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.

What a Tool....

About three years ago I purchased a tool that until recently I have never had a real need to use....a welder. I purchased it at Harbor Freight and it only operates on 120 volts so really its not good for anything other than playing around and basic light gauge stuff. It might repair a small leak in a exhaust pipe or something non critical like a patio table. Its a MIG unit that uses shielded wire to provide the "bubble" and does not even have an input for shielding gas. The intent for the purchase was to sort of self teach the skill in preparation for starting the resto work on my grandpa's truck. Obviously....I am still preparing. Funny how projects get put off when you have kids, a house and a job! It was less than $100.00 and today it paid for itself or pretty close to it.

Today the the bagger on my mower broke. You know...the bag you hang on the back of the mower to catch all the clippings. Its pretty basic....a steel frame wrapped in a mesh bag. One of the welds popped loose and the whole thing just collapsed.  After I said a few nice words....it dawned on me....I can fix this!!

Broke out the grinder (first real use as well) and removed the paint. Cleaned the area for the repair......Put on the spaceman mask and guess what?? Finished cutting the grass!

Something about that process....the heat, smoke and sparks flying that feels very cool. I get to work with a lot of guys on job sites that weld for a living. They work on Steam headers, process piping and reactor vessels.  That kind of welding takes years to master. Not only the art but the theory and science of the whole thing. Pretty cool.

Normally this sort of thing is no big deal, I run around fixing shit all the time. A lot of the time even if it's not even broke...but this was a special one. Why? I purchased the welder the same day I found out Ali was pregnant with Sam.

Good Friday Tornado

Another slow day at the office….it really goes in waves and I actually am glad for things to be a bit calmer around here after the last couple of weeks.  I want to share a bit of info regarding the Easter Weekend storms that affected the St. Louis area and my family specifically. On the night of April 22^nd the area was hit by one of the strongest tornado's on record in since sometime in the 60’s. It was an odd day for sure….I remember sitting in my office during the first round of storms in the afternoon and looking outside at all the streetlights beginning to turn on around 10am. I even thought to take a picture of it because it felt so weird.

 That was obviously a sign of things to come.  All day the weather was very ominous…. Hail and high winds throughout the area. Not really that unusual for this time of the year…but strange none the less.

We had planned to do a cook for Easter this year and instead of the usual ham fixings we were going to smoke a shoulder and a brisket for the first time. That occupied my time at home after work. I loaded Sam in the car and we went to Costco to purchase the goods.  As we were returning to the car to load up all the crap it began to rain on us…so I quickly got situated and we headed home.

 Not too long after that Ali got home and we flipped on the news. Big storms headed toward the area….again not unusual.  They were talking about a tornado in New Melle (about 7 miles south of my parents) and moving NE setting sights on our area. The storm was also spitting out hail the size of baseballs. Great.  The sirens began singing their all-to familiar song and we began to move to lower ground. This I think was the second or third time this year we have had to do this due to weather so we were prepared with flashlights, blankets, the essential jug of milk and some snacks for Sam.  All this was around 7:30pm. I don’t know why but kept running upstairs to listen to the TV and what not and grab the occasional look out the windows. Nothing was really happening around us other than heavy rains and thunder and lightning. On my last trip upstairs I noticed the major storm was churning just to the south of our house and we were in the clear. At about 8 pm we all came back up and put Sam to bed for the night. I remember sitting on the couch watching the news and catching something about a reported tornado at Lambert airport. I immediately called my mom to see if she talked with the multiple family members close by and she was in a state of hysteria.  She had just got off the phone with my brother who was apparently not paying close attention to what was happening and had just hung up the phone to take cover in his single level cinder block house.  I immediately called my brother and was not prepared for what I heard on the other line. He answered within the first ring.  I obviously have known him my entire life and not once have I ever heard the fear and panic that came pouring out of the speaker during that call. He stated that he was back up on his feet looking out the front window; there were fires and power lines popping all around his house. His car that had been parked literally a few feet from the window he was standing in was no longer there.  He could not see anything up the street towards my grandmother’s house and was afraid to go outside due to the power lines. Everyone else’s condition at that point was not known.  To clarify, everyone else being my Grandmother, Aunt, Uncle and Cousin who all live on the same block.  Most of these homes are owned by my Grandma.  I called my mom back and told her Bill was OK and then hung up the phone, grabbed my keys and headed out the door.  

I made it from my house across the Missouri river in record time and got a call from Ali letting me know that it appeared that Billy made it out and everyone that was home was accounted for so I slowed down and took a breath.  After a few detours I made it to the East end of Garfield where you could not go any further. There was what was left of a building blocking the road. Parked my car and grabbed my flashlight and began walking west.  I can only describe what I saw as extremely upsetting. Of course everyone was somewhat in a state of shock.  There were large trees on houses, houses completely gone, windows busted out and strange enough something’s were left completely un disturbed.  As the night went on…family members started showing up and we all stood around taking it all in into the early hours in the morning. I eventually left around 3am and went to get some sleep.  The light of day would reveal the full scale of damage.

Below are some pictures of all the carnage.

As expected….Saturday was a long day. I want to give big time thanks to the guys at American Signs and Electric and Premier Signs Inc (I believe they are both owned by the same guy, Ken Newbern). They donated not only their equipment (cranes and saws) but their time, fuel and sweat to remove the biggest red oak tree I have ever seen  in my life allowing us to get a tarp on my grandma’s house to prevent further water damage. Also big thanks to local business owner Rich and his son along with Denny that helped with landing and cutting the debris.  I would also like to give big thanks to the crews of Premier Restoration Services

It’s going to take some time to get back to anything that closely resembles normal for my Grandma, Aunt & Uncle, Brother and Cousin but no one was hurt and most defiantly could have been a lot worse