The Thrill of the Grill

If you’ve clicked on the “Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em” link on the right you’ve probably deduced that I enjoy the American smoke-cooking method commonly known as “Barbecue”. Barbeque is a technique not indigenous to the Great Pacific Northwest, but it’s popularity is increasing as people enjoy it’s delicious, tender, smoky goodness. It bears mentioning that there is a big difference between ‘barbecue’ as a style of cooking and ‘barbecue’ the event: the event usually involves small cuts of meat cooked quickly over direct high heat (coals or gas flame), but the traditional barbecue cooking method is very different – it’s slow & low – long cook times over low, indirect heat, usually with large primal meats (primals are what steaks & chops are cut from – like whole loins, butts, & rib-roasts). I like going to a barbecue and drinking a beer or two, but when the cook time is over 5 hours, there is a much larger beer-drinking window to “marinade” one’s self.

I’ve mentioned before that, even though I work with a half-dozen former chefs, I am the designated cook for our bi-weekly lunchtime training sessions. Usually I just whip up lunch in our kitchen here, but last time I took a beef brisket home and smoked it. As the kids at Mt Tahoma High School say, it was the “Bomb-diggity-blast!” The crew unanimously agreed that I missed my calling as a BBQ Joint Cook (They don’t have chefs). I humbly declined this praise, as all I’ve ever aspired to do is to pimp the fish.

That said, this week I’m going to take barbecue to the next level: Kobe Beef. Kobe is the richest, most flavorful beef ever conceived – all because the cows are pampered like rock stars – hell, they even get beer mixed into their feed and daily massages – happy cows = delicious meat. The marbling is off the chart – make USDA Prime grade taste like leather.

That’s right, suckas! I’ll be firing up the smoker to make the most tender, luscious, succulent, juicy, delectable, savory barbecued meat since man discovered fire! I’m salivating over the idea already, and I still have two days before I ignite the charcoal.

I may not be able to bear the strain.