Flame Broiled

Not much to talk about on these guys. They are actually frozen store bought burgers but boy do they taste good. I like to keep a box of these guys in my freezer at all times. One never knows when you're gonna come home late and just need a cheeseburger.

"Together We Shall Rule The Galaxy As Father Son"

Ok, so my Dad redeemed himself the other day and offered my a glass of "Brionne Poire William". This stuff is a must for any all liquor arsenals. It is a pear schnapps with an entire pear grown inside the bottle. In my opinion it is a great before dinner drink to get the stomach juices working. I've been told though it is typically imbibed after a meal to help digest the food. either way, my Dad is really on to something with this one.

Cleaning Out The Freezer 2008

Yes, you are looking at some left over links from, lets just say, "a while ago". Normally, I would have no problem defrosting them and tossing them on to the grill. However, nice sausage like this goes great in pasta sauces as well. And, the theme of the night was "cleaning out the freezer" so that is exactly what I did.

It doesn't take a degree in "cheffing" to be able to whip up a killer pasta sauce. The minimum base for making a red sauce is as follows:

1. Few cloves of fresh garlic
2. 1 white onion
3. 2 Bay leaves
4. Fresh/Dried herbs
5. Salt/Pepper
6. 2 cans whole tomatoes
7. Splash of red wine (at towards the end)

Sautee the onions and garlic in a few tablespoons of olive oil until tender. Add the remaining ingredients except for the red wine which should added towards the end. Take you hands and rip up the tomatoes as well. Be careful, as they tend to explode all over the place. At this point you can add a whole bunch of different ingredients. Since the only meat that I had on hand was the sausage I decided to add that. Sausage can be a bit fatty so I first fried it up and drained off the fat before adding it to the sauce. At this point you want to let the whole thing simmer a while to extract the flavor of the sausage. In the past I would also typically add some ground beef. I didnt have any so I added a can of dark red kidney beans (not pictured). A little extra fiber never hurt anyone.

Chinese Hooch

The next time your Dad says "Here son, I picked up some hooch for you during my last business trip to China", head for the hills. I wish I could tell everyone what the name of this stuff is but the label is all in Chinese and frankly Chinese wasn't offered at my high school. The reason I wish I could tell all of my readers the name of this stuff is so that you can avoid every drinking it by mistake. This stuff is nasty. Thanks a lot Dad!

Grilled Whole Alaskan Salmon

The BBQB definitely likes to mix things up a bit whenever possible. The other day I came across a small whole frozen Alaskan salmon. This one was only about 4-5 pounds or so. Perfect for about 4 people.

I wanted to grill it that night so I bathed it in luke warm water for about 2 hours to defrost it. To prepare the fish I first rubbed salt, pepper, and fresh garlic inside the fish. From there I decided to fill it with fresh parsley and lemon slices. Parsley can be substituted for many other herbs if you like. Basil also works well. The key is to really pack in the herbs to give it as much flavour as possible.

To grill fish, I always recommend investing in a fish basket of some sort. All of the major home improvement stores carry them. Don't buy the one that is shaped like a fish though...its not versatile enough. Get a basket of some sort that can also grill up veggies etc.
Salmon this size only needs about 5-6 minutes on each side. Don't be afraid to put it directly over the coals as the skin will protected the meat from burning. Actually, if you char it right the skin is quite edible in my opinion. If you are not using a basket make sure the open belly of the fish is facing away from you. This will make it easier to flip by pulling the fish towards you. You wont lose any of the herb stuffing that way. Served with the classic BBQB salad and brown rice and you have one heck of a meal. The salad below has fresh peppers (of many colors), tomato, cucumber and feta cheese.

Shama Lamma Ding Dong

One of the BBQB's favorites has got to be lamb. Grilled lamb of course. I like my meat with lots and lots of flavor. I am never too scared to really load up on the garlic. I suggest you work as much fresh garlic into the meat as you can. Some fresh aromatic herbs are a good idea as well. My preference is a bone-in leg. You can find them in most grocery stores. These pictures are actually a few days old so I am watering at the mouth as I post these pictures. Absolutely declious.

A leg this size takes about 1.5 hours to cook. You want it nice and medium rare in the middle when you are done. Even I can't believe how tasty these pictures look.

Welcome To 2008 - Charcoal Reigns King

Charcoal Grilling vs Gas Grilling!

In what could be the most scientific poll ever taken on grilling, it was confirmed last night at midnight, that "Charcoal" grilling is preferred over "Gas" grilling. This poll was conducted over a three month period and at no point was charcoal really ever in doubt.

As for my personal opinion, I find there is no equal to using charcoal when grilling meat. The gas grill just doesn't seem to add that extra flavor. In fact, sometimes, one can even taste the propane in the food which I believe should be a a crime. I will concede that a gas grill is more convienient than charcoal and I too have been guilty of taking the easy way out on occasion.

However, when grilling vegetables, it is less clear which type of grill is better. I actually think that the consistent heat of a gas grill is very beneficial to grilling veggies and might actually be preferred. In addition, the flavor that charcoal adds to veggies is sometimes negligible.

So, there you have it. Coming into the new year, you need to go out and buy a Weber charcoal grill if you do not have one already. And not worry that it is out of season, as places like Home Depot and Lowes sell them all year round.

Happy grilling everyone! I look forward to hearing more from my readers. Keep sending in your recipes and comments.