Hot Off the Grill, issue two. Still short, still useful, still written by a guy with sauce on his shirt. Join the email list at the bottom of any page and future issues find you.
The Feature: the backyard living room
Everybody knows we sell outdoor kitchens. Almost nobody knows Cal Flame builds outdoor entertainment centers, and that is a shame, because this might be the smartest square footage in the catalog. Weatherproof TV cabinet, built-in refrigerators, granite bar top, room for the game and the people yelling at it. It is the living room that never asks you to take your boots off.
Two models, the ODC-1 Paradise and the ODC-2 Crystal, both built to order in your choice of finishes like everything else we sell. Pair one with an island and the party never goes inside again.
The Cook: Marry Me Meatballs
Chicken and Italian sausage meatballs in a sun-dried tomato cream sauce. One pot, about 35 minutes, serves 4. The name is not a joke; make these for somebody and see what happens.
The meatballs: 1 lb ground chicken, half a pound bulk Italian sausage, 1 beaten egg, 4 cloves grated garlic, half cup panko, half cup finely grated parmesan, 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, 1 tsp kosher salt, and half your fresh thyme.
The sauce: three quarter cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes plus 3 Tbsp of the jar oil, half a chopped yellow onion, the rest of the thyme, three quarter cup low sodium vegetable broth, three quarter cup heavy cream, a quarter cup parmesan, torn fresh basil.
The method: build the binder first: egg, garlic, panko, red pepper, parmesan, thyme, salt. Fold in the meats with a spatula and stop the second it comes together, because overmixing makes them dense. Roll into 1 Tbsp balls.
Now the move that separates this recipe from the internet's version: par-bake the meatballs 10 minutes at 350. Raw meatballs stick to the pan and tear apart when you sear them. Ten minutes in the oven sets the exterior so they turn clean and hold together. They finish in the oil.
Sear them in 2 Tbsp of the sun-dried tomato jar oil (free flavor, do not throw that gold away) until they hit 165 inside, then pull them. Onion and sun-dried tomatoes into the remaining oil over medium-high with a pinch of salt, about 7 minutes. Thyme in for a minute. Broth first, then cream, simmer 3 to 4 minutes until it thickens slightly. Meatballs back in, toss to coat, stir in the last of the parmesan, basil over the top.
Runs rich. Not a low-carb night. Worth it. And if you pile them on white bread with extra parmesan and call it dinner, you are among friends here.
(Adapted from Brooke Caison at Delish, then run through our kitchen until it behaved.)
The Pour: the Smoked Paper Plane
Equal parts, no deviation. The ratio is the recipe.
One ounce each: bourbon, Aperol, fresh lemon juice, and Amaro Nonino. Shake hard with ice and double strain into a chilled coupe. The house move: smoke the glass with applewood while you shake, not before, not after. Twenty to thirty seconds of simultaneous contact time is what makes it. Serve it in a wide-bowl coupe so the amaro aromatics open up before the drink reaches your lips.
Sweet, bitter, sour, and smoke, all landing at once. Best enjoyed within eyeshot of something flickering.
The Close
"Your body is not a temple, it's an amusement park. Enjoy the ride." Anthony Bourdain said that, and no sentence ever written argues harder for a backyard with a grill in it.
Build the amusement park.
Questions about a build, a backyard, or which island fits your patio? Call 405-362-2626 or email dustin@feastandfireco.com. Real people, real answers.
Your Backyard. Your Rules.
Newbomb
Feast & Fire Co.