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BBQ Brian

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Everything posted by BBQ Brian

  1. I've been around the block being active in the bbq community in Vancouver but frankly this is the first I've heard of Smoking Crust. Brian
  2. Hey Calgary forum members.... I hear that Big T's is now one location only in the NW - true? It seems whatever (restaurant, nightclub) has gone into the McLeod location (near London Drugs) never lasts. It must be cursed. Can anyone confirm that the NW location is still going? Also, what's the name of the churasco - Brazillian style - 'meat-on-a-stick - restaurant in Calgary? Any comments? Thanks Brian
  3. Phan, If you are grilling the fish (regardless of the type) the skin is ideal as a "barrier" to protect the fish meaning, grill the fish with the skin side down. When it's cooked, scrape between the skin and the flesh with your spatula to leave the skin on the grate... it's then an easy clean with a bit more burn time on the grill. Long story short, yup, skin helps for cooking but service/plating is IMO without the skin. Brian
  4. Shelby, Does your dad use okra or file powder in his gumbo? Or both? Brian
  5. I was at a house party on Saturday and brought up this topic... the conversation turned into a debate on blonde versus brown roux. I'm a brown fan, as taught in NOLA however a blonde roux certainly comes in handy for mac n cheese (brown mac n cheese? ew). You? Brian
  6. One of my most favorite cuisines is Cajun and adding to it is the culture from the deep south that simply adds to the phrase hmm, hmm hmm. I've searched high and low but have found little evidence that Cajun cuisine nor Mardi Gras is something that interests Western Canadians... Now I know there are foodies that are salivating right now thinking of the last beignet you had with chicory coffee, or the exuisite etoufee that warmed your heart or the crawfish po'boy that you had that you thought would be a light meal. But back in the kitchen, what Cajun dishes have you made? Or where do you go to get your gumbo fix? And as a stretch, what are you doing for Mardi Gras? Laissez Les Bon Temp Rouler! (a common cajun phrase interpreted as "let the good times roll") Brian
  7. Yes thank you... Portobello for sammies
  8. Just back from a mid-week, mini-vacation in Whistler. Was destined to eat at Ric's in the Crystal Lodge however it was closed for a private party... read the menu and was rather excited about what they had to offer – it seemed creative and the room looked lively, at least from the door. Backup plan was Monks on the Blackcomb side. We started off with a shared appy of crab cakes which were tasty, actually had more crab than bread or other fillers and was well presented. Two mains followed with a steak for my wife and rack of lamb for me. Both dishes were well presented, well cooked and were hearty in portion. We opted not for dessert but had coffee’s and with two cocktails at the beginning the bill tallied $120. We enjoyed ourselves and wouldn’t hesitate to send anyone to Monk’s. Lunch on the run was at Palomino in the Chateau where we shared a sandwich and soup while driving back to Vancouver. The soup was fish chowder and was hot, had plenty of clams, salmon and shrimp and tasted great. The sandwich was made in front of you with whatever toppings you wanted… mix and match whatever meats, tuna, egg salad… then whatever veggie… whatever sauces… add in a cup of coffee (or a soda) for $12 and we were more than pleased with value-for-money. That was our two stops in Whistler. Brian
  9. Greetings all, Yeah I know it's the fall for us folks in Canada however for bbq-fans the grills and smokers go year round. A couple of bbq teams from Western Canada are doing something notable this week... team Mad Cow from Langley with Wayne Fettback as the pitmaster and House of Q from Coquitlam (me) are off to Douglas, Georgia to represent Western Canada at the Best of the Best invitational championships November 2-3. The tournament calls the top 5 teams from each North American region to compete to ultimately lay claim to who is really the best on the continent. Friday, November 2nd is the day for turn-in trays to be sent to the judges for the invitational while Saturday will be the open category. There will be about 50 teams for the invitational and close to 100 for the open. Here's a link for more information about the competition. I'll post photo's when we're back and please, send us some good luck. BBQ Brian
  10. Hello all once again from the smoky hallows of my portable tent. Two more competitions behind us (BBQ on the Bow in Calgary and BBQ on the Bypass in Langley) and after entering 11 categories we have come home with 9 more ribbons! Notable mentions are third place overall in Calgary (out of 23 teams), first place for bbq sauce (yes, the Apple Butter BBQ Sauce was the entry) and third for salmon at the BBQ on the Bypass (crab risotto stuffed salmon roll - grilled with asparagus) - it was tasty I admit. Also, there are still a few bbq/grilling classes coming up including for those who know the Serious Foodie program at the NWCAV a Saturday class on September 29th. This is a hands on class where you cook tasty treats on the grill. Info at: NWCAV website. Cheers and happy grilling! Brian
  11. The BBQ Boys of North Vancouver came to Whistler and did a video of the festivities... including interviews with bbq competitors. (As a side note - BBQ Boys are the ones who have the DVD out on "how to grill" and hosted the bbq week on the Food Network in June...) Here's a link to the video: Whistler BBQ Championships video Twas a great time indeed. Brian
  12. A couple of bbq events coming up... BBQ on the Bow - Calgary Sept 1-2 - Eau Claire Market - 15th annual bbq competition - great time to be had in Calgary BBQ on the Bypass - Langley Sept 9th - near Well Seasoned and Buns Master Bakery (on the Langley Bypass) - samples for public as teams compete in 5 categories info: BBQ on the Bypass web site And, I haveta really encourage anyone with the slightest interest in competition bbq to join in at the Bypass... it's a single day cook where its perfect for those that are not sure if they want to get into the real thing. Let me put it this way, you probably are already cooking most of the items at home: sausage, ribs, chicken, salmon and beef are the categories. Maybe Neil and Arne will finally get a team together! See you there. Brian
  13. Word is the US Federal Trade Commission is reviewing the transaction... to see if the acquisition would create a monopoly. Probably not an issue here in Canada knowing stores of that nature are relatively few and far between but in some US cities it is a different sotry. Cheers, Brian
  14. Anyone going to the Canadian National BBQ Championships in Whistler? BBQ Champs Details Look us up if you are... Brian
  15. I held a class on Sunday for those that wanted to learn more about competition bbq and smoking meat. One of the particpants, Ben, took alot of photos from the class. Here is his Fickr page with the photos... Competition BBQ Class Photos Try to not drool on your keyboard... please. Brian
  16. I hate to say it but someone has to... two examples demonstrating the state of American cuisine - the simple path of "you can deep fry anything". It really doesn't matter what it is, just deep fry it. Oh my.
  17. I've shopped at both Sobey's (in Calgary) and of course Thrifty Foods. In my humble opinion, they seem like a good marriage... alot of similarities between the stores with unique products, personal touch and a persistent resistance the completely pathetic and useless appeal to the large grocers. Shopping at the Superstore, Safeway and at times Overwaitea is most frequently dissappointing at best but that's a sidetrack... The merged store might not be a Stongs or a Meinhardts but hey, I'll continue to shop at Throbeys. Brian
  18. Just to let you grillers know, the BBQ tip of the Week recipe will be posted each week after the broadcast on Global TV BC Monday morning at: House of Q - BBQ Tip of the Week Recipe Sorry, no pictures of the dishes... yet. Happy grilling! Brian
  19. I have driven by a couple of times now, but anyone gone to the Kwik-E-Mart? Had squishies? Anything else?? Tri-City News Story or at CBC: CBC Story Sorry, as far as I know there still will be no beer available either.... Brian
  20. A couple of tid bits: - on the grill tonight - pork loin - pepper crust with orange glaze - maybe some rum as well since well, I like rum! - for Baby Q users - have you had any issue with it not increasing the heat again once you've turned it down... let me clarify - the grill is hot, you turn it to the lowest setting then after a while turn it back up - but it doesn't come back to full flame? - another bbq course coming up - similar to the now completed Serious Foodie class at NCAV - location Well Seasoned in Langley - Friday July 13th includes wine - course is called "Just Meats Please" - info at www.wellseasoned.ca - anyone with an update on Big T's in Calgary? Cheers, Brian
  21. Just shaking the money maker Arne! The dishes we did for Global TV are really cool... at least in my completely biased opinion. Here's a couple that will be featured in the coming weeks: Beer Brined Pork Chops with Smashed Potato and BBQ Onions House of Q "Fish and Chips" - Citrus Halibut with Spicy Yam Fries Grilled Cinnamon Toast with Stawberry and Banana Rum Flambe Grilled Sirloin Taco's BBQ (yes, slow-smoked) ribs - why not, it's a staple food Everything was cooked on a grill, a side-burner or a smoker. We had three "stations" going all at the same time while filming - that was exhausting. I hope you enjoy. Brian
  22. Hey I hear Big T's BBQ in Calgary has closed a location(s)? Can anyone confirm where to get smoked bbq in Calgary? By the same token, what other prairie cities have slow-smoked bbq restaurants? Brian
  23. I recently ate at the newly opened Sultri in Port Moody. This restaurant has an impressive list of chefs with credentials and the addition of fine dining in the Tri-cities is certainly welcome. A few comments but sorry no pictures... the menu is short in nature but huge in variety. The starters are a mix of typical west-coast dishes such as calamari but also French influences such as a Gruyere and onion tart (which was lovely I might add). The next portion of the menu is sushi which was a surprise. My wife ordered one of the roles and it was excellent. Fresh fish, nicely presented and a sizable portion with 8 pieces. Our entrees were very well prepared as well - my wife chose the duo of lamb (medallions and a lamb stuffed canneloni) and I the paella. Both were very well prepared and presented. Plates were cleaned off. The wine list is great - about 50 wines on the public list with about half being available by the glass. This offered us to choose a glass for each course - something I really liked. None the less, we enjoyed our evening at Sultri. And yes, there was no bbq on the menu - that was a nice option too. Brian
  24. Well I'm reading into what you are saying... alot of grilling thermometers are metal probes with a cable wire to an outside reader. The temerature is actually taken near the tip of the probe thus when you use it, insert most if not all of the shaft thus you will be reading the deapest portion (thickest?) of the meat. If you marginally inserted the probe and the temperature was 145 - that was likely the outside (i.e., 1-2 inches) of the meat and not the center of the roast where it can differ dramatically. This all leads to a under-cooked result. 145F for pork is rare-to-medium but if rested for 5-10 minutes it can rise to 150F - a good medium-rare temperature. Hope that helps. Brian
  25. Sounds like a good recipe. I'm confused by the temperatures you say.... a pork loin would be a nice medium at 145 F - is that what you meant? I'd hate to see someone cook until their thermometer read 145 C ! Oh my! Brian
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