Besides a great-looking lawn and backyard, nothing brings people together quite like food. And, there’s nothing better than preparing it in the comfort of your own backyard.

In this episode of Prime Cuts, host David Bancroft welcomes back guest chef and good friend Rob McDaniel (formerly of SpringHouse) for one heck of a wild-game dish.

Follow these prep and cooking steps to re-create McDaniel’s seared venison, roasted Brussels sprouts, caramelized sweet potatoes and pecan vinaigrette recipe.

Seared Venison

• To start, trim your venison filet—or what hunters call “backstrap”—and coat it in a light layer of oil. Then, simply season with salt and pepper. (McDaniel prefers venison he’s harvested himself, and has then been hung to age for up to 14 days before being processed.)

• Next, place your venison in an oiled cast-iron skillet that’s been pre-heated in a 500-degree oven. (McDaniel is using a high-end outdoor pizza oven for this recipe.)

The Veggies

• As your venison begins to sear, prepare your Brussels sprouts—quarter-cut them, drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper—and pre-roasted sweet potatoes (hand-flattened “coins” seasoned with salt).

• Place your Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes in the same skillet as your venison for what both chefs call “one-stop-shop” cooking. (McDaniel is opting for medium-rare venison that’s “rested” for 8-10 minutes once cooked and prior to plating. This will give it time to bleed out while his veggies continue to cook.)

• As the venison and veggies continue cooking, both chefs discuss the types of firewood they typically use for outdoor-cooking recipes. While both like the flavor hickory and oak imparts, Bancroft also admits he has a place in his heart for sweet pecan wood, too.

Prepping for Plating

• Once properly caramelized, remove your venison from the oven and begin creating your pecan vinaigrette. (McDaniel’s is a mixture of sherry vinegar, olive oil, reduced orange juice, homemade mustard, thyme, arbol chile and toasted pecans.)

• Begin plating your finished dish by placing one sweet potato coin and a row of sliced venison in the center. Then, top both with brussels before topping them with your pecan vinaigrette to finish the dish.

What you’ve landed on is an absolutely stunning meal. Even better, it’s a simple method of cooking made up of ingredients that are readily available across the United States.

Want insider access to prep videos and recipe ingredients for this Prime Cuts episode? Then, start your FREE Backyard Life e-news subscription, today! Simply sign up (below) and we’ll notify you when this—and other bonus content—is waiting in your inbox.

Besides a great-looking lawn and backyard, nothing brings people together quite like food. And, there’s nothing better than cooking up a satisfying meal—like a grilled ribeye steak— in the comfort of your own backyard.

In this episode, host David Bancroft welcomes back guest chef Kevin Nashan for his unique twist on this backyard favorite: ribeye.

Follow these prep and cooking steps to mimic the “2017 James Beard Best Midwestern Chef” recipient’s grilled ribeye, grilled cabbage and scratch tater tots recipe.

Grilled Ribeye & Cabbage

• To start, trim the ribeye and season it with a little salt. (Nashan says he prefers using a heart/center cut for this recipe.)

• Once your grill—or Big Green Egg—is ripping hot, apply cooking oil to the grate before placing the ribeye on it. This, explains Nashan, helps prevent the steak from sticking to the grill.

• As the ribeye cooks, prep the cabbage leaves by applying a coat of grape seed oil and salt to them. (Nashan prefers Napa cabbage for its grilling durability, and grape seed oil for the neutral flavor it gives the cabbage.)

• Place your cabbage leaves on the grill alongside the ribeye. Nashan emphasizes the importance a super-hot grill plays in quickly charring the cabbage before it becomes mushy.

• Beyond this ribeye dish, Bancroft notes the “high-heat” trend he’s seeing many other chefs adopting. Ripping-hot grills and cooking vessels, he says, prevent sticking, and enable certain ingredients to be charred quickly. Nashan adds that identifying specific grill areas best for cooking, resting, and removing items will help you better navigate cooking the entire meal.  

• Once the cabbage is properly charred, remove it from the grill. Allow the ribeye to continue cooking until the desired temperature has been reached.

The Tater Tots

• Now, place your tater tots—ideally, prepared ahead of time—in a large pot or skillet containing peanut or grape seed oil. Then, fry them on a stovetop burner that’s reached 350 degrees. (Nashan’s tots are a mixture of roasted potatoes, cooked mashed potatoes, baking soda, salt and Chimayo chile powder. His hand-formed tots are chilled in the refrigerator to help them keep their shape when fried.)

• As the tater tots begin to fry, remove the ribeye from the grill. (Nashan prefers a medium-rare ribeye and allowing it to “rest,” before final plate up, so it can bleed out. He explains roughly 10-12 minutes of total cooking and resting time is needed if medium-rare’s what you’re after, too.)

• While the tots finish cooking, sauté some Cipollini onions to add caramelization and sweetness to the cabbage.

• Prepare the final dish by first placing the “open-faced” sliced ribeye on your plate. Next, top the ribeye with grilled cabbage and onions. Nashan suggests complementing these with sauerkraut and pickled mustard seeds for a pop of acidity and heat. Finally, place a mound of 4-5 tots on your plate atop a dollop of homemade “glorified egg salad.” Nashan then drizzles the entire dish with a broth made from mustard seeds, red wine and ribeye bone/scrap stock.

• And, there you have it: a delicious and creative “meat-and-potatoes” dish you and your guests will absolutely love!

For more details on the recipes shown here, check out our Bonus Ribeye Prep video.

Want insider access to prep videos and recipe ingredients for this Prime Cuts episode? Then, start your FREE Backyard Life e-news subscription, today! Simply sign up (below) and we’ll notify you when this—and other bonus content—is waiting in your inbox.

Besides a great-looking lawn and backyard, nothing brings people together quite like food. And, there’s nothing better than preparing it in the comfort of your own backyard.

In this episode, Prime Cuts host David Bancroft and guest chef Kevin Nashan unveil a chicken dish you and your guests will love. After all, when’s the last time an Iron Chef Showdown winner (Bancroft) or “2017 Best Midwestern Chef” recipient (Nashan) gave you cooking tips?

Follow these prep and cooking steps to properly replicate Nashan’s grilled chicken with Brussels sprouts, chanterelle mushrooms, egg custard and brown-butter vinaigrette recipe.

Grillin’ Chicken

• To start, trim and clean your chicken. Then, brine it for approximately two hours to ensure it’s juicy and tender once cooked.

• Heat your grill to 500 degrees and—if you have one—wood-fired oven to 750 degrees. (Nashan opts for a Big Green—not a traditional gas or charcoal grill—for this dish.)

• Before placing the chicken on the grill, be sure to pat it dry. Although a small step, it’s one that Nashan says will make a big impact on how well your chicken caramelizes.

• Place the unseasoned chicken into an iron skillet that’s been pre-heated on your grill. Next, place parchment paper on top of the chicken, and then a small cast-iron skillet—or anything similar that’s handy—on top of the parchment. Applying this downward pressure will help create a flatter, more direct cooking area, as well as better caramelization.

Custard, Sprouts & Chanterelles

• Begin creating your egg custard by whisking together three egg yolks, three whole eggs, parmesan cheese, cream and salt. Once the ingredients reach a custardy consistency, place them in a double broiler to begin gently steaming them as you move to other ingredients.

• Begin preparing your Brussels sprouts by placing half-cut pieces face down in a hot oiled pan. Sprinkle in a dash of salt, and place on a cooktop stove, flipping them once the undersides have begun to caramelize. Add a little butter and place them back on the stove. Once fully cooked, place them in a serving container in preparation for your final dish plate-up.

• Flip your chicken. Add a pat of butter, rosemary, and thyme alongside it in the skillet.

• In the same pan your Brussels sprouts were cooked in, begin roasting the chanterelle mushrooms. Sprinkle them with salt and cook until only a slight color change has been achieved. And, remember to keep your pan super hot, as they’ll become limp if you don’t.

Final Plate-Up

• Once your eggs are velvety, transfer them from the double broiler into a different vessel in preparation for final plate-up. (Nashan notes that shutting off the cooking process helps them take on the polenta-like texture that he prefers.)

• Remove the chicken from the grill—basting it in its own juices as you do—in preparation for your final dish plate-up.

• Prepare your brown-butter vinaigrette by combining brown-butter gravy, chicken stock, cream and a little lemon.

• Prepare your final dish by first placing two large dollops of egg custard in the center of your plate. Then, place vertical cuts of chicken atop of each dollop. Next, add your Brussels sprouts and chanterelles to the plate. Finally, drizzle your brown-butter vinaigrette over the entire plate’s contents.

(Nashan likes to top things off with a preserved Meyer lemon garnish to add a pop of sweetness and fragrance to the finished dish.)

Your end product will be a dish that’s both delicate in taste (thanks to the custardy, velvety eggs, toasted brown-butter vinaigrette, nutty, aromatic mushrooms and caramelized Brussels sprouts), yet offset by the aggressive-tasting Meyer lemons.

Want insider access to prep videos and recipe ingredients for this Prime Cuts episode? Then, start your FREE Backyard Life e-news subscription, today! Simply sign up (below) and we’ll notify you when this—and other bonus content—is waiting in your inbox.