bioesq

So I froze some brined chickens a couple of months ago, and I'm looking to give 'em a shot on the grill (this is using a modified Palena chicken project brine by mhberk).

So what do you think... quarter the chicken and grill direct, or leave whole and go the indirect route?

I've never cooked anything on the grill indirectly. Any tips?

Should I make a gravy or something out of the pan drippings, or would they be too salty from the brine?

Indirect grilling of a whole chicken is one of life's delightful, slow pleasures, and easily accomplished. If you have a covered grill with vents, put the charcoal on one side and a drip pan beneath the chicken on the cooler side. Dry the bird off, apply a generous amount of pepper, and place it breast-up over the pan. I'd recommend keeping the vents fully opened, and not basting it until the last 20-30 minutes. If you want additional flavor, you can toss in a handful of wet smoking chips of your choice, but I would suggest that you not overdo that. The cooking time should be approximately two hours for a 3 1/2- 4 lb chicken, and your thermometer should read 165 degrees in the thigh at the end. The beer can method previously noted produces a wonderful grilled chicken, too, but I like to work at it a bit more and have an excuse to stay outside.

So I'm still having trouble cooking fatty steaks (i.e. ribeyes) without flareups, especially when cooking on a grate directly on top of my chimney starter. I want high heat, I want char, but last night I literally had to blow my steak out after removing it.

What am I doing wrong? Should I be trimming off the gristle/fat cap before cooking?

The more fat you trim the fewer flare-ups you will have. I don't know if you are using any marinades or oil, but they create even more flare-up opportunities, especially if the meat is directly over a chimney starter. One quick remedy is to put the grill cover on for ten seconds or so, but be cautious when you take it off in the event that there's more grease than you've anticipated.

Do junk food fads, like killer bees and fire ants, move from south to north?

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/09/dining/09kool.html

I might prefer to sit on a fire ant mound dropping boiled peanuts into an RC Cola bottle over ingesting one of those pickles. An even more ghastly thought is how one of those pic-Kools might be deconstructed at Minibar. May the fad rest in peace quickly.

Good lord, people. It's May!!! Look outside - let's talk grilling! I can't believe we haven't discussed various grilling techniques in over a month (yet Rachel Ray gets raked over the coals ad nauseum).

I have a Weber 22.5" kettle grill and am considering getting the Weber 2290 Rotisserie attachment. Opinions?? Some on Chowhound seemed to think that the same effect could be gained with basic indirect heat, which doesn't seem to make sense to me. I can't see how a hunk of meat would brown evenly if it sat in once place, no matter how you positioned the coals. Amazon reviews are very positive, yet they probably don't have the culinary sophistication of this board.

Thoughts?

I have been indirect grilling on a 22.5" Weber for a lot of years, and have never experienced any difficulty in browning all sides of anything I've cooked. The Weber design is such that, when the grill is covered, you are getting an even flow of heat and smoke that circulates. Still, one advantage of the 2290 Rotisserie may be that you'll achieve a somewhat moister result with fowl, although looking at a photo of the rotisserie makes me suspect that there might not be enough room to cook the larger birds. The other drawback, as I see it, is that you'll need an electrical outlet which adds another inconvenience if there isn't an existing one on your deck.

If you're in upper Northwest, the SuperFresh on 48th Street, just off of Massachusetts will help you. Similarly, you can get them at Paul's Liquors on Wisconsin Avenue at Garrison, and behind the Montgomery County Liquor Store in Bethesda at 5432 Westbard Avenue (they just stack them up there for anyone to take).

Woops, this is actually Scott Johnston posting

lunch? Any good chicken places in Rockville?

We ate at La Limena in the Ritchie Center on Saturday, and it was excellent. Eve Zibart gave it a very good review here.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...7041900626.html

Royal Bakery is a New York style on Germantown Rd & Middlebrook Pkwy, Germantown MD. The Brooklyn bagel maker cook in the back is married to a lady who had relatives down here. Every time he came down to visit, he had to bring crates of bagels for his sister-in-law, their friends, neighbors, etc. Finally, he moved down here and even imports Brooklyn potato water (or so he claims). As a long time Manhattenite, I swear by them. Also, at Christmas time, they inport Stolen from some cousin in Brooklyn. The best in the world.

How thick are they? One of the reasons why bagels today have less chew is that they are roughly the size of a tea ring. When I was a kid, we used to get them from Attman's in Baltimore, and they were less than one inch thick. Still, it sounds like the Royal is worth a shot. Does he make his own corned beef?

I actually really like some of their loaves, but they make a distinctly different style of bread from the European stuff everyone (including me) is pining for. Get the cinnamon swirl and make French toast with it.

Many thanks. Cinnamon French toast sounds delightful, and it's a shorter trek than the one to the Lancaster Market in the far, former pastures of Germantown. For baguettes and some interesting round loaves, I still shop at the Bethesda Co-op off of MacArthur where they carry Firehook and Marvelous Market. Not much like the ancient days of Avignon Freres in its prime, but not bad.

Has anyone tried the Spring Mill Bread Company? We were out in Gaithersburg at the Wild Bird Center last week and noticed it, but didn't have time to go in and try it.

I couldn't find websites for the two Rockville locations, but the downtown one is located in a strip mall to the right of the Giant, across Rt 355 from where N Washington St rejoins. It's next door to Atlantic Guns & Archery, if you know where that is. The other location is on the Dufief/Travilah side of town, in the old/new Rt 28 triangle where Key West Ave diverges from Darnestown Rd.

The "business bypass" where corn used to grow. Is Mama Wok where the medical building is? I think there's a CVS and a 7-11 in there as well.

It looks like it will be just me and mr. mv for Easter this year. Does anyone have any suggestions for a nice brunch spot? In addition to the local DC/MD/VA region, I'd also appreciate places out of town, like Anapolis and Middleburg for example.

Thanks.

We always enjoy the casual and refined Ashby Inn in Paris, VA, a short drive from Middleburg. They have posted their Easter Sunday menu here.

From your mouth to God's ear . . .

Do you think that might help with the Passover selection? (It couldn't hurt.)

I have never been to a Harris Teeter but it sounds interesting. The one in Germantown/Darnestown is close to my work so I'm tempted to check it out. How would people rate their meat dept? Are the staff knowledgeable and willing to do custom cuts? Do they dry age their beef? How do the prices compare to WF?

Thx in advance for any and all advice.

I've been there several times in the past two months, and I find their meat department to be excellent. They carry 'natural' beef at very fair prices, and I've gotten custom cuts without a problem from the butchers. I do not recall that they carry dry-aged beef, but you can ask when you go. Overall, I find their personnel to be the most customer-friendly of any chain in the area. It's a refreshing change from the studied indifference found elsewhere, and I believe that they will thrive in this market.

Its closing end of July 2007...i know the owners....

I know that progress is inevitable, and the revitalization of that part of downtown ends a decades-long indifference and neglect, but it’s sad to see an old acquaintance disappear into the developer’s night.

Long before anyone would find polenta or risotto on a menu, the A.V. was serving up the only authentic Italian food in Washington. You had to order right, or trust Mr. Vasaio to bring what was good that day, but it was the real deal. Years before Washington had its first wave of high-end places like Cantina d’Italia, Romeo and Juliet (Donna’s debut) and Tiberio, there were truly forgettable Italian eateries like Luigi’s, Marrocco’s, Roma and Trieste, none of which on their best day could match the care and quality of the A.V. (I have probably omitted a few, but that’s an act of kindness as well as memory.) What’s done is done, and all of that, but I regret the loss of yet another landmark.

I have a good friend who is seriously considering buying a bakery in a small beach town in the next few weeks. She is currently looking at the books to determine the viability of the business. If anyone has any tips as to what she should be looking at specifically or potential pitfalls, I would greatly appreciate if you would send me a message.

Thanks!

The first thing that I would want to know, after going through the numbers, is the year-round resident population.

Silly people didn't know where they lived.

Not with a saloon on every corner I would suspect. The origin of the word "swampoodle" (there is one in Philadelphia, too) comes from the swamps and puddles created by the overflow of the Tiber Creek and the undeveloped marshland that surrounded the Capitol. See here.

My Irish co-workers says that used to be the Irish part of town (hard to believe there used to be homes in that area, isn't it?).

I

There have been Irish saloons in that part of Washington since before the Civil War. The area was called 'Swampoodle' for years, and the Washington Nationals had a ballyard called 'Swampoodle Grounds' where Union Station is today. Notwithstanding, I recall that a few of today's pubs on the Senate side were established in the early to mid-1970s, and provided a small taste of Boston to many an Irish Member of Congress and staffers requiring a wee drop of the nectar before heading home.

They looked great in the store so I bought them even though I have no idea what to do with them. Can you help a cooking novice with favorite recipes or at least suggested preparation techniques? Thanks!

One simple preparation that you might like is to brown them, and then put them into aluminum foil in a baking dish. Add bbq sauce, cover them and slow-roast for a few hours.

Out of curiosity, have you ever tried to plank a duck?

I've never tried that, but what a wonderful idea. Have you? If so, what sort of plank did you use, and how long did it take?

Here are a few more of my thoughts on the subject of hardwood charcoal. I don't buy mesquite charcoal on principle, because the mesquite deserts in the Southwest and Northern Mexico are being depleted and the mesquite shrubs are important to that ecosystem. Mesquite charcoal is somewhat unique in that it does impart a distinct flavor in charcoal form.

When I am grilling with hardwood charcoal, it is usually because I want a fast, very hot fire. I am not looking for "smoke flavor" per se but want the flavor of very hot coals transforming meat from raw to cooked. Any smoke from a hot grillfire is usually caused by fat dripping from the meat onto the coals, and if there is too much fat burning, it can make the meat taste acrid. If I want wood smoke flavor, I use wet woodchips applied to a charcoal fire in a covered bbq. In that case, the type of wood (not the charcoal) is very determinative of the flavor imparted by the smoke. I tend to use either hickory or applewood chips when I am smoking.

I grill a fair amount of chicken and fish, and not always with alder, apple or pecan chips, so a stronger hardwood smoke flavor helps to add some bright paint to the canvas. And, too, since I am getting somewhat long in the tooth, and have spent decades in the pursuit of good cigars, ample whiskey and other recreational bad habits, I fear that my taste buds require a bit more prodding than the average, gentle reader here. Such are the realities of misspent middle years. I was not aware of the impact of mesquite harvesting, but have a rather large supply on hand that may outlast even my most determined efforts to grill the perfect duck. The best hardwood charcoal that I have found, to date, is Nature’s Own Chunk Charwood out of Rhode Island (note here that the murderous looks from the delivery truck guy may require a somewhat large gratuity to keep in check, but I digress). And, last, I believe that Trader Joe’s raised its Cowboy price to $4.99, which is what, I believe, Whole Foods charges for its brand, too.

I just wet myself. This sounds amazing. How much were you charged?

By the way, do you find the Cowboy charcoal discernably diffferent from any other type of natural hardwood charcoal?

I do. It's average, and gets the job done, but there's precious little wood smoke flavor. For a more definitive analysis of what's available, and what you're buying, read here.

On the other side of this coin, I was with a group of chemical company representatives at a dinner meeting in Ames, Iowa back in the 80s. The special that night was, curiously, steak, and that was six bucks—but it included a cup of soup, salad and coffee. When the check came, and even with a few beers each, it was about $100 for eight of us. Realizing that the company beancounters would never believe that you could spend that little on dinner, we decided to leave cash for double what we owed and get receipts for $25 each. We were about ten feet out the door when the waitress ran out and said, “Guys, you left too much money!” We told her that it was well-deserved and wished her a good semester. She thanked us and said, “So when are you coming back?” Being generous to a fault has its rewards.

It was hunted. I think I am getting backstraps(?) to make jerky with. Ground venison probably... so venison burgers probably mixing in some fattier meat. The rest I'm not sure. Apparently it's a struggle between the wife who is sick of it and wants to get rid of it, and the husband who wants the steaks.

If you're getting backstraps, aka, tenderloin, they're the crown jewels of the deer. What I'd recommend is a time-honored, simple hunter's recipe that you should find delightful. First, marinate them overnight in some red wine, garlic, a slice or two of onion, black pepper and maybe a bay leaf. Then, cut each into three strips, and roll them into circles. Wrap them in bacon, and throw them on a hardwood charcoal fire until they're pink in the middle. With the ground venison, you might want to make some chile-- there's really not enough fat in that for burgers unless you want to add some.

Anyone have any suggestions for what to do with venison? Someone from work is giving me some. I was thinking braising.

Was it hunted or raised, and what cut(s) are you getting?

A quiet Valentine's dinner in the ice-surrounded empty nest, and without predatory pricing:

Roasted red pepper soup with shallots and shrimp

Ducktrap Smoked Trout

Fruit tart—Balducci’s

NV Krug

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