Ternera a la Llanera -- Wherefore Art Thou?

Photo courtesy of http://blog.shankbone.org/

The above photo was taken at a Lower East Side of Manhattan street fair, sometime in the past. I don't know which fair. I don't know when. All I know is I want to be at that fair and I want one of those grills.

According to Wikipedia the guy in the picture is preparing "Ternera a la Llanera," a dish from the Colombian marshlands. From what I've found on the web, thank you Chrome's instant translation service, Ternera a la Llanera is the cooking of an entire veal. Now, it they're cooking an entire veal on the streets of NYC - I NEED to be there!

Here's the process....

Preparation of Veal llanera or "Mammon" is itself a party, this will kill a calf of approximately one year. The most important preparation are the cuts. There are four classics that are the bear, the eels, rays and the heron.

The bear is the part that covers the neck, throat, jaw and tongue, cut from top to bottom, so that will be taking down the dam.

The Shakers are breast meat, which are extruded in long strips.

The line includes the hindquarters, which, cut from the top (legs), including the tail, and part of the thighs. Cut trying to maintain a round shape with the tail like a bay.

The Heron is only the udder.

The cuts were made by cutting the extra skin, wrap the meat with it are exposed. Strips are sewn with the same skin, so that the meat is completely covered in the oven. Once LSTA and only seasoned with salt (including the head) is roasted in clay and brick oven at medium temperature (250 ° C) for 8 to 12 hours.

One way to know when the beef is ready, when the lips, head, shrink, giving it a cheerful expression.

Where this at? Someone, please tell me!

BBQ Recipes: Grilled Orange Chicken The WhiteTrash Way

I told about the orange chicken.
You know the bbq that was really grillin'
Well here's another version to try
And still look the author in the eye
Looking through a glass onion
Oh yeah!
So I told you about Charbroil's version of BBQ Orange Chicken. Well I liked the recipe as printed a lot. But I felt it was missing some depth and body, so here's my version of...

Grilled Orange Chicken - The White Trash Way

My modifications are in red. Tell me - does this qualify as a new recipe?

2 1/2lbs chicken parts

Sauce Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1/2 Tsp of ground ginger
• 1 Tsp of dried onion powder
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 Tbsp butter
• Kosher Salt to taste
• Fresh ground pepper to taste
• Zest of one orange

Cooking Instructions:

1. Light a chimney of charcoal. Meanwhile prepare your grill for a two zone cook. (Don't know what that is - well it will be detailed in a future post.)
2. In a medium bowl, mix together all sauce ingredients except salt and pepper, until smooth.
3. Place sauce in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Boil for one minute and reduce heat to a simmer. I usually do this on my stove - yes, it is gas powered.
4. Let sauce simmer and reduce until it thickens to a light syrup.
5. Once the sauce is thick - taste it carefully it could burn your lips. Adjust the seasoning by adding salt and pepper to taste.
6. Once your charcoal in the chimney is lit, place it on the hot zone of the grill. Let the grill come to a medium heat.
7. Lightly oil your grill grates.
8. Lightly salt and pepper your chicken
9. Place chicken pieces on grill away from heat, skin side down and cook 20 minutes.
10. Turn chicken, and grill for 10 additional minutes.
11. Brush chicken with sauce and turn occasionally cooking for an additional 10 minutes.
12. Place chicken over direct heat and to char and crisp the skin and sauce. Turning frequently. Do not walk away - This sauce has a lot of sugar and will burn easily.
13. Let rest 5 minutes and serve.

Give it a shot both ways. I think you'll enjoy my modifications to the original recipe.

Grillin' On The Bay Rules Debate

This post didn't start out to be about contest rules, but it has evolved into one. It was supposed to be about putting Griilin' On The Bay together, but sometimes you just have to follow the flow. So rather than a long rambling post about putting the event together and incorporating some of the discussion about interpreting rules, here's a post concentrating on the cook's reactions and discussions about the rules of Grilin' On The Bay and grilling contests in general.

Grillin' On The Bay and The Brooklyn Chili Smackdown is officially announced to the public. Grillin' On the Bay and The Brooklyn Chili Smackdown is out there in the wild. It's on the web, it's on a few news sites, a bunch of foodie sites, The NEBS calendar and as a friend over at Sheepshead Bites says, "In our world, things are only official when banners go public." Well, the banners are flying. I guess it's too late to turn back now.

As anyone who's ever thrown a party knows, there's that moment after the invitations are sent when you wonder if anyone is going to show. There's a deafening silence that could drive one nuts!

Then, when you least expect it, the phone calls start. People do want to come. There are always some congratulatory phone calls, but being the pessimist I seem to have become, these fade quickly from my brain and the questions from the cooks start. "Why'd you pick this date?" "This location?" "These categories?" "On rule 14 - do you mean?" "If I submit X, will it be legal?" "Why did you rule out X but not Y"?"

The only question I'll answer here, since it's not the official site for Grillin' On The Bay or The Brooklyn Chili Smackdown is I ruled out X and not Y because it's my contest and I don't like X. You know who I'm talking to.

It amazes me how the cooks interpret the rules and are always looking for the loopholes. It's always a small handful but it's usually the same cooks who are always looking for that competitive edge. It may be my Catholic school upbringing, but I was raised to accept a set of rules and find ways to work and succeed within them. There are conversations about the "letter of the rule" and the "intent of the rule" to the extent that you'd think we're arguing life and death here. It's only a cooking contest. It's supposed to be fun.

These guys - wow. Not that there's anything wrong with looking for any legal advantage, but these guys could argue forever. They would have made some great lawyers. I know I'd hire them. I certainly respect their determination.

A few years ago, long before Grillin' On The Bay and The Brooklyn Chili Smackdown existed, there was a contest where it was debated if using Worcestershire sauce on a fish entry was in violation of the "one type of fish only" rule at that event since Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies. I don't want to open a can of old worms, but to me this is common sense. Worcestershire sauce should be legal. No one I know would swallow a spoonful of Worcestershire sauce and exclaim, "Now that's some good anchovies!" Sauce is sauce and fish is fish.

Here's the rule of fish for Grillin' On The Bay 2010..

Fish: Whole, steak or fillet. No shellfish, mollusk or crustaceans. Fish may be cooked whole, but must be submitted in 6 separate and identifiable pieces. Teams have the option to use stuffing. The fish entry can not be stuffed with additional fish, shellfish, crustacean or mollusk. See stuffing definitions below.

GARNISH - Only green leaf lettuce, Italian or flat leaf parsley and curly parsley. Entry may not be wrapped with another item, (i.e. meat or pastry dough). Sauces, if used, shall be on the entry. No sauce containers are allowed. Chunks in any sauce must be finely diced. For NEBS purposes, ‘finely diced’ is defined as less than 1/8 inch in size. Additional edible products, of any kind, in the sauce are OK as long as these products are finely diced.

Inedible objects are NOT allowed in the entry box.

Pretty clear huh? I think so, but what do I know? I wrote them. Some folks think this is clear as mud. Even now when I look at the rule, new opportunities present themselves for the cooks. I don't want to give anyone any ideas, but boy this rule is a lot more "open" than I ever realized.

But the questions are good things. If there were no questions, that would mean there's no interest. So let the questions fly! I hope to see you there.

Wordless Wednesday

BBQ Meals: American Lamb

You're looking at part of Saturday's dinner. As I mentioned earlier the American Lamb Board sent me and a few other food bloggers a leg of lamb and some spices to try out over the weekend.

Included in the box was a recipe card using the spices which were also in the box, so I decided to cook the leg of lamb using their recipe for mustard and rosemary grilled butterflied leg of lamb. (The box included dried spices, but the recipes called for fresh and did not include the most expensive herb, cardaman.)

It's an interesting recipe using Dijon mustard, rosemary and apple juice concentrate. (I'd post the recipe, but I can't find the card right now and it's not on their website.) I've never used apple juice concentrate in a recipe before, so I was intrigued.

I marinated the lamb for about 6 hours and grilled it on the Charbroil Tec gas grill. This was the first time I've grilled a leg of lamb; usually I smoke them. I checked a couple of books on cooking times and techniques and they all said that a butterflied leg of lamb should take about 15 minutes per side on medium heat. I cooked my leg for about an hour. I assume the difference in time is because I was looking for a well-done finish.

So how was it? The lamb was fantastic! The seasonings were right on. The flavor was rich, full and buttery without any of the "gamey" taste you sometimes get with lamb. The meat was juicy and very tender. My family likes their lamb well done, which can be tricky, but this meat cooked up beautifully.

I was really skeptical at first but there is a very noticeable difference in the flavor and tenderness of the American lamb vs. the imported lamb we usually buy. The American lamb won hands down and I'll be looking for it in the markets from now on. I want to thank Rachelle Lacroix for thinking of me, turning me on to American lamb, and giving me another reason to buy American.

This Pig Can Fly

From your buddy BrooklynQ aka WhiteTrash BBQ: This is appearing in today's Boston Herald and was written by Kerry J. Byrne. It's a nice plug for fellow Get Your Grill On author, KCBS Certified Barbecue Judge and friend Garry Goldblatt and his outstanding website, PigTrip.net.

This Pig Can Fly

Barbecue aficionado Gary Goldblatt has logged a lot of miles - and calories - since launching PigTrip.net last summer.

The Web site offers Goldblatt’s review of virtually every barbecue joint in the Northeast, 111 locations to date, with about four added each month. If a restaurant’s not on his site yet, it probably will be soon.

The site began as a “labor of love” because “I couldn’t find a comprehensive guide to local barbecue,” said Goldblatt, a technical writer by day and Kansas City Barbecue Society certified judge. In addition to reviews, PigTrip.net offers a barbecue blog, news and Goldblatt’s “ramblings” about the best and worst of Northeastern barbecue.

Where’s the region’s best BBQ? Goldblatt, a Framingham resident and lifelong Boston sports fan, laments that it’s found not here in the Hub, but at Rub in New York City.

BBQ Events: The New Q - A Twist on Old School BBQ

I'm still doing taxes so my review of the Charbroil Tec Grill will need to wait another day, but in the mean time..

This came into my email a few minutes ago and I wanted to share it with you. I wish I had the scratch to head down to Georgia for this. It sounds like a great event.

A Friendly Reminder – You are invited to ‘The New Q’ – A Twist on Old School BBQ organized by Heritage Foods USA & Slow Food Atlanta on May 5, 2007 1-5 pm at Studioplex in Atlanta, Georgia.

It’s our First Annual BBQ to celebrate local chefs, heritage breeds, sustainable farms and to raise money for the Atlanta Community Food Bank.

Tickets are available in advance for $25. To purchase tickets go to www.xorbia.com/tickets/thenewq. Enjoy the purest proteins on the planet! Enjoy tastings from over a dozen of Georgia's best chefs. Pair them with homemade BBQ sauces and vegetarian sides as well as refreshing beers from Sweetwater Brewing Co. and local wineries. Plus live music and more!

All-Star Cast of the New Q Chefs: Their Menus and Their Thoughts!

Linton Hopkins of Restaurant Eugene
Menu: Caw Caw Creek Pork Belly served with hominy and buttermilk flan matched with Western style Carolina BBQ sauce and bread and butter pickles.

“I love the way the fat and the meat come together in the belly. Plus ‘lesser cuts’ are the best tasting parts and using them gives an extra helping hand to the farmer.”

Shaun Doty of Shaun’s
Menu: Newman Heritage Berkshire Whole Hog Tacos, smoked Mexican BBQ style.

“Atlanta loves Slow Food and Heritage Foods USA – and so do I!”

Joe Truex and Mihoko Obunai of Repast
Menu: Lazy Farm Red Wattle Spare Ribs with a garlic, lemon and rosemary dry rub and Napa cabbage coleslaw.

“Pig on wood is nothing but good.”

Carmen Capello of Global Culinary
Menu: Sequatchie Cove Farm Lamb Carpaccio with baby basil salad, salmon caviar, and roasted garlic oil / Spicy Braised Lamb Tacos in a chipotle aioli and green tomato relish / Shaved Lamb Gyros in a cucumber foam, avocado sour cream.

“It is a great day when the planets align to bring together great chefs, heritage products and new ideas.”

Gerry Klaskala of Aria
Menu: White Oak Pastures Beef Brisket White Corn Tortillas served with guajillo chili and a new take on BBQ sauce.

“I love Texas-style BBQ and am thrilled for the opportunity to outdo my comrades in Texas in downtown Atlanta”

Delia Champion of Flying Biscuit
Menu: Good Shepherd Ranch Heritage Turkey Barbequed in Root Beer and set on a flying biscuit.

“I’m thrilled to be part of such a good cause and plus I get to use fabulous products. Nothing could be better than an afternoon like this.”

Ron Eyester of Food 101
Menu: Sequatchie Cove Farm Coca-Cola and Balsamic Braised Beef Ribs and White Oak Pastures Mustard-Seed Roasted Beef Brisket with sweet chili slaw.

“Bringing together unlikely ingredients is a big part of New School barbequing”

Robert Gerstenecker of Park 75 at the Four Seasons
Menu: Newman Heritage Berkshire Pulled Pork Sandwich on sweet potato brioche with Ground Chuck Chili-Dogs from White Oak Pastures.

“It’s a great opportunity to participate with such good food while giving back at the same time.”

Hugh Acheson of Five & Ten
Menu: Lazy Farm Red Wattle Braised Pork Belly with a citrus salad chili vinaigrette.

“I love belly because it is an easy cut to work with but most people don’t commonly eat much of it. I’m looking forward to introducing more people to my bellies.”

David Larkworthy of 5 Seasons Brewery
Menu: Cracklin’ Scallion Sequatchie Cove Farm Whole Ossabaw Hog Crepe in a regional BBQ sauce.

“Not only is the Ossabaw pig one of the rarest varieties, it is also one of the tastiest and Bill Keener raises some of the best.”

Chef Cathy Conway of Avalon Catering
Menu: White Oak Pastures Slow Roasted Beef Brisket Tacos with Anson Mills corn masa tortillas in a salsa molcajete.

“What could be more appropriate for a Cinco de Mayo celebration than beef brisket tacos.”

Chef Todd Mussman, Ryan Turner and Ryan Hidinger of Muss & Turners
Menu: Riverview Farms Bone-in Ham, house-brined and smoked with special sauces.

“Wes and Charlotte from Riverview have great heritage pork. We find their marbled hams work perfectly with our secret brining recipe.”

Chef David Sturgis of Farm 255
Menu: Slow-roast Riverview Farm Pork Shoulder accented by a selection of Athens style BBQ sauces.

“Turning tougher cuts of meat into unctuous treasures, spending time with family and friends, eating way too much, it's hard not to love the BBQ.”

Michael Tuohy of Woodfire Grill
Menu: House-made Tamworth Farm Fennel Sausage with Anson Mills polenta and San Marzano tomatoes.

“Pure, honest and good is the best way to describe Curtis White’s pork – and he’s local to Atlanta!”

Steve Farace of SweetWater Brewing Company
Menu: 420 Extra Pale Ale, Hummer Belgian White, Blue Light Wheat Ale with Blueberries on draft.

“Don’t float the mainstream”

Hi-Tech Grilling?

I know I work in tech support. I know I love to grill. But has it really come down to this?

Charcoal Bob has created an on-line "Cookout Calculator." It's an interesting website that helps you detemine how long to grill meat and chicken on your various types of grills. It even allows for multiple cuts of meats and different degrees of "doneness - well, rare, medium etc."

This seems like a great little program, but kinda takes the fun out of it don't ya think?