My Asian-inspired pulled pork sandwich...yes, I dared!

I finally did it. On Sunday July 4th, after a few weekends of barbecuing on my Weber Performer (the last time, smoking a chicken), I got up the courage to use their massive 22-inch Smokey Mountain Cooker. I must admit to have been a little overwhelmed by its appearance. Intimidating, it looks like no other BBQ equipment I’ve ever used before. The encouraging thing is that I’m in good hands when it comes to barbecuing, my pitmaster friends always ready to offer some good tips at a moment’s notice.

Taking the bull by the horns, I decide to tackle the task at hand on my own at first. Following the instructions in the manual, I study Smokey from the bottom up, building the fire in the pit, filling the water pan with equal parts water and 100% fruit juice, and placing the spice-rubbed pork butts (top part of the shoulder), fat side down on the grates directly above. There is nothing more simple, quite frankly. It’s maintaining the temperature at 250°F for 12 hours for each of the 9-pound butts that can be tricky.

Weber's 22-inch Smokey Mountain Cooker...inexpensive, efficient, and user-friendly!

An attractive, well-constructed cooker, the Smokey looks like something between a barrel and a bullet, standing vertically with 3 vents equidistant from each other at the bottom, and one on the lid at the top directly opposite the thermometer. Aside from refueling halfway through the low-and-slow cooking process, the vents are key in controlling the temperature at a steady 250°F. The more open the vents are, the more air feeds the fire. The more closed they are, the less air gets in, choking the fire and lowering the temperature. I’m amazed at how this relatively inexpensive cooker performs. The heat is steady, and I barely have to adjust the temperature using the vents; may be a half a dozen times throughout the duration of this 12 or so hour exercise.

For someone like me who is extremely tactile and curious, keeping the lid closed throughout the cooking is definitely challenging. I want to see what’s happening, but any pitmaster will tell you “if you’re looking, you’re not cooking!” That makes sense, because if I wanted to check out the butts, as often as I do, the meat would be raw after 12 hours of cooking, from opening the lid too often. I’m not used to not looking, but this time, I decide to be patient, which definitely pays off in absolutely delicious pork butts, buttery in consistency with meat falling off the bones effortlessly. Registering at 195°F internally, I pull the meat, chop it, and stack it on a bun, topped with my hoisin-based BBQ sauce and Asian coleslaw, for my version of the classic American pulled pork sandwich.

From L to R: raw, rubbed, and smoked!

CT’S ASIAN FIVE-SPICE DRY RUB
(enough for two 9 to 10 pound pork butts)

1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup kosher salt
2 tablespoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon Chinese five-spice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
CT’s secret spice(s); every pitmaster has at least one!

Mix together well and sprinkle generously all over the pork butt or shoulder.

CT’s ASIAN BBQ SAUCE
(makes 2 cups; enough to moisten 24 pulled pork sandwiches)

1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons mirin (sweet sake)
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
2 tablespoons sriracha (smooth chili sauce)
1 ounce ginger, freshly grated
1 large garlic clove, freshly grated
1 scallion, minced
CT’s secret ingredient!

Whisk together well and drizzle over pulled pork sandwich

CT’s ASIAN COLESLAW
(makes a lot, enough for a small crowd!)

1/4 cup shiro-miso (white miso)
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons mirin
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce
2 pounds shredded green cabbage
One 12-ounce bag shredded broccoli and carrot mix
1 small to medium onion, minced
1/2 large red bell pepper, finely chopped
CT’s secret ingredient

In a large bowl, stir together the miso, vinegar, mirin, chili-garlic sauce, oil, and honey. Add the cabbage, broccoli and carrots, onion, bell pepper, and toss well. Let macerate for 2 hours, tossing occasionally to redistribute the ingredients and dressing.

I can tell you that the recipes above are delicious even with a few ingredients missing. This wasn’t my idea, but I was told it is necessary and just the way it is in the BBQ world. You just never know when I might compete, and I wouldn’t want to come up against you with my recipes.

Beverage of choice…a cold beer!

Enjoy, as always!
CT

First BBQ Chicken with my Original Asian White Sauce!

As soon as it gets warm outside, the grills get fired up, and aromas waft through the air, from one neighbor’s backyard to the next. On this July 4^th weekend, I’m going to enjoy the fireworks, the company of friends, and parties with lots of food and wine. Indeed, on my side of the fence, I’m experimenting with barbecue flavored with Asian spices and condiments.

My goal this weekend is to cook low-and-slow over indirect heat and create a new kind of barbecue, one incorporating Asian ingredients, omitting the traditional ones, and all the while staying with the basic principle of balancing spices and herbs over a canvas of salt and sugar.

My Weber Performer definitely performed!

Last night I created my very own white sauce based on Big Bob Gibson’s Bar-B-Q Original White Sauce in Decatur, Alabama, where it was invented and made popular.  While the original uses mayonnaise as its base, mine uses coconut milk, and the rest of the ingredients are just as different. The one basic rule still remains, however. It’s tangy, sweet, and salty and ever so slightly bitter and spicy. Otherwise said, it’s balanced!

CT’S ORIGINAL ASIAN WHITE SAUCE

coconut milk, fish sauce, ginger, garlic, shallot, curry, rice vinegar, oh my...

(about 2-1/4 cups and good for a 4-pound roaster!)

2 cups coconut milk
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon curry powder (or garam masala)
1 ounce ginger, freshly grated
1 large garlic clove, freshly grated
1 large shallot, freshly grated
1 teaspoon chili paste (optional)

Marinate the chicken in the white sauce for 12 hours, refrigerated.

Preparing the Weber Performer for indirect heat cooking, I’m preheating the grill to 325°F for 20 minutes, the charcoal baskets filled halfway up with Kingsford briquettes.

Once you see white ash, push the charcoal baskets off to one side of the grill, leaving the other side void.

soak apple wood chunks in the water-juice concoction...why not?!

For extra flavor, soak some apple wood chunks for a couple of hours and throw them on the hot charcoal. Place an aluminum pan filled with equal parts water and 100% fruit juice (apple, white grape, or pineapple, for example) underneath the grill grate, with the chicken skin side up on the grate and directly above the pan. Cook, with lid down for about 1 hour. Baste with marinade and return bird, turning it 180° (so the legs are now closer to the heat source) to the pit covered with lid for another 45 minutes to 1 hour until done, which means when the joints are loose and you can twist them easily. If you prefer, stick a thermometer in the bird and when the temperature reaches 160°F in the breasts and 175°F in the thighs, pull it out, let it rest for 15 minutes, and enjoy this succulent bird with a big salad on the side.

partying and barbecuing for the next few days...tongs in one hand, wine in the other!

Now my friend, well-known pitmaster and best-selling author Chris Lilly, always says “if you’re opening the lid, you’re not cookin’.” Well that’s true, but considering how tactile and curious I am, barbecuing “the right way” is challenging for me. Patience is definitely a virtue and I’ve been put to the test.

…and now off to buy more meat and charcoal! Pork shoulder is in my (and your) near future. Firing up Smokey tonight around midnight for some pulled pork sandwich tomorrow for lunch. It comes with a little of this and that, and a bit of hoisin BBQ sauce on the side, please!

Happy 4^th of July, y’all y’all…

CT

flipping meat back and forth every few minutes will ensure even cooking throughout, a beautiful golden color, and no burning! (it's almost there, another 5 to 10 minutes and I'm digging in.)

It’s lunch time and a rack of lamb, trimmed French-style, seasoned with a sweet and savory Chinese five-spice rub, sounds really good served with a mixed green and fresh herb salad. This is a perfect meal that is neither too light nor too heavy but just right and satisfying.

Charcoal baskets filled and set inside my Weber Performer, I fire up the grill and let the flames settle. Like all cooking techniques, grilling  requires some imagination and close attention. I don’t just throw a good piece of meat on a hot grate and leave. Any good meat has a fair amount of fat, which will cause flare ups, and I’m not really looking for an amazing cut like a rack of lamb to be engulfed in flames and charred beyond recognition. When grilling over direct heat I like to doctor the meat, meaning keep a close watch while flipping it back and forth so as to distribute the heat evenly throughout while crisping it to a rich golden color. (The alternative is burnt meat, which tends to taste bitter and is considered a carcinogen, which I would imagine is undesirable!).

I love grilling lamb, more so than roasting or braising it. Gamy in flavor, it’s enhanced with a

a refreshing summer salad helps digest the heavier part of the meal, in this case a delicious rack of lamb!

subtle smokey flavor that pairs well with the spices used. I have to admit that this Chinese style spice rub is something I am still developing, which is why this weekend I’ve applied it to a small portion of meat cooked over direct heat in preparation for the big July 4th weekend when I’ll be doing brisket, pork shoulder, and ribs. I’m a bit nervous because so far it’s an experiment. I’m playing with Asian spices, which for the most part, tend to be more pronounced than those used in classic American BBQ dry rubs. Additionally, in Asia, herbal pastes are used in combination with dried spices to flavor meats such as the popular skewered meats known as satay. While I test the waters, I’ll be light handed to make sure that at the very least I’m going in the right direction. Here I’ve combined both wet and dry ingredients. Nothing fancy, but definitely delicious! Check out the recipes below:

CT’s Simple Asian Dry Rub

(makes about 1/4 cup)

2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon Chinese five-spice powder

In a small bowl, mix the sugar, salt, and five-spice powder thoroughly.

CT’s Five Spice Rack of Lamb
(serves 4, or less!)

2 racks of lamb
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and grated
1 ounce ginger, peeled and grated
CT’s Simple Asian Dry Rub (see above)

1) Preheat the Weber Performer for 15 minutes.

2) Meanwhile rub each rack with grated garlic and ginger, then sprinkle the dry rub generously on both sides. Shake access rub off and place racks over direct heat, fat side down. Turn every 2 minutes to desired doneness and until golden crisp. Lamb is best when cooked medium rare, or medium.

CT’s Leafy Green Mix
(serves 4)

1 cup tatsoy
1 cup arugula
8 large red oak leaf, each torn into 3 to 4 pieces (don’t tear them too small or they will wilt quickly)
4 leaves curly endive, each torn into 6 to 8 pieces
8 fresh herb leaves (cilantro, parsley, mint, tarragon, etc…torn if leaves are too large
1 ripe avocado, chopped
2 to 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon or more dark honey
freshly ground salt and pepper to taste

In a large wooden shallow bowl, toss the leafy greens and herbs together. Drizzle with rice vinegar, followed by olive oil. Dip a fork into the honey jar, letting most of it drip back in. Guide the fork back and forth over the mixed greens so as to distribute the honey all over. Season with salt and pepper and let stand for 15 minutes. Do not toss or the leaves will wilt quickly. Instead let the vinegar and oil trickle down in between the leaves.

This is an easy, elegant, and satisfying meal that can be thrown together in 20 minutes or less. I made this for a friend of mine who walked away with a smile spanning from one ear to the other. I think it’ll make yours happy too!

bon appétit!
CT

Block party over, we all gathered at Hill Country on Sunday night for some down time and a beer!

The Big Apple BBQ Block Party 2010 has come and gone. For pitmasters the event started on Friday night, setting up their massive BBQ rigs, firing them up, and loading tons of meat from ribs, to brisket, sausage, pork shoulders, whole hogs, and more. It’s a huge event that takes place during the second weekend in June on both Saturday and Sunday, with over 100,000 visitors eating their way through just shy of twenty BBQ stations. The wait can be long, but rain or shine, they stand in line hoping pitmasters don’t run out of the food. The best is when they make it to the front of the line and get served. The worst is when they see a man standing in line with them but holding that blue flag, signaling that the pitmaster is about to run out of “Q”, as was the case with Big Bob Gibson’s award-winning pulled pork sandwich.

Big Bob Gibson’s Chris Lilly at the 2010 Big Apple BBQ Block Party from Anthony Quintano on Vimeo.

full of historical and personal anecdotes...Chris Lilly makes you want to "Q!"

Sunday looked like last year’s Sunday. Gray! And when it finally rained, umbrellas went up, and business went on as usual. I’d been working long hours with Chris Lilly and his crew since Friday night and right through Sunday evening. My body is glad it’s over because barbecuing in a serious way for thousands of people can be taxing. The hard part is knowing that it’ll be a year before I see my Alabama friends. Like Chris always says, barbecue is about so much more than the food. It’s about being in the company of  friends and having a great time, and so I may have worked about 15 hours a day, but I never felt them.

Chris Lilly’s Injection and Dry Rub recipe  for his award-winning Pork Shoulder, adapted from his best-selling book Big Bob Gibson’s BBQ Book (Clarkson Potter, 2009):

For the INJECTION:

3/4 cup apple juice

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 salt

2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce

For the DRY RUB:

1/2 tablespoon dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

2-1/4 teaspoons garlic salt

2-1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/8 teaspoon dried oregano

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

***Both rub and injection liquid are enough for a 16-18 pound whole pork shoulder. Set your grill/cooker at 225°F. (The charcoal should be set to one side of the pit, leaving the other side void. While bringing cooker to temperature, inject the shoulder with the liquid using a syringe, then rub the shoulder with the spice mix all over. Place the shoulder, fat side down over the void side of the grill. Place lid, and cook shoulder for 14 to 16 hours, or until the internal temperature of the meat has reached 195°F. Transfer meat to cutting board, let rest for 30 minutes, and using insulated rubber gloves, pull the bone from the meat and discard. Then press down the meat and watch it fall apart. Remove any visible fat, and start chopping.

I highly recommend getting a few bottles of Big Bob Gibson’s Championship BBQ Sauce. It’s to die for!

Next weekend…pork shoulder infused with my Asian-inspired injection and rub as well as a new kind of BBQ Sauce. Ingredients such as lychee juice, coconut water, hoisin, soy sauce, five-spice, and more will be used. I’ll be loading up “Smokey” for the first time and testing these new recipes in time for July 4th weekend. It’s going to be an all-nighter!

crowded by Big Bob Gibson's

It’s 1 AM and I’m finally home, showered and in bed “resting my trotters,” as pitmaster Chris Lilly would say. It’s been a long 15-hour day of pulling and chopping close to 200 pork butts (top of the shoulder) to make thousands of the famous Big Bob Gibson pulled pork sandwich. Down to the last few sandwiches at around 4:30 PM this afternoon, Don MacLemore, grandson of the late Big Bob himself, walked down the line of hungry patrons, counting heads and keeping the few lucky ones while turning away the rest telling them, “come back tomorrow early!” This is my second year on the team and in my experience, cookers loaded to the max, we’ve always run out of pork butt early. The meat is that special.

Chris Lilly squirting his secret spicy vinegar concoction and couldn't wait until I was finish chopping!

It’s truly an honor to be here and there’s not one part of my job I don’t love when working this event. Sure, it’s hard work—I’d be lying, if I said that my body didn’t ache right now—but the company is such that every aspect of it is fun as well. Our assembly line is solid. Some of us unload the pork, while others inject, or rub, or load the cookers. And when that’s done, we make the coleslaw. I like to do a bit of everything because every time I do, I learn something new.

chopped and ready for the pulled pork sandwich assembly line

Tonight I picked up on a detail that is almost foreign to me. My attitude has always been “a little bit of this and that” in the kitchen. Something I learned from my grandmother who never measured anything but whose food was sublime. When it comes to barbecue, however, Chris always preaches precision. And while he too goes by feel, his approach is to never leave anything to chance. The ingredients are always the same, and measuring them is key. “The only way you can hope to win in competition is if your product is consistently great.” He’s a champion several times over, so he should know.

after a long day of pleasing the crowd, more injecting and rubbing to be done for the next day...

As we prepare the meat for the last day of this event, Chris will call out “3 full syringes into each shoulder.” For rubbing he’ll make sure the rub has gone all over “except for the flap.” And when it comes time to chop, he’ll feel each hot butt in the cooker until he finds one that “gives just right,” meaning until the meat giggles and falls off the bone. It’s an art and he breathes it. Enthralled by this experience, I begin to imagine my own pork butt loaded with my special Asian-inspired BBQ injection liquid and spice rub. Soon, I’ll be doing more than imagining. Stay tuned!

…and if you haven’t had a Big Bob Gibson pulled pork sandwich, stop by 27th and Madison. It’s worth the wait, but like Don MacLemore says, come early. We start serving at 11 AM until we run out!

(photography © by Anthony Quintano. All rights reserved.)

Chris Lilly (in blue) injecting pork butts, me directly across occasionally squirting my neighbors...no syringe needles broken this year!

… here again at the Big Apple BBQ Block Party working alongside celebrity pitmaster Chris Lilly…

It’s that time of year when pitmasters from around the country gather at Madison Square Park to serve tourists and New Yorkers hungry for ribs, sausage, brisket, and pulled pork. I’m here again at the Big Apple BBQ Block Party working alongside celebrity pitmaster Chris Lilly of the legendary Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur, AL, and best selling author of Big Bob Gibson’s BBQ Book (Clarkson Potter, 2009).

Reporting for duty last night, our assembly line was full of eager-to-learn friends. We unloaded pork butts from cartons. Weighing an average of 10 pounds a piece, we transferred close to 200 pieces onto our workstations where we injected them with a spicy and savory liquid concoction and rubbed them with a spice mix. By 9 PM, the cookers were fully loaded and I was on coleslaw duty, tilling shredded veggies including cabbage, carrots, onions, and peppers, with sugar and mustard dressing. Up to my elbows in sticky, creamy, deliciously sweet goo, my arms practically fell off by the end of the evening. I’m not complaining, and in fact I’ll be back at it again today, absorbing fine details of true barbecue, as I unload juicy, savory and sweet pork butts, chopping them for the much sought after pulled pork sandwich Big Bob Gibson is known for.

Now my Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker is at home waiting for me to fire it up for some serious Asian-inspired BBQ. I’ve not forgotten you “Smokey,” I’m just here learning from the best, only to return with the tools I need to load you up with confidence, YA hear…

Vietnamese-inspired Surf 'N' Turf, lemongrass-infused head-on jumbo shrimp and pork chops with mango salad and Asian greens on the side...

Impromptu dinners are fun, especially when you can enjoy them outdoors. In a sort of “Iron Chef” fashion I go to my fridge and take a look at what I can throw together for dinner in the spur of the moment, and in a half hour with what is readily available. And since I never know who is going to show up at my door (family or friends, or both, and all with different food preferences), I always have a loaded fridge. For Asian-inspired meals, my arsenal includes ginger, scallion, and garlic, along with fish sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, shiro-miso (“white” soybean paste), coconut milk, five-spice, and sriracha, a chili and garlic sauce. Lemongrass, cilantro, and mint, and when available Thai basil, I also have on hand.

mango salad and farm-fresh tatsoy...and Brett!

This summer, I’ll also be enjoying the farmers market every Thursday in Westport, CT. This week, the tatsoy was looking so good, I bought a little over a pound to complement a mango salad and Vietnamese-inspired Surf ‘n Turf, head-on jumbo shrimp with 1-inch thick cut pork chops. That’s right in Southeast Asia, seafood is so abundant and pork so inexpensive that they are often combined. And this is a protein combo that will not break the bank, unlike the classic (albeit, delicious) lobster and beef filet mignon version.

Weber's Touch-N-Go Ignition system...reliable and efficient!

My friend Brett is over for dinner tonight and is watching me cook, though like many guys, quickly notices the equipment. He walks over to the Weber Performer and starts drooling as he scans the apparatus. Meanwhile, I’m knee deep in fish sauce, sugar, and vinegar. “I don’t get it,” he says, “It’s a charcoal grill but it’s got a propane tank?” So in my how-to-impress-a-guy style, I confidently download the technical stuff. “Yep! You turn the gas knob counterclockwise one full turn, push the ignition button and voilà! It’s all fired up and ready to go!” And with that, my charcoal starts smoking in no time at all. “Then you turn the gas knob clockwise all the way to shut off the gas, and watch your charcoal continue to burn and turn whitish-gray. That’s what you look for before you put the meat on the grill.”

He also notices the Smokey Mountain Cooker next to the Performer, and says “that too?” and with a grin I say, “oh yeah, I’ll be smokin’ this summer. I can load up about 60 pounds of meat, no problem! You’ll have to come back for that “

And while taking a whiff of the fish sauce almost sent him flying over the railing of my deck as he uttered the words “What the heck…” Apparently, it was a scent he had not encountered before. “A nice chilled beer, perhaps?” I asked, and we continued our evening, sharing a delicious dinner en tête-à-tête. I even got him to suck the juice out of the shrimp heads. The pork chops were deliciously pink in the center and a nice counterpoint to the sour, sweet, and spicy mango salad and refreshing farm-fresh tatsoy. And, he cleaned his plate!

CT’s BASIC SOUTHEAST-ASIAN LEMONGRASS MARINADE (for all sorts of meats and seafood, especially delicious with pork chops and shrimp! This is enough marinade for 1 pound of shrimp and 2 thick cut pork chops. Serves 2 to 4)

1/3 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup palm sugar (or regular)
1 tablespoon grapeseed (or vegetable) oil
1 large garlic clove, grated
1 lemongrass stalk, trimmed, outer bruised leaves removed, stalk grated (from purple to light green parts, about 8 to 10 inches)

In a bowl whisk the fish sauce and sugar until completely dissolved. Add the oil, garlic and lemongrass.

TIP: dealing with head-on shrimp. Cut through the back side of the shrimp to devein, but leave the shells and head intact. The shells will add flavor and keep the meat from burning. The head is full of delicious tomalley. Enjoy it!

Marinate for 20 minutes and grill over direct heat at first so as to crisp, then continue over indirect heat to finish cooking.

CT’s SOUTHEAST ASIAN SOUR MANGO SALAD (serves 2 to 4)

3 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons palm sugar (or regular)
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice, or rice vinegar
2 unripe, hard to the touch mangoes, peeled and shredded
2 red Thai chilies, seeded, and sliced into thin rings
a few freshly torn Thai basil leaves, or cilantro or mint leaves for the garnish
a sprinkling of freshly crushed roasted, unsalted peanuts for the garnish (optional)

In a medium bowl, whisk together the fish sauce, citrus juice or vinegar, and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the mango and chilies, and toss. Let stand for 10 minutes and drain. Transfer the salad to a serving bowl and garnish with the fresh basil, cilantro, or mint.

Enjoy these new recipes this Summer and don’t forget to come back next week when we explore lamb, Asian-style!

CT

I’m excited that Memorial Day Weekend is finally here. For me, it marks the end of a harsh Winter and wet Spring, and the beginning of the bright hot Summer ahead. It also means firing up the grill just about everyday from now until Fall.

I think it’s fair to say that BBQ is all the rage these days. It’s been in the news for the last several years in a big way, and touted as a culinary tradition that can be as complex and refined as French or Chinese cooking, for example. I’ve tasted, seen, and engaged in lively and passionate conversations, and agree that barbecue is no small subject with regional variations to satisfy just about any palate. In the Winter of 2009, TLC launched a new show, “BBQ Pitmasters,” which followed such industry greats as Chris Lilly, Harry Soo, and Myron Mixon in their quest for first place on the competition circuit, and heightened its popularity.

I’ve often dreamed of hauling a massive BBQ rig with an equally massive pick-up truck, but the cost can be prohibitive and unless I plan on competing several times a year (which may happen!), it’s just not practical. Besides, light, affordable, efficient, and reliable, I hear Weber does well in competition.

For well over a decade, I’ve grilled on Weber’s classic charcoal kettles including the One Touch Gold and Ranch, which I used to test the recipes in my cookbook, The Asian Grill (Chronicle Books, 2006). I keep going back to Weber because the equipment is easy to assemble, use, and clean. It’s also long lasting, readily available (check out your local hardware store!), and affordable compared to many brands on the market. I also love their huge line of accessories including skewers, mittens, spatulas, and pizza stone (yes, my Chinese scallion pancakes and Indian parathas will be cooked on one this summer), rib racks, roasters, and more. The product is solid on every level.

This weekend I’m grilling on The Performer for the first time. It’s similar to the 22.5-inch One Touch Gold kettle in construction, but features Weber’s signature “Touch-N-Go” ignition system, which requires no lighting fluid. A bit apprehensive at first about connecting the propane tank to the gas connection, I am surprised at how easy it is to install. Tight fitted, it’s perfectly safe not to mention convenient, with the charcoal lighting up in less than 5 minutes, and gray ash appearing in just 15 minutes more. It’s fast, if not faster than using my favorite chimney, and I only had to fill each baskets three quarters of the way with charcoal to cook a meal “serves 4 to 6.”

So here I am on the Friday night of this long holiday weekend, with Kingsford Charcoal Briquets (efficient and long lasting, you only need a few) burning hot in the baskets pushed off to the sides of the kettle, I start the drumsticks over direct heat to crisp them lightly, then move them to the center for some indirect heat action. The cover down to enhance the flavor of this soy-sauce ginger, and five-spice-marinated chicken, I’m now staring at the bok choy on my kitchen counter thinking, “grill them…” and I do using Weber’s Vegetable Basket. Seasoned lightly with sesame oil, salt and pepper, I serve the bright green, crunchy and tender leaves along with mushroom fried rice as sides. Check out the recipes below:

RECIPE 1: Five-Spice Soy Sauce Marinade (excellent for chicken, beef, pork, duck, venison, buffalo, and ostrich. You canalso include 1 teaspoon per 6-ounce burger…just mix it into the meat and shape the patty.)

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup palm sugar (or regular sugar)

1 ounce ginger, finely grated (about 1-inch piece)

1 large garlic clove, finely grated

1 scallion, trimmed and minced

2 Thai chilies, seeded and minced

1 teaspoon five-spice powder

1) In a bowl, whisk the soy sauce and sugar, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Stir in the ginger, garlic, scallion, chilies, and five-spice powder.

2) With a fork, poke holes all over the drumsticks. Add to the marinade, tossing every 10 minutes for 30 minutes.

3) Place on the grill directly over the charcoal for 5 minutes, turning the pieces often so as not to burn them. Then move them away from the charcoal, to continue over indirect heat until the juices run clear, about 15 minutes more.

RECIPE 2: Grilled Bok Choy (both white and green stem, the latter also know as “Shanghainese” bok choy)

1-1/2 pounds baby bok choy, or other leafy greens

2 teaspoons grapeseed oil

2 teaspoons sesame oil

salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, toss the bok choy with oils and salt and pepper. Transfer to the Weber Vegetable Bastket and place on the grill directly over the charcoal. Stir-fry as you would in a wok, so as not to burn the vegetables. Cook until tender yet firm, about 10 minutes.

RECIPE 3: Mushroom Fried-Rice with Shitakes

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

1 large garlic clove, minced

4 large dried shitake mushrooms, soaked in water until soft, stems removed, and caps julienned

3 cups cooked brown jasmine rice

In a large skillet or wok over high heat, add the oil and stir-fry the garlic and mushroom until fragrant and golden, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and continue to stir-fry until hot. Serve with grilled vegetables and marinated chicken.

…and there you have it, a delicious first dinner grilled on my favorite equipment.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend, my Friends! Come back next Friday for more recipes. I’ll be exploring a Vietnamese-inspired “surf ‘n turf!”

Bon appétit!

CT

Starstruck...here with "The Legend" Mike Mills, author of Peace, Love & Barbecue (2005)

I’ve infiltrated the world of competitive barbecue. I’m in with the big boys…

Barbecue is like a sport. I never thought about this until Saturday, October 24th, 2009, pulled up at a table preparing to judge my very first competition and most prestigious of them all, the 2009 Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational Barbecue, simply and most often referred to as “The Jack.” I am as excited to be here as a kid in a candy or toy store.

I’ve infiltrated the world of competitive barbecue. I’m in with the big boys—Paul Kirk, Mike Mills, Adam Perry Lang (this year’s honorary pitmaster), and Ray Lampe to name a few. Collectively responsible for putting barbecue on the culinary map, they are celebrity pitmasters and renowned cookbook authors who have competed on the circuit from the Eastern to Western, and Northern to Southern United States. I’ve prepared for this moment. I’ve trained my palate over many years, seeking out the best ribs, brisket, pork, chicken, and BBQ sauce

judges autographing aprons...great tradition! (photo by Karen Walker)

this country has to offer. I’ve stood in front of my own cooker for hours, maintaining a low-and-slow temperature to render all sorts of seasoned meats tender to the bone. I’ve learned techniques from one of the greats, Chris Lilly of the legendary Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur, AL. I’ve taken a 4-hour judging course with master judge Ron Harwell, Ph. B. (no I’m not making this up, it’s a doctorate in barbecue!) and am now a Certified Barbecue Judge, according to the Kansas City Barbecue Society and own a monogrammed maroon KCBS T-shirt and “CBJ” pin to prove it. I’ve recently started to read The Bull Sheet and the National Barbecue News at the breakfast table, in lieu of The New York Times. I’ve come a long way, and now, here in Lynchburg TN (pop. 400+/-, but during event 25,000+), I am ready to taste multiple entries of sauce, choice meat, chicken, ribs, pork, and brisket, with dessert thrown in the mix. It’s a tough job, but I’m ready to handle it like the trained pro that I am.

Ray Lampe, aka Dr. BBQ...

This 2-day event begins with a party “up on the hill” at the Jack Daniel Distillery on Friday night. And though we’re in a dry county, all is forgotten as pitmasters, judges, and event organizers get in line for the 80-proof nectar, ordering it straight up, on the rocks, or with coke or lemonade, the latter referred to as the Lynchburg Lemonade. Though no barbecue is served on the eve of the big competition, the dinner menu is still very typically southern, as in “meat and three,” including fried chicken with mashed potatoes, cornbread, and sugar snap peas. The place is packed with cheerful people eating and drinking, standing or seated at long communal tables. The four-piece band is excellent, playing classic rock tunes, and occasionally shifting gears to more contemporary stuff to please a crowd varying in age. I grab my friend, Traci Rodemeyer (aka @PorkPrincess) who seems to show up with her “Pork, The Other White Meat” team at every BBQ event on the planet, and say “let’s dance!” And we do to Sweet Home Alabama hoping to get some to join in, but no one does. Now, if the party were in New York City, boys and girls would be cutting the rug. I quickly realize that it’s the eve of the competition, a moment they’ve all been waiting for. They drink and eat sensibly, and are simply too preoccupied to really let loose. At least that’s what I tell myself as we both quickly leave the “dance floor” and return to our table where Ray Lampe, Jack-and-Coke in hand, is holding fort and catching up with fellow BBQ pitmasters.

They've come a long way from Poland to compete and did win a prize

It’s dark and cold, but the air is definitely sweet.

The party over by 9 PM, competitors get on buses heading back to the grounds. I decide to follow them for a closer behind-the-scenes look. It’s dark and cold, but the air is definitely sweet. Aisles formed and dotted by uneven lighting, I start to walk up, down, and around each tent complete with cooker, workstation, and RV. A Team from the Mississippi Delta sings the blues while strumming guitars in need of tuning. Another blasts Bon Jovi on the radio, while another puts finishing touches on jerry-rigged oil barrels turned cookers. And though the teams are U.S.-based for the most part, it is an international event with competitors from Luxembourg, Germany, Poland, and England as well. Like them, I can’t believe I made it here. It is a big deal, and more exciting to me than judging, is seeing these guys—and occasionally gals—light up their cookers, mop their ribs, rub their briskets, and inject their pork, for the chance to win the big prize. They smile as I make the rounds, but I feel the tension in their faces. It’s almost as if they can’t wait until it’s over even though it is just the beginning. Technically I can’t talk to them, and don’t other than congratulate them for having made it to The Jack and wishing them luck as they prep and cook. The truth is that while I’m looking forward to judging, what I really want to do is get my hands dirty and cook with them.

Adam Perry Lang, 2009 Honorary Pitmaster and owner of NYC's Daisy May's (FYI: excellent short ribs!)

The oath!

It’s morning and the competition is about to start, but not without first being sworn in with the following oath:

I do solemnly swear
To objectively and subjectively evaluate
Each Barbeque meat
That is presented
To my eyes, my nose, my hands and my palate
I accept my duty
To be an Official KCBS Certified Judge
So that truth, Justice, Excellence in Barbeque
And the American Way of Life
May be strengthened and preserved
Forever

…on the sweet and sticky side…

Now I’ve judge food competitions before, but must admit that this one feels different. The fact that I’m a classically trained chef and food professional, having written 6 cookbooks has no bearing here. I’ve sat through a mandatory 4-hour “how to judge BBQ” class to prepare for this and taken an oath. As I sit, ready to judge the first category, the table captains (a wife and husband team) recite numbers as I note them down on my scorecard. Six to seven entries total each for sauce, then meat upon meat entries presented on parsley or green oak leaf lettuce (not red, an automatic disqualification) and set in Styrofoam boxes. Some are tender, some chewy, some sticky, with varying flavors many of which tend to be on the sweet, sticky side, we the six judges at my table concur (after the judging is over that is, for we can’t talk during).

Good ‘ol Jack would have been proud

Some will go home with a statue of Jack Daniel, some with a bottle of No. 7, others with prize money ranging from $100 to $5000 (the top!), and one team will go home with the title of Grand Champion and braggin’ rights (I-QUE from Massachusetts, the big winners this year!), and the right to compete next year.

Judging BBQ competitions is fun, and I’m already penciling in two more I’d like to judge next year, Memphis in May and The American Royal in Kansas City. And the more I get to know pitmasters from around the country, the more I realize that competitions are really an excuse for them to come together and have a good time. In this case, everyone is winner. Amen!

Entering Smitty's

What I got was a crash course in brisket and BBQ lingo

Friends say that I’m obsessed with barbecue. I’ve always preferred the word “passionate,” myself.  It is an ongoing curiosity with me, and the art—because it is an art—of barbecuing fascinates me to no end. It’s also the people I’ve met while exploring this great culinary tradition that keeps me coming back for more. My Southern friends are like my European friends and family in many ways. They love to take their time to live, enjoying their meals over several hours while eating, drinking, and telling stories. Having lived in New York City for twenty or more years where everyone always seems to be in a rush is something I’ve never gotten used to. So naturally, I look forward to my trips to Austin, TX, where I get to take it all in at a slow and steady pace from the minute I land at the airport and imagine a distinct, enticing smoky aroma tickling my nose.

Kreuz' brisket

On this most recent trip I was on a mission to find the best brisket because that’s what Texas barbecue is known for. The problem is that I’ve tried brisket many times but have never really enjoyed it, finding it dry especially when compared to other cuts of beef I much prefer for their melt-in-your-mouth moist and tender character. For example, a buttery hanger steak, grilled until slightly charred on the outside and juicy medium-rare on the inside, and served with a pile of thin golden frites, a classic French bistro fare; or braised short ribs or oxtail with that sinewy tender meat that locks in all sorts of rich sauces like the fragrant traditional Vietnamese kho, a caramel and fish sauce-based braising liquid spiced with star anise, lemongrass, garlic, and chilies; or a thick slice of prime rib roasted in a hot oven until golden crisp, each bite sprinkled delicately with coarse sea salt and served with a large baked flaky potato on the side. So it’s not that I don’t love red meat, as some friends have argued when I’ve turned down brisket. I love it, but will admit to having shied away from this Texas favorite, until now.

Whole Foods' brisket: the turning point, no pun intended!

My newfound interest in brisket started this past June while I was on my book tour. There I was at Whole Foods on 6^th (the original!) preparing to teach a class celebrating my newly released book, Noodles Every Day (Chronicle Books, 2009) when I noticed a young man sitting in the classroom. He was wearing his chef’s whites and so I decided to strike up a conversation about brisket. It went something like this, “so what’s the deal with barbecued brisket?” Born and raised in Texas, he walked over to me and introduced himself as Lawrence Kocurek, the executive chef of this upscale supermarket. With great enthusiasm he responded, “I love it!” Naturally, I was curious as to why anyone would love a piece of meat that was dry. “Our brisket is not dry. It’s really good and juicy,” he insisted, “would you like to taste it?” I had convinced myself that it would be a waste of time, but when he asked “lean or fatty?” my ears perked up instantly. Nobody had ever given me a choice before in any of the barbecue joints I’d been to in the past. Excited, I quickly answered, “fatty, please,” which seemed logical to me.

Moments later Chef Kocurek returned with a white paper plate containing three thick slices of clearly juicy and fatty brisket. I couldn’t wait to take that first bite, and to my delight, it was tender, juicy, with the right amount of fat. “Why is it so good?” I asked him. “We cook our brisket at 220°F for at least 16 hours.” He then went on to describe the brisket as having two distinct parts, the fatty “top hemisphere” and the lean “bottom hemisphere.” When I explained to him that in the many years I’d been coming to Austin, not one pitmaster had ever offered me the fatty part, he responded, “yeah, they won’t unless you specifically ask for it.” Then I thought, not one of my Texan friends had ever informed me about the two cuts of brisket either, and when I’ve complained about how dry the meat was, it never occurred to anyone, not friends nor pitmasters, to explain to me that there were indeed two ways to order brisket. I was simply floored!

Shannon (meat coma, I think, but what a pal) as we finally get to City Market, our last BBQ joint on this tour.

I wanted a thicker bark and smokier flavor.

After my experience with Whole Foods’ brisket, I was intrigued and wanted to dig into the subject further. I wanted a thicker bark and smokier flavor. I called up my friend Shannon Henry, a competitive extreme mountain biker, and the only friend crazy enough to go BBQ joint hoping all day to taste brisket after brisket with me. I also knew it was Shannon’s favorite meat, and so he picked me up and we were on our way to Lockhart, a town in Hill Country, about an hour outside of Austin.

In preparation for this adventure, I sent out an “S.O.S to all pitmasters” I knew, asking them about the top and bottom hemisphere of the brisket. What I got was a crash course in brisket and BBQ lingo: 1) the whole brisket can be referred to as the “lobe,” “whole,” or “packer;” 2) it consists of two parts known as the “top hemisphere” and the “bottom hemisphere;” 3) the “bottom hemisphere” is also known as the “flat” or “lean;” 4) the “top hemisphere” is often called the “point,” “fatty”, “deckle,” or “good part;” and if you ever were curious as to where the “burnt ends” (quite literally) used to flavor baked beans came from, that would be the “point.”

“…think of it [brisket] as the unruly child of the BBQ world.”

Still, to make sure I had all of my ducks in a row, and before embarking on this beef-eating escapade, I thought I would reach out to pitmaster Bob Devine (most recently of Brother Jimmy’s in New York City) for some last words of wisdom, and sure enough he warned, “brisket is the hardest meat to cook to perfection. You have to think of it as the unruly child of the BBQ world. Not one of them is the same, every piece having a different fat and collagen content. Some will just never cook to completion. So producing a great brisket is something I admire a great deal.” This would explain the inconsistencies I’ve experienced when eating brisket.

And so with all of this in mind, Shannon and I were on our way to Lockhart where we would go to such famous places as Black’s, Kreuz Market, Smitty’s Market, and Chisholm Trail. We also went back to one of my old time favorites City Market in Luling, not to mention The Salt Lick in Driftwood, and Iron Works (known for their beef ribs, especially) in Austin the day before, without forgetting of course Whole Foods where my curiosity about brisket grew drastically upon tasting theirs. But by the time we got to Lockhart, I was confident about ordering, and when I came face to face with the pitmaster in each place I would ask for “brisket. The fatty please!”

At Black's slicing the "good part!"

Black’s was our first stop. When I reached the pit room where the pitmaster was slicing brisket, I asked for “the fatty, please,” to which he responded “ah…you want the good part,” and with that we both smiled as if we were in on a little secret no one else knew about. I walked off the line with brisket, sweet potatoes, and pickles on my plate, which I shared with my friend. I couldn’t wait to dig in and with gusto I took that first bite. Succulent with a good amount of bark, not too dark and not too light, not to thick and not too thin, it was basically balanced, perfect, more perfect than that of Whole Foods. And with that, Black’s’ brisket would become my new standard.

Kreuz was next. The massive, imposing cookers with fire pits off to the side at the very end projected about 1000 or more degrees. They were loaded with brisket among other meats, and made quite an impression. But while their brisket was good, it was not nearly as good as the first I’d tasted, being ever so slightly springy. Still this place was well worth the try and I would certainly go back just to take a closer look at these cookers. (The “original” sausage ruled, though!)

I’d been to Smitty’s before. It’s quite the place. With an old world character, it had a long dark hallway with industrial fans hanging from the ceiling, and a shop outfitted with old ice boxes, butcher blocks, meat scales, and old cash registers off to one side, with the prep and storage room next to it. The place felt as if time had stopped. Sitting at one of the long benches lined up against the wall, I quickly imagined the place decades earlier, people eating or ordering at the meat shop. I then went on to the pit room, where it was just like I remembered it years earlier. I loved the all brick cookers in a rather cramped space, noticing everyone sweating while standing on line in the steamy hot room, getting their orders served on craft paper. In the brightly lit dining room, another counter offered sides of avocado, pickles, and beverages. I ordered the dill pickle to accompany the brisket, which was good, tender, but definitely no match to Black’s’. Shannon and I moved on…

Black's BBQ Two Step!

“…I’d like to taste the point, the deckle, the good part…you know…the fatty,”

As proud as I was to know how to order “the fatty,” I would encounter push back at Chilsholm Trail when the guy completely ignored my request. I asked again, and he returned a look of disbelief asking while holding up the “flat,” “isn’t that fatty enough for you?” Standing at about 6′ and weighing about 300 pounds to my just shy of 5’4” and 125-pound frame, I pushed back “actually, no! I’d like to taste the point, the deckle, the good part…you know…the fatty,” trying every word in the BBQ brisket dictionary to make sure he understood what I was looking for. He returned with the fatty asking “how much?” And with that I said, “one slice, please!” (Remember, this was one of many I would taste that day, so I had to pace myself.) Chilsholm Trail’s walls were adorned with all sorts of recent awards. Strangely enough, their overly salted barbecue brisket (not to mention sides) was nothing to write home about.

Black’s was definitely hard to match, but still we decided to drive to Luling for City Market’s BBQ, one of my old time favorites. There’s something special about City Market. To this day, I’ll never forget the first time I went, which was about 14 years ago. Three guys just outside the joint, on the sidewalk, selling their pecan pies and peach pies while tap dancing and singing the blues, is a scene still vivid in my mind. It was one of those moments you couldn’t make up if you tried, and 14 years ago it was there for the taking. It’s a special place because this is where my love of barbecue began, where I understood for the first time how complex it was, and that it wasn’t just massive amounts of meat cooked in a large pit, but something refined with layers upon layers of flavors and textures intermingled into something that explodes in your mouth, while trying to figure out, “what?” “How?”

Black's brisket...the winner, this time!

Think of it as a religion…

Today, the brisket at Black’s’ wins. Who knows tomorrow? Everyone is entitled to an off day, and to be perfectly fair barbecue is better had during the early part of the day as opposed to late afternoon. Also, I should mention that when discussing BBQ, one should do so with caution. Think of it as a religion, as die-hard, loyal fans will swear by a specific joint, pitmaster, and style as in “wet” or “dry.” Lastly, realize that it is very much a matter of preference. For example, I like my sauce on the side, if any.

And with that, after eating barbecue for days, I came home from my trip appreciating brisket with a desire to learn more about this tough piece of meat turned tender by the low-and-slow cooking process. As soon as I opened the door to my New York City apartment, I dropped my bags and immediately went to my cookbook library, picking out my two favorite books on the subject: Ray Lampe’s Dr. BBQ’s Big-Time Barbecue Cookbook (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2005), and Chris Lilly’s Big Bob Gibson’s BBQ Book (Clarkson Potter, 2009). Written by two of our country’s most celebrated competitive champion pitmasters, both books are loaded with information on technique, styles, as well as tips for competing, not to mention delicious easy-to-follow recipes. Turning to page 59 in his book, Lampe explains that, “the whole brisket consists of two distinct muscles with two textures and very different fat percentages. The grain in both muscles is very coarse, but it runs in different directions,” which is why the brisket is generally split in two parts, the “flat,” being the “prettier muscle of the two,” and the “point” being the fattier and rarely sold alone because it is generally turned into burger meat instead. Turning to page 84 in his book, Lilly further explains that, “the toughest cuts can be made palatable through the slow-cooking process. These results are achieved by breaking down the collagen in the connective muscle tissues, yielding tenderness.”

Reading this book is like talking to Ray Lampe...Fun read with great recipes!

Full of historical and personal anecdotes, Chris Lilly makes you want to "Q!"

Combined, pitmasters Ray Lampe and Chris Lilly have over 40 years experience putting into practice what they preach, and when they talk I listen. I’ve also had plenty of practice eating barbecue, and have even gotten my hands dirty a few times (check out the video right here!). I’ve become a die-hard fan of barbecue over the years, and I too have my favorite pitmasters, BBQ joints, and styles. This year I’m especially excited about the subject because on October 24th in Lynchburg, TN, I will be judging my first barbecue competition and most prestigious of them all, the 2009 Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational Barbecue (sign in and click on “Happenings”). I can’t wait to sink my teeth into some award-winning barbecue from around the country when over 70 teams compete for “bragging rights,” while I satisfy my on-going craving for all things smoked…amen!

Join me and celebrated pitmasters Ray Lampe and Chris Lilly for more on BBQ on the “Home and Lifestyle Show with Ron Smith,” Saturday, Oct 17 from 9 to 11 AM on 106.7 FM TALK RADIO, San Antonio, TX.