Thursday, July 23, 2009

Check out Mark DuMond's new political buzz site

Several weeks ago, Mark DuMond signed up to be the King County Political Buzz Reporter for the up-and-coming site Examiner.com.

He's written over a dozen posts so far, and has also interviewed many Washington state legislators, mostly in person and a few by telephone.

You can check out the site and sign up as a subscriber here.

BBQ 101 - Part 3

This is the third in a four-part series based on the BBQ knowledge accumulated over the years by John Bucy of Wilder, Idaho.

John’s Bronco BBQ Sauce


3 – Big bottles of your favorite BBQ sauce. (My latest has been Sweet Baby James.)
3 – 12 oz. bottles of dark molasses
1-1/2 – jar Vietnamese Pepper Paste*
1/3 qt. jar of minced garlic
12 oz. yellow mustard (French’s)
½ Bottle hot sauce (optional)

*This is a chili garlic Sauce. The one I used is made by Huy Fong Foods and as I remember, it has an outline of a rooster on the label. It is a bright red sauce with seeds. Also, on the label it says, “Tuong ot Toi Vietnam”. I have found it where one says “HOT”, but regular is good enough for me.

Combine all ingredients in a large sauce pan and simmer. It doesn’t need a long time to cook, just enough for all ingredients to blend. I usually give some away and use the rest. This normally lasts a year. Keep it refrigerated and whatever storage container you use, unless it is glass, dedicate it to this recipe, because you will never get the “flavor” out of a plastic container!!

The original recipe that I started with called for the additional hot sauce. For my taste, the Vietnamese Pepper Paste provides enough “fire”. While the sauce itself tastes hot, once you brush (or dip) a small amount on whatever meat you are cooking, it is very flavorful and not overpowering.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

BBQ 101 - Part 2

Last week, we published the first in a series based on information passed along from John Bucy in Idaho. He spoke of the importance of starting with a dry rub, and this recipe is one he came up with himself.

John recommends applying the rub generously to the meat at least a day ahead of cooking to allow the flavors to develop.


John's Dry Rub

3 T pepper
3 T salt
1/2 t sage
1/2 t marjoram
1/4 t curry
1/2 t thyme
1/2 t dry mustard
1/2 t oregano
1/2 t turmeric
1 T paprika
3 t garlic powder
1 t cumin
1-1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t celery salt
1 t crushed red pepper
1 T chili powder
1 t coriander
1 t brown sugar
1/2 t basil
1/2 t cayenne

With the herbs, I use what I have, either powdered, flakes or granules.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

BBQ 101 - First in a series

This is the first of several articles on barbecueing based on some recipes and advice from John Bucy of Wilder, Idaho. John has been studying and experimenting with the art of the BBQ for many years, and this has resulted in some true barbecue expertise. In John's words:

Here is most of my knowledge on barbequing. For years, I thought good BBQ was all about the sauce and I searched for what I thought was the ultimate sauce. The recipe is attached is the result of this search. My only advice on using BBQ sauce of any kind is to put it on late and indirectly, NOT directly over the coals (or burners).

Recently, I have discovered real BBQ starts with a dry rub. While we have purchased rubs, none have equaled the one given to me by one of our tailgating friends, Rual Anderson or the one I concocted on my own while I was waiting for Rual to give me a copy of his creation!! Both recipes are attached. These are good on pork, chicken, ribs, steaks, etc. I like to put it on generously at least a day ahead of cooking to allow the flavors to penetrate. If, at the end of the cooking process you want to add BBQ sauce, have at it!!

The other thing that I have learned in barbequing is to turn the heat down. Unless you are doing steaks or chops where you want to sear and cook over high heat, do your chicken (whole or pieces), ribs (spare, baby back beef) over a slow heat. We use a gas grill mostly and try to regulate the temperature on the grill thermometer to 250 – 300 degrees. We then cook the entree for 5 hours. No pre-boiling or other pre-cooking. We have also learned that for whole chicken, make a foil pan and place the chicken, stuffed or un-stuffed, breast DOWN on the foil. The juices flow down during the cooking process and the breast comes out juicy.

Finally, I will include a recipe from my brother-in-law, Richard Reid, for barbequed beef brisket. Since a whole brisket typically weighs 7-10 lbs., this is a great recipe for a large gathering. Plus, brisket is about the least expensive cut you can buy!

Here is the recipe:

Richard’s BBQ Brisket

One whole beef brisket

Depending where you get your meat, you may have to order this in advance.

RUB

Use equal parts salt, paprika and pepper. I probably start with a tablespoon each. If I need more, I can just mix up more. Mix together and cover brisket on all sides. Let stand at least one day prior to cooking.

COOKING

With the fat side UP, smoke the brisket for 4 hours. Richard has more fancy gadgets than I do so I use my gas grill and get the temperature around 250 degrees. I add wood chips to create the smoke. There is a lot of fat in a brisket. One way to gage if you have the grill hot enough is to make sure that after an hour, fat is starting to drip from the brisket.

After the four hours of smoking, place the brisket in heavy duty foil with the fat side DOWN. Cover the brisket with fresh, halved Jalapenos peppers (seeds optional to your taste!) and onion slices. Then fold the foil over the brisket and seal. Continue cooking over the low heat for another 4 – 4-1/2 hours. Remove the brisket from the foil, carve it across the grain and serve the peppers and onions on the side. When carving the brisket, you will find that it almost comes in two halves with the grain of the meat of each half being at a 90 degree angle. These halves are joined by a fatty membrane. Cut the halves apart and carve separately so that you can cut each piece across the grain.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Lime Cilantro Salad Dressing

Here's a simple dressing Mark and Sheri' DuMond came up with in Renton, Washington:

This is an easy and refreshing dressing for a green salad. You could also use it for inclusion in a tostada creation.

Makes about a cup and a half of dressing.

1.5 cups fresh cilantro leaves
Juice of one lime
1 cup low fat sour cream
3 Tbsp. low fat milk
Salt & pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in a small blender or processor and buzz until well blended. Scrape the sides as needed to ensure all the cilantro gets evenly buzzed into the dressing. Add a little more milk if it's too thick.

Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator.