Besides huntin’, fishin’ and paddlin’, these Minnesotans have a knack for cookin’. Especially when it comes to grillin’, on sticks. So while in Ely, I was schooled from the local folk on how to grill on sticks.
They put me up for this cooking challenge: Cook a four course meal with fresh, local ingredients, all on the grill, all on-a-stick. It’s called the Iron Range Chef Challenge.
Here’s what I came up with back home:
Pork chops- Carrolton Farms, Oregon.
Olathe* corn and peaches- Eastern Washington.
Grape tomatoes, yellow squash, and sweet onion- Garden grown. How local is that?
Sticks- Okay, so I needed a little help- Minnesota?
Fresh, Local Ingredients
First thing you need to do is soak the sticks in water a couple of hours. The stick is your knife & fork, don’t burn it! Put the corn in the water too, in it’s husk.
Now you can fire up the grill. When the grill gets HOT:
Stick the pork chop lengthwise. Lay pork on grill. Turn in 5 minutes. Let rest 5 more.
Put the corn-on-the-cob-on-a-stick-in-foil-on-the-grill.
Skewer alternately the onion, tomato, and squash. Gently, lay on grill. Ooh pretty!
Slice the peach, stick it, then lay it on warming grill. You want it a little crisp with grill marks, not mushy.
Take all these fresh, local ingredients off the grill by the stick, shuck the corn, lay it all on a plate and serve.
Four Courses- On-A-Stick
Iron Range Chef, I stuck this challenge!
The real challenge is gonna be eatin’ all this without a knife & fork.
* Fancy term for white infused yellow corn
