The Early Show

Grilled Dishes: Prep In A.M., Enjoy Later!

May 25, 2009 / 8:33 AM EDT / CBS

Memorial Day for so many means great grilling.

And one of the great things about grilling is that you can easily prep your meats in the morning and throw them on the grill when you get home for a delicious meal.

On The Early Show Monday, one of the country's top grilling experts, Elizabeth Karmel, executive chef at Manhattan's Hill Country Barbeque, show some great recipes, and shared some super pointers.

You can prep meats in ony about a half-hour in the morning, with spice rubs or marinades, then simply throw the prepped meats on the grill later in the day and enjoy!

RECIPES

SALT AND PEPPER RIBS

MAKES 4 to 8 SERVINGS

Grilling Method: Indirect/Medium-Low Heat

wood chips, soaked in water for 30 minutes (optional)
4 racks baby back ribs, about 3 pounds each
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Build a charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill. Set up the grill for indirect heat; if using wood chips, place the soaked chips directly on the charcoal, or in the smoking box of a gas grill.

Remove the silver skin from the back of the ribs, if desired.

In a small bowl, mix the salt, pepper and cayenne pepper together and sprinkle the ribs liberally with the mixture.

Place the ribs, bone-side down, in the center of the cooking grate, or in a rib holder or rack, over indirect medium-low heat. Grill covered (between 300-325°F, if your gas grill has a thermometer) for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until the meat is tender and has pulled back from the ends of the rib bones.

Leave the ribs unattended for the first 30 minutes-this means no peeking; especially important if using wood chips. If the ribs start to burn on the edges, stack them on top of one another in the very center of the grill and lower the heat slightly. Twenty minutes before serving, un-stack if necessary and brush the ribs with the barbeque sauce.

Remove the ribs from the grill; let them rest for 10 minutes before cutting into individual or 2 to 3 rib portions. Warm any remaining sauce in a saucepan and serve on the side.

Beer-Can Chicken

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Grilling Method: Indirect/Medium Heat

1 whole roasting chicken, 4 to 5 pounds, preferably Amish or organic
Olive oil
3 tablespoons Go-To Grilling Rub
1 12-ounce can domestic beer, such as Budweiser

Procedure
Remove the neck and giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out, if desired, and pat dry with a paper towel. Coat the chicken lightly with oil and season with 2 tablespoons of the dry rub. Set aside.

Build a charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill. Open the beer can, pour out about ¼ cup of the beer and make another hole in the top of the can with a church-key can opener. Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of the dry rub inside the beer can. Place the beer can in the center of the cooking grate over indirect medium heat and sit the chicken on the top of the beer can. The chicken will appear to be sitting on the grate.

Cover and cook the chicken for 1 to 1 ½ hours or until the internal temperature registers to 165 F in the breast area and 180 F in the thigh. Remove it carefully to a platter, holding the can with tongs. Let it rest for 10 minutes before carving.

For more recipes, go to Page 2.

Go-To Grilling Rub

This spice rub makes everything taste better. Good for poultry, pork, beef and shrimp.

1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon smoked Spanish paprika
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground white pepper
1-1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Combine sugar, paprika, peppers, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne in a medium-size bowl and mix well. Extra rub can be stored in an airtight container for up to six months.

Smoky Chipotle Deviled Eggs

1 dozen large eggs
1/3 cup Hellmann's mayonnaise
1 - 2 canned chipotle chilies with clinging adobo sauce
5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon natural rice vinegar
1/8 teaspoon ground Ancho Chile
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
Zest of 1/2 lime
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Tabasco
1/8 teaspoon sea salt or more to taste
Ground Ancho chile for garnish

Place the eggs in a large stockpot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, cover and turn off the heat. Let sit 20 minutes. Drain and run under cold water until eggs are cool to the touch. Let sit another ten minutes.

Peel eggs carefully, keeping whites in tact. Cut in half lengthwise and remove yolks. Set whites aside on a platter or egg plate. Break yolks up and mash with a fork until all large pieces are broken up and smooth.

Puree mayonnaise, chipotle(s), butter and vinegar in a small food processor. Taste and add another chipotle if the flavor is too faint, add more mayo if it is too strong. Add ancho chile powder, lime juice and zest, garlic powder and Tabasco. Stir well. Taste and season with sea salt. Note: If yolks are not smooth, run entire mixture through the food processor and place in a pastry bag in the refrigerator until cool.

Place in a pastry bag or use a small spoon to fill egg white "boats" with "deviled" egg yolk mixture. Sprinkle with ancho chile powder.

Makes 24 deviled eggs

Tip: You may need to cut a thin sliver off the bottom of the egg whites to make sure that they "sit" level.

Cool as a Cucumber Salad

2 English (seedless) cucumbers
4 shallots
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 tablespoon kosher or sea salt
1 cup unseasoned rice vinegar

Wash and dry the cucumbers. Peel alternating strips of the green skin off the cucumber with a vegetable peeler. Slice very thinly with a mandoline-style slicer or a slicing disc of a food processor. Set aside. Peel shallots and slice at the same thinness as the cucumber. Mix cucumber and shallots. The shallot slices will un-ravel into small rings which is what you want. Set aside.

Whisk sugar, salt and vinegar together until completely dissolved. Pour over cucumber and shallot slices and mix well, separating the slices to make sure none of them are sticking together. Put vegetables and all the liquid in a non-reactive (plastic or glass) container with a tight lid and refrigerate, turning occasionally for at least 3 hours or overnight before serving. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Keeps for five days in the refrigerator-but they'll be gone long before that!

Note: I like to put up the "cured" pickles in Mason jars for giving away and serving.

Serves 4