BBQgeek

If she only had purchased the propane torch instead...

     It's not often that BBQ makes it's way into the mainstream news headlines, but I couldn't resist passing on this BBQ related story from Fox News.  It's about a resourceful mother who fought off a child rapist with nothing more than a BBQ fork.    When asked about the incident, the Texas mother kept it short and sweet, "He was well done."

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,289582,00.html

Taking on Top Chef: Ep. 3 Low Cholesterol Favorites

     So, Episode 3 of Top Chef presented a special challenge to the BBQgeek.  Can you take BBQ, reformat it, and at the same time make it low cholesterol?  After careful consideration, I decided that the answer was....No.  I'm not interested in low cholesterol BBQ.  It sounds as appetizing as a nice plate of tofu glazed with pesto (ugh).  However, I am quite interested in reformatting traditional BBQ into something new that retains the spirit of its origins but presents it in a new and exciting way.  Furthermore, Howie stole my idea.  If I had been in that room with the rest of the contestants I would have chosen the exact same dish (pork chops and apple sauce).  Why?  Because BBQ folks seem to under appreciate the power of an apple based cole slaw.  Howie knows the same secret I do (and now you, dear reader, do also) - apples and pork go together like peas and carrots.  If you want to impress your friends, bust out your standard pulled pork and dress it with a nice, crisp apple/fennel slaw instead of that foul cabbage/mayonnaise soup so commonly found down here in Georgia.  Your friends will swear that you walk on water.

So, this week I present for your review my revision of the tried and true favorite - Buffalo Wings.

Deep Fried Ravioli stuffed with pecan smoked chicken, blue cheese, buffalo sauce and served over sauteed carrots and celery.

This recipe starts with something familiar and comfortable : smoked chicken thighs.  I picked up a package of ten chicken thighs from my local grocery store, dusted them with a little salt and threw them on a nice, even 225 degree smoker for two hours.   I didn't want to overpower the thighs with smoke, so I chose pecan wood as my smoking agent.  It has a really nice, mellow flavor that isn't quite as overpowering as standard hickory smoke.  After the two hours had passed, I brought the thighs in to cool while I prepared the rest of my equipment.  Half of the thighs (five in all) would be ground into a simple forcemeat and the other half (again, five thighs) would be pulled into bite-size chunks.  Before the night was over I had a nice pile of pulled thighs and ground meat which I would turn into my ravioli at the restaurant.

Arriving at Haven the next day, I consulted with my good friend and executive chef, Stephen Herman, about how we could present this classic in a new and exciting way.  We knew the ravioli stuffing would need some sort of creamy ingredient to keep it loose and yummy.  We decided to go with blue cheese since it is a favorite in the standard buffalo wing presentation.  So, we blended even parts ground, smoked chicken and pulled chicken and then added crumbled blue cheese and Frank's Buffalo Chicken Wing sauce to taste.  I've got to say that I was surprised that we got it on the money right off the back.

       The next question was what shape the ravioli would take before hitting the deep fryer?  I suggested a simple  square ravioli, but Stephen had a better thought in mind.  I watched as he quickly folded a simple square piece of pasta into an elegant little pyramid.  All that was left was to decide what bed the ravioli would be served upon.  Carrots and celery are the standard presentation, and after a minor debate over a possible apple or celery slaw, we decided to run with the classic elements.  I quickly julienned some carrots and celery, tossed them in a saute pan with a little EVOO and butter,  and softened them up after five minutes or so.

      The frying of the ravioli only took a minute or so in the deep fryer.  After tasting them, the only possible options we considered for the next try at this dish were to possibly toss the ravioli in bread crumbs before frying or using Gyoza instead of pasta.  The result was quite tasty and very reminiscent of the  inspiration.  We did not stray too far as to become unfamiliar.   The crunch of the fried pasta offset the creamy center quite nicely.  Stephen and I agreed that the carrots and celery were a nice nod to the original dish, but the new dish would probably be better served with a sweetish-slaw to offset the heat of the buffalo wing sauce (again, coming back to that awesome apple/fennel slaw thing).

     I strongly suggest you take a shot at this dish if you have the means.  Assuming you have a smoker (of course you do - you're reading a BBQ blog), then the only other piece of special equipment you need is a meat grinder of some variety.  The rest is well within your means.  And I beg you, if you stumble across some revelation while attempting this dish then please share it with me.  I'm getting a woeful number of comments on this blog and could really use some feedback.

Happy Smoking - The BBQgeek

A Picture is worth a Million Words

     So, I was lucky enough to capture this photo at a recent wedding catering event I worked  with Sam and Dave's BBQ.  In this case, I was priviledged enough to work the event with THE Sam and Dave, also known as David Poe (0n the left) and Sam Huff (on the right).  These gentlemen are long standing friends, but BBQ can drive people to extremes as evidenced in the photo below.

Just remember that there are there are several things you just don't discuss with others:  Religion, Money, and BBQ.  This particular situation was arrived at over a simple discussion that erupted into an argument over whether we should serve our regular sauce or our spicy Carolina sauce.