bbq4me

Bbq4me says it all.

I'm tentatively in. Not sure what I'll bring yet.

You can find the recipe here, on page three

Thanks Crackers, long time. But what is MPS if not straight outta Jacques 1970s thermos... Maybe I'll make the next picnic and bring back the old-school

damn i miss martian pig slop

I might come and set up a my version of a taco bar. Still annoyed about the last picnic. Can anyone make tortillas on the fly? If so, maybe I'll do it. If ya'll like Dick confit tacos.

Ha ha, I fixed it. Well that will be my last post for the next 6 months or so

We dined at Bazin's Saturday night, 9:30 reservation but our table was ready earlier and the hostess gave us our choice of 3 tables. A nice option since the floor was packed. Initial service was slow and there were a few miscues (Wrong appetizer brought [we kept it-it was one of our top choices], wine didn't arrive until appetizers were half done; wine service was poor [waiter poured wine before allowing us to taste, realized that we were going to taste it first and then said "oh please taste it and let me know if you like it"]; we had to pour our own wine a couple of times; entrees arrived too early and they put them back under the heat which turned my wife's MR steak closer to MW when it finally arrived [my wife opted to keep it, although I would not have].

I'm not complaing though. The waiter's positive attitude helped smooth over the service issues. The food was quite good but also very rich. I think 3 of our 4 dishes had some form of demi-glace and cream--tasty for the for several bites but a little too rich after a while. Duck Confit was spectacular, firm lentils with a hint of sweetness. The Fried oysters were served on a bed of pureed spinach and little pork bits, turned out to be our favortie appetizer. The Black Cod was glazed with a miso and ginger and honey (so I'm guessing) on a bed of horseradish mashed potatoes (yes with a little demi glace and cream to finish it) and was very good. My wife's flat iron steak with bleu cheese was a little too rich, but we enjoyed it notwithstanding the temperature issue.

Chocolate tart rounded out the evening. We'd go back again, I wish there were more neighborhood joints like this. $180 for 2, included wine and tip. I think there would be great value if we had not ordered the wine since that was half the cost.

Goldenticket, I think I sat next you you at the bar while I waited for my to go order We've been eating at the HH for over 3 years now, pretty good ambiance and you can get draft beers. 98% of the time the organic burger is spot on and a good pub choice. When the outdoor seating goes away (my guess is by December), it can get a little tight but the bar is usually open. Oh, and the Hostess is well known for her poor customer service skills, I just ignore her.

Man, the Madhatter at 1831 M St does a pretty good one on Fridays. Haven't had one is several months but I've eaten about 50.

Thanks for the feedback!

I broke down and drove down to Sur la Table on Wisconsin Ave and bought this granite one today. The woman who sold it to me (though she didn't really sound too familiar with mortar and pestles) said that she wouldn't suggest using soap on it. I know that Banco uses soap to clean it. Does anyone else?

Ouch, that price is double what the thai stores sell them for . I got mine at the Thai store on Maple Ave in Vienna. I usually just rinse mine and air dry, but have had to use soap on a few occaisons without any detrimental effect whatsoever.

Jaime's pig won runner up in the pig cook off for the Chefs on Bikes/Share Our Strength fundraiser. Now if you had the Caja China....

If you don't have the article from the Middleburg paper, I'll drop off a copy.

Some seriously tasty food and good times despite the rain. Thanks Crackers and our other helpers and organizers, you make it easy to have a good time.

See yall in the fall.

centralcoffeeroasters.com in sperryville, that's what they serve at the Inn at LW

I think its time I lived up to my moniker, so I'll, a bring a few racks of ribs, hot off the smoker.

me + 1

Interesting-- I had no idea there was such a thing as a coconut grater. Are you talking about one of the mechanical ones, or...?

As Ftranfa describes above, I use a Kumyu (pronouced "kum-joe"). It's a board with a flattened peice of metal attached that has sharpened teeth cut into it.

Grating fresh coconut really isn't that hard or labor intensive. You need a good coconut grater, other than that you split the coconut in half and grate-no need to bake smash chop etc. 15 minutes tops.

From the current tasting menu (12/9) we thought the 72 hour Capretto and Venison rocked. By way of pastas, we tried the duck/foie raviloi and the boulettas; both were fine by me but wasn't wowed, my wife loved the boulettas.

Mail order, best selection and pricing. Many sources but this one is good: Web: www.FarmersFallowDeer.com in Kansas, about $14 lb for tenderloin.

Last I ordered they raise Fallow deer. Red, White Tail, Mule and Fallow and Mule are deer species. Most farm-raised deer is Red or Fallow deer, because of their termperment and resistance to disease. Red deer are almost 2x as large as Fallow and are the only deer that can cross-breed with American elk.

A former boss of mine who was a Bordeaux enthusiast did this. The space itself was no more than about 4x8 feet. I was extremely envious.

Re price: once you exepct to spend $2000 on wine storage, you will have hit the entry price point for building a small 500-700 bottle temperature controlled cellar in your house. This assumes you have the space and can do the labor yourself (though its not rocket science).

I can't make it but Jaime and Carolyn are 2 cool cats.

I'm in, plus 1. More Guam food, pork lumpia, plus the requisite finadene sauce. If there there are chicken eaters and not enough chicken, I could be persuaded to grill chicken.

how were the portion sizes?

Tasting portion size, 5 courses over a period of about 3 hours, not stuffed but pleasantly full.

When I say not really, it is not that simple to do, as Dean stated. I also agree that it is a weak piece in that there is no discussion on the trimming.

BTW, do you do this in your regular fridge at home or one that is dedicated for this? How long do you age it? A few days or couple of weeks?

When I have done this, in a professional kitchen the odor seemed somewhat strong to want this to be in a home fridge.

A couple of points first: home dry aging vs commercial==no comparison. I see home "dry aging" as really "moisture reduction", which has is merits. Secondly, as for the cost of puchasing "dry aged" from a butcher and cooking at home, I think the benefit vs cost is open for debate. I personally think the increased cost of buying it is not worth it.

Trimming is key, I trim the fat carefully. I use an accelerated moisture reduction by using kosher salt, and "dry" in my home fridge for 3-4 days.

Heard of Google? Check out ask the meat man.

Bottom line, not really.

Why do you say "not really? The article you link explains how to dry age at home. I've done it sucessfully with tenderloin, strip and rib eyes. You have to buy the meat whole and cut it up, I buy USDA Choice at Costco.