The season has begun ...

[Vader]

Today is the first day over here that's warm enough to let you sit outside in the afternoon. This means the grill season 2009 has officially begun (not that season 2008 ever has ended, I have no problems grilling in the snow).

Once the charcoal is ready I'll have some lamb souvlakis, pork saté skewers (with homemade hot peanut-coconut cream) and garlic prawns. And I guess instead of the usual red wine I'll have a beer tonight (or two or twenty). Can't wait to start. So let the season(ing) begin.

[Menolly]

*passes plate through monitor*

[Zarathustra]

I can't wait to start smoking ribs, brisket, and pork shoulder again! I love me some slow-cooked BBQ.

[Vader]

9 days later than last year (but considering the long and hard winter that's no surprise) the 2010 season has begun today.

Classic German "Bratwurst", beef skewers with pineapple, pork steaks and prunes with honey and toasted almond chips pouched in tin foil.

[Infelice]

I never realised how delicious bratwurst was until I tried it when I was in Koln. Grilled would be delicious. You just made my mouth water.

Is grilling the same thing as bbq???

[Savor Dam]

I never realised how delicious bratwurst was until I tried it when I was in Koln. Grilled would be delicious. You just made my mouth water.

Is grilling the same thing as bbq???

No, not the same. Grilling is done relatively quickly over direct heat. Barbecue (or Barbeque...I am not a spelling purist in this regard) is "low and slow." Both are awesome techniques, but they are different.

Tonight was pork country ribs with jerk spices. Barbecue. Used the tail end of the fire to grill some asparagus spears with olive oil, sea salt and fresh ground pepper, finished with some shaved parm as soon as they came off the grill.

[Vader]

As Dam said grilling is fast and best done directly over white hot charcoal. As far as I understand BBQ is more like smoking - it's not the direct heat of the fire but the heat of the smoke that does the job.

[Zarathustra]

BBQ-ing is indirect heat + smoke + longer cooking times. I smoke my meat at about 225F-250F for up to 12 hours, depending on the meat. BBQ is usually performed on cuts of meat that would be considered poorer quality . . . tough meat like brisket or meat with lots of connective tissues like ribs. The slow cooking process melts the connective tissue and produces a super moist and tender product that you can't achieve any other way. The smoke is definitely a quality you want, but more than anything else it's about creating a melt-in-your-mouth, fall-off-the-bone meal.

I just smoked some pork shoulder and ribs all day yesterday. Guess what I'm having for lunch!

[Harbinger]

This is a funny and educational song about BBQ. Pay attention to the states.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ubTQfr_tyY

[Vader]

The moment I saw them I knew I wouldn't be able to resist. Not because of JD (which I'm not really a fan of) but because I don't have a real smoker (yet). Can't wait to try them ...

[Menolly]

Let us know how well they work, Vader.
I have always heard that chunks are far superior to chips.

[Vader]

It's my first attempt at smoking stuff.

[Menolly]

ah...!

Well I can attest that Savor Dam is really good at it.
And from what Zarathustra/Malik has written, he sounds pretty good at it as well.

Perhaps they'll jump in with some timely pointers at some point.

[stonemaybe]

It's my first attempt at smoking stuff.

Vader, imagine two disembodied arms a mile apart ("this much").

That's how much I don't believe that you've never smoked 'stuff' before!

[Menolly]

When the day comes you two ever get together, Vader and Stone, I have got to find a way to be a fly on the wall, if not just part of the gathering.

[Vader]

It's my first attempt at smoking stuff.

Vader, imagine two disembodied arms a mile apart ("this much").

That's how much I don't believe that you've never smoked 'stuff' before!

I smoked dried gooseberry bush leaves.

[stonemaybe]

I hear raspberry leaves are better.

Honestly!

But then again I've never heard of anyone smoking gooseberry leaves before. I'd imagine that smoking the thorns would be more ...invigorating? (That might just be the mood I'm in, though)

[Savor Dam]

Uh huh...

Back in the day, I had friends who believed the rumor about banana peels -- once. That probably worked about as well as either gooseberry or raspberry leaves.

I have always heard that chunks are far superior to chips.

I agree. Chunks are better. Just soak them while the coals are getting started, then drain them and put them on the heaped coals. For longer projects, add more wetted chunks at the first or second interval of adding coals.

[stonemaybe]

Back in the day, I had friends who believed the rumor about banana peels -- once

I thought it was the stringy bits that cling to the flesh when you peel it, dried.

Not that they worked either!

[Vraith]

It's my first attempt at smoking stuff.

Vader, imagine two disembodied arms a mile apart ("this much").

That's how much I don't believe that you've never smoked 'stuff' before!

I smoked dried gooseberry bush leaves.

Heh...being a country boy by birth, I once smoked a lot of cornsilk cuz my neighbor said you could...ummm...have interesting experiences. What a lie.

OTOH, I hope my Kung-Fu bud does his pig roast this year [a real, whole PIG]
I'll tape it all and post it...amazing.