Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet's Special Entertaining Guide:
Spicy Superbowl Party Grill Menu
All grilled. All finger food. All spicy. All timed so that you shouldn't miss a minute of the big game.
If you don't like a bit of kick to your food, you might want to take a pass on this menu. Although some of these items can be tamed for those who don't like the heat…some, like the hot kisses, can't. See the details in each recipe.
Special note: When working with the habaneros, jalapenos and chiles, please consider wearing surgical-type gloves (especially if you are a contact lens wearer).
 Download a printable version of this Special Entertaining Guide.
The Menu
Hot Kisses
Serves 4 to 6
The intensity of these hot kisses can vary greatly, depending on mother nature and the jalapenos you happen to get. The more thoroughly you remove the seeds and ribs, the less heat there will be.
Ingredients
24 large, fresh jalapenos (select bright green ones with smooth skins)
16 oz. of flake style imitation crab meat (or real backfin lump crab meat)
2 pounds Queso Enchilado Anejo cheese ("aged enchilada cheese" available at Hispanic markets)
24 slices of thick bacon
5 fresh limes
Mesquite wood chips or chunks for smoke and flavor, soaked (or grill over mesquite chunks if you have one of our Dual-Fuel or charcoal grill models)
24 toothpicks or 4 bamboo skewers, soaked
Optional: serve with ranch dressing, remoulade or sour cream for dipping
Prep the hot kisses for grilling
Cut off the stem end of each jalapeno and hollow out the pepper to remove ribs and all seeds.
Cut the cheese into wedge-shaped sticks, sized to fit into the point of each jalapeno and fill about half of the cavity. Stuff a piece of cheese into each jalapeno. Follow with crab flakes to fill the rest of the cavity. Use your finger to compress the stuffing into each jalapeno. For food safety reasons, all jalapenos should be stuffed with cheese and crab before handling the bacon.
Wrap each stuffed jalapeno with a strip of bacon. Start by placing one end of the bacon at the point of the jalapeno. Hold the end of the bacon to the point and pull the bacon tightly up and over the open end of the jalapeno, closing off the open end. Continue down the other side of the jalapeno, now spiraling around the jalapeno back toward the pointed end. Pierce all the way through the bacon and jalapeno with a toothpick to hold it all together. If using skewers instead of toothpicks, you will use the skewers to hold each hot kiss together, and you will place six hot kisses on each skewer. Align all the hot kisses on each skewer so that they will lay flat for grilling.
Squeeze the juice of 3 limes over the hot kisses. Cut the remaining two limes into wedges to serve with the hot kisses.
Grilling
Preheat the grill for 500-degree indirect grilling and start the wood chips or chunks smoking. When the grill has reached 500°F, add hot kisses to the grill. Turn frequently and move frequently direct and indirect grilling zones as needed until bacon is crisp and fully cooked. Grilling with all that bacon can be tricky and will lead to flare-ups, but on a Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet grill it should not create a grease fire. Try to grill as much as is possible in the indirect zone with the hood closed so that the hot kisses can benefit from the mesquite wood flavor.
Remove hot kisses from the grill and let cool for five minutes. Serve on a platter with the fresh lime wedges. If you used skewers, remove them before serving. If you used toothpicks, warn your guests that there is a toothpick in each piece. The ends of the toothpicks will often burn down to the jalapeno despite the soaking.
The hot kisses can be served without condiments or accompanied by your favorite ranch dressing, remoulade or sour cream.
Peach Bourbon Hot Wings
Serves 4 to 6
These wings can be prepared with varying degrees of spiciness, depending on the hot sauce you use. Tabasco is a pretty good middle ground - not too hot for most buffalo wing fans. If you like, you can split the basting sauce into two parts: one with habaneros and one without. Just keep track of which wings are which while you grill and baste, and when you serve.
Ingredients
20 whole chicken wings (about 4 to 4 ½ pounds)
Peach woodchips or chunks, soaked (if you are making the hot kisses, just use mesquite instead of the peach wood for the wings as well as the hot kisses)
For the marinade:
½ cup hot sauce (Tabasco or your favorite hot sauce)
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup canola oil
8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons soy sauce
For basting:
1 cup peach (or apricot) preserves
¼ cup bourbon
½ cup butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 fresh habanero peppers, minced (remove seeds and ribs to lower the intensity, or leave them for hotter wings - wear surgical-type gloves)
For serving:
Blue cheese dressing ingredients (or buy your favorite jar):
¾ cup mayonnaise (not salad dressing)
¼ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
½ teaspoon lemon rind
¾ cup coarsely crumbled blue cheese
Buttermilk (optional)
Celery ribs (optional), however many you like, cut lengthwise into 2 or 3 pieces and then crosswise into 3 to 4-inch sticks
Blue cheese dressing
The dressing can be made 24 hours ahead. Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon rind and pepper in a bowl. Stir in blue cheese until well mixed. If the mixture is too thick, stir in buttermilk, a small amount at a time, until you like the consistency. Cover and store in the refrigerator until serving.
Prep the wings and marinate
Rinse the wings under cold, running water and dry with paper towels. Cut off the bony tip of each wing and then cut wings in half at the joint. Whisk together all marinade ingredients in a large glass mixing bowl. Add the wings and stir to thoroughly coat all the wings. Cover and refrigerate. The wings should marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 12 hours, whatever timing is most convenient. Turn the wings occasionally to ensure they are well-marinaded.
Prep the grill
Preheat the grill for indirect grilling at 400 to 500°F and start the wood chips or chunks smoking.
Make the basting mixture
While the grill is heating and smoke is starting, prepare the basting mixture. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the preserves, brown sugar and habanero, stirring constantly until the preserves have melted. Stir in the bourbon and keep warm over very low heat until you are ready to baste. Keep an eye on the pot.
Grill the wings
Put the wings on the grill in the indirect cooking zone. Discard the marinade. Cook the wings with the lid closed and the grill at 400 to 500°F. Turn the wings every five minutes until the skin is golden brown and starting to turn crisp, about 20 to 25 minutes. Baste the wings and continue grilling for about 10 more minutes, basting lightly every 2 minutes. If the basted wings are not caramelizing over indirect heat, move to direct heat for no more than the final 2 minutes.
Serve the wings with blue cheese dressing and celery sticks, and enjoy the first half of the big game.
Grilled Red Pepper Salsa
Serves 4 to 6 (makes 6 cups)
The spiciness of the finished salsa is determined mostly by the commercial salsa you choose. You can, of course, serve this salsa recipe as well as a commercial salsa if you want to offer a hot and milder option.
Ingredients
1 cup dried black beans (these have to be soaked overnight before making the salsa)
3 teaspoons coarse sea salt
2 red bell peppers
2 cups of your favorite thick, tomato-based commercial salsa
1 ½ cup of frozen corn, thawed and dried on paper towels
4 green onions, green parts only, sliced
1 cup (maximum) bottled tomato juice
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped fine
Hot sauce (optional)
Prep the black beans
Pick through the black beans to select 1 cup of good ones, rinse and place them in a medium to large glass bowl. Cover with water by at least a couple of inches and soak overnight.
Drain the beans and transfer to a medium saucepan. Add water to cover the beans by at least 4 inches and then bring to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the coarse sea salt and continue simmering for another 20 minutes, or until the beans are al dente (just tender, but not soft). Drain the beans and let cool.
Grill the red peppers
The red peppers for this salsa can be grilled at the same time as the chiles for the cheeseburger recipe. Wash the peppers, but leave them whole, with the stems on. Preheat the grill to medium heat, about 300 to 400°F. Higher is fine, but you will have to pay more attention. If you would like to add smoke as you grill the red peppers, please do, but you will have the hood open so much that it is not really worth the extra effort. Place the red peppers directly over the flame, and turn frequently until at least 75% of the skins are black.
Remove the red peppers from the grill and place in a bowl, covered with a plate for 10 minutes. Scrape off the charred skin, and discard. Remove the stem, seeds and ribs and discard. Cut the flesh into small ¼" squares.
Make the salsa
Combine the 2 cups of commercial salsa with the beans, corn, red pepper and green onions in a glass bowl. The spiciness of the finished salsa is largely determined by the commercial salsa you used. If you want it hotter, add some of your favorite hot sauce. Next, mix in a small amount of tomato juice at a time until the salsa is the texture you desire. Finally, stir in the cilantro. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
Serve with tortilla chips. You may wish to offer both corn and flour tortilla chips.
Chile Cheeseburgers with Jalapeno-Lime Mayonnaise
Serves 4
You can make normal cheeseburgers, or these cheeseburgers without the green chiles, if you have guests who can't stand the heat.
Ingredients
For the mayonnaise:
Plenty of mesquite wood chips or chunks for smoking, soaked
3 large fresh jalapenos, fully ripe and red if you can find them
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh lime zest
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
For the burgers:
Mesquite wood chips or chunks for smoking, soaked
2 pounds ground sirloin
3 long green chiles
3 green onions, green parts only, finely chopped
Coarse ground sea salt, about ½ teaspoon
Freshly ground black pepper, about ½ teaspoon
2 medium size garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 slices monterey jack cheese, with or without jalapenos
4 hamburger buns
3 plum tomatoes, sliced
8 leaves of crisp lettuce
Smoke the jalapenos
This process won't lead to a true chipotle pepper, but if you want to skip smoking the jalapenos yourself, you can substitute chipotle peppers from a can or jar (look for chipotle peppers with adobo sauce. Discard most of the sauce before adding to the mayonnaise). If you did not find red jalapenos, you can use green ones. Wash the jalapenos and remove the stems. Split the jalapenos lengthwise (don't cut all the way through). For more kick, leave the seeds in tact. For less, remove the seeds and ribs. Slow smoke the jalapenos with mesquite on the grill at about 200°F for about 2 hours. The jalapenos can be smoked ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator in a zip-lock bag overnight.
Make the mayonnaise
Chop the smoked jalapenos into ¼" squares. In a food processor, combine the jalapenos, egg, egg yolk, lime juice, lime zest, mustard and salt. Blend until smooth. Keep the motor running at a lower speed and slowly pour in the oil through the feed chute. Store in an air tight container for up to two days.
Prepare the chiles
The chiles for the cheeseburgers can be grilled at the same time as the red peppers for the salsa recipe. Wash the peppers, but leave them whole, with the stems on. Preheat the grill to medium heat, about 300 to 400°F. Higher is fine, but you will have to pay more attention. If you would like to add smoke as you grill the chiles, please do, but you will have the hood open so much that it is not really worth the extra effort. Place the chiles directly over the flame, and turn frequently until at least 75% of the skins are black.
Remove the chiles from the grill and place in a bowl, covered with a plate for 10 minutes. Scrape off the charred skin, and discard. Remove the stem and seeds and discard. Coarsely chop the remaining flesh.
Prep the burgers
Combine the ground sirloin, green chiles, green onion, garlic salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix and knead with your hands to really work together the ingredients and break down the ground sirloin texture. Divide the meat into equal sized balls. Flatten the balls into patties based on the desired doneness for each guest. For burgers that are to be medium, make the patties an inch thick. For those that should be rarer, make them thicker. For those that want them more done, make them thinner.
Prep the grill
Preheat the grill to 500°F and get the wood chips or chunks going for smoke. When the grill is at 500°F and the wood is smoking, it's time to grill. The burgers should be raised to room temperature while the grill is preheating.
Grill the burgers
Grill the burgers for 4 minutes with the lid closed. Flip the burgers to grill for an additional 4 minutes. After three minutes, open the lid and, working as quickly as possible, put the cheese slices on the burgers, use a squirt bottle to squirt water onto the burners (not onto the burgers) and close the lid. The water will create an intense burst of steam heat that should nicely melt your cheese within the remaining minute.
Place the burgers on the buns and serve, letting your guests add the tomatoes, lettuce and mayonnaise as they like.
The Game Plan
Friday night: Soak the beans for the salsa.
Saturday: Grill the red peppers for the salsa and the green chiles for the cheeseburgers. Smoke the jalapenos for the jalapeno lime mayonnaise. While they are smoking, make the salsa and the blue cheese dressing. After the jalapenos are done smoking and have cooled, make the jalapeno lime mayonnaise.
Sunday early: Start soaking all the wood chunks and/or chips. Prepare the wings and marinade, and refrigerate. Assemble the hot kisses, cover and refrigerate.
Sunday mid-day: Chop the green onions and garlic for the cheeseburgers and refrigerate. Wash and prepare the lettuce and tomato slices for the cheeseburgers and refrigerate on their serving platter (covered).
Sunday pre-game: If you have a Bread Breaker grill, you can grill the wings and the hot kisses at the same time. If you have a Steadfast or other smaller model, because they should be grilled using indirect heat, you will probably need to grill the hot kisses and the wings separately. We suggest doing the hot kisses first, moving them to a baking sheet, and loosely covering with foil in a 150-degree oven to keep warm while you cook the wings.
Serve the wings with the blue cheese and the hot kisses at the same time, either during the final 15 minutes of pre-game coverage or at kickoff.
First half two-minute warning: Light the grill and start the wood smoking for grilling the burgers. Set out the ground sirloin.
Half time: Combine the ingredients for the burgers and form the patties. Grill the burgers. Solicit help to prepare the salsa and chips for serving while you are grilling the burgers, and you should be ready to serve the cheeseburgers, chips and salsa well before halftime is over.
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Shopping List for the Complete Menu
The following list assumes you are feeding four. Adjust the quantities as needed. First, and perhaps most important - if your grill is fueled by liquid propane, make sure you have enough before Sunday arrives.
Produce
24 big, fresh, green jalapenos with smooth skins
3 large, red jalapenos (red jalapenos are the same as green. They turn red when they are fully ripened. If you can't find red ones, get green ones)
4 fresh habanero peppers
3 long green chiles
2 red bell peppers, firm and with smooth skins
7 green onions
3 plum tomatoes
1 head of crisp lettuce or one bag of pre-washed crisp lettuce
10 medium to large cloves of garlic (get two heads)
1 bunch of cilantro, enough for 1/3 cup when the leaves are chopped fine
Celery (for serving with the wings)
6 fresh limes
3 fresh lemons
Dairy
2 pounds Queso Enchilado Anejo cheese (or other quesadilla cheese if you can't find it)
About ½ pound high-quality blue cheese (enough for ¾ cup when coarsely crumbled)
One bag of frozen corn without butter/sauce (enough for 1 ½ cups)
4 thick slices of Monterey jack cheese or Monterey jack with jalapenos
2 eggs
2 sticks butter
¾ cup mayonnaise
Small container of buttermilk
¼ cup sour cream
Optional: ranch dressing, more sour cream, or remoulade if you want a dip for the hot kisses
Oil, spice and sugar
Coarse sea salt
Coarsely ground black pepper or peppercorns if you use your own peppermill
Canola oil (enough for ¼ cup, about 2 fluid ounces)
Extra virgin olive oil (enough for 1 ¼ cups, about 10 fluid ounces)
Brown sugar (enough for 2 tablespoons)
Meat
2 pounds ground sirloin
20 whole chicken wings (about 4 to 4 ½ pounds)
24 slices of thick bacon
About 16 ounces of flake style imitation crab meat or real back fin lump crabmeat
Alcohol
Bourbon (enough for ¼ cup, about 2 fluid ounces)
Beer Selections (Hacker Pschorr Hefeweizen and Red Hook IPA or Dogfish Head ApriHop)
Other
1 bag of dried black beans (enough for 1 cup)
Flour and/or corn tortilla chips
1 small bottle of tomato juice (for thinning the salsa recipe if necessary)
2 cups of your favorite tomato-based salsa
About 4 fluid ounces of hot sauce for the wings marinade
Hot sauce for adding heat to the salsa recipe (optional)
Soy sauce (enough for 3 tablespoons)
Dijon mustard (enough for 1 tablespoon, plus people may want it on their cheeseburgers)
Peach preserves (enough for 1 cup)
4 hamburger buns
24 toothpicks or 4 long bamboo skewers
Surgical-type gloves, at least 4 pair
Plenty of mesquite wood chips or chunks for a two-hour smoking session plus three grilling sessions (hot kisses, wings and burgers)
Peach wood chips or chunks (optional)
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Getting the Most from Your Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet Grill Features
Using Your Rotisserie
Rotisserie roasting is often referred to as spit roasting. Traditionally, the term "spit" refers to a device consisting of one or more metal bars on which meat is skewered or secured. After the meat has been secured, it is rotated constantly at a slow speed over or next to a heat source. This rotating motion ensures even cooking, and allows the meat to self-baste with its own juices. With this method the meat does not grill, but instead roasts as it cooks while absorbing a smoke flavor and developing a perfectly crisp crust. A drip pan with 1 to 1 ½" of water is often used to prevent flare ups and provide extra moisture.
Our new Rotisserie Cradle (see above for more details) does away with the need to skewer your expensive roast or unwieldy chicken. Instead, just put them in the cradle, tighten down the locking arms, place it on your grill, and grill away.
Installation and Set-up:
To install the rotisserie motor, slide the motor down onto the motor bracket (located directly to the left of the grilling surface - Fig. 1). Plug the power cord supplied with the rotisserie motor into the motor. The power cord has an AC adapter. For your convenience, Velcro has been included with the adapter so that you may hold the cord in place when the motor is in use. Attach the Velcro to the place that is most convenient to you, however DO NOT place it directly on the cooking surface, the grill hood, or the shroud that surrounds the rear of the cooking surface. Plug the power cord into your power source.
If you're using a standard rotisserie spit/skewer:
- Place one fork onto the spit rod with the prongs facing away from the handle. Do not tighten set screw at this time.
- Skewer meat with the spit rod and slide onto the rod.
- Place second fork onto the spit rod with the prongs facing the meat.
- Slide both forks tightly against the meat. Loosely tighten set screws.
- Determine appropriate placement of the meat by placing the spit on your grill and adjusting meat and forks until centered on the burner.
- Slide both forks tightly against the meat and securely tighten the fork set screws.
- Check the balance of the food on the rod by rotating the loaded spit rod loosely in your hands. The rod should rotate evenly with little effort. Adjust the food on the spit to achieve a balanced assembly.
If you're using the new rotisserie cradle:
- Place your meat in the cradle.
- Adjust lock arms and tighten thumb screws.
Remove the warming rack and, if necessary, the cooking surface for clearance. Then, if the food is secure and balanced, insert the rotisserie rod into the motor and rest the opposite end down so that the groove next to the handle rests into the rod support (Fig. 2).
Place a basting/drip pan with 1 - 1 ½ inches of water in it beneath the food for basting, to avoid flare-ups, and to ease cleaning. The basting pan may be placed on your grill surface if you have enough clearance, or on your briquette brackets if you have to remove your grilling surface.
Rotisserie Cooking:
Rotisserie
After you have performed the installation and setup as described
above:
- Turn on your propane and light the rotisserie burner with the hood in the full open position.
- Turn on your rotisserie motor and close the hood.
- Baste every 10-15 minutes, but keep the hood closed as much as possible.
Flavoring Tips:
- Add your favorite juice (i.e.: pineapple for ham), herb, or citrus zest to the drip pan.
- Add your favorite beer or wine to the drip pan.
- Use a mixture of olive oil (or melted butter) and your favorite herb for basting fish or poultry.
- As with other cooking methods, you can use dry rubs (try Kalamazoo's Gourmet Rubs) to add flavor.
Cooking Time & Safe Temperatures:
Rely on a meat thermometer, rather than a time chart, to determine doneness. Use the following chart as a guide, and focus on the internal temperature of your meat.
| Food | Gourmet Internal Temperature | USDA Safe Internal Temperature | Approx. Cooking Time |
| Chicken, whole (4 pounds) | 165-170º F | 180º F | 70-75 minutes total |
| Chicken, breast (3 pounds) | 165-170º F | 180º F | 35-40 minutes total |
| Chicken, thigh (3 pounds) | 165-170º F | 180º F | 60 minutes total |
| Game Hen (2 pounds) | 165-170º F | 180º F | 35-40 minutes total |
| Turkey, whole (10 pounds) | 165-170º F | 180º F | 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 hours total |
| Pork (roast, chops) | 155-165º F | 170º F | 20 minutes per pound |
| Spare Ribs | 155-165º F | 170º F | 30 minutes per pound |
| Beef (roasts, burger, steak) | 145-150º F | 160º F | 15 minutes per pound |
| Lamb (roasts, leg, chops) | 140-150º F | 160º F | 20 minutes per pound |
| Veal | 140-150º F | 160º F | 15 minutes per pound |
| Fish (whole) | Until opaque and flakey | Until opaque and flakey | 20 minutes total |
To accurately check temperature, the thermometer must be inserted through the thickest part of the meat and away from any bones since bones conduct heat.
Many meats will continue to cook after you've removed them from the grill. Roasts may be removed 10º before the temperature on the chart, covered loosely in foil and allowed to rest for 10-20 minutes before serving.
A temperature of 160º F is recommended when a roast of any type has been rolled, as surface bacteria may have been rolled into the center of the roast.
Fish is done when the meat flakes easily with a fork and appears opaque all the way through. If unsure by appearance, a temperature of 155º F is recommended.
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Safety Advice and Tips:
- Do not cook with the rotisserie burner and main, searing burner, or side burner(s) at the same time.
- Do not use your rotisserie burner on extremely windy days as the burner may be extinguished by the wind while your gas is still on.
- Your rotisserie motor must be stored in your grill cabinet or indoors when not in use - do not leave it mounted on the grill.
- Spit rod and forks, or rotisserie cradle, can be disassembled and washed in dish soap and warm water.
- Never immerse the rotisserie motor or cord in water, particularly when plugged into a power supply.
- Read your instruction manual!
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Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet Featured Recipes
For the Grill: See Our Spicy Superbowl Menu Above
Try one (or all) of the great grill recipes in our Spicy Superbowl Menu (above). We'll return next issue with another grill recipe for you to try.
For the Martini Bar: The Original Martini - The Martinez
In January people many make New Year's resolutions, take stock,
and often get back to basics. We're going to get back to basics
this month with our Martini Bar recipe and give you a recipe for
the original martini, The Martinez, slightly updated for modern
times.
Serves: | 4 |
Ingredients: | 5 oz Gin |
| 4 oz Dry Vermouth |
| 8 Dashes Orange Bitters*
(Angostura Bitters can be substituted) |
| 8 Dashes Maraschino Liqueur
(This is readily available, but Cointreau can be substituted) |
| 4 Lemon slices |
- Shake all ingredients with fresh, clear ice and strain into four chilled Martini glasses.
- Garnish with a lemon slice.
*Orange bitters can be difficult to find. The most readily available, good quality brand is Fee Brothers. Angostura Bitters are much more popular these days and can be found at most liquor stores.
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We Want to Hear from You
As we continue our efforts to help our readers maximize the joy and satisfaction of their outdoor grilling and entertaining experience, we would love to know what you think:
- Share with us your favorite grilling recipes or outdoor gourmet entertaining tips
- Provide us with pictures of your grill or grill setting
- Tell us what you like most about your Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet product
- Tell us which product features you would like to see added to or improved on our products
- Let us know if there are any services Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet should offer
Feel free to drop us a line at hotg@kalamazoogourmet.com with your thoughts on any of the above, or just to say hello.
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