and charred on the outside due to the high heat of the FlavrQ system but remained juicy inside. The skirt steak was tender and had a nice beef flavor. The herbs in the chimichurri added freshness and the garlic added a punch of flavor to each bite of steak. The shrimp didn’t dry out despite the high heat of the FlavrQ system. The chimichurri complemented the grilled shrimp without overpowering it. The zucchini, squash, and mushrooms all had a nice char that I enjoyed. Adding the fresh lemon juice, fresh basil, and grated parmesan cheese elevated the flavor and freshness of the veggies.
If you are tired of hot and cool spots on your gas grill, and want to sear meat, fish, or veggies like a pro, the FlavrQ system has got you covered.
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