Ever make corn tortillas from scratch? Me neither.
It's not that I didn't try, it's that I apparently had no idea what I was doing. Oh, I followed directions, it was the lack of a "tortilla press" and cooking it properly that I seemed to have gone afoul.
Oh well. I was going to tell you about making your own, authentic tortillas and say how easy it was, but, well, that ain't gonna happen tonight. Woof.
Ok, so what can I tell you that's useful? Oh, here's a grilling tidbit you may not know about. Saw it in this month's Esquire magazine. It's an easy, non-intrusive way to tell if the steak you're grilling this summer is rare, medium rare, medium or medium well.
Here's what you do: Take your right hand and make an "OK" sign with your index finger pressed lightly onto your thumb. Now, with your left index finger, press the muscle under your right thumb. That's what a rare steak feels like.
Side note – Never, ever, ever cut into the meat to see if it's done or press down on it to see what color the juices are. Because once the juices are out, you can't put them back in.
Ok, so you've got rare. You can tell medium rare by pressing your middle finger to your thumb. Medium is your ring finger to your thumb. And medium well is your pinky ring to your thumb. What's well done feel like? The bottom of your shoe.
So try that this weekend when your cooking out. Or show it off to your brother-in-law and just play cool like you've know that trick for years. And try not to smile
Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a kitchen to clean up.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Monday, May 19, 2008
Memphis - Day Three, Leaving Lucille
Day three here in Memphis and as you watch the waterfront, you can see everyone has one thing on their mind. Pack up. Pick up. Get gone.
The hope of many teams after the competition is to get in line to leave as soon as possible and, with any luck, get out of the gates around noon. That's the hope. The reality is they won't get out of the gates until much, much later.
Probably the most interesting place to be during the mass of action is beside one of the huge trash dumpsters. People throwing out anything and everything that won't fit of the drive home. Some flooring here. Some siding there. I actually saw a slightly used Weber grill abandoned by the dumpster (my curiosity still wishes I'd gone and checked it out).
And as the afternoon wears on, this barbeque carnival, complete with booths, entertainment and people from every walk of life is now giving way back to its former self as a beautiful waterfront. The only thing that remain are some faint smells of smoked hickory lingering in the air. And that abandoned Weber grill sitting beside the dumpster.
But what a time it was.
To take a look at the full list of winners from this year's championship, click here:
http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=6566764&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=1.1.1
Again, a great time. A time of a lifetime to be exact, and one I hope to experience again next year.
The hope of many teams after the competition is to get in line to leave as soon as possible and, with any luck, get out of the gates around noon. That's the hope. The reality is they won't get out of the gates until much, much later.
Probably the most interesting place to be during the mass of action is beside one of the huge trash dumpsters. People throwing out anything and everything that won't fit of the drive home. Some flooring here. Some siding there. I actually saw a slightly used Weber grill abandoned by the dumpster (my curiosity still wishes I'd gone and checked it out).
And as the afternoon wears on, this barbeque carnival, complete with booths, entertainment and people from every walk of life is now giving way back to its former self as a beautiful waterfront. The only thing that remain are some faint smells of smoked hickory lingering in the air. And that abandoned Weber grill sitting beside the dumpster.
But what a time it was.
To take a look at the full list of winners from this year's championship, click here:
http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=6566764&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=1.1.1
Again, a great time. A time of a lifetime to be exact, and one I hope to experience again next year.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Memphis - Day Two, Here Come the Judges
I can now never eat ribs in a restaurant again, they won't be anywhere close to the ribs we had today. Tender. Succulent. Moist. Smokey. Flavorful. Just how you imagine ribs could be. There's no way, I've officially been spoiled. Again, thanks to our friends on the Cincinnati "Hog Heaven" team, you guys are the best. And I encourage you to grab some Bubba Brothers barbeque sauce as well (available locally or online at bubbabros.com)
As the day wore on, we got to see the Hog Heaven team prep their rib entries (note : a little spray of Pam sprayed on the meat makes it shimmer and adds tons of style points). They chose the very best of several slabs of ribs and then decided on the slab they'd use for "blind judging". Then it was off for the "victory walk" where Dwight and Bubba walked the rib and sauce samples to the blind judging area.
Then we waited. And waited to see if the judges returned to our booth to let us know if Hog Heaven as in the finals .
And they did, but not our team, the team next to us. A group named "Here For The Beer" out of Little Rock. All of them white color professionals by day, barbeque (and beer) fanatics by night. Being in the finals meant an automatic placing of first, second or third and some well-deserved honors (Pat, congrats again on your team's big win).
Now, when it comes to World Championship Barbeque, when you're notified you're in the finals it means one thing: prep the area for the judges. Clean, pick up and make sure your area looks the very best it can be. Act like a four-star general is coming to sample your entrée. And everyone, including fellow competitors, pitched in to help make sure Here For the Beer's booth and presentation was the best it could be. A truly cool sight indeed.
The judging itself took about 15 minutes and started with a judges tour of the facilities, the techniques and woods the team used, an explanation of the prep work, and finally, a sit-down tasting of ribs by all three judges. During that time no one else but the presenters from Here for the Beer or the judges spoke a word, turning our section of the midway from a carnival feel to more of the final hole at St. Andrews.
After the judging, it was back to sampling other's rib entries, talking amongst competitors and planning for tomorrow: tear down and travel.
Which is what we'll be doing tomorrow. But tonight, we're gonna check out Beale Street. Really check it out. And who knows? Maybe run into some of our new friends from Here For the Beer and maybe buy them a round. Maybe.
As the day wore on, we got to see the Hog Heaven team prep their rib entries (note : a little spray of Pam sprayed on the meat makes it shimmer and adds tons of style points). They chose the very best of several slabs of ribs and then decided on the slab they'd use for "blind judging". Then it was off for the "victory walk" where Dwight and Bubba walked the rib and sauce samples to the blind judging area.
Then we waited. And waited to see if the judges returned to our booth to let us know if Hog Heaven as in the finals .
And they did, but not our team, the team next to us. A group named "Here For The Beer" out of Little Rock. All of them white color professionals by day, barbeque (and beer) fanatics by night. Being in the finals meant an automatic placing of first, second or third and some well-deserved honors (Pat, congrats again on your team's big win).
Now, when it comes to World Championship Barbeque, when you're notified you're in the finals it means one thing: prep the area for the judges. Clean, pick up and make sure your area looks the very best it can be. Act like a four-star general is coming to sample your entrée. And everyone, including fellow competitors, pitched in to help make sure Here For the Beer's booth and presentation was the best it could be. A truly cool sight indeed.
The judging itself took about 15 minutes and started with a judges tour of the facilities, the techniques and woods the team used, an explanation of the prep work, and finally, a sit-down tasting of ribs by all three judges. During that time no one else but the presenters from Here for the Beer or the judges spoke a word, turning our section of the midway from a carnival feel to more of the final hole at St. Andrews.
After the judging, it was back to sampling other's rib entries, talking amongst competitors and planning for tomorrow: tear down and travel.
Which is what we'll be doing tomorrow. But tonight, we're gonna check out Beale Street. Really check it out. And who knows? Maybe run into some of our new friends from Here For the Beer and maybe buy them a round. Maybe.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Memphis - Day One
First thing off the bat, lemme just say how impressed I am with Memphis. Really. I had some assumptions about the home of Elvis driving down here and let me just say how the city has exceeded them mightily. This is a city trying very hard to be its best, a cross of Charlotte, North Carolina and New Orleans. And that, friends, isn't bad at all.
So what was Day One like? Hundreds of competitors from across the nation and some, around the world. I got to meet Britain's newest Barbeque Champ, Dylan Rogers and got to speak to him for few moments (congratulations again, Dylan, I'm sure it's well deserved). Saw literally over 100 competitors' booths, some two and three stories high, theme decorated and hard core dedicated. And saw people prepping their meat in everything from a second-hand Weber cooker to a $100K smoker.
I even got to take in a free judging seminar and here are the keys they told us:
1. Cook it low and slow. Rule #1. 225° on the heat for 4-6 hours.
2. Smoke the meat for two hours max. After that you're not doing the meat any good. The pores seal shut and you can dry the meat out.
3. No lighter fluid ever. If a judge tastes lighter fluid, there's no way you'll score well.
4. Charcoal is king. And champs know where to get specialized charcoal with hardwoods injected into them.
5. Indirect heat is a must. Hardwoods for flavor. Charcoal to keep the heat going.
6. The best meat generally comes from meat specialists, but if you know what you're looking for, Costco and Sam's club has good meat. If...you know what you're looking for.
7. Make sure the meat is done. Honestly. They said they run into more entries than you can imagine where the meat isn't even done. Smoke it for two hours max, slow cook it for 4-6 more. That's a good general rule of thumb for making some excellent barbecue whether it's for the world championship or trying to one-up your brother in law at home
Now, as far as ribs go, they told us the meat should pull off the bone, but not come completely off. That's a sign it's been overcooked. When looking at meat, they look at it across the whole slab (generally, the "Ten Ribs") looking for consistency in color, texture, that no bones are poking out (the side is ok...the ends, that's a "no, no") and when they pull up the slab, that the slab stays together. Tricky, huh? Tender, but not too tender. Done, but not too done.
They also look for the telltale smoke ring, that pink ring that proves it's been well smoked and it worthy of consideration to be "World Championship Caliber". They also talked about the point system (if you score lower than a 9, you'd better go back to the drawing board), cuts of meat, different classes, different sauces and how anyone, with some time and some expert instruction, can become a qualified barbeque judge worthy of determining the "World's Best".
But...they did warn. Once you know what real barbeque tastes like, chances are the corner barbeque joint just won't cut it anymore. Hey, I'm just warning you ahead of time.
Hello to all my new friends from Kansas City, Minnesota, Memphis and of course, Texas. Ya'll at Cowboy's (check out cowboysbbq.com) make a killer ribless barbecue sandwich. Hats off to you all in Fort Worth.
Tomorrow, it's an early wake up call. Will be helping out the Cincy team prep for ribs competition. And the work starts at 4:30 am – sharp! Be a short night on Beale Street tonight, kids.
So what was Day One like? Hundreds of competitors from across the nation and some, around the world. I got to meet Britain's newest Barbeque Champ, Dylan Rogers and got to speak to him for few moments (congratulations again, Dylan, I'm sure it's well deserved). Saw literally over 100 competitors' booths, some two and three stories high, theme decorated and hard core dedicated. And saw people prepping their meat in everything from a second-hand Weber cooker to a $100K smoker.
I even got to take in a free judging seminar and here are the keys they told us:
1. Cook it low and slow. Rule #1. 225° on the heat for 4-6 hours.
2. Smoke the meat for two hours max. After that you're not doing the meat any good. The pores seal shut and you can dry the meat out.
3. No lighter fluid ever. If a judge tastes lighter fluid, there's no way you'll score well.
4. Charcoal is king. And champs know where to get specialized charcoal with hardwoods injected into them.
5. Indirect heat is a must. Hardwoods for flavor. Charcoal to keep the heat going.
6. The best meat generally comes from meat specialists, but if you know what you're looking for, Costco and Sam's club has good meat. If...you know what you're looking for.
7. Make sure the meat is done. Honestly. They said they run into more entries than you can imagine where the meat isn't even done. Smoke it for two hours max, slow cook it for 4-6 more. That's a good general rule of thumb for making some excellent barbecue whether it's for the world championship or trying to one-up your brother in law at home
Now, as far as ribs go, they told us the meat should pull off the bone, but not come completely off. That's a sign it's been overcooked. When looking at meat, they look at it across the whole slab (generally, the "Ten Ribs") looking for consistency in color, texture, that no bones are poking out (the side is ok...the ends, that's a "no, no") and when they pull up the slab, that the slab stays together. Tricky, huh? Tender, but not too tender. Done, but not too done.
They also look for the telltale smoke ring, that pink ring that proves it's been well smoked and it worthy of consideration to be "World Championship Caliber". They also talked about the point system (if you score lower than a 9, you'd better go back to the drawing board), cuts of meat, different classes, different sauces and how anyone, with some time and some expert instruction, can become a qualified barbeque judge worthy of determining the "World's Best".
But...they did warn. Once you know what real barbeque tastes like, chances are the corner barbeque joint just won't cut it anymore. Hey, I'm just warning you ahead of time.
Hello to all my new friends from Kansas City, Minnesota, Memphis and of course, Texas. Ya'll at Cowboy's (check out cowboysbbq.com) make a killer ribless barbecue sandwich. Hats off to you all in Fort Worth.
Tomorrow, it's an early wake up call. Will be helping out the Cincy team prep for ribs competition. And the work starts at 4:30 am – sharp! Be a short night on Beale Street tonight, kids.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Memphis in the Meantime
Well, I'm here in Memphis for the World Championship Bar-B-Q Festival. I was asked to come by some of my Cincinnati friends (Hi, Joanne...wish you were here) who actually won the competition a few years ago. They heard I was a barbeque fan, had this food blog and told me I needed to come down and experience a real competition first hand.
So, eight hours, three states, five rain storms and a near collision with a Roadway 18-wheeler later, I'm here and have already seen the tents lined up on the riverbank. This...is going to be cool.
The plan for tomorrow is to find our group ("Hog Heaven"), check in with them, hang out, help out and learn. I'm sure along the way, I'll make some new friends, pick up some new cooking tips to share with you all and, hopefully, add some new readers who can teach us all how to do it up "proper".
I'll be blogging (ok, I plan to blog) every day to let you know how things are going, share some stories and pass along any tips and tricks (maybe a secret or two?) I discover along to you. So fire up the grill, break out the hardwood and check in with me over the next few days.
'Cause we're gonna make some "real" barbeque, kids. And do it up proper.
So, eight hours, three states, five rain storms and a near collision with a Roadway 18-wheeler later, I'm here and have already seen the tents lined up on the riverbank. This...is going to be cool.
The plan for tomorrow is to find our group ("Hog Heaven"), check in with them, hang out, help out and learn. I'm sure along the way, I'll make some new friends, pick up some new cooking tips to share with you all and, hopefully, add some new readers who can teach us all how to do it up "proper".
I'll be blogging (ok, I plan to blog) every day to let you know how things are going, share some stories and pass along any tips and tricks (maybe a secret or two?) I discover along to you. So fire up the grill, break out the hardwood and check in with me over the next few days.
'Cause we're gonna make some "real" barbeque, kids. And do it up proper.
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