It’s been quite a while since I have had the time to update this blog and it’s a shame. Even though not many people read it, it is still something that I enjoy doing…..Why I have no idea. Some quick updates since my last post. Winter is here, summer is long gone. Vacation at the beach seems like years ago, Thanksgiving is over and done with and soon I will be perched upon a ladder hanging Christmas lights on our porch. How time does indeed fly.

In terms of cooking and the updates involving what I thought was going to be my introduction into the world of competitive BBQ….it fizzled out. This really should not come as a surprise. The people that asked for help dropped the ball by not following up with their end of the deal. If you are curious (I am sure you are not) I am talking about the New Town General Assembly office….seems that they could screw up a cup of water these days.

Work has been pretty busy also since the last post. The life of a 100% commissioned sales person is always rocky but for the most part it’s a pretty good living. Spending time at power plants and refineries discussing particulate levels, Steam, Fans and expansion joints are not most people’s idea of a fun job but  I must say…. it fits me well.  

The end of the year is always a crazy time for our company….most of our Solid customers scramble at the end of the year to spend money to maintain their budget for the following year. This means a lot of rush orders and invoicing before the product has even shipped. I am not saying this is a bad thing, just makes for a lot of work in the weeks after Thanksgiving. Speaking of the end of the year….December also means PowerGen….a large conference and trade show tailored to companies and people who deal in the power industry. It’s a good place to see a good number of my principals (groups I sell for) and possibly pick up a new line or two to supplement our existing products. It also helps that every other year it’s held in Las Vegas.  This year we are hitting it hard with a few extra days as a sort of Christmas Party for the company….it pays to fly under the radar sometimes.

On the home front….We just returned from Houston to see Ali’s parents. Great weather and I will say I do enjoy Houston in the winter months.  It’s also good to take a break from everything and do something different for a bit. Grandpa and I took Sam to Kemah for the day to procure “frimps” and ride the train with the scary tunnel.  The weather was also warm enough to swim every day we were there….again can’t beat the south Texas in the winter.

Since my last post we have made a few modifications to the backyard. We expanded our patio to help with the usable space. I really didn’t think that it would make much of a difference but having a solid surface for Sam to ride his bike in the confines of the fenced in yard is much better than in the alley or in the street. It also will give us room to spread out next summer when we have people over. It also gives my grill a home vs. rolling it around when I wanted to use it.

Some other things over the last few months that are new…..Cadillac Jack went into retirement after three short years of ownership and I purchased a new Ram truck. The endless sets of tires, a failed clutch and all the rattles and squeaks associated with a high performance car just were not making good sense anymore. Doing what I do for a living, it probably was not the best car to make sales calls in either. I don’t smile as much driving it but it fits my job a little better than the Caddy. 

Busy Time..

It’s been a while since I have had a chance to update the blog…..It’s been a busy summer. We are gearing up for our first family vacation to Florida in the next few weeks. We have just come off what for us has been the busiest couple of weeks of the year. Sam turned 2 at the end of June and we had family come in from all over. The weather at that time was perfect so we utilized the grill and tried a number of different things over the last few weeks…..it’s been pretty fun. I even attempted my first brisket and it for the most part turned out good.  I have done Everything from New Mexican Pork Tenderloin to Atomic buffalo turds.  Lately it’s been record heat here in St. Louis and we have really been trying to stay indoors as much as possible.

A few new things over the last few weeks….my first attempt at a true brisket and cooking for a crowd. Ali’s parents were in town for this one and who better to judge good brisket than people from Texas.  In Texas it’s all about beef. If you have ever been to a BBQ joint there you can find pork but it’s rare. I have never been a big fan of Texas BBQ for the simple reason to me I don’t think it has as much flavor as the other styles and you need loads of smoke and seasoning to “Help” get results. For the most part, Brisket that I have sampled has been on the dry side and further cemented my feelings on it.  On the other hand I can see how others feel the same about Pork…with all the injections and rubs used on shoulders and ribs. I still feel the actual meat has more flavor.

With that said....Ali purchased a 9lb brisket from Costco. There has been much talk online about the “Packer Cut” vs the “Flat” cut. The Packer is incorporates the Flat and the point sections and usually is left un trimmed. Here in Missouri it apparently is hard to find a true packer cut…most stores only stock the flat cuts and this was the story where ever I looked. To be honest I was not sure what I even had after we bought it…sounds stupid but really had no idea. From what I read….packer cuts are usually over 12lbs  and really are preferred for smoking as they don’t dry out as fast and generally produce a moist flavorful product. I was sure I had a Flat cut and we proceeded anyhow.

Prepping the brisket was the same as a shoulder or any other large roast. I used a seasoning that the in-laws brought up from Houston.  Here is a pic of the jar.

I slathered the brisket in mustard and applied a liberal dose of rub and wrapped it in plastic to hold overnight. The hard part was when to start the cook. All the info I was reading told me this would be an overnight cook but they primarily were talking about the packer cuts….I was sure I had a flat. I did not want to dry it out so the plan was a early morning start. I was completely burned out from the previous day and we had some spare ribs as back ups so that was that.

I ended up firing the Weber up around 6 am using the Minion method and tossed the brisket on the bottom rack and figured we would be eating around 6 or so.  

At about 1pm the ribs went on. I feel like I have this down pretty good and if the temps of the cooker do not fluctuate wildly the ribs usually turn out pretty darn good. I usually follow the 3-2-1 method and finish them over direct heat on the kettle. This helps to take away some of the moisture that the Steam/Foiling puts into the meat. It also has an effect on the sauce I use. The Tennessee Red Sauce tends to get a more complex flavor when you apply some heat to caramelize some of the sugars.  Highly recommend.

Anyhow…I was thinking that the brisket would not be done in time for dinner so I went ahead and foiled it along with the ribs. If you didn’t know…this does two things 1. It speeds cooking time by trapping the residual heat that’s in  brisket already and 2. It holds in the moisture that is being released by the meat.  In a way it’s almost like basting the brisket. Some feel that it makes the rub soft and mushy but I didn’t see any difference. Typical Brisket is cooked to 190F and while that seems high there is good reason. The reason for such high cooking temps is that it will give the meat a chance to breakdown all the nasty connective tissues and fats tenderizing the cut and transforming a horrible, nasty old cut of meat into a fine meal.

I was shooting for a dinner time of around 6pm…..the brisket it 188F around 4pm so I took it off and stuck it in the cooler to rest…still foiled of course.  Pulled the ribs off and prepared to feast around 6.

To my pleasure…..the brisket was amazing. Most of it anyway. There were a few flaws on my part. I think I should have let it smoke unfoiled longer instead of forcing the cook by wrapping the brisket. Even at 9lbs the rule of thumb at 225F is 1.5 hours per pound and mine was done in roughly 9 hours so it was a bit rushed.  Also cutting the brisket has a major impact on texture and taste. Slicing it should be against the grain for best results. The grain changes as you go so you need to pay attention. Let me clarify that the brisket itself had great taste and for the most part was not dry. The middle section was a bit chewy and my thoughts on that are that it didn’t spend enough time in critical temp zone to break down the tissues. Overall it was a success…..The Texans raved about it and that is a good test for sure. Ribs were fantastic as well……nothing new there!

Some Recent Items:

New Mexican Rubbed Pork Tenderloin

Atomic Buffalo Turds

St. Louis Style Ribs

Muffin Man...

Day #1

We are now almost down to a week from Sam’s second birthday and I have come to the realization of a few things.
* My parents were right. About everything. Almost.
*Time really kicks into high gear once you have kids.
* Doughnuts are delicious.

I have had a lot of time to sit back and think recently about a lot of things. More specifically…my role as a father and provider.  I will say that it has not been easy transitioning into this world.  I don’t think anyone is ever really ready to have kids no matter what class you take or book you read.  I most certainly fell in to this category when we talked about having kids. Looking back, I know now that it was more than just not being ready; it was fear of the unknown.  For me the major things that rattled my cage were transitioning down to one income, potential failure, and a completely new lifestyle but he biggest fear of was now providing for a little guy who was completely helpless. Helpless in every way and questioning our ability to help him along through life. I knew Ali would be a great mother, but I think I was just unsure of myself.

 Everything was scary. You second guess every decision you make……from the time you find out you are going to be a parent until they are old enough toss a plate of Kraft Mac and Cheese all over your once beloved leather chair. For me, up until they turn one or so nothing was more chill inducing than going into the Super Baby Emporium (AKA Babies R’ US) and wondering if the (insert any product)  you chose is soft enough, free of chemicals and  non irritating. You choice also must not cause any of the following: gas, bloat, vomit, rash, cough, snot or anything other than a non reaction.    Thankfully the days of worrying about the little things are over for us and now that we have figured it out.

As I stated above, we are a few days away from Sam turning two. While this is a natural progression….one to two and two to three I never really understood the big deal until now.  Even though he is the guest of honor, I think it’s more for us as parents to reflect on what we have accomplished during the past two years.

Time tends to heal things or at least take the edge off….If someone tells you that a newborn is an easy thing to handle, their full of shit. I kindly refer to the first 4 months of Sam’s life as my “crisis management period”.  Everything was difficult and scary. Did he eat enough? What was that noise? Is he hurt? Traveling anywhere was also a very scary ordeal and I have no clue why on earth we would ever want to travel to Houston again with a 5 month old. That was hell. To this day I recall the very first pit stop on that trip we made in Waynesville MO and trying to feed, change and comfort Sam in a McDonald's far away from the familiarity of our home. Seems like an easy thing but it was as nerve wracking as anything I could think of. Oh we also had a 115 lb dog in the back to deal with as well. Just a little Icing on the cake I guess.

With all of that said, knowing what I know now…I would gladly spend every day of my life in “crisis management mode” if it meant that I could spend just a minute a day with Sam as he is right now. It really has been the most amazing experience for me and would not think of trading it for anything else. 

Day# 720 Pizza Night* Aftermath 

* Just a note....Threw on a Chepo Jacks Pizza on the grill....Litlle Olive Oil on the grates, high heat indirect for about 20 minutes is 1000x's better than in the oven. Still not great....but much better than the conventional way. Crust crisps nicely and does not burn. Sorry no picture. 

Under Cover...

Today in St. Louis we are experiencing record temps......yea it sucks. Not the worst of it yet as the humidity is not as high as normal but still pretty damn hot. Yesterday an item we added to our summer arsenal of goods arrived. One of those canopy things that you see at random craft fairs, BBQ competitions, campgrounds and 4th of July Bashes. We bought it for Sam's Birthday party in June specifically as grandparents are coming to town and out of respect we wanted to give them somewhere to smoke and drink. 

The brand name is EZ UP Serria II. Our model is 12'x12' and covers a good swatch of area. Sam keeps referring to it as a "Kite".....smart kid cause I am sure it most defiantly can become a Kite if the winds pick up. Cost from Amazon.com was $108.00 with free shipping. 

This may help my radiant heating issue in my cooker....seems like overkill though. 

Start of Summer

The end of May has arrived much quicker than I would have ever imagined. This means a lot of things around our house. Its the beginning of Gibson's swim season, Vacations, Birthday's and most importantly BBQ starts to go full swing. I never really shut down in the winter but I will admit I don't enjoy it nearly as much as being ableget some yard work done and enjoy a cold beer while Q'n some random cut of meat. Today...was one of the days I long for after coming out of the subfreezing St. Louis winter.

On the menu today was something I have never done....Spare ribs trimmed to the St. Louis Style. When you talk ribs around here I typically go for Baby Backs.  The last few cooks I have been getting weird results with BB's. This is for a couple of reasons I think. First, the crio packs that I usually buy at Costco never really contain uniform slabs. They come in packs of three and are very decent quality but they seem to always vary greatly in weight from slab to slab. This results in at least one of them being over done and dry no matter what I do. Spare ribs are the section below the baby backs and tend to be more uniform and have a little bit more fat on them to render off during the cooking process. They do take a bit more prep than baby backs but I think now they might be worht the trouble.

I had Ali pick up two packs from Diebergs as opposed to Costco out of connivence. They looked  pretty darn good. They came pre trimmed with the bits and pieces neatly arranged in the pack. The one thing I do like about the Costco Baby Backs is the membrane is already removed. If you are cooking for a lot of people this is a real time saver. I can t speak of their Spares but would assume they also have the membrane pre removed. 

For this cook I wanted to try separate rubs for each slab to figure out what might be the "ringer" for the season. I do like Charlie Virgo's rub and use a variation of my own but did not have any on hand so went with the jar I picked up at Figuero's. The other was "Blues Hog" rub that I received from my Brother In-Law for Christmas. Also I decided to only sauce one slab and chose the Blues Hog to hold the honors.  Arthur Bryant's (mostly salt) was chosen to season the trimmings. I pre rubbed the ribs about 24 hours prior to the cook.

As far as cooking....I planed to go with the "Texas Crutch" or 3-2-1 method for both slabs. This involves cooking the ribs low and slow at around 225-250F for 3 hours, Wrapping the slabs in HD foil and adding liquid (in my case 1/2 can of beer to each slab). This allows the liquid to flash to steam and really break down the connective tissues and a. Then the next step is to un-wrap and cook for an additional 1 hour to help firm up the outer skin and create some bark. That was at least the plan. 

I started the cook as usual following the Minion Method to bring the cooker up to temp. Foiled the water pan and added cold water and assembled the cooker. Added the ribs using the handy rack I picked up at Cabbala's and set the remote thermometer to keep an eye on the cooker temp. As far as smoking woods...I used a handful of Mesquite and one good chunk of Pecan wood. Notice the word "Chunk"....avoid the chipped woods in the smoker...they just burn up rather than slowly burn. Also no real need to presoak the chunks, just throw them in.

 A bit on the thermometer....I found this gem on Amazon and it allows you do do a couple of things....one is monitor the cooker temp and the meat at the same time wordlessly with the included module. Second, you can set it up to alarm when the cooker drops below a given temp or when the meat is nearing a determined temp. This comes in handy for over night cooks.  I recommend it for anyone running a smoker. For this cook, I only used the cooker probe to monitor the temp at the upper grid. Yea, I am that good.  One thing I noticed during this cook that I had not experienced prior...the temps were much, much harder to control. The cooker wanted to run hotter than the target temp. It got to the point I shut down two vents entirely to maintain the 225-250 target temp at the upper cooking grids. The Weber Smoky Mountain Cooker has two cooking grids...one in the middle and one at the top. These two grids do have different temps while in operation...the lower grid runs cooler than the upper. This is due the water pan sits right below it acting as both a heat sink and indirect barrier as well as the convective action of the smoker itself. The upper grid runs at least 10-15 degrees warmer and the very top of the cooker dome is hotter still. I usually see another 10-15 degree increase from the upper grid to the dome.   See the cutaway view Below.

Every new WSM manufactured now  includes a factory installed thermometer in the dome lid. While its a great tool to indicate temp you need to do a little math if you are going to rely on it to determine what the cooking grids really are seeing. Back to the temp trouble today.....One thing that was different today than in the past was that the wind was really whipping around and for the first time we had temps over 90.  In fact when I pulled the cover off to get this whole thing started, the temp gauge on the lid was already reading 130 just from sitting in the sun. 

Back to the cook....at the three hour mark I pulled the slabs and foiled them. Added the Beer and put them back on. It was at this point I found the drawback of the 18.5" Dia. Weber....In order to make them fit on the cooking grid they needed to be turned on their sides. With the ribs out of the foil this is not a problem (See Photo to left) but once they are wrapped and the liquid is added, there was the possibility of the foil ripping and spilling the liquid down the sides of the cooker and hitting the hot coals. When this happens, the coals release tons of ash into the cooker and that is never good on the food.  The HD Foil really is a necessity in this case....not one pin hole or rip while manipulating them into place. Mostly luck I think. Weber also offers a 22.5" Dia. Smoker FYI. 

I sprung a little early to unwrap the goods due to the cooker running hotter than usual and during the process to my surprise the first slab I grabbed literally pulled apart with the tongs. Hmm.  I ended up pulling at least two bones right out of the slab. They were done at this point for sure. They had been on the cooker for 4.5 hours at this point. Rather than running the cooker wide open to boost the temps for the finial portion of the cook I decided to fire up the kettle and put a little direct heat on them to help firm them up. Smeared some Tennessee Red Sauce on and gave it some heat to help the sugars caramelize give a little bark.  This process literally took 3-4 minutes. So the 3-2-1 method really turned in to the 3-1.5-.5. If I could have stabilised the cooker at the target temp, I think the ribs would have not been so loose and would have held their shape through the whole process. Regardless, this was not competition quality it was taste I was going for.

What came off the grill can only be described as heaven. The Ribs rubbed with Blues hog and slathered with Tennessee Red Sauce were un believable. The sauce really did change flavor once the heat got to it. It melds fantastically with the rub and the pork. Literally every rib fell off the bone and so juicy words don't due it justice. Minus a few little problems, this one was a great start to summer and most definably will be repeated again! 

New Town at St. Charles

As a resident of the most unique development projects in the Midwest I can assure you that no place in the metro area as critiqued and mis understood as the neighborhood I  call home. I even quit telling people where live just to not answer the firestorm of questions that follow. Not because I am embarrassed but if you just look at any comment section of ANY online article from the STL Post Dispatch that makes even a mention of New Town you will understand the stigma associated with the neighborhood. Typically these are people are un educated hipsters that have nothing better to do but try to tell others how lovely it is to live downtown while their car stereo is being ripped out of their Honda Accord. Most of the hipsters I feel have an issue with New Town using the term "New-Urbanism". Apparently the word "Urban" can only be applied to areas with staggering high crime rates, sub-par shitty school systems and dwindling populations. I like downtown, don't get me wrong its cool place to be after a ball game and the outer areas like Tower Grove and Soulard have definate appeal....but its no downtown Chicago and never will be. Sorry Hipsters....

Some of the ususal questons you get when you tell people you live in NT....

Q .Will it  Flood? 

A. I am sure it could..I buy insurance. 

Q. Have you seen The Truman Show? 

A.Yea... I liked that movie.

Q. Is it a cult? 

A. Sort of....depends on who you talk to. 

The questions you never get are the ones that really matter. How do you like it there? Is it a good place to raise a family? Is it safe? How are the schools? Many, many other questions that really define a place to live. One of my Parent’s neighbors is even spreading the rumor that her “friend” moved out of here because New Town is being taken over by “The Gay’s” and like one out of every two homes contain "The Gay". I hope that is true, at least they cut their grass and landscape their yards.Just for your information..... I have not seen any Homosexual acts being preformed in my front yard so I am going to assume “The Gay’s” are not taking over my neighborhood like a plague of locusts and it's just another stupid comment made by an ignorant person. It is pretty funny listening to others make comments that have no logical basis about our neighborhood.  I have even heard that the myth that New Town is just like New Orleans....their are hidden pumps underground that ABSOLUTELY have to run 24 hours a day to keep water out and should the power ever goes out the whole town will be washed away like the lower ninth ward. 

Truth be told Ali and I love it here. The actual community is awesome. We constantly say that almost every time we take a walk around the block with Sam. The management leaves a lot to be desired but these days that’s not too shocking.  We have been here for almost 4 years and have grown out of our first house and are weighing our options on what to do for the next move. I work in Kirkwood (when I go to the office) and Ali stays home so really I have a larger % of pull in determining where we go from here. I love Kirkwood/Glendale area....great schools, Solid people and  close to work.  On the down side they are smaller homes, higher priced and all brand new to my wife. Believe it or not...that's a big deal for many reasons. Really what it boils down to is we are just comfortable here.  The schools are good and getting better, people are generally good and for the most part the cost is reasonable. The other thing is we have roots here...For example, every time I go into the market to get a loaf of bread they know my name. Same for the coffee shop. This past Friday morning is a great example of why we feel the way we do about this place...we went to a new cafe that serves breakfast with Ali and Sam. After breakfast we went next door to the little park and let Sam go crazy for at least 45mins. He went down the “Big” slide all by himself!!  All this is walking distance from my front door.  Very cool. 

This place is not for everyone....anyone who can not follow rules or read signs should turn away. There is a cult like fever in the air.....although a lot of that has died down since the Whittaker bankruptcy and the frustrations of attempting to deal with our HOA board. There are a handful of business here that will more than likely make it through the fire but unfortunately there are also ones that have and will collapse like a house of cards. That's how these things go....new storefronts are a common occurrence in most neighborhoods and this one is no different. Some people want 40 acres and a mule and are bothered by a lot of the rules that help keep the neighborhood in good standing. I for one like the fact that we are required to get approval to paint your house Hot Green or put up a 100' ham radio tower.  It helps to protect my investment. If you want to do that kind of thing....this place probably is not for you. 

Summertime is when I like living here the most...It feels like a nice place to be on a Saturday afternoon. People are out walking around, kids are always zipping along on their bikes. The odd event here and there (budget allowing). It feels a bit like Mayberry....but that’s not a bad thing. You might even see some kids heading to the lake with a couple of cane poles. The even have a sanctioned BBQ event  on a annual basis!!! What more can you ask for? 

Check out the website and the photos below.

www.newtownatstcharles.com

Get Sauced!

When you talk about BBQ….you immediately find that it means different things to different folks across the country.  The middle and southeast is primarily pork and the main variation is in the sauce. Sometimes like in Memphis… it means no sauce at all. You go down into Texas and you find that beef is classically defined BBQ and their sauces run across the board in both the base and heat levels. Texans love their beef....they have tons of it.  Head up into the Northeast and they call anything you put on a grill BBQ. Obviously those guys are just stupid…

Being born and raised in the Midwest, St. Louis specifically, to me BBQ means Pork. How can it not? After all we even have a cut of Rib’s in our honor.  How many other cities can say that? None. Another unique thing to the area is a fine cut called the Pork Steak.  I am sure they have these cuts in other areas of the country but I have never seen it gobbled up the way it is here. This was a staple in my house and also for the previous generation in my family dam near every weekend.  The real secret to this local favorite is in the sauce.  The “Steaks” are grilled over direct heat and then placed into a cast iron Dutch oven or similar and filled to the brim with sauce and beer. Then it is left to simmer for what seemed like days until some of the fat renders off the steaks and into the sauce creating what can only be described as goulash. In St. Louis the sauce of choice is Maull’s…the kind you buy in the Gallon Jugs at the local grocery.  To this day you will find this in my parent’s fridge.

The U.S. has a wide variety of differing barbecue sauces. Here is a link that covers most of the regional types out there.  

 http://www.bbq-sauces.com/

Just like the craft beer industry has exploded so has the BBQ sauce market. If you head over to the local grocery you still can buy a gallon of Maull’s…but you now have a much larger, pricier, selection of what I call craft sauces. Everything from traditional “Open Pit” to Mega BBQ chain sauces you can find in most modern stores. In KC in fact…all the players market their sauces on the area shelves. Gates, Author Bryant’s and Jack Stacks all have their hands in the game.  I think there are better places for BBQ than the tourist traps in KC but who am I? What you don’t find in St. Louis at the local grocery is much in the way of the sauces typical to the Southeast and other parts of the country. Most of the selection here is a tomato based sauce that is typically on the sweet side. Essentially they are all variations on the Kansas City Style of Sauces. However…today there are many more bottles on the shelves than their used to be. I have become a fan of the vinegar based southeastern sauces. To me the thicker KC style sauces tend to mask the flavor of the meat and the hours of work you put into it.

If you are ever in the down town St. Charles Missouri along Main Street seek out and find one of the coolest stores in the area…Figuero’s.  It’s a great little place to find almost every type of sauce under the sun. Their BBQ section pales in comparison to the Hot Sauces but is still pretty substantial. I picked up a bottle of Blues Hog Tennessee Red the last time I was there and was very impressed. Apparently this sauce is the “Dirty Secret” to some of the wins on the competition tour and is used regularly by many of the teams. Good enough for me.

Here are some photos of the inside of the shop….

I have in the past attempted to make my own sauces and have had pretty good success in doing so. Thing is... it takes a while and always has the potential to go south in a hurry especially if there is a large amount of sugar in it. The sugar tends to burn and carmalize giving the whole batch a burnt taste. Something that I never do is actually write down the changes and additoins I made making it almost imposible to duplicate it again if its really good.

In general, it’s up to you what you like. There are a lot of sauces on the market and I suggest you try a few different one. I think there are atleast 4 at any givien time in our fridge to pick from and most major BBQ teams doctor someone elses sauce anyway so why go through the hastle. Hell....pour a few diffrent ones in a jar and give it a shake and see what comes out.