Conquering the Weber Grill: Smoking Ribs

I recently acquired a new to me Weber charcoal grill, and was very excited to try smoking some different meats on it. I have never cooked with charcoal before, but it couldn't be that hard could it? Well, the first few times were not as easy as I first thought it would be. I could not keep the temps high enough to actually cook much at all on the rotten thing, so it was back to the drawing board.

I started doing some research, which lead me to a forum for smoking meats! Yes such a thing does exist! On there I learnt the Minion Method. The concept behind the Minion Method is simple: Place a small number of hot coals on top of a full pile of unlit briquettes. Using the top and bottom vents control the amount of air entering to keep the fire burning low and steady. The unlit fuel catches gradually, resulting in longer cooking times without having to add more fuel. With a few pieces of mesquite scattered throughout the briquettes I had a nice slow and low smoke going on!

I decided to make some ribs for this meal. I didn't know whether to get back or side ribs so I got one of each, and the night before applied a good rub and refrigerated overnight. The next day I got grill going and with on oven thermometer inside got it up to 225-250 degrees Celsius. I put the ribs on and every 15-20 sprayed them with a squirt bottle filled with a mixture of apple juice and Forty Creek Canadian Whiskey. 

After a few hours they started to get a nice bark on the outside, and looked very yummy....also enjoyed a little Forty Creek during the process.

In the last five minutes I brushed the ribs with a layer of BBQ sauce, and they were done!! Served with some baked beans and coleslaw, it was an awesome dinner!!

Here is the link to Smoking Meat Forums: http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/

Din din tonight: chicken and veg kabobs

So easy. So good. Cubed chicken breast, bite size veg such as onion, peppers, mushrooms, zucchini. Secret ingredient: marinate in Marilyn's original gusto Italian salad dressing and marinade. It's made in British Columbia, and not the easiest to find.

Things I'd like to cook.

There are a few things that I have always wanted to make myself from scratch, or just use as ingredients. Here is my ever growing list, that hopefully will get crossed off with success!!

Pasta

Hollandaise sauce

Gnocchi

Ceaser salad dressing

Ketchup

Barbeque sauce

Cheesecake

Artichokes

Making Carbonara

Yesterday Brian and I were both craving pasta. Being the lazy Sunday that it was we decided to walk across the street to Boston Pizza, instead of driving somewhere else. It was a decision we would both regret. Mediocre pasta that left the craving unsatisfied. So today I figured how hard can it be to make linguine carbonara. I found a recipe online, stopped at Safeway, and viola! One hundred times better, and really not that hard! Lesson learned, next time a pasta craving hits, make it at home or go to a good restaurant.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/spaghetti-alla-carbonara-recipe/index.html

Dinner tonight: Beef Samosas

Tonight I made some beef samosas for dinner using some left over Phyllo pastry. I must say they turned out pretty good. For a dipping sauce I mixed together half a cup each of water and apple cider vinegar, 3 Tbsp brown sugar, and 2 cloves of garlic minced in a sauce pan. Brought to a boil and simmered for 10 min.

The List

My Food Bucket list: It is a work in progress. I hope to cross many out, and add many more!

Biscuits and Gravy 

Black Truffle 

Borscht 

Caviar 

Chicken Tikka Masala 

Clams


Clam Chowder 

Crab

Crab Cakes 

Dolmades 

Eel 

Escargot

Fish Tacos 

Foie Gras 

Fried Catfish 

Fried Green Tomatoes 

Fried Plantain 

Frogs’ Legs 

Gazpacho 

Goulash 

Grits 

Gumbo 

Huevos Rancheros 

Jerk Chicken 

Kobe Beef 

Liver 

Lobster 

Mussels 

Octopus 

Paella 

Peking Duck 

Pho 

Po’ Boy 

Polenta 

Pork belly 

Oyster 

Saganaki 

Soufflé 

Tiramisu 

Zucchini Flowers

Making A Food Bucket List

Growing up, I can't really say I was exposed to a whole lot of different foods. I think the most diverse food I ever ate growing up was Chinese food, and even then it was the same five items that were ordered. I think I was probably in my early twenties before I tried sushi. As I have matured, and grown more confident in my cooking skills, all the foods that used to be outside of my comfort zone are starting to intrigue me. I think it all started about a year ago...I have never liked mushrooms, or so I thought. The only mushrooms I had ever had were most likely from a can. I tried one sauteed in butter and seasonings and wow, yum. Who would have thought? It made me question everything I thought I didn't like, and everything that I didn't even want to try. That's how the idea of my food bucket list came about, a list of all the foods out of my comfort zone, uncommon, or maybe just something I want to try!