BBQ Show On TLC

Came across this TV show on The Learning Channel. It's a reality show about competition barbeque.

http://tlc.discovery.com/tv/bbq-pitmasters/

Lots of interesting tips these guys are giving away. Sometimes competition bbq-ers won't share any tips with you. These guys are part chef, part athlete & part 5-star General. Cool. And I don't doubt for a second that it's very competitive. This is NOT grilling hot dogs & hamburgers.

Oh, and follow your dreams.

BBQ - This Is A Lang Smoker

Time for some Q! Here's an interesting video by a guy who has (a very excellent-looking) BBQ smoker from Lang Smokers. Now this, this,.... this is a cool lookin' BBQ smoker. Check it out. Unfortunately, I don't have a spare $2k lying around in my sofa cushions, otherwise I'd order one for myself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1xypMXJndI&NR=1

You can check out Lang's stuff at:

http://www.pigroast.com

Plus YouTube has lots of people posting videos of Lang stuff.

Wordless Wednesdays And/Or Thursdays

I've seen some blogs out there on the 'net that dedicate a post every now & then to Wordless days of the week, like wednesday or thursday. It's a post where they just put up some pictures or videos. No words, just pictures. Sounds like a plan.



To start my tradition of wordless days, let's start NOW. Here is this week's Wordless Thursday. Woo-hoo.



I won't say anything more, I'll just let the pix speak.

Marinated Chicken Breast Cutlets

It's been awhile since I've done a BBQ post, so here's one of marinated chicken breast cutlets, marinated in a lemon/pepper marinade. This really dresses up an otherwise bland piece of meat.

I cooked them using the indirect method, with the hot lump charcoal on one side of my Weber Kettle Grill, and the meat on the other side. With the cover on, and with some maple chucks burning along with the charcoal, and with some oak smoking chips made from genuine Jack Daniels oak aging barrels, the smoke flavor was a great combo with the lemon/pepper marinade.

Mmmmmm MMMMMM ! ! !

DEEEELISH.

Plus, when I was lighting the charcoal, I threw in some leftover grease from the kitchen, from bacon and so on. This helped to get the coals sizzling away a bit faster I would guess. Plus it had a nice bacon smell. As Homer Simpson would say: "Mmmmm, bacon."

Smokin'.

More Wildlife Photos

Recently I was visiting family in Grand Island, NY. I snapped a few pictures, as I usually do during family events. Family is still not enthusiastic about having their pictures on an unsecured blog, but hey, why not show the wildlife photos?

Here's an alleged Blue Heron. He or she is right out there on the Niagara River, scoping out some fish maybe? You can see the GI bridge there in the background. In the immediate area there seemed to be a ton of minnows and other fish swimming around.

Here's a picture of the GI bridge again. I figured since I had to pay a $1 toll to get over that bridge, I might as well have a picture of it.

That day we had a little cookout with Filet Mignon and chicken on the grill. It was delicious. It was grilled on a Weber grill. Those things rock. Later in the evening as the sun was setting, we say some way-cool storm clouds roll in.

There was a heck of a rain shower that rolled in after the clouds darkened up the sky. There's the GI bridge again in the background - hey, it cost be a whole dollar, like I said earlier, and I need to justify the expense.

Well, ok, it was worth it to see family.

GRILL IT!

Here's a new book I recently received as a gift.

Bobby Flay's GRILL IT! book.

I like the ! in the title. Makes it sound more intense.

It is quite an interesting book. He starts out by explaining basic ideas, like direct vs. indirect grilling - which is quite basic really, but so many people don't realize it.

Looks like it's not quite done yet there Bobby!

He also mentions basic gear to have, controlling heat, storing stuff so it's safe and fresh, and stuff like that. Then, tons of recipes. Then at the end, sources for getting food, spices, woods/charcoal and other supplies.

I'll have to decide what to cook first. Probably beef.

Tonight - Pork Chops

Tonight I thought I'd post another foodie-type posting. It's been awhile.

I got some pork chops, center-cut with the bone still there, from Federal Meats.

The Feds seem to have some great cuts of meat whenever I visit.



Here I have a couple pork chops seasoned with McCormick's Grill Mates BBQ seasoning.

M M M M M M M M M M M

These were quite delicious. I also cooked a small Chicken Cordon Blue (or is it Bleue?) from Federal that I did not take pictures of. It was also great.

Sure beats McDonald's.

Cast Iron Cooking Stuff - Old And New

Tonight I have some Cast Iron stuff I'd like to show you.




First, a brand new cast iron skillet from Range Kleen.

Comes pre-seasoned. I cooked up some nice bacon to help season it more. Cast iron cookware requires some real TLC. You must clean and season it to make the nice smooth surface that makes it a non-stick item.

Here's a Dutch Oven. I don't think it's really from the Dutch lands of the Netherlands.

In this picture you can see the markings on the bottom of my Dutch Oven.

8

D O

Made

In

USA

I can picture Homer Simpson saying "DOH!! Made In USA - where's USA?"

I think cooking stuff with this HEAVY HEAVY cast iron stuff is very cool, or maybe hot - or maybe I should just say it's excellent. It ain't cool since you really have to heat this thing up, and if I say it's hot, well, it's hot alright. Cooks up food great.

Cast iron cookware gets more non-stick the more you use it. I've cooked bacon, eggs, sausage, onions, and many other things, and every time I use it, it's easier to cook with, and easier to clean.

Google cast-iron stuff and you'll be amazed.

Oh, and follow your dreams!

Cool BBQ media site

Hey, what's up?

I want you to see a BBQ video site I have watched for quite a while now. It's great, and you don't need to register or pay any money for, or trade your 1st child for, etc, etc, etc.

http://championshipbbq.tv/bbq/

Plus Stumps Smokers grills are cool.

One other thing: I saw a great charcoal smoker/grill at Lowes the other day. It's got the Royal Oak brand name on it, and it has room for an optional side smoker so it becomes an offset smoker. Almost bought it on impulse. The only thing was: they had the grill in-stock, but not the side box. It was "only" $320 bones. Maybe this weekend...


Barbeque rules.

D

Are We There Yet?????

Here's a link to some info on when meat is done:

http://www.grillingcompanion.com/meat-doneness-temperatures/

The site has some good stuff on it.

http://www.grillingcompanion.com/

A good digital meat thermometer is a good investment for getting meat cooked enough to be safe, but not too much so you don't dry it out.

Two good BBQ rubs from last summer

Here are a couple good rubs I made for barbecue this past summer. The one with lemon zest was great on chicken and the other rub was used on ribs. I'm sure they would be great on other meats as well and when I try this out, I'll let you know how it went.

























Rib Rub:

2 tsp celery salt
6 tsp paprika
1 tsp black pepper, fresh ground
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt


I used this rub on ribs and I cooked them indirect method on a weber grill using hickory wood chips for smoke flavoring. They were great.


Chicken rub:

4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp rosemary, crushed
2 tsp sea salt, iodized
1 1/2 tsp lemon zest, fresh
1 tsp black pepper, fresh ground

I used this on chicken breasts and I cooked them indirect method on a weber grill, also with hickory wood chips for smoke flavoring. They were also great.


In both cases, I applied the rubs just before the grill was getting up to temperature. The cooking process took an hour at least. Low & slow is the way to go I always say. Low as in low temperature, and slow as in take your time and don't rush.