Patio Daddio BBQ

Slammin' Salmon

john@patiodaddiobbq.com (John Dawson) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 05:46:00 +0000

As I mentioned yesterday, I planked some salmon tonight for dinner. I used the Asian Barbecue Glaze and it was incredible, if I do say so myself. In fact, it was so good that I've decided to go with the title you see above rather than the "Asian Barbecued Salmon" title that I had originally planned. The old title somehow seems more than a little lacking now.

Of course cedar planks and salmon are made for each other; that's certainly no secret. However, the addition of the glaze takes things to a much higher level. The subtly smokey fish combined with the cherry and hoisin work wonderfully together.

Ingredients
2 Food-safe cedar planks (about 3/8" thick)
1 large Salmon filet (about 3 pounds)
1 cup Asian Barbecue Glaze
Kosher salt
Pepper
Canola oil

Method
Soak the cedar planks in warm water for about two hours. Make sure they stay submerged.

About 30 minutes before you are ready to start cooking, start your grill and prepare for direct cooking over a medium-hot fire (375-400º)

Cut the salmon filet in half width-wise.

Season both sides of each half lightly with salt and pepper and brush with a light coat of oil.

Place each half of the filet on a cedar plank with the skin-side down.

Note: If the filet has a thin tapered belly edge, fold it under as you see in the picture below (bottom edge of the lower filet).

Put the planks directly over the coals/flame and close the lid.

Cook until you start to see a milky white edge form near the thick end of the filets (about 20 minutes at 375º).

Brush the top of each filet with a liberal coating of the glaze.

Continue cooking for another five minutes.

Brush the top of each filet with another liberal coating of the glaze.

Continue cooking for another five minutes.

Remove the planks to a sheet pan.

Portion the filets and drizzle each with a little of the glaze.

Serve and enjoy!

Asian Barbecue Glaze

john@patiodaddiobbq.com (John Dawson) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 23:47:00 +0000

I made this glaze today for some salmon that will be cedar-planked on the grill for dinner tomorrow, so I thought I'd post it.

As the name implies, it's an Asian-inspired glaze that is great on anything grilled where a little sweet-and-sour eastern influence is welcome. The cherry preserves and hoisin sauce work magically together, and the white pepper adds a bit of a spicy finish. It's simple, but it does incredible things.

Ingredients
3 Scallions (green tops only), washed and sliced thin
1/3 cup Cherry preserves
1/4 cup Hoisin sauce
1/4 cup Mirin
1/8 cup Seasoned rice wine vinegar
1/8 cup Water
1/8 tsp Ground ginger
1/8 tsp Ground white pepper
10 drops Sesame oil

Method
Add all of the ingredients, except the water, to a small sauce pan.

Put the pan over medium heat and bring just to a simmer.

Let it simmer for five minutes, then remove from the heat.

Put the sauce in a small bowl or jar and add the water.

Blend with a stick blender for just a few seconds to get rid of any cherry chunks.

Let cool and use as you would any glaze, and enjoy!

(makes one cup)

Grilled Salad

john@patiodaddiobbq.com (John Dawson) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 04:31:00 +0000

Grilled salad?! Yes, it may sound odd to some of you, but the ladies here give it rave reviews. This is not a unique idea, lest you think I've completely made this up. A quick search of the internet will reveal many versions.

Let's look at this pragmatically. If you're taking the time to fire up the grill to cook up some carnage, why not get a very simple but impressive side dish out of the deal? It's dirt cheap, incredibly simple, but has enough wow factor to impress your family or guests.

This is clearly on the short list of the simplest recipes that I've posted to-date. My version adds a little bit of a Mediterranean flair, but you finish it how you like. I've done this with bleu cheese dressing and it was a hit. It would even work well with the Idaho state dressing -- ranch.

Ingredients
2 heads Romaine lettuce, washed and dried
1/2 cup Feta cheese, crumbled (I used garlic and herb)
1/2 cup Balsamic vinaigrette (I added some honey to mine)
Oil (I used Pompeian OlivExtra Plus)
Kosher salt
Pepper

Method
Split each head of lettuce lengthwise.

Drizzle the cut side of each half evenly with a tablespoon or two of oil.

Season the cut side of each half with salt and pepper.

Grill each half, cut-side-down, over a hot direct fire for about 90 seconds.

Remove to a sheet pan, sprinkle evenly with the cheese and let cool.

Drizzle each half with an equal amount of dressing.

Cut each half in half width-wise, serve and enjoy!

Review: Old vs New Kingsford® Charcoal

john@patiodaddiobbq.com (John Dawson) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 08:16:00 +0000

Let me start by saying that this is probably the longest, most picturesque, most in-depth, and most scientific post that I've written to date. Kingsford® has changed their "blue bag" formulation yet again, and I think it deserves a fair investigation.

As you can see by the claim on the bag in the image above (left bag), the new formulation is "ready even faster and burns longer". This is clearly good news, if it holds true.

Just for background, the new Kingsford® comes from an apparent "green" initiative by the company. In short, they sought to produce a product that yields the same amount of heat, but in a smaller package. The bag is lighter, which means more bags in a truck, which translates to less trucking miles, and therefore less emissions.

As I mentioned, this is all well and good, so long as I get the same or more bang for the bag. Let's dive in and see how this new stuff stacks up.

I wanted this review to be as fair and impartial as I could make it at home. I don't have a laboratory, but I am an engineer, so I did the best that I could. I ran side-by-side tests of two brand new off-the-shelf bags of the old and the new. As you will see, I've weighed and photographed each product so that you can see exactly what I saw.

Here goes...

As you can see, the new bag is 1.4 pounds lighter than the previous formulation.

Note: From here on the old briquettes are pictured on the left, and the new are on the right.

The new briquettes are about the same size, but they appear to be more tightly compressed and feature larger and deeper grooves. As you can see, the new grooves are diagonal.

I weighed various quantities of the old and the new briquettes and here is how they compared:

Quantity	Old	New
1 briquette	3/4 oz	7/8 oz
5 briquettes	4 1/4 oz	4 3/8 oz
10 briquettes	8 3/8 oz	8 5/8 oz

For the burn test, I punched two aluminum pie pans with an identical pattern of six holes. I wanted to use a method that would contain the ash for a final weight, as you will see later.

I arranged the old and new briquettes in each pan as similarly as I could. I used 12 briquettes in each, in layers of six, four, and two (all with the grooves facing upward). I put a single Weber wax starter cube in each pile.

I lit each cube and took pictures at five-minute intervals. For those interested, the temperature was 48º and the humidity was 52%.

At five minutes.

At 10 minutes.

At 15 minutes.

At 20 minutes.

At 25 minutes. I started taking temperature measurements at this point. I used an infrared thermometer on the bottom of each pan at the 9 o'clock position.

Old	New
459º	334º

At 30 minutes.

Old	New
478º	313º

At 35 minutes.

Old	New
426º	389º

At 60 minutes.

Old	New
431º	557º

At 90 minutes.

Old	New
244º	325º

I stopped taking pictures at 90 minutes, but I continued reading the temperatures out to 180 minutes.

Minutes	Old	New
120	169º	203º
180	136º	168º

Here is a chart that shows the old and new temperatures over time. The horizontal axis is time and the vertical shows the temperatures.

What about ash? Well, as you can see below, they are very close, but the new stuff produces slightly less by weight (3 oz vs. 2 1/2 oz).

OK, so what does all of this really mean? The bottom line for me is that, based on my testing, the new product lives up to its claims. In fact, I think it's better than they claim.

While you could argue that it starts slower, I think the crossover temperature at roughly 500º is a good indication that they really are comparable out of the gate.

As the chart above shows, it does indeed burn longer (and even hotter) over the long haul. Combine that with less ash weight, and I think it's an all-around better product.

Note: The new formula is far less smokey starting up than the old formula. I'd estimate that the old stuff smokes four to five times as much.

Discovery: Emerilware By All-Clad

john@patiodaddiobbq.com (John Dawson) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:39:00 +0000

As I was shooting the pictures for this post my wife asked, "Why are you shooting pictures of a pan?" I replied, "You know, as I was washing this I was thinking about what a great pan this is." I elaborated further, but the bottom line is that I decided it was time to spread the good news.

About a year ago I bought this 8" Emerilware anodized non-stick skillet, made by All-Clad. Now, I'm not a huge fan of non-stick cookware, but there are applications where it is simply required.

I bought this pan simply because I have been very disappointed with most of the non-stick garbage that is out there. I have other All-Clad cookware and utensils and they have certainly lived up to their reputation for being some of the absolute best cooking products available. They make simply incredible stuff!

Take a close look at the picture above. Note that the pan looks almost brand new. This is a testament to how well-made this cookware is. After a year of consistent use, the inside of the pan has barely any evidence of use. The non-stick coating is almost flawless.

Not only is this cookware very well-made, it cooks like nobody's business. It heats very quickly, evenly and produces great food every single time. My only regret is that it's only an 8-inch pan. I have a 12" anodized Calphalon pan and it seriously pales in comparison. I plan to remedy that situation very soon.

If you need or want some incredible non-stick cookware that will perform consistently without breaking the bank, you can't go wrong with Emerilware from All-Clad.

Two Newsworthy Tidbits

john@patiodaddiobbq.com (John Dawson) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 03:27:00 +0000

Study fails to link saturated fat to heart disease

This is certainly good news for carnivores the world 'round. A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (January 13, 2010) is turning the traditional American Heart Association wisdom on it's head. We have heard for years and years that saturated fat intake is closely associated with an increased risk of heart and cardiovascular disease.

The American Heart Association (AHA) suggests that adults get no more than 7 percent of their daily calories from the fat; for someone who eats 2,000 calories a day, that translates into fewer than 16 grams of saturated fat per day.

But in the new analysis, which combined the results of 21 previous studies, researchers found no clear evidence that higher saturated fat intakes led to higher risks of heart disease or stroke.

Source: Reuters

Fine Living Network will become The Cooking Channel

Scripps Networks Interactive will replace their Fine Living Network with The Cooking Channel. The re-branded channel will reportedly launch in May of this year and will feature a line-up that will attempt to cater to more serious foodies.

The new Cooking Channel will be a 24-hour network that caters to avid food lovers by focusing on food information and instructional cooking programming. Offered in both standard and high definition, the new network will launch with a VOD offering and a fully interactive Internet and broadband platform as it delivers more content focused on baking, ethnic cuisine, wine and spirits, healthy and vegetarian cooking and kids’ foods.

Source: Scripps Networks Interactive

Italian Sausage Sandwiches

john@patiodaddiobbq.com (John Dawson) — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 04:00:00 +0000

This, my carnivorous friends, is a serious meal on a bun! If you love a run-down-your-arm Italian sausage sandwich, this recipe is for you. As I told my girls, there ain't no polite way to eat this. You just get a roll of paper towels, roll up your sleeves and get it in that hole under your nose however you have to.

Of course, this would undoubtedly be better with grilled sausages, but I stayed indoors this time.

Ingredients
5-6 Sweet Italian sausage links
5-6 Hearty hoagie rolls
3 cups Your favorite spaghetti/marinara sauce
10-12 slices Provolone, mozzarella, or pepper jack cheese (two per sausage)
1 Green bell pepper, sliced to 1/4"
1 Red bell pepper, sliced to 1/4"
1 med Yellow onion, sliced to 1/4"
2 cloves Garlic, minced or pressed
Oil
Kosher salt
Pepper

Method
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.

When the pan is hot, add about one tablespoon of oil and let it heat a few seconds.

Add the peppers to the pan and cook about five minutes, tossing occasionally.

Add the onions and continue cooking about five minutes, tossing occasionally.

Season with a dash of salt and pepper during about the last minute of cooking.

Remove the pepper and onion mixture to a heat-safe container and set aside.

Return the pan to the heat and add a little more oil.

Add the sausages to the pan and cook for about three minutes.

Turn the sausages over, and cook for approximately three more minutes.

Turn the sausages over, add about 3/4 cup water to the pan.

Continue cooking until almost about half of the water has been evaporated.

Add the spaghetti sauce and garlic to the pan, and reduce the heat to medium.

Add the pepper and onion mixture to the pan, and stir to combine.

Continue cooking until the sauce is reduced by about half.

Slice the hoagie rolls and line each with two slices of pepper jack cheese.

Slice each sausage lengthwise, put it in the bun, and pour on the veggies and sauce.

Add a little crushed red pepper if that's your thing (it's certainly my thing).

Don a bib and enjoy!

Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs

john@patiodaddiobbq.com (John Dawson) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 04:59:00 +0000

Hard-boiling eggs is certainly not all that interesting, but it is an essential skill that is simple to master. If you are sick of eggs with that nasty greenish-grayish halo around a yolk that is so hard that it's nearly eligible for use in the PGA, look no further.

I found this method in the excellent Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook, and it's never done me wrong. It's so simple that you'll have it memorized after you try it a couple times.

Ingredients
Eggs
Water
Ice

Method
Put the eggs in a pot large enough so that they will fit in a single layer on the bottom.

Add enough cold tap water to cover the eggs by two inches.

Bring the water to a rapid boil, uncovered.

As soon as the water boils shut off the heat and cover the pan.

Let it sit, on the burner, exactly ten minutes.

While the eggs are sitting, prepare an ice water bath in a large bowl.

At ten minutes, dip out the eggs and move them to the ice water bath.

Let the eggs cool completely.

Peel and use!

Comments are live!

john@patiodaddiobbq.com (John Dawson) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 06:17:00 +0000

Woo hoo! You can now leave comments here on the blog. A little over a year ago I explained why I had decided to disable comments, and that I would re-evaluate things as the blog matured. Well, I have done just that, and I've decided to turn them on. I just think it's time.

My primary motivation for turning them on is to get your feedback. I really do appreciate and value your thoughts, opinions and constructive criticism. In short, it's a way for me to be more "connected" to my readers. With no commentary it often feels like I'm just spewing bits into the intergalactic bit bucket. I want it to be more personal.

Fire away!

Spaghetti & Meatballs Pizza

john@patiodaddiobbq.com (John Dawson) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 06:15:00 +0000

This is one of those off-the-wall recipes that just leaves you scratching your head and asking yourself, "But... why?" I don't know how original it is, but I had a brainstorm the other day and just went with it. When it was all said and done, I found myself thinking that this would be a great dinner dish for a kid's party or sleepover (if you're a dad who has girls, make a motel reservation first). It's basically just a funky version of spaghetti and meatballs, and kids generally dig funky.

The meatballs in this recipe aren't really "meatballs" in the traditional sense. I was shooting for quick and relatively easy, so I just went with straight Italian sausage. Hey, that's all they put on pizza anyhow.

Ingredients
3/4 lb Dry spaghetti
1 lb Sweet Italian sausage links (I used Johnsonville® - 19.76 oz)
2 cups Spaghetti sauce (I used Prego® Traditional)
1 1/2 cups Mozzarella cheese, grated
1/2 Green bell pepper, diced
1/2 Red bell pepper, diced
1/2 med Yellow onion, diced
5 leaves Fresh basil, cut into a chiffonade
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Note: You will also need a large metal pizza pan and some parchment paper.

Method
Cook the spaghetti per the package directions until it is just overdone (not al dente), drain in a colander and let cool 20 minutes, tossing occasionally.

Important: Do not rinse or add oil to the pasta. You need the starch to help it set.

Cut a piece of parchment paper to cover the pizza pan completely.

Place the spaghetti on the parchment-covered pizza pan and arrange it in an even layer as shown.

Refrigerate the pan for an hour or two to let the pasta set.

To make the "meatballs", squeeze the sausage out of each link from each end, 1/4 at a time and roll gently in your hands to form small balls (the casing does most of the work). Each link should make four balls. Set the balls aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat then add a little oil.

Saute the meatballs until they are just browned on all sides, remove to a plate and set aside.

Return the pan to the heat and add a little more oil.

Season the peppers and onions with a little salt and pepper then saute them until they are just tender. Set the pan aside.

Preheat your oven to 350º.

Slide the parchment off of the pizza pan and oil the pan lightly.

Flip the spaghetti over onto the pizza pan and discard the parchment paper.

Spread the spaghetti sauce evenly over the top of the spaghetti as shown.

Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the sauce.

Slice about 10 of the meatballs in half and distribute the halves evenly over the cheese as shown. You will have some meatballs leftover.

Distribute the sauteed vegetables evenly over the cheese as shown.

Sprinkle the basil over the top.

Bake the pizza for 30 minutes.

Let the pizza cool for about 10 minutes.

Slice into wedges, serve and enjoy!

Valentine's Day Sundae

john@patiodaddiobbq.com (John Dawson) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 04:43:00 +0000

It's Valentine's Day, it's Sunday, and I live with four chocolate-loving females. Oh, and I also wanted to give them a gift that was better than the usual. Given all that, here is what I came up with -- a Valentine's Day Sundae.

It's a rich heart-shaped brownie with a heart-shaped layer of double-vanilla ice cream, which is then topped with dark chocolate mouse and white chocolate shavings.

This isn't a recipe post; I'm just sharing the finished product. Sorry.

Tasty Kitchen

john@patiodaddiobbq.com (John Dawson) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 08:27:00 +0000

I'd like to introduce you to what I feel is the best "real-world" recipe site on the internet -- Tasty Kitchen. I say real-world because, as the site tagline states, it features favorite recipes from real kitchens.

Tasty Kitchen is an offshoot of the incredibly popular blog site, Confessions of a Pioneer Woman. For those of you holed up under your sprawling placial (yet comfy) internet rock, I'm referring to the 2009 Weblog of the Year which is authored by Ree Drummond, the #22 Forbes web celeb and recent cookbook author. There! Stick that in yer Google!

In all seriousness, Ree's blog is a very funny, interesting and heart-warming glimpse into life with four kids and a cowboy husband on a real working cattle ranch in Oklahoma. Her writing takes you on a vicarious ride that always leaves you very glad that you stopped by. You can think of Ree as your friendly internet neighbor who lives down the road a'piece.

OK, enough about her, let's get on to the food!

Tasty Kitchen is essentially a recipe posting site that includes some social networking capabilities. However, what really makes it stand out to me is the very clean and friendly design, its ease-of-use, and the obvious passion of the real cooks that contribute. It's really everything that a recipe site should be. Oh, and the food photos are great, too.

Another thing that really separates this site from other recipe sites is that it very clearly appreciates and recognizes its members. There is a member prominently featured each week, and there are five featured recipes each day. All of this makes the members really feel appreciated.

The care for the members goes beyond just the functioning of the site. The folks behind the scenes go out of their way to respond to your needs in a timely and very friendly manner. I have had nothing but outstanding interactions with them (Nanci and Erika). The TK chicks are all that, and a side salad!

If you appreciate great recipes from passionate cooks, head on over to Tasty Kitchen, become a member (free), and thank me later.

Discovery: Pompeian OlivExtra Plus

john@patiodaddiobbq.com (John Dawson) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 17:56:00 +0000

I was at the store last night and needed some olive oil. I was reaching for my usual olive oil when I spied Pompeian OlivExtra Plus. As you can see, the label is pretty distinctive and it caused me to investigate further. What I immediately noticed was that it's a canola and extra virgin olive oil blend. I thought to myself, "Dude! It's about time that someone offered that!"

I love olive oil, but I usually use canola for sauteing because it has a higher smoke point. Also, there are times when you don't want the fruitiness of olive oil. This oil gives you the best of both worlds. What's more is that it's infused with 32mg per serving of Omega-3 DHA (20% of the recommended daily value), so it's even healthier than straight-up oil.

I tasted it straight and it was quite nice. It has an overall neutral flavor with just a hint of olive oil fruitiness and no off-flavors. I then used it to saute some onions and I was very pleased. I cranked the heat and added it to a rocket hot cast iron griddle. I found that it does indeed stand up very well to high-heat cooking. I don't know how it will hold up for grilling, but it seems like it might work well.

If you are looking for an all-around good oil that will work well in a variety of applications, I'd recommend that you give this a try.

Tri-Tip Fajitas

john@patiodaddiobbq.com (John Dawson) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 05:30:00 +0000

Just a few days ago I asked what a guy does when he has a mess of leftover pulled pork. Well, this time out the leftovers are in the form of a tri-tip that I didn't have room to cook for our church's Super Bowl gathering. I marinated five, but only had room to cook four. I grilled the remaining roast for dinner last night, but there was some left. What follows is my method for handling second-generation leftovers.

In my book, one of the stand-out traits of a cook is knowing how to creatively deal with leftovers. I mentioned in my Tasty Kitchen profile last week that my mother is a master of "doctoring up". Well, I think I must have picked up on some of those good genes because I actually love crafting meals from leftovers. I've found that most people hate it, but it's a fact of life that must be dealt with.

Here's how I handled the tri-tip.

Cut a few 1/2" slices of the roast then cut them into 1/2" strips.

Slice some onions and bell peppers and saute them over medium-high heat until the peppers are soft and the onions are translucent. Start with just the peppers and add the onions after a couple of minutes.

Remove the mixture to a plate and set aside.

Return the skillet to the stove (again, over medium-high heat), add a splash of canola oil, and heat it for about a minute.

Add the meat to the pan and saute, tossing frequently, until the strips start to brown.

Return the onions and peppers to the pan, toss and cook another minute or so.

Add a splash or two of beer to the pan.

Toss to combine and continue cooking until the liquid has evaporated.

Serve the whole mess in some warm flour tortillas with some cheese, salsa and whatever else you like.

Enjoy!

East of Santa Maria Tri-Tip

john@patiodaddiobbq.com (John Dawson) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 06:02:00 +0000

This is my version of Santa Maria (SoCal) tri-tip. The real deal requires cooking over red oak, which is hard to come by here in Idaho. I settle for a mix of standard briquets and mesquite lump charcoal. It gives just enough smoke and the mesquite burns very hot, which helps keep the cooking temperature up.

Tri-tip is a triangular cut that comes from the bottom of the sirloin primal. Since it's sirloin, it lends itself very well to grilling. It's a little leaner than a sirloin steak, but its size makes it somewhat forgiving to cook. It has a great beefy flavor and is tender if you cook it no further than medium (145º). It's sometimes hard to find in the eastern part of the country, but try it if you can find one.

Enough already, let's get on with it!

Note: I cooked several roasts for a large party. The measurements listed below are for one roast.

First, I mixed the schmear.

Ingredients
1 Tri-tip roast (2-3 pounds)
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins, of course)
2 Tbsp Montreal steak seasoning (I recommend McCormick's)
1 Tbsp Plain yellow mustard (I use French's)
2 tsp Chili powder (I recommend Gebhardt's)
2 tsp Beef base (I recommend Better Than Bouillon)
1/2 tsp Garlic salt

Method
Combine all of the ingredients, except the Montreal steak seasoning, in a small mixing bowl. Mix well and set aside.

Peel and trim the roast. I say "peel" because it may have a layer of loose fat on one side. Peel that away with a sharp knife then trim off any large chunks of fat.

You want to leave some fat on the outside if you can. All too often supermarket roasts are over-trimmed. If that's the case, just press on.

The next step is to give the roast its mud bath with the schmear. There
ain't no pretty way to do this. You've just gotta dive in and get your hands
very dirty. Make sure you get it completely covered as evenly as possible.

Put it in a zip-top bag and put it in the fridge to get happy for at least six hours, or preferably overnight.

Take it out of the bag and let it set out for about an hour before you are ready to cook.

Start a good sized fire with a 50/50 mix of mesquite lump charcoal and whatever briquets you use and prepare for indirect cooking. You are shooting for a cooking temp of 350*. If you're using a gas grill, make a smoker pouch with some mesquite chips.

Just before they are about to go on, hit both sides of the roast with a decent
coating of Montreal Steak seasoning. Press it in to make sure it sticks.

Once your grill or cooker is hot, commence cookage! You want to cook it indirect, starting with the fattier side down.

When the internal temperature in center of the thickest part of the roast reaches 125º (about an hour at 350-375º) flip it over.

Continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 135º (about 30 more minutes).

Move the roast to a platter, tent it with foil and let it rest 15-20 minutes.

Cut across the grain into 1/4" slices, serve with some nice salsa and some warm flour tortillas.

You've got yourself a crowd-pleasin' spread o' cow.

Enjoy!

BBQ Pitmasters on TLC: Season Finale

john@patiodaddiobbq.com (John Dawson) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 18:34:00 +0000

Last night was the final episode of the series, and it looked like it would be a very fitting end to a wild ride. Johnny Trigg staged his own rib competition with his own rules and hand-picked judges. An added twist was that the pitmasters got the opportunity to hear real-time direct feedback from the judges.

Caution: The following clip contains profanity.

I'll just come right off the top rope and get to the bottom line. This was my least favorite episode of the series. The general concept was good and had potential, but it just fell flat for me. A single-category contest? Really? You might be able to stretch it into two "mini categories" (baby back and spare ribs), but that was a serious letdown for me. Even competitors cooks in the backyard division have to cook two meats (generally chicken and ribs).

Allowing the competitors to watch the judges was very revealing, and mostly not in a good way. I could not believe that professional cooks would whine so much about the opportunity to hear real opinions. As a competitor, I would absolutely love to have that opportunity. I also can't believe that they left Myron's venomous name calling in the episode. Calling judges SOBs just because you don't like their critique and commentary? Come on! That was a very serious low point in the series for me.

I'm sorry, but I have to be honest and say that the finale was largely a yawn for me. The concept had potential that, to me, wasn't capitalized upon. However, as I mentioned in my guest post on the show blog, I feel the series was a great success and a net benefit for competition barbecue. TLC would be very foolish not to continue the series. I just hope it's more family-friendly next season.

Pulled Pork Pockets

john@patiodaddiobbq.com (John Dawson) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 21:32:00 +0000

Here is a brain-dead easy finger food that would be great for entertaining. Isn't there some big game coming up? Anyhow... What could be simpler than canned flaky biscuit dough rolled out to six-inch rounds, filled with pork then brushed with an egg wash and sprinkled with a little chili powder?

Ingredients
1 can (16.3 oz) Flaky canned biscuits (I used Pillsbury's Grands!®)
3 cups Pulled or roasted pork, chopped
1 Egg white
1 tsp Water
Your favorite BBQ seasoning/rub
Chili powder

Method
Preheat your oven to 350º.

Wisk the egg white and water together in a small bowl and set aside.

On a floured work surface, roll each biscuit into a six-inch round.

Place about 1/3 cup of the pork on one half of each round and sprinkle it with a dash of the seasoning.

Fold the exposed half of each round over the filling and pinch and roll to seal the edge.

Arrange the pockets on a sheet pan leaving about an inch between each.

Cut a one-inch slash in the top of each pocket.

Brush the top and seams of each pocket with the egg wash and sprinkle with a little chili powder.

Bake until golden brown (about 20 minutes)

Serve with barbecue sauce for dipping.

Enjoy!

Review: Chef Hymie Grande Cascabel Express

john@patiodaddiobbq.com (John Dawson) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:46:00 +0000

The good folks at Chef Hymie Grande sent me a bottle of their Cascabel Express Barbecue Glaze to try. Here's how it's described on their site:

"Earthy tones of ancho and smoky chipotle chilies tease your taste buds with flavor then look out for the habanero and cascabel chile explosion that wakes up your entire mouth! Only the bravest of barbecue bravado will brush this on steak, ribs and chicken."

Now, being a semi-serious chilehead (semi because I don't do the crazy rip-your-lips-off stuff), I looked forward to trying it. I love chile-laden sauces and the little red "Surprisingly Hot" label on the bottle was calling out to me.

I tasted it straight out of the bottle and it certainly lived up to its description. It starts out sweet and a little smoky, then the sweet fades as the heat ramps up and finishes with a punch. The heat lingers and builds up from there. I will say that there was a bit of an odd foretaste that I couldn't place. However, since barbecue sauces are meant to be eaten on meat, you really can't judge them fairly when sampled straight.

I decided to give the sauce a fair test on some competition practice barbecued pork butt. I glazed a nice sized piece with a couple of thin coats and let it cook on. This is where the product shined. That foretaste went away and it complimented the pork nicely. This is clearly a sauce that benefits from being cooked on the meat.

Something very unique about the Chef Hymie Grande line of sauces is that they are all made with no high fructose corn syrup or processed sugars. They are all-natural and carry the American Diabetes Association mark, meaning that they are diabetic-friendly.

The bottom line here is that this is a good choice for those who enjoy a sauce that packs serious heat. As the decription states, this is for the brave. It's also a welcome choice for those who need to watch their sugar intake.

Cuban Rueben

john@patiodaddiobbq.com (John Dawson) — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 05:14:00 +0000

What does a guy do when he has a mess of pulled pork, a hankerin' for
a Cuban sandwich, but also loves a Rueben? He makes a Cuban Rueben!

A classic Cubano sandwich is roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, dill pickles, and mustard on Cuban bread. It is then press-grilled to gooey deliciousness. My version is adds a Rueben twist by replacing the pickles with sauerkraut. Since I don't have access to Cuban bread, I use a par-baked French baguette.

Ingredients
1 Bake-at-home French baguette
3/4 cup Barbecued pulled pork (or roasted pork), warmed
1/2 cup Sauerkraut, drained very well
1/8 lb Deli ham, sliced to sandwich thickness
4 slices Swiss cheese, sliced to sandwich thickness
3 tsp Honey mustard
1 tsp Plain yellow mustard

Method
Put a pizza stone and a large cast iron skillet in the oven and preheat to 350*.

Mix both mustards in a small bowl.

Cut off 12" of the baguette and slice it lengthwise.

Smear each half of the bread with the mustard mixture.

Lay the cheese slices over the mustard on each half, fold it as needed so as to not overlap the edges of the bread.

Pile the pork on evenly on the bottom half of the bread.

Lay folded slices of ham on top of the pork.

Spread the sauerkraut evenly on the ham.

Put the bread top on, and press it down firmly.

Set the sandwich on the pizza stone and cover it with the skillet turned upside-down (to form a dome).

Bake 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven, slice in half and serve.

Enjoy!

Hot & Fast Kosmo Pork Butts

john@patiodaddiobbq.com (John Dawson) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 23:29:00 +0000

The other day I did a test butt cook with Kosmo's pork injection. I loved the beef formula, so I was sure this would be equally good.

Here is a quick play-by-play of the cook.

I mixed 3/4 cup mix to 3 cups of apricot nectar and injected them evenly. I then applied a liberal coat of my competition rub and let them marinate for two hours.

They went on the Ugly Drum Smoker (UDS) at 350º.

Two hours into the cook and the two smaller (top) butts (just shy of 7 lbs each) were at 122º and 124º.

The UDS vents were wide open and running at about an average of 315º, but I use a water pan, so a lower temp at the grates is expected.

The water was almost gone, so the temp ramps up from here, just like I want it to.

Three hours in, and I checked the temp on the larger butt on the lower rack (about 8 lbs). As you can see, it was at 138.6.

The two smaller butts on the top rack were at 154º.

At 4 1/2 hours in the smaller butts were at 181º. It was time to wrap these bad boys with some apple juice!

I double-wrapped the smaller guys with about 1/4 cup of apple juice each, and I put them back on the top rack.

The larger butt (lower rack) was at 168º so I left it there.

Note that there really isn't much of a stall/plateau when cooking hot-n-fast. The meat just powers right through it.

At 5 hours and 45 minutes the smaller butts were done (at 197º). The photo at the top of the post shows the finished product.

I must say that I am very impressed with Kosmo's injection. The moisture and flavor were outstanding. It really boosted the pork taste without even so much as a hint of an off flavor.

I highly recommend it!

BBQ Central Radio - Take Five

john@patiodaddiobbq.com (John Dawson) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 06:33:00 +0000

Tonight I was a guest on Greg Rempe's BBQ Central Radio program. I gave a recap of my review of the much-ballyhooed Kiwi knives and talked about my
Big Bold Barbecued Beef Short Ribs recipe.

Myron Mixon of TLC BBQ Pitmasters fame was also featured in this episode of the program. Greg talks to Myron about his approach to the show and some competition BBQ topics.

If you've never heard the program, I highly recommend that you peruse the podcast archives and hear what you've been missing. Greg offers the only weekly show of its kind. It is truly the best-produced live-fire cooking show available. Tune in each Tuesday and hear the show live at 9PM ET on The Barbecue Central Radio Networks.

Note: The show is also available on iTunes. Just search for "The BBQ Central Show on LA Talk Radio" (without the quotes). You can also listen to last night's show here when it becomes available.

Beef Cheddar & Portabella Stromboli

john@patiodaddiobbq.com (John Dawson) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 21:32:00 +0000

Beef, mushrooms and cheese are a great combination. This stromboli builds on these basic flavors with sauteed portabellas, bourbon-caramelized onions, smoked black pepper white cheddar, broccoli, and a little garlic.

I know that it might seem like a lot of work, but it's really not as complicated as it appears. I assure you that it's well worth the effort.

Ingredients
1 batch Pizza dough, enough for a large pizza
1/4 lb Deli roast beef, sliced to sandwich thickness
4 oz Tillamook Smoked Black Pepper white cheddar cheese, grated (about a cup)
1 cup Frozed chopped broccoli
1/2 cup Pizza sauce
1/2 cup Bourbon
1 med Yellow onion, sliced to 1/4"
2 med Portabella mushrooms, sliced to 1/4"
2 cloves Garlic, minced
4 Tbsp Olive oil
2 tsp Kosher salt
1 Egg white, lightly wisked with 1 teaspoon water

Method
Heat half of the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.

Add the onions to the pan, season with one teaspoon of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and just caramelized.

Add the bourbon and garlic to the pan, and continue cooking until all of the liquid is evaporated.

Remove the onion mixture to a plate and let cool.

Return the pan to the heat, add the remaining oil, let heat for about 30 seconds, and add the portabellas.

Season the mushrooms with a pinch of salt and cook until they are just tender.

Remove the mushrooms to a plate and let cool.

Preheat your oven to 350º.

Microwave the broccoli in a small bowl until it is thawed and barely hot, then set aside.

Flour your rolling surface and all sides of the dough.

Roll the dough into a rectangle about 16 inches long, 12 inches wide and about 1/8" thick.

Spread the sauce evenly over the dough, leaving about a 1 1/2 inch margin around the edges.

Lay the slices of beef on the sauce, overlapping as needed.

Distribute the onion mixture evenly over the meat.

Lay the mushroom slices evenly over the onions.

Distribute the cheese and broccoli evenly over the mushrooms.

Fold one long edge of the dough over so that it covers the filling by about half.

Brush the top of the folded edge completely with the egg wash.

Fold the other long edge of the dough over so that it almost overlaps the first folded edge by about half.

Brush the top of each short edge liberally with egg wash.

Fold each short edge over to seal the ends.

Gently move the stromboli to a sheet pan with the seam down.

Cut several two-inch slashes diagonally in the top of the dough.

Brush the top with the remaining egg wash.

Bake on the center rack until golden brown, about 20-30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let rest about ten minutes.

Slice and serve with a nice salad.

Enjoy!

BBQ Pitmasters on TLC: Episode 5

john@patiodaddiobbq.com (John Dawson) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 06:29:00 +0000

I'm clearly late in getting this posted, but I suppose it's better late than never. The previous episode found our qualified competitors in the champions-only field at the first of two events that make up "the World Series of Barbecue" -- The American Royal. This episode featured the "open" event at the same venue.

This event is called "the open" because anyone who wants to enter can go up against the other nearly 500 teams. This is clearly the largest barbecue competition in the world. I've never been to the Royal, but I have seen a lot of pictures, and the sheer scale of the event is a spectacle in and of itself.

Throughout the series we've seen the teams deal with various forms of adversity, and this episode added yet another. Because the open is, well, open, it lends itself to large parties and rowdy crowds. Imagine a huge MTV spring break party with meat and smoke. In the midst of all that, the teams who are there to seriously compete have to keep their eyes on the ball and take care of business. Harry Soo struggled a little with crowd and sleep management in the midst of all the craziness.

Also in this episode, the hapless Pablo Diablo, Paul Petersen, gets to put his newly-acquired Johnny Trigg skills to the test. Johnny was obviously concerned with how this would play out; so much so that he used fellow competitor, Jamie Geer, to keep an eye on Paul. In true chef style, Paul just couldn't resist the urge to tweak things.

The stress of being on the road in a string of competitions becomes clear in the demeanor of Lee Ann Whippen. Things were more than a little stressed between her and her boyfriend/teammate. In the end there is an ironic twist that helped him redeem himself, at least in my eyes.

Myron showed a little of what might be described as his "softer side". He was set-up next to a the Holla-N-Swalla team who used the opportunity to humbly ask for his advice. I really enjoyed this fresh aspect of the show. It was really nice to see a bunch of relative new guys do well.

I rescind my comment in my last review that episode 4 was the best. This is the new best episode. I hope the shows continue to improve, because the trend is great so far.

Hungarian Braised Short Ribs

john@patiodaddiobbq.com (John Dawson) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 23:21:00 +0000

Many of us probably think of "goulash" as a dinner from our childhood. It's typically elbow macaroni mixed with ground beef and some form of tomato sauce. Well, as fond as I was of my mother's goulash, it is far from the traditional Hungarian dish. True goulash is essentially a thick stew made by braising meat (usually beef) with onions, paprika and water. This is the inspiration for this dish, thus the "Hungarian" in the name.

These are beef short ribs, browned, coated with sweet Hungarian paprika then braised long and slow in beef stock with shallots, red wine, and a little tomato for a subtle sweetness and added body. What emerges is tender and unctuous beef in a rich velvety sauce. I served them over egg noodles.

Note: It's critical that you use real paprika. If yours is more than three months old, buy new. Either the Hungarian or Spanish variety will work well. You could even add a dash of smoked paprika as an interesting twist, but go easy with it.

Ingredients
10 Beef short ribs (about 5 pounds -- meaty and generally uniform in size)
1 can (10.75 oz) Tomato puree
2 large Shallots, diced
3 1/4 cups (26 oz) Beef stock
1 cup Water
1/2 cup Red wine (slightly sweet -- I used Snap Dragon red table wine)
6 Tbsp Sweet paprika (the real deal)
3 Tbsp Canola oil
2 Tbsp Kosher salt
2 Tbsp Tomato paste
1 Tbsp Worcestershire pepper (or plain black pepper -- see the note below)
1 tsp Dry thyme
2 Bay leaves

Method
Preheat your oven to 325º.

Put the ribs on a sheet pan and season all sides liberally with the salt and pepper.

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add half of the ribs to the pot and brown them nicely on all sides (2-4 minutes per side). Move the browned ribs to a sheet pan and repeat with the remainder.

Add the wine to the empty pot and stir to deglaze the brown bits on the bottom. Add the stock, water, shallots, tomato puree, thyme and bay leaves. Bring the liquid to a simmer.

While the liquid is coming to a simmer, coat all sides of the ribs with the paprika and smear it around to form a paste-like coating.

Note: If you can't find the Worcestershire pepper, just coat the ribs with a little Worcestershire sauce before adding the paprika.

Add the ribs to the liquid and arrange them so that they are in a single layer. Cover, move to the oven, and cook for 2 1/2 hours.

Remove from the oven to the stove top at medium heat. Add the tomato paste and stir the liquid gently to dissolve and distribute it.

Cook, uncovered until the meat is fork tender. Serve the ribs and sauce over egg noodles.

Enjoy!

Discovery: Kiwi Knives

john@patiodaddiobbq.com (John Dawson) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 04:32:00 +0000

I'm a self-admitted knife freak. I love the smell of sharp steel in the morning. My usual blades are Japanese Global knives. They are brutally sharp, feel great in your hand, are solid stainless steel, and hold an edge very well.

Recently I've read quite a few reviews that sing the praises of Kiwi knives. Last week I read this review, and it prompted me to see what all the hype is about. I ordered the 11" blunt "meat knife" and the paring knife from The Wok Shop. Including shipping, they cost me $10.90. Yes, you read that correctly. They were $3.95 and $1.95, respectively, plus shipping. I ordered them Tuesday afternoon and they were at my door Friday, so I give kudos to The Wok Shop for their prompt service.

Having read about the incredible sharpness of these knives, I was more than a little curious when I tore open the box. Now, for just shy of $11 to my door, I was not expecting all that much. Man, these things take "scary sharp" to a whole new level. They are like razor blades with handles -- seriously. You hear about "knives you can shave with", well, these things should have "Gillette" stamped on them. I'm not intimidated by knives, but these made me pay very close attention to what I was doing.

As for the quality, I will say that, along with the sharpness, I was surprised at how thin and flexible the blades are. Most knives have a taper from the tip to the heel. Well, these are clearly stamped out of a flat sheet of stainless steel, so there is no taper, which brings me back to my comment about them being like razor blades with a handle. They are very light and feel comfortable in my hand.

I put the knives through some trials this weekend and I am very pleased so far. Of course, one weekend of cooking is clearly not nearly enough of a workout to gauge the overall quality and usefulness of anything in the kitchen. I will continue to use them and report back in a few months with my final verdict.