Andrew Mark Veety

Burger Of The Month - The Royale

For the ninth time this year I gathered up a group of friends and food bloggers to take down a burger on a humid Sunday afternoon. This was the next stop in a year long search for the best burger that St. Louis has to offer, based on the input of my readers. You nominated them and I'm eating them, one by one until I crown the best burger in St. Louis this coming December.

Joining me this go around were Church of Burger alumni Bill Burge (STLBites), Stefani Pollack (Cupcake Project), project photographer Jonathan Pollack (J. Pollack Photography), Stephanie Tolle (Iron Stef / Food Blog Mafia) and Kyle Harsha (Sippin' Saint Louis / Harsha Wines).

With the introductions out of the way its time to welcome you all back to The Church of Burger. In the name of the bun, the toppings and the holy burger, I present unto you the September Burger of the Month from The Royale.

Project Planning - Trisket 2009 - A Turkey Stuffed Inside A Brisket

Scared? You should be.

Every year my friend (and sometimes contributer) Jeff and his wife Leslie have a meal called "Fakesgiving" for all of their friends here in St. Louis who are far from home for the holiday. Essentially a Thanksgiving themed pot luck dinner, Fakesgiving is largely a vegetarian event, but every year there is a small turkey breast for the carnivores, until last year when Jeff asked me to make something special for the event.

What to make, what to make? I decided to borrow the idea of the "turducken", but put a Thanksgiving spin on it and stuff turkey inside of a beef brisket. I ran my idea past my friend, Chef David Koon, and we worked out a stuffing that would hopefully hold up to the extended cooking time a brisket needs. While he was more than a bit suspect of the concept, I know he was sad that he missed out on this project after seeing the pictures and was really excited to hear about it after it was cooked and served.

You can read more about it and see a movie of the process here.

While I have claimed over the last 11 months that the Trisket was a one time only event, as summer has turned to fall I've really been thinking about giving it a go once again. Over the coming weeks, I'll be revisiting the contents of the original stuffing; ground turkey, heads of roasted garlic, leeks, shallots, red bell peppers, bacon and dried cranberries. I'm also re-tooling the vinegar-based cranberry, peach and habanero barbecue sauce that I served on the side.

For the stuffing, I'm thinking about switching things to a traditional southern corn bread stuffing or perhaps a sausage and oyster stuffing - although I'm worried about oyster meat making it though the 20 + hour cooking schedule. I'm still pondering how to leverage the classic tastes of the season with the fact that I'm basically creating a turkey meatloaf that rides inside of a smoked brisket. I think if I embrace the idea of meatloaf a bit more, I can come up with something special to blow peoples minds - a core of andouille sausage, inside a meatloaf, inside a brisket perhaps?

For the sauce, I''m leaning towards removing the cranberry altogether, or at least the addition of whole cranberries. Perhaps the addition of canned cranberry sauce might work, but the jury is still out here.

In any event, I know I said "never again" for this holiday cooking adventure, but the concept is just to tasty to walk away from. More to come. Thoughts and ideas are welcome.

Gobble gobble.

Guest Contribution - Jeff "The Road Warrior" Lash

For some time now I've been pestering friends who always seem to be traveling around the country to contribute accounts of the food they run into on their trips. I'm very excited to share the first of what I hope are many contributions - from Jeff Lash - unfiltered and in the proverbial raw:

At Andrew's request, I was intending on providing a write-up of one specific dining experience -- a Friday Fish Fry at our local St. Louis Catholic Church. However, I have had a number of noteworthy dining experiences lately, and rather than focus on just one or attempt to write up separate posts for each, in the interest of efficiency, I present: Jeff's food travels, March 2009.

March was an eventful month, including a lot of business travel. Business travel often leads to interesting food experiences -- good and bad. Let's start closest to home, though, with...

Friday Fish Fry

St. Louis is a very Catholic town (um, "Saint" Louis, anyone?), the kind of town where many people pick the location of their next home by what parish they want to be a part of. Like the earliest flowers of spring, the Friday Fish Fry signs start popping up right after Ash Wednesday. On some major roads, there's almost a Fish Fry sign every block (literally).

Having been in St. Louis many years and never having attended, I figured it was high time I experienced the tradition. I rounded up a group of friends -- my wife, the vegetarian, not included, since the mere smell of fried fish makes her nauseous -- and we hit up the Fish Fry at Saint Joan of Arc a few weeks ago.

Cheers was a place that everybody supposedly wanted to go to because everybody would know your name. At Saint Joan on a Friday night, it's not too different. Most patrons seemed to be church members and regulars, and it seemed like everyone knew everyone. During the 20 minute wait in line, there were lots of mini-reunions and friendly conversations. Though we were new, people were friendly, and canned beer was offered to us to make the line easier to handle. You have to pay for the beer, though it's dirt cheap. In fact, the whole meal is -- for about $7 you can get a full plate of food, drink, and dessert. (Cash only, of course, though that's understandable.)

I was expecting an all-you-can-eat buffet -- I thought that was part of the appeal -- though Saint Joan does everything a la carte, which is fine, since I really couldn't / shouldn't have eaten anything more than the one hearty serving. They of course have the standard fried fish patty, just like you remember from elementary school (and I say "you" and not "we" since I never was allowed to buy lunch at school growing up), though other options are available including some variety of fish which was fried, head and tail and all. I don't remember what kind of fish it was, since I think I'm still trying to block out the image of a fried fish carcases on various plates. There were also fried catfish nuggets, as well as grilled fish for those not interested in anything from the "fried" food group. Normally I eat very healthy, though if you're going to a Fish Fry, you eat fried fish. Would you go to a steakhouse and order a salad for an entree? Wrong place, wrong time.

Sides included standard fare -- potatoes, either oven roasted or french fried; various vegetables; macaroni and cheese -- and some interesting (to me, at least) options -- apple sauce; spaghetti in tomato sauce. Fine foods, though paired with fish seemed a bit odd.

To drink your options are the aforementioned can of beer, or the classic plastic cup of soda poured from a 2 liter bottle. The enormous dessert table offered a wide selection of homebaked and storebought goods, neatly arranged bake sale style (on small paper plates, covered by plastic wrap). The glass of Diet Coke and 2 desserts I chose added $1.50 to my total bill.

The food is, well, what you'd expect of a fish fry done by volunteers in the cafateria of a church. Actually, no, it's probably a bit better. The fish was a bit overfried and not as warm as it probably should have been, likely due to it sitting out in a heating tray for too long. Still, it was decent, and served as a good foundation for the meal. I wasn't expecting gourmet British-style fish and chips, and thus I wasn't dissapointed. For sides I went with the oven roasted potatoes and mac + cheese. Yes, starchy, I know, though I figured those were good standbys. The mac + cheese was the typical generic cafeteria brand, with big too-soft noodles and a gooey way-too-unhealthy fake cheese sauce. (I probably would have been better off with the spaghetti.) The potatoes were excellent, though, even better than some I've had at "normal" restaurants. And the desserts were solid as well -- the chocolate cake seemed to be homemade, likely from a box mix; and the store-bought chocolate chip cookies, which I later shared at home with my wife, were of course fine. Not the most adventurous choices, though you can't go wrong with box cake and store cookies.

All in all, it was a great experience and I'm definitely up for it again. The next day I remembered why I rarely eat fried food (entrees, at least), partly because my body isn't conditioned for them any longer. (How I ate chicken fingers and fries pretty much every day the first two years of college is beyond me.) Of course, you don't go to a Friday Fish Fry at your local church because the food is going to be stellar; you go because it's going to be cheap, it's going to be good atmosphere, and because it's just a tradition -- and on those things, it delivers. Sure, some local restaurants offer Fish Fry Fridays, though to me that's just not the same.

Since that review was longer that I thought, I'll keep these next reviews on the short side...

Weber Grill Restaurant

I was in Indianapolis for work, and as we approached our hotel downtown, I noticed an enormous novelty barbeque grill hanging off the side of a building about a block away. I knew instantly that was where I was going for dinner. I had heard about the Weber Grill Restaurant, where everything (well, almost everything) is cooked on real genuine Weber Grills. (No, Andrew, I didn't ask to take a tour and see the kitchen.) As a marketer, I marveled at the innovative brand extension. As a fan of grilling, I marveled at the chance to eat at a restaurant where they cooked on real Weber Grills. The restaurant did not fail to deliver, with the highlight being the Weber Sampler appetizer, which included Beer Can Chicken Tenders and Steak Skewers -- a great selection of Weber-ized meats. Though I normally avoid chain restaurants when I travel and try to find something local, this was worth it. (Plus, does 3 locations in Illinois and 1 in Indianapolis really count as a chain?) Recommended.

Burger King Burger Shots

I arrived in Orlando late one night and needed a snack. Not a full meal, not dessert, just something quick and simple before I went to sleep. Across the parking lot from my hotel was a Burger King. (Actually, there was another hotel -- this is Orlando, after all, and we were only minutes away from Universal Studios.) Having been wooed by the advertisements for BK Burger Shots, I figured I'd give them a shot. Tiny burgers seem to be in, with Steak 'n Shake pushing them hard as well. Maybe it's because of the economy, or the lingering fascination we Americans seem to have with all things "Mini" (-Cooper, -me), though I too was sucked in.

Don't make this mistake.

First, the obvious caveat that no food shown on TV or in advertisements actually looks like that when you buy it, though that shouldn't be a surprise. Second, the mini burgers are only sold in packs of 2 or 4. It's not like White Castle (more on them in a minute) where you can order their sliders in any denomination you want. This is probably my biggest gripe -- a 2-pack of sliders is probably about the same amount of meat as one regular Burger King hamburger (not a Whopper or anything fancy like that, just your basic bottom-of-the-line hamburger), and it costs probably about $.30 more. So why would you order the sliders? Because the advertisement makes you want them, that's why. Not that they were horrible -- they were about the same as your standard fast food burger, which is only mediocre. Of course, Andrew probably thinks that I ruined them by having them plain with just ketchup, just like how I ruin my hot dogs. It's okay, I've accepted that, I'm moving on.

In summary, don't fall for the appeal of the sliders, at BK at least. If you really want mini burgers, the venerable White Castle does this as their bread and butter, not as a seasonal side to take advantage of a trend. Plus, their buns are steamed, which makes all the difference.

In 'n Out

Now, if you want a "real" fast food burger, all the foodies tell you that In 'n Out is really the only place to go. I was in California for work and this was really the only place on my food list. I had been once before and dragged along a co-worker who had never been. This particular establishment near LAX was packed on a Thursday evening. I was particularly enthralled by the car-hop taking orders at the drive thru.

In 'n Out is known for two things -- a dead-simple menu, and super-fresh food. As you can see, the menu has a limited number of options, and beyond just differentiating them from the competition, it's probably good for business too (read The Paradox of Choice to learn more). That doesn't mean that you can't order off the menu, though. In fact, they've attracted a whole cult following around the "secret" items to order. In 'n Out lists some on their site, though there are plenty of others.

Beyond the menu coolness, the food is just plain better. The meat is never frozen, the french fries are made fresh from real live cut potatoes, and the shakes are made from real ice cream rather than a mix. I kept it simple, with a single burger, fries, and chocolate shake. The burger patties are bigger than the average fast food variety, though not as big as I remembered. It's more like the size of what you might find at Steak 'n Shake (or Carl's Drive-In, for those St. Louisans in the know) than your standard $1 drive-thru, not that I eat any of those varieties even infrequently. The patty was definitely higher quality, and extra points for the real romaine lettuce rather than shredded iceberg you normally find. The grilled bun is a nice touch -- usually I like my buns warm, not grilled or toasted, though it worked here. (Insert "buns" joke here.)

The fries definitely taste fresh, and the serving size is generous. I'll admit to not being picky about chocolate shakes -- even the crappy fast food ones are okay in my book -- though this was definitely a cut above the norm. Still not to the level of what you'd get at Crown Candy or the venerable Friendly's Fribble, though respectable nonetheless.

If you're on the West Coast and happen upon an In 'n Out, go in and check it out. (Sorry, that was a horrible, horrible pun.)

Bubbalou's Bodacious BBQ

Upon recommendation from a co-worker, a group of us visiting our Orlando office took the short ride from the hotel to to Bobbalou's Bodacious BBQ. Or, should I say -- the "award-winning" Bubbalou's Bodacious BBQ. A sign of a good restaurant of any variety is framed, signed pictures of celebrities and pseudo- or local-celebrities hanging up by the cash register, and Bubbalou's didn't fail to deliver. Three things I liked about this place:

1) It's in a modern strip mall, perhaps the most soul-less environment known to man, though they managed to make you feel like you're at Iron Works when you're inside.

2) They serve snow cones.

3) Their next door neighbor in the strip mall is a uber-healthy juice bar, which makes for some fun games to play while waiting for your food, as in: "Hey, see that guy parking his car -- do you think he's coming to get some barbeque or going to the juice bar?" Okay, the game is actually very easy and not challenging, though the dichotomy between the two establishments is still amusing.

Nothing else to add in particular here. Standard BBQ main dishes, sides, and prices. Every BBQ place says they smoke their meat the best, or have the best sauces. I'm not a conniseur, so I can't compare all of those claims, I just know this was darn good food.

Matt vs. Food

I was lucky to have my brother Matt and my future brother in law Chris in town for a visit recently. 

We pretty much ate and drank from the moment they got off the plane from North Carolina until they left three days later, starting off with some outstanding sushi at Tani Sushi Bistro in Clayton. For the midwest, Tani somehow manages to get fish that is of a better quality than I can normally find around town. 

Standouts at Tani include the sashimi, the dragon ball, a collection of inventive rolls (sadly many include cream cheese which continues to confuse me) and a real treat - the hot rock - served in a thick bowl and accompanied with thinly sliced raw beef in a soy, garlic, ginger and yuzu. The beef cooks directly on the stone in seconds and is a perfect foil to the sushi.

I took the guys to the City Diner for breakfast the next day and to discuss what we would end up doing during their visit. After a half hour of fruitless discussion, my brother suggested that a eating tour of St. Louis might be in order. 

I was into the idea of a tour of my favorite places here in town, however I had no desire to actually complete such a task myself. I let him know that if he felt up to it, he would be eating alone for the most part and that when in doubt, I would be ordering for him.

Lucky for everyone my brother is hungry, brave and willing to entertain his big brother - and what follows is a minute to minute and bite to bite recap of Matt vs. Food - St. Louis Edition.

09:43:46 AM - City Diner - St. Louis Missouri

The plot is hatched and the day is full of possibilities. I kick Matt's day off with a slinger - two eggs with sausage and hash browns, topped with chili and cheese. Friends recommended that the City Diner slinger should be topped with mustard as well. From the way Matt devoured the dish - I can only assume it was a good addition.

The mere mortals amongst us enjoyed BLT's and The Southsider - eggs, biscuits and gravy with hash browns.

Fortified on sturdy carbs from breakfast we headed out to get Matt the St. Louis eating adventure that he demanded, nay deserved, for flying in to spend the weekend with me.

11:37:56 AM - Woofie's - St. Louis Missouri

I last visited Woofie's in November and I reviewed and contrasted Chicago style and New York style dogs. I suggested the Chili Pie for Matt - a Vienna dog served on a bed of chili, Fritos, onions, pickles and cheese. 

Matt knife and sporking it at Woofies, enjoying each bite a bit to much.

01:22:51 PM - Carl's Drive-In - St. Louis Missouri

I wrote up a long time favorite of mine, Carl's Drive-In, last fall. I can't think of an out of town visitor that I have not tried to bring to Carl's because the burgers are executed so well. Pressed flat on a griddle, the burgers become completely caramelized and for some diners take on a sweet flavor that plays along with the toppings. Matt enjoyed a double cheeseburger with all the fixings and a mug of home made root beer the size of his head.

A few hours and stops in, Matt was motoring along and devouring everything I could put in front of him.

01:48:12 PM - Kolache Factory - St. Louis Missouri

A kolache is a small dough treat filled with any number of meat, vegetable or fruit fillings. The Kolache Factory is a small chain with a shop in St. Louis and serve several dozen varieties of this eastern European treat. 

Matt opted for a Philly Cheesesteak while Chris took a chance with the bbq pork. In hindsight, this seems to be the first time I captured gastronomic distress in my brother.

02:14:53 PM - Ted Drewes Frozen Custard - St. Louis Missouri

Ted Drewes has been serving frozen custard in St. Louis since the 1920's and its likely that no other local location has received as much attention by the national media than it has - the place is known far and wide for its frozen treats. Because of this, "that custard place" is always on the lips of visitors as someplace they would like to stop while they are in town. 

It could be that the massive quantity of cream, eggs and sugar are leading to the serious nature of this picture, however it could be that a concrete from Ted Drewes is nothing to joke about and he's just getting down to spooning that sweet treat into his already filled food hole. 

02:39:47 PM - CC's Depot Dog - Home Depot - St. Louis Missouri

A hot dog from Home Depot? You bet your ass. CC's Depot Dogs can be found nestled by the exit doors of the Kingshighway Home Depot, and they serve up some tasty hot dogs for a price you can't beat for quick lunch - a loaded Chicago style or custom dog will run you about two bucks after tossing a quarter into the tip jar.

Matt "enjoying" a CC's dog in the parking lot, not to mention his third or fourth soft drink of the day. All that sugar - rookie eating tour mistake for sure.

03:12:14 PM - Gus' Pretzels - St. Louis Missouri

Gus' rests in the shadow of the Budweiser brewery and has been making pretzels since the 1920's. With dinner reservations at Modesto for later that evening, I figured that this doughy and salty treat would be perfect for soaking up all the grease and chili Matt had taken down.

Matt Veety - eating machine - he will break you.

10:59:46 AM - Chris' Pancake & Dining - St. Louis Missouri

The next morning we began again, this time at Chris' Pancake & Dining for some much needed breakfast. To my amazement Matt dove right back into the challenge after a nights sleep and healthy constitutional, this time opting for steak and eggs with hash browns. The only issue with his order resulted from his relative unfamiliarity with the menu. When you are offered a side of toast or pancakes at a pancake house, you always, always say pancake. After a quick discussion he indeed have the pancakes.

I joined Matt for the carb load by taking down a stack of pancakes with bacon, eggs, hash browns and a bloody mary. However, to be fair, I didn't eat much the day before and I had just finished running up all 42 floors of the Metropolitan Building for the American Lung Association.

04:41:01 PM - Tin Can Tavern and Grille - St. Louis Missouri

As part of my plans for the weekend, I pulled together a bar crawl around Tower Grove Park with stops at The Royale, Three Monkey's, The Tin Can Tavern and Grille, The Amsterdam Tavern, Tower Pub, Stella Blues, Friendly's and The Blackthorne Pub. 

Matt waited all day to try out the mini corn dogs at The Tin Can and compared their doughy goodness to the classic appetizer called pigs in a blanket - an observation I can't bring myself to argue with.

Keeping up the impressive consumption, Matt didn't hesitate to enjoy a cold PBR with his mini corn dogs, while I enjoyed the opportunity to share my neighborhood and friends with my family.

07:59:49 PM - Stella Blues - St. Louis Missouri

While others faded, Matt saddled up the bar at Stella Blues and took down a basket of onion rings.

Moving into his 48th hour of eating, Matt kept taking his best shot at menu's all over St. Louis. It was an epic showing that left me proud yet concerned about his body's ability to process all that grilled, fried and steamed food. 

10:17:35 PM - The Blackthorne Pub - St. Louis Missouri

Regular readers might remember my post on the Blackthorne Pub, where they serve up Chicago and pan style pizzas in the land of the inedible thin crust pizza topped with provel - St. Louis. The Blackthorne turned out to be the end of Matt's eating tour as well as the bar crawl, which is probably a good thing for all of us.

A group of us destroyed several pizzas in a matter of minutes before retiring for the evening. While we all had a great time, I find myself wishing great piles of vegetables on my brother to help him recover from this eating challenge - because as I was creating this post - I noticed his meals were totally devoid of them. 

Good times - great meals.

Let's never do this again.

A Super Bowl Brisket - Part 3

The Super Bowl came and went, as did the brisket that I put together for the party. As you can see above, twelve hours of hickory and apple smoke left its mark on this brisket, penetrating over a quarter inch in some places. 

The ends of the meat were caramelized and perfectly toothsome and tender, however I estimate it would have taken another two to three hours in the smoker to turn the middle from a chewy and pink center to something that I would be completely proud of. In the end I just ran out of time before the game started to finish this long cooking cut of beef.

Regardless, I had a great day tending to the smoke and slowly mopping this brisket with the sweet and spicy sauce that was a hit at the party. I really enjoyed the fact that my friends dug into this six pound slab of meat, leaving an empty cutting board by the time the Steelers came from behind to win the game. My only regret is that I didn't shave myself off a few slices to keep for a midnight sandwich after the game. 

Beef brisket is a treat that is a serious investment of time and resources, but is so very worth it in the end. I hope you enjoyed walking though the process, and I hope you give it a try soon.

Additional Information:

A Super Bowl Brisket - Part 1 - Know thy butcher, what to buy, dry rub

A Super Bowl Brisket - Part 2 - Mop sauce and Barbeque Sauce

A Super Bowl Brisket - Part 2

It's a around 4 hours into the smoking process for this years Super Bowl brisket and I've just applied the first mopping of the jalapeno and peach barbeque sauce I finished up last night. 

The sauce started with a base of beef stock, white wine, vinegar, honey, peaches, jalapeno peppers with most of the ribs and seeds removed, shallots, garlic, apricot preserves, sea salt, cracked pepper and chili powder. After brining the ingredients to a boil, I used an emersion blender to combine the mixture and then lowered the temperature to a slow rolling boil. 

After reducing the liquid by a third, I reserved part of the sauce to use as a mop for the next days smoking, allowing the mixture to cool and the flavors combine in the fridge overnight. Then I continued to reduce the remaining liquid until it was a sweet and spicy sauce to use as a side for the game.

After the first few hours, its a good idea of mop a brisket every hour or so. The vinegar in the mop will help keep the brisket moist, and will also help tenderize the meat. Because of the sugar content of this mop, its a good idea to apply it in thin coats, allowing it to build a nice caramelized layer over the course of the day.

A Super Bowl Brisket - Part 1

Its the afternoon before the Super Bowl, and while I don't have a dog in this fight, I am gearing up for the eating. For me, the menu for tomorrow's game has to include some barbeque, and for the game I'm making a smoked beef brisket with a jalapeno and peach barbeque sauce on the side for folks who would like to add it on their plate.

Preparation for this project began a full two days before the game with a visit to Legrand's in St. Louis. I've been really happy with the selection and the staff at Legrand's, but they really came though on my last visit. 

When I arrived I was sad to find only a few small briskets in the case which had been trimmed of all the fat needed to protect a brisket over a twelve to fourteen hour ride in a smoker. After some persistent questioning and arm twisting the butcher disappeared into the cooler and eventually emerged with a six pound choice cut brisket with a creamy fat cap about a quarter inch thick after initially telling me that the trimmed cuts were all he had.

I'm in no way upset with my recent experience at Legrand's, because I've come to expect an adventure with each visit to their shop. Conversations with the staff have an interview feel to them, almost like the butchers are trying to match a cut with a shopper, steering a person to the product that will give them the greatest chance of success. In my case I'd like to think that I earned this brisket that I can only assume was being held in reserve for their own smoker. 

As always - know thy butcher.

For this brisket, I created a rub of brown sugar, kosher salt, cracked pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, ancho chili powder, chili powder, cayenne pepper, powdered mustard and powdered ginger following a basic 8-3-1-1 ratio. 

I liberally covered each side of the brisket with the rub and planned on a thirty six hour rest in the fridge. This extended period of time allows the meat to absorb the salt and seasoning, brining it into the meat much like a brine. 

The term rub has a hint of personal interpretation to it, I know cooks who simply cover the meat with rub and then wrap and others who don gloves and rub the spices right into the meat. My method rests someplace in between, covering and then patting with a hand to prevent cross contamination of my prep surfaces.

After a rubdown, the brisket is wrapped in plastic wrap and then in foil to keep as much air away from the meat as possible. I also reserve the package of rubbed brisket to a cookie sheet, an additional precaution to prevent raw meat juices from contaminating my fridge.

With a 5:30 PM central kick off time, my plan is to get this brisket in the smoker around 3 AM on Sunday morning for a long day of low and slow heat provided by hickory and apple woods.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this Super Bowl brisket, I've got a mop and barbeque sauce to make before grabbing a few hours sleep.

Best of 2008

This has been a great year of travel and eating, discovering new tools and techniques for cooking, experiencing great slices of Americana and time spent with friends and family. I thought it would be a good idea to capture a few of my favorites for the past year.

A New Perspective Via A New Grill:

Well constructed and sporting thick cast iron grates, this Brinkman grill creates enough smoke and grill marks to turn my back yard into a decent smokehouse. In short order I adjusted to this new tool and turned out top notch whole chickens, ribs, briskets, massive steaks, pizzas and deserts. 

I really like the front loading door which allows you to feed the fire without lifting the lid and losing heat. Maintaining a steady 220 degrees with minor heat management is priceless, but at around $200.00 this grill is a steal. It takes a bit more work than my old gas grill to prep and clean, but you can't beat it as a cooking tool.

Texas Potatoes:

Potato, onion, butter and bacon in a cast iron skillet. From my post "Roasted Garlic Strip Steaks with Texas Potatoes".

Sony DSC-T500 Camera:

In a year of great new toys the Sony DSC-T500 camera has been my favorite. Small enough to fit into my pocket with 10.1 megapixels, a 3.5" wide touch screen, HD video recording with stereo mics and a 5X Optical Zoom. I also really like the macro lens which allows me to get great close ups of food for the site. I'm also loving not having to pull out my Nikon D70 in greasy diners. 

The large screen is really bright and eats though the battery in short order. After a month or so of use, I'm thinking a back up battery for this camera might be one of my "Best of 2009".

Float Trip Chicken:

There are few things better in the world than floating down a river with friends, beers and cold picnic chicken. From my post "Float Trip Picnic Chicken".

Tortas In The Park:

From my first "interview" for the site - I exchanged emails with my friend and regular Friday lunch companion Bob Baker as we made Tortas for 50 people on his birthday. He went to great lengths to get all the right ingredients and I was happy to help put together this great sandwich. From my post "Tower Grove Park Tortas".

Crab Boil:

I was so happy when my wife completed her LEED certification in September. We filled the back yard with people and I prepared the crabs the only way I know how - with lots of Old Bay and steamed in Guinness. From my post "Seafood Boil In The Heart of St. Louis". 

The New York Times Columnists:

Many thanks to Maureen Dowd, Tom Friedman and Paul Krugman for the insight, information and entertainment this year.

Llywelyn's Pub Burger:

 

One of my favorite burgers of the past year. From my post "Llywelyn's Pub".

Nunez de Prado Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil:

Happen chance introduced me to this great olive oil as I wandered around Whole Foods this year. It's got a perfect balance for cooking or for dipping bread in. Voted one of the best olive oils in America by Cooks Illustrated, Whole Foods stocks 25 oz. bottles for around 15 dollars. Next to bacon fat, this oil has quickly become my choice fat in the kitchen.

The Salt Lick:

Sure it is for show, but the open pit at The Salt Lick was a treat to see, and the folks were super nice and let me ram around in their kitchen. From my post "The Salt Lick Barbeque".

"My Life in France" by Julia Child

Probably the best book I read this year. In it Julia tells the story of learning to live, eat and cook in France. Julia lived an incredible life and her love of slow-food makes me excited to get into the kitchen.

Carl's Drive-In:

Old school burgers smashed on a flat top griddle. From my post "Carl's Drive-In".

Rear Window Defrosters and Heated Seats:

I said goodbye to my 1997 Mazda Miata M-Edition this fall. While this car was always fun to drive, it was never a great every day automobile. Instead I opted for some features the Miata never had - rear window defrosters and heated seats - attached to an Acura RL. Unceremoniously named an "old man's car" by my wife, it has made the commute into work one of the best parts of my day. Why - because I can see out the back window in the winter without risking a broken convertible top.

Woofies New York vs Chicago Showdown:

This past fall was all about hot dogs, Chicago style. From my post "New York vs Chicago Style Hot Dogs".

Fakesgiving Trisket:

I'm still not sure why I wanted to stuff a turkey into a perfectly cooked brisket, but I did it. From my post "Trisket - A Turkey Inside a Brisket".

Charlie The Butcher:

After a particularly good edition of "Meet The Press", I would send an email to Tim Russert of NBC News to congratulate him on that weeks content. To try to elicit a reply from the busy newsman, I would suggest that he reward his staff with beef on weck from Charlie The Butcher in Buffalo, New York. Tim never replied to my emails, but I got a chance to think again about how much his show meant to my Sunday mornings as I enjoyed a sandwich in Buffalo this fall. From my post "Charlie The Butcher's Kitchen".

The Penguin Drive In:

Punk rock music, burgers named after engines and a sweet soda called Cheerwine. From my post "The Penguin Drive-In".

Fatherhood:

Sara and I recently announced that we are pregnant to friends and family, and I launched another blog to document all the events leading up to the arrival of our first child in June of 2009. I think its a given that updates on homemade baby food will require equal billing with burgers and dogs next year.

Trisket - A Turkey Inside a Brisket

Trisket is an idea I thought up for a friends annual Thanksgiving celebration, Fakesgiving, where we all gather and bring a dish to pass, pot luck style.

In honor of this yearly event, I took a beef brisket and stuffed it with ground turkey thighs, bread crumbs, bacon, roasted garlic, peppers, cranberries, leeks, mushrooms, shallot and flat leaf parsley. 

Turkey inside of a brisket = trisket.

I started with a 6lb grass fed organic beef brisket from Whole Foods with a pocket cut in it to hold the stuffing. The brisket held up well using this method, as it is essentially a large muscle and up to the task of having a turkey stuffing crammed into it. All told, the stuffing added another 4-5 lb to the overall cooking weight. In hindsight I'm sure I could have gotten some more stuffing in there if I really wanted to. 

For the turkey, I used ground thigh meat which had the best chance of making it though the 13 hours of cooking without drying out. To add some Thanksgiving flavor, I mixed the ground turkey with heads of roasted garlic, leeks, shallots and dried cranberries.

The key to this stuffing is to maintain moisture throughout the long cooking time. The ample fat marbling of a beef brisket did a great job keeping the meat moist, however I also added thick cut bacon to the mix to help baste the stuffing as well. I used a mixture of bread crumbs and cremini mushrooms as a binder and to absorb moisture. 

The brisket was stuffed the day before cooking and rubbed with a mixture of sea salt, black pepper, smoked paprika and onion and garlic powders. After rubbing, the brisket was wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, placed onto a cookie sheet and stored in the coldest part of the refrigerator for an overnight rest. 

At about 4am the next morning, I took the brisket out to warm up while I made coffee and started a fire for the smoker. While the idea of letting meat rise to room temperature before placing on the grill works great with steaks, 30 minutes was not enough time to do much for a 10 lb roast and the meat was still refrigerator cold when it was placed in the smoker.

This brisket was smoked over apple and hickory wood at 200 - 215 degrees for 10 hours, refilling the smoker every 45 - 60 minutes to maintain this low temperature. I used a spray bottle filled with beef stock and apple cider to baste the meat when the grill was open. 

After smoking all day, the brisket was then placed in a roasting pan with some of the basting liquid, covered tightly with foil, and placed into a 190 degree oven for another 3 hours to finish cooking.

The end result was a great beef brisket on the outside and a turkey meatloaf on the inside. The brisket turned out perfect with a great looking 1/4 inch smoke ring. The turkey was moist and had all the smells of a Thanksgiving meal.

The Trisket was served with a vinegar-based cranberry, peach and habanero barbeque sauce on the side. The use of fresh cranberry and peach added a tartness and sweetness to play against the heat of the habanero chili. While I can't see myself making a Trisket again anytime soon (it really was a two day process) I do think this barbeque sauce would match nicely with slow smoked ribs or chicken.

Thanks to Chef David Koon for his help taking this idea from idea to application.

The Salt Lick Barbeque

Since 1967, the Robert's family have owned and operated The Salt Lick Barbeque on their family ranch in Driftwood, Texas, using a recipe handed down from generation to generation since the Civil War. I recently got a chance to enjoy a family style dinner at The Salt Lick as we celebrated the rehearsal dinner for friends getting married in Austin. 

Very good barbeque is both an art and science; skill in the application of heat and smoke, showmanship in how your wares are displayed to waiting guests. After all, we do eat with our eyes as much as anything else. From buildings built of limestone quarried from the family ranch, long wooden tables and benches to accommodate family style meals and the stone holding pit within eyeshot of a framed picture of the owners daughters and Bobby Flay, the atmosphere of the restaurant is well executed and welcoming. 

The staff was very friendly and allowed me to check out the holding pit, which is the centerpiece of the restaurant, and the smokers which are hidden from view and the dining areas. Both were impressive in their design and evidence of day in and day out usage, but it was the holding pit that captured my attention. The limestone theme is continued with the pits construction, which is laid out in a horseshoe shape. The pit was a source of great pride folks tending to its fire, and they welcomed all my questions with a smile. Flanked by stacks of seasoned hickory wood, the fire in the pit is fed slowly all day, adding a last dose of flavor to the beef brisket, pork ribs, chicken and smoked sausage hung from above. 

Where the pit is the art and showmanship, the science and skill is evident in the outstanding meats The Salt Lick prepares. Slow cooked to perfection with ample evidence of smoke ring, the Salt Lick is a perfect example of what is commonly thought of as Texas barbeque - dry rubbed and slow cooked. This is not to do a disservice to the different barbeque styles found across Texas, which actually consist of at least four main regional styles, all with different flavors, cooking methods, ingredients, and cultural origins. It is only to say that when people discuss the barbeque of the United States, The Salt Lick is what people are referencing when they compare Texas to Memphis, St. Louis, Kansas City or North Carolina. 

Whole chickens, racks of ribs and beef brisket are rubbed with house seasoning and cooked slow and low to perfection, leaving the aforementioned smoke ring and interiors that are among the most moist I've ever had the chance to sample. Meats are mopped with a version of The Salt Lick's barbeque sauce as they smoke, but for the most part are left to reflect the unadulterated balance of spice and smoke that can only come after hours and hours over slow and low heat. 

The family style dinner at The Salt Lick includes cornbread, a platter or smoked beef brisket, pork ribs, chicken and smoked sausage, baked beans, potatoes, cole slaw, sweet tea, and a cobbler for desert. All the sides were tasty, but did not steal the spotlight from the barbeque. A sauce that has a hint of Hawaiian flare in the background is provided on the table for those wishing to smother their barbeque. While the house barbeque sauce complements everything well, I found it unnecessary. 

The Salt Lick does not serve alcohol, but our hosts provided coolers filled to the brim with ice and Shiner Bock, which is available here in St. Louis, but for me has never tasted as good as it did that night, with its intended pairing - Texas barbeque.

Opinion: Recommended

18001 FM 1826

Driftwood, Texas 78619

512-858-4959

Can Chicken Experiment 01 - A Delicious Failure

I've always enjoyed making beer can chicken on the grill. With a little practice this method for cooking a whole chicken produces a moist and flavorful bird that will leave your guests asking for seconds.

A while back I threw a barbeque for a dozen friends and I decided it might be fun to switch up this classic meal by not only using a twelve ounce can of Budweiser, but also a Coke, a Dr. Pepper and a Schweppes Ginger Ale as well. My goal was to have a taste test to see which liquid additive resulted in the best tasting bird.

I began by brining each chicken overnight in apple cider, kosher salt, brown sugar, fresh ginger, quartered oranges and allspice berries. The next day I dried and rubbed each bird with the spice mixture I described in my post about float trip picnic chicken. The goal was to treat each chicken the same until it was put on the grill, which conveniently enough is the time when this culinary adventure veered off into failure. Yes, the final product was moist and delicious, but it was a failure nonetheless. 

As I planned this day my goal was to push as much barbeque flavor as I could into each bird, and for me this included cooking each chicken over indirect heat and using an abundance of mesquite smoke. After five hours of smoke and slow and low cooking, each bird was indeed flavorful, moist and fall off the bone tender. However, lost in the brine, spice rub and wood smoke was the purpose of this experiment - the taste imparted by each individual liquid. 

 

My guest were gracious and insisted that as far as taste was concerned we had reached a tie between beer and ginger ale. That may have been the case, but I’d like to reserve judgement until I have a change to revisit this idea. Next time I’ll skip the massive dose of smoke and cook at a higher temperature to really test my idea. 

Here is to happy mistakes and crazy ideas. I can’t wait to try this experiment again, because failure or not, can chicken makes for a great summer time meal.

Know Thy Butcher

From time to time I mention that I prefer to shop for meat at traditional butcher shops instead of local chain supermarkets and warehouse clubs. Most recently I discussed this idea in a post about cooking great steaks at home. 

I've found that having first name relationship with a knowledgeable professional who is willing to discuss ideas and cooking processes with you leads to better results in the kitchen and your back yard barbecue. Finding a local resource for quality meat and customer service takes some work, but it does pay off with your finished product.

Since I posted that article on steaks, a few friends have asked me to explore this idea a bit further. I thought it would be a good idea to not only dig into what to buy at your local meat counter, but how to find one in the first place. 

Here is a brief checklist that you can use to get started in your search:

• Cleanliness - a good butcher shop will not be spotless, but will be clean, well lit and have thermometers positioned for your viewing within the case. Being a butcher is a professional job, and a good butcher and his place of business will look the part.
• Foot Traffic - not only will a crowded counter indicate you are in the right place, it will also ensure that the case is being changed over on a regular basis. 
• Engagement and Conversation - even in the busiest of meat counters, it is appropriate for the butcher to take an interest in your order. Conversation can lead to a discussion on process and cut, and you might find that your butcher has thoughts or experience that you do not.  
• Custom Service / Cuts - the butcher should willingly cut a fresh steak or remove the silver skin from a rack of ribs for you if you ask. 
• Locally Raised Products - the production of meat for consumption places stress on both the livestock and our environment. Whenever possible I search out local free range products including pork, chicken, beef and bison.  

Additionally, the following items are visual cues that I look for, even if they are for ascetics only. 

• Butcher Coats - while not required, they are appreciated.
• Primal Cut Charts and Posters. Do you know when a shoulder is a butt? Where is the chain from? Visual aids are always helpful.
• Butcher Paper - even better if secured with tape baring the shops name. 
• Ironic Tee Shirts - well crafted innuendo and declarative statements regarding meats dominance over vegetables are acceptable. 

Examples:

 
Legrand's Market and Catering

Manzo's Kitchen

Tower Grove Park Totras

As August rolled to a close, we got together in Tower Grove Park to have a mass celebration for all of our August born friends. With over 50 people expected around dinner time, the event host, Bob Baker decided to feed the throngs tortas, a Mexican sandwich that is both fresh and filling. I offered to help Bob with the prep work and assembly in exchange for an interview on his experience recreating this classic, and what it was like to share it with folks who have never had the chance to enjoy one of the hidden treasures of tacqueria cuisine. 

I hope the following discussion peeks your interest and you head out to try this unique sandwich for yourself.

Q. As you worked the grill, I heard several people walk past me discussing how you believe the torta is the "king of sandwiches". For you, what makes the torta superior to other sandwiches?

 

A. I like the torta because it's never caught on with mainstream America - - it looks too much like a sandwich, I think.  But really it's the best of both worlds:  the best starch (bread) with the best cuisine (Mexican).   Also, the layering of ingredients on a torta makes each one stand out more than when they are crammed together in a burrito.

 

Q. I can appreciate that viewpoint. The totra reminds me of the Vietnamese Bahn Mi sandwich, which is a personal favorite of mine. Both sandwiches have an almost perfect balance, where each ingredient complements the other. For your taste, is there one ingredient that you feel makes this sandwich, or do you feel its a team effort with all the ingredients playing off each other?

 

A. I think it's the combination of so many good ingredients that gives the torta its appeal.  It's the Mexican version of a dagwood sandwich.

Q. I like that you took the time to shop for authentic ingredients, like the correct breads and meats. Did you learn anything new as part of your research and prep? Any skills or techniques you would like to use more in your daily cooking?

 

A. The bakery I went to on Cherokee St calls the torta roll a telera.  Crunchy on the outside, and airy on the inside.  And the butcher recommended the arrachera cut of beef for the carne asada (flap meat, i believe).  After I ordered the meat, the butcher took the already thin steaks, and butterflied them ever thinner, to about 1/8" i suppose.  I marinated the meat for 8 hours in an olive oil, lime and spice mix.  Despite the thinness of the beef and the time spent in lime juice, when cooked medium, the meat was tough and the marinade sat on top like too much Italian dressing. I found it was better to cook the meat to well done, well-browned on both sides, to make the meat tastier and easier to chew.  Any moisture lost from over-cooking was easily replaced by the guacamole, pico do gallo, cheese, lettuce, and refried beans.

 

Q. We spoke after you made these sandwiches and mentioned that you took some of the beef and continued to marinade it for several days. Any lessons learned there?

A. After 8 hours of marinating, the meat was more tender, but still a bit too chewy.  A day later, the meat was easy to cut and chew through.  And two days later, it was even better.  I would have continued this experiment for the next week, but my wife (a vegetarian) got digested looking at this experiment progress in the fridge, and removed it from sight.  Bottom line - - I guess the arrachera cut of meat needs a lot of time (or maybe more acid) to truly soften up.

Q. I had a discussion with someone who insisted on comparing the torta to a muffaletta? Do you think this is a fair comparison?

 

A. Not for me.  I adore the contrasting fresh ingredients of tortas, and can do without the fatty, densely stacked meat, cheese, and olive mix of a muffaletta.  I suppose the muffaletta roll is pretty similar to a telera.  After that, they go their own ways.

Q. You seemed to focus on using a flat top to complete the cheese component of this sandwich, where did you pick up this technique?

 

A. At my favorite St Louis tacqueria (La Vallesana) they throw shredded cheese on the griddle, lay a toasted telera on top, and sweep everything up a few seconds later.  I tried this using a cast iron griddle.  At first I noticed the cheese stuck to the grill as much as the roll - - but found that a quick slide underneath with a metal spatula could get under the browned cheese - - and leave the cheesy topped roll looking like it had just come from the broiler.

 

As a side note, I am not a fan of the mayo/mustard approach some take on these sandwiches.  Fresh salsa and guacamole make more sense to me with spicy grilled Mexican meat, even when served on a bread roll.

 

Q. The crowd also was really into your guacamole, do you have any recommendations that you would like to share?

 

A. I've always felt avocado can stand on its own.   A little salt, pepper and garlic salt isn't too obtrusive.  And if it's going to sit for a while, some lime juice can keep it green.  I prefer it without the lime, but that's the price you pay when serving at a leisurely party.

           

Q. Here in St. Louis, where would you send someone to have their first torta, and what would you tell them to order?

 

A. For anyone's first torta in Saint Louis, the standard bearer is La Vallesana on Cherokee Street.  It's not quite as good as ones I've had Southwest from here, but it's certainly enough to find out whether tortas speak to you.

Float Trip Picnic Chicken

A simple pleasure of Midwest living is the "float trip". Coolers are packed with beverages and food, and then friends take off down the river in rafts, tubes and pretty much anything else that will, well, float. Ideally, when asked by friends and coworkers on the east coast why I live in Missouri with the heat, floods and tornadoes, I should point to the float trip as one of many reasons.

I was asked to make something to eat for a recent float trip, so I racked my brain and cookbook collection for a meal that would travel well in the Midwest heat while still feeding a large group. I decided that I wanted to make cold chicken, but there were several obstacles that I wanted to tackle before serving my waterlogged friends. At issue was how to prepare the meat so it would remain moist up to a day after cooking and what to do with the rubbery skin that can ruin an otherwise perfect piece of chicken.

Over the last few years, I've taken to selecting thighs as my cut of choice when preparing chicken. It's a shame they are so often overlooked as they are affordable and have a great meat to bone ratio. Also, the dark meat thigh stands up to abuse that would dry out its white meat counterpart, the breast. I almost always rub or brine chicken thighs before cooking, with some of my favorite combinations being an overnight soak in lemon juice, olive oil, scallions, garlic and tarragon or simply using my house spice rub.

For this float trip, I decided on barbecuing chicken using my go to dry rub to impart flavor, saving my friends from the glorious mess resulting from barbeque sauce covered hands.

My house rub is super easy and follows the pit master approved ratio of 8 - 3 - 1 - 1:

8 parts brown sugar
3 parts kosher salt
1 part chili powder
1 part other (can be any combination of spices and herbs, as long as it equals 1 whole part)

The beauty of this formula is that as long as you stick to the ratio, you can use any measurement you would like, be it tablespoons, cups or gallons. I usually make a large batch and keep it in a sealed shaker for chicken and ribs. I've also been known to jar it and give away at the holidays.

What follows is a two day process for making my cold picnic chicken.

Day 1

The afternoon before I planned on making these thighs, I washed, scored and carefully peeled back the skin (don’t totally detach) on each so I could season the meat with my rub. After seasoning, I folded the skin back and placed the thighs on a wire rack resting inside a baking sheet. Then I applied a second coating of the rub on top of the skin, covered loosely with foil and then placed in the coldest part of my fridge, the bottom shelf, for an overnight rest.

This method helps to solve one of the problems I was worried about, keeping the chicken moist as it cooked. The salt in my rub acts very much like a brine, drawing the natural water and salt out of the chicken to its surface, then back into the chicken hours later as the chicken reabsorbs the water and most of the rub. The net result is a "brine" that flavors the meat with the rub while keeping the chicken moist.

I alluded to how I approached eliminating soggy and rubbery chicken when I referenced scoring the skin before applying the rub. For each thigh, I used a chef's knife to cut inch long channels in the skin without cutting the meat. In general, chicken skin is full of fat which will not completely render during cooking - it has no way to escape and remains trapped under the skin. Scoring the skin provides an escape route for fat, allowing it to baste the chicken while cooking and letting the skin form a thin crispy layer.

Day 2

The day before our trip and my planning and prep work completed, I started a one zone fire in my grill, allowing me to cook the chicken thighs skin side up over low and slow indirect heat. Using a mixture of natural lump charcoal and apple wood chunks, I smoked these thighs for four hours at 225 degrees, replenishing the fuel supply as needed to maintain a consistent temperature. Several times during the process, I rotated the thighs skin side down over the hot zone, rendering out additional fat and to crisp the skin. I was quick to remove the chicken during flare-ups, and each thigh was not exposed to direct heat more than a minute or two in total.

After four hours on the grill, I brought the chicken inside, placed on a clean wire rack and baking sheet, covered with foil and left in the bottom shelf of the fridge. My wife and I shared a piece for lunch and it was everything I was looking for, moist, smoky with great barbecue flavor and thin crispy skin.

Bringing it all together:

The next day I packed the thighs into a cooler along with some other snacks, ice, beer, and what I am told is a float trip requirement, Jell-O shots. We enjoyed a great day on the river with friends and shared a fine lunch of cold picnic chicken on a sandbar before continuing on our way. Sure I got sunburned so bad that if you placed me on a bun I'd look like a lobster roll, but it was a great day nonetheless.

Roasted Garlic Strip Steaks with Texas Potatoes

I helped throw a bachelor party recently, and for me, bachelor parties mean steaks and steakhouses. In this case, we decided to bring the steakhouse into the home, with a dinner before we ventured out for the evening. In thinking about the menu, I took some time to reflect on one of the two bachelor parties I had last year, and the meal we took in at the Strip House in Manhattan. I used the ultra thick strip steaks simply accompanied by a whole head of roasted garlic from that dinner as the inspiration for these roasted garlic strip steaks cooked over a fire of natural lump charcoal and large chunks of mesquite.

While I have never been able duplicate the amazing steaks that I’ve had at my favorite steakhouses, I’ve been able to come close at home. Keys to success include knowing your butcher and planning for heat management.

The first step may be the hardest, knowing your butcher. I have several that I visit here in St. Louis depending on what I am cooking, and I keep coming back because each take the time to talk with you about the product you are buying and how you would like to prepare it. They will also cut and trim to your specifications. For this meal, I made my way over to the meat counter at Whole Foods, who carry beef that is free range and grass fed while remaining free of hormones and antibiotics. They also do custom cuts, so in quick order I was out the door with four two inch thick New York Strip Steaks, weighing a total of 89 ounces.

I prepared these steaks very simply. First I roasted off two heads of garlic in the oven with olive oil, kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. After about an hour in the oven at 350 degrees, I let the garlic rest and cool before running it through a garlic press and into the olive oil I used for roasting. I added some more olive oil, covered and reserved for later that night. A few minutes before grilling, I spread the roasted garlic and oil mixture over the steaks along with kosher salt and fresh pepper.

The next key to grilling great steaks is heat management. In this case, I built a 2 zone fire using natural lump charcoal and a bed of mesquite wood. The first zone should be hot and large enough to put a good sear on the steaks, while the second should allow the steaks to finish with even, low heat.

As the grill was heating, I put my cast iron skillet over the hot zone and used that heat to start the universal steak house side, potatoes. As the bachelor was from Texas, I imagined what I would make if I was a cowboy, cooking out over fire on the range. The result was what I called Texas Potatoes.

In the skillet I combined six good sized Yukon gold potatoes with the skins on and sliced into disks, four thick slices of bacon, cut into half inch sections, red onion, kosher salt, pepper, and a stick of unsalted butter cut into eight pads. For the thirty minutes it took for my coals to come to temperature I kept the skillet over the hot zone, folding the potatoes over occasionally and letting them fry in the bacon fat and butter.

Is it healthy? Probably not. Is it tasty? You bet your ass.

After thirty minutes, I moved the skillet to the cooler zone of the grill and individually grilled slices of potatoes over the hot zone to get some marks on them. I did these about 10 at a time, and then added them back to the skillet.

When the coals were ready in the hot zone, I grilled each steak for three minutes on each side, turning 90 degrees once for crosshatched grill marks. After six minutes I moved each steak into the cooler zone to finish, about ten to twelve minutes for medium rare. When they were done, I removed them from the grill, covered with foil and rested for about ten minutes, reserving the juices to top the steaks when I plated.

I served these steaks and Texas potatoes with sautéed spinach, a fresh horseradish and chive cream dipping sauce, and a bottle of 2002 Chateau la Grande Roche Cabernet Sauvignon that I have been cellaring for just such a meal. We finished things off with glasses of 15 year old Balvenie single barrel single malt whisky – the perfect ending to a steakhouse meal at home.

Best of luck to the bachelor and to you in your summer grilling adventures.

A list of my favorite Steakhouses, in no specific order:

Andria’s – O Fallon, Illinois
Angelo & Maxies – Manhattan, New York
Capital Grill – Multiple Locations
Citizen Kane’s – Kirkwood, Missouri
Gallagher's – Manhattan, New York
Gene & Georgetti – Chicago, Illinios
Peter Lugar – Brooklyn, New York
Rod’s Steak & Seafood Grille – Morristown, New Jersey
Smith & Wollensky – Multiple Locations
Sparks – Manhattan, New York
The Strip House – Manhattan, New York

A New Religion in Mecca

The title of this post is a tip of the hat to the book “A New Religion in Mecca: Memoir of a Renegade Brewer in St. Louis” by Tom Schlafly. The book details the challenges, struggles and at times blind trial and error of starting a craft brewery in the shadow of the Anheuser-Busch brewery here in St. Louis. The title seems to fit me as June turns to July, and I absorb some changes to how I’ve done things for some time.

The first change involved a much needed personal inventory of my skill set at work. For some time, I’ve moved between the roles of project manager / business analyst and architect as required. My personal development has been shortsighted at times and non-existent others, mostly because of the demands of project work - who has time to attend training, no matter how important it is?

After some soul searching around the dinner table, I decided to try to focus my efforts on developing a base of technology skills that would complement the ones I have developed through 10 years of IT experience. A balancing of the pros and cons lead me to the conclusion that learning some SQL and perhaps attempting to teach myself Java using Eclipse as an IDE would be beneficial.

The SQL will come in handy for increasing my skills in the business intelligence and reporting space, which will complement my project management and business analyst skills. Over the coming days I will install mySQL and begin running through Alan Beaulieu’s O’Reilly book “Learning SQL”. I’ve always learned the most when I can apply what I am absorbing directly to a personal interests, so once I’m done with this current set of lessons I’m thinking about attempting to use mySQL to develop a custom set of reports for my investment club. I’ve been thinking about using the tool to generate price vs. P/E tables and graphs for the stocks we collectively own and/or argue about.

The Java will come in handy as unlike many in my field, I did not progress up the ranks from programmer to architect. Instead I ended up an Enterprise Architect because I needed to be promoted someplace. While I have learned a tremendous amount about technology, I think having a working knowledge of a development language will help me in project work.

However, these new goals are not in of themselves the epiphany mapping to the title of this post as I set goals all the time. Instead the first change to come was moving from Microsoft Windows to Apple Macintosh (24 Inch iMac, 4GB RAM, 1.5TB of storage) as a stepping stone to getting started in expanding my development skills beyond HTML. Though more expensive up front, the Apple is quickly becoming the tool of choice for application development and has more than enough power to function as a home computer and learning and development platform.

The transition is now largely complete and like the advertising says, everything worked right out of the box. Because we live in a PC world, I also loaded Microsoft Vista Ultimate Edition using Fusion from VMWare. Interestingly enough, the install of Fusion and Vista went easier than any Windows upgrade or install I’ve ever done. In total, the entire process took about 3 hours, including beer breaks as it was a holiday weekend. I bought a laptop running Windows XP about 18 months ago, and the entire setup took close to 12 hours, including a 3 hour trip back to the store to replace the first laptop with a new one. Its easy to see why Apple has a cult-like following that is taking share.

I’ve been very happy with the switchover experience. Most of my existing files moved seamlessly across platforms, and what PC specific applications I did have are running fine in Vista. I’m most interested in the functionality of Fusion, which lets you take a snapshot of an instance of an operating system as you run, in this case Vista, on a virtual machine. Should Vista become corrupted from a virus or from mis-administering the machine, into the Mac trash it goes and I can recover to the snapshot install in minutes. I also plan on installing a copy of Linux as well in the near future.

While the first change was thought out and planned to some extent, the second was quite different. For the 4th of July, we were planning on having a barbeque with about 15 people attending. I got up early and was in the back yard around 9:30 AM to clean up my gas grill and get it ready for smoking ribs and then cooking food for the party throughout the afternoon and evening. I started up the grill to clean off some leftover grime from the cookout the night before and went about getting ready to start smoking three racks of baby backs around 11:00 AM. I came back in about 30 minutes to find the grill cold with hardly any flame coming from the 3 grill bars.

Faced with the prospect of attempting to repair a 6 year old gas grill before our party, my wife and I decided to head to Home Depot to price out a new one. I have been contemplating a move from gas to charcoal for some time, but there really has not been a reason beyond the desire to do it. On the quick drive over, I had to contemplate a move without research or thought beyond day dreaming about the change.

6 years ago, I bought 3 burner stainless steel grill at Lowe’s for about 400.00. This has been a great tool for cooking burgers and steaks. I even managed to “smoke” (as much as you can using gas) whole chickens and pork ribs with success. However, as I toiled away in my backyard, the world moved on to a price point approaching 800.00 - 1000.00 dollars for a gas grill, complete with 4 burners, side burners, rotisseries with counterweight systems and warming trays. We now need grills to match the SUV’s in our driveways. I was forced to face the fact that as a culture, we decided to move our kitchens outdoors. Who cleans these monsters? Can the average backyard chef even use many of the bells and whistles they have bolted onto the side of the modern grill?

Suddenly it was very easy to move away from gas to lump charcoal.

In short order I was on the way home with a charcoal grill that should capture the attention to anyone who desires a grill for their back yard. With a few hours to go and the help of my wife we had the new grill set up and smoldering at 210 degrees within 90 minutes.

The risks were great; a new tool, a new heat source and 15 hungry people at my house.

Much like with the Apple, moving from gas to charcoal and wood just works out of the box if you’ve planned your moves ahead of time. The grill is large enough to lay out 3 or 4 racks of ribs to smoke over indirect heat. Maintaining a consistent temperature is easy as well, the grill has a door on the front for easy access to a tray holding your heat source. This tray can be raised and lowered at will to control the heat and for the production of a sear. A few extra lumps of charcoal and mesquite every 45 minutes is all that is needed to maintain 200 - 220 degrees - the perfect temperature for smoking and barbecuing meats.

After about 4 hours the ribs were done and the grill took 2 full chimney starters of charcoal and mesquite to cook 12 hamburgers, 6 large portobello mushrooms and 6 peppers at one time, easily besting the cooking surface of my previous grill.

For a day that could have gone so very wrong, I was really happy that everything came out so very right. The grill works well, but is not without it’s flaws. Assembly left something to be desired. The handles for the vents are plastic and attached to metal that is to thin for the job asked of them. Both get way to hot compared to the rest of the grill which seems to have a better construction. The fit and finish is a little suspect, the doors don’t sit right and the hood pops a little when the grill heats up before it sits on the grill surface. On the plus side the unit has heavy cast iron grates for searing and the process of cleaning ash has been well thought out. All things being equal, not a bad tool for around 200.00.

What follows in a photoessay for some impromptu baby back ribs, planned for a gas grill but smoked over lump charcoal and apple and mesquite wood chunks. This is a 2 day process that begins at your local butcher and can be applied to baby back / spare or St. Louis style ribs.

Day 1

1. Have your butcher remove the skin from the underside of the ribs or remove with a flexible knife at home. (This is a must. Any good butcher will perform this task upon request - if you can find a good butcher)

2. In a deep Pyrex dish or large Zip-lock bag, lay out the ribs and cover with pineapple juice. I soaked these ribs for about 8 hours, turning occasionally.

3. After a good soaking, pat the ribs dry, lay over plastic wrap on a large cookie sheet and brush with a mustard of your choosing, then coat liberally with spice rub. I make my own but store bought is fine, just watch the amount of salt in the rub. My rub for these ribs included brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, chili pepper, Old Bay, cumin, kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. Don’t be afraid to use your hands and rub the mixture into the ribs.

4. Cover with plastic wrap and place into the fridge overnight.

Day 2

1. Remove ribs from the fridge at least an hour before you plan on starting, allowing the temperature of the meat to rise. This is a good habit to get into whenever you are cooking meat on a grill.

2. If you are using wood chips, place them in a water bath. I used dry wood for this go around as I didn’t have the time to soak the larger chunks of wood this grill can accommodate. I'm also not sure if its needed with this grill. Only time will tell.

3. Set up your grill for indirect heat and using a thermometer than you know to be calibrated (not necessarily the thermometer on the hood of your grill) let the grill come to rest at about 200 - 220 degrees.

4. Place a shallow tin of water (or liquid of your choosing) over the heat source. I find that this provides enough moisture to help the meat stay moist while it cooks.

5. Place the ribs on the opposite grill from your heat source and close the grill. At this point, the hood should stay down. I restrict opening the hood to once an hour when I rotate the ribs and refill the liquid. On my grill, I have a second door below the heat where I can add a small bit of wood or fuel and I’ve found that this set up allows me to keep the heat in the right part of the grill. Opening the hood lets most of the heat you’ve made escape, and your grill has to work to heat back up once you close it up.

6. For these baby back ribs, I went about 4 hours at 210 degrees. I started brushing the ribs with a wet mop barbeque sauce about 3.5 hours into the cooking process. Any earlier and you risk creating a burned layer of crust on your ribs.

7. After 4 hours I pulled the ribs and cut into 2 bone pieces. In a large mixing bowl I put a fair amount of barbeque sauce and added the ribs, tossing to coat. Make sure you serve with lots of napkins. Enjoy!

Afterthoughts:

These ribs were a cooking adventure and I really did fly by the seat of my pants for the most part. However, they came out with a nice smoke ring and were moist and juicy on the inside. Because of the late start time, I pulled the ribs early so I could get ready for cooking hamburgers and hot dogs. I’m sure they could have gone longer and gotten to the point where the rib bone can be twisted and pulled a bit out of the meat - the falling off the bone stage. Luckily I’m at the beginning of learning how to use this new tool, and my next batch should be even better than these were.

Habanero and Strawberry Bison Filet Mignon

Ingredients List: Grass Fed Free Range Bison Filets (Bowood Farms, Clarksville, MO), (Marinade) Organic Habanero Chili, Organic Strawberry Jam, Organic Shallot, Organic Cranberry Juice, White Vinegar, Organic Canola Oil, Kosher Salt, Pepper (Salad) Organic Yellow Brandywine Tomato, Organic Cucumber, Organic Bi-Color Corn, Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Kosher Salt, Pepper (Topping) Organic Purple Beauty Bell Pepper, Organic White Onion

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Here in Missouri, we are lucky to have access to grass fed bison at our local grocery and farmers markets. While using bison as a replacement for beef is becoming a bit more common, I still relish plating up thick cuts like New York Strip and Filet Mignon for friends and watching them enjoy this healthy and low fat dish for the first time.

Cooking bison is not as easy or forgiving as beef, and the home cook should plan ahead to ensure success. The biggest issue is bison’s low fat content. Unlike feed lot raised beef and its superior fat marbling, bison is quite lean and prone to drying out if over cooked.

For my habanero and strawberry filet mignon recipe I begin about 8 hours before starting my grill with a marinade of habanero chili, strawberry jam, shallot, white vinegar, canola oil, kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper and cranberry juice. The goal is to infuse a balance of the scorching habanero with the natural sugary sweetness of strawberries and cranberry while adding a bit of moisture to the meat before cooking.

Grilling and heat management play a big part in how your bison will finish. Personally, I prefer my steaks rare to medium rare, so how you approach your bison steaks is of the utmost importance. I use a two zone cooking method, leaving one side of my grill rocket hot to sear each steak, then move to a second zone of very gentle heat to finish the cooking. For bison I’m not looking for the great diamond pattern that I would get on a beef steak, instead, I want to get the best sear I can the first time around then get it off the flame.

I have read that some cooks will leave a bison steak slightly frozen in the center before grilling. While I am sure this will buy you some extra insurance against overcooking your steak, I have not attempted this cooking method. For me, a little planning is all the insurance I feel I need to turn out a perfectly grilled steak.

Total cooking time should be about half to two-thirds that of a beef steak of equal size. On my grill, that’s about a sear on each side for a minute, then about 6 to 7 minutes on indirect heat. You’ll have to give it a try with your equipment as not two flames cook quite the same.

Pre-work:

Before getting to the marinade, a word of caution on the use of habanero, one of the hottest chili peppers available to the home chef. At 200,000 to 300,000 Scoville units, this is a food that should be handled with extreme care and respect. A run in with a jalapeno that I grew several years ago and my contact lenses has made me a firm believer in the use of latex gloves when handling most members of the Capsicum genus. Save for the stem, the entire chili is edible, but the real heat lives in the seeds and rib walls inside the fruit and I usually trim and discard these parts before use - especially if I intend to serve habanero to guests. 

The habanero in this marinade is used to impart heat, but it is nicely complemented by the use of strawberry and cranberry to create a spicy, sweet liquid for the filets to sit in. You can also substitute fruits like peaches or nectarine if they are local and in season. The goal is balance and your options are many.

1. I begin by placing one seeded and de-ribbed habanero, two shallots and three tablespoons of strawberry jam in a food processor or blender. 

2. Add two or three tablespoons of white vinegar, one fourth cup of cranberry juice and two to three tablespoons of canola oil.

3. Salt and pepper to taste.

4. Blend for ten seconds, then check to make ensure all the ingredients have been incorporated into a viscous liquid. Makes enough marinade for two filets.

5. Place filets into a plastic bag, cover with marinade and seal. To ensure the best liquid to meat contact possible, try to remove as much air from the bag before closing. Place the bag in a plastic or glass container and place in your refrigerator. I recommend eight hours, but an overnight rest would be totally acceptable.

Bringing It All Together:

1. Preheat two zone grill as written above.

2. Oil down grill grate to prevent sticking, grill filets to rare/medium rare, per your grilling equipment

3. Remove from heat and rest under tented foil for several minutes before serving.

After Thoughts:

I like to caramelize some onion and bell pepper as a side to complement this steak, perhaps mixed with some roasted habanero for the culinary adventurous. Serve with a side of heirloom tomato and cucumber salad, dressed simply with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Enjoy.