Basketball Food Adventures
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Unfortunately it is too cold at this time of the year to grill so depending on the starting game time the food will vary depending on the cook’s disposition…
March is usually warm enough and the NCAA games get the obligatory grilling feast.
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Typically, whatever my wife cooks and it is always good!
Tomorrow though, probably be beef rib-eye steaks, marinated with what I call Malaysian style - oyster sauce, soy sauce, chili paste, garlic, and probably sundry other knicks and knacks. Think it’s been marinating since last Sunday. Done on the grill…rain, shine, sleet or snow.
Drink…bourbon on the rocks or maybe a cocktail or two, dealers choice. I’m the dealer.
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It’s never to cold to grill. Never. So I like to fire up the charcoal grill. Chicken, steak, Hamburger, whatever is the pleasure of the day. I do always grill brats though. I have to wash down that choice craft beer of day with something.
Then as the game time approaches. A switch is made to Crown Royal, Templeton Rye, or some Bird Dog.
If all goes right a fat stogie and a trip to the KUbuckets is in order.
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This was tonight’s dinner. Homemade deep dish
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@drgnslayr I got a Pit Barrel Cooker for Christmas and I’m slowly starting to fulfill all my barbecue dreams. Nothing like smoked meat on game day…so far I’ve tried ribs, pork butt, whole chickens and a turkey. Edge goes to the ribs but I love it all.
Bourbon with a splash of water is my drink of choice, but I usually stick with craft beers during games, since I can’t give a good bourbon or cocktail the attention they deserve. Boulevard, Stone, Deschutes, Torn Label, Founders…I drink widely.
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@ajvan pit barrels smokers are awesome.
Neighbor has a Yoder pellet smoker competition smoker. We did 8 pork shoulders on it last spring at one time for a graduation party.
Bubba keg smoker/grill works really well too. It’s basically a green egg knock off. Works the same cost a heck of a lot less.
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Barbecue and beer. Can’t go wrong with that.
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@drgnslayr Food & drink-my almost favorite things…almost. He, He!
Glad you asked. I’ve 2 original New Braufels Oklahoma Joe’s smokers.Made in New Braunfels Texas before Charbroil bought them out & started making them with about half of the steel. One is a 33gal barrel with a piano hinged lid & smoke stack. Surface area is about twice the size of a 22" Weber kettle, so will fit about 4 slabs of baby backs & 14" pan of baked beans, cabbage salad, etc. No side box for indirect smoke but large enough for a center drip pan & charcoal & wood far enough away around the sides to do some major & I mean major grilling. I can’t begin to count how many turkeys, chickens & ducks I’ve roasted on that thing in the last 15 years. Let’s just say I’ve got my moneys’ worth of use outta that one & it’s still going strong.
My other big grill is a true double barrel New Braunfels with a side barrel smoke box, which also has a small propane lighter/burner that accommodates a 1lb cylinder. That one is also a wheeled smoker with built in thermometer & I’m damn thatnful to the cave man that invented that friggin wheel cause it weighs over 225 lbs. I use it for briskets, pork shoulders or butts, & some really extra fine if I do say so myself, beef jerky. I always use round roast, preferably top, & use bricks in the smoker body to hold extra racks stacked for more meat. I can get about 6lbs of beef I & shrinks down about 50-60%. Some people don’t know how time consuming real smoking at 180-200 degrees can be, but it’s a real task when you use wood & charcoal for indirect cooking. I like to use fruit woods for pork & foul- apple,cherry, pear. And for beef I prefer nut wood like hickory walnut, pecan. Mesquite, mulberry, oak or hedge have a somewhat bitter taste because they burn so damn hot. Only time I will use mesquite or oak is for a short grilling of a rib eye or fillet. Also I always remove all bark off any type wood to reduce any residual the elements may contain. Don’t use the double barrel as often as when we still had kids around but, believe it or not, the older smokers. barbecue pit joints, etc; have better flavors in their products after years & years of use & grease build up on the side walls & tops. If you get heavy duty smokers/grills & keep them relatively dry & covered, they really do get better with age, like us older Jayhawks !! My (wifes) Dad passed on last fall so any day now I expect for mom to tell me to come get the one I bought them 15 years ago. His has hardly been used at all & been kept dry as a bone so needs some use to get broken in good. This is a damn good thread slayr-stirrin’ the pot and pissin no one off !! I dig it. ROCK CHALK !
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@globaljaybird men and their grills!
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@JayHawkFanToo Too cold? We used to grill outside in Fairbanks, Alaska at 20 - 30 below zero. Never too cold for grillin’, q and beer!
Drink of choice? Pour me a glass of something as long as it tastes good.
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I never thought that there had to be a traditional game day meal. I’m going to have to start one though. Probably would be brats, or burgers.
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Got to agree… never too cold to grill. In fact, I was out there tonight, in my jacket and with my flashlight.
Not a great photo here, but I grilled Mexican pork. Ribs and Arrachera preparada. Throw the meat on a grilled tortilla with salsa, guac, and grilled big green onions. Splash lime juice on the top and then just try to eat slowly. Very hard to do.
Gosh… I can heavily advise for trying a Mexican butcher. Typically, meat is very inexpensive, high quality, and the cuts are different. Definitely setup more for grilling. They cut their ribs the other way… thin slices sideways through the bone.
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@drgnslayr When the butcher yells “eets lingua man eets lingua!” just try not to think about it & enjoy it. If prepared right eets reeeally good man, even if eet eze tongue!! !!
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@globaljaybird
“Some people don’t know how time consuming real smoking at 180-200 degrees can be, but it’s a real task when you use wood & charcoal for indirect cooking”
Couldn’t have said it better. BBQ almost has to be your religion to ace low heat cooking with real wood on a grill/smoker that needs as much attention as a newborn baby.
I don’t know what it is or why it is… but grilling does seem to be a “guy thing.” My wife laughs at me for being so emotional around my grill and smoker.
Sometimes I cheat a bit and I’ll precook my ribs in the oven. I usually cook them at 225, with some moisture in a big foil pan and covered. Then, I finish and smoke them on the smoker. I do different finishes, depending on the plan for the meal. I create all my own rubs and finish sauces. Some have about 15 ingredients and took years and years to perfect. I often use a finish rub that has some sugar in it so I can get a nice, blackened burnt finish.
Over Christmas, for our big meal we decided to go non-traditional and just have my smoked ribs with my wife’s mushroom brisket. She waited too long to put her brisket in the oven with my ribs, so she didn’t tell me she turned up the temp to 250. I was super pissed off on Christmas! It definitely impacted my ribs.
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@globaljaybird
Something on my bucket list…
To finally perfect my fermented pepper marinade. It has been something I have dabbled in for years. I always grow at least 15 varieties of peppers every summer, and two years ago I grew over 40 varieties of very unique peppers from Mexico. I made gallons of traditional mole. For those who don’t know what mole is… it means “sauce” in Spanish. But there is some extreme tradition in mole recipes. Many call for 15 or more varieties of peppers. So then you must ferment your mixture properly.
I experiment with marinading and aging meat in fermented pepper sauce. The enzymes and bacteria help break down the proteins in meat, tenderizing and flavoring the meat.
I know, in my heart, this is where the real “holy grail” is for future bbq. But for now, I am really appreciating all the efforts many put in the smoke/cook process. Customizing your grill to tweak out like you want it to is the big time rage in the bbq world.
I am pretty much like you on my smoke woods. I keep piles of them to get what I want. I tend to use my chainsaw a lot, usually to help out a neighbor. In the process, I often get my hands on some very nice smoking wood. I never turn down a fruit wood and always want to try one I haven’t tried before. I tend to like cherry for beef and pork. Also apple for pork. And probably my favorite, pear, which I often use on pork and fish. And then, of course, I love pecan. Not too fond of mesquite… just too strong a flavor for me. When I want to add a kick to my smoke I will add in a small branch of hedge apple. Yes… it burns outrageously hot! But it doesn’t have that strong, pungent flavor mesquite has. It is very plentiful and free just about everywhere in the Midwest. Just find a hedge row…
It’s all amazing!
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@globaljaybird eww!
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@drgnslayr where does one find a Mexican butcher in ks?
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1/3 games = bbq ribs, Coors banquet beer squatting bottles
1/3 games = salmon filet in wine and shallots broiled a minute, then basted with butter, then broiled 5 minutes. Barry’s Gold tea.
1/3 games = raclette cheese melted on boiled baby red potatoes, grilled pancetta, smoked trout, fried eggs, cornichon pickles, grilled on a Matterhorn raclette grill cooker, Chardonnay.
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@Crimsonorblue22 Jail…
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@jaybate-1.0 wow I’m impressed! I fixed a pot of chili tonight for the weekend.
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@drgnslayr @globaljaybird @JRyman You guys are inspiring me. I’m just getting my feet wet in the world of smoking…obviously years of experimenting and learning ahead.
@drgnslayr you’ve got me wondering where to find a Mexican butcher.
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@drgnslayr - your rib makes me hungry… if you like to taste international food, as part of your adventure, you will like this: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/50347/indian-tandoori-chicken/
yumm…
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here’s my set up… I have to do it myself because in California you can’t find real BBQ…
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@Crimsonorblue22 @ajvan Miguel Fernandez at Fernandez Market in Pittsburg is one. My buddies that are bbq guys go to his store.
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@bskeet Nice. Especially like your charcoal starter. No fluid taste.
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@bskeet wow and wow you live in ca!
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@bskeet Now that’s the Real McCoy !
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After posting about game day dinner, I realized game day breakfasts are my decisive basketball food ritual. For big game…
Grits with wheat germ in, seasoned with garlic, Balene sea salt, and tiny dab of anchovie paste (use double boiler, bring grits to boil in upper pan on burner for 30 seconds, then put upper pan on lower pan boiling on medium and covered for 20-30 minutes adding small pours from boiling tea kettle to keep moist, stir after adding water, replace lid)
Two eggs fried at low medium in olive oil and ghee in good stainless steel pan for 2 minutes, then add table spoons of water and cook covered 1-2 minutes to poach yolks, season with personally preferred spice.
Serve eggs on grits. Eggs tender and grits must be creamy.
Thick cut bacon.
Black berries.
Peet’s French Roast coffee–strong and black
If coming off a loss, then switch to Eggs Mendel guarantied to create a bounce back win…
Two eggs fried over easy, with eggs still in pan add dollup of cottage cheese and diced shallots, break yolks with spatula and serve immediately (yolk must be bright yellow and runny). Sides of toast and bacon. Coffee or strong breakfast tea.
Self’s .820 record is attributable largely to my game day breakfasts.
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@jaybate-1.0 you need to send pics so we get the full effect! Please.
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“you’ve got me wondering where to find a Mexican butcher.”
They are usually buried in the back of your local “Super Mercado”… Mexican grocery store.
Looks great! That’s all you need right there!
I agree with @Crimsonorblue22 … if you have the chance, post a pic.
@globaljaybird
I love tongue! Slow boil for hours, then cut into small pieces and skillet fry. That is one of my favorites. I also like all organ meat. My father often owned restaurants, and my mother was a “closet chef”… collecting cooking books and always trying new things. They got me started early, feeding me some kind of batter-fried meat that I gobbled down and the only clue as to what I was eating… “mountain oysters.” So I quickly changed my attitude to eat anything. Right after that came fried lamb brains and eggs.
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@drgnslayr (puke)
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@Crimsonorblue22 WTH is wrong with tongue? People who live in arctic climates & caribou, moose, etc; consider it a delicacy. If it’s pressure cooked & mixed with fried potatoes sweet or spicy peppers, & shallots/onions in flour shells .it makes some of the best burros on the planet. First time my Chicano friends shared with me I thought surely it was roast beef.
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@globaljaybird you would have to sneak it by me first. I do trust you!
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I understand. It is hard to adapt to these kinds of foods if you weren’t already adapted to it in your youth.
What about wild game? Elk? Deer? Feral hog? Pheasant? Duck?
Seafood? Urchins? Raw oysters? Squid? Octopus? Mussels? or how about “ditch shrimp”… Crawdaddy?
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@drgnslayr I loved deer chili, but it was mixed w/beef. I love deer jerky. I like quail, pheasant. That’s it off your list.
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You are a lot more flexible than many.
I bet if you were our house guest for a week, we would have you eating all sorts of things. When something is cooked and smells really good, it makes it easy to get over the mental barriers.
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@drgnslayr don’t like squishy meat, texture!
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Ahhhhh… you are a “texture person.”
I think I can keep you away from unpleasant textures… you probably don’t like slimy food, too… right? No urchins or raw oysters for you! And I’ll take extra care cooking the octopus so it isn’t chewy.
Mmmmmm… grilled octopus! Then soaked in lime juice and blended with some pico.
How about king crab? Lobster? Sardine?
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@drgnslayr I like lobster and clams deep fat fried! No oysters or sardines. My youngest son eats them out of a can. Smell!
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@kansas-oats I live in KCK near the MO border and downtown. I may have to look around the West Side.
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@Crimsonorblue22 There’s nothing like raw oysters. I eat them by the dozen.
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@KUSTEVE is it true what they say?
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@Crimsonorblue22 Zip in the zipper? I’ve heard that, too. I haven’t noticed anything different.
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@KUSTEVE ha ha you and @globaljaybird have to be related!
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@globaljaybird
If properly cooked, tongue is a true delicacy. The secret is to pound it first (have to know how to) and then remove the skin; it comes off pretty easily if properly pounded. Cook it until tender in your favorite sauce and eat with new potatoes or long grained rice. Works best when you have other similarly cooked meats in your plate so you can have the different flavors and textures; I like chicken and pork.
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@drgnslayr I’ve a roll of buffalo sausage in the fridge now from Burgers Smokehouse in California Mo. Feral hogs are so invasive around some of the areas of Truman lake, that you may still be able hunt them without a license. A few years back it was like that. But they are also very easily a contaminated species that you really must know how to field dress & clean them properly-kinda like bear- which can transmit trichinosis if you don’t know how to process them like me.
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@Crimsonorblue22 Is a bullfrog waterproof?!
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@ajvan There is one at 14th & Central, another at 75th & State, & another 300 N 7th. Just google-Mexican Grocery Stores KCK & there will be no shortage…may also be some down on SW Blvd.
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@jaybate-1.0 You are always filled with surprises…
