my first midweek summer (YES, summer) bbq!
Tag Archives: bbq
33¢ burgers!
No shit… and times two = 66¢!! And, these are the best quality bad-boys (frozen) my local market has to offer… twenty bucks for six is regular price! You do the math. But, y’all know my shopping (finagling) skills by now… so, box cost me TWO BUCKS!!
… and, them’s the fancyshmancy Ace Bakery burger buns to boot too!
Lebanese Me, Please!
… grilled Merguez & Makanek sausages!
… served w/ Baba Ghannouge & Hommos Tahineh!
… and pita bread!
spaghetti & meatballs!
I haven’t been posting many food posts, certainly not like I did in the past. I’m lazy, even w/ this one. I omitted important pics. It’s my home made sauce, and hand made meatballs – I play around and tweak them ever so slightly occasionally. This time, instead of breadcrumbs I used day old bread. I put the loaf out on the counter to make it more stale (drier, easier to work with), and then broke it up, crumbing it. I also grilled the meatballs on my Weber grill using hardwood lump charcoal. I did it not so much for the flavour, I mean it definitely adds a different dimension … my main motivation was not wanting to create a splattering, greasy mess in my kitchen which I’d have to clean, and this worked beautifully browning (blackening really) the meatballs. And, yes this is the glory pic that is missing. Then it was a matter of tossing them into the sauce, simmering for an hour or two. Oh, I also used Barilla extra long spaghetti (comes in a bag, not box) for fun too!
… before I go …
pre bbq, imbibing selfie. no really, def shave motherfucker, lol!
my slim blogging window!
… WP iPhone blogging is a pain in the ass, as evidenced by my previous post. So frustrating – ya REALLY think I wanted repeating pics, lol? Whatevs, can’t be bothered to fix it now that I’m home either … fuck it! Only back home for a day and a half too – felt incredible sleeping in my bed, showering in my shower (as I start this post, in 23 hours I’ll be gone again), but, thankfully already accomplished so much. And, am blogging for blogging’s sake really … touching base, sayin’ the proverbial ‘hi’ to everyone! Even went for a run. In my new life, although I’m outdoors, I’m not aerobic AT ALL (as a positive I drink at least 2 liters of water daily, and NO beer – is that a positive, or a negative … hmmm?) … so my plan before I pounded the pavement was simply to finish, lol! I had great(er) expectations (really wanted to run 8K) … but 4K will suffice. Actually, I’m very pleased. I’ll tell you why; The whole time I never felt overwhelmed, I never felt distressed … sure, I was concerned with my distance limitations, but I never felt like the pace was killing me. It wasn’t. And, for what it’s worth, coulda stretched it out another kilometer. Oh, and on the way back home, walked/jogged without any pressure. OMG, what a pleasure it was too, not being under Garmin’s watchful eye, lol … just took it easy, enjoying the temp, the sunshine. Anyways, I feel, I’m starting to ramble – really could gone on talking shit, lol … but gonna quit now till next time. Perfect time to fire up the charcoal, grill some burgers … and finally enjoy a brew (or two, lol)! Cheers y’all!!
considering not being able to train … chuffed as fuck!
… the post run, outta the shower selfie. shave mofo, lol!
my sunday funday!
manly men eats … and, i ain’t joking! huge hunks of meat, chunks of fresh bread, that’s it. it’s fill yer plate, and feed yer face … miss manners would shit her britches! oh, and lots of booze. and, although i wasn’t allowed to leave hungry – my friend armtwistedinsisted i stay for eats, i was somehow (surprisingly) able to deflect countless gratis offers of all kinds of drinks from the guys … even brandy, yep, def manly manly, lol!
Ontario Asparagus – First Crop!!
… washed and ready to hit the grill … gonna finish with sweet cherry tomatoes and Greek feta … served with pork souvlaki, homemade hummus, tzatziki and grilled pita bread … yep, that’s the plan dan …
Jerk
… Jerk Pork!! Used to come here quite regularly, MANY MANY years ago. As luck would have it, I was nearby … and effing starving, making today’s lunch decision an easy one. Here’s my Jerk Pork (lunch special), and don’t forget to ask for the oxtail gravy …
Look at all the meat, AND gravy …
Mr. Jerk …
Two Flamin’ Beauties!!
… a pair of thick cut rib steaks, one for yours truly, one for Tiff! Seasoned with Barberian’s, grilled over hardwood lump charcoal at a very high heat … a few minutes is all it takes … be sure to have your fork and steak knife ready, it’s that quick!
Friday BBQ!!
… Friday of a long weekend no less, Victoria Day for all ya numbskulls!! And ’cause it was a rush buying/prepping/takin’ pics/blogging … is pretty much a pic post!!
Certified Angus Beef
Look at that marbling
Cut into chunks, and secret-seasoned
Into the grinder, a medium grind
Corn; husked pull back, silk removed, water soaked, thrown on grill
Almost done
Sorry, no money-shot … cremini & gruyere burgers w/ a cob … did say rushed y’all, lol!!
Duck Pancakes!!
Finally getting around to blogging about Tiffany K‘s Duck Pancakes – pulled BBQ duck, a heaping helping of blueberry compote, and a huge scoop of creamy chèvre piled high on fresh flapjacks (I know, sounds SO decadently good!) from our initial brunch outing in November 2011 at Barque Smokehouse on Roncesvalles. Hey, better late than never, ‘sides, ain’t as if yer payin’ a pretty penny for the quality of my work … so no complainin’, lol. Found this pic, actually two pics – two perspectives … take a look! Neat!
mine with Tiff in the background snapping her shot
… and her pic (mine’s better, just sayin’, lol)
Spring & Summer Staples
Warm weather means BBQ season’s back. Not a moment too soon, winter was long … and nasty. And with hotdogs, hamburgers, steak, chicken, etc., set to sizzle, the time for replenishing supplies is prime … talkin’ ’bout the essentials … A1 Steak Sauce, Heinz 57 Sauce, Cheez Whiz, and Kraft Singles … yep, I’m good to grill!! 😎
night time bbq-ing
few words, few pics instead. up against it lately – don’t know which way is up, which way is down. time change didn’t help, warmer weather (recording breaking day today) did.
boneless skinless chicken thighs tossed on the hot grill
portabello caps tossed on too, and lotsa s&p
getting sauced – the chicken I mean, lol
more and more bbq sauce
almost done now folks
and don’t be fooled by my backyard patio light. this was night/dark y’all!!
maple leaf chicken wings
… not really in the mood to say much today, just a coupla pics. warmer temps means a chance to bbq, even this late in the year. love seeing the fallen maple leaves in the background as my wings grill away. and finished – tossed with my hot buffalo wing sauce. oh, and served with my homemade blue cheese sauce.
Barbecued Prime Rib Roast!!
Always meant to attempt it, but never did. I lucked out with this absolutely gorgeous Sterling Silver 5 pounder (cap removed of course) from Sobeys, and knew this time I wouldn’t be deterred, full steam ahead y’all … I was a danistrulytheman on a mission. Initially thought of doing a south-western spice rub (something I’d use on bbq chicken), but with fresh herbs still going strong in my garden, opted to go Medi ‘nstead. I finely chopped oregano and thyme, along with plenty of sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper abundantly crusted the roast (after lathering generously with olive oil – Acropolis, of course, lol). And taking advantage of the butcher string, I intertwined two rosemary sprigs (which I later discarded along with the string after snipping). I served it with my famous lemon & butter potatoes (topped with caramelized onions), roasted cauliflower, feta and basil drizzled with Acropolis, tzatziki … and grilled pita bread (sorry, those pics didn’t make the cut)!! A final note; bbq rib roast KILLS … good luck getting that colour/crust in any oven … not to mention the hint of wood flavour. Only benefit of oven roasting is convenience … no muss, no fuss with temp. variations (had to remove my roast and grate to add hardwood charcoal once to maintain my temp.), throw it in and away you go (and you can go away – literally) … YES, you have to baby this … but oh my … what a baby!! 😉
A perfect rib roast …
Waiting for the Weber …
Indirect cooking (1 1/2 hours or so – looking for an internal temp of 140º) …
Resting on my spatula/plate before carving …
A close up … LOVE the colour, the crust …
Another angle; perfect separation of meat from bones …
Sliced, bit of au jus … but only one bone (sorry, couldn’t resist gnawing, lol) …
80oz. to freedom
… five pounds (mad love Sublime btw) worth of prime-time porterhouse … check out the fat tenderloin portion … porterhouse baby … ain’t talkin’ T-bone here folks!! Finding this cut at your local meat market can be challenging (typically want that filet to be sold separately at a much higher price), luckily not only was I able to … but the butcher gladly band sawed two 2 inch thick cuts as requested. AND, I scored a steal-of-a deal on price per pound too … sweet!!
Sea salt, cracked black pepper … then sizzlin’ kissin’ my Weber grate …
LOVE the flip (who doesn’t, lol?) …
FIRE … lol …
Almost done – happy happy (thanks Emeril, lol) …
Cut from the bone and sliced …
Sorry, that pic ain’t exactly the best showcasing the beauty of the dish – in my haste to sit and eat, got lazy with the camera, so it’s all I got y’all, lol. I let it rest a good ten minutes prior to carving … was a beautiful rare, medium-rare … splashed with steak au jus over top after plating, served it with my grilled mushroom, onion, garlic medley … my secret special blue cheese sauce, and for a change … potato scallion bread … and washed down with my fave Creemore … errr, that’s not for a change, lol!! 😉
yellow chicken!!
OMG … been meaning to buy/try/give this a go for SOOOOO long!! I have friends in the chicken wholesale business, they’re Chinese and they SWEAR by this bird … say it’s the best bar none (I’m certain it’s more grain fed, more hormone free, more free range than anything available – and judging by the supply/demand AND price, I’m REALLY certain). Limited shipment arrives once a week (Wednesday or Thursday … if at all, some weeks … ZIP BABY!!), and customers are constantly calling (they also do a limited retail business with those in the know … and I know) in anticipation. And come early, in a matter of hours, it’s sold out city!! Unbelievably, today was my lucky day … you should hear it in there, shoppers asking specifically for gender of their choosing (apparently males have a stronger taste, females smoother and sweeter – ain’t that always the way, lol?) … never heard/knew of that in my life … AND, I was told to keep the chicken intact while cooking, to chop off/discard the head and feet AFTERWARDS only … AND this wasn’t negotiable … something about juices/flavour spilling out … if you say so – hell, who am I to argue, lol?! After purchasing … immediately in my mind figured I’d south-western spice rub it, mop it with a killer BBQ sauce to finish … but with time to make a wiser decision … and with my garden overflowing with fresh Italian parsley, 2 types of sage, oregano, thyme, rosemary and oregano, opted instead to go Mediterranean. Didnt stop to pick up groceries (normally, I’m set in case of emergencies – had potatoes and lemon), but when I got home realized I didn’t have tzatziki, keep in mind this meal SCREAMS it – I love tzatziki more than I love my kids … OK OK … it’s a coin flip, lol … and away I went … what’s good for the spuds, is good for the chicken … so important to reinforce flavours … and later admittedly, was happy fridge was sans tzatziki … best not to bastardize my first attempt at this … and KISS!! Oh, also … didn’t go nuts on crispin’ the skin … my preferred method, not theirs … once again too much flapping lips (do chickens have lips, lol?) … my yellow chicken, potatoes, sweet onions, garlic, lemon and fresh garden herbs oozing in mouthwatering chicken drippin’ creation … enjoy!! 😉
The whole chicken (Tiff K may actually kill me using this platter, lol) …
You can see why it’s called yellow …
Using my disposable BBQ-buddy pan, smart move danistrulytheman …
WOW … looking good (just added the sweet onions) …
An hour (or so) later, we’re done folks …
Soup’s on y’all (with rustic potato bread too … NICE!!) …
labour daze and ribeyez
Ribeye steaks … although at a smidgen over 3 inches thick, perhaps roasts would be appropriate. Haven’t been grilling as much as I’d like too, as much as I should … nothing like a 3 day holiday week-end and a last kick at the summer-can to remedy that. Picked up these 2 Sterling Silver® (premium meat – top 12% of grain fed cattle) beauties at my not so local Sobeys. A few pics (and the omission of beer is purely accidental, rest assured its presence was prominent, lol) … enjoy!!
Pepper rubbed – patiently waiting …
The first kiss of the grill (look how thick they are) …
So far, so good …
Getting their char on – LOVE that …
… I think we’re done folks …
1 steak (perfect medium rare, don’t ya think?) sliced ‘n braided plated …
Grill toasted and garlic buttered French Loaf …
And my plate (served with my grilled baby portabello, sweet onion, poblano medley) …
homemade bbq sauce
… sorta!! I did cheat a little by giving myself a bit of a boost, saving time AND achieving what I set out to accomplish – win win. My goal was to create an Asian, Hawaiian, Caribbean inspired sauce … something sweet and packing heat!! My two essential ingredients; pineapple and scotch bonnet peppers!! To start, I wanted a good, solid base, and I chose SWEET BABY RAY’S bbq sauce (award winning, lol) … I use it often when I bbq, I love its neutrality … not smoky, not too sweet … a perfect pleasant balance. Before I go any further, a reminder of my method (& madness) of cooking, building recipes. I don’t use exact measurements, I typically use the amount I feel right, AND I’ll vary ingredients depending on my pantry and my mood. Call me the whimsical chef, lol!! Go ahead Food Network … steal that one too, lol!! With a bottle of Ray’s in my saucier, I incorporated brown sugar, cinnamon, soy sauce, orange juice … along with the stars of this show, the pineapple and scotch bonnet …oh, a word about scotch bonnets. These tiny peppers are hot beyond hot – you take a bite and bonnie bites back … a 300,000 Scoville unit chomp!! I rough chopped (seeds and all) and whizzed it in my spice grinder (tip: added a bit of brown sugar making puréeing easier, facilitating homogenization). I grilled (indirect method) plump chicken breasts (skin on, bone in) slathering them with my sauce right before taking them off the Weber, letting them get all glisteningly glazed and caramelized. It was spot on, the citrus tang & sweet combined with the fire of the pepper married beautifully, neither one was overpowering, rather complimenting each another … it was sublime. A few pics, enjoy y’all!! 😉
The Sauce is the Boss!, lol …
Baby packs a wallop …
Puréed …
All the ingredients in the pot before slowly simmering …
An hour later – looks great eh? I know, lol!! …
Mopped with ma sauce … a few minutes more …
A close-up (LOVE LOVE that char) of my efforts …
danistrulytheman 