Pork Belly's (Venice, CA)

A couple doors down from a juice bar on Abbot Kinney is Pork Belly's, specializing in sandwiches made with meats smoked in-house by their competition BBQ pitmaster, Eric Solton.

There's no seating inside this small store, but you can eat on the wooden counter on the wall of graffiti and they're working on some outdoor seating.

Their signature sandwich is The Belly Up: Smoked BBQ Pork Belly topped with homemade coleslaw on a brioche roll ($8.95)

Generous amount of thick pork belly slices encased between brioche buns. It's decadent, for sure, but the slaw does a surprisingly nice job balancing the fattiness so that it's not too heavy on your palate.


If you're still afraid the pork belly will be too fatty for you, try The Chop: Brisket smoked for over 12 hours in their in-house smoker then chopped. Topped with homemade BBQ sauce and Cole Slaw on a brioche roll ($8.95)

This is easier to eat than the pork belly. With the shredded brisket you don't need to tear off a chunk of meat with each bite. The sauce is nice, slightly tangy. Again, the slaw balanced out the sweet BBQ sauce nicely so you can keep eating.

Oh, every sandwich also comes with a mini chocolate chip cookie, so watch out for it when you open the wrapper! The cookies are freshly baked and chewy.

Smoky Balls: Pork & Beef meatballs smoked then thinly sliced. Served with homemade tomato sauce, peppers and onions on a grinder roll, topped with melted cheese ($8.95).

The meatball had a very interesting texture, closer to meatloaf than the usual meatball. It's not as flavorful as the first two sandwiches but it had a subtle smokiness.

They also serve something which they claim are "like chili cheese fries but better". They're tater tots topped with either brisket (called Chop Tots) or chorizo (called Slop Tots) and melted cheese ($4.99)

Better than fries indeed! I only tried the slap tots but will need to try the one with brisket next.

You can still take your vegetarian friends here, where they can try the veggie sloppy joe or a grilled cheese sandwich.

Another side to get is the Fried pickles served with sriracha aioli ($3.95)

I think this is my first time having fried pickles but I really liked them, especially with that sriracha aioli.

There's no beer or wine here, but I have to admit I did enjoy the freestyle Coke machine with over 100 choices of soft drinks or lemonade. So. many. choices.

Pork Belly's offers something different in the Venice area and a quick, satisfying to-go lunch stop. To make it extra quick, you can also place your order online for pick up.
On Mondays and Thursdays they have ribs after 1:30 pm but unfortunately I was there too early to try it.

It's not just a lunch stop but they're also open late at night on the weekends (until 2 am on Fridays and Saturdays) and the food would be so good on those drunken nights and prevent hangovers!

Pork Belly's Sandwich Shop
1146 Abbot Kinney Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90291
(424) 777-8875
http://www.porkbellysla.com/

Disclosure: this meal was hosted 

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Calling Peat and Whisky Lovers: Peatin' Meetin' V on June 29

If you're not a member of the LA Scotch Club, you may not know about their annual Peatin' Meetin', open to anyone who enjoys peaty whisky. They will all convene next Saturday, June 29 at the Upper Picnic Area at UCLA's Sunset Canyon for over 100 peated whiskies including Laphroaig, Ardbeg, Bowmore, Smokehead, Lagavulin, and many more.
The great thing about this event is that the whiskies you will taste there are not just from sponsors, but they use their own club funds to source some rare whiskies. It's all about sharing a great whisky with fellow lovers.

Other than over 100 peated whiskies, 7Grand will also be on site making peated cocktails! You won't be drinking on an empty stomach, fret not. They will be peat smoking 175 lbs of New York strip sirloin this year. There will also be peated beer!

Tickets are $100 all-inclusive (or $40 for non-drinkers). You will also get a free t-shirt if you register early. Tickets and more information are available on peatinmeetin.com.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

South American Grill: Feasts from Peru to Argentina

South American Grill
Feasts from Peru to Argentina
by Rachael Lane 
Hardcover, 208 pages

We know that they know how to BBQ and grill in the South. Go even further South and you have the excellent cuisine of Mexico, so perfect for summer. But go even Further South and you hit South America - where grilling is a way of life.

This book is the ultimate companion for the dedicated griller. You will open up your horizons to bold BBQ and grilling flavours that will delight your taste buds.

South American-style grilling is a carnivore's delight. The barbecue tradition of South America originated on the fertile plains of Southern Brazil, Argentina, Patagonia (Southern Chile), Paraguay and Uruguay, where traditional cattlemen, known as gauchos, would herd their livestock. The gauchos would build large pit fires and cook whole carcasses splayed out on metal crosses and smaller pieces of meat skewered onto their knives over the remaining hot coals. The meat was seasoned with little more than some salt and perhaps a few herbs that they had collected along the way. 

The flavours of South American food are as vibrant and varied as its people and landscape. Each country has its own unique native dishes as well as those that have developed and evolved from the food traditions brought to them by early colonizers, slaves and immigrants. The blending of native ingredients along with those imported and introduced from distant lands have created the myriad of spicy flavours indicative of South American cuisine and have helped shape the food culture to become what it is today. - Intro to South American Grill

This book is the ultimate companion for the dedicated griller. You will open up your horizons to bold BBQ and grilling flavours that will delight your taste buds.

Contents include:

Appetisers and Starters

Mains

Sauces and Salsas

Sides

Desserts 

Drinks

Sample recipes below, courtesy of Wanderlust.co.uk

1. Mejillones con herbas y ajo

Mussels with garlic and herbs
Due to its long coastline, seafood is abundant in Chile and its use is prevalent, particularly in stews. In this dish, mussels are steamed (enclosed in foil) on the barbecue and topped with a simple combination of herbs and wine allowing their delicate flavour to shine through.
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
2kg black mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded
4 garlic cloves, crushed
3 spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced
2 large handfuls flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, chopped
60ml dry white wine
60ml extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation:
1. Preheat a barbecue chargrill or hotplate to medium–high.
2. Cut two double layers of aluminium foil large enough to enclose the mussels in two parcels. Divide the mussels in half and place on the centre of the foil pieces. Sprinkle with the garlic, spring onion and parsley. Drizzle with the white wine and olive oil. Draw up the sides of the foil and fold over the edges to seal and create two airtight packages.
3. Place the wrapped mussels on the chargrill and cook for 10–15 minutes, or until all the mussels have opened. Unwrap the mussels and transfer to a large serving bowl to eat straight away. Serve with crusty bread.

2. Pollo a la brasa

Peruvian rotisserie chicken
Traditionally cooked on a rotisserie over hot coals and served with chips, these chickens are marinated in a garlic herb paste, infusing the meat with flavour. Popular throughout Peru, this dish has been the inspiration behind many a barbecue chicken shop in the West. After making this version, you’ll never go out for chicken again.
Serves: 8

Ingredients:
2 x 1.5kg whole free-range chickens
8 garlic cloves, chopped
2cm piece ginger, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp sea salt
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
125ml white vinegar

Preparation:
1. Rinse the chickens under cold running water, cleaning out the inside cavities. Pat dry, trim any excess fat and tuck in the wings.
2. Combine the garlic, ginger, oregano, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper in a food processor and process to make a smooth paste. Add the vinegar and process to combine.
3. Place the chickens on a non-reactive tray. Coat the chickens in the spice mixture, rubbing it under the skin and inside the cavities. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
4. Preheat a gas barbecue fitted with a rotisserie to 200°C (400°F). All of the burners should be set to medium. Insert the rotisserie rod through the cavities of the chickens and centre them on the rod. Secure the rotisserie according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Turn off the burners directly underneath the chickens, leaving the side burners on medium. Place a drip tray filled with 1 cm (½ inch) water underneath the chickens.
5. Cook the chickens for 1–1¼ hours, or until crisp and golden brown and the juices run clear when a skewer is inserted into the thickest part of the thigh. Wearing barbecue mitts, carefully remove the rotisserie rod. Take the chickens off the rod and place on a large tray. Cover with foil and set aside to rest for 10 minutes. Carve the chickens into quarters or eight pieces, to serve.

3. Costilla de cordero en costra de aceitunas

Lamb rack with black olive crust
The flavours in this delicious lamb rack reflect the strong influence Italian cooking has had on Argentinian cuisine. This dish looks beautiful and will be a well-received addition to any barbecue gathering.
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Olive crust:
150g pitted kalamata olives
2 garlic clove, chopped
1 tbsp capers, rinsed and squeezed dry
2 anchovy fillets
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
90g fresh breadcrumbs
60ml olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
1tbsp finely chopped oregano leaves
2 x 600g lamb racks, each with eight bones, French trimmed (ask your butcher to do this)

Preparation:
1. To make the olive crust, place the olives, garlic, capers, anchovy fillets and lemon zest in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Transfer to a medium-sized bowl, add the breadcrumbs, olive oil, parsley and oregano and stir well to combine; season with freshly ground black pepper.
2. Preheat a gas barbecue with a lid to 200°C (400°F). All the burners should be set to medium. Drizzle the lamb racks with olive oil and season with sea salt and pepper. Grill the racks, meat side down, for 2–4 minutes, turning frequently until brown all over.
3. Transfer the meat to a roasting tray and pack the prepared olive crust over the top of the lamb racks, pressing firmly so that the crust adheres to the meat. Insert a meat thermometer into the centre of the rack. Place the tray in the centre of the grill and turn off the burners directly underneath. Close the lid and cook for 20 minutes for medium–rare, or until the thermometer reads 55°C (131°F).
4. Remove the tray from the barbecue, cover with foil and set aside to rest for 15 minutes. Cut into slices and serve with grilled witlof and tomato, and salt-baked potatoes.

4. Hallaquitas

Venezuelan corn parcels
Hallaquitas are the Venezuelan version of the Mexican tamales. They are boiled corn parcels filled with a dough made from dried corn, which is wrapped in dried corn husks.
Hallaquitas are tied twice, once at the top and then in the middle, creating a kind of waist. Curvaceous women in Venezuela are referred to as hallaquitas as their curves resemble the corn parcels. Dried corn husks are available from Latin American food stores.
Serves: makes 24 parcels

Ingredients:
40g butter
3 tsp sea salt
30 dried corn husks
550g masarepa (masarepa is a pre-cooked ground corn flour. It can be sourced
from Latin American food stores. It is also called masa harina)
90g grated Parmesan cheese
½ red capsicum, seeded and very finely chopped

Preparation:
1. Put the butter, salt and 870ml water in a medium-sized saucepan over low heat and stir until the butter has melted and the salt has dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside for 10 minutes, to cool slightly.
2. Meanwhile, place the corn husks in a medium-sized bowl, cover with hot water and set aside for 15 minutes, to soak. Drain and set aside.
3. Gradually pour the masarepa into the cooled water, stirring to form a dough. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface, add the cheese and capsicum and knead to incorporate. Add a little extra masarepa if the dough is too wet, or a drizzle of water if it is too dry.
4. Divide the dough into 24 equal-sized portions. Shape each portion in an oval-shaped ball.
5. Place a ball of corn dough lengthwise in the centre of a pre-soaked corn husk. Fold up the bottom of the husk and fold in the sides to encase the corn filling. Tear a couple of corn husks into thin strips to use as ties. Tie each parcel twice, once at the top and then in the middle, to create a kind of waist. Repeat with the remaining filling and husks to make 24 parcels in total.
6. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Cook the hallaquitas for 10–15 minutes, or until firm. Unwrap the husks to eat.

These four BBQ recipes have been taken from Rachael Lane's new book South American Grill; a collection of South American recipes for the grill, including side dishes, salsas, and desserts. Sample recipes first published here.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Smoke: New Firewood Cooking by Tim Byres

Smoke

New Firewood Cooking

How to build flavor with fire,

 on the grill and in the kitchen

by Tim Byres

Hardcover, 256 pages

Smoke. So primal. So... delicious. Smoke and fire are how we first cooked food and something in us responds to these ancient ways of cooking.

Tim Byres is famous for his restaurant Smoke in Dallas, Texas, and now invites us to create delicious, hand-crafted meals at home. He is a pioneer in pure, clean meats and produce - growing most of his own and working with local organic farmers.

I am into Smoke in a big way. We still have our gas grill, sure, but now we mainly cook with top quality hardwood briquettes in a kettle style ceramic cooker. The difference is enough to make you cry. I am sold on the power of fire and smoke.

This cookbook is a synthesis of a lot of amazing experiences from a period of just a few years that led to the creation of a new style of firewood cooking, based on made-from-scratch ingredients and traditional American recipes and ideas. This new style reflects a hybrid of refined presentation and time-honored flavors. The food is fresh and clean with an imperfect elegance and the nostalgic scents of wood, whiskey, and molasses. -Tim Byers

www.smokerestaurant.com

Contents include:

Introduction: New Firewood Cooking and Our American Roots

Firewood Cooking: A Primer

Part One: Stocking a Larder

To choose chiles

To make a chile puree

To can pickles and preserves

Part Two: New Firewood Cooking

Fresh Salsas

Veggie Dishes

To plant a kitchen garden

To build a vertical planter

To make hominy

Seafood

To smoke with planks

To clean a soft-shell crab

Poultry and Meat

To build your own smokehouse

To cure meat

To make sausage

To smoke sausage

To make tamales

To cut a brisket

To dress and stuff a rabbit

Sweets and Breads

Drinks by the Fire 

To smoke a pipe
(Italics are extra tip sections!)

Plus 4 complete feasts for when you have a crowd!

Tim Byres is the chef and owner of the restaurants Smoke and Chicken Scratch in Dallas, Texas. Food & Wine named him "Best New Chef of the Southwest" in 2011 and "The People’s Best New Chef" in 2012. He has been featured in Southern Living, the New York Times, and Garden & Gun. Josh Ozersky, the author of The Hamburger: A History and Meat Me in Manhattan, has written for Time, Newsday, Saveur, and the New York Times.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Bobby Flay's Barbecue Addiction!

Bobby Flay's Barbecue Addiction
by Bobby Flay
with Stephanie Banyas and Sally Jackson
Hardcover, 288 pages

It's barbecue season!!! 

It's hard to believe that a few short years ago I was afraid of grilling and just did the prep work for the bbq and let my husband have all the fun. Now that I have mastered the grill - a whole world has opened up for me.

We grill with gas, we grill with hardwood briquettes, we smoke foods low and slow.... barbecuing has become a favourite way to cook in our home. (Or, I should say, outside our home!)

Bobby Flay is a master of BBQ. He isn't afraid of bold flavours and he has honed his skills to perfection during his long career as chef and tv cooking host. I especially love his barbecue shows. They are sunny, inspirational and fun - and so delicious!

Barbecue Addiction is just that - Bobby Flay doing what he loves best and sharing it with the world.

Contents include:

Introduction

Choosing a Cooker

The Right Stuff

Tending the Fire

To 10 Tops for Perfect Backyard Barbecues

Where There's Smoke There's Flavor

Cocktails

Starters, Salads, and Sides

Poultry

Pork

Beef and Lamb

Fish and Shellfish

Menus

Sources

Index

This is the perfect book to kick off barbecue and grill season, filled with 150 mouth-watering recipes, full coloured photos, and bbq inspiration! In no time you'll be master of the grill with Bobby's delicious and addictive repertoire.

Happy Barbecuing!

Authors
Bobby Flay, a New York Times bestselling author, is the chef-owner of six fine-dining restaurants, including Mesa Grill, Bar Americain, and Bobby Flay Steak, and numerous Bobby’s Burger Palaces. He is the host of many popular cooking shows on Food Network, from the Emmy-winning Bobby Flay’s Barbecue Addiction, Grill It! with Bobby Flay, and Boy Meets Grill, to the Iron Chef America series, Throwdown! with Bobby Flay, and Food Network Star.

Stephanie Banyas has been Bobby Flay’s business assistant since 1996. She is the coauthor of Bobby Flay’s Throwdown!; Bobby Flay’s Burgers, Fries & Shakes; Bobby Flay’s Grill It!; Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill Cookbook; and Bobby Flay’s Grilling for Life. She lives in New York City.

Sally Jackson lives in New York City with her husband, their son, and one especially well-fed poodle. This is her sixth cookbook with Bobby Flay and Stephanie Banyas.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

8 Flavors of Pork Belly at Palsaik BBQ in Koreatown (Los Angeles, CA)

I was recently involved with a project to review a few Korean restaurants in Los Angeles, and one of my assignment was Palsaik Samgyupsal Korean BBQ. I was pretty excited since I had never been to this restaurant which boasts eight flavors of pork belly. The set menu with the 8 pork belly and stew ("Palsaik Set Menu") was $49.95. I asked around as to how many people the set would feed and got answers ranging from "two, but when you get to the rice you won't be able to taste anything" to four, so I settled at three, which seems to have been the perfect number.

Compared to other Korean BBQ places, Palsaik is decidedly more modern looking and cleaner (though the service wasn't any better)

The presentation was also quite impressive. A long wooden board held eight plates of the pork and underneath each one the flavor was printed: Wine, Original, Ginseng, Garlic, Herb, Curry, Miso Paste, and Red Pepper Paste.

On the wall they also display the "health benefits" of each flavor, which I thought was pretty funny ... I mean, we're eating eight slices of fatty pork belly here! I don't think the "benefits" of the red wine marinade would really cancel out the effects on your blood vessels.

Read more »

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Eating and Riding Around Knott's Berry Farm

I've been invited to many restaurants and food events, but every once in a while something fun and different comes along, like an invitation to Knott's Berry Farm! OK, so the invite was to come to a tasting of their food offerings around the theme park, but I have to admit the opportunity to ride roller coasters was a major draw for me. Knott's Berry Farm isn't just known as a theme park, but their fried chicken and pies were what started the whole enterprise. Mrs Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant started in 1934 and attracted so many tourists that they started building shops and attractions around it to entertain waiting guests. So it really was the food that started the theme park!

The most famous food here of course is the fried chicken from Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner in the MarketPlace area, where they still serve the original recipe from 78 years ago. I actually have never had the fried chicken up until now, despite having lived in LA for almost 10 years. Verdict: they're quite good and hit the spot.

During the tasting I also tried the chicken pot pie, which also turned out to be really good. Flaky crust with creamy filling!

Read more »

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

BBQ at The Roof Garden, Peninsula Hotel (Beverly Hills)

What's a more perfect meal than a BBQ on a beautiful rooftop in LA? Roof Garden at The Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills is one of the best rooftops in town and they're having a bbq every weekend this summer. The Roof Garden shares the kitchen with The Belvedere and the hotel's Executive Chef James Overbaugh oversees all the dining operations.

The rooftop is not that big, but the circular section with the fireplace is my favorite.

Before starting with the bbq, we had some cocktails and appetizers near the fireplace:
Ahi Tuna Chop Chop with sliced avocado, crisp pineapple and roof garden-picked herbs

Chilled Cucumber Soup with spicy cucumber-melon sorbet, hearts of palm, cilantro and citrus tapioca

Your best bet for cocktail here (if you like a bit of heat) is the Speckled Jalapeno Margarita

Dinner starts with a basket anise bread (yep, anise, and it was good), zucchini, olive, and lavash.

We shared a variety of their entrees including:

Free range chicken breast, cilantro and mint chimichurri ($24, comes with 2 sides)

I am typically wary of chicken breast since it tends to be dry and overcooked, but at least this night it was prepared well and the bold chimichurri sauce would make any protein taste that much better.

Read more »

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Grilled Chicken Salad with Rustic Guacamole, Baby Greens, and Queso Añejo

We are turning on the grill this week at cooking club and what better way to beat the heat than with a Mexi-style twist on the chicken caesar? Okay, maybe the heat blew away with that last gale-force storm but deliciously grilled chicken on salad is always good - whether you have to wear long pants or not.

You start by making a mouth-watering garlicky dressing that does triple duty - part goes onto the chicken, part goes into the guac, and the last bit is salad dressing! I love anything that makes life that easy. And delicious.

I halved my chicken horizontally so it would cook quicker on the grill - you never know when that hurricane is coming back. Jedi is watching out the window right now, just in case. You might not have to, but it's a good thing to keep in mind when you are in a hurry, or just like lots of char-per-chicken. I do!

Grilled Chicken Salad with Rustic Guacamole, Baby Greens and Queso Añejo
(Ensalada de Pollo a la Parilla con Guacamole Rustico, Lechuga Orejona y Queso Añejo)
Slightly adapted from Hollywood Bowl Picnic - recipe by Rick Bayless
Serves 4

Rick’s Note - Here’s an offering to entice folks out of the “grilled chicken Caesar” rut. True, it starts with grilled chicken, but chicken that’s redolent of roasted garlic, green chile, cilantro and lime, chicken that dances the cumbia with guacamole, crisp romaine and nutty aged cheese. The flavors are so captivating that you can even get away without firing up the grill—this is a perfect place to put the grill pan to work.

Ingredients

    1/2 cup olive oil, plus a little more for the onion
    4 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
    Fresh 1 large jalapeño), stemmed and halved
    1/2 cup fresh lime juice
    3/4 cup (loosely packed) roughly chopped cilantro
    1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
    Kosher salt
    4 medium (about 1-1/4 pounds total) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
    1 medium white onion, cut into 1/2-inch slices
    2 ripe avocados
    2 medium romaine hearts, sliced crosswise at 1/2-inch thick ribbons (you’ll need about 8 cups) (I used baby greens)
    About 1/3 cup grated Mexican queso añejo or other garnishing cheese like Romano or Parmesan

 Procedure

    Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and chiles and cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is soft and lightly browned, usually 1 to 2 minutes. Pour oil, garlic and chiles into a blender or food processor. Add the lime juice, cilantro, black pepper and 1 scant teaspoon salt. Process until smooth.

    Place the chicken breasts in a bowl and pour one-third of the garlic dressing over them, spreading it evenly over all sides.

    Heat a grill pan or gas grill over medium to medium-high heat (or start a charcoal fire and let it burn until the coals are medium hot and covered with white ash).
    Lightly brush or spray the onion slices with oil; sprinkle with salt. Lay the chicken and onion on to the grill pan or grill. Cook until the chicken is just cooked through and the onion is well browned, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Chop the onion into small pieces and scoop into a bowl.

    Pit the avocados and scoop the flesh in with the onion. Add another one-third of the garlic dressing, then coarsely mash everything together with an old-fashioned potato masher, large fork or back of spoon. Taste and season with salt, usually about 1/2 teaspoon.

    Scoop the sliced romaine into a large bowl. Drizzle on the remaining garlic dressing and toss to combine. Divide between 4 dinner plates. Scoop a portion of the guacamole into the center of each plate. Cut each breast into strips and arrange over the guacamole. Sprinkle each plate with queso añejo (or Parmesan) and you’re ready to serve.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Bookends Vlogger Visits Ted Reader in his Backyard to Discuss Beerlicious!

Clearly I need more grills....

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Tortillas with Grilled Chicken, Tangy Green Chile and Grilled Peppers and Onions

It has been pretty hot here for May, and that means we like to cook outside as much as possible. Thankfully our cooking club is featuring Rick Bayless, and his Mexican fare is perfectly suited for outdoor grilling.

This dish starts with a Roasted Poblano-Tomato Salsa that I adapted for the grill, part of which gets made into a marinade for fresh chicken breasts. Grill those babies up with some green onions (yes, I said green!) and sweet peppers, wrap it all in a soft tortilla with extra salsa and you have the perfect summer meal!

Tortillas with Grilled Chicken Breast, Tangy Green Chile and Grilled Peppers and Onions
Serves 4, double recipe for larger crowd
Adapted from Rick Bayless, Salsas that Cook

Ingredients
2  fresh jalapeno chiles
2 cups Roasted Poblano-Tomato Salsa (see recipe below)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 limes, each cut into 6 wedges
3 large boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
8 green onions, roots and wilted greens removed
2 sweet peppers (I used red and orange)
A few tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil
4 large tortillas

Directions
In a small ungreased skillet, dry-roast the jalapenos over medium heat, turning them regularly until the chiles are soft and well darked in spots, 5 to 10 minutes. Place in a food processor or blender with 3/4 cup of the salsa, the Worcestershire and the juice from 3 or 4 lime wedges. Process to a smooth puree. Arrange the chicken breasts in a single layer in a baking dish, pour the salsa mixture over them, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour but not more than overnight.

Preheat a gas grill or light a charcoal fire and let burn until the coals are covered with gray ash. With a brush (or an oil mister), lightly coat the green onions with oil, then lay them over the fire in a pot that's not too hot. Grill, turning them regularly, until they're soft, sweet and mouthwateringly browned, about 4 minutes. Remove 2 of the largest green onions, chop them into 1/4-inch pieces and stir into the remaining 1 1/4 cups of salsa. Squeeze another lime wedge or two over the remaining onions and keep them warm on the side of the grill or in a low oven.

Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade, scraping as much as possible back into the pan; reserve the marinade. Brush (or mist) the chicken lightly on both sides with oil, lay on well-oiled hot grill grates until cooked through but still juicy, about 8 minutes per side. During the last couple of minutes on the grill, brush a nice coating of the reserved marinade over the chicken.

Cook the peppers when you cook the chicken - halve, seed and stem the peppers, brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill till nicely charred and sweet with some crunch left.

Slice the chicken into 1/2-inch-wide strips, scoop it onto a warm serving platter and flank with the grilled onions and lime wedges. Pass the platter with warm tortillas. Let your guests make their own wraps with the chicken and grilled peppers and  onions, encouraging them to spoon on the salsa-onion mixture and squeeze on lime to their liking.

Roasted Poblano-Tomato Salsa with Fresh Thyme
adapted from Rick Bayless, Salsas that Cook

Ingredients
3 tomatoes (ripe)
2 medium (5 ounces) fresh poblano chiles
1 small (2 ounces) red onion, sliced ½ inch thick
4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, loosely packed
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

Thread the onion slices and the garlic on skewers.
Brush all the veggies with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Char on the grill to taste, gently. Let cool.
Pulse in the food processor until small, add cilantro and thyme. Pulse again and season to taste.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Beerlicious!

Beerlicious

The Art of Grillin' & Chillin'

by Chef Ted Reader

Trade Paperback, 320 pages
also available as an eBook

I don't even think I even need to write anything here. I said Beerlicious! Doesn't that just say it all?

Canada's "Crazy Canuck Barbecue Kingpin" (label courtesy of GQ), Ted Reader knows how to please a crowd. He is master of the grill and endlessly creative. Let's face it, our grilling season can be short - make the most of it! This year Ted has paired delicious recipes for the grill with our favourite beverage Beer! Not just beer to drink, but beer in the recipes. All the recipes! Seriously, why has nobody thought of this before?

Now you can have your beer and eat it too with such delicious dishes as:

Creemore Pilsner Steak

Herb's Venison Beer Sausages

First-Date Explosions with Laquintas Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale

Plank-Smoked Camembert with Beer Nut Bacon Caramel Topping

Delirium Planked Mashed Potatoes

Beer Infused Beet, Pear and Blue Cheese Salad - I have always maintained that not enough salads contain beer. 

Grilled Apple Ice Cream and Strongbow Float - Yes, even the desserts contain beer!

And what are you going to serve all your beer-infused dishes with? Merlot?
Heck no! Beer! Roger Mittag, the Professor of Beer, offers serving suggestions to pair with Beerlicious fare. What could be better than that?

Beerlicious Burger

Contents Include:

Beerlicious: The Art of Grilling and Chilling

BBQ Seasoning Rubs and Sauces

Appetizers

Steer

Pig

Lamb, Veal, Game

Birds

Sandwiches

Crustaceans and Fishes

Sides

Desserts and Breads

I know you are raring to try incorporating beer into your grilling - here are a couple of delicious recipes courtesy of Ted Reader. Thanks Ted!

Devil's Tri-Tip and Diva Q’s Double-Grilled Jalapeño Beer Cornbread. It's what's for dinner.

Devil’s Tri-Tip
From Beerlicious by Ted Reader
The tri-tip is cut from the bottom sirloin in the area of the steer’s hip. It is a three-sided, well-marbled, and underappreciated cut of meat with a robust flavour, especially when it’s marinated with Great Lakes Brewery Devil’s Pale Ale. Tri-tips weigh 1 1/2–2 1/2 lb (750 g–1.25 kg) each, and are best grilled to medium-rare and sliced thinly across the grain.

• Food processor
• Meat thermometer

1 sirloin tri-tip (1 1/2–2 1/2 lb/750 g–1.25 kg) 1
8 cloves garlic, minced 8 cloves
1 tsp sambal chili paste 5 mL
2 tsp fresh gingerroot, minced 10 mL
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce 5 mL
1/4 cup soy sauce 60 mL
2 Tbsp olive oil 30 mL
1 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper 15 mL
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped 15 mL
1 can Great Lakes Brewery 1 can
Devil’s Pale Ale (16 oz/473 mL)
Kosher salt, to taste

• Using a fork or meat needling press, pierce tri-tip all over, about 30 times per side. Transfer to a large self-sealing plastic bag. Add garlic, chili paste, ginger, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, oil, pepper, rosemary, and Great Lakes Brewery Devil’s Pale Ale. Seal bag, turning bag and gently massaging meat to evenly coat. Refrigerate and let marinate, turning every 2 to 3 hours to evenly marinate, for 24 hours.
• Set up grill for direct and indirect grilling: preheat one side of grill to high (about 550oF/280oC), leaving other side off.

• Drain tri-tip, discarding leftover marinade, and pat dry with paper towels. Season to taste with kosher salt.

• Place tri-tip on grill and sear for 1 to 2 minutes per side. Move tri-tip to cool side of grill. Reduce heat to medium 350–450oF/180–230oC) and close lid. Grill-roast, drizzling with extra beer, for about 15 to 20 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in centre of thickest part registers 130oF (55oC) for medium-rare.

• Remove tri-tip from grill and let rest for 10 minutes.

• Thinly slice across grain. Serve with dollops of Beer Compound Butter.

Serves 4 to 6

Beer Compound Butter
1/2 lb butter, softened 250 g
3 Tbsp Sesame Beer BBQ Rub (p. 42) 45 mL
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped 30 mL
2 green onions, minced 2
Splash Great Lakes Brewery
Splash Devil’s Pale Ale
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• Transfer to a small serving dish, cover, and refrigerate for up to 1 month or until ready to use.

Makes about 1 cup (250 mL)

Excerpted from Beerlicious by Ted Reader. Copyright © 2012 by Ted Reader. Photographs Copyright © 2012 by Mike McColl. Excerpted by permission of McClelland & Stewart, a division of Random House of Canada Limited. All rights reserved.

Diva Q’s Double-Grilled Jalapeño Beer Cornbread
From Beerlicious by Ted Reader

Ahhh . . . the mighty Diva Q (www.divaq.ca) – a.k.a Danielle – is another fantastic BBQ fanatic. Diva is ranked as Canada’s No. 1 BBQ competitor on the Kansas City BBQ Society TOY (Team of the Year) Listings, and she’s got an enormous passion for cooking outdoors.

Diva Q burst onto the BBQ scene about four years ago. I met her at her first professional BBQ competition in Barrie, Ontario, where she placed fourth overall. After that, she was hooked on this crazy competitive BBQ circuit, and has become one of the country’s best BBQ enthusiasts. She is more than just passionate, she is obsessed with everything Q. Grilling and smoking run through her veins like JD and beer run through mine.

This recipe is truly gooey and delicious. Rock on, Diva! I love ya!

• 10-inch (25-cm) cast-iron frying pan

3 ears corn, shucked 3 ears
1 cup all-purpose flour 250 mL
1 cup yellow cornmeal 250 mL
2 tsp baking powder 10 mL
1/2 tsp baking soda 2 mL
3 Tbsp granulated sugar 45 mL
3/4 tsp salt 3 mL
2 large eggs, beaten 2
1/2 cup milk 125 mL
1/2 cup Big Rock McNally’s Extra Ale 125 mL
2 Tbsp butter 30 mL
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded, membrane removed, and finely diced
2 Tbsp vegetable oil 30 mL
2 Tbsp butter 30 mL

Sauce
1/4 cup butter 60 mL
1/4. cup liquid honey 60 mL
1/4 cup Big Rock McNally’s Extra Ale 60 mL

• Preheat grill to high, 400°F (200°C) for indirect heat.

• Place corn on grill and char, turning occasionally, and drizzling with extra beer, for 5 to 8 minutes, or until kernels are tender and slightly charred.

• Remove corn from grill and let cool slightly. Slice kernels from cobs.

• In a bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt. Set aside.

• In a small bowl, stir together eggs, milk, Big Rock McNally’s Extra Ale, jalapenos, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture, stirring just until moistened. Add 1 cup (250 mL) of the charred corn
and enough extra beer to moisten batter.

• In cast-iron pan on grill, melt butter. Remove pan from grill and swirl butter, coating entire inside of pan.

• Pour in batter.

• Place pan with batter on grill over indirect heat. Close lid and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

• Remove cornbread from grill and let cool in pan for 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-high (about 450°F/230°C).

• Unmould cornbread from pan. Brush all over with Sauce, reserving some Sauce for basting, and grill, turning once and basting with reserved Sauce, for 2 to 3 minutes per side.

• Transfer to a platter. Slice into wedges and serve with extra butter.

Makes 1 loaf

Sauce
• In a small sauce pot, stir together butter, honey, and beer over heat until warm and sticky. Keep warm until ready to use.

TASTING NOTES
This big beer (7% alcohol by volume) pours to a nice dark amber, burnt-orange hue, tinged with red around the edges. The aromas are fairly sweet and fruity, with some hints of plum, and a touch of caramel.

The body is thick and rich – full of caramel and roasted grains. The finish is quite smooth despite the higher alcohol.

THE PROFESSOR’S PAIRING NOTES
McNally’s Extra Ale should be a nice match to the cornbread. The higher alcohol and full malt body lessen the heat of the jalapeños and, at the same time, wipe out the richness of the bread and the sweetness of the corn. Yum!

Excerpted from Beerlicious by Ted Reader. Copyright © 2012 by Ted Reader. Photographs Copyright © 2012 by Mike McColl. Excerpted by permission of McClelland & Stewart, a division of Random House of Canada Limited. All rights reserved.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad