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

Sweet on Local Honey

Here at the Outdoor Gourmet, we are sweet on local honey; so much so that I am writing tasting notes for our pals at Sweet Bee Honey Co. in the classic wine tasting method. Check 'em out!

Welcome to your weekend. -KB

Honey is nature’s own sweetener, packed with healthy enzymes, vitamins, and antioxidants and comes in many different varieties, ranging in color, flavor and body, depending on the floral source and time of year. And crystallization is natural! Raw honey, when unaltered with extra water or additives, forms sugar crystals. Just warm it up to transform it to its original liquid form.

High Summer Knapweed Honey

Found abundantly in the northwest, Russian or Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea Maculosa) blooms purple during the height of summer. Our colonies grow vibrant while working this plentiful plant, which produces dark gold honey.

The aromas of Knapweed Honey can be likened to a wheat field on a hot day- sweet and grassy. Followed by soft caramel notes, this medium-bodied honey is easily paired with just about anything.

Buckwheat Honey Reserve

Clusters of white flowers frost the Buckwheat (F. esculentum Moench) fields of Washington in Spring. This crop is grown almost solely for the production of Japanese Soba Noodles and produces a beautiful, dark auburn honey.

Earthy aromas, dark and rich, make Buckwheat the fullest bodied and most complex honey we produce. Molasses, tobacco, and cinnamon notes warm the pallet and make for a robust, smoky finish.

Limited Early-Harvest Blackberry Blossom Honey

Blackberry blossom honey is the purest and most rare honey produced in the great Northwest. Nectar collected from the thorny brambles of the Himalayan Blackberry (rubus armeniacus) creates this monofloral honey that drips from the comb translucent and nearly colorless. Once it’s packed, a faintly opaque and blonde hue makes it obvious why this is our reserve label product.

Clean, crisp lemongrass aroma, followed by soft floral and melon notes is what sets this honey apart as one of our most premium products. A hint of sumac adds a rich, full flavor on the finish, giving depth to this light-bodied honey.

Late-Harvest Star Thistle Honey

Harvested from scrubby, sun-colored flower of the prickly yellow star thistle (centaurea solstitialis), this is our lightest-bodied honey. With a tropical fruit and fresh-pressed comb aroma, this is a highly sought-after flavor by avid honey connoisseurs.

Northwest Alfalfa Honey

Rolling hills of bluish-purple alfalfa bloom cover the landscape of Eastern Oregon in early summer. The nectar from Alfalfa (medicago sativa) creates this rich, monofloral honey, clear and golden.

Warm, earthy aromas of cloves and spiced peaches fetch imagery of the staple crop from which it’s harvested. Smooth on the pallet, this medium-bodied honey is abounding with summertime flavors.

To find this high-quality, local product, check out the Walla Walla Farmers Market or visit www.sweetbeehoneyco.com.

Bristol Bay, Alaska

This week, I have a guest blogger! My friend Dave was good enough to give a bit of insider info on the commercial fishing industry in Bristol Bay, AK.

Thanks Dave!

Welcome to your weekend! -KB

Winter has finally given way to a beautiful spring here in the Northwest. This spring, before we know it, will become summer, where the Alaskan fishing industry will quietly swing into full gear.

When we bring salmon home from the store to enjoy a wonderful meal, we might not consider exactly how this particular salmon got to our dinner plate. Like all our foodstuffs, the salmon was once a living “breathing” organism. In the next few months we will track some of the various life-cycles of herring and salmon while also providing an insight into the fishing industry. The fishing industry most familiar to this author is commercial fishing district of Bristol Bay, Alaska. Bristol Bay is located roughly 300 miles west of Anchorage. Bristol Bay is home to five river districts that provide some of the largest and richest runs of sockeye salmon (also known as red salmon) in the world.

In order for this fishery to remain a viable and natural resource the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) controls these rivers to ensure that escapement numbers are reached. What are escapement numbers? Escapement numbers are the fish allowed to return to the spawning grounds to reproduce. For instance, in 2009, according to the ADF&G, the total salmon returning to Bristol Bay was 40.43 million fish, of which 9.53 million sockeye were allowed to escape. The ADF&G predicts a slightly smaller run this year of 39.77 million fish, where 8.01 million fish are allotted for escapement and 31.76 million fish are allotted for processing. These numbers, for this area of Alaska, are fairly typical over the recent years. Why are escapement numbers important? These fish that escape and reproduce provide this renewable and precious resource that allows us to enjoy a delicious source of protein while maintaining the delicate balance of the Alaskan eco-system.

At an average selling price of $0.70 per pound in 2009 (for sockeye), fishermen make some or all of their living in this relatively short six week season. Fishermen generally have a contract to fish for a certain processing company which buys their entire catch. From the moment of catch, to the processing facility, and beyond to your local seafood department, quality control remains paramount. Processors are charged with the responsibility of preparing the salmon safely for the specific market buying them. For instance, some processors focus on specialty markets such as smokehouses while others fill industrial sized orders. In later entries we shall discuss the specific processes that go into preparing an average salmon for the market.

Fishing in the Naknek River

Although the average salmon season lasts only six short weeks in Bristol Bay, there is no lack of preparation that goes into a typical salmon season. No matter whether one works on the fishing boats or on land in a processing facility the fishing industry is grueling work. While sockeye salmon may reign king in Bristol Bay during the months of June and July, Pink and Coho Salmon have later or more abundant runs in August and September in other parts of Alaska. Salmon is not the only marine fishing in Alaska. From Crab to Pollock Alaska provides an extraordinary amount of marine produce for the world to enjoy.

As Discovery’s Deadliest Catch has illustrated, fishing remains a dangerous job. However tough and dangerous work there is to be done, the American spirit remains well and alive to accomplish the task. If one is well motivated and resilient one can typically find decent employment in this industry.

On the other hand, sport fishing is also abundant and should be taken advantage of given the opportunity. The natural wonders of Alaska are awe inspiring with thousands of acres of national parks. Given the opportunity, Katmai National Park should not be overlooked. For as little as $200 (accessible by plane from King Salmon, AK) visitors can walk amongst the bears and visit Brooks Falls.

Bears dueling for Salmon – Katmai Nat. Park (Brooks Falls)

For further information:

Alaska Department of Fish and Game

Commercial Fisheries

Sport Fishing

Employment

Processing

Major League Grilling

So this year, I would like to hit up one of the many barbecue competitions, grill festivals, or/and celebrations of outdoor cooking methods in general. I did a little research and these sorts of events are multitudinous! Some are huge national events and some are after-party events to small town county fairs.

Here is a little overview of the most tempting of the cookout competitions…

International Bar-B-Q Festival (May)
Owensboro, Kentucky

www.bbqfest.com

American Royal BBQ Contest (October)
Kansas City, Missouri

www.americanroyal.com

Best of the West Nugget Rib Cook-off (September)

Sparks, Nevada

www.nuggetribcookoff.com

Barbecue Festival (October)
Lexington, North Carolina

www.barbecuefestival.com

Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational Barbecue (October)
Lynchburg, Tennessee

www.jackdaniels.com

National Capital Barbecue Battle (June)
Washington, DC

www.barbecuebattle.com

Texas Steak Cookoff (May)

Hico, Texas

www.texassteakcookoff.com

These are major league competitions, so to get our feet wet in the world of competitive grilling, I will be taking part in Smokin’ the Coeur d’Alenes Inland NW BBQ Competition, which will be held at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds on Father’s Day weekend.

www.smokinidaho.info

Welcome to your weekend! -KB

Easter Grilling

So, it's Easter Sunday and I woke up to a dusting of that white stuff on the newly-green lawn, but such is life in the Northwest. The sun has managed to come out and melt away the snow to provide optimal grilling weather, but the weather wouldn't have deterred me anyway. Like the Postal Service, neither rain, nor sleet, nor gloom of night prevents the OG from doing what the OG does. Unlike the Postal Service, we get our grill on seven days a week.

As is the case with any holiday, I take the opportunity to make it all about food. And this Easter the menu is…

Crimini Mushroom Soup

Spring Spinach Salad with Strawberries

Alder Planked Prime Rib with Lemon Zest Asparagus

Lemon Tart with Meringue

( Lemon Tart compliments of my pastrily-endowed sister Amy)

First things first: With these large cuts of meat, the golden rule is LOW and SLOW, so I needed my plank to absorb as much moisture as possible for this extended grilling time. I soaked a couple 1 inch thick Outdoor Gourmet Alder Grilling plank for about six hours to insure they were good and saturated.

My cut of beef had a lovely layer of fat running over the top of the ribs and some good marbling throughout, so I sliced right along the fat to create a cavity for the fresh rosemary, thyme and garlic cloves. I used a whole bulb of garlic and liberal amounts of herbs, then rubbed the roast with coarse kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper.

I preheated my grill to medium heat (350-400º) and stuck my plank on the grill for 5 minutes to heat it thoroughly before the beef makes it to the plank. Once I had the prime rib on the plank, I cranked the grill up to high heat (500º-ish) and let it go for 20 minutes. I did this for two reasons: to get a nice char on the bottom of the plank (char equals smoke, which equals alder flavor) and to allow the meat to form a crust that holds in moisture.

Ok, twenty minutes is up and I just headed out to the deck take the heat back down to 350º and try out a new gadget: an Oregon Scientific Wireless Meat Thermometer. I placed the thermometer needle in my prime rib and closed the grill lid and wandered back to my computer to continue blogging. The cool thing is I have a remote that I program to my specific needs. I programmed in: Beef, Medium Rare (or 145º) and it monitors the internal temperature of my entrée.

This is so rad because I don’t have to open the lid of my grill each time I want to check on my food, therefore releasing all that good heat and smoke. You gotta get one of these.

So, here I sit, with my Oregon Scientific remote that tells me I have 8 degrees to go until Medium Rare perfection, so I have just enough time to slice some strawberries for the salad before I grab my prime rib off the grill, cover with foil, and allow it to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Letting beef rest allows the meat to cook for another couple moments while locking in the moisture.

Below is a link about the Oregon Pacific Wireless Meat Thermometer! Check it out.

http://www.oregonscientificstore.com/oregon_scientific/product.asp?itmky=70477&model=AW131&cat=5&subcat=&sortby=&filtermfg=&page=

Happy Easter! -KB