I picked up keys to the restaurant space today and took my oldest son for a first look. After being a little spooked by an unlit construction site he ended up declaring "your barbecue place is going to be really cool." Three cheers for that.
Today was just about perfect: it snowed in the morning, later my son declared on his own "Daddy, i'd like to shovel the rink," the smoker was fired up at noon, we went for a road trip to get a kitten from a shelter, then I went for a night-time skate with the fresh smell of the final hour of a pork shoulder melting away in the smoker, and finally a barbecue feast of chopped pork sandwiches w/ coleslaw, vinegar sauce, baked beans, and my wife's canned pickles form the summer. Now that's a damn fine day.
The last time I was at Fetta Sau up in Williamsburg Bklyn, I picked up this stylish mason jar of their rub. They use ground coffee amongst more traditional rub seasonings, and I've always loved the flavor on their smoked boneless beef ribs. The jar has been sitting in my cupboard for a couple months, but last night I remembered it was there and used it on a thick rib eye steak I picked up for dinner.
I've read about cedar planked salmon for at least a decade. And I've had a stack of cedar planks in my grilling closet for just as long. Every time I open that closet I see them sitting there, and everytime I grab what I need and close the door leaving the neglected planks of wood behind. But tonight i decided to actually throw them on the grill, and the results were delicious. Read on for more details.
It's hard to beat a slow-cooked beefy meal. I'm a big fan of stews, pot roasts, etc, but often times the final product is on the blander side of the spectrum. So I'm always searching for recipes with more robust ingredients, and I stumbled across one in a british slow cooker cookbook we had on the shelf. This recipe adds some real depth to a simple braised beef with the addition of horseradish, curry, and ginger. If you have a slow cooker at home I urge you to make this meal. Start it up in the morning, and when you get home from work your house will demand you start eating dinner the moment you walk through the door. Read on for my step by step, and the final recipe.
Growing tired of the same dinner options at home, I recently tried my hand at a banh mi sandwich made with pork shoulder. I've never had banh mi in fear of an allergic reaction to sesame oil often used in its preparation. But at home I can control ingredients so set to work scouring cook books and blogs to get the general consensus on ingredients and preparation. The results were super tasty, and while I can't compare it to an authentic banh mi, I can declare the following recipe is wicked delicious. Read on for the details.
