Recipes

Tomahawk Chops with Grilled Mushrooms and Garlic Scapes

A crown roast of pork may be “majestic,” but I think nothing tops the presentation of a perfectly-grilled tomahawk chop with the long rib bones arching across the plate. Grilled mushrooms and garlic scapes on top of a simple chimichuri are an amazing accompaniment for this gorgeous piece of meat.

By Russ Faulk, Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet

Serves 4 very generously or up to 8 family-style

Ingredients

Directions

4 tomahawk chops, 2 bones each (or substitute any 2-inch-thick bone-in pork chop)
Extra virgin olive oil
Fine sea salt
Coarsely-ground black pepper

For the Grilled Mushrooms

4 ounces morel mushrooms
4 ounces shitake mushrooms
4 ounces cremini mushrooms
8 ounces portabella mushroom caps
Extra virgin olive oil
Fine sea salt
Coarsely-ground black pepper
8 garlic scapes (optional, when in season)

For the Chimichuri

1 cup parsley, packed
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 or 2 serrano chiles

Notes on using a Kalamazoo Hybrid Fire Grill

This recipe really shines when grilled over a real wood fire. I like to use white oak or apple wood, but your favorite mildly-flavored hard wood variety will do the trick.
Place splits, limbs or chunks in the hybrid grill drawer above a single burner. Light the all of the main burners and run them on high to preheat the grill while starting the wood fire. Keep the grill hood open. Once the wood fire is strong, turn off the burner below the wood and wait for the wood fire to settle down. Once the flames are very low and white ash forms on the wood, you can grill the mushrooms and then sear the chops directly above the wood fire. When finished searing, re-ignite the burner below the wood fire and set it to low. Turn the other burners off and move the chops to the indirect grilling zone. Close the hood and let the chops coast up to temperature while maintaining a hood thermometer reading of 500ºF.

Prepare the grill for direct and indirect grilling over a hot fire with an indirect grilling temperature of 500ºF.

Clean, dry and trim all the mushrooms. Spread them out in a baking pan or shallow dish. Drizzle generously with olive oil to coat the mushrooms and then season liberally with salt and pepper. Toss the mushrooms to coat them evenly and add more oil and seasoning as needed.

Lightly coat the tomahawk chops with olive oil and then season generously with salt and pepper.

Transfer the mushrooms from the pan onto the direct grilling zone of the grill. If you have a Kalamazoo laser-cut vegetable pattern grilling surface, use it for the mushrooms to keep them from falling through the grate. If not, use a pre-heated perforated grill pan. Cook the mushrooms until well-browned and most of the moisture has been removed, about 5 minutes for the shitakes and 10 minutes for the others. Remove all the mushrooms from the grill. Return them to the seasoning dish and reserve.

Place the tomahawk chops onto the direct grilling zone and brown on both sides (between 2 and 5 minutes on each side depending on the temperature of the direct grilling zone). Once nicely marked, transfer the chops to the indirect zone. Roast at 500ºF for 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature measures 155ºF. Remove the chops from the grill to rest. They will continue to climb in temperature to the desired 165ºF.

While the chops are roasting in the indirect grilling zone, prepare the chimichuri. Combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth and thoroughly combined. Test for taste, adding salt, vinegar and chiles as needed.

If you are using the optional garlic scapes, lightly coat them with olive oil and season them with salt. Grill them in the direct zone until marked and tender, about 4 minutes.

Return the reserved mushrooms to the grill to reheat for about 1 minute.

For plating, put down a smear or squirt of chimichuri on the side of the plate. Place the mushrooms and garlic scapes on top of the sauce. Place the chop next to them on the clean portion of the plate.