BBQ Meals: Veal Roast

I've heard this complaint from other BBQ'rs. Sometimes you start only worrying about the 4 competition meats; chicken, ribs, brisket and pork shoulder. You stop cooking other meats and forget about the spontaneity and creativity that made you enjoy live fire cooking in the first place. Maybe that's what I'm experiencing and why I'm not finding my voice.

In the butcher case yesterday, I looked over all the usual suspects. Nothing was leaping out of the case saying "cook me. Cook me." I was looking at the chickens, but gave up and was actually considering grilling pork chops for dinner. (I hate pork chops as we were forced fed them as children) But right next to the pork was the veal. Suddenly my interest was being peaked.

Hmm, veal chops? It's been a long time since we've had veal chops. Veal cutlets? It's been longer since we've had veal cutlets. A good veal parmigiana would be an nice meal. No, it always upsets my stomach, I thought. What's this? A veal roast? I've never made one of those. How different can it be then a regular roast beef? "Cook me," it called. I grabbed the little guy, or gal I should say, and headed to the cashier.

So last night I followed the sun. I rubbed that boneless veal roast with some Bob Tallman's All Around Texas Style Fixin's and smoked the veal roast over a charcoal and apple wood fire for about 3 hours. I smoked the veal until it was medium rare. And I did it by feel. No thermometers of any kind were used in this cook.

Sweet BeJejbus! It's been a long time since I've enjoyed a meal so much. It's been a long time since I've enjoyed a cook so much. No pressure. No deadline. No complicated meat preparation.

Yes, this is what cooking is all about.