Memorializing the Copper River Salmon

In the cedar grilling plank business, the two largest events of the year just happen to coincide- Memorial Day and the Copper River Salmon Run. Both of these events have the masses congregating on patios, decks, beaches and in their backyards, briquettes in hand, with BBQ on the brain, eager to take part in the little bit of Americana called the three-day weekend.

I celebrated the kickoff of grilling season 2010 in the only way someone in my line of work would... by planking a whole bunch of food! Hot wings, beer brats, sirloin and assorted vegetables on hickory skewers, all hit the grill and were quite scrumptious, but nothing could compare to the 5 lb. Copper River Salmon! That is 5 lbs. minus head and gutted, mind you!

I soaked my 16 x 7 Western Red Cedar Grilling Planks all afternoon and filleted out my big, beautiful fish into two whopping slabs... the recipe I use is listed below.

Sprinkle salmon fillet with brown sugar,real maple syrup or bed with lemon and herbs, as shown in photo. Season to taste with salt, coarsely ground pepper and garlic.

Place fillet on the grilling plank, skin down.

Place plank and fillet on a preheated grill and close lid. Cook fillet for 12-15 minutes per pound. The plank will smolder, creating smoke. That's what gives the salmon its wonderful taste. If flame occurs, douse with spray water bottle.

When the salmon is cooked to your liking, serve it at the table on the plank. Place on a cutting board or platter and serve by sliding a spatula between fish and skin. ENJOY!

We ate ourselves into a stupper then headed out to the fire pit to burn the remaining planks. Yes, the palnks are reusable, but these had a good amout of salmon skin stuck to 'em and I didn't want the dogs getting to them, so they were part of our Memorial Day Weekend camp fire.

Welcome to your Three-day Weekend. -KB

Rib King Cook-off

This weekend was Tim’s Rib King Cook Off at Tim’s Special Cut Meats in Coeur d’Alene. They were short a couple judges, so my dad and I stepped up to the plate and volunteered to sit on a panel of 15 professional and not-so-professional barbecue critics. We were on the less professional side of things, as we have not gone through the Pacific Northwest Barbecue Association’s judging class.

At these three-tiered judging classes, one learns the finer points of Beef Brisket, Chicken, and Pork Ribs/Shoulder. The first class is a general judging certification, followed by the Pitmaster Judge certification, then finally the Grand Master Judge cert. In these classes, aspiring judges learn about cuts of meat, wood selection, sauces, spices, rubs, BBQ equipment and theory. Judging criteria, food prep standards, presentation, disqualifications, general rules, procedures and regulations are gone over in detail, all while eating large quantities of meat!But, I have yet to go through this grilling guru training, so I needed a crash course in rib knowledge.

Pork Rib Basics
The PNWBA uses a 10-point judging system that judges meats on appearance, texture/tenderness, and taste (25%, 25%, 50%). There are two types of pork ribs: Spare Ribs and Baby Back Ribs. The differences in these cuts are seemingly insignificant, but it makes all of the difference in the flavor, texture, and appearance.Baby Back Ribs are cut from the loin section- the place where pork chops come from. In grocery stores, baby backs may also be labeled “loin back ribs” or “back ribs.” Baby backs are smaller, less fatty, and naturally more tender than spare ribs, which also means they take less time to cook. They’re the most popular rib, partly because they’re neat, compact and easy to eat. They are practically dainty compared to spare ribs and must weight 1.75 lbs. or less for an entire rack.

Spare ribs, sometimes called side ribs, are a cut taken from the belly side of the pig's rib cage above the sternum and below the back ribs, which is also where bacon is cut. Spare ribs are flatter than the curved back ribs and are bigger, tougher, and contain more meat, fat and bone than BBR’s. Because they are a larger cut, they traditionally take longer to cook. Most grocery stores sell Spare Ribs “St. Louis Style,” meaning that the rib tips are removed.

The contestants started their grills first thing in the morning and hung out all day while their ribs smoked to perfection. I asked a couple different contestants for their recipes and was politely declined by most and got one, resounding “No way, Jose!” Turns out that that these rib recipes are jealously guarded family secrets, not to be shared with a mere food writer/judge.

We ate our way through sixteen spare and sixteen baby back rib entries without the aid of so much as a beer. Yes, that’s right. Judges are only allowed to have saltine crackers and water to clear the pallet. The PNWBA can expect a strongly-worded letter from me chastising their beverage availability and espousing the virtues of a good brew paired with ribs.

After all the score sheets were turned in and the votes tallied, George Pitts of the Pitts Place BBQ, was named Rib King!

Check out this website for more info about judging classes and criteria!
www.pnwba.com

Welcome to your weekend! -KB

Enjoying Rosé is No Reason to Blush

Why is it that both optimism and pink wine get such a bad rap? What is so wrong with having a rosy outlook on life and enjoying a glass of something the color of a Mary Kay Cadillac? I am here to say it's ok to see the world through Rosé colored glasses, especially in spring.

Rosé wines are made from red grapes for the most part, although Rosé Champagne and sparkling wines are a blend of white and red wine grapes. The pink color of Rosé is achieved by early harvest and minimal contact with the marc (grape skins, pips, and stalks). After two to three days, the saigneé method of bleeding off the juice is used and violà- rosy-colored wine ready for further fermentation. Rosés typically have a lower alcohol content and higher residual sugars than both red and white wine.

In the 1970’s, white wine was so tragically hip that the demand exceeded the supply of white wine grapes, thus spurring Strutter Home’s on to sell a batch of stuck fermentation saigneé juice as “White Zinfandel.” The American wine industry soured Rosé's reputation by over producing cask upon cask of saccharine-sweet White Zin and other blush wines. This flooding of the market with subpar pink drink did a lot to kill the notion that Rosé can be a tasty, refreshing and refined wine.

The wine I picked up to enjoy with my alder planked salmon was the Charles & Charles Rosé 2008, which is a dry Rosé from the Wahluke Slope (AVA).

Food & Wine Magazine’s 2009 Winemaker of the year Charles Smith (K Vintners, the Magnificent Wine Co., Charles Smith Wines) teamed up with Charles Bieler (Three Thieves, Bieler Pere et Fils, Sombra mezcal) to create this clean, if not under-ripe wine. After a relatively early harvest, this single vineyard 100 percent Syrah went straight to press without so much as a night of cold soaking. Oak? No thanks- just stainless steel for this wild strawberry-type profile Rosé. This wine was just ten bucks at Yokes; light, bright, delicious and a screw cap to boot! Perfect for alfresco dining such as picnics, barbecues, or patio parties.

Other great Rosés for warm weather sipping include:

Domaine de Terrebrune 2007 Bandol, $29

Bonny Doon Vineyard 2007 California Vin Gris de Cigare, $14

Domaine de la Mordorée 2007 Côtes du Rhône La Dame Rousse Rosé, $19

Robert Oatley Rose of Sangiovese 2008, Australia $17

Château de Roquefort 2008 Côtes du Provence Rosé Corail, $16

Welcome to your weekend. Go green, drink pink. -KB

Pico de Mayo!

High price of tomatoes got ya down? No problem. This Cinco de Mayo, I made two different types of tomato-less Pico de Gallos to accompany my Alder Planked Halibut Fish Tacos.

Pineapple Pico de Gallo
Pineapple: 2 cup, diced
Red Onion: 1 cup, diced
Cilantro : 3 Tbs., fresh minced
Serrano Peppers: 1 pepper, minced.
Juice of one lime
Green Onion: just a sprig or two for garnish

Strawberry Salsa Fresca
Strawberries : 2 cups, diced
Juice of one lime
Walla Walla Sweet Onion: 1 cup, diced
Jalapeño Pepper: 3 Peppers, diced
Cilantro: 3 Tbs., fresh minced

Tip: For all of you heat junkies, leave the seeds in the Jalapeño/Serrano peppers to give these salsas the extra BTU’s (piquance) you’re looking for.

The directions are the same on both of these recipes: Chop everything up, toss with lime juice and enjoy with tacos, fajitas, or corn chips!



Welcome to your weekend. Ole! -KB