i retract my vote for you.

you say that as if this was my choice

you voted against me too so this was just the icing on the proverbial cake.

goddamnit i had no choice the main has funded my rock and roll empire, what did you want me to do

eh, i'm winning.

unless a slew of melissas start voting.

second attempt at bbq ribs.
I don't know dick about ribs..but it's my new americana food project. [spent the past year working on the subtleties of pizza and chicken wings].

this site seems pretty helpful:
http://www.amazingribs.com/index.html

I saw the basic sauces posted earlier in the thread.
any other suggestions for perfecting these fuckers?

Tonight, I tried a "Memphis-style".
Definitely preferred over a standard dry-rub.
Have some things to work on regarding the sauce,
but I think this style is hard to beat.

...next up is the Carolina mustard-based recipe.

I picked up this tip from a buddy and it really fucking works: Smoke/grill* your ribs for about an hour or so to lock in the flavor and smoke and then put them in the crock pot for another 4-6 hours. You can do your basting every hour or so in the crock pot but it gets harder because they are literally falling off the bones. So tender.

*I usually soak some hickory chips in water then make two pouches out of aluminum foil. Put the soaked chips in the pouch and then cut holes in both sides. Then I'll prepare about 16-20 briquettes, divide them evenly on either side of the grill and put a pouch of chips on top of the briquettes. Put your ribs (in this case, I do the same with pork shoulders) in the middle and let the smoke fly.

A related note on charcoal:

Recently I got a bag of hardwood charcoal from Whole Foods to use in the little portable Weber we still have. I'm the FIRST one to call bullshit when the hippy-brand variety of some staple product doesn't work well enough (recycled plastic toothbrushes, for example) but this charcoal has been amazing.

- It's chunks of hardwood, can't tell what species anymore but they're not reconstituted sawdust.
- It weighs less than regular briquets.
- I lights 1,000,000 times easier than briquets... I have yet to need anything more than a small brown paper bag, torn and crumpled, and 1 single match. No chimney lighter, no fluid, nada.
- It burns longer than briquets. I don't even fill that little grill, and I cook 2 times minimum on it by just clamping down the air holes when the food's done and letting it go out. Next time I use it, I just toss a couple more pieces in there, and it all lights up.
- IT DOESN'T TASTE LIKE LIGHTER FLUID. Can't explain how much nicer that is. No petroleum smells, no nothin'.


Again, not to preach the hippy or anything, but that is a vastly superior product for you non-gas folks out there. I give a fuck if it makes mother earth happy. Shit works.

You are aware of these, right?

[img][487:500]http://www.bbqpits.com/new_models_coming_soon/Charcoal%20Chimneys.jpg[/img]


Good info though on the whole foods charcoal. Incidentally I have no problem with the recycled plastic toothbrushes. Work just fine

I came across this in the New Orleans Time Pic. It's a recipe created as a tribute to Wila Mae's Fried Chicken (usually listed as the best fried chicken in the US). I haven't attempted it yet, but I thought I'd post, anyway.

John Currence's Coca-Cola-Brined Fried Chicken


12 chicken thighs (skin on)
Peanut oil and lard, for frying

BRINING MIX
1 quart Coca Cola
1 teaspoon Liiquid Smoke (optional)
2 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Tabasco
3 tablespoons ground black pepper
3 tablespoons coarse salt

BATTER
1 egg
3/4 cup peanut oil

DRY MIX (well combined)
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons coarse salt
4 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 tablespoon cayenne
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 1/2 cups flour

To brine: Rinse chicken, drain, and set aside. Blend together brining mix until salt dissolves. Place chicken in brine in a large covered bowl and marinate, refrigerated, for 4 hours.

To batter: Whisk egg well in a stainless steel bowl and add peanut oil and 2 1/2 cups water. Add in dry mix, whisking slowly so batter doesn't clump.

To prepare chicken: Fill a large cast-iron skillet halfway with equal amounts peanut oil and lard. Slowly bring temperature to 375 degrees. (Use a candy thermometer.)

While oil is heating, remove chicken from brine and place in a colander in sink. Once chicken has drained, pat dry with paper towels (a critical step) and season with salt and pepper.

Dip chicken in batter and place (carefully) in hot oil. Adjust heat, as the chicken will bring down the oil temperature dramatically -- you want it back up to just above 350 degrees. Turn chicken regularly, using tongs, to prevent burning.

After 8 or 9 minutes, remove a piece, prick it to the bone with a fork, and mash it. If the juices run clear, it's done. Continue cooking if necessary.

Judging by the fact that I referenced chimney lighters in my post, I'm gonna say "yes." I don't mean from extra fluid you spray on there, I mean from the shit they put on the bricks pre-bagging them to get them to light quicker. You tear open the bag and get high.

This recipe is also in this month's Esquire. Looks sublime.

Made that fried chicken this evening
moistest tastiest recipe I've ever made
that Coke brine does something special.

Nice!

Local restaurant held an interesting event yesterday. It was a meet the farmer kinda thing. The place uses all locally grown ingredients in their food and they had the farmers they buy from there with fresh samples of the raw ingredients you could try. Also, a local brewer with beer samples and a local winery with wine samples along with cheap pitchers of sangria and some food specials. Spent about 3-4 hours in the afternoon eating leisurely and drinking sangria. Not a bad way to kill an uncharacteristically cool yet sunny summer day outside. Can't say my head today appreciates a noon start time for drinking festivities yesterday, but a good time was certainly had.

Hardwood charcoal is where it is at. I never use brisquets anymore.

I still haven't tried it. Hopefully, I'll do it this week.

I just made a sandwich on 5 grain bread with country dijon mustard, a fresh Slocomb tomato and sliced pork terrine. Shit was TIGHT.

if you have fresh sweet corn around in abundance like we do right now, this recipe is pretty fucking awesome:

Colorado Corn Soup

6 to 8 ears corn, kernels cut off, cobs reserved

2 ounces bacon, chopped

½ large yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 head garlic, whole cloves peeled

½ teaspoon ground cumin, toasted

2 tablespoons canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce

1 ½ cups heavy cream

Salt and black (or red) pepper to taste

Optional toppings: grilled chicken, cut in bite-size pieces, or shrimp

Make stock by simmering 1 ½ quarts water and the corncobs in a stock pot with lid on for two hours. Add more water if necessary.

In a large pot, cook bacon slowly until crispy. Add onion and cook until soft. Add garlic cloves and cook for about five minutes. Add corn and corn stock and bring to a boil. Turn down to simmer and cook 30 minutes. Add cumin, chipotle, cream, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer gently about 20 minutes.

Puree soup in blender and return to pan; adjust seasonings if necessary. Simmer soup a few minutes more. Serve topped with chicken or shrimp, if desired.

Makes about 6 servings.


I made it this past weekend, and the only tweaks i made was using chicken broth instead of h20 for the corncob stock. For myself only, I may have added another tablespoon of the chipotles, but as it was this had a very nice smoky kick to it.

My Aunt Eileen's Noodle Kugel recipe:
Topping:
2 cups rice krispies
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

Kugel:
1 stick unsalted better, melted
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 pkg. 8oz. cream cheese, softened
2 cups whole milk, warmed
8 oz. medium egg noodles, cooked
optional:
1/2 cup raisins (I don't like them)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
For topping, crush cereal and mix with sugar and cinnamon. It's okay to make more than the amount of topping it calls for. Per Aunt Eileen, it makes the topping thicker and gives it more flavor. I use about 3 cups cereal and increase the sugar and cinnamon by one-third. For the kugel pour melted butter into a 13 by 9 inch pan. Sprinkle with half of the cereal topping. Beat eggs and sugar together in large bowl. Add cream cheese and mix till smooth. Stir in milk. Add noodles, and mix well. It will be very liquid. Pour mixture in pan. Sprinkle rest of cereal mixture on top. Bake till set. Start to check at about 50 minutes. It is ready when you touch it and it springs back and a little brown on top.

Dinner tonight...

[img][575:546]http://www.newsteadtowerpub.com/smokestack_aug09_web.jpg[/img]

What the what? There's a Boulevard Brewery in STL? I'm confused.

EDIT: I guess I could have read the ad. It's at the Newstead in STL with the brewmaster coming in from KC.

i picked up a boulevard brewery 12-pk sampler earlier this summer, and it was some of the most boring, weak beer i've had in some time -- from a micro anyways.

I need to get on some hardwood charcoal for my grill. Too bad there isn't a Whole Foods in this area yet. Where do you get yours, kfish?