Today

Still managed to be an eight hour day, but a lot of it was enjoyable.

Tomorrow is going to be freaking insane. We have a huge party with work, where we are going out to some of the biggest Cantinas in Seattle and the surrounding area, to party it up for Cinco de Mayo.
Afterwards (we should be done with that by 8PM), I'm having some friends over to grill steaks, hang out, and just relax after a hard day of partying.

So right now, I've just finished watching the Mariners game, which was a nail biter, but they managed to win 15-11. And I happen to be enjoying a bottle of 1990 Chateau Margaux (delicious), eating some grilled skewers of lamb (Souvlaki style, because I love rosemary and garlic), and mac and cheese. That's right. Lamb and Bordeaux with my mac and cheese. It's freaking SPLENDID people. I really should get paid for this shit. The mac and cheese is my recipe (posted before on the old blog, but if you need it, email), and makes the boxed stuff look like cat food. But the grilled lamb is the star...

Which brings me to my next point. Grilling.

I happen to be a grilling aficionado. I feel that there is a right way to do it, and a wrong way. Gas is a no-no. I don't care how good your gas grill is, how much you try to cheat by adding those wood chips to the "smoke tray," or how much you dislike charcoal. If you don't like charcoal just broil your food in the oven, and throw the grill away. (And I'm not hating on gas, I won't own an electric stove, that's just lunacy.) Grilling is about DRY HEAT, and one of the primary byproducts of burning propane is WATER VAPOR. Steam is not dry. Plus there is flavor. Gas adds no flavor at all, where wood adds a TON of flavor.

But it doesn't stop there. I use special charcoal. Not briquettes, even though Henry Ford is a genius for inventing them with waste from one of his factories, but chunk charcoal.
This stuff burns hotter, tastes better, and has no additives. (IT'S WOOD)

And to fire the charcoal. I build a miniature flat roof house out of hardwood in the grill, with a sheet of wadded newspaper inside. Place the charcoal on top, and light the paper. Think about what it would be like to burn down a Lincoln Log House, with flat roof that had charcoal on top. Wood fires the charcoal, and then becomes more coals itself. The flavor is unbelievably good, and I refuse to grill any other way.

Then there is timing, marinades, and everything else. But for Grilling 101 you need to remember 3 things. Hardwood charcoal, firing it with hardwood, and avoiding any kind of "fuel" be it propane, lighter fluid, or the like. There will be more grilling rants throughout the summer.


So now my lamb is gone, I'm a quarter of the way through the wine, and hockey is on.

I'll be posting a Cinco Wrap Up later tomorrow. Until then...