my kitchen

I made breakfast on my new grill and it was amazing

July 7, 2013

We are suffering through a heat wave here in Boston and it is simply awful. Not only is it hot, it’s sticky and humid. Not only is it sticky and humid, but our first floor Victorian has no AC. It’s brutal. I am not a hot weather person… in fact, I’m writing this from a nicely chilled café as we speak.

[Fortunately we have a small window unit that keeps our bedroom at an amenable temperature so nights are at least tolerable–with exception to two dogs and a cat all vying for space on the bed. Panting hot dog breath… ugh!]

Things to do when you have no A/C: see a movie, go bowling, find a friend with a pool, and/or hang out in Home Depot.

I know it’s hot (deliriously hot) when I can get ANYONE to go to Home Depot with me–not just willingly go, but also suddenly share my passion for such things as air compressor nail guns and drills. [I have a long standing history of making friends and family suffer at my hands through many lengthy Home Depot excursions.] Having recently done some grill research, it seemed like a good day to check out the expansive grill aisle. Why not? At this point the thought of turning on a stove is/was as awesome as the thought of Texas-style boiling hot ginger ale and/or a nice long hot steam bath.

It’s been a few years since I’ve owned a grill since my last one crapped out–but what was I to expect? I found it on craigslist for $80 and it spent 4 winters and several blizzards encapsulated in snow.

The new grill will be given much better care. I went with a Weber 2-burner gas grill, the “Spirit”. Surprisingly, this grill retails for $399, the same price point for other brands’ gigantor models, i.e. grills with the dual side burners and split-covered grill doors. The next price down, for the same size as the Weber Spirit, was significantly lower–by at least $250. But, unlike other brands the Weber has hands down the best reviews–consistently 5 stars. My feeling is that you get what you pay for and this model feels ridiculously solid and heavy. It’s love at first sight.

IMG_3109

I didn’t waste anytime in getting this baby fired up–is there anything sweeter than a virgin grill? GRILL. I said GRILL.

The next morning I was so excited about my grill I decided to make breakfast with it and it was amazing.

grilled sausage with eggs and kale

you will need

  • 2 cups chopped kale
  • 1 medium sweet yellow onion
  • 1 cup mushrooms of your preference
  • olive oil
  • 4 sausage links (I used chicken, but you could also use veggie sausage)
  • 4 eggs
  • cast iron skillet
  • gas grill

First, preheat your grill!

Back in the kitchen roughly chop the kale.

IMG_3104

In a cast iron skillet over medium-low heat sauté onions in a generous amount of olive oil. After they become clear add the mushrooms.

IMG_3106

When the mushrooms and onions begin to sublimate add the kale.

IMG_3107

Grill the sausage.

IMG_3111

When the kale turns bright green remove from the heat and crack four eggs in the center. Place the cast iron skillet in the middle of the grill or where the indirect heat space is. NOTE: Do not attempt this with anything other than a cast iron skillet! 

IMG_3117

When the sausage is cooked through you can add to the perimeter of the pan. Make sure to cover the grill so that the eggs cook.

IMG_3123

I prefer a slightly runny yolk, but you can cook to your liking. As I’ve recently adopted a gluten-free diet I served this as-is, but this also makes a fantastic breakfast sandwich.

IMG_3142

IMG_3160

Grills: they’re not just for barbecues or dinner! You can probably expect a slew of grilling entries in the next few weeks, especially if this bullshit weather continues.

Stay cool my friends.

You Might Also Like

4 Comments

  • Avatar
    Reply Amy July 10, 2013 at 3:45 pm

    Question- when you sautee the onions and mushrooms, are you doing that on the grill or in the kitchen? I assume the grill, based on your comments about the heat, but from the instructions and picture I couldn’t be sure.

    Thanks for posting this, it looks great! I can’t wait to try it!

    • Avatar
      Reply davidtornado July 10, 2013 at 4:08 pm

      Hi Amy! Thanks for reading. I actually did the sautéing on my stove (braved the heat) I think if your grill had a side-burner you could start there or do as I did and start on the stove. I’m not sure I would start the sautéing directly on the grill surface because the bottom temperature of the skillet would get too hot to achieve that nice caramelized oniony goodness. Hope this helps and let me know how it turns out!

  • Avatar
    Reply Al August 14, 2013 at 2:24 pm

    Nice recipe matey. 😀 Definately giving this a go due to my new found love of Kale. It reminds me of Shakshuka, middle eastern eggs:

    http://www.thetarttart.com/2013/06/shakshuka/

    On another note not sure sublimate is the right word for the mushrooms being ready, but happy to be proven otherwise. I thought sublimate was a transition between solid and gas without the intervening state of liquid.

    • Avatar
      Reply davidtornado August 30, 2013 at 6:27 pm

      OOoo yes! I love shakshuka as well. I’ve been making a version with sweet potatoes that I absolutely love. And yes, in regards to the word sublimate, you are probably correct considering science was never my strong suit. But it’s at least specious–I mean, it sounds right, right? 🙂

    Leave a Reply