… love, LOVE this one! May be my all time fave!
Usually use Wild Pacific Salmon, but today Rainbow trout was on sale… and truth be told, I prefer it to salmon.
My fist true Weber bbq of the season too. Grilled ’em Greek style, served whole. Greek trout burgers y’all!
Slathered w/ tzatziki, a shiteload of Dodonis feta, and heirloom tomatoes!
… sea salt wedges as a kicker! Nice!
I always have! Been selling stuff for years, and even in my new life still do. This time was my Weber charcoal grill. I originally posted an ad a couple weeks ago for $250, but only got a few nibbles. Deleted that one, posted again 3 days ago… this time for $300. Why? ‘Cause that’s how I motherfucking roll! Actually, was something one of the respondents said, that convinced me to. Late last night, I got my first query. Called the dude back this afternoon… we agreed upon $275 (I agreed to throw in a few accessories I had no use for as well). Dude is on his way as I write this (he just called, running a bit behind). Dude also rented a cargo van (one of those auto share companies), so I know he’s serious and motivated. Right now, have a beer in one hand… awaiting his arrival to have cold hard cash in the other!
… well well, lookie here!
… grilled Merguez & Makanek sausages!
… served w/ Baba Ghannouge & Hommos Tahineh!
… and pita bread!
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!
… 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!
Yesterday’s sunny and unseasonably warm 19°C permitting a late October BBQ was just what the doctor ordered, the perfect cure for stopping the dizziness … getting off this spinning ride called life. Food truly is love, it soothes the soul … two Atlantic Salmon filets quickly marinated with olive oil, red onion, dill, parsley, sea salt & black pepper … skin side down on a water soaked (for a few hours) cedar plank and into my hot and ready Weber, shutting the lid and patiently allowing it to make magic. Squirted freshly squeezed grilled lemon juice after plating … a glistening finish. Almost gives the appearance of smoked salmon, but it’s VERY moist and tender … AND pink inside. Please folks, NEVER overcook it – it’s a sin against salmon. My planked salmon … kerplunked!!
folded newspaper protects the plate from the charred plank …
you can see that a little bit o’ that pink I’m talking ’bout …
saved the best for last … yep, def pink …
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) …
… 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!! 😉
… 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 …
… just a few pics, fresh Ontario grown kale (on sale of course, lol)!! Something completely new (who knew?!) … looks AWESOME, can’t wait to try it … but RIGHT NOW have more Weber wood grilling to do before I can dig in … we’re real time blogging here folks, lol!! Sweet onions, slivered garlic … copious sea salt/freshly ground pepper then sprinkled with chili flakes … sorry, gotta go y’all … roasted creminis, NY strips, and grilled garlic focaccia awaits …
The closeup … YEP, looks YUM:
The obligatory overhead view:
The beauty shot:
ALWAYS meant to blog ’bout this, especially peppers, red or green typically, but in this instance their harder (and more beautiful) to find cousin … yellow peppers!! The key is to blacken them, and when you think you’ve blackened them enough … you haven’t (don’t be shy, don’t be scared). Done correctly, the taste is so succulently sweet. Oh, and I know the proper term is roasted peppers, clarifying in case I get any crap from any of ya, lol!!
Coated with olive oil, tossed ‘n turned, doin’ their thing on the Weber …
Brown paper bagged and allowed to steam for 5-10 minutes …
Steaming aids peeling the charred skin, the edge of my Henckel does the trick …
Found these (who knew?) … disposable grooved foil pans – brilliant idea …
Long neck Creminis and sliced Vidalia … almost done folks, almost, lol …
AND plated … pepper quarters/halves (seeds and ribs removed) alongside the ‘shroom/onion combo and with a fast splash of fresh flat leaf from my garden as a finishing touch … is so incredible … it’s my perfect summertime (perfect timing too since TODAY IS officially summer, lol) antipasti platter … scoop ‘n serve y’all … enjoy …
Was doing my thang shopping up a storm at my Fortinos and knew asparagus was on sale for $1.79/lb (as a side note, am amused it’s one of the few “bunched” veggies priced by weight, not by bunch … even though IT IS bunched, lol?! ‘Sup with that?), so I did a walk-by and was surprised and excited to find one outta the lot that was thinly stalked (thinner is better btw, avoid thick ass ones like the elephantitis plague), and I’m talking pencil thin here, so I snagged ‘n bagged them along with my other groceries. On that topic, Tiffany K was riding my ass (hard, lol) wanting me to buy this new PC product … comes in six flavours and every time I looked, the ONLY was not to be found was the one she wanted … evidently everybody else had a hankering for it as well … but as you can see (but not taste – too bad, is VERY good) success at last. Enjoy the pics y’all!!
PC Sofrito:
A couple of New York Strips and strung piquante sausages … startin’ gettin’ their char on!! Asparagus patiently awaits:
My grilled Vidalia onion, poblano pepper relish … jar THAT PC, lol:
… and not to boast, but DAMN motherfuckers … shit’s the bomb … great with burgers, sausages, eggs … OMG love LOVE it in omelettes and frittatas!!
Plated … finally! A feast fit for Tiffany K & danistrulytheman:
And the best part (as always, lol) … leftovers!! A bit of a change-up (or is that curveball, lol?) A quick steak and sausage stir-fry, along with my onion/poblano mix (marries together so beautifully, can’t begin to tell ya how good it is), steamed the asparagus, poached two eggs lightly (I’m talking running yokes folks) and freshly grated (coarsely) parm-regg as a finishing touch … AND a dollop of Sofrito, AND sliced hothouse tomatoes to boot, LOL!!:
danistrulytheman 