1 alder or cedar cooking plank, soaked overnight or at least 1 hour
1 orange
1 lime
1 lemon
1 tsp./5 mL grated zest from the three fruits (optional)
2 cloves garlic, finely minced or pushed through a press
1/4 to 1/2 cup/50 to 125 mL olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 whole, boned fillet wild Pacific salmon (about 3 lb./1.5 kg), skin on

This is the perfect dip for roasted veggies, and it's also great tossed with rice noodles for a cool, creamy side to grilled Asian-flavored meats. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds for extra texture.
1 cup/250 mL mayonnaise
1 tsp./5 mL toasted sesame oil
1/2 tsp./2 mL soy sauce (or to taste)
1 tsp./5 mL Chinese chili sauce or spicy Szechuan chili oil (or to taste)
1 tsp./5 mL grated or finely chopped fresh lemon, lime or orange rind
1 to 2 Tbsp./25 mL toasted sesame seeds (to taste)

1/4 cup/50 mL soy sauce
2 Tbsp./25 mL dry sherry
2 Tbsp./25 mL honey
2 Tbsp./25 mL brown sugar
1 tsp./5 mL salt
1/2 tsp./2 mL crushed anise seed
1/2 tsp./2 mL  ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp./1/2 mL ground cloves
1 Tbsp./15 mL grated fresh ginger

Welcome to the fourth edition of the Barbecue Secrets podcast, a show celebrating the many pleasures of outdoor cooking. E-mail questions, tips and suggestions to rockinronnie@ronshewchuk.com. In this edition:

• 2:45 An interview with Barbecue Queen Karen Adler
• 18:03 Talking with Johan Olsen of Cobb Canada about a great charcoal-fueled portable cooker, the Cobb
• 30:46 Competition Corner -- Tequilas at dawn

Links

Visit the Barbecue Queens' website. Find more info about the Cobb in Canada, or internationally.

Podcast #4 Guest Recipe

This divinely delicious recipe for grilling flak steak is reprinted with permission from The BBQ Queens' Big Book of Barbecue by Karen Adler and Judith Fertig (Harvard Common Press, 2005)

Grilled Flank, Skirt, Hangar, or Other Thin Steak

The whole steak scene had gotten a bit ho-hum. Very predictable. You knew what cuts were available: rib-eye, strip, sirloin, flank. You knew what to do with them. And then, all of a sudden, things changed. There were new cuts and names, such as beef bavette and skirt, hangar, flat iron, patio, and charcoal steak. Whassup? (as a hip-hop queen might ask).

The change is partly a result of consumer interest in ethnic foods, hence the loose-grained skirt steak (the diaphragm muscle on a steer and the first choice for making great fajitas) and the beef bavette (cut from the flank for the French bistro steak and frites combo). Both can be hard to find at the grocery store but are readily available at butcher shops and from online vendors such as Niman Ranch.

In addition, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, based in Colorado, has championed new ÃÂÃÂÂÃÂÂmoderately pricedÃÂÃÂÂÃÂÂ options such as the flat iron steak, cut from the beef chuck, and the western griller, cut from the bottom round. Cube steak, a.k.a. minute steak, has been around for a while. It is cut from the round and cubed twice to tenderize this tasty but tough piece of meat and make it great for grilling (a minute per side, not surprisingly). The hangar steak comes from the flank and is actually a thick muscle. It is much tougher than flank steak but is a bistro favorite and is also referred to as onglet.

All of these steaks have a chewy texture but great beef flavor. You need to tenderize them either by marinating them for at least an hour (preferably eight hours) or pounding them with a meat tenderizer or mallet. Then you grill them over a hot fire to medium-rare. The final crucial step is slicing them properly to serve. Before you marinate a steak, locate the direction of the grain in the meat, which is easy to do. The grain consists of the lines of muscle fiber, which usually go in one direction. File that information away, grill your steak, and cut the meat against the grain, on the diagonal, holding your knife at a 45-degree angle (so it's slanted, not straight up and down). Perfecto!

For the marinade, we suggest Garlic-Citrus Marinade and the Smoked Garlic Cilnatro Cream Sauce is an excellent serving sauce. They follow below.

Serves 4

1 1/2 pounds beef bavette or flank, skirt, hangar, flat iron, or western griller steak

1. Place the marinade and steak in a sealable plastic bag and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.

2. Prepare a hot fire in a grill.

3. Remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Let the meat rest for 5 minutes, then cut against the grain, on the diagonal and at a 45-degree angle, into slices about 1/4 inch thick. Serve warm.

Garlic-Citrus Marinade

This is a delicious way to marinate skirt, sirloin, or flank steak, but it's also good with chicken, pork, lamb, fish, or vegetables. Guess we like this with everything! Makes about 3/4 cup

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (4 to 5 limes)

1/4 cup fresh orange juice (1 to 2 oranges)

2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Place all the ingredients in a small jar with a tight-fitting lid. Cover and shake to blend. This marinade will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Smoked Garlic and Cilantro Cream Sauce

Delicious served with grilled or smoked meats. If you don't want to use smoked garlic, substitute two minced garlic cloves for a sharper but still delicious flavor. Makes about 2 1/2 cups

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt 6 cloves garlic, smoked (see page 000) and peeled

1. In a blender or food processor, combine all the ingredients and process until smooth.

2. Transfer the puree to a medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat and cook until the sauce begins to bubble. Serve immediately.

Rockin' Ronnie Shewchuk is the author of Barbecue Secrets: Unbeatable Recipes, Tips & Tricks from a Barbecue Champion, published by Whitecap Books. Find him, and more recipes, at www.ronshewchuk.com.

Welcome to the third edition of the Barbecue Secrets podcast, a 29:15 minute show celebrating the many pleasures of outdoor cooking. In this edition:

• 2:07 An interview with Jackie Weight of Mad Cows Barbecue
• (22:49) Answers to listener questions about warm-up time for your grill, (24:48) BARBECUE SECRET OF THE WEEK: how to avoid food sticking to the grill and (26:09) when to use granulated garlic (22:49)
• (27:00) Competition Secret of the week: one word: plenitude!

Photo courtesy Craig "Meathead" Goldwyn.

Links: Jackie and Rick Weight's website, visit www.americanbbq.co.uk. Also, please drop in and post a message at www.bbqforum.co.uk.

This week's recipe: Stuffed Tenderloin of Pork

• Ingredients:
  • 1 whole pork tenderloin (weighing around 1-11/2 lbs)
  • 1 small red onion - finely chopped
  • 5 oz. mushrooms - finely chopped
  • 1 oz. butter or olive oil
  • Pinch of dried sage
  • Pinch of dried thyme
  • 4 oz fresh breadcrumbs
  • Grated rind of 1 lemon
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1oz toasted pine nut kernels
  • 4 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
  • 6 cardamom pods (seeds only - finely ground)
  • 3 teaspoons of sweet chilli sauce (more if you like it hot)
  • 4 tablespoons fresh chopped coriander (cilantro)
  • 4 oz dried apricots - very finely chopped
  • Fresh Spinach
  • Black Pudding / Blood Sausage
  • Butter for brushing the meat
  • Bacon

Fry the onion and mushrooms in olive oil or butter until tender, transfer to a bowl and add the sage, thyme, breadcrumbs, lemon rind, lemon juice, pine nut kernels, parsley, cardamom, coriander and chilli sauce; mix well, season to taste.

Take the pork tenderloin and butterfly it (split lengthways). Place a piece of cling wrap underneath it and one on top and beat it out to a thin square.

Remove the top piece of cling wrap, brush meat with butter and lay spinach leaves (remove any tough stalks from the spinach leaves) so that the whole meat surface area is covered. Take the filling mix and spread it over the spinach - use your fingers to get an even covering.

Now take the black pudding / blood sausage, remove casing and cut in half lengthways, mould the finely chopped dried apricots to form it into a full sausage shape again and place along the length of the meat / stuffing area.

Using the remaining piece of cling wrap to help you, roll the whole thing up (similar to a Swiss roll or roulade). Dispose of cling wrap.

Once rolled, wrap the bacon around the whole piece of meat in a spiral so that you have completely covered the meat. Roll up with a fresh piece of cling wrap and refrigerate until ready to cook (best to leave this for at least 1 hour to allow the flavours to infuse).

Cook in a roasting pan, over indirect heat on a barbecue, or in the oven at 350F for approximately 1 hour or until a meat thermometer inserted into the centre reads 170F. Deglaze the roasting pan with a little white wine and add 1 oz of butter to make a sauce if desired.

Allow meat to rest for at least 15 minutes and serve cut into approx 3/4 inch slices.

Rockin' Ronnie Shewchuk is the author of Barbecue Secrets: Unbeatable Recipes, Tips & Tricks from a Barbecue Champion, published by Whitecap Books. Find him, and more recipes, at www.ronshewchuk.com and e-mail questions, tips and suggestions to rockinronnie@ronshewchuk.com.

Welcome to the second edition of the Barbecue Secrets podcast, a show celebrating the many pleasures of outdoor cooking. In this edition:

• 2:26 An interview with Craig "Meathead" Goldwyn of amazingribs.com
• Answers to listener questions about ribs (7:18) and rubs (12:37)
• 15:36 Barbecue Secret of the week: raise that table!

Show notes:

Guest interview: Craig Goldwyn, rib afficionado. For information about Craig, including lots of tips and recipes, visit www.amazingribs.com. Craig also posted a special page for us with instructions on how to cook the greatest ribs ever, www.amazingribs.com/recipes/greatest_ribs_ever.html.

Listener questions: Gary Tobin's wants to know why his ribs turned black, and Jeff of Light My Fire BBQ has a question and a great tip.

This week's recipe: Classic Barbecue Rub (a.k.a. Bob's Rub) (from Barbecue Secrets, Whitecap Books)

Makes about three cups (750 mL)

We call this Bob's Rub, and it's what we use in competition. Bob Lyon, the granddaddy of barbecue in the Pacific Northwest, shared this at a barbecue workshop that first introduced me to the joys of real barbecue and prompted me to become a barbecue competitor. It follows a rule of thumb that's worth remembering: a third, a third, a third. Which means one-third sugar, one-third seasoned salts, and one-third dry herbs and spices.

• Ingredients:
  • 1 cup white granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup celery salt
  • 1/4 cup garlic salt
  • 1/4 cup onion salt
  • 1/4 cup seasoning salt (I like Lourey's)
  • 1/3 cup chili powder
  • (Use a commercial blend, or if you want an edge, try a combo of real ground chiles like ancho, poblano, New Mexico or guahilla.)
  • 1/3 cup black pepper
  • 1/3 cup paprika

To this basic rub add as much heat as you want using cayenne pepper, hot paprika or ground chipotles. Then add two or three signature spices to suit whatever you're cooking or your personal taste, like powdered thyme, oregano, cumin, sage, powdered ginger, etc. Add only 1 - 3 tsp. of each signature seasoning so as not to overpower the rub.

Rockin' Ronnie Shewchuk is the author of Barbecue Secrets: Unbeatable Recipes, Tips & Tricks from a Barbecue Champion, published by Whitecap Books. Find him, and more recipes, at www.ronshewchuk.com.

Welcome to the first edition of the Barbecue Secrets podcast, a show celebrating the many pleasures of outdoor cooking. In this edition:

• The time for a barbecue podcast is NOW: The Barbecue Secrets manifesto.
• Nanook of the pork: the joys of winter grilling
• Our first listener question: to close the grill, or not?
• Barbecue Secret of the week: turn it down!
• And a great winter grilling recipe: Pork and Apple Kebabs

Show notes: Guest interview: Ross Mikkelsen, owner of Barbecues Galore in Canada. For information about products and locations visit www.barbecuesgalore.ca.

Listener question: Shel Holtz, co-host of For Immediate Release, a twice-weekly podcast about communication and technology - www.forimmediaterelease.biz.

This week's recipe: Pork and Apple Kebabs (from Barbecue Secrets, Whitecap Books)

Serves 8 as an appetizer or 4 to 6 as a main course. This is a great winter grilling dish. Use the tangiest, firmest apples you can find. (I like Granny Smiths.) Serve as an appetizer, or with grill-roasted winter vegetables and mashed potatoes as a main course.

• To marinate the pork:
  • 2 lb. (1 kg) boneless pork loin, cut into bite-sized chunks
  • 1 tsp. granulated onion (or onion powder)
  • 1 clove garlic, forced through a garlic press
  • 1 tbsp. fresh rosemary
  • 1 tsp. dried rosemary
  • 1/2 tsp. allspice
  • 1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
  • pinch cayenne
  • pinch clove
  • 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• For the kebabs:
  • 6 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into bite-sized chunks
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Extra-virgin olive oil

Combine marinade ingredients in a non-reactive bowl and add pork, mixing thoroughly. Marinate for about an hour at room temperature or two or three hours in the fridge. Prepare grill for medium direct heat. Thread pork on skewers, alternating with chunks of apple. (Use eight long metal skewers or 12 pre-soaked bamboo skewers.) Oil cooking grate and grill kebabs for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until pork is just done. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with a little oil.

Rockin' Ronnie Shewchuk is the author of Barbecue Secrets: Unbeatable Recipes, Tips & Tricks from a Barbecue Champion, published by Whitecap Books. Find him, and more recipes, at www.ronshewchuk.com.