Grilled Turkey Tenders with Hatch Chiles

 

As one of my friends on Twitter noted recently, our grilling season in South Florida doesn’t begin until, say, around October.  August and September days typically run in the 90º F range, with humidity well above 60%, making an ambient (feels-like) temperature around 100º F. Then, just about the time you want to start supper, the storms come around. Guessing at exactly what time that will happen, is a fool’s game. As the old Yiddish expression says, “People make plans, and G-d laughs.” It rhymes in Yiddish.

No, in the summertime, most of my grilling gets done in the Great Indoors, in the coolness of the air conditioning. I’m not jealous of the rest of you. When y’all are hip-deep in snow, come December, I’ll be outside in the backyard with the barbecue grill, trying out some new rub, or tossing on some burgers in the twilight, and enjoying 75º days and cooler nights. I can’t wait!

I tell you all this, because you’re going to look at these pictures and say, “Hey! That’s not a barbecue grill! That’s a stove!”  Right. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. And when the snows of January blanket your backyard, there’s no better way to bring back some of the flavors of summer than with a grill pan on the stove.

The husband loves turkey and is always after me to make more of it. Short of roasting a whole one a la Thanksgiving (which he wouldn’t mind in the least, by the way), the turkey tender (boneless, skinless breast meat), is an easy, no-fuss way to bring turkey into a variety of meals during the rest of the year.  Turkey tenders are more dense than their chicken counterparts, too, and because of that, lend themselves well to higher heat cooking, like grilling.

This is a simple, weeknight dish that’s quick to put together, but really flavorful with the spicy addition of the Hatch chiles, and using a grill pan on top of the stove is an easy way to bring out the sweetness of the onions and garlic.

Grilled Turkey Tenders with Hatch Chiles

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 2 Hatch chile peppers
• 1 medium onion
• 1 clove garlic (optional)
• 2 turkey tenders (about 1 to 1 1/2 lbs)
• salt & freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Roast and peel the Hatch peppers. (See the tutorial if you need instructions).  Cut off stems, slice open and remove seeds. Slice the peppers into thin strips. Set aside.

Peel and quarter the onions, then slice the quarters into 1/4″-ish slices. Smash and peel the garlic, chop coarsely.

Heat a grill pan (or frying pan) and brush a little of the oil onto the hot surface. Add the onions and garlic to the hot pan, sprinkle with a little salt and, stirring occasionally, saute until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes.  Remove the onions and garlic from the pan. and set aside.

Brush the hot pan with a little more oil and add the turkey tenders. Sprinkle the raw side with a little salt and pepper. Cook until they are golden brown (or acquire golden brown grill marks), about 6-7 minutes, and turn them over. Cook for an additional 6-7 minutes. They will still be raw in the center. Cut the tenders in half and then split each half. If this were steak, it would be called “butterflying”. Put them back in the pan with the undercooked sides down on the hot surface and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until no longer pink.

Add the cooked onions, garlic, and roasted Hatch chile strips back into the pan with the turkey, and cook until the onions turn a light golden color, just a few minutes longer.

Serve over rice, pasta, noodles, or even mashed potatoes for a delicious change of pace! You can even brush the cooked turkey tenders with Spicy Watermelon Jam to kick the flavor up another notch!

 

The Hatch chiles used in this dish were sent to me by Frieda’s Specialty Produce, just because they love me. I was not paid or given any other consideration. Grill pan link is an associate’s link to my Amazon.com store, Flamingo’s Favorites. If you buy something through this link, I will eventually receive a few cents commission which does not increase your price, but might help me continue to pay my internet host and keep this blog going. For you. I do it for you.