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Food
& Dining . With
Summer on the Way, It's Time to ... It's coming. As sure as Memorial Day, the 4th of July, and Labor Day ... and all those times between when you pull out the grill ... fire it up ... grab your favorite sauce and a cold one ... and begin to work that magic on the meat that only a secret bar-b-q sauce can provide. ... The very thought of it's enough to make your mouth water. ... But before you go too far down that road, we have to ask: Are you ready? ... We're not talking about ready for those delicious burgers or strips of steak, of course. We're just wondering if you're going to actually be ready for that first outing. ... Of course, as more and more folks have moved away from the old charcoal grills to gas and lava rocks, the tasks of getting ready have decreased in kind. If you're one of the converts, then the following list may be meaningless to you. ... For
Those Who Staunchly Refuse to
Well ... You get the idea. A
Little Trick to Spice Up This Summer's Bar-B-Q's Black cherry. Maple. Apple. Birch. Beech. Poplar. Each in it's own way is a special treat at bar-b-q time. On this particular occasion, I chose some Black Cherry and Poplar. One of our guests, who hadn't been to a bar-b-q with us before, took her first bite of hamburger and exclaimed out loud: This is terrific! I thanked her, probably a little too matter-of-factly, because she said: No! Really! This i fantastic. I've never tasted anything like it. Ok, I thought, they're good. But let's not get carried away here. But the fact is, later that year, some time close to the solstice, I ran into her while doing some Xmas shopping. We weren't 20 seconds into our hello when she said: Do you ever bar-b-q in the winter? I looked at her, a little puzzled at first, until I remembered. Not usually, was my reply, or something close to it. ... Well, she'd said. You ought to consider it. She then went on, like a Homeric hymn, to catalog the lengthy list of people she'd told about those hamburgers. And as I listened, admittedly drifting off when she got to the number of calls she'd made the weekend after she'd left our house, I thought to myself: Hmmmm!?! When I got back to the house, it must've been around four-thirty because it was dusk, I grabbed the bags from the back seat and headed toward the house. As I passed by the workshop, I paused and looked at the door. I set the bags down, opened the padlock, and turned on the light. There in the far corner, covered with a black plastic garbage bag, was the grill, it's legs spread stiffly apart, at ease, but ready at a moment's notice. Hmmmm!?! I thought, then took a mental inventory of what was in the fridge. Chopped meat? ... Sausage? ... Chicken! I grabbed up the bags, went through the door and set them down just inside, by the boot bench. I changed jackets and went back out to the shed. Charcoal? There! ... I opened the bag and reached in. ... The briquettes felt soft. I took a small handful, found the lighter fluid and went outside to make a small clearing in the snow. I piled the briquettes in a small pyramid and doused them with a little fluid. ... Nothing. ... I wondered for a moment about going with just the wood, but then I realized the light was fading fast. I'd still have to par cook the chicken. ... The temperature was dropping like a stone. ... I went back in, telling myself I'd do it another time ... some time this winter. But I never did. ... Maybe next year, I tell myself now. But in the meanwhile, the charcoal's fresh, the air is warmer ... and the light lingers long into the evening. ... The perfect trio for a fantastic bar-b-q. Using Hardwood in Your Next
Bar-B-Q While the Black Cherry, Apple or Maple give off their own sweet flavors, the Beech adds a bit of 'age', and Birch provides a tang. But Poplar -- good, dry Poplar -- provides a pungent smoky flavor that none of the others can match. Be warned: You have to like that kind of pungent taste, because I've never met a Poplar that didn't give it off in an unmistakable way. ... And it's always best used with other, sweeter woods. My favorites are the Maple and Black Cherry. Whichever ones you use, you have a couple of ways to go: Either split off some shavings for a light flavoring, or {our preference} ... Split some pieces into 1"-2" squares, enough to make a small crib in the bottom of your grill, at least three levels high. Split enough extra, no more than 1" square, to make another single layer. Place your briquettes over the bottom crib and get them started. Once they're going, lay the final layer on top and let it all come up. ... That's it. It's definitely better if you have a grill with a hood. If not, you may also want to use a considerable bit of shavings. ... Either way ... Hope yours are all delicious. Enjoy! ... . ******* ******* If you know of any dishes at restaurants around the area, or if you'd like to submit a review of your own, don't hesitate to let us know. Also, if you'd like to submit an article about food, you can write to us via e-mail at ... ******* ******* If you would like to submit a recipe or write a feature for our Food & Dining section, don't hesitate to let us know. Simply e-mail us at food@downstreetmagazine.com. The e-mail should contain your name, address, and a phone number where we can reach you. You may also send a copy of your proposed article. The text can either be included in the body of the e-mail, or you can send it as an attachment in just about any word processing format. If your piece is accepted, we will pay a small honorarium for your interest & your time. [See Freelancers Wanted for more details.] ******* ******* If you would like to advertise in this section, or throughout the magazine, please visit our Advertising Info Pages ... or call, write, or e-mail ads@downstreetmagazine.com. ******* ******* |
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