Fighting fire with fire [man v woman & BBQ]

NYP ^ | July 24, 2010 | DON KAPLAN and STEFANIE COHEN

[Lee'sGhost]

I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

[kalee]

We will be in Raleigh Thurs, so can go there for lunch.

[Lee'sGhost]

Not on Hillsborough. It’s in the warehouse area west of the convention center. “Warehouse” area is in transition...lots of art galleries and restaurants in the area now. The Pit is about three blocks from the AMTRAK station.

http://tinyurl.com/2bdf4lg

[cowboyway]

It’s in the warehouse area west of the convention center.

Ok! I worked for Progress Energy back when it was CP&L in that building beside their coorporate headquarters that used to be known as the NCNB building. I used to work out in a gym down on Davie Street called Powerhouse Fitness Center. It was hard core.

Man, that seems like a long time ago....

[Lee'sGhost]

Do you remember Est, Est, Est? It was the only real restaurant down town at one time. I lived in Capital Apartments right across Wilmington St. from the Capitol. Back around 1987 to 92.

[cowboyway]

Absolutely! We used to eat downtown everyday at lunch and sometimes after work. Speaking of restaurants, did you ever go to the original Vinnie’s Italian Steakhouse? Man, I loved that place!

I lived in Raleigh from ‘88 to ‘92. Had an apartment the entire time at Duraleigh Woods just off Duraleigh Rd. out past Crabtree Valley Mall. There was some fun places to go out that side of town, too. Daryl’s comes to mind.

Then CP&L sent me back down to the Brunswick plant. I stayed for two years and quit. After living in Raleigh for 4 years I hated Brunswick.

[Lee'sGhost]

Never made it to Vinnie’s. I was doing back flips when they opened the 42nd St. Oyster Bar, though.

You must not be a beach person...I’d kill to live on the coast again.

Are you still with Progress E.?

[bert]

This is worth posting again....

Last Wednesday I had lunch at Ridgewood Barbecue where many believe they make the world’s best pork barbecue. It is on a mountain road near Bluff City, Tennessee.

There was a commotion at a nearby table and an ambulance and the fire rescue trucks rolled up. A gentlemen at the table was lifted up and onto a stretcher and wheeled out to the ambulance. He was accompanied by a lady, presumably his wife.

Two diners across the table from him and thought to be his middle aged children, continued their lunch. They were after all at Ridgewood eating the best Barbecue in the world and a little thing like an apparent heart attack should not disturb such an outstanding meal.

[cowboyway]

Ah, yes! 42nd Street Oyster bar was at least once a week!

I’m from coastal NC and I just got tired of the beach especially once it was ‘discovered’. (you know what I mean)

Left CP&L in ‘94. I’m currently at Duke’s Oconee plant.

[tx_eggman]

Hey Tex...stupid question, but I want to be clear. The first foto looks like two slabs of meat and in the cooked foto it looks like one. What’s going on here? Did you put two slabs in two separate pans and cook at the same time, then show just one slab when done? Or is there something else going on?

Two separate cooking adventures. The first pic is actually 3 slabs of meat that I went on to cook on The Beast® for a large gathering ... it was the only pic I had of that particular cut of meat uncooked. The second pic is a single slab of the same cut of meat after it's been on the BGE for 6 hours ... when I'd taken it out to foil wrap it.

[tx_eggman]

Also, are you using mesquite or hickory or other smoke?

I use Central Market Mesquite Lump Charcoal. Central Market is a high end grocery store in Austin / Houston but I pick it up at the parent company's regular grocery store, H.E.B. It goes for $12 for 20 lbs, excellent quality, big chunks.

heavily sprinkled with mesquite wood chips soaked overnight in water:

One thing I'm still trying to master on the BGE is how to get smoke from the wood chips for the entire 6 houurs the meat is uncovered. Smoke isn't a problem when I'm cooking on The Beast®. If you aren't in the market area of H.E.B. here's a good resource for lump charcoal info and reviews:

Linky Thing: Lump Charcoal Website

[Doomonyou]

Not guilty!

Agree!, but that crap she's grilling is.

[Lee'sGhost]

I have had success with “layering” the smoke wood. Base level of charcoal. Layer of wood. Layer of charcoal. Etc. As the charcoal burns down it picks up new layers of wood. As you probably know, don’t over do it with the smoke wood...a little goes a long way with a Komado type grill.

Thanks for the info exchange. Am really looking forward to this.

[tx_eggman]

My problem is that, after 9 hours at 230-240 degrees and several "stirs" with a long metal rod up under the plate setter, the fire hasn't even burned across 1/2 of the coals:

... and the lumps don't layer too well. Oh, well, I guess I'll just have to keep practicing :-)

[A.Hun]

but that crap she's grilling is.

Yep! LOL!!

[Lee'sGhost]

Try not stirring it. Just let it set once started.

[domeika]

Are these ladies better at grilling than men? I dunno, but when jerk comes to tug us guys can provide special sauce. (as long as they don’t look like Helen Thomas or Hillary.....I know, I’m a filthy pig)

[Bob]

My wife can cook chicken on the grill and it comes out great. I always seem to ruin it. Most other meats, I think I do better at though.

I've found that doing chicken on a Weber with the air throttled back and the chicken not directly over the coals works great. It's cooked through and not burnt on the outside.

Most burnt-on-the outside, raw-on-the-inside chicken comes from having too hot a fire directly under the chicken. Slowing things down a bit helps a lot.

[tx_eggman]

Try not stirring it. Just let it set once started.

Thanks ... but the stirring was because not stirring wasn't working ... the smoke quits after about an hour because the fire spreads so slowly.

I'm thinking of using chunks instead of chips on the next brisket ... once they get going, they'll last longer. I'll let you know how it turns out.

[KC Burke]

I do various different types of grilling — both charcoal (with good grade stuff) and gas on a high quality grill at 550 degrees for the initial sear.

For smoking, I like a smoker where you can add charcoal and additional chips as you go. In Kansas City, you can get great smoked pit barbeque brisket, ribs, pork and chicken in dozens of places. Good smoked salmon or trout is a little harder to find and that is what I chose to smoke at home.

For fish, I like apple wood chunks, not mesquite. I soak the chunks in water for three hours or overnight prior to adding to the coals that are fully started. I keep the quantity of coals modest and add chips when I add the brined fish. If smoke and/or temp starts to fall off, I add six new coals and more wood chips to the indirect smoker fire.

The key to great smoked fish is brining and quality smoke. The heat is always kept as low as possible.

I have smoked turkey, pork, beef, chicken and find results vary with attention. Fish smokes in 45 minutes to 15 minutes and takes about an hour of smoker prep and an hour of clean-up later. Smoking beef or pork is an all day deal.