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Heirloom Tomato Pizza

Making amazing pizza on the Caliber Pro Kamado Grill/Smoker is one of the great perks of this grill. It not only crisps the top of the pizza, but it also keeps in the moisture making the perfect pizza.

To get started, place the pizza stone on the grill or in the oven or smoker and preheat to a high temperature (450° F). Sprinkle either cornmeal or flour on top of a large pizza spatula before spreading out the dough on it for easy sliding on to the pizza stone. After nicely spreading out the dough on the spatula, sprinkle olive oil across it. Next, place the slices of mozzarella cheese, heirloom tomatoes and basil across the pizza. Once your grill/oven and pizza stone has preheated, transfer the pizza from the spatula on to the stone. If using the Caliber Pro Kamado Grill/Smoker it is best to place a heaping pie plate full of charcoal in a pile at the bottom of the grill to reach a high temperature and cook with the lid shut and vents open for about 6-8 minutes. The Rockwell by Caliber Social Gas Grill is ideal for crisping the tops of pizzas because of the short dome heat area. The Caliber Indoor Pro Range is also easy to set to a 450° F temperature. Pizza will also be finished in about 6-8 minutes in the oven or gas grill. Enjoy!

For the video on making this pizza on the Caliber Pro Kamado, visit our YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/user/CaliberGrills or click here.

Ingredients:
Pizza dough
Cornmeal or flour
Olive oil
Slices of mozzarella cheese
Heirloom tomatoes sliced
Fresh basil sliced

Click to Download Recipe

For a pizza variation of a “Homemade Carnitas Hawaiian Pizza” on the Caliber Pro Kamado by Sam the Cooking Guy click here or below:

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

Valentine’s Day Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

The Caliber Indoor Professional Range is outfitted with a true chef-sized oven that provides even baking results thanks to its proprietary “Tri-flow   ” convection technology and ultra-efficient flue design. Making the perfect cookie is now easy with this revolutionary new design of our gas range.  Enjoy this delicious cookie pie just in time as a Valentine’s Day sweet treat!

Cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla and beat well.  Add flour and stir well.  Fold in chocolate chips and nuts.  Pour into a well-greased baking pan, or for a true cookie pie pour in a pie shell.  Smooth out batter, and bake at 350ºF for 45-60 minutes depending on how crisp you prefer your cookie to be.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 Cup margarine or butter (softened)
  • 2 Eggs
  • 2 Tablespoons vanilla or bourbon
  • 3/4 Cup sugar
  • 1 Cup all purpose flour
  • 1 Cup chocolate chips
  • 1 Cup walnuts or pecans (optional)
  • 9” Pastry pie shell (optional)

Click to Download Recipe

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Creamy Mushroom Soup

We hope you are enjoying your holidays and they are full of wintery fun memories. Thanks to one of our home chefs, Alison Kent, you can also enjoy her creamy mushroom soup recipe made on her Caliber Indoor Pro Range.

To download this recipe click here or on the image above. And, if you missed her featured installation, click here or on the image below.

Thanks Alison for this delicious recipe, and wishing everyone a joyous and prosperous New Year!

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Lamb Meatballs

Holiday Lamb Meatballs

Looking for a unique and delicious recipe to bring as an appetizer to your next holiday party? These simple lamb meatballs can be made within any of your Caliber Appliances. Lamb is a juicy, underrated meat full of health benefits (high in protein and iron, and is known to reduce cancer risks, stroke risks, can heal anemia and improves bone health).

Decide which Caliber Appliance you would like to cook on: grill, smoker or oven, and then you are ready to start. Preheat oven or grill to 375ºF. Mix lamb, garlic, shallots, jalapeño, mint, soy sauce and black pepper together. Roll meat into 2 inch diameter round balls. As they are made, place the meatballs in an oven-proof dish or skillet. Cover with aluminum foil or lid and bake or grill for about 20 minutes or until meatballs are cooked all the way through. This recipe serves about four people as an entrée or makes a great appetizer to serve at a party.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Pound ground lamb
  • 2 Garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 Shallot, minced
  • 1 Tbsp diced jalapeño pepper
  • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 Tsp black pepper

Click to Download Recipe

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Pumpkin Pie Muffins

These sweet treats are perfect for a Halloween party or leading up to Thanksgiving. Beat 2 sticks softened butter and 1 and 1/2 cups of sugar with a mixer until fluffy. Next, beat in 4 eggs, a 15 ounce can of pumpkin, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix 2 cups of sifted flour, 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice, 1 teaspoon each of baking powder and baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture. Bake in 18-20 lined muffin cups for 25 minutes on 350 degrees F.

Once muffins are cool, you can eat them plain or add this delicious and easy cream cheese frosting recipe: beat 8 ounces of cream cheese, 1/2 stick of butter, 1 and 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla until it thickens. Enjoy this great fall recipe!

Ingredients for 18-20 Pumpkin Pie Muffins:
2 sticks softened butter (1 cup)
1 and 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
15 ounce can of pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups sifted flour
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder and baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 ounces of cream cheese
1/2 stick of butter
1 and 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Click to Download Recipe

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Bread Creation

Thank you Home Chef Christina for this wonderful “Bread Creation” tutorial and recipe on your Caliber Indoor Professional Range! Now take it away Christina with your tutorial:

This is more of a creation than a recipe.  I have been keeping a bread journal . . . . Yes, a bread journal.  I have been trying different techniques and also asking friends who bake bread.  So this is a combo of CREATING BREAD from online tutorials, my brother-in-law’s kitchen, and a book I’m obsessed with called Flour Water Salt Yeast.

This creation uses a sour dough starter instead of yeast to rise.  It takes 7-10 days to create a sour dough starter.  I created mine using a few different methods and – changed things up along the way – couldn’t tell you how to get my exact method, if I tried, (thus the reason I started the bread journal).  I suggest you look up recipes online or better yet, if you have a friend who has a starter – beg, borrow or steal it from them.

TOOLS:

  • Food Scale (non-negotiable)
  • Container for your starter (I use a Weck Tulip Jar – size large)
  • Container with Lid – for primer
  • Bowl
  • Spatula or spoon
  • Kitchen Towel
  • Pastry Scraper
  • Parchment paper
  • Dutch OVEN (I use LODGE cast iron and STAUB)
  • Proofing basket (or parchment lined bowl)
  • CALIBER RANGE

INGREDIENT LIST:

  • Sourdough Starter
  • Bread Flour
  • Water (lukewarm)
  • Salt
  • Rice Flour for dusting – only necessary if using a proofing basket

STEP 1:  THE STARTER! A healthy starter is the key to this.  I feed mine the day before I’m going to bake with 3 TBS bread flour and 2 TBS lukewarm water.  Stir it up and make sure it’s been allowed to rest for 8-16 hours from feeding.

STEP 2: Make the PRIMER  

  • 100 grams of lukewarm water
  • 75 grams of sourdough starter
  • 100 grams of bread flour

Start with water and then add in your starter.  Stir to combine then add the flour and stir to combine: done in this order, it mixes up better.  In the end, your scale should read 275 grams of primer.  Put the cover on and place in your oven with the oven light on.  This is called proofing.  The Caliber oven light is strong enough that even in the cold winter months, my primer was able to activate within 2-4 hours.

STEP 3: Make the DOUGH

  • 400 grams of lukewarm water
  • 200 grams of primer
  • 600 grams of bread flour
  • 16 grams of salt

Measure out the water and add 200 grams of primer into the water.  The primer should float slightly on top of the water.  This is an indicator of a good primer and will ensure you get a BEAUTIFUL looking loaf.  Stir to combine.  Add bread flour and salt.  Stir to combine.

Cover with a wet dish towel or a lid and let it rest for 1 hour.  This allows the flour to fully incorporate.

STEP 4: PULL and PUSH

This is the first step to incorporate air and get that dough moving.  With your hand grab a portion of the dough from the outside and gently lift it into the air (PULL) but don’t let it separate from the rest of the dough and then put (PUSH) it back into the dough, placing it into the center.  Turn the bowl a quarter turn and grab the next section.  You will do this 4-5 times depending upon how much you turn your bowl.  Don’t worry, if you do this 3 times or 8 times, it ends up the same (bread journal notes talking here) cover and allow it to rest for 3-6 hours. There are great tutorials online to show you this technique

STEP 5: KNEADING

One you have seen the bread rise and poof up a bit – you know that it’s ready to knead.  I don’t use flour for this part.  The bread will be slightly sticky – but if you keep things moving – you won’t have too much waste.  I can describe my kneading technique as a SLAP, PULL, ROLL, TURN process.  Take all of the dough out of the bowl and SLAP it down onto a clean hard surface (I use my quartz countertop).  PULL or lift the dough off the surface and ROLL as you’re doing this to and then TURN it and SLAP it down, PULL up and ROLL the dough over and TURN to continue.  I do this 20-40 times.  It really depends upon how the dough FEELS at this point.  The dough should become less sticky and roll easy and start to feel fuller of air.  COVER and let rest for 2-4 hours. Cleaning out your bowl in between may help it stick less.

STEP 6: SHAPING before the final rest

Flour your working surface and pastry scraper.  Turn your dough out onto the surface.  Your goal here is to add a little more air and shape the dough before its final rise.  First, fold the dough over itself to make a half circle.  Second, fold again to make a quarter circle.  Now grab your scraper and use your other hand to turn the quarter circle while scraping and lifting with your other hand.  You should be turning and scraping and lifting the dough off of the surface and forming it into a rounded mound.

STEP 7: FINAL RISE

Your bread will rest while you rest – it needs at least 6 hours for this step, but I have left it for 14 hours (because life happens) and it turned out great.  The final rise happens in your FRIDGE.

Option 1:  Use a proofing basket. Ensure there is enough rice flour in the proofing basket to keep the dough from sticking.  Place your dough rounded side DOWN into the basket.  So starring up at you is the bottom of the mound.  Cover with a DAMP dish towel and put in the fridge.

Option 2:  Use a parchment lined bowl.  No need to add any flour or anything.  Just make sure the parchment is large enough to overhang off the bowl once the dough is placed in.  This will make the transfer to your Dutch oven easier.  Use your scraping tool to put the dough rounded side UP into the bowl.  So starring up at you is the smooth side of the dough.  Cover with a DAMP dish towel and put in the fridge.

STEP 8: PRE-HEAT the oven and the Dutch oven

This is where the Caliber SHINES – this is your most important tool on the list.  By just turning the lights on in the Caliber Indoor Pro Range it creates enough heat for the perfect environment for proofing bread. I bake 2 loafs at a time and use a STAUB and a LODGE Dutch oven and both come out fantastic.

Place your Dutch oven inside for the pre-heat process.  Set your oven to 475 and pre-heat for 30 minutes.

STEP 9: BAKING (finally)

Pull your dough from the fridge

CAREFULLY remove your Dutch oven out of the oven and put your dough directly into the Dutch oven.

Option 1:  Proofing basket.  Place a piece of parchment paper over the top of the basket and turn it out so that the rounded dough is looking up at you.  Lift the dough and parchment paper into the Dutch oven.  

Option 2:  Parchment lined bowl.  Lift the parchment out of the bowl and place directly into the Dutch oven.

Trim off any parchment that sticks above the Dutch oven.  Score the dough to allow air to properly escape.  You can get lost in technique and design here – I have attempted a few, bought some fancy scoring tools, and I use kitchen scissors now.  I create a simple X pattern on the top of the dough using my kitchen scissors to cut through the dough.

Put the lid on and place in the oven.  CONVECTION BAKE at 475 for 28 minutes or 30 minutes if you want a CRUNCHIER crust.  The bread will rise and be a LIGHT blonde color

Take the lid off and CONVECTION BAKE at 475 for 20 minutes.  This is where the brown color and crunchy exterior comes in.

Remove from the oven and immediately put bread on a rack to cool.  You don’t want to leave the bread in the Dutch oven – as it will continue to cook.  I put my Dutch oven back into the oven and find that it cools down while the oven cools down.

STEP 10: WAIT . . . the hardest part.

If you want to have this bread for the week – it’s best to wait 4 hours before you slice into it.  This keeps the bread from getting gummy and it makes it easier to slice.  

But if you’re having company over – or plan to eat it all – go for it – who doesn’t love HOT bread.

Store on bread board covered with a dry kitchen towel or in a bread bag.

TIMELINE: It works best for me to bake in the am, so that’s how I came up with this schedule.  If you keep your starter on the counter and have it ready – it only takes 18-24 hours to make bread. . . . You can start at “DAY TWO” portion of the timeline.

DAY ONE

  • 8pm – Feed starter

DAY TWO

  • 9am – make primer
  • 1pm – make bread dough
  • 2pm – first pull and push on dough
  • 6pm – first round of kneading
  • 8pm – last kneed and put in the fridge

DAY THREE

  • 6am – heat up oven 
  • 7am – remove bread from fridge and prepare to bake
  • 8am – bread is cooling
  • 12pm – earliest I will cut the bread
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Sweet Coconut Macaroons

Enjoy these delicious and easy to make macaroons baked in the Caliber Indoor Pro Range with Chef Dan just in time for Valentine’s Day.

The Caliber range is outfitted with a true chef-sized oven that provides even baking results thanks to its proprietary tri-flow convection technology and ultra-efficientcient flue design. Making the perfect cookie is now easy with this revolutionary new design and your Valentine will love you for making these delicious cookies!

Sweet coconut macaroons baked in the Caliber Indoor Pro Range.

Heat oven to 350ºF. Mix coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Drop teaspoon-sized scoops of batter onto a well-greased cooking sheet 1-inch apart. Press down coconut balls with the back of the spoon to pack the mix so it won’t spread apart during baking. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for a few minutes before removing so they do not fall apart. Do not wait too long, because they will stick to the sheet. Cool on wire racks. Enjoy this sweet treat!

Ingredients for 4 dozen cookies:
5 1/3 cups (14 ounces) sweetened shredded coconut
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Click to Download this Recipe

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Tequila Lime Shrimp

Watch Sam the Cooking Guy make a quick and easy tequila lime shrimp on his Rockwell by Caliber Social Grill. This recipe can also be made in a cast iron pan on the other Caliber grills or rangetop burners.

Sam starts with creating an all-purpose compound butter that includes a half cup of butter, two crushed cloves of garlic, a large minced chipotle pepper, a handful of minced cilantro and a pinch of salt and pepper. You should definitely save the leftovers to use on bread or other recipes.

Sam then heats up the cast iron pan and adds oil, 16-18 large peeled and deveined shrimp with the tail on, and chopped red and green jalapeños and green onions.

After letting it cook for a few minutes, he lifts the pan and adds a 1/4 cup of tequila and flames it above the grill to ensure the grill doesn’t catch on fire. Lastly, he adds a large dollop of the compound butter and some chopped tomatoes.

Once the pan is off the grill, he continues to stir the shrimp and garnishes the dish with a handful of minced cilantro. For the full video, click here or on the video below. Enjoy!

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Foolproof Ribs with Chef Sam

With summer here in full force, ribs are the perfect appetizer to grill up. See Chef Sam the Cooking Guy fire up his Rockwell by Caliber Social Grill and make foolproof ribs.

Click here for the video to find out how baking these ribs in the oven first then finishing them off on the grill makes these ribs amazing.

Sam’s Rockwell by Caliber Social Grill is perfect for putting that nice crisp on these ribs, and he uses only five simple ingredients: pork ribs, white vinegar, BBQ sauce, brown sugar, and maple syrup.

For this full recipe click here or on the video below.

See also another version of Sam’s foolproof ribs with an Asian sweet, sticky, and spicy variation.

For the full recipe click here or on the video below.

If you’re looking for a recipe on how to smoke ribs on the Caliber Pro Kamado Charcoal Grill/Smoker, click here.