Eclairs on the Grill

First lupine on the south slopes. Three days of farrier work. Two ranches in the county. Eleven horses. The body is tired in the right way.

Patrick on the porch in the afternoon. Coffee in the good cup. The cottonwoods.

Ribeye over open fire. Salt, pepper, fire. The whole point.

The week held. The work continues.

The barn cats are doing their job. Down to one mouse this week, in the feed shed. The cats brought it to the porch as proof. They are professionals.

The wood pile is half what it was at Thanksgiving. I will split another cord on Saturday. The cord will be ready by next winter. The wood always is.

Took a walk to the river before supper Tuesday. The cottonwoods were silver. The water was running. I did not think much. I just walked.

Drove the back fence line Saturday. Two posts down from elk. Replaced them in the morning. The fence held the rest of the week.

Wrote a blog post Friday night. The first one in two months. About making chili in a snowstorm. Short. Practical. Posted it. Forgot about it.

Storm came through Friday night. Thunder. The dog hid under the bed. The kids slept through it. The cattle bunched up by the windbreak. Standard.

Truck started cold Tuesday. Twelve below. Battery is the original. I will replace it before next winter. I always say I will replace it before next winter. I never have.

Listened to the cattle market report on AM radio while I worked the shop. Beef is up. Feed is up. The math is the math.

A reader emailed about the elk chili recipe. Asked what beer to use if non-alcoholic was not available. I wrote back: any beer is wrong if you don't drink. Use stock.

Hank, the dog, herded the chickens by accident. He apologized in the way dogs apologize — eyes down, tail low. The chickens were unimpressed.

A neighbor's heifer was choking on a corn cob. I drove over with my emergency kit. Cleared the cob with a length of garden hose. The heifer recovered. The neighbor brought a pie the next day.

The Tuesday Roundup AA meeting was eleven this week — three new guys from a referral. The room was full. The coffee was strong.

Mr. Whelan from down the road came over Saturday with a story about a horse he sold in 1979. The story took an hour. I listened. He needed someone to tell it to.

Drove to Billings for parts Friday. Stopped at the cemetery on the way home. Stood for ten minutes. Came home.

Mended the chute hinge Wednesday. Welder was finicky. Got it on the third try. Patrick used to do this. I do it now.

The Musselshell was clear Sunday. Could see trout in the deeper pools. Did not fish. Just watched.

Three days of horses this week. The work is meditative. The horses know. The owners pay. The cycle holds.

Worked on the truck Saturday afternoon. Plugs and wires. Two hours. Hands black with grease. Came in. Showered. Ate.

Hauled three bull calves to the auction yard Wednesday. Got a fair price. Came home. Counted the cash. Put it in the ranch account.

The ribeye was salt, pepper, and fire — nothing more needed. But the coals were still good after supper, and there’s something about a long week of hard, honest work that makes you want to see what else the fire can do. Eclairs on the grill aren’t something Patrick would have predicted, but he would have eaten two. The week held, and so did the pastry.

Prep Time: 25 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 cup water
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons heavy cream (for ganache)
Cooking spray or vegetable oil, for grill grates

Instructions

Make the choux dough. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring water and butter to a rolling boil. Add flour and salt all at once, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon until the dough pulls away from the sides and forms a smooth ball, about 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes.
Add the eggs. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until the dough is smooth, glossy, and falls in a thick ribbon from the spoon.
Pipe the eclairs. Transfer dough to a piping bag fitted with a large round or star tip. Pipe 4-inch logs onto a lightly oiled piece of heavy-duty foil or a grill-safe baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart.
Grill the eclairs. Heat grill to medium (about 375°F). Lightly oil the grates. Place the foil or pan on the grill, close the lid, and cook for 18–22 minutes until the eclairs are puffed, set, and lightly golden. Do not open the lid during the first 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Make the whipped cream filling. Beat heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small tip.
Make the chocolate ganache. Combine chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons heavy cream in a small saucepan or grill-safe dish. Heat gently over low flame or on the edge of the grill, stirring until smooth. Let cool slightly to thicken.
Fill and top. Use a skewer or small knife to poke a hole in each end of the cooled eclairs. Pipe whipped cream filling into each eclair until just full. Dip the tops in chocolate ganache and let set for 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Eclairs on the Grill — When the Fire’s Already Hot, You Might as Well Use It