Smoked Babyack Ribs with Fresh Currant Chutney Glaze

I'm thrilled to be a part of the Char-broil All-Star Bloggers this year. Today they put up my first post, a recipe for smoked babybacks glazed with a sauce using fresh currants. Here is how it begins....

Gorgeous fresh currants at my grocery store drew me in like a kid to a candy store. I realized I’d never seen fresh currants, and they reminded me of huckleberries, a berry I’m quite fond of. I knew I had to make a sauce with them and who knows what else, so I bought a flat...

Read the rest of the post here.

We need one more day! Smokin' Pete's back open on Friday

Eric was right. There. I said it. When we decided to close for two days to deep clean and reorganize a bit, all was fine. When I said, "Yeah, but the floor really needs to be repainted," Eric replied,
                 "You're crazy. I'll have no part in it."

I'm a bit of a picker. If I see a little paint chipping off, it's a struggle not to pick it. So I rented a giant shot blaster machine and boy, let me tell you, that thing picked the whole floor off!

So we need another day for the paint to dry.

My fault. See you Friday. Could you not wear high heels? Maybe socks. Or those booties real estate agents give you when entering a house for sale. No?

Recipe: Huckleberry Pie

The huckleberries were late this year. So late it's practically fall for a berry that is usually long gone before school starts. I know in the past they've been ripe by the end of June because Eric made a huckleberry tart for my aunt's funeral.

We camped at the end of June and there was hardly a speck of green buds pushing their way out from under the leaves.

July we were slammed with catering and had family visiting from out of town. No chance for berry picking.

"We've missed them for sure," I told Eric when we ran up to Index, WA for a quick overnight camping trip.

But there they were. Red, juicy, and though not as bountiful as last year, plenty enough for a pie and some left over for the freezer, to top cereal and ice cream later.

The kids helped make the pie.

The recipe is simple. If you've read my book or this blog, you know I like simple.

The Filling:
3 1/2 cups huckleberries
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoon corn starch
Mix the sugar and cornstarch together, then carefully coat the berries with it, as huckleberries are more delicate than most berries.

For the pie crust, try my mom's recipe, which is in my book, or use your favorite crust recipe

Mom's Pie Crust
2 cups all-purpous flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
2/3 cup chilled unsalted butter
2 tablespoons shortening
1/4 cup ice water

Mix the dry ingredients together. Cut up the cold butter and shortening with a fork into the flour until it looks like cornmeal. Incorporate ice water a little bit at a time until you can gently form a ball with floured hands. Divide into two balls.

On a floured surface, roll out the first ball to about 1/4 inch thick. Transfer to pie pan. Pat in the dough and prick it in a few places. Pour in filling. Roll out next ball and cut into strips to make a lattice on top. Crimp bottom and top together.

Brush with egg wash and bake in a preheated 425 degree oven until juices are bubbling, about 55 minutes.

Fancy 'Cue: Some wedding shots of the summer

If company picnics in the park are our catering bread and butter, weddings are our dessert. They take much more time, planning, and work, but it's magical to be a part of one of the most memorable days of a person's life.

One of these days, I'll kick off the Smokin' Pete's blog, but until then, I'll share some shots of the summer beyond ribs, brisket and pulled pork. Well, maybe I'll sneak a few of those in too, but here are some of the salads and appetizers we do.

Recipe: Summer Grilled Beef Salad

In honor of the last week of summer, I thought I'd post a favorite dish of mine. I love fresh summer salads, slightly wilted by delicious grilled meats. I made this Marinated Grilled Beef Salad in under 10 minutes, start to finish. Not only is this a fast meal to make when you are out playing late, like you should be, it's light for hot nights and healthy.

I don't usually buy packaged products or already marinated meats, but these boneless Hawaiian style beef short ribs from Trader Joes caught my eye. My first thought was "boneless short ribs, why?", but when I picked up the package I noticed something: the ingredient list was short and all normal food items. No five syllable additives, no high fructose corn syrup. In fact, the marinade sounded like something I'd make.

Sure, it's almost just as easy to marinate the meat yourself with the same 5-6 ingredients on the package, but like I said, we were out late playing in the sunshine. This seemed like a perfect comprimise.

My hunch is that this meat wasn't really from the short ribs, much like "Boneless Country Ribs" aren't really ribs. But the texture, marbling and grain seemed similar at least. I'll have to talk to a butcher and get back to you on that.

I made my charcoal fire good and hot, a two-layer fire with the grill grate close to flames. You can of course grill these with a fully preheated gas grill.

Grill the ribs on high heat, 2 minutes per side approximately, then let the meat rest while you make the salad. The beef came out tender, with a light sweetness from the marinade and, most importantly, not overly salty. So often commercial rubs and marinates are loaded with salt, but these came out nicely balanced.

The salad is simple: Arugula greens with broccoli slaw mix in a light sesame-soy dressing. Again, I make this classic dressing at home, but today for speed and ease, Mr. Paul Newman made it for me. What a guy.

Cut the beef against the grain, diagonally and toss. Mmmm, and not a speck of guilt.

Wordless Wednesday: Camp Bacon

Seattle's Child Article by Rebekah Denn

Wow. I realize this published in JUNE for the 4th of JULY issue of Seattle's Child, and it is now the end of AUGUST, but I just read Rebekah Denn's interview with me, so I'm sharing it now. I actually thought it didn't get published, and was too shy to ask why it didn't, but see now I was merely too buried in pork and brisket to find the article.

If you live in Seattle, you know Ms Denn. She is one of those writers that has her finger on the pulse of the Foodieville. She is one of the Big Girls in the Northwest and she does it all with a toddler in tow. We talked and e-mailed about the challenges of balancing family and work and neither of us came up with an answer. Sorry.

I guess we all have to roll with it. We also talked about giving yourself a break when you are trying to be a super barbecue mama. If you want charcoal, cook with charcoal. If you need dinner RIGHT NOW because the kids are so hungry they're spinning out of control and are mixing the entire bin of Leggos in the bathtub with a bottle of Molasses they somehow snuck out of the cupboard...go with gas.

Read more about our conversation here.

Smokin' Pete's BBQ voted Best BBQ by Seattle Weekly

Just coming up for air from a busy busy catering summer to spread the good news: Smokin' Pete's was voted Best BBQ by the Seattle Weekly.

Read the whole scoop here.

In other restaurant news, we are part of the InBallard.com group. Check out their website for all the best Ballard has to offer. Every Tuesday, there are special events during the summer.

Wordless Wednesday Video Post

Grilling Master Classes at University Farmer's Market this Saturday

I'm really excited to be a part of this event. Come this Saturday for a day celebrating local, farm-direct meats and produce on the grill. Here is the press release. I'm going to be demonstrating with some amazing folks (and I love the title they've given me: "Master She-Griller" I want that on a button):

Grilling With the Masters at U-District Farmers Market


When: Saturday, July 2 9:30 – 1:30 pm

Where: University District Farmers Market (located outdoors at University Heights Center on the corner of University Way and NE 50th)

Celebrate the coming of summer and barbecue season – and watch FREE master chef and producer classes all day long at the market!

The U-District Farmers Market is chock full of farmers and ranchers who raise/produce some of the best meats, poultry and salmon available anywhere in Seattle – all of it local, sustainable and delicious.

On Saturday, July 2, market shoppers can watch fun, expert demos on filleting fish, cutting meat, how to make the perfect hamburger, how to cut a whole chicken, tips on the best types of meat (beef, pork and lamb) for your barbecue...and how to grill it all to perfection.

The Master Line-up:

Becky Selengut, chef and author of Good Fish and the Cornucopiacuisine blog will show shoppers her secret to preparing the perfect fillet of fish. Becky will sign copies of her book which features sustainable seafood recipes from the Pacific coast.
Master butcher, Doreen Nelson, of Smokey Ridge Meats (Chewelah) will be on hand to explain and de-mystify fresh cuts of lamb, pork and beef for the grill and how to get the most value out of cheaper cuts of meat.

Farmer Janelle Stokesberry (Stokesberry Sustainable Farm) is an expert on all things chicken and loves to teach home cooks how to make the most out of every part of the bird. Learn how to cut, quarter and grill a whole chicken.

Farmers Eiko and George Vojkovich (Skagit River Ranch) will be on hand to show folks how to make and grill the perfect hamburger.
Julie Reinhardt, local author of She-Smoke, will be the Master She-Griller, demonstating in-person her mastery of the art of perfect barbecue. Julie is co-owner of Smokin’ Pete’s BBQ in Ballard.
Lissa James of Hama Hama Oyster Company will be on hand to show off her excellent fresh oysters and best ways to grill.
And vegetarians should know that recipes and great grilling tips for veggies and seasonal fruits will also be available.
9:30 – 10:30 am How to Fillet a Fish and Great Grilling Ideas for Fish Becky Selengut

10:30 – 11:00 How to Grill the Perfect Burger Eiko and George Vojkovich – Skagit River Ranch
11:15 – 11:45 How to Cut-up and Truss a Whole Chicken Janelle Stokesberry – Stokesberry Sustainble Farm

12:00 – 12:30 pm Perfect Cuts for Your Grill Doreen Nelson – Smokey Ridge Meats

12:45 – 1:15 Grilling Oysters Lissa James- Hama Hama Oysters

Master She-Griller Julie Reinhardt will be on hand to oversee the grilling and offer expert insider advice all day long!
The University District Farmers Market is open every Saturday, year-round (rain or shine) outdoors at University Heights Center on the corner of University Way NE (the “ave”) and NE 50th. Hours are 9 am – 2 pm.

For more information contact the Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance at 206 632-5234 or go to: http://www.seattlefarmersmarkets.org/

Pacific NW Eggfest

I had a ball at the 6th Annual (my 2nd) Pacific NW Eggfest on June 11. I went with a single item - Kalbi Beef Short Ribs, served with rice made on my Egg. Eric cut the ribs for me on the bandsaw in our walk-in at Pete's, so they were thick and meaty. The ribs marinated for a day. They could have used another day, due to their size, but I had plenty of compliments, including "These are the best short ribs I've ever had." I'll take that.


My two neighbors were Egg-o-matic machines. Every time I looked over, they were coming out with a new dish. I think I might have to step up my game next year and at least add a breakfast or dessert item like these: apple crisp, giant pancakes, and my tent buddie's Planked Twinkie Chocolate Marshmallow Bonanza thingy.

For those of you that haven't been to an Eggfest, it is a meeting of Eggheads, cooking on Eggs. In this case it was open to the public for the purpose of selling Eggs. Folks could purchase the grills we cooked on, at a discount. A good deal when you figure we helped season their grill for them.

Brian from Left Hand Smoke was there again, representing the PNWBA, as were the Butt Rub folks. -Brian brought some tasty home-cured bacon, and the Butt Rub dude is shown here with a mouthful of his own biscuits and gravy.

 And the bonus? It's held right across the street from IKEA, so I was able to pick up a few more platters for the shop, along with a giant wheel of Skandinavian cheese and five other things I did not need.

My Eggnest in honor of the Eggfest 2011

For the second year in a row, I cooked at the Pacific NW Eggfest. The week prior, Eric made our Big Green Egg a perfect nest.

This old fire pit came with our house and used to have a wishing well roof. It would have needed a lot to make it a working grill, though it does have an ash/access door, but the Egg fits just perfectly in it.

I'd always worried that someone might roll off with our Egg. I know that's silly. The thought of a drug addict rolling a Big Green Egg into a pawn shop is comical. But our neighborhood has had issues with theft. It's getting better, but we've had many things disappear from our yard. Eric knows my paranoia so he made this protective nest as a surprise.

It's the little things, or in this case, the really big heavy things, that keep a marriage fresh.

Some of our regulars at Smokin' Pete's

We have a regular biker group that rolls in to Pete's about once a month. Thank you to Pat Ferris (of Dysfunction Junction fame) for the great photo from the other night!

Memorial Day Greetings

Hello from Barbecueville. We've been doing a lot of this lately:

Making yummy things like this:

And a little bit of this:

Greetings on Memorial Day. Today, may you remember your loved ones passed on with joy of their lives instead of sorrow from their passing.

A May Day Bouquet and a Challenge

It seemed strange today to be enjoying a perfect sunny spring day in Seattle, while storms rage in the South. My Alabama cousins are seeing devastation that is hard to describe. So these flowers are for them.

We used to fill construction paper baskets filled with flowers from our yard and hang them on doors of the little old ladies in the neighborhood. We'd ring the doorbell and run. With giggles behind bushes we watched them smile as they took the flowers inside.

I love the surprise and secrecy of the May Day basket. Some people need much more than flowers right now. I challenge you to send someone a little May Day help this month without their knowing who sent it.

Just ring the doorbell and run.

May Day BBQ 7:15pm Pork Butt in the stall....

May Day BBQ 5:30pm: Beef Short Rib Dinner

The final glaze gave these ribs a nice sweet ending. I mixed equal parts strawberry jam with apricot nectar juice, plus 3-4 tablespoons of Worchestershire sauce. The kids loved it. 3 1/2 hours on indirect heat, after some direct grill time was perfect to get them tender. These were pretty small. The short ribs we get in the shop that Eric cuts with the bandsaw are much much bigger and need more time.

May Day BBQ 2pm: Beef Ribs on the grill

I love beef short ribs. I like them sliced thin on the cross cut (marinated long, then grilled hot and fast) and I like the thick cross cut sections like these. They need a fair amount of time to get tender, but I love the flavor from direct grilling.

I marinated them in the morning, though these really are best marinated the night before. The marinade is a basic soy-ginger sauce: Fresh ginger, soy sauce, a little bit of rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, plenty of brown sugar, and a little bit of fruit juice to stretch it.

I started them over direct heat of my Charbroil infrared grill, then moved them to the indirect side and to the top rack. The Hopefully they will be ready for dinner to go with some grilled zucchini.

May Day Virtual BBQ: 9:30am, 11am, 12:20am....Moppin' Time

The mop, a total throw-together recipe from the fridge: Apple cider vinegar, bit of ketchup, puri puri spice (hot!), and the end of the orange-mango jam.

8:12am Pork butt in (I'm already and hour behind....)

It's in. In between all this, I am cleaning an apartment to show today. I come from a long line of people who like to double and triple book themselves. I'm also supposed to be working the lunch and dinner rush at the restaurant today. And I want to get the kids to the park.

Luckily I have a husband that doesn't plan beyond his morning coffee, so I can move some of my plans over to his column. He's cutting me some cherry wood off our clippings to add to the smoker as we speak....

So come y'all, whatcha got goin' on?