Coney Island Shortcakes

A second posting in one day is an extreme rarity at WhiteTrash BBQ. Mark your calendars cause it's happening today. This is a blog about Barbecue, but every once in a while I like to talk about something that's "happening" in Brooklyn.

This weekend, being the Fourth of July and all, some of you may be heading out to Coney Island to see a Brooklyn Cyclones game or to enjoy the rides, the surf and the freaks.

But there's a new attraction this year on that famed beach that you shouldn't miss - Coney Island Shortcakes

I'm not sure who's running the shop at Coney Island Shortcakes, but let me tell you they gots some great eats! For a miserly $3.00 you get some home made strawberry shortcake that's "yummy," "sweet" and tasty" and topped with real whipped cream. They'll even handle special requests.

They're a highly recommended stop when you're on the boardwalk. They're located on the boardwalk, right in front of the Nathan's Hot Dog Stand and Cha Cha's. See you there!

Steak

A bit of a departure today: A true-blue, all American GRILLING recipe. Yes, that's right a grilling recipe on a blog about barbecue.

Well, I may be a barbeque purist when it comes to the traditional meats and methods, for example I would never tolerate boiling your ribs, but there's nothing wrong using your grill to grill occasionally.

So here today are six easy steps for grilling steaks.

1. Choose the right piece of meat. Just because the supermarket has labeled the steak "good for grilling" doesn't mean that it is. Lean meat does not do well. You want a piece of meat that has marbling throughout. The best cuts fillet mignon (tender but fairly tasteless), rib eye (my favorite), porterhouse, a T-bone or the classic New York strip; basically the same cuts that you'd be offered in a good steak house. Don't skimp when buying a steak. Buy the best cut of meat you can afford.

2. Next, build the proper fire. Since you'll be using charcoal, light your coals in one pile in the middle of your cooker. When they are all lit and covered in the grey ash, spread 2/3 of the brickettes on one side and 1/3 of the brickettes on the other. This creates a two-tiered fire with a hotter side for searing the meat and a cooler side for cooking the meat. If you are using a gas grill, go read a different blog.

3. Next, Cut open a head of garlic. (Thanks Alton Brown for this tip) Rub both sides of the steak with the exposed cut of garlic. Then Rub both sides of the meat with olive oil and cover with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Be generous with the salt and pepper because most will fall off during the grilling.

4. Place your steak on the hot side for searing. Cook on each side for three minutes to sear the meat and seal in the juices. To check for the proper fire temperature, you should be able to hold you hand over the fire for 3 seconds.

5. Once the steak is seared, place your meat on the cooler side of the grill to finish. The hand test for the cooler side, is 6-7 seconds. Do NOT cut the meat to see if it's cooked. Use the hand method. What's the hand method?

• If you want a very rare steak, compare the texture of the meat to the firmness of the muscle at the base of the thumb of your completely relaxed hand. If they feel the same, the steak is 'blue-rare' to rare.
• For medium-rare, touch the tip of the index finger to the tip of the thumb of the same hand. Feel the firmness of the muscle at the base of the thumb. Check the meat to see if it is the same firmness. If it is, the steak is medium-rare.
• For medium, press the tip of the middle finger against the thumb of the same hand and feel the muscle at the base. That is what a medium steak will feel like.
• For medium-well, use the ring finger
• For well-done use the pinky, as above.

6. When the steak is done, take if off the grill and let it sit for at least 5 minutes. This allows the juices to spread back into the center of the steak so that you'll have a juicy steak with a nice crust when it's cut on the plate.

Enjoy with some grilled vegetables, corn on the cob, baked potatoes and a nice blue cheese dressing.

BBQ Meat: Where does it come from?

One of the things that I need to learn more about is the anatomy of meat. By knowing where on the animal the cut of meat comes from will tell you how tender it will be. How much work did that piece of meat do when it was alive? The less work, the more tender it will be when cooked.

Here's a some pretty good diagrams that explain a lot of it.

First - the cow....


















Now let's cut them up...

1. Chuck
2. Flanken Ribs
3. Rib
4. Back Ribs
5. Short Loin
6. Tenderloin
7. Porterhouse
8. Sirloin
9. Round
10. Rump Roast
11. Round Steak
12. Hind Steak
13. Flank
14. Flank Steak Rolls
15. Short Plate
16. Brisket
17. Fore Shank

And the pig...

1. Blade Shoulder
2. Loin
3. Leg
4. Side
5. Tenderloin
6. Spare Rib
7. Arm Shoulder
8. Hock






And finally a little lamb...

1. Neck Slice
2. Shoulder
3. Rib
4. Loin Chop
5. Loin
6. Leg
7. Hind Shank
8. Riblets
9. Breast
10. Fore Shank

I hope this helps you pick the best meat you can afford.

The last three diagrams are courtesy of Lobels of New York. I can't remember where I got the first one from.

Restaurant Review: Daisy May's BBQ

This review is appearing in today's NY Times. It's about one of my favorite BBQ restaurants in NYC and my buddy Adam Perry Lang. Take a gander...

Barbecue Overdose: Half a Pig for Seven
by Peter Meehan

We were slumped in our chairs, sated, even sleepy. We sweated a meaty sweat under the disposable plastic aprons that had accompanied the carcass of half a suckling pig, split snout to tail, to our table.

The six diners I had assembled to help me take down the beast concurred that we were experiencing some sort collective pork-induced delirium. But despite our best efforts, there was still plenty of flesh on the bones left to eat. That barbecued half pig ($200) is part of a new menu of massive cuts of meat meant for large groups that Adam Perry Lang, the pitmaster and an owner of Daisy May's BBQ U.S.A., now presents in his restaurant's modest dining room, along with the roster of barbecue dishes the place has served since 2003.

(In the interest of disclosure, I will volunteer that Mr. Perry Lang and I have met a couple of times. But any desire he may have had to give my meals special attention would have been futile because the meat goes into the pit hours before it is served, because I made reservations under a pseudonym, and because Daisy May's service is bare-bones).

The other items on the new menu include a whole eight-rib rack of American lamb ($95); a bone-in pork butt ($120) prepared in the fashion that won Mr. Perry Lang the prize for first place pork shoulder at the American Royal Invitational barbecue competition, and a whole 30-or-more pound suckling pig ($400). All must be ordered two days in advance, except the lamb, which must be ordered by 5 p.m. the day you intend to eat it. There is only one seating, at 8 p.m.

The meat is served with a heap of giant, garlic-rubbed slices of toasted brioche that are billed as "Texas toast," huge helpings of spicy coleslaw, two additional sides selected from the restaurant's roster of eight, and a gang of yellow watermelon wedges for dessert.

Except for the lamb, which either Mr. Perry Lang or Jeff Cicio, his aide-de-camp, will slice into chops after they present the whole roasted rack, the oversize cuts are served whole, on a cutting board, in the center of the table. An unceremoniously presented box of latex gloves comes next (you will be encouraged to "triple up" on them to insulate your fingers from the heat of the meat) and then the pig pickin' begins.

Though Daisy May's is known for the complex and intense sauces that dress much of the meat on the regular menu, these big cuts get a simple treatment: a little rub here, a light saucing at the end there.

For the pigs, he paints the cutting board with a sweet, sour and beguilingly aromatic barbecue sauce based on Chimayo chili powder before he brings out the meat. He encourages diners to drag the meat they've picked through the sauce if they're so inclined, or to go pig-to-plate (or pig-to-mouth) if not. Plastic tubs of fleur de sel, the fancy large-grain French sea salt, are provided as part of the deal and, though none of the meat I tasted was wanting for seasoning, the few fistfuls of pig meat I garnished with the salt were none the worse for it.

The flesh the suckling pigs yield after an eight-hour trip through the restaurant's pit is sweet and tender, whether it's from the belly, the cheek, the butt, the ham or the loin, or plucked from between the tiny ribs. If you don't know where on the animal each of those cuts is, you'll have a clear picture after an hour or so spent around either the half or whole pig at Daisy May's. If you prefer not to see your food's face, you may want to choose the shoulder or the rack of lamb.

It is the restaurant's position that a 15-pound half pig or a whole pork shoulder will feed 6 people (the whole pig, 12; the rack of lamb, 2). It is my contention that six people could hurt themselves trying to eat that much meat. A group of eight will still have leftovers to take home and will be able to sit close enough to the pig to jostle for tender, prime morsels clinging to bones. To, in other words, pig out.

Daisy May's BBQ U.S.A.
623 11th Avenue (46th Street), Midtown; (212) 977-1500.

BEST DISHES: Pulled pork sandwich; brisket sandwich; Memphis dry ribs; baked beans with burnt ends; half or whole pig; whole shoulder; whole rack of lamb.

PRICE RANGE: $7 to $23 for dishes on the regular menu, $95 to $400 for dishes for a crowd. Sides $3.50 to $16. Sweet tea, water and soda $1.25 to $3.50; bring your own alcoholic beverages.

CREDIT CARDS: All major cards.

HOURS: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; noon to 10 p.m. Saturday; noon to 9 p.m. Sunday.

Friday on my mind

I know it's only Tuesday but I've got the weekend on my mind. It's summer and I want to see the sun, feel the heat, put my toes in the sand and do some body surfing. Check out the Long Island Beaches here.

BBQ Destinations: Cheap Tickets

Looking for a new place to visit this summer? Cheap Tickets has just published their list of the top barbecue destinations in the United States. While the cities it lists are good, and all of the restaurants mentioned are worth a visit, I don't agree with all of their choices. I know there are a lot of other barbecue joints I'd go to before heading to these. But this is a great place to start. Here's their list...

In Atlanta, GA: Fat Matt's Rib Shack
In Charlotte, NC: Carolina Country BBQ
In New Orleans, LA: ZydeQue
Austin, TX: The Salt Lick
Nashville, TN: Corky's Ribs and BBQ
In Savannah, GA: Sweet Leaf Smokery
And finally in Louisville, KY: Mark's Feed Store BBQ

Of course, the best barbecue trip would be to get into your car and drive! Just get into the Carolinas and keep going South. Keep your eyes and nose open. Follow that plume of wood smoke and who knows what you'll find. I've found some of the best barbecue joints that way.

Mexican Barbecue

Continuing our trip around the world of barbecue, here's a recipe for a really great Mexican rub. I've used this on pork and beef, and it's good on both, but it really shines on pork.

La Parilla Traditional Achiote Recado
Recipe By : La Parilla the Mexican Grill by Reed Hearon

2 Tablespoons Annatto Seeds
1/2 Cup Water
1 Teaspoon Ground Allspice
2 Teaspoons Ground Black Pepper
1/2 Cup Ancho Chile Powder
4 Teaspoons Kosher Salt
1 Tablespoon Mexican Oregano -- Toasted And Ground
3 Cloves Garlic -- Peeled
1/2 Medium White Onions -- Thickly Sliced
1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 1/2 Cups Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
1/4 Cup Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

This mild, citrusy red spice paste can transform the blandest of foods. It comes from the Yucatan, where it typically flavors Pibil-style suckling pig. The pig is rubbed with the recado, wrapped in banana leaves, and then cooked in a stone-lined pit until the meat is so tender it falls off the bones. Grilling is a less traditional, but no less delicious, method. Use for meat, fish, and poultry. Purchased achiote paste saves a good deal of time and makes a less complex but acceptable recado.

• Put the annatto seeds and water in a small saucepan and place over high heat. Bring to a boil, cover, and lower heat to simmer. Cook 30 minutes.
• Remove from heat and let steep 2 hours, or until softened.
• Pan roast the garlic and onions until brown and soft.
• Drain the annatto seeds and put into a blender or food processor along with all the remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth.
• Keeps, tightly covered, up to 5 days in the refrigerator

Makes about 2 1/2 cups

BBQ Suppliers: The Pit Builders

Living outside the barbeque belt, trying to find a true barbecue pit, aka cooker, aka smoker can be a frustrating experience. They just not available in the New York tri-state area. And just try doing a google search for smokers or pits. You'll wind up with thousands of hits that have nothing to do with barbecue.

So, as a public service, I WhiteTrash BBQ am lifting a list of Pit Builders from Darwin aka Zilla of The BBQ-Brethren. While I don't know if this is the definitive list, it's certainly a great place to start and the best list I've ever seen. I salute him for his exhaustive research. Thanks Zilla for permission to post this.

Pit Builders List
Rev. June 9th, 2006

Acme Custom BBQ grills and pits
Friendswood, TX
http://www.acmewelding.com/BBQ.html

Austin National Smoker Company
Noblesville, IN
http://www.austinnationalsmokers.com
Pits made from New steel pipe and plate
Backyard/Competition/Catering
Specializing in rotisserie barbecue pit smokers

Bates Pits
Humble, Texas
http://www.batespitts.com
Makes full custom BBQ pits from new rolled 1/4" steel plate
Backyard/Competition/Catering

BBQ Pits by Klose
Houston, Texas
http://www.bbqpits.com
Pits made from New steel pipe and plate
Makes a line of backyard pits and mobile pits.

BBQ Pits and Smokers
Cedar Park, Texas
http://www.bbqpits.biz/index.html

Big Drum Smokers
Rocky Richmond
Naples, NC
http://groups.msn.com/BigDrumSmoker-BDS
New steel drum construction, various sizes

Big Jims Custom BBQ pits
http://www.bigjim.freeservers.com/smokers.html
Propane tank smokers

Carters Cookers
Gaston, SC
http://www.carterscookers.com
Steel tank cooker/smokers

Cattle King BBQ Pits
Family Owned & Operated
Fred L. Voigt
New Braunfels, Texas
http://www.angelfire.com/tx3/RigWelders/CK.html

Cookers and Grills
Watkinsville, GA
http://www.cookersandgrills.com
Reverse Flow, new propane tank construction
Backyard/Comp/Catering

D Wiley BBQ Pits
Buda, Texas
http://myjobisthepits.com
New propane tanks

Davis Smokers and Grills
Glennville, GA
http://www.davissmokersandgrills.homestead.com

Diamond Plate Products
Ballinger, Texas
http://diamondplateproducts.com
Makes full Custom BBQ pits from new steel tanks
Backyard/Competition/Catering

Detroit Grill King
Detroit, MI
http://www.detroitgrillking.com

Gator Pits of Texas
Houston, Texas
http://gatorpit.net
Makes full custom BBQ pits from steel pipe and plate
Backyard/Competition/Catering
Pit accessories
Excellent customer service

Grillnsmoke Bbq Smokers
Laredo, Texas
http://www.grillnsmoke.com/Page_1.php
Custom smokers

Holstein Manufacturing
Holstein, Iowa
http://www.holsteinmfg.com
Very large range of grills and smokers

Horizon Smokers
Perry, OK
http://www.hightide.com/horizon2/products.html

Jedmaster Cookers
McCalla, Al
http://www.jedmaster.com

JR Enterprises
Dewitt, Arkansas
http://www.jrenterprises.com

KCK BBQ Smokers
Kansas City, KS
http://www.kck.com

L&R Custom BBQ Pits
Stephenville, TX
http://www.lrbbqpits.com

Lang Smoker Cookers
Nahunta, GA
http://www.pigroast.com
Pits made from new propane tanks
Backyard/Competition/Catering

Lone Star Welding
Richmond, TX
http://www.lswelding.net/index.html
Custom BBQ pits with some interesting art add ons

Long Horn BBQ pits
Uvalde, Texas
Available at Factory Direct BBQ Pits and Smokers Cedar Park, Texas
http://www.bbqpits.biz/index.html

Lyfe Tyme - BBQ Pits
Uvalde, Texas
http://www.lyfetyme.com
Manufactured pits with some customizing available
Pits made from New steel pipe including uprights
Makes full custom mobile pits

Meadow Creek Welding
New Holland, PA
http://www.meadowcreekbbq.com/Welcome.html

Olalla Smokers & Grills of Olalla
Chuck Senn
4345 SE Burley-Olalla Rd.
Olalla, WA. 98359
Phone: 253/ 857-4420

Old Country BBQ Pits
Laredo,Texas
http://www.bbquepits.com
Mass Produced old style BBQ pits

Peoria Custom Cookers
Peoria, Illinois
http://www.peoriacustomcookers.com
Backyard and mobile pits. Rolled plate construction.

Pits by Jambo
Jamie Geer Phone 817-572-7631 home, cell 817-822-1689
Hand made one at a time with incredible attention to detail. These are the pits used with great success by Johnny Trig of the Smoking Triggers, Uncle Earnie and Jamie and his Buckwheat Express team.

Pits by JJ
Houston, Texas
http://www.pitsbyjj.com
Makes full custom BBQ pits from steel pipe and plate
Backyard/Competition/Catering

Pitts and Spitts
Houston, Texas
http://pittsandspitts.com
Pits made from New steel plate and stainless steel
Backyard/Competition/Catering

Quality Grills
Detroit, MI
http://www.qualitygrills.com
Huge custom mobile pits

Real Grill
West Palm Beach, Florida
http://www.realgrill.com
New propane tank smoker/grills

Sikes Cookers
Vidalia, GA.
http://www.stainless-gas-grills.com
Unique Aluminum & Stainless smokers

Southern Yankee Bar-B-Q
Anderson, IN
http://www.sybbq.com
Makes full custom BBQ pits from steel pipe and plate
Backyard/Competition/Catering

SWS Superior Welding Service - Southwest Smoker
North Little Rock, AR
http://www.southwestsmoker.com
Pits made from New steel pipe and plate
Backyard/Competition/Catering

Tejas Smokers
Houston, Texas
http://www.tejassmokers.com
Well engineered production backyard smokers and grills
New 1/4" steel plate construction
Great selection of outdoor cooking gear and accessories for your smoker
Great customer service

The Good One- Goodwin Enterprises
Burns, KS
http://www.thegood-one.com

TMP BBQ Pits
Midland, Texas
http://www.gotmp.com/bbqpits.htm

Tucker Cookers
Memphis, Tennessee
http://www.tuckercooker.com
Very nice mobile smoker/grills

Western Rebel BBQ Pits
Chino Hills, California
http://www.outofthisworldbbq.com/index.html

Cabinet style smokers

Backwoods Smokers
http://www.backwoods-smoker.com

Jacks Old South Cookers
Birmingham, AL
http://brittsbarbecue.com/html/jack_...h_cookers.html

Spicewine Iron Works
http://www.spicewineironworks.com
Columbia, MO

Stumps Smokers
Perry, GA
http://www.stumpssmokers.com

BBQ Media Alert: BBQ Pits By Klose

Klose Barbecue Pits have been called the "Rolls Royce of the barbeque world." They really are amazing cookers and just about the best piece of equipment any barbeque-er could wish for. You know these pits. You've seen them at every barbecue contest in the country. You've marveled over them. You've drooled over them. You've lusted after them. Ok, maybe you haven't - but I admit it - I have.

I've been lucky enough to cook on two Klose pits, the legendary Backyard Chef and the MOAB which is a custom made pit for the Poohbah of The BBQ-Brethren. Let me tell you, these pits live up to the hype. They're definitely worth every penny and one day I hope to be able to bring one to Brooklyn.

Rumor is that the Hampton Smoker has a Backyard Chef stashed somewhere out on Long Island. He occasionally uses it to cook, but Wubby's not getting the workout she needs! But we need to cut the Smoker some slack. Life does interfere and sometimes it picks you up, spins you around and drop kicks you to the ground.

Why am I talking about Dave Klose and BBQ Pits by Klose? Well Dave's about to assault the media. I'll let him tell you all about it....

"I am very excited to announce the air date and time for Modern Marvels: BBQ TECH with BBQ Pits by Klose having a little part we are very proud to have been included in. The show will be premiering on the History Channel on June 28th:
10:00 pm (Eastern/Pacific Times)
9:00 pm (Central Time)
8:00 pm (Mountain Time)

It will also be re-airing on July 2nd @ 3:00 pm (ET/PT), 2:00 pm (CT), 1:00 pm (MT)

To confirm your air time you can visit the TV schedule on the History Channel website.

History Channel is very excited about this show, and I want to thank everyone for their assistance. It was truly a team effort.

Have a great BBQ SUMMER!!!
Dave Klose"

Check out Dave and his Modern Marvel BBQ Pits. I know I'll be watching. I hope you will be too.

Photos courtesy of Klose BBQ Pits, The Hampton Smoker and Senor Toad Cookers.

BBQ Events: Gothamist-A Hamburger Today Burger Beach Party

Ok - I know it's not barbeque. Let's not split hairs, it's close and it's a New York City event that deals with live fire and food. It's a step in the right direction!

"SATURDAY JUNE 24th 6:00pm at WATER TAXI BEACH

presented by GOTHAMIST & A HAMBURGER TODAY

Admit it. There's nothing better than savoring the taste of a specially prepared, burger eaten outdoors while the sun begins to set and you wiggle your toes in the sand, enjoy spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline, sip on an ice cold beer and listen to the soothing sounds of summer. Cap it off with a special screening of the acclaimed documentary Hamburger America and you've got the Gothamist/ A Hamburger Today QBQ BBQ Burger Bash at Water Taxi Beach. That's "Quality Before Quantity"; - there's nothing fast about this food.

Special appearances by George Motz, James Beard nominee for his documentary Hamburger America, and Harry "Hey Chef" Hawk of Schnack and Water Taxi Beach make this QBQ BBQ the event that burger aficionados have waited a lifetime for.

SATURDAY, JUNE 24TH; 6:00PM-10:00PM

WATER TAXI BEACH, Hunter's Point (Second St. & Borden Ave.), Long Island City

Special screening of Hamburger America at dusk; and it's world wide out door premier!

In an interpretative homage to some of America's most beloved patties, Harry's at Water Taxi Beach will chop fresh 100% certified Angus beef at the Beach throughout the evening and serve up regional specialties including The Guber Burger (a Missouri specialty topped with hot, melted smooth peanut butter); The Butter Burger (a Wisconsin fave served with a large dollop of soft, pure butter); The Green Chile Cheeseburger (with hot green chiles, indigenous only to New Mexico); and The Motz Burger (named for acclaimed documentarian George Motz, it's the quintessential 1/4 lb. patty served on a white squishy bun with spectacular "Schnack" sauce.

Harry's will also have his regular menu available. It should be noted that having a ticket is substantially cheaper than buying the food a la cart and that those without tickets may not be able to try every burger. And please note that the event is Quality Before Quantity for a reason. Harry and crew have pointed out that, while you should come hungry, just be aware that they're going to take their time to cook the burgers properly -- not just zing them out half-ass. So you might have to wait as they griddle them up hot and fresh for you."

I'm supposed to be out on Long Island for the Annual BBQ-Brethren Bash, but I'm going to try and make this too. If I don't, I want to hear from you readers who do.

America's Most Powerful Chef

Forbes Magazine has published its annual list of top power monkeys for 2005-2006 and according to them, Rachel Ray is America's most powerful chef. She's got 4 TV shows going, two cook books out this year, a magazine and God knows what else. For all of this, Rachel brought home a paltry six million dollars. I enjoy Rachel's shows but she's beginning to show signs of over exposure. It seems that every time I turn on the Food Network, there she is. Take a breath woman!

Rounding out the list (in order) are: Wolfgang Puck ($16 Million), Emeril Lagasse ($10 Million) and Mario Batali ($5 Million).

I wonder what "power" these chefs wield. What can they really accomplish? What "power" does a celebrity really have? And how come there's no barbecue chefs on the list?

I wonder about the new celebrity of chef. Who really cares about the face behind the food? I don't mean that I don't care about the person but in the end all I want is a good meal.

Best Commercial Barbecue Sauces

OK - According to Cook's Illustrated - home of America's Test Kitchens, here are their best BBQ sauces. You can read about it here.

Top Picks

• Texas Best Barbecue Sauce, Original Rib Style
• BullsEye Original BBQ Sauce

Runners Up

• Hunt's BBQ Original Recipe Barbecue Sauce
• Sweet Baby Rays Original Barbecue Sauce
• KC Masterpiece Original Barbecue Sauce
• Stubb's Original Bar-B-Q Sauce
• Kraft Original Barbecue Sauce
• Open Pit Original Barbecue Sauce

Now I love this magazine, but I have to argue with their choices. They sampled BBQ sauce as a dipping sauce put on meat after it's cooked. Me, my sauce is glazed on the meat during it's final cooking time. It takes on a whole new character that way. I don't know too many Barbecue cooks who use sauce that don't cook it that way.

Canadian Barbecue

Oh, Canada, our home and native land....

Ok, that's about all I remember from the hockey games. Canadian barbeque. It sounds like an oxymoron doesn't it? What do Canadian's know about barbecue? Wait a minute! Am I guilty of the same prejudices as my Southern neighbors towards me, a New Yorker and the Q, when it comes to our northern friends and allies? Well, maybe. Just a little. But there's hope.

Let me introduce you to the Canadian Barbecue Association. The Canadian Barbecue association is not for profit organization that officially represents and promotes barbecuing in Canada. It was created in January 2004 by barbecue enthusiasts. The board members include backyard grillers, barbecue hobbyist, and barbecue industry representatives who "love to barbecue".

The Canadian Barbecue Association was established for the purpose of:

• Promoting and protecting the interests and conserving the rights of those engaged in the barbecue industry, both directly and indirectly
• Maintaining and improving the qualifications and standards of the barbecue trade
• Ensuring uniformity and consistency in use and methods of barbecue including both grilling and smoking and the use of the following heat sources: charcoal, propane, natural gas and wood
• Bringing together all aspects of grilling, from equipment manufacturers, food and beverage suppliers and the consumers who use barbecue for both food and entertainment

With the exception of propane and natural gas use, I think the Canadian Barbecue Association is on the right track and I wish them great success. Who knows, the winner of the next Jack Daniel's contest may be a Canadian!

And before I leave you today, here's a recipe for Canadian Barn BBQ Sauce from Wendy over at All Recipes.
Canadian Barn BBQ Sauce

"This flavorful barbeque sauce for ribs is just like the kind they serve at a famous restaurant in Montreal, Quebec that has people lining up on the street any given night of the week. Try this -- you'll luv it! Don't' skip the lemon juice or cinnamon. Simmer the left over sauce until sugar is completely dissolved and serve as extra sauce for those who like their ribs dripping with flavor."
Original recipe yield: 3 cups.
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Ready In: 40 Minutes
Servings: 8
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup ketchup
2 cups packed brown sugar
6 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:
In a medium bowl, mix applesauce, ketchup, packed brown sugar, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic salt and ground cinnamon. Use the mixture to marinate ribs in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before preparing as desired. (WTBBQ EDIT - Don't you dare - all that sugar will burn! Use as a basting sauce only!) Also use for basting the ribs while cooking.

Mad BBQ Scientist - Rub ingredients

Barbecue-rs are nuts. Mad, at least. Chris Baker, The Mad BBQ Scientist over at the BBQ - Brethren just finished an exhaustive series of experiments on the burn point of many common barbeque rub ingredients. I haven't experimented directly like this, but I don't find many, if any, of his observations off the mark.

So here for your enjoyment and for the betterment of your barbecue, is Chris Baker, AKA The Mad BBQ Scientist's, Burning Rub Ingredients experiment and results. Take it away Chris....

There are 3 general categories of ingredients I am compiling information on.

The first category is Sugars. Sugar is somewhat controversial, because it has been said and written that sugar will burn when used as a rub ingredient because of the long exposure to heat. In stark contrast however, it is known that in candy making and baking that sugar does not burn until it reaches temps around 350 degrees. In the 250 degree BBQ range sugar is in the soft-ball stage, far from burning. Knowing that is what prompted me to first start these experiments. From there it went on to other ingredients.

The second category is Dry Herbs, Spices and Powders. Many ingredients are thought to burn, or lose flavor when cooked, so some people avoid certain ingredients or favor others due to this. I had never seen a good descriptive list of what happens to these ingredients on a case-by-case basis, so I set out to make one. I hope this information will be as useful to you as it has been to me. My rubs immediately improved after lessons I learned from the experiments I did last year.

The third category is Sauces and Pastes. Some people use slathers or pastes to help hold a dry rub on. In many cases, they use a particular ingredient because it does not burn, maintains (or loses) its flavor, among other reasons. I decided to test some of these ingredients out on their own merits to see what would happen to them when smoked at 250 degrees until the whole piece of meat it was covering was 200 degrees internal.

I used pork Country Style Ribs for the experiments. I cut the ribs into thirds or quarters depending on the size of the rib, and used these smaller portions of meat for the experiments. In the end, it took roughly 6 hours on average of cooking at roughly 250 degrees for each piece of meat to be ready.

Here are the ingredients, categorized by section, along with their results.

SUGARS (20 total)

For each ingredient, I mixed 1/2 tbsp of the sugar or syrup with 1/2 tsp salt and applied to the meat. I did not let the rub set in, I put in the cooker as soon as possible.

• White Cane, granulated (C&H) - Tasted kinda hammy. Very good, not burnt at all.
• White Cane, powdered (C&H) - Tasted exactly like the granulated white sugar one above.
• Dark Brown Cane, granulated (C&H) - Had a sweet taste a bit different than the white sugar, with a touch of a burnt flavor. It was good and made what I would call a fine bark.
• Light Brown Cane, granulated (C&H) - Had a sweet taste that was still different from the white sugars, but less so. No burnt flavor.
• Splenda - Had a complex sweet flavor, no burnt taste at all. Me likey! Ate the whole piece.
• Turbinado Cane Sugar (C&H) - Lightly sweet. No burnt taste. Nothing too exciting flavorwise to be honest.
• Cane Juice Sugar (Whole Foods, bulk) - Lightly sweet with a certain yummy aftertaste that I couldn't pinpoint. No burnt taste. Not bad at all. Fairly good actually.
• Maple Sugar - Lightly sweet, couldn't taste any maple. Barely a hint of a burnt taste, but it was there ever so slightly. Not bad.
• Date Sugar - Sweet flavor, had a noticeable burnt flavor. Least favorite so far.
• Fructose - Complex sweet flavor making a hammy taste. No burnt flavor. Really good bark.
• Dark Corn Syrup (Karo) - Not sure how to describe it. Definitely had a burnt taste, strongest burnt flavor so far. There was a sweetness there, but I didn't like this at all. Took a while to cleanse the palate.
• Light Corn Syrup (Karo) - Hammy flavor with a hint of a dark sweetness. No burnt flavor. Good, but not the best tonight.
• Maple Syrup (Grade A Dark Amber) - Wow, this was good! Kind of a bacony flavor. No burnt flavor. I think this is my favorite so far.
• Maple Flavored Syrup (Aunt Jemima) - Salt overpowered the sweet. No burnt taste. Difficult to taste anything in this one.
• Honey - Very different, in a fairly good way. Lightly sweet and imparted a taste I don't think I can describe. It doesn't taste like honey. No burnt taste. Good, but only a little above average.
• Molasses - Lightly sweet, good BBQ flavor. No burnt taste. Pretty good.
• Sorghum - Sweet and different. No burnt taste. It was good.
• Barley Malt Syrup - Did not have a burnt taste, but the taste it did have I did not find pleasurable. My least favorite so far.
• Brown Rice Syrup - Very light sweet flavor, not bad. No burnt taste. Nothing special.
• Agave Nectar - Not much sweet flavor, or any other flavor. No burnt taste.

Dry Herbs, Spices and Powders (48 total)

For each of these I mixed 1 tbsp Kosher Salt with 1 tsp of the ingredient and applied to the meat. I did not let the rub set in and put on the cooker as soon as possible.

• 5-Spice Powder (Tones) - Flavors came through fine, no burnt taste.
• Allspice (Tones) - Allspice flavor came through loud and clear. No burnt taste, no flavor loss.
• Anise Seed, fresh ground (Tones) - Flavor still strong, no burnt taste.
• Basil, flakes (store brand) - Flavor still strong, no burnt taste.
• Bay Leaves, turkish (Penzeys) - Flavor still strong, no burnt taste.
• Caraway Seed, fresh ground (Tones) - Flavor definitely survived just fine, no burnt taste.
• Cardamom, black (local ethnic market, fresh ground) - No flavor was left, no burnt flavor either.
• Cayenne Pepper (Tones) - Still has that Cayenne heat! No burnt taste.
• Celery Seed, fresh ground (Penzeys) - Celery flavor very pronounced. No burnt flavor.
• Chile Powder, Ancho (ground my own) - Chile flavor pretty much totally gone, no heat that I could tell but I don't find Ancho's that warm. No burnt taste.
• Chile Powder, Chipotle (ground my own) - Could just barely make out the chipotle flavor and it was hardly noticeable, hardly any heat from it either until about 30 seconds later a very mild warmth was noticed. No burnt taste.
• Chile Powder, Kashmir (ground my own) - Kept a little bit of its sweet chile flavor but it was heavily diminished. The heat was less than the cayenne, but it was quite noticeable! No burnt taste.
• Chile Powder, New Mexico (ground my own) - Chile flavor was retained very well, and rather good. Actually retained most of its warmth too. No burnt flavor.
• Chili Powder (Tones) - Not much flavor remained at all, and what did remain did not taste like Chili Powder. Slight hint of a burnt flavor, but not much.
• Cinnamon, ground (Tones) - Cinnamon flavor reduced considerably but was still there. Very slight burnt taste.
• Clove, fresh ground (local ethnic market) - Clove flavor diminished, but still distinctively clovelike in flavor. No burnt taste.
• Cocoa Powder (Hersheys) - Couldn't really taste the cocoa anymore. I thought I got a hint of it but I was trying so hard to taste the cocoa in it I may have fooled myself. Very mild burnt taste.
• Coffee grinds, ground to fine powder (Maxwell House) - It definitely imparted a flavor, but it didn't really taste too much like coffee. It had a bitterness you would expect from coffee, but the taste was more "meaty". It was decent but could have used some other flavors. No burnt taste.
• Coffee, instant (Folgers) - Imparted a good taste into the meat but didn't taste like coffee. Was pretty similar to the ground coffee above, but the flavor was not as strong as the ground coffee. No burnt taste.
• Coriander, fresh ground (Whole Foods) - Considering how strong a flavor coriander is, the flavor diminished a lot but was still obviously coriander. It was a rather mild coriander flavor though. No burnt taste.
• Cumin Seed, fresh ground (Penzeys) - Cumin flavor still very pronounced. No burnt taste.
• Dill Seed, fresh ground (Tones) - Very subtle flavor, but was there. I'm not sure someone who doesn't know that it is dill in there could identify it. No burnt taste.
• Fennel Seed, fresh ground (Tones) - Flavor still there, though a bit diminished. No burnt taste.
• Garlic, granulated (Tones) - Very noticeable roasted garlic flavor. Very, very subtle burnt flavor but was very good despite that.
• Ginger, dried, fresh ground (local ethnic market) - Flavor was pretty much gone, a very, very slight aftertaste of ginger but hard to notice. No burnt flavor.
• Mace, ground (Tones) - Flavor mellowed out a lot but was still there. No burnt taste.
• Marjoram, flakes (Penzeys) - Flavor came through but a bit diminished. No burnt flavor.
• Mint (Spice Islands) - Mint flavor subdued but still there. Slight burnt taste.
• Mustard, powdered (Colmans) - No flavor left. No burnt taste.
• Mustard, Oriental, powdered (Penzeys) - No flavor left. No burnt taste.
• Nutmeg (Tones) - Flavor mellowed considerably but the flavor of nutmeg did wind up coming through after a bit. No burnt taste.
• Onion Powder (Tones) - Onion flavor diminished but still there. No burnt taste.
• Oregano, Italian (store brand) - Flavor came through with plenty of strength. No burnt flavor.
• Oregano, turkish (Penzeys) - Flavor survived with plenty of strength. No burnt flavor.
• Paprika, California Sweet (Penzeys) - Flavor diminished and turned more bitter. Bark had a lovely red tint. Some burnt taste, perhaps causing the bitter flavor.
• Paprika, Hungarian Half-Sharp (Penzeys) - Paprika flavor pretty much entirely gone but a hint of it is still there. This one did not turn bitter. The heat of this paprika remained. It was not as red as the California Paprika, but did have a bit of a red tint, but overall was more brown in the end on the bark. No burnt taste.
• Paprika, Spanish (Tones) - Flavor greatly diminished, not very bitter just mostly flavorless. Bark had a good red tint poking through. There was a little bit of a burnt taste.
• Paprika, Sweet Hungarian (Penzeys) - Flavor greatly diminished. Good red tint showing through the bark. No burnt taste.
• Peppercorn, black, fresh ground (Tones) - Flavor survived just fine. No burnt taste.
• Peppercorn, white, fresh ground (Penzeys) - Flavor came through with no problems. No burnt flavor.
• Peppercorn Melange, fresh ground (Tones) - Flavor still strong. No burnt flavor.
• Rosemary, flakes (store brand) - Flavor came through very strong. No burnt flavor. Took a while to wash the taste out.
• Sage, rubbed (McCormick) - Flavor greatly subdued and nearly undetectable. No burnt flavor.
• Summer Savory (Spice Islands) - Flavor partially diminished but still there. No burnt taste.
• Tarragon (Tones) - Flavor was pretty much all gone. I could taste a little something, but then again I could have just been trying too hard to find a taste. No burnt flavor.
• Thyme, flakes (store brand) - Flavor diminished somewhat but distinctive thyme flavor was still there. No burnt flavor.
• Turmeric, ground (local ethnic market) - Flavor diminished considerably but was still there to a degree. It wasn't bad at all. No burnt taste.
• Worcestershire Powder - Imparted a very subtle and good flavor. I could not identify Worcestershire exactly, but there was a mild flavor there with some complexity.

Sauces and Pastes (14 total)

I smeared on a coating of each ingredient onto the meat and then sprinkled with salt. I put on the cooker as soon as possible.

• Yellow Mustard (French's) - Outside of a mildly burnt flavor, I couldn't taste anything other than salt and smoked pork.
• Brown Mustard (French's) - Tasted the same as the Yellow Mustard above.
• Honey Mustard (Hickory Farms) - There was a touch of sweet in this one, and I swear I could faintly taste the mustard. No burnt taste.
• Sweet-Hot Mustard (Hickory Farms) - No flavor survived in this one. Very slight burnt taste.
• Hot Sauce (Louisiana brand) - Flavor did not make it through the cooking. The heat was almost completely gone but there was a very slight afterglow. Light burnt taste.
• Worcestershire Sauce (Lea & Perrins) - Not much flavor but there was a little zing in there that I think was from the sauce. No burnt taste.
• Soy Sauce - Soy flavor was there but was not very strong. No burnt taste.
• Teriyaki Sauce - It was not very obvious, but the Teriyaki taste was there. No burnt taste.
• Horseradish (Inglehoffer) - OK, this one was a little weird. I could taste the horseradish, but I'm not sure I enjoy the smoke flavor with horseradish. I didn't like it, but the flavor did survive. No burnt taste.
• Sriracha chili Garlic Sauce - I initially couldn't find the flavor of garlic or chili in there until the aftertaste hit. I could detect a little warmth and perhaps some chili, but there was also a decent amount of burnt flavor.
• Ketchup - Ugh! Nasty! Burnt!
• BBQ Sauce (KC Masterpiece Spicy Original) - Quite a number of flavors were coming through, none of them burnt. I could not compare the taste to the sauce, it had changed. It wasn't bad.
• Mayonnaise (Hellman's) - Bark was more firm than the others. I was wondering what it would do the the bark consistency. No burnt flavor or any other flavors were detectable outside of the salt and meat.
• Salad Dressing (Miracle Whip) - Bark consistency was a bit different from the others, but not as firm as the Mayo. No distinguishable flavor came through. No burnt taste.

Here is a link to a slideshow showing the meats before they went into the cooker, and after cooking. I have included a list of what ingredient is on each piece of meat in the caption of each picture. They were taken with a camera phone and are not of the highest quality. If you demand a better view, cook some yourself.

BBQ Recipes: South Carolina Finishing Sauce

Up here in Yankee Territory where we don't know chit about barbecue we like our barbeque meat sweet and swimming in sauce. To many of us, eating barbecue meat without sauce is simply not done.

But in the South, where barbeque is as important as religion, the sauce is secondary to the meat. It some areas they eschew sauce altogether. Heathens.

But in South Carolina, where pork is king, barbeque sauce is a thin, mustard/vinegar concoction that works miracles on pork. It's put on at the table to finish the meat. Here's a couple of recipes from the Qman of the BBQ-Brethren for South Carolina finishing sauce.

Basic South Carolina Sauce

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup yellow mustard
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Crystal hot sauce-or your favorite
• Salt and pepper to your taste-I use a lot

Toss the butter into a saucepan, over medium heat, then add the onion and garlic and cook until you can smell them, then toss in all the rest and simmer a few minutes. Let it cool to room temp, and serve as a finishing sauce. You can use it to baste with if you want.

Fancy South Carolina Finishing Sauce

• 1 big jar mustard [1.5 pounds]
• 1 cup mayonaisse
• ½ cup ketchup
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 stick butter
• ½ cup water

Put everything in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook uncovered for about 10 minutes or so, until everythinghing is combined.

Barbecue Competition Checklist

OK - so you know the contests - now what do I need to bring?

There's a great checklist that was complied by the Smokin' Guns World Championship Barbeque Team. Anytime I've asked my sources in the barbecue world for a list I'm sent to the Smokin' Guns website for their list. I highly recommend it.

Unfortunately I don't have the HTML and Blogger skills needed to convert this document for you, but you can go get it from them. You can download a Word version of the document here.

Barbecue Contest Season

The Kansas City Barbeque Society contest season has finally begun in earnest in the North East. I know it's hard for some cooks in the South to understand, but here in Yankee territory we have a really short contest season of May to September.

So far this season, KCBS has held Bristol on the River. The New England Barbecue Society has already held the Snowshoe Challenge, Grillin' on the Bay, the Rhode Island State BBQ Contest, and the Rock n' Ribfest New Hampshire State Barbeque Championship.

All I've done so far this year is to judge at the Snowshoe Challenge with Smoker and Millitant Squatter; and with Matt - The Hampton Smoker, organize Grillin' on the Bay.

I'm getting itchy, but the money is tight this year, so it's going to be a reduced contest schedule.

Here's what I have planned so far:

Guitarbeque - New Jersey State Championship - July 8th and 9th as a judge.
Grill Kings - New York State Championship - July 15th and 16th with the BBQ-Brethren.
Hudson Valley Rib Festival - New York State Championship - August 19th and 20th with a new, as of yet unnamed team.
New Holland Summer Fest - Pennsylvania State Championship - August 25th and 26th with the BBQ-Brethren.

A few other contests that are still be considered are:
Ribs N' Brews Festival - Massachusetts State Championship - September 9th and 10th.
Oinktoberfest - New York State Championship - September 29th and 30th.
Cape Cod Classic BBQ Cookoff - September 30th and October 1st. The team has yetl to be determined for these additional events.

Of course after that, it's the American Royal Invitational and The Jack Daniel's Invitational BBQ Contest. Hey, a guy can dream can't he?

Photos of turn in boxes used in today's post are courtesy of Lost Nation Smoke Company. Rich Decker's amazing team submitted these entries at this year's NEB's sanctioned Rock n' Ribfest New Hampshire State Barbeque Championship.

The pictures represent the four food categories that must be submitted in a KCBS sanctioned event. From the top down, chicken, pork ribs, pork shoulder and beef brisket. Everything looks great Rich!

BBQ Openings: Willie B's Award Winng BBQ

It can finally be announced, Willie B's Award Winning BBQ is opening for business.

On Monday, July 17, 2006, The legendary Will Breakstone, winner of the first Long Island BBQ contest - the Grill Kings - will start selling barbecue to a waiting public.

Willie B's is located at 222 Fifth Avenue, in Bay Shore, New York - that's on Long Island folks. You can contact them on the web at Willie B's or by phone at 1-631-206-2580.

Will's menu is pretty much what you would expect from a barbeque restaurant offering ribs, brisket, chicken, burgers, and pork shoulder. He also has an impressive list of available side dishes. Prices run from a Burnt Ends appetizer at $4.50 to $92 for a family pack of 3 full racks of ribs, 2 whole chickens and 6 side dishes which would be more than enough food for 9 people.

Willie really let's his hair down with his catering menu and the dishes become more gourmet with such offerings as steak, lobster, lamb chops, shrimp and mussels. Check it out soon!

Will's a good friend of mine - tell him I sent you and ask for the BrooklynQ special.

BBQ Events: Big Apple Barbecue Block Party

Well folks, the Big Apple Block Barbecue Party has come and gone, and no I didn't attend. I'm feeling a little guilty about that, but hey some weekends are made for sleeping.

I've read over the blogs and it seems that the lines were ever present and foiled many determined Q'ers attempts at sampling the food. What a shame. Rumor has it that this is going to be the last Big Apple Barbeque Block Party, but without adequate crowd control, I'm not really surprised.

Here's a picture of some of what we missed. It's a platter of the famous Elgin Hot Guts and brisket from the infamous Southside Market down in Texas. Thanks to Jason Perlow over at Off The Broiler for the pic. Jason was one of the lucky ones, he had a great time, you can read all about it on his blog.

Puerto Rico BBQ

Happy Puerto Rico Day. Here in New York City today is Puerto Rico Day which means that there will be a large parade down 5th Avenue, cars wrapped in Puerto Rican flags, and general mayhem and celebration in the streets.

Since today is Sunday, I was going to give you a recipe for Puerto Rican barbeque, but unfortunately I couldn't find one on the internet. But I did stumble across the Caribbean BBQ Association. Here's their recipe for Texans' Beef Brisket.

"Texans get mighty finicky about their BBQ. This brisket with a mopping sauce, dry rub, and passing sauce covers all the bases. Up to now you have been grilling most everything. Now is the time to get started slow smoking your beef and there is no better way, or cut of beef to start with than a good brisket. For this recipe you will need a smoker, not a grill, and this can be bought at Home Depot or many other places like hardware stores or Sears, Big-K, Wall marts… they are relative inexpensive, you can get a smoker for around $30.00.

Prep: 15 minutes

Soak: 1 hour

Smoke 5 hours

Serves: 12

• 1 bag of mesquite, hickory or pecan wood chunks ( Home Depot)
• 1 brisket 3 to 3 & ½ pounds
• 2 teaspoons of Parrillera coarse salt ( Pueblo or Econo)
• 1-teaspoon paprika
• 1-teaspoon garlic pepper
• 1-teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 batch of vinegar mopping sauce
• 1 batch of spicy beer sauce

1. At lease 1 hour before you start smoking put your wood chunks into a bucket of water, enough water to completely cover the chips and soak them babies good. wouldn'tn't recommend this, it's better to get wood chunks and not to soak them at all)
   
2. Trim the fat from the meat. In a small bowl combine the salt, paprika, chili powder, cumin, and garlic pepper. Sprinkle the dry rub on the meat and with your fingers rub the mixture into the meat well.
3. In the smoker arrange the coals and water pan according the manufacturers directions, coals on the bottom, water pan on the rack above the coals, an place the brisket on the grilling rack above the water pan. Have you coals going before putting the meat on the rack and cover with the lid and smoke for 5-6 hours until tender. As the fire dies down during cooking add more coals to keep the heat up and throw on wet chunks of wood to keep the smoke coming. Don't peek into the smoker too often, trust me it's cooking. Every time you open it up to look you loose the heat.
4. To serve thinly slice the meat across the grain and serve with spicy beer sauce.

Vinegar Mopping Sauce:

In a small bowl mix ¼ cup of good cold beer and drink the remaining portion, add 4 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce, 1-tablespoon cooking oil, 1-tablespoon vinegar, ½ teaspoon jalapeno mustard or other hot mustard of your liking, and a few dashes of bottled hot pepper sauce.

Spicy Beer Sauce:

In a medium saucepan melt 2-tablespoons of butter. Ad d one large peeled, seeded, and chopped tomato (3/4 cup); ½ cup chopped onion, and ½ cup chopped sweet green pepper. Cook about 5 minutes until onion is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1 cup bottled chili sauce, 1/2 cup of beer, drink the remainder of the can yourself, ½ cup cider vinegar, 2-tablespoons brown sugar, 1 to 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh or canned chipotle chili peppers in adobo sauce, 1 & ¼ teaspoons of ground black pepper, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Bring this mixture to boil and reduce the heat. Boil gently for about 10 minutes or until reduced to about 2 ¼ cups."

Who let the fox in the henhouse?

Thanks to Foxes Bar-b-que Team for the picture of chicken thighs turned in at the American Royal. Nothing much happening in Brooklyn today, just catching up on lots of sleep. Talk to you tomorrow.

Men Are Pigs!

From thisislancashire.co.uk...

"World Cup Barbecue Warning
By Bolton Evening News Reporter

BUNGLING male barbecue chefs are the target of a Government agency's food poisoning awareness campaign. The combination of World Cup excitement, booze and men's limited food hygiene know-how could lead to a drop in standards, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) warns.

It is to re-screen a TV advert called "sausages" during the tournament to boost awareness of food hygiene.

Tips include ways of storing, preparing and cooking meat and vegetables safely. A FSA spokesman said: "The whole point of putting this out around World Cup time is to target men.

"They tend to control barbecues and tend not to have the same hygiene knowledge as women."

Men take charge of the cooking in eight out of ten barbecues held in the UK, a survey of 1,000 adults that was carried out for the FSA by RSGB Omnibus last month found.

3:20pm Wednesday 7th June 2006."

Personally - I'm insulted!

Rain

It's raining in Brooklyn right now. It's not a day for the fires. But do not despair... today is one of my wife's favorite holidays, National Chocolate Ice Cream Day!

So here for the first time is a recipe for Chocolate Ice Cream taken from the Culinary Cafe. I hope you enjoy.

Chocolate Ice Cream

---

Yields: About One Quart

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole milk
• 5 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted

Bring milk to a simmer. Meanwhile, combine egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat at medium-high speed until very thick and pale yellow, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add half the milk to egg-yolk mixture and whisk until blended. Stir into remaining milk and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat a spoon.

Remove from heat and immediately stir in cream. Pass mixture through a strainer into a medium mixing bowl set in an ice bath. Whisk in melted chocolate and let chill, then freeze in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Store in a plastic container in the freezer.

BBQ Events: Big Apple Barbecue Block Party

Don't forget, this weekend in the Annual Big Apple BBQ Block Party sponsored by Danny Meyer and the folks at Blue Smoke. It takes place on June 10th and 11th in the streets surrounding Madison Square Park. You'll get to hear some great bands and taste some great barbeque. Be prepared for crowds. Get there early because some of the best pitmasters sell out.

I really have mixed feelings about this event. Don't get me wrong, it's a great event and a fantastic opportunity for the average New Yorker (including the bridge and tunnels) to sample some of the best barbeque around. It is a lot of fun.

But to me, it's a lot like New Year's Eve. Just as New Year's Eve is amateur night for drinkers, the Big Apple BBQ Block Party is amateur night for barbecuer's. I've never been a big party type of guy. I'd rather be spending time talking with Paul Kirk or Chris Lilly or Mike Mills at a competition or in their restaurants than spending time on the streets of Manhattan waiting in line for their food.

If you've never been to the Big Apple BBQ Block Party, you need to go. Just like Time's Square on New Year's Eve - it's something you need to experience once.

The advertiser is always right?

I want to take tonight's post and salute my friend Lenn Thompson over at LennDevours for having the intestinal fortitude to do what's right and stand up to the man - or at least the man over at Dan's Papers.

For those of you who don't know Lenn, he is the writer of the column "Over the Barrel" at Dan's Paper's a smallish Long Island based newspaper. It seems that the editors didn't agree with Lenn's take on Palmer Vineyards and "that the column that is running this weekend, focusing on Palmer Vineyards, has been edited heavily and is quite different from what (I) he submitted originally."

Unwilling to be bowed by the corporate machine, Lenn just published the un-edited article on his blog. You can read it here. Go get 'em Lenn!

I really don't know much about wine. I know, I hear you gasp in disbelief, but I don't. (Beer - well that's another story.) So I rely on people like Lenn to inform me and educate me on wines and in particular the wines of Long Island. I'm very glad that he stood up and did what's right and I am sorely disappointed by the editors of Dan's Papers.

French Barbecue: A Dessert

I often get asked about fruit on the barbecue. Well, it can be done, but it's not really technically barbeque in the true meaning of the word. It's grilling. But here's a "French" recipe for some Grilled Apples that I really like.

Our friends over at Recipe Zaar have this great recipe for Grilled Apples With Creme Anglaise Grilling brings out the pure, true flavor of your favorite apple, whether it a Gravenstein or an heirloom apple such as Duchess of Oldenburg. Recipe Zaar received this recipe courtesy of Taste Magazine, Fall 2001, and I reprint it here.

Gilled Apples with Creme Anglaise

• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup half-and-half(half milk and half cream)
• 4 egg yolks large eggs
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons bourbon (optional)
• 5 sweet apples (Gravestein, Gala or Golden Delicious)
• 1/4 cup light extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons fresh ground cardamom
• light extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing on fruit
• toasted pecans(to garnish, chopped)

6 servings

Preheat charcoal grill. (They tell me you could cook this over a gas grill, but we don't talk about those things here.)

Creme Anglaise:

• In a saucepan over low heat combine the milk and half-and-half. Heat to just boiling.
• In the top pan of a double boiler, whisk together the egg yolks and eggs until just blended.
• Add sugar, salt and vanilla.
• Gradually whisk in the hot milk mixture.
• Place over the bottom pan of boiling water stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 2-3 minutes.
• DO NOT LET IT BOIL.
• Immediately remove from heat.
• Stir in the bourbon and let cool slightly to thicken.

Apples:

• Core and Cut the apples into rounds about 1/2 inch thick.
• Put slices in a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil, turning to coat.
• Brush the grill with olive oil and place apple slices on it, or place them in an oiled grilling basket.
• Sprinkle the apples with cardamom.
• Grill for about 3 minutes, then turn and grill until softened, about 2 more minutes.
• Transfer the apples to a plate.
• Pool some of the creme anglaise on each of 6 dessert plates and top with several apple rounds.
• Drizzle the apples with additional creme anglaise, adding the chopped pecans at this time, if you are going to use.

Enjoy!

Photo of the Gravenstien Apple courtesy of Dave Wilson.com. Photo of the Duchess Of Oldenburg Apple courtesy of Jungseed.com.

I have nothing much to say tonight. I'm in the midst of the worst attack of gout I've ever had. It started last week with pain in my elbows and increased to pain in every joint on Saturday night, and became almost unbearable Sunday through Tuesday. I thought I had it beat on Wednesday, but then the pains concentrated in my feet and ankles, while the side effects of the Colchicine set in. I'm still fighting it tonight. All in all a lovely way to spend the week.

Today is the one year anniversary of my wife's kitchen accident where her shirt caught on fire while making dinner. (You can read all about it in the archives. It's a fairly depressing story) She was extremely lucky and didn't require surgery - at least not yet - there are still two places on her arms where the doctors are debating. With the exception of those two spots, she's about 90% healed physically. She's off visiting a friend in Vermont for the weekend.

So dear readers, I think I'll be taking the weekend off from blogging too. Looking at my feet and ankles, the weather, work and family commitments, I know I won't be tending the fire this weekend. I hope you get a chance to get out there and stoke the flames.