a competitive BBQ cook's food curiosity
Do your pork chops curl up during cooking? Pork Tip: Cut 2-3 relief slits on the outside of your pork chop to enable the pork chop to lay flat during and after cooking Want to keep your pork chops juicy? Pork Tip: Grill your pork …
Have you noticed the price of vegetables, dairy and especially meat these days? Oh, by the way, that’s all the good healthy foods we are supposed to eat. How do we stretch a dollar when food prices have escalated? How can we make meals affordable? …
Most often we think of steak as associated with a steakhouse – Béarnaise sauce, mushrooms, asparagus spears and double stuffed potatoes. But, when one wants to enjoy a steak at home, it can be much simpler and also much more affordable. One of my favorite …
One of my biggest pet peeves (in my quiet voice) is dry meat. Given the opportunity for a delicious, juicy meal, I find it difficult to enjoy when the meat is chewy, grainy and just dry. Some cuts like pork loin or chicken breast are …
Ooey gooey cheese stuffed meatballs is pretty much a non-discussion item for dinner. When I bought a 5lb package of lean ground beef from Costco for this week’s Supper Challenge “bite size” theme, I didn’t expect to prep the whole package. Nor did I expect …
I’ve got a hankering for the sweet crunch of Coconut Shrimp, the question is, can it be made at home? Of course! I live in the Prairies, so seafood is far distance away. The easiest and most economic way to access seafood is frozen. But …
Ready to cook? Follow this link to a recipe for quick BBQ Baby Back Ribs.
I love love love sweet breads and this Cinnamon Almond Knotted Bread is no exception. Its perfect for brunch, breakfast, snack, tea time, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas – generally anytime. This knotted sweet bread is tender and sweet and looks beautiful. Inspired by an Estonian …
What is a steamed bao? Pronounced “bow,” steamed bao is a bread or roll that is steamed and filled with meat and/or vegetables. Alternative names for steamed bao? Mantou = plain steamed bao with no filling, sometimes tinted a color due to the addition of …
So pleased to collaborate with Rob Reinhardt, another Canadian BBQ champion and friend, on smoking Tri-Tip two ways! In this video, I cook Tri Tip, also known as Santa Maria steak to medium rare and Rob cooks it like a brisket. Both are delicious options. …
An introduction to brisket – where the brisket comes from, what does it look like, should brisket be cooked fat side up or fat side down? Brisket can be a daunting meet to cook. Whether its BBQ’d, smoked, oven roasted or braised, brisket can be …
So you bought a brisket and now, let’s smoke/ BBQ/ cook this brisket! If you’re trembling with excitement, then you are ready!. We all feel that buzzy, lightheaded feeling knowing an excellent meal is coming soon! For more information on the two muscles that make …
Kimchi is so great for your gut, its full of probiotics and bacteria that is good for your body. Often served as a Korean side dish, these spicy pickled vegetables help reduce inflammation, low in sugar and has flavor to distract you from the vegetable …
My kid’s have excellent taste. They asked me to cook a Beef Wellington. Right…. I guess the a la carte must be excellent at Bistro SmellaQue? How am I going to execute this dinner request? Foodies often miss the level of difficulty in cooking a …
Asian cultures cook and serve whole fish all the time, so when I saw a fresh whole sablefish (black cod) at the store, my jaw dropped and I couldn’t wait to take it home and enjoy it roasted at home. My favorite dish at Japanese …
What does one do with leftover turkey or chicken when you’re looking for flavor punch? Tortilla soup has all the makings of a hearty meal and its easy to assemble! After cooking a turkey dinner, the next couple days, I want to cook with as …
When my neighbor generously shared the finds of his hunting trip, I was ecstatic. Pheasant? Cleaned and prepped pheasant breasts? YES, I WOULD LOVE SOME <in my most polite and rational voice>. The real question was – how was I going to cook it. BBQ …
Grilled octopus is a challenge and fascination for me. I’ve had memorable eating experiences when its tender and delicious, and I’ve suffered through chewy challenges as well. Like all cooking adventures, the goal is to ensure this delicacy is cooked well! Octopus and particularly the …
One of the goals I had when building my DIY Tin Can Smoker, was to cook a whole animal. For directions to build your own DIY Tin Can Smoker, click here. In a 6 diameter tin can, the choices are pretty limited. Where lump charcoal …
When a friend’s Facebook memory showed his home made smoker, I was obsessed and wanted to have my own fun. Thanks JLH! After a bit of planning, I now have my own DIY Tin Can Smoker and manufactured for less than $5! Objectives and considerations: …
Here it is, instructions to spatchcock with pictures below! I’m not sure I’ll ever get over this fowl word <haha, get it? Fowl for poultry, not a foul word!> I know you want to spatchcock, so you can brag to your buddies. Check out the …
No, its not a foul word, its a fowl word! Spatchcock means to remove the spine or backbone of poultry, flatten the poultry so it is ready for grilling. So, a fancy word for a butterflied chicken, duck, goose, turkey, cornish hen. So, why “spatchcock?” …
I realized today how inspired, motivated and proud to have rubbed shoulders with amazing women in BBQ! They have fired up my inspiration and I’m in complete awe of these strong, vibrant and gifted ladies! I am ever so thankful to have come across them! …
I live in the frigid great white north, in Canada. Confession: I’m a total wimp when it comes to being outside and “enjoying” it. Yep, the quotation marks around “enjoy” is what I am expected to say, but that doesn’t mean I do. BUT! I …
I’m Curious Marinating meat is first, to instill flavor into meat and then, often known to tenderize the meat and collagen via acid or enzymes. But does connective tissue in tough cuts of meat actually breakdown with acid? Do enzymes increase tenderness? How do acids …
There really are tips to better beef below! But first, a quick tip on a lesser known beef cut. Tri Tip is a triangular cut found at the bottom of the sirloin. Originally marketed and made popular in Santa Maria, California in the 1950s, this …
Fun facts about Albertan and Canadian Beef that will moo you: Canada is one of the largest exporters of red meat and livestock in the world? We export around 45 percent of Canadian beef and cattle production each year! Canada’s pasture and prairie store up …
What fishy facts or beef myths are out there? Are they real? Read on! Myth: The left brisket is more tender than the right brisket Answer: False! Come on! The brisket muscle is the front shoulder of a cow. Since cows stand on four legs, …
What is the difference between white meat and dark meat? Meat is largely comprised of protein and when it comes to protein, there are different kinds. The protein at hand, is myoglobin, a protein that carries oxygen to the different muscles and is highly pigmented …
During the early stages of COVID, the number one searched online recipe was for banana bread. When I looked at most of the recipes that came up, none of them fit my criteria of what banana bread should be. Ha! Call me picky. Call me …
I like a good AAA steak in Canada, but what does that mean? What is beef grading? How does AAA translate in the USA? What about Wagyu? Surprisingly, these are loaded questions and worth every bite (of information). Canadian beef is graded or evaluated against …
YOU WILL RULE THE GRILL if you cook meat to the perfect doneness! You know what a perfect steak tastes like – perfect amount of salt and maybe a slight edge of pepper or spice. But your perfect steak is also perfectly done to your …
YOU WILL RULE THE GRILL if you cook meat to the perfect doneness! You know what a perfect steak tastes like – perfect amount of salt and maybe a slight edge of pepper or spice. But your perfect steak is also perfectly done to your …
Goal: Golden crispy fried chicken on the outside that is juicy, tender and thoroughly cooked on the inside. Fear: Chicken cooked on the outside and raw on the inside. Yeech. Answer (with fear resolved): sous vide fried chickenBy slowly cooking the chicken prior to battering …
