Al_Dente

Did this pork butt on the Weber over the course of about 4 hours. I used real lump charcoal pushed up against 2 sides of the grill to heat indirectly. The meat turned out well, but could have been more "fall off the bone" tender. I tracked the temperature inside and was able to keep it to about 250 most of the time, but it occasionally spiked to 350 or a little more when I added a few coals. After it rested for about 45 mins, I shredded it and served it up Carolina style with some vinegar based hot sauce I made. Any advice on how to keep the temp down and perfect this thang?

A spice rubbed pork butt slow cooked on the Weber with some hickory chips. Shredded it and served it with a North Carolina style vinegar based spicy sauce, and a sort of South Carolina mustard based sweeter sauce. It was awesome, if I do say so myself. How long did I cook it? About 8 beers.

For something different try the Indian brunch at the Bombay Curry Company on Mt Vernon Ave in Alexandria. They do a good job of keeping the food fresh in the warmers-- not like some buffet brunches with their big vats of food that has been sitting there forever. While not brunch per se, a trip down to Dean and Deluca in Georgetown is great for morning coffee, a fruit cup, and pastry. Then head inside to pick up a few things or get ideas for that night's feast at home.

mmmm, smoked mennonite...... a la Homer I'd go with that. Add some marinated mormon and a touch of dry aged amish, and you've got yourself a PIZZA... or something.

That's what I was concerned about. Oooh, I just had an idea. What if I put the stone on a gas grill outside and burned it all off that way? My apt is about the size of most people's walk in closets, so a little smoke can really accumulate into quite a cloud.

I'll give it a whirl-- though my old gas oven doesn't have a self cleaning setting. I guess I'll just crank it up to 500, open the windows, turn on the fan, and let her rip.

I have a pizza stone that I typically just leave in the oven whenever I cook, both because I'm too lazy to remove it if I'm not using it, and because of some vague notion that it helps to distribute heat more evenly. The problem is, that over time it has collected some grease and smokes up my apt whenever I use the oven. I've scrubbed it without soap to try to remove as much as possible, but it's kinda baked in. Is there a way to clean it? Can I submerge it in bleach or something? Or do I just need to toss it?

I've been to Zaytinya 4 times so far and have recommended it to a number of folks. I think the food is fabulous. But (or "Butt" as the case may be)... Each time I went in the past I sat at the bar, however this past Friday I sat at a table. I hate to nitpick, but this was really annoying-- the booth we sat in had these horrible vinyl cushions. They were really thick and soft and seemed to be erratically stuffed. Maybe it was the wine, but I felt like I was tilting half the time. And the vinyl caused me to lose about 5 pounds of waterweight in my posterior area.

I did not have sexual relations with that bacon, Miss Lewinsky... Sorry, kinda dated... Or how bout: Good neighbors make good bacon... Mighta got that backwards.

The name of the place is Honolulu-- it's on Telegraph road near the Huntington Metro. A review: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?n...ofile&id=977060

Thanks for the update. Yikes. Guess it's off my list.

okay, maybe one big feast per summer...

This is probably going to be a short thread, but I was inspired by another thread in another geographical area. I do recommend a couple of places though (if you're in the mood): 1) make the drive down to Solomons in southern MD. Near the end of the road (basically, the only main drag in town), is a little tiki bar across the street from a marina on the bay. Known for the occasional woman who will flash her..... uh..... tikis....... 2) There is a loosely Chinese place in south Alexandria in Fairfax county. Right next to the 7-11. The food ain't bad in a kinda americanized polynesian sort of way, with the big ol whacky drinks like suffering bastards and flaming volcanoes. I'll come back to this thread with the name of the joint if someone doesn't beat me to it. Any other recommendations?

Sancho-- why don't you give us your best recipe so far and we'll check it out and make suggestions? I'm sure you could get some good input. I agree with many of the earlier posts about offering plenty of side dish options like hummus. Maybe a good veggie pate would be good too. Of course, if the falafel restaurant turns out to make some big bucks, you'll have to send us royalty checks.

I don't have kids, but kid's menus usually make me wonder-- always hot dogs and chicken fingers or some such. I was always encouraged to try stuff on the "adult" menu and I attribute part of my adventuresome eating habits to having something interesting to eat-- a love affair with linguini in white clam sauce at a funky little neighborhood Italian joint comes to mind when I was about 6 or so. I can still imagine tasting that. Also, why don't restaurants offer "kiddy cocktails" if you will? Or just more creative non-alcoholic drinks. I would have thought it was really cool when I was a kid to have something other than a coke, a glass of milk, or an iced tea? Plus, think of the profit margins on a fresh fruit smoothie or something made to order like that-- drinks some adults would like to have.

OK... That just about tops anything I have ever read here. Now I have to go clear the merlot out of my nose. bout time I got the mad props...

Okay, this was a stretch (a poem, not an aphorism after all), but perhaps someone could improve upon it: I think that I shall never dig A poem lovely as a pig. An egulleter whose hungry mouth is prest Against the bread's sweet flowing breast; A giving hog that's destined to croak And offers its ample haunches to smoke; A swine that may in summer wear A nest of lettuce and tomato fair Upon whose bread mayo has spread; Who doesn't care if it makes him dead. Poems are made by fools like me But only God can make a BLT.

I hate to say it, but yes, you should boycott them. I saw them for $15 for a dozen the other day. If that's any indication of their scarcity, we should stay away from them. 15 years ago they were about $45/BUSHEL! And that was for #1s. We can't let this delicacy go the way of the dodo.... not that dodos were particularly good eating.

The Dubliner near Union Station in Washington DC. Excellent. Best pint I've had outside of Ireland.

If I find these, I'll need to find a good stomach stapling doctor in a year.

That is my favorite - YUM. I had that last time......... mmmmmm........ oooooh........ divine........ my nipples expode with delight

I hate to say this, but we should probably do it... How many times did you feast on crabs last year? Can you make a commitment to cut it in half this year? Call it a blue crab intervention, but the harvest ain't what it used to be. I remember when I first moved to Maryland back in 84 (jesus, I'm 37 years old and I'm saying "i remembah back in '84"), crabs were so much more plentiful. I think a bushel was $40, not a week's pay. And I'm talking #1 Jimmies. I love em too, but I think I've resigned myself to one big feast for the year. Gotta steam, not boil....

Hmmmm... I think I'd have to charge for that one. :smirk: When you can snatch the sex-getting recipe from my hand... then you will be ready, Grasshopper. you said "snatch"..... isn't that some kind of terms of service violation?

pizza on a grill how to get a good start on the basics of bread making (i'm pretty good for an amateur at everything else, but have only tried my hand at bread a couple of times) general chicken dismemberment techniques-- deboning, skinning, cutting into portions, etc. what tools/pots/pans/hardware do professional chefs keep at HOME that they find invaluable? dishes that a guy could make for a woman on say a third or fourth date to get in her pants.....

That was mine: heat the pan, then the oil. Then put it in the pan and leave it alone. I used to start trying to move the meat/mushrooms/whatever around much too soon. good tip... definitely a common amateur mistake.... wait until there is some shnizzle in the panizzle. i can't believe i just said that...