Hey barbecue fans. Happy Holidays! I hope you had a great Christmas. For many of us, the festivities don't stop between now and 2014, whether you're entertaining relatives, hosting a festive open house or planning a New Year's Eve party. Here are a few tips and some tasty recipes to make your entertaining easy, fun and delicous.

How important is planning ahead?

Be prepared and you and your guests will have way more fun. 

• Do as much food prep in advance as possible. If you're grilling, have everything ready to go before the party starts.
• Rearrange your furniture to make it easy for people to mingle and access the food.
• Be sure you have lots of ice.
• Greet your guests in holiday style by offering them a special cocktail when they arrive. (See drink recipes at the end of this post.)

What are the best kinds of food to serve?

The best food strategy is to make dishes that won't occupy a huge amount of your time at the party so you can visit with your guests. 

• Go for bright colours and big, bold flavours to make it festive
• Have lots of protein to soak up the alcohol and be sure you've got some options for vegetarians and gluten-free organically grown hipsters
• Don't forget about the non-drinkers. Do something special for them like a non-alcoholic punch or some fancy soft drinks.
• Try to showcase local products at your party. It's a great way to spread the word about the wonderful foods that are produced in your area. 

What else can you do to make a holiday party a success?

Here are a few more stray tips for making your event a memorable one. 

• Don't forget about music, it really helps create a festive atmosphere. Put together a long playlist ahead of time so you don't have to be always tending to the stereo.
• Accept offers from your foodie friends to bring something yummy to the party, and don't be afraid to suggest dishes that fit with whatever theme you've got going. It's fun for them, and it makes it easier for you.

Okay, enough free advice. Here are some recipes to make your holiday party super delish!

Grilled Stuffed Mushrooms

Makes 24 hors d’oeuvres

This classic stuffed mushroom recipe, adapted from an old Gourmet magazine, is wonderful on the grill. 

24 large button mushrooms (about 2 ½ lb | 1.25 kg)

12 oz | 375 g sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained, reserving 4 Tbsp | 50 mL of the oil

1/3 cup | 75 mL finely chopped shallot

1 tsp | 5 mL finely chopped garlic

pinch crumbled dried thyme

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 Tbsp | 45 mL heavy cream

¼ cup | 50 mL freshly grated Parmesan

Carefully remove the stems from the mushrooms and finely chop 1 cup of the stems, discarding the rest.  Mince the sun-dried tomatoes. Brush the mushroom caps with some of the reserved tomato oil and arrange them on a baking sheet, stemmed side up. Cook the shallot and garlic in the remaining tomato oil in a large skillet over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened. Stir in the reserved mushroom stems, minced tomatoes, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, for 5–10 minutes, or until the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is thick. Stir in the cream, divide the mixture among the mushroom caps, and sprinkle them with the Parmesan.

Preheat the grill on medium-high for 5–10 minutes, or until the chamber temperature rises above 500°F | 260°C. Quickly and carefully place the mushrooms on the grill. Reduce the heat to low and cook them, with the grill cover closed, for 10–15 minutes, or until the filling has heated through.

Bacon-wrapped Oysters

Makes 4–6 appetizer-sized portions

This simple, old-fashioned way to grill oysters makes a great party appetizer.

1 pint | 500 mL container of large, fresh, shucked oysters

(about a dozen oysters)

1/4 lb | 125 g thinly sliced bacon, each slice cut in half

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Louisiana-style hot sauce

Fry the bacon over medium heat in a heavy skillet until it’s cooked but not quite crispy. Place the cooked bacon strips on a paper towel and set them aside.

Prepare your grill for direct high heat. Drain the oysters and pat them dry with a paper towel. Wrap half a slice of cooked bacon around each oyster, skewering it with a wooden toothpick. Place the oysters on the cooking grate and grill them for 2 or 
3 minutes per side, or until the bacon crisps and the oysters are cooked through and just starting to char. Remove them from the heat, place them on a platter, season them with salt and pepper, and pass them around with a bottle of hot sauce.

Rack of Lamb with Balsamic Reduction

Makes 4 main course servings or 8 appetizer servings

This is a delicious way to grill lamb racks. The balsamic reduction has an incredible sweet tanginess that offsets the earthiness of the dried herbs and brings out the flavor of the meat. Serve the racks cut into chops as an appetizer, or as a main course with rice, grilled asparagus, and a nice green salad.

4 racks of lamb, Frenched by your butcher

(trimmed to bare the ribs and remove the silverskin – lots of lamb is pre-packaged this way)

kosher salt to taste

2 Tbsp | 25 mL lemon juice

1/2 cup | 125 mL extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp | 25 mL Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp | 15 mL chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 tsp | 2 mL freshly ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic, smashed or pushed through a garlic press

1 cup | 250 mL balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp | 25 mL Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp | 15 mL granulated garlic

1 Tbsp | 15 mL granulated onion

1/2 tsp | 2 mL cayenne

1/2 cup | 125 mL Mediterranean Dried Herb Rub (see recipe below)

1 Tbsp | 15 mL olive oil

sprigs of fresh mint, for garnish

One to two hours before you are going to cook the lamb racks, lightly season the lamb with salt. Combine the lemon juice, 1/2 cup | 50 mL oil, 2 Tbsp | 25 mL mustard, rosemary, pepper, and fresh garlic in a nonreactive baking dish or resealable plastic bag. Add the racks, turning them once or twice to ensure they are evenly exposed to the marinade.

While the lamb is marinating, pour the balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook it, watching it carefully, until the vinegar has reduced to about 1/2 its 
original volume (10–15 minutes). It should be a thick syrup that coats the back of a spoon. Set it aside to cool.

Prepare your grill for medium direct heat. Take the lamb out of the marinade, pat the racks dry with paper towels, and brush them with the remaining 2 Tbsp | 25 mL mustard. Combine the granulated garlic, onion, and cayenne in a small bowl and sprinkle the mixture lightly over the lamb racks. Coat the racks generously with the herb rub, patting it on with your hands so it sticks to the meat. Drizzle the olive oil over the rubbed racks and pat it into the rub.

Using cherry wood as a flavoring agent (optional), grill the racks for 4—5 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature at the thickest point is 135–140˚F | 57–60˚C. To serve, cut the racks into individual chops, arrange them on plates, and drizzle them with the balsamic reduction. Garnish the lamb with sprigs of fresh mint.

Mediterranean Dried Herb Rub

Makes enough to coat several racks of lamb or a whole leg of lamb or pork roast

These days, food lovers tend to shy away from dried herbs in favor of the fresh ones that are so readily available. We tend to associate unpleasantly stale, dirty flavors with dried herbs, but that’s probably because we use them so rarely that the ones in our pantry are too old. Dried herbs, when used within a few months of purchasing them, can add a wonderful earthiness and complexity to grilled foods. In fact, the high heat of grilling often destroys the delicate flavors of fresh herbs. In most cases fresh herbs, other than the very strong rosemary and sage, are best used after your meat is off the grill, as a finely chopped sprinkle to add color and aroma. Use this rub for meats like chicken and pork, but it also works well with grilled vegetables. Just toss the veggies with oil and sprinkle them with the rub and some kosher salt. 

1 Tbsp | 15 mL dried (not powdered) oregano

1 Tbsp | 15 mL dried mint

1 Tbsp | 15 mL dried basil

1 Tbsp | 15 mL dried rosemary

1 tsp | 5 mL dried parsley

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix them together well.

 

Super-Simple and Incredibly Delicious Grilled Beef Tenderloin

This tasty and spectacular dish is excellent warm or at room temperature if you want to make it ahead of time.

For the condiment:

¼ cup grainy mustard

¼ cup mayonnaise

1 Tbsp | 15 mL  prepared horseradish

1 Tbsp | 15 mL freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the roast:

1 whole beef tenderloin, trimmed

3 Tbsp | 50 mL course salt (like Malden Salt or French Fleur de Sel)

3 Tbsp | 50 mL  coarsely ground black pepper

3 Tbsp | 50 mL  dried rosemary

1 tsp | 5 mL granulated onion or onion powder

1 tsp | 5 mL granulated onion or garlic powder

½ tsp | 3 mL  cayenne pepper

Olive oil

Mixed lettuce greens

Hardwood chips for flavour (cherry, hickory, mesquite or apple)

Preheat your grill for medium direct cooking.

Mix the salt, black pepper, rosemary, onion and garlic powder and cayenne together and sprinkle the mixture evenly on a large chopping board or a baking sheet. Roll the tenderloin in the mixture to coat it evenly. Drizzle some olive oil on the seasoned roast to moisten the spices.  If you’re using hardwood chips as a flavouring agent, wrap them in foil, poke the package with a fork, put it under the cooking grate and wait until it starts throwing off some smoke.

When the grill is ready,  place the tenderloin on the cooking grate and cover the grill. Cook the roast for about 15 or 20 minutes, turning it often, until a meat thermometer reads 120F at the thickest part of the roast. Remove the roast from the grill and transfer it to a cutting board. Loosely wrap the meat in foil and let it rest for about half an hour.

To serve, carve the tenderloin into ½-inch rounds and present it on a bed of fresh greens on a platter or cutting board accompanied by the condiment.    

 

DRINKS FOR THE HOLIDAYS

 

Pimm’s No. 1 Cup  and Ginger

Makes 1 drink

These sneaky little cocktails are innocuous enough, until you’ve had a couple and your face starts to feel as if it’s made of rubber.

11/2 | 45 mL oz Pimm’s No. 1 Cup liqueur

cold ginger ale

1 orange slice

1 cucumber slice (optional)

Fill a highball glass with ice, pour in the liqueur, top it with ginger ale, and garnish the drink with an a slice of orange and cucumber, if you like. 

 

Kir

Makes 1 drink 

Hand one of these to your guests as they arrive and suddenly it’s a special occasion.

1/2 oz | 15 mL crème de cassis

4 oz | 120 mL crisp dry white wine

(white Burgundy Aligoté is the classic)            

Pour the crème de cassis into a white wine glass. Gently pour the wine over top, taking care not to mix them too much. The drink should look like a clear version of a Tequila Sunrise, with the heavier cassis lurking at the bottom. (For an extra-special Kir Royale, subsitute chilled champagne for the white wine.)

Welcome to episode 19 of the Barbecue Secrets Podcast. It's the last episode of the season, and it's a doozie!

If you're viewing this on the podcast blog, click on the little "pod" icon to the left of the episode title above to listen to the show. Hope you like it!

SHOW NOTES FOR EPISODE 19

It doesn't get much better than this, my friends. This show starts out with an interview with my friend Brian Misko of House of Q, a barbecue champion many times over and maker of a great line of barbecue sauces and rubs. Brian tells some great stories from the barbecue trail and shares some killer techniques.

Next up is a return visit from Meathead, the man behind the amazing website www.amazingribs.com. Meathead, who knows the art and science of outdoor cooking like no one else, has some fun busting another barbecue myth.

Finally, I get to do a deep dive into the world of Kentucky Barbecue with Wes Berry, author of The Kentucky Barbecue Book. Wes is a university English prof who went on a journey of discovery through his great state. In the process he gained some insights into the history of barbecue in America and traced back the roots of a traditional Moore County dish, pork blade steak with a crazy "sop." He shares the recipe for that dish, along with another tasty sauce and something called cornbread salad. You can find the recipes in yesterday's blog post.  

I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Back in May, with the help of producer/editor Darcy Reynolds, I relaunched this podcast with a vision of creating an entertaining, informative show about outdoor cooking with professional-quality sound. I wanted to showcase longer interviews with fellow barbecue fanatics and give listeners a richness and depth about the smoky world of barbecue that's hard to find anywhere else on the internet. Kind of a cross between a radio show and an audio book. Something that you can listen to in the car, or while doing chores or working out, or while you're getting ready to cook up some barbecue. 

Did I succeed? I need your feedback to help me get ready for next season.

Write me at rockinronnie@ronshewchuk.com, tweet me @rockinronnie, or post something on the Barbecue Secrets Facebook page. Let me know what you liked best about this season, and what I can do to improve the show. Tell me if there's anyone you'd like me to interview. And, if you know any potential sponsors, please connect me with them -- I'd love to start next season with a couple of marquee sponsors. 

Thanks for listening! I'll try to post at least a couple of new shows over the winter. In the meantime, keep on making that beautiful blue smoke!

OTHER WAYS TO LISTEN TO THE SHOW

You can subscribe to the Barbecue Secrets Podcast for free on iTunes here. 

You can also get a handy Android app to hear the latest show and dive into the back catalogue for only $3.99. You can get the app by visiting this link on your Android phone to the Amazon Appstore. Once you're there, search for Barbecue Secrets, pay using your Amazon account, and you're good to go!

 

One of my favourite cuts of meat is the pork blade steak – cut from the same part of the hog as the classic shoulder butt roast that we cook in competition. In certain parts of Kentucky, thinly sliced blade steaks are seasoned with salt and pepper, cooked over a low hardwood fire and “sopped” with a thin sauce made of vinegar, black and red (cayenne) pepper and lard and/or butter. Wes Berry, author of The Kentucky BBQ Book, says he loves the sauce so much he orders extra to put on his side dishes and mop it up with soft white bread. Give this adaptation of the Monroe County classic a try, with Cornbread Salad on the side.

Monroe County Style Pork Shoulder Steaks 

Serves 4

For the steaks: 

Four pork blade steaks, the thinner the better (if they're really thin, like half an inch or less, budget for eight because your guests will easily eat two each)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Hickory wood as a flavouring agent

For the sop/dip:

4 cups white vinegar

½ cup lard

½ cup butter

2 Tbsp finely ground black pepper

2 Tbsp cayenne

1 Tbsp Kosher salt

 

Melt the ingredients in a saucepan. Keep warm so the fat stays melted.

Pre-heat your grill for low-medium direct cooking. Season the blade steaks with salt and pepper and place them on the grill. Turn them regularly, brushing some of the sauce on them with every turn, until they’re well done – about 15 minutes to half an hour, depending on how low your heat is.  Use hickory chips or chunks to produce some flavourful smoke. If you’re cooking with charcoal, just place a chunk of hickory on the coals before you start cooking the steaks. For gas grills, place some wood chips in foil, poke holes in the foil and place the packet underneath the cooking grates.

Take the steaks off the grill and serve them immediately, with one last coating of the sop, and some on the side for those who want extra.

Cornbread Salad

This "salad," which is more of a savory trifle, is adapted from a recipe from The Kentucky Barbecue Book by Wes Berry. Wes got it from Trinca Barnette of Tony’s Bar-B-Que Barn in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, and then came up with some suggestions for dressing it up. Enjoy!

For the salad:

1 batch leftover cornbread, roughly crumbled. (See recipe below.)

½ cup chopped green onion

1 whole large red tomato, chopped

1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese 

For the dressing:

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream

1 Tbsp dried parsley

1 tsp each garlic powder, onion powder, onion flakes, dried dill, Kosher salt and black pepper

Optional additional ingredients:

1 can cooked black-eyed peas or pinto beans, drained

1 can sliced black olives, drained

Grilled corn cut off the cob

Crumbled cooked bacon

Chopped green bell pepper

Additional cheeses (like pepper jack)

Sliced pickled jalapeños

To make the salad, simply layer the ingredients in a large glass bowl. Start with half the cornbread, then layer the other ingredients and top with half the dressing. Repeat this layering one more time, with the other half of the dressing on top, and garnish with some chopped green onion. Let it sit in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to allow the flavours to marry. Serve as a side dish with just about anything!

Cornbread

Makes 6–8 servings

This recipe is adapted it from a recipe that my Texan friend Amy Walker shared with me.

2 or 3 tsp | 10 – 15 mL bacon drippings or vegetable oil

11/2 cups | 375 mL cornmeal

1 tsp | 5 mL baking powder

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 can (14 oz | 398 mL) cream-style corn

1 chopped jalapeño chile

1 tsp | 5 mL kosher salt

1 cup | 250 mL buttermilk

¼ cup melted butter

Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Coat the bottom and sides of a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with bacon drippings or oil and heat it in the oven for five minutes. Meanwhile, mix the cornmeal, baking powder, eggs, creamed corn, jalapeños, salt, buttermilk, and melted butter together. Pour the cornbread batter into the hot skillet. Bake the cornbread for about half an hour or until golden brown. Cool it for at least 5 minutes before serving it.

Bonus Recipe: Owensboro-style Mutton Dip

Here’s another Kentucky classic, adapted from The Kentucky BBQ Book. Mop it on grilled or barbecued lamb (it goes great on pork, too, or anything else for that matter!) and be sure to have some available on the side.

1 cup Worcestershire sauce

1 cup water

1 tsp Kosher salt

1 tsp finely ground black pepper

1 Tbsp white vinegar

1 Tbsp lemon juice

¼ cup brown sugar

½ cup tomato paste

Put all the ingredients in a pot and cook until the paste dissolves. Use it to baste meat while grilling and as a dipping sauce on the side.

 

I hope you enjoy this week's recipes. If you want to enjoy some delicious wild BC pink salmon, come on down to Haddon Park on Sunday from noon till 5.00 p.m. -- find out more here.

Hot-smoked Salmon

Makes 6–8 servings

When good-quality salmon is barbecued over low heat using hickory, alder, or mesquite smoke as a flavoring agent, the end result is outrageously good. This is my favorite way to barbecue salmon. (NOTE: it's also a great way to treat grilled salmon -- just cook it, skin-side down, over indirect heat, and use wood chips in foil or hardwood chunks under the cooking grate to add smoky flavour.)

1 whole fillet wild salmon (also called a side),

about 11/2 to 2 lb | 750 to 1 kg

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 Tbsp | 15 mL toasted sesame oil

1 tsp | 5 mL dried red pepper flakes

1/4 cup | 50 mL brown sugar

2 lemons, halved

chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

 Prepare your smoker for barbecuing, bringing the temperature to 200–220˚F | 95–100˚C. Put the salmon, skin side down, on a baking sheet or cutting board. With a pair of needle-nose pliers, pluck the pin bones out of the fillet. Season it with salt and pepper and coat it with sesame oil. Sprinkle the pepper flakes evenly over the fillet and then sprinkle the brown sugar over the top. Squeeze the juice of half the lemon over the sugared salmon.

            Let the fish sit for 15 minutes or so, until the sugar is wet and glistening.

            Place the fillet on the cooking grate, put a chunk or two of hardwood on the coals, close the smoker, and barbecue the salmon for 11/2 to 21/2 hours, or until the internal temperature at its thickest part reaches about 140°F | 60°C. Use two wide spatulas to remove the salmon from the smoker. Transfer it to a warmed platter. Garnish it with chopped parsley and the remaining lemon, cut into wedges.

Planked Salmon Pizza

Makes 4 servings 

My pal Reza Mofakham shared this recipe with me. It’s a tasty way to deal with leftover planked salmon. If you don’t feel like making your own pizza dough, you can buy it frozen at most supermarkets.

For the pesto sauce:

2 cups | 500 mL fresh basil

1/4 cup | 50 mL freshly grated Parmesan

1/4 cup | 50 mL toasted pine nuts

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp | 5 mL kosher salt

1/2 tsp | 2 mL freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup | 50 mL olive oil

 

For the dough:

1 Tbsp | 15 mL sugar

11/2 cups | 375 mL lukewarm water or beer

2 tsp | 10 mL dry yeast

41/4 cups | 1.1 L all-purpose flour

1 tsp | 5 mL kosher salt

2 Tbsp | 25 mL oil

 

For the toppings:

1/2 lb | 250 g leftover planked salmon, broken into bite-sized pieces

1 Tbsp | 15 mL capers

1/4 lb | 125 g goat cheese

2 Tbsp | 25 mL sun-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped

 

Place the basil, Parmesan, pine nuts, garlic, salt, and pepper in a blender. Blend them together until they’re smooth, slowly adding the oil in a stream, until you have a smooth, light green sauce. Set the pesto aside.

            If you’re using a breadmaker, prepare the ingredients according to the instructions for making bread dough. If you don’t have a breadmaker, dissolve the sugar in 1⁄2 cup | 125 mL of the water or beer, sprinkle the yeast over top, and let it sit for about 5 minutes.

Place the flour and salt in a food processor. Add the yeast mixture and the oil, and turn on the machine. Pour the rest of the water or beer through the feed tube of the food processor while it’s running. Blend the mixture just until the dough forms a ball on the side of the bowl.

            Remove the dough and knead it on a lightly floured surface for a few minutes. Transfer the dough to a bowl and lightly oil the top. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it in a warm, draft-free area for about 40 minutes, until it has doubled in size.

            Preheat the grill or oven to 375 to 400°F | 190 to 200°C. Press the dough evenly onto a lightly oiled pizza stone or pizza pan. Spread the pesto evenly on the dough and add the salmon, capers, goat cheese, and sun-dried tomatoes. Bake the pizza for 15–20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted.

 

Hope to see you there!

A FESTIVAL IN THE HEART OF VANCOUVER TO CELEBRATE PINK SALMON

One of B.C.’s most sustainable seafood choices!

 

Vancouver – The Pacific Salmon Foundation will host its biennial Pink Salmon Festival on Sunday, August 25 at Hadden Park on Kits Point. With 9 million “pinks” forecasted to flood the Fraser River in August, the Pink Salmon Festival will serve up delicious and healthy pink salmon samplings prepared by well-known chefs and sustainable food advocates Robert Clark, “Rockin’ Ronnie” Shewchuk and Garrett Schack. Wild pink salmon will be donated by the Canadian Fishing Company/Gold Seal. The festival is open to the public and pink salmon will be available by donation.

 “Pinks are the smallest and most abundant of Pacific salmon and at record high abundance in the North Pacific,” said Dr. Brian Riddell, president and CEO of the foundation. “Due to their abundance, fishing for pinks is more sustainable compared to other Pacific salmon species. Some may also argue that pinks are the healthiest type of salmon to consume as their short lifespan and immediate migration to the ocean gives them less opportunity to accumulate toxins and pollutants from the water.”  (For more on why Pink Salmon is the best, see the attached FAQ).

 

Who:             Thousands of salmon lovers of all ages! Organized by the Pacific Salmon Foundation with sponsorship from Canadian Fishing Company/Gold Seal, CKNW, Newalta, Port Metro Vancouver, Rebel Communications and Rocky Mountaineer.

 

What:             Barbequed pink salmon samplings by donation, educational interactive displays, children’s activities, music and family fun to celebrate pink salmon. On-site raffles with proceeds benefitting salmon conservation and restoration projects across B.C. and a CKNW hosted VIP tent.

When:             Sunday, August 25, 2013, Noon to 5:00 p.m.

Where:            Vancouver’s Hadden Park at Kits-Point, 1905 Ogden Avenue (at Cypress, adjacent to Vancouver Maritime Museum)

 

Why:             There’s no better time to “Think Pink” with 9 million pink salmon forecasted to return to the Fraser River in August. The festival will be an opportunity for consumers to learn about the most sustainable, yet undervalued species of Pacific salmon. The fish return in large numbers allowing for harvesting for human consumption without damaging the overall health of the species and the plants and animals that depend on them for sustenance.

 

 

Hey barbecue fans! If you're in Vancouver next Sunday, August 25th, don't miss the Pink Salmon Festival -- Noon to 5.00 p.m. at Haddon Park. I'll be joining Chefs Rob Clark and Garrett Schack to cook up a few thousand pounds of fresh wild BC pink salmon for the public. Get a fantastic plate full of great, sustainable seafood, pay what you can by donation. Find out more here. Hope to see you there!

I'm celebrating salmon this week with two of my favourite recipes, one that I came up with and one from Rob Clark, adapted for the grill. I encourage you to try pink salmon, but any wild pacific salmon will do!

Cedar-planked Salmon with Whiskey-maple Glaze

Makes 6–8 servings

This has become one of my signature recipes. I’ve cooked it scores of times over the past few years, my team has won awards with it, and I often get the comment, “This is the best salmon I’ve ever eaten.” The sweet, woody flavor of the Jack Daniel’s and maple syrup complements the richness of the salmon and the aroma of the cedar in this West Coast dish. I like to present it on the plank and then serve it on a bed of field greens tossed with some French walnut oil, kosher salt, and toasted pumpkin seeds.

 

1 cedar cooking plank, soaked overnight or at least 1 hour

1/2 cup | 125 mL Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey

1 cup | 250 mL real maple syrup

1 tsp | 5 mL crushed dried red chile flakes

1 Tbsp | 15 mL butter at room temperature

1 whole, boned fillet wild Pacific salmon

(about 3 lb  | 1.5 kg), skin on

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp | 5 mL granulated onion (or onion powder

if you can’t find granules)

2 lemons, halved

parsley sprigs for garnish

1 Tbsp | 15 mL finely chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley

Make the sauce by combining the whiskey and maple syrup in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a low boil and reduce it by about half, until you have a thick syrup that coats the back of a spoon. Add the chiles and butter and stir the sauce until it’s just combined. Set it aside and keep it warm on the stovetop.

            Season the skinless side of the salmon with salt, pepper, and granulated onion. Let the salmon sit for 10–15 minutes at room temperature, until the rub is moistened.

            While the salmon is sitting, preheat the grill on medium-high for 5–10 minutes, or until the chamber temperature rises above 500°F | 260°C. Rinse the soaked plank and place it on the cooking grate. Cover the grill and heat the plank for 4–5 minutes, or until it starts to throw off a bit of smoke and crackles lightly. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Season the plank with kosher salt and place the salmon, skin-side-down, on the plank.

            Cover the grill and cook the salmon for 15–20 minutes, or until the fish has an internal temperature of 135°F | 57°C. Check it periodically to make sure the plank doesn’t catch fire, and spray the burning edges with water if it does, making sure to close the lid afterwards.

            When the salmon is done, squeeze half a lemon along its length and carefully transfer it, plank and all, to a platter. Garnish it with parsley sprigs and the remaining lemon cut into slices. Drizzle a spoonful of the sauce over each portion as you serve it, and sprinkle it with a little chopped parsley.

Wild BC Salmon with Homemade Tartar Sauce and Tomato Salad

Makes 4 servings

Rob Clark is the best seafood chef in Vancouver, and that’s saying something. This is his recipe, adapted for the grill. It’s a sophisticated version of a salmon grilling technique I learned many years ago that’s as easy as pie and as delicious as it gets. The concept is to slather a side of salmon with mayo, put it on a hot grill, skin side down, and cook it until the salmon is done and the mayo has sort of set, like a savory pudding, on the fish. Pair this salmon with some BC Pinot Blanc or Sauvignon Blanc.

For the tartar sauce:
1 cup | 250 mL mayonnaise
2 tsp | 10 mL dried dill
3 Tbsp | 45 mL finely chopped cornichons (gherkins)
1 Tbsp | 15 mL finely chopped stuffed green olives
1 Tbsp | 15 mL finely chopped shallots 
1 Tbsp | 15 mL finely chopped capers
1 Tbsp | 15 mL finely chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp | 30 mL lemon juice
1 Tbsp | 15 mL Dijon mustard 15 mL

For the salmon:
four 6 oz | 175 g  boneless wild BC salmon fillets (skin on) (Rob prefers pink salmon but coho or sockeye also work well)
sea salt

For the tomato salad:
2 Tbsp | 30 mL extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp | 10 mL rice wine vinegar
1 tsp | 5 mL Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp | 15 mL finely minced shallot
1/8 tsp | .5 mL cayenne pepper
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 medium fresh heirloom tomatoes (yellow ones work nicely)

            Prepare the tartar sauce by combining the mayonnaise, dill, cornichons, olives, shallots, capers, parsley, lemon juice, and mustard until well blended. Set the mixture aside.
            Prepare the tomato salad by whisking together all the ingredients except the tomatoes. Slice the tomatoes into 1/4 inch | 6 mm rounds. Gently toss the tomato slices in the vinaigrette and divide the salad between 4 serving plates.
            Season the salmon fillets with salt and let them sit for 10 minutes.
            Prepare your grill for medium direct heat. Place the salmon fillets, skin-side-down, on the cooking grate and slather each of them with 1 Tbsp | 15 mL of the tartar sauce. Cover the grill and cook the salmon for 5–7 minutes, until the fillets reach an internal temperature of 135°F | 57°C.
            To serve the salmon, place the fillets on the plates beside the tomato salad and finish the dish with a dollop of the remaining tartar sauce.

Welcome to episode 18 of the Barbecue Secrets Podcast!

Click on the little "pod" icon to the left of the episode title above to listen to the show. You can subscribe to it for free on iTunes here. You can also get a handy Android app to hear the latest show and dive into the back catalogue for only $3.99. Find out how at the end of this post!

SHOW NOTES FOR EPISODE 18

In this episode I sift through the ashes of my team's spotty performance at the Canadian National BBQ Championships in Whistler, B.C. At some point I guess I'm going to have to start referring to myself as a former barbecue champion.  Although they can't ever take all those cheap plastic trophies away from me. 

After a bit of post-Whistler soul-searching interspersed with some audio snippets from the contest, it's time to share my conversation with the Godfather of Zin, Joel Peterson, founder of Ravenswood Winery and California wine legend. Joel and I have done a couple of wine/food events together and he is one of the best storytellers I've ever met. I'm delighted that he agreed to tell my favorite from his youth -- a hilarious wine-making near-disaster that never fails to generate side-splitting laughter.

Joel and I were written up in the local Whistler paper, The Pique. Check it out. 

For this week's recipe, I'm sharing our team's Championship Barbecue Chicken, which, with a few tweaks from chicken master Vince Gogolek, saved our dignity with a third place finish.

Oh. One more thing. Here's a pic of the giant tomahawk rib roast I mentioned in the podcast. It placed fourth in the chef's choice category, but it was number one in my books as a piece of over-the-top barbecue theatre. 

I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Write me at rockinronnie at ronshewchuk.com, tweet me @rockinronnie, or post something on the Barbecue Secrets Facebook page. Hey, if I get enough good questions, maybe I'll do a special Q&A edition of the show!

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This recipe was first developed by my old friend and fellow Butt Shredder, Ann Marie “Amo” Jackson and further refined by another Butt Shredder, Vince Gogolek. It has won us some trophies over the years. The sauces are based on recipes by Paul Kirk, the one and only Baron of Barbecue. The key with this recipe is to cook at a low heat and baste often to keep the skin moist and tender. You’ll have lots of barbecue sauce left over. It keeps indefinitely in the refrigerator.

Makes 6–8 servings

For the chicken:

2 medium-sized chickens (4 to 5 lb | 1.8 to 2.2 kg), quartered and backbones removed

1 recipe Asian Poultry Brine (See recipe below)

For the barbecue sauce:

2 cups | 500 mL ketchup

1 cup | 250 mL white vinegar

1 cup | 250 mL dark brown sugar, tightly packed

1/2 cup | 125 mL pineapple juice

2 Tbsp | 25 mL soy sauce

1 tsp | 5 mL kosher salt

1 tsp | 5 mL cayenne pepper or ground dried chipotles

For the chicken baste:

3/4 cup | 175 mL pineapple juice

2 Tbsp | 30 mL lime juice

1/4 cup | 50 mL butter, melted

2 Tbsp | 25 mL soy sauce

2 Tbsp | 25 mL clover honey

1 Tbsp | 15 mL finely chopped fresh parsley

1 garlic clove, smashed or pushed through a garlic press

1/2 tsp | 2 mL kosher salt

Marinate the chicken with the brine in a nonreactive pot in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours, or even overnight.

            Make the barbecue sauce by mixing all the ingredients in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and then simmer it for 15–20 minutes, stirring it occasionally. Cool it.

            Make the baste by combining all the ingredients in a saucepan. Heat it just enough to melt the butter. Keep it warm. It’s best freshly made, but it can be kept in a covered nonreactive container for up to a week in the refrigerator.

            Take the chicken pieces out of the brine and pat them dry. At this point, you can sprinkle them with a little barbecue rub, but it’s not necessary.

            Prepare your smoker for barbecuing, bringing the temperature up to 200–220˚F | 95–100˚C. Line the drip pan of your smoker with a double layer of foil and fill it with apple juice.

            Place the chicken pieces in the smoker. Cover it and cook the chicken for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, painting the chicken with the baste every 15 minutes, until the internal temperature at the thigh joint reaches 160°F | 71°C. Give the chicken a coat of the barbecue sauce and cook it another 5 minutes. Transfer it to a serving platter, tent it loosely with foil, and let it rest for 5–10 minutes. Serve it with some barbecue sauce on the side for dipping.

[Alternate method for a gas grill: use low indirect cooking and some wood chips wrapped in foil placed above a burner to emulate a smoker.]

Asian Poultry Brine

Makes enough for 2 cut-up chickens or a dozen thighs

The high salt content makes this more of a brine than a marinade, and my barbecue team has used it very successfully in competition. It gives the poultry a nice saltiness and a rich, complex Asian flavor. I marinate duck overnight in this; for milder-tasting chicken, a couple of hours is all you need. Pat the excess moisture from the meat after you’ve taken it out of the marinade and then use a barbecue rub doctored with Asian flavors, like powdered ginger and five-spice powder. Don’t be tied to the recipe above; barbecue or grill as you like, and finish the meat with your favorite barbecue sauce.

11/2 cups | 375 mL water

1 cup | 250 mL soy sauce

1/2 cup | 125 mL sherry or vermouth

1/2 cup | 125 mL apple or pineapple juice

1/4 cup | 50 mL brown sugar

1/4 cup | 50 mL coarse salt

2 cloves garlic, pressed or crushed

1 shallot, minced

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 Tbsp | 25 mL grated fresh ginger

1 tsp | 5 mL sesame oil

pinch ground cloves

pinch five-spice powder

Combine all the ingredients well, stirring thoroughly to dissolve the salt and sugar.

 

 

 

 

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Welcome to episode 17 of the Barbecue Secrets Podcast!

Click on the icon to the left of the episode title above to listen to the show. You can subscribe to it for free on iTunes here.

You can also get a handy Android app to hear the latest show and dive into the back catalogue for only $3.99. You'll need the free Amazon Appstore app, which you can get by visiting this link on your Android phone. From the Amazon Appstore, search for Barbecue Secrets, pay using your Amazon account, and you're good to go!

SHOW NOTES FOR EPISODE 17

This show features a conversation with another barbecue icon, the wonderful, wise and funny Karen Adler, who has written some fabulous cookbooks, many of them in collaboration with her friend and fellow Barbecue Queen Judith Fertig. Their latest is The Gardener and the Grill: The Bounty of the Garden Meets the Sizzle of the Grill. 

In the show I asked Karen to name some of her favorite cookbooks. She recommends:

• Michael Chiarella's Live Fire
• America's Best BBQ Homestyle: What the Champions Cook in Their Own Back Yards, by Ardie Davis and Paul Kirk
• Smoking Meat: The Essential Guide to Real Barbecue, by Jeff Phillips, and
• Championship Barbecue Secrets for Real Smoked Food by Karen Putman and Judith Fertig. 

You can get all these books online through the usual sources, but I recommend that you buy them directly from Karen's book distribution business, Pig Out Publications. 

I also asked Karen to share a couple of her favourite recipes for the grill, which I posted on the blog last week. I encourage you to give them a try!

I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Write me at rockinronnie at ronshewchuk.com, tweet me @rockinronnie, or post something on the Barbecue Secrets Facebook page.