I grub on Japanese sweet potatoes almost daily. I’ve made a bunch of new friends since January 8th, so I won’t assume you know why this is my carb of choice. Go ahead, catch up with this post and then rejoin the OGs (original gangsters, newbie).
Lately, there have been two issues bugging me when it comes to my spuds. First, it takes an hour for me to prepare them. Between my young men being back in school, their extracurricular activities and my work at FOX, I don’t have that time anymore. Second, quite frankly, eating the same food prepared in the same way becomes boring. I needed a change. My goals are to:
- Prepare my dietary staple in a new and delicious manner.
- Do so in less than 30 minutes.
I was at a bit of a loss for a way to meet these two goals. Last night, I attended my son’s high school football kickoff dinner. They served tri-tip, kale salad and grilled veggies that were out of this world. Once our bellies were full, they asked us for money. I left inspired, not about football or fundraising, but about grilled potatoes. I had never attempted them, until today.
I began by thinly slicing the potato the long way. Remember, I’m optimizing for quicker cooking. Common sense seems to work well with grilling, even with a small electric grill. I preheated it to high and proceeded to add flavor.
I grabbed a plate and drizzled the slices with olive oil, then seasoned with garlic powder, cayenne pepper and sea salt. I don’t generally use measuring spoons for spices, so I can’t give you specific amounts. When you’re preparing this dish, season to your tastes, not mine. Hang with ‘em.
These flavors regularly find their way into my meals, and they work particularly well with the mild sweetness of the Japanese sweet potato. I find that garlic and cayenne pepper compliment each other splendidly, and the dense, sugary starch responds well to a blast of heat. If these aren’t your thing, feel free to use any flavors you prefer.
I used a closed grill for this experiment, and I got some gorgeous markings. Crispy on the exterior and moist internally, I was gifted with instant gratification. It doesn’t always work like that, but damn, if it isn’t a joy when it does.
Mission accomplished. It took about 25 minutes, all in and resulted in a satisfying new spud style. I’ll tell you about the star of the show, smoked yellowtail, at a later date.
That’s called a tease by those of us in the biz. What biz? Exactly.
Kap
Going to try this!
My wife makes ’em mashed with cinnamon and they’re the joint. We’ve loved all of your recipes so far, Kap!
~Al~
So good, Al.
Mike says
Yah baby. Started eating these after reading your comments. Absolutely the best sweet potatoes.
Right? Thanks, Mike.
You say sweet po-tay-toe, I say sweet po-tah-toe. This is good stuff. Save a spot for me at your Thanksgiving dinner
Hope you like football, Michelle.
If I could marry football I would. Gym, cook, football every Sunday
You win.
Matt C says
Hey Kap,
What are your thoughts on gas/propane grills from a health perspective? Do you use one or just electric?
Matt C
I Have a great gas grill, Matt. I like the electric for it’s flexibility and efficiency. I’ll address the health aspects in an upcoming post.
Thanks,
Kap
How about coconut oil instead of olive oil….heating olive oil to a high temp not good?
Coconut oil is a good choice here, Marlene. I like the taste of olive oil with potatoes and don’t stress a little at high heat. I use it more as a flavoring agent. Thanks for dropping by. Please do chime in with further thoughts on this topic if time permits.
I have a wood smoker that I use to smoke my sweet potatoes. I glaze the skin with a little bacon fat, olive oil, a little salt, then slice and season with cinnamon, and smoke with applewood chips.
I’m getting hungry! It must be my lunch time 🙂
-Kelebek
Oh, that is cruel. Bacon and cinnamon? Lucky you.
Cruel but delicious ! You are welcome to come on over and try some along with my smoked pineapple love!
This post just made me hungry. Thanks Kap appreciate it. Sounds like an excellent idea. I think I’d go lump charcoal in the grill and drizzle with avocado oil. Thanks for a Labor day celebration food idea!!!
That’s what I’m talking about, brother.
Thank you for this, Kap; we usually grill vegetables, but not sliced potatoes — looking forward to it.
Let us know how it goes, Chester.
Doug Anderson says
I know this is an old blog, just catching up on some but have been wanting to tie together two blogs from the past and this one does it for me.
I have been hooked on the sweet taters and have been looking for better/healthier ways of consuming since seeing your first blog about them. Well using your almond and date blend(previous blog) in place of brown sugar…mind blown OMG(is that ok for a 31 yr male to say/type?!)
That is ok right…don’t fail me now.
Anyhow keep up the good bloggin’ always looking forward to them.
Thanks!