Crush It!

I recommend this book! In fact I bought ten books and am passing them out to students with the requirement that after they read it, they must pass it on.

Posted via web from johnrumery’s secret sauce

Powered by BBQ

Here is a an e-mail I received this morning from a friend who followed my secrets of success to perfect BBQ chicken.

Hi John,
I made Rumery Chicken the other night for some buddies.  Best they’d ever tasted.  You the Man!

Chip

GRWW
Grand Rapids Whitewater
www.grandrapidswhitewater.org

Amen brother!

That’s Grilladelic.

Changing the world through BBQ power.

(picture of my award winning BBQ chicken)

 

A Grilladelic Thanksgiving: Dessert

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

This recipe was created by The Cake Ninja, a talented pastry chef working out of Boston.   Check out her blog for other terrific recipes.   Thanks Val!

 

A couple of days ago, a friend of mine asked me if I knew any good pumpkin bread pudding recipes.  I’d never had it, but I love pumpkin flavored desserts so I was excited for the challenge.  I looked through my cookbooks at home and found a White Chocolate Challah Pudding recipe in The Fig Table.  Which, by the way, is a really nice cookbook by Todd English.  Anyways, the picture looked tasty so I changed the recipe to make it a pumpkin bread pudding.  The resulting bread pudding is nice & light, making it easy to eat a generous piece without feeling like you’d swallowed a brick.  Serve it with barely sweetened whipped cream and you are all set!

 

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

• 7 yolks
• 2 whole eggs
• 2 t vanilla extract
• 3 c. heavy cream
• 1 c. milk
• ½ c. sugar
• 1 t cinnamon
• ¼ t ginger
• ¼ t cloves
• ¼ t nutmeg
• 15 oz can pumpkin puree
• 4 c. (1 loaf) challah, cubed

Method of Prep

1.Mix yolks, eggs, and vanilla in a bowl.

2.In a pot, bring cream, milk, sugar and spices to a boil.

3.Whisk in pumpkin.

4.Temper milk into eggs. (Meaning, slowly pour the hot milk into the eggs while whisking the eggs constantly.  You are slowly warming the eggs without cooking them.)

5.In an 8×8 baking dish, place bread. Pour egg mix over it. Let rest 15 min.

6.Cover with foil. Bake in a water bath at 350˚F for about 1 hour 15 mins.

*You can also bake it in muffin tins for about 20 mins.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Pork, Pork and More Pork

Despite the bad press pork has received over the years (not to mention the derogatory-named swine flu), it is the king of the barbecue.  Spare ribs, baby back ribs, country ribs, ham, shoulder, Boston butts, loins, sausages, tenderloins and chops.  Not to mention craiclins, bacon, pig roasts, and suckling pigs!  Basically everything but the oink is fair game for the honorable griller and barbecuer.

This weekend, I am firing up my kettle with Lazzari, adding some pecan chunks and then slowly smoking 12 pounds of boneless, brown sugar brined pork putt.  When it’s finished, it will be sliced, pulled, chopped, sauced and eaten. “Uncle John” will then send gifts of pork butt to my sister-in-law and brother-in-law who recently welcomed a pair of babies into the world; Quinn and Rowan, my 17th and 18th niece/nephew.

To prepare for a Sunday pork butt celebration, let’s pay homage to the humble pig.  From Bon Appetit:

Pork Recipes Slideshow

America’s pork is better than ever, thanks to the revival of traditional farming and the rediscovery of heritage breeds. These 20 recipes prove just how good it is. For more information on heritage pork, see our ingredient guide to Heritage Pork.

1

Pork Chops with Leeks in Mustard Sauce

Photograph by Hans Gissinger

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Talking Turkey 2009 – Post #1

As we count down toward Thanksgiving 2009, Grilladelic will be scouring the four corners of the world (wide web) looking for grilled, smoked and barbecued turkey recipes that could transform your holiday.

This recipe is from the archives of Bon Appetit

First the turkey is soaked overnight in a brine to improve flavor and ensure moist meat. (Be sure to use a pot large enough to hold both the brine and the turkey.) The smokiness of the turkey is offset beautifully by the tangy, sweet glaze, which incorporates two quintessential Napa Valley ingredients: wine and mustard.

6 quarts water

2 large onions, quartered

1 cup coarse salt

1 cup chopped fresh ginger

3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar

4 large bay leaves

4 whole star anise

12 whole black peppercorns, crushed

• 1 13- to 14-pound turkey, giblets discarded

• 4 cups hickory smoke chips, soaked in water 30 minutes, drained [I would experiment with a fruit wood like apple or cherry.  If you are brave, I was told by an old turkey farmer from Graafschap that sassafras is the wood of choice for smoking turkey]
• Disposable 9×6 1/4×1-inch aluminum broiler pans

• 2 large oranges, cut into wedges
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons oriental sesame oil

For glaze

• 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/3 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter

Preparation

Make turkey:
Combine first 8 ingredients in very large pot. Bring mixture to simmer, stirring until salt and sugar dissolve. Cool brine completely.

Rinse turkey inside and out. Place turkey in brine, pressing to submerge. Chill overnight, turning turkey twice.  (A large plastic cooler works good for a brine container.  You can add ice to keep it cool too)

If using charcoal barbecue: Mound charcoal briquettes in barbecue and burn until light gray. Using tongs, carefully divide hot briquettes into 2 piles, 1 pile at each side of barbecue. Sprinkle each pile with generous 1/2 cup hickory chips. Place empty broiler pan between piles. Position grill at least 6 inches above briquettes. Position vents on barbecue so that chips smoke and briquettes burn but do not flame.

If using gas or electric barbecue: Preheat barbecue with all burners on high. Turn off center burner and lower outside burners to medium-low heat. Place generous 1/2 cup hickory chips in each of 2 broiler pans. Set pans over 2 lit burners. Place empty broiler pan over unlit burner. Position grill at least 6 inches above burners.

Remove turkey from brine; discard brine. Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Place orange wedges in main cavity. Mix olive oil and sesame oil in small bowl. Brush over turkey. Arrange breast side up on grill, centering above empty broiler pan. Cover; cook until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 160°F, adding 1 cup hickory chips (and 6 briquettes if using charcoal barbecue) to barbecue every 30 minutes, about 3 hours.

For glaze:
Bring all ingredients to simmer in heavy medium saucepan.

Brush glaze over turkey; cover and cook until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180°F, covering any dark areas of turkey with foil, about 1 hour longer. Transfer turkey to platter. Tent with foil and let stand 30 minutes

We Are Spartans!

Grilladelic finished up it’s 2009 BBQ campaign on Saturday in the heroic fields of Sparta, MI.

It was an epic battle..

Three Weber Kettles vs. an army of the midwest’s greatest barbecuers:

• Extreme Roaster, featuring Troy, a BBQ god.
• Smokin’ Scotsmen: Fear the Kilt!
• Pork of the North
• Great Lakes BBQ Feed Company
• and many more….

After the smoke had cleared, Team Grilladelic stood alone in 7th place…separated from glory by only the fickle brisket judges!

JR

JR Jr. A Barbecue Apprentice

11th Place Brisket. Very costly. I thought it was top three.

Third place pork! Team Grilladelic: Nora, Dad and Jack

Pit boss in training. My 8 month old nephew. Like training puppies, only give them a taste at this age. Next year, he can start with dishes.

Harvest on the Ridge BBQ

Sparta, MI
09/25/2009 – 09/26/2009

Grand Champion: Extreme Roasters Reserve Champion: Great Lakes BBQ & Feed Co Overall: 1 Extreme Roasters 2 Great Lakes BBQ & Feed C 3 Pork of the North 4 Ole Ken-Chuckie BBQ 5 Smokin Scotsmen 6 Ancor City Smoke 7 Grilladelic 8 Just Blowin Smoke 9 Rub Me Tender 10 Donnie’s BBQ 11 Squirels 2 BBQ 12 Pigs n’ Digs BBQ Team 13 Boogie BBQ 14 Hot,Smokey and Righteous 15 Potts’ Pitt 16 Smokey Rhodes BBQ
Chicken: 1 Great Lakes BBQ & Feed C 2 Ole Ken-Chuckie BBQ 3 Just Blowin Smoke 4 Extreme Roasters 5 Smokin Scotsmen 6 Grilladelic 7 Pigs n’ Digs BBQ Team 8 Rub Me Tender 9 Boogie BBQ 10 Ancor City Smoke 11 Pork of the North 12 Donnie’s BBQ 13 Squirels 2 BBQ 14 Potts’ Pitt 15 Smokey Rhodes BBQ 16 Hot,Smokey and Righteous	Ribs: 1 Extreme Roasters 2 Great Lakes BBQ & Feed C 3 Ancor City Smoke 4 Rub Me Tender 5 Pork of the North 6 Donnie’s BBQ 7 Grilladelic 8 Boogie BBQ 9 Smokin Scotsmen 10 Just Blowin Smoke 11 Ole Ken-Chuckie BBQ 12 Squirels 2 BBQ 13 Potts’ Pitt 14 Pigs n’ Digs BBQ Team 15 Hot,Smokey and Righteous 16 Smokey Rhodes BBQ
Pork: 1 Ole Ken-Chuckie BBQ 2 Extreme Roasters 3 Grilladelic 4 Pork of the North 5 Hot,Smokey and Righteous 6 Smokey Rhodes BBQ 7 Smokin Scotsmen 8 Squirels 2 BBQ 9 Great Lakes BBQ & Feed C 10 Ancor City Smoke 11 Donnie’s BBQ 12 Just Blowin Smoke 13 Rub Me Tender 14 Potts’ Pitt 15 Pigs n’ Digs BBQ Team 16 Boogie BBQ	Brisket: 1 Pork of the North 2 Smokin Scotsmen 3 Just Blowin Smoke 4 Extreme Roasters 5 Ancor City Smoke 6 Pigs n’ Digs BBQ Team 7 Hot,Smokey and Righteous 8 Rub Me Tender 9 Great Lakes BBQ & Feed C 10 Ole Ken-Chuckie BBQ 11 Grilladelic 12 Squirels 2 BBQ 13 Boogie BBQ 14 Potts’ Pitt 15 Donnie’s BBQ 16 Smokey Rhodes BBQ

Fu-Fu on the Grill

Grilling grapes and cheese seems a bit pretentious…but I’m OK with it…as long as Barry Manilow isn’t the musical side dish. (I’d recommend a little Willie Nile)

From Bon Appetit’s website:

7 Foods You Never Knew You Could Grill

Grilladelic commentary is in red. Enjoy

9:26 AM / August 26, 2009

/ Posted by Andrew Knowlton

This summer, think outside the ‘cue. Grill these items for remarkably easy, wholly unexpected, and thoroughly delicious appetizers, garnishes, and side dishes.

GRAPES
Small clusters won’t fall through the grate and will get even juicier and sweeter over the heat. Serve as a garnish with pork or sausage.
Try this: Beer-Brined Grilled Pork Chops
I can buy into this.  Grilled grapes next to some sizzling sausage should be tasty.

CHEESE
Briefly grill small wheels of soft cheese (such as Brie) uncut, in their rind, until just melting. Haloumi or queso fresco cheese work as well. Serve with other cheeses and fruit as an appetizer or simple dessert course.
Try this: Grilled Cheese and Tomato Stacks
Cheese is a grill classic.  Try Brie on a cedar plank.  Just soak the plank in water for several hours, place over the coals or burners and get it smoking (but not igniting). Set the Brie on the plank, close the cover and damp down the heat.  It doesn’t take long, 5 minutes +/-..but it is nice!  Hey, throw those grapes on top of the Brie!

ROOT VEGETABLES
Steam or parboil root vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, turnips, potatoes, or sweet potatoes until slightly tender. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, and your choice of herbs. Grill over medium heat until charred.
Try this: Grilled Smashed Potatoes
No brainer. Yukon Golds, partially cooked then rubbed with EVO, kosher salt, black pepper and a little rosemary on the grill  is one of the seven wonders of the world.

FRISEE
Toss lightly in olive oil, salt, and pepper, and cook over medium-hot grill just to wilt.
Add to: salads for smoky flavor and textural contrast.
Try this: Lobster Salad with Fresh Mint and Lime
Don’t buy into this. Not in my wheelhouse.

SHELLFISH
Shrimp and lobsters are excellent grill foods–so too are clams and oysters. Place the freshest clams or oysters you can buy directly on the grill over high heat. Cover and cook until shellfish opens, 4 to 5 minutes. Eat straight from the grill with simply a squeeze of lemon and hot sauce.
Try this: Grill-Roasted Clam Linguine

Shellfish has been grilled for eons.   Not to unusual.
MELONS
A few seconds on a hot grill does wonders for watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew and other melons. Not only do the grill marks look appetizing, they taste good too–the heat caramelizes the sugars of the fruit resulting in a mildly smokey and nutty flavor.
Try this: Brochette of Melon, Prosciutto, and Fresh Mozzarella
This might be worth trying…but not sure.
CITRUS
Halved and charred, cut side down, limes, lemons, and oranges are a beautiful garnish for fish and chicken. The sugars caramelize and make a smoky-sweet sauce to squeeze over the food.
Try this: Grilled Halibut with Grilled Red Pepper Harissa

I like the garnish angle.   Plus, I like squeezing fresh lemons and limes on my meats during grilling.  Keeps it moist and adds a nice little flavor kick.  Now just squeeze then toss the citrus half on the grill afterwards.  Recycling!

Silver Lake BBQ 2009

Harlan and John= Grilladelic Brazen Que

Silver Lake BBQ Championship is in the books.  A nice event, made even better by absolutely perfect weather.

Team Grilladelic joined up with team Brazen Que for the first time and we are fairly happy with the results:

• 10th place overall (out of 35 teams)
• 3rd Place Chicken
• 9th Place Pork
• 14th Place Brisket (but should of been higher)
• 25th Place Ribs (but should of been lower.  Absolutely terrible)

Overall a great time.  Harlan is a great guy and a real student of barbecue.  A slip up with the ribs probably cost us a top five finish but that is life on the competition BBQ circuit.  Next up:  Sparta! Harvest on the Ridge.

Click here for the detailed results.

3rd Place Chicken Turn-In

Chicken 3rd Place.

Ribs = Disaster. Overcooked the spares.

Fantastic Pork. Sliced and Chunked

Our BBQ site. Eggs and Kettles. Beautiful day

M-22 BBQ. The famous Mrs. Dog the Applegate Team

Competitor's rig. BBQ vendor too.

Nora liked the ribs. Judges did not.

Harlan's turn-in for pork. This was 9th place. It was tasty.

Murderer’s Row!

The names alone are enough to give experienced, competitive barbecuers nightmares!

• Smokin’ Scotsmen
• Dr. Porkenstein
• Straight Meat BBQ Boys
• Motley Que
• Big Moe
• Dr. Chucky
• Skin ‘n Bones
• Hog Wild
• Hot, Smoky and Righteous
• Burnt End Boys
• Mrs. Dog and M-22 BBQ
• Great Lakes BBQ and Feed Company

We won’t know until we get set up on Friday, but I can guarantee you the Silver Lake / Apple Fest Barbecue Championship will be full of drama, pork, smoke and beef.  Don’t miss it.

If you stop by on either Friday night or Saturday, make sure you say to John and Harlan: Team Grilladelic Brazen Que.

Competition Categories (Must Compete in all Categories)

Chicken

Ribs

Pork

Beef Brisket

Total of $6,000 In Prizes

• Grand Champion — $1,200 + Trophy (Also invited to the American Royal Invitational and entered in pool for Jack Daniels World Championship Invitational Barbecue Championship)
• Reserve Grand Champion — $600 + Trophy

Ten Ways to Pimp Your Tailgate Party

What you need to know to create the ultimate tailgate experience. the following represents a guide to the “creme de la creme” of tailgating accessories.   This list can be taken as a whole or it can act as a smorgasbord of tailgating options.  All of the items are certified grilladelic.

EZ UP

Nothing says a party like a large canopy in a parking lot. Practical and cool.  I have used the  EZ UP brand for over ten years and it is a stud.  Sturdy and dependable.  You can also splurge and customize the tops with the name of your favorite team.

Grill

The toughest category for a grilladelic recommendation due to the shear number of choices.  However, since grilling is not a spectator sport and  it is more impressive to tow a grill then to pull one from your trunk, my recommendation goes to this Santa Maria-style unit. This grill provides you with a charcoal experience for the best of tailgating food: brats, sausages, hot dogs, burgers, fajitas, veggies, etc.   Plus it requires actual grill skills.  In other words, you are the  starting QB, front and center,  in the biggest game of the year.  Work the coals, flip the burgers, sizzle those sausages.

Gas Powered Blender

Who needs extension cords and a generator? Let ‘er rip.  Game day smoothies, margaritas, daiquiris, and even fresh salsa.  Plus it is an attention getter.  Why else tailgate if you don’t want to show off your spread?

Table and Chairs

Not too sexy, but reliable.  Lifetime makes good, affordable tables and chairs.  Easy to set up, takes a pounding and quick to clean.

Music

A very subjective recommendation, but I think you should go with your own tunes.  It’s your party.  Create your play list and then set up you MP-3 player for the duration of the party.  Bose has always served me well.

Coolers

Mission critical.  Any cooler will actual do, but the cooler the cooler, the cooler the event.  Recommend at least two coolers.  One for beverages and one for food that needs to be cooled.

Vehicle

I love GM and Chevy trucks.  200,000 miles is not a problem.  I realize big trucks  might not be the most “green” choice today, but you are tailgating for crying out loud!  How else will you tow the grill, store the canopy, chairs, tables, and coolers?  You just need to replace the gun rack with a spice rack.

Utensils

Made in the USA.  Lamson Sharpe.  Look good, feel good, flip good.  Stainless and redwood.

Table Settings

I chose these products a bit randomly.  You need to find a middle-ground.  Cheap paper plates are a downer.  Expensive china is pretentious.  Check out treehugger.com for more reviews and ideas.

Food and Beverages

The nitty gritty.  My first choice is to always support your local butcher, baker and salsa maker.  An early morning stop at the farmer’s market and bakery is ideal.  However these commercial products are fine too.

Bruce Aidell Sausages.  Unique and tasty.

Garden Fresh Gourmet products: salsa, guacamole, chips, hummus.  Nice!

Root Beer: Your choice

Founder’s Beer: A bunch of crazy and deranged fools making good a product.

Boxed Water is Better: Great guys with a great idea!