How much do I love summer? Beyond the bathing suits and sunsets, there's the food. BBQs to be specific. Grilled meats and vegetables, cold drinks and sides. Friends and family. It makes for the best of times! So I was thrilled to be chosen to host a McCormick Grill Mates Grill Ambassadors Party as a member of Crowdtap.com. The party was a great idea to get the word out about new and tasty McCormick's Gill Mates marinades, rubs, sauces, and spices. I supplied the sides and people. McCormick and Crowdtap provides the flavor.
My kit included: a Gill Mates Brown Sugar Bourbon BBQ Source, Grill mates Spiced Brandy & Herb Marinade, Grill Mates Slow & Low Memphis Pit BBQ Rub, Grill Mates Molasses Bacon Seasoning, Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning. Each designed to taking grilling to the next level!
I invited my friends and family over on a sunny Saturday to give the fresh new flavors a go. We were blessed with glorious weather - perfect for a day of grilling. Knowing my friends and family, I decided to do a bit of many things. I wanted to try each of the seasonings! I decided to pair the Memphis Pit BBQ Rub with a three pound tri tip. I also decided to drizzle a little Brown Sugar Bourbon Sauce on my tri tip for good measure. I thought the Molasses Bacon Seasoning and the Montreal Steak Seasoning would go well on New York Steaks and hamburgers. Lastly, I thought Spiced Brandy and Herb would taste divine on whole chicken breasts.
The night before my party, I trimmed my tri tip roast and used the Memphis Pit BBQ Rub. There was an ample amount in the 1.25 oz. packet, more than enough for more than 3 pounds of meat. Once coverage was complete, I wrapped the roast in saran wrap and tucked it away into the fridge. The morning of, I hung festive decorations and made sure the drinks were on ice. I also prepared the Spiced Brandy and Herb Marinade. I found the recipe easy and decided to explore the Southern Peach option by adding peach preserves. Once mixed, I halved the recipe and placed one half in a gallon size ziplock bag containing a pound of chicken breasts. I sprinkled the New York steaks and hamburgers with the Montreal and the Molasses Bacon Seasoning. I placed all of the meats back into the fridge.
Memphis Pit BBQ Rub and Brown Sugar Bourbon Sauce - This rub was amazing. Even though the recipe called for ribs, we love BBQ tri tip. A restaurant called Lucille's has a delicious BBQ Tri Tip and we order it every chance we get. Why not give it a try? We found texture to be rich and authentic. The seasonings were spot on Memphis BBQ. A zesty blend of onion, garlic, cinnamon and thyme. Sweetened with Brown sugar, chili pepper provides a kick. The layered rub also includes paprika, which gives it a deep orange hue. After grilling the tri tip on medium low for about 20 minutes, I applied a hearty layer of the Brown Sugar Bourbon Sauce. I wanted the roast to be crisp and sweet on the edges. After letting it rest, we cut it open. It was perfect. Juicy and tender. Flavorful and savory. The BBQ Flavor was undeniable. You'd have thought I'd simmered a sauce from scratch. My guests loved it! "Absolutely delicious!" "This is SO good!" "Amazing tri tip!" were some of the things my guests reported. I told them about how easy the rub was to use and showed them information about the product omy iPad. They were also able to scan the packaging and find both the product and additional information on Amazon.com. Cool, right? The also loved the crisp and candied Brown Sugar Sauce edges. I caught several people sneaking cuts of the edges. We may never have to go back to Lucille's again!
Molasses Bacon & Montreal Steak Seasonings - The New York steaks and hamburgers sprinkled with seasonings turned out fantastically, as well. Done medium-well, they too were juicy and tender. Even the drippings were tasty! My kids gobbled up their burgers seasoned with the Montreal Steak Seasoning. I served them with jack cheese and baby greens. My daughter said, "They taste homemade, but better than usual." Uh, thanks I think? Those who opted for a steak, found the Molasses Bacon run gave the meat a rich, sweet and smoking flavor. My guests really appreciated the secondary taste of bacon. A "Nice surprise!" was what one guests said. "The bacon taste is so real!" was what my friend said when I showed her the bottle. Like the rub and sauce, my guests were able to look up additional information online using their phones or my iPad. Most used their phones right there at the table to research and post pics to Facebook! I think they were most impressed by how 'real' and 'authentic' the seasonings were - like I'd spend all day slaving away in the kitchen. Literally, in a dash I was done.
Spiced Brandy & Herb Marinade - The fragrant marinade was easy to prepare and provided more than enough for 2 lbs. of meat. After marinading the breasts for an hour or so, I grilled them with fresh vegetables. The flavor of the marinade was delicious and multidimensional. We loved the authentic herb seasonings and the body the brand brought to the party. Deep and rich, this marinade allowed the chicken to grill slowly and evenly. Once done, the breasts were juicy and flavorful. One guest commented that it tasted homemade. I agree, I think what I've really enjoyed out of each of the products was that they tasted like a tried and true family recipe. All of the flavor, a fraction of the work. Brilliant!
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