Memorial Day, what are you cooking?

[Mayhaw Man]

I have five 11 year old boys (3 friends, 1 cousin, 1 son), two 14 year old boys, my wife, me, my SIL, and my parents at our Lakehouse on Caney Lake in North Louisiana. It is like feeding locusts. It hits the counter and it is gone with grunts and the occasional grunt of appreciation (from the boys, adults are appreciative .

Sunday Lunch

Fried Bream (we caught em Sunday Morning)

Fried Speckeled Trout (my dad caught em last weekend)

Okra and Tomatoes

Squash Casserole

Cantelope Gelato (fresh cantalope, gelato made this morning by me)

Sunday Dinner (we had MORE kids who kindof just showed up in their boat)

Hamburgers

Hot Dogs

Fresh Tomatoes

Very, Very Freah Corn on the cob (it was growing at noon)

Mint Sherbert (fresh mint outta my mothers yard-See The Cotton Country)

Pineapple Upside Down Cake (it was bad ass, my mama made it for the boys)

Today's Breakfast

Deer Sausage

Pork Sausage

Bacon (can't have too much pork)

Egg Casserole (eggs, milk, dry toast, good cheddar, mozz, spices, chopped bacon)

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls (they lasted about 10 seconds out of the oven)

Lunch Today will be:

Fish Tacos (using specks from yesterday's lunch)

Bean Burritos

More Mint Ice Cream

Dinner Tonight

Smoked Catfish Dip

Homemade Pizza of various sorts

Peach Ice Cream (peaches are just starting here)

If it looks like I am not doing the traditional barbeque you are right about that. I am bushed from yesterday and am doing stuff that will not take me the whole day and that they can eat a ton of and I won't need a mortgage loan after 5 days of this. I am grateful as all get out that our children like to invite their friends up here and that their frieds want to get invited back, but it's like cooking for a summer camp and it gets tiring after a while (no matter how much I enjoy it ).

I hope that everyone has a safe and happy weekend and that the weather cooperates with your plans. We had a ton of rain late last night as that big front moved across the deep South, but it is beautiful today.

Brooks

[jmcgrath]

We had a neighborhood block party on Sunday in the park at the end of my street. There were about 30 families, with ages running from mid eightys down to two year old toddlers. People brought their own meat and sides to share. I made curried chicken breast kebobs. Everyone else brought burgers and dogs, with a few steaks thrown in. Some of the sides were quite good. A lot of people brought home made cookies, but I'm not a big cookie fan. Beer and soda, of course. Interestingly, not a single bottle of Amstel light was touched. The Sierra Nevada and Heineken were hit pretty hard. Corona was the third most popular choice. On the soft drink side, the IBC root beer and cream soda were the first to go. Minute Maid pink lemonaid got cleaned out next.

Jim

[ronnie_suburban]

Beautiful smoker, Ronnie. Now I'm doubly sad that I can't make it to Nero's send-off.

Today I'll be celebrating Memorial Day with Copper River salmon ("only" 14.99/lb for filets, 13.99 for the whole fish) and asparagus.

Copper River salmon sounds terrific. It is that time of year. How are you going to cook it?

Very sorry too, that you won't be at the gathering

=R=

[ronnie_suburban]

I'd like to see what the inside of that brand new, multi-rack smoker looks like after its maiden voyage.

Not gnarly enough, as far as I'm concerned...

It still looks like it's almost brand new. I'll get to work on that right away

BTW, here are the appetizers I brought to my friend's house yesterday...

Cucumber slices with a mixture of boursin & goat cheese and topped with sliced grape tomatoes. I was going to get a little more elaborate, but the 'mandoline accident' forced me call an audible.

=R=

[ronnie_suburban]

Awesome Brooks! You should barely be able to move by the time it's all wrapped up.

=R=

[mnebergall]

The crud on the racks will clean up nicely with some of the Dawn Power Grease Dissolver.

Unfortunately, the water pan on my electric smoker developed some pin holes in the bottom. I may have to replace the entire smoker. Darn

[David94928]

Hello everyone. New member to the forums here.

My wife and I went to a barbeque/party and I prepared a paella

on the side burner of a Weber gas grill. I was unsure of how hot

the burner would run and if I could control it to my needs, but it

all worked nicely. My only disappointment was that the saffron

didn't color the rice very well.

We attend a 4th of July bbq/party at this residence every year

and as in previous years we should have invited the neighborhood

for three blocks around to handle the massive amounts of food

prepared.

David

[ronnie_suburban]

Welcome David

How did you prep for the remote paella? Did you bring all your stuff with you--all ready to go, or did you do most of the work in your host's kitchen? I assume you 'pre-reserved' the burner for your use.

=R=

[jmcgrath]

My wife and I went to a barbeque/party and I prepared a paella

on the side burner of a Weber gas grill. I was unsure of how hot

the burner would run and if I could control it to my needs, but it

all worked nicely. My only disappointment was that the saffron

didn't color the rice very well. 

Mark Bittman in one of his "Minimalist" columns pointed to saffron source. I ordered from them and must say it is the most briliantly colored and fragrant saffron that I have ever run across.

Jim

Edited June 1, 2004 by jmcgrath (log)

[fifi]

Here are the "big red beans" that I mentioned. I didn't take a picture of them done. They were unremarkable in my book. The texture was just ok and there was no definitive flavor. Back to pintos. Doctored up with some of my magic ancho paste they were passable.

And now to the pork brisket. There are four on the top grate and four on the bottom.

They took longer than I had guessed. The temperature stall was right at 170F and lasted forever. I think it was because of the high amount of connective tissue that had to convert.

And here we are all chopped up and ready to go.

The verdict on "pork brisket": Don't bother. The meat itself was very succulent and tasty. What there was of it. And, boy was it a pain to pull. Well, I wouldn't really call it pulling. Think about picking the most stubborn and tight shelled crab you ever got into. There is just so much junk in there to work around that it was a real chore. The junk to meat ratio is just too high to bother with, even if some of the morsels are extraordinary. Even at 97 cents a pound it is not worth it. Back to butts. But, hey, someone had to try it.

The unqualified success of the day was the peach cobbler. Mayhaw Man's pastry crust (well, actually, his mother's) is a wonder. That means that I can actually do it. This is my second time out with her crust and this one was wonderful, too. That means that the crust on the chicken pot pie wasn't just an accident of nature. Pastry crust has been my nemesis for many years. I just wish I had bought more peaches so it could have been a really big cobbler. I did remember how much I hate peeling and slicing peaches.

[Susan in FL]

Well Chris, this comes too late to help you decide what to have with your skewers and sauces.... What did you make to go with them? I enjoyed the thread, though... thanks for starting it.

We grilled Kobe burgers and sausages and had a corn, avocado, sweet onion and etc. salsa as side dish.

[David94928]

Welcome David

How did you prep for the remote paella?  Did you bring all your stuff with you--all ready to go, or did you do most of the work in your host's kitchen?  I assume you 'pre-reserved' the burner for your use. 

=R=

Thanks for the welcome. I've been lurking for about 5 months and finally felt I

hd something to contrbute.

I did exactly that - took all the ingredients and prepped them there. It was a bit

of a squeeze as the hosts have a small kitchen and they were preapring a few

dozen things themselves

I also brought along a lot of my kitchen knives, tongs, etc. as well as a pot to

pre-cook the shrinp and clams. I then used the shrimp/clam water to cook the

rice.

The burner was "pre-reserved" but unfortunately I didn't reserve the staging

table so when I brought everything out the table was piled with the hosts grilling

items. I got him another table and reclaimed mine.

We just finshed up the paella leftovers for dinner tonight - even better than

yesterday.

David

Edited June 1, 2004 by David94928 (log)

[Alex]

Today I'll be celebrating Memorial Day with Copper River salmon ("only" 14.99/lb for filets, 13.99 for the whole fish) and asparagus.

Copper River salmon sounds terrific. It is that time of year. How are you going to cook it?

I cedar planked it on a gas grill. It was topped with crispy onions, otherwise known as Onion Confit of the Easily Distracted. I decided to pan-steam the asparagus -- melt some butter, add salt and a quarter-inch or so of water, then boil uncovered until the water evaporates. The beverage of choice was a 1998 Loimer Grüner Veltliner.

[vengroff]

Today I'll be celebrating Memorial Day with Copper River salmon ("only" 14.99/lb for filets, 13.99 for the whole fish) and asparagus.

Copper River salmon sounds terrific. It is that time of year. How are you going to cook it?

I cedar planked it on a gas grill. It was topped with crispy onions, otherwise known as Onion Confit of the Easily Distracted. I decided to pan-steam the asparagus -- melt some butter, add salt and a quarter-inch or so of water, then boil uncovered until the water evaporates. The beverage of choice was a 1998 Loimer Grüner Veltliner.

Excellent. I did almost the same. Copper River King on alder planks, red onion dill relish and grilled asparagus.

Since there was extra grill space, I did a butterflied leg of lamb marinated with garlic and herbs and an assortement of other grilled vegetables, including zucchini, spring onions, radicchio, portabello mushrooms, baby eggplant, and red pepper. We also sliced some baguettes, slathered them in garlic herb butter, wrapped them in foil and threw them on the grill. At the table we served a caesar salad and a big tray of assorted fruit. Friends brought some excellent local sausages, some raw milk cheeses, and more fruit, and we also had hot dogs for the kids (and a few adults).

[snowangel]

Fifi, thanks for the report. My Butts were only $1.09/lb (did include bone) were worth every finger licking penny.

To accompany them, I made the Slaw and Light Potato Salad recipes from Nigela's column in last Wednesday's NY Times Dining section. The former was a real winner. THe potato salad was great, too (how can you go wrong with a binder of bacon fat and a garnish of bacon), but is not a "fridge leftovers and eat later item" without some creative getting-to-room-temp.

We ended the meal with angel food cake, strawberries (sliced, macerated with a tidge of sugar and some balsamic) and whipped cream.

This was in honor of Heidi's 10th birthday, and she loves slaw. Almost as much as she loves whipped cream. We had 30 (friends and family). My butts were 6 and almost 4 pounds each. I wish they had been bigger because we certainly could have handled more leftovers. Never mind how much I ate while I was pulling.

We drank beer, gin and tonics and/or lemonade.

Other butt report would be appreciated.

It rained off and on, so it was not a deck meal.

[andiesenji]

Here are the "big red beans" that I mentioned. I didn't take a picture of them done. They were unremarkable in my book. The texture was just ok and there was no definitive flavor. Back to pintos. Doctored up with some of my magic ancho paste they were passable.

They look like cranberry beans. I have never cared for them plain but use them for baked beans and they take up the flavor of the sauce. They usually have a slightly mealy texture.

[fifi]

Yeah... These were like cranberry beans on steroids. Each bean was a bit over 3/4 inch on the long side. They were quite mealy in the first one and a half hous of the parsons cooking method (when pintos and red beans are usually perfect) and had to go for two and a half hours to get good. Flavor was nothing special.

[Alex]

Today I'll be celebrating Memorial Day with Copper River salmon ("only" 14.99/lb for filets, 13.99 for the whole fish) and asparagus.

Copper River salmon sounds terrific. It is that time of year. How are you going to cook it?

I cedar planked it on a gas grill. It was topped with crispy onions, otherwise known as Onion Confit of the Easily Distracted. I decided to pan-steam the asparagus -- melt some butter, add salt and a quarter-inch or so of water, then boil uncovered until the water evaporates. The beverage of choice was a 1998 Loimer Grüner Veltliner.

Excellent. I did almost the same. Copper River King on alder planks, red onion dill relish and grilled asparagus.

Since there was extra grill space, I did a butterflied leg of lamb marinated with garlic and herbs and an assortement of other grilled vegetables, including zucchini, spring onions, radicchio, portabello mushrooms, baby eggplant, and red pepper. We also sliced some baguettes, slathered them in garlic herb butter, wrapped them in foil and threw them on the grill. At the table we served a caesar salad and a big tray of assorted fruit. Friends brought some excellent local sausages, some raw milk cheeses, and more fruit, and we also had hot dogs for the kids (and a few adults).

That sounds like a great feast. I'm picturing a grill the size of a Hummer.

[Jason Perlow]

Saturday evening we ate hamburgers on the grill with friends. Lots of heavy rain on Sunday and Monday. Last night we went out for Chinese food. Today we ate leftovers.

I griddled a few hot dogs for lunch today, because it seemed the right thing to do.

[ronnie_suburban]

Fifi,

I hear what you're saying about the pork brisket but it still looks absolutely delectable in those pictures. And the cobbler looks heavenly. Fantastic job!

=R=

[ned]

Brined then smoked veal breast. I didn't cook it but I wish I had. Groundbreaking.

Edited June 1, 2004 by ned (log)

[fifi]

Brined then smoked veal breast. I didn't cook it but I wish I had. Groundbreaking.

Sooo...

Why did you wish you had cooked it?

What was groundbreaking about it?

DETAILS, man.

[dls]

My Memorial Day cooking/smoking marathon weekend actually began over a week ago when, due to time constraints, I decided to braise/smoke a brisket instead of just smoking. Recipe is an altered version of one that I picked up from Jim Goode a few years ago that as also featured in a recent issue of Saveur. The night before, I coated the brisket with a mixture of mustard and my dry rub and refrigerated. The next day I braised the brisket, using a revised version of Goode's mop, for 2 hours at 325F. Removed from the braise (internal temp was 170F), patted dry, then smacked it on a gas grill for 10 minutes on each side to sear then into the smoker with 2 oz. of hickory and set at 225F. Removed from smoker 3 hours later when internal hit 190F, double foiled, wrapped in an old bath towel and put in a cooler for 1 hour. Unwrapped, carved and served. Outstanding taste and texture. It's what I call "Brisket In A Pinch".

Had 2 lb piece of brisket left when, a few days later, I noticed a post in another forum topic suggesting using leftover brisket in chili. So, on Sat. of Memorial Day weekend I decided to make my traditional, though continually evolving, chili recipe which, IMHO, is a home run but a PITA to make (takes nearly a full day). Part of the meat mix that I use calls for 3 lbs of cubed beef chuck. I substituted 2 lbs of the smoked brisket for 2 lbs of the chuck. What an awakening. The addition of the smoked brisket added fantastic flavor and depth. This addition is also a permanent one.

On Sunday I smoked a 7.5 lb boneless butt for pulled pork. Smoked at 225F with 3 oz. of apple. Starting halfway through the smoke, I basted the butt once an hour with my mop/sauce mixture. Removed the butt when it hit 195F (12.5 hrs), covered with foil for 20 minutes the pulled and chopped. Mixed in additional mop/sauce then put together sandwiches with an NC type cole slaw.

On Monday (Mem.Day) I smoked 4 chickens for a little dinner party. The only thing that I do with the chickens is stuff them with garlic and onions and brush them with a thin coat poultry rub mixed with mayo. The oil in the mayo keeps the birds from drying out and, by the time they're done, there's no trace of the mayo. As an app, I smoked 2 dozen large jalopenas stuffed with a mixture of cream cheese, robiola, and leftover pulled pork.

[ned]

Brined then smoked veal breast.  I didn't cook it but I wish I had.  Groundbreaking.

Sooo...

Why did you wish you had cooked it?

What was groundbreaking about it?

DETAILS, man.

OK Fifi, you asked for it.

The trimmed 5-7lb veal breast was soaked overnight in a brine (cure?) composed of salt, unrefined sugar, star anise, cinnamon and a ground dried pepper--guajillo I think. This all happened before I arrived at the cooking site. It was then smoked in one of those green eggs for upwards of ten or twelve hours at varyling low temperatures, seldom higher than 210 I'd say.

As far as what it tasted like. . . the closest comparison I can come up with is pork belly (and incidentally the chef in question has used almost the same brine/cure with pork belly) but with less fat and the milky lightness of veal rather than the heady aromatics of pork. The crust on the breast was sweet and caramelly, the flesh inside white and juicy. Not at all falling apart, rather, meltingly tender in a springy sort of way.

I call this hunk of meat groundbreaking because I've never heard of smoked veal. It is understandable that people don't think to smoke veal. BBQ is about the waste cuts, the cheap and tough cuts that need long treatment to become edible. Veal is expensive and famously tender. One wouldn't imagine that it would call for such an intervention, despite that osso buco, veal cheeks, veal breast, to name a few cuts, all call for some sort of collagen melting treatment. My dear friend and partner in crime chef Dave was, in my view, thinking outside the box (hate the expression but it suits this circumstance). I'm jealous that he thought of it and not me. That's why I wish I'd cooked it.

[fifi]

Oh Good Grief.

Yet another project for the WSM.

Thanks for that report. IMHO, any piece of meat can benefit from the low and slow treatment of a smoker. Who would have thought of breast of veal. That is clearly inspired.