Untitled

Blogged with Flock

Untitled

wifvoerevnernberobb
n

The Harpoon Championship of New England Barbecue

This is the next cook-off for The BBQ Guru team. Please stop by and say hello to Shotgun Fred and BBQ Bob!

What is Harpoon Championships of New England Barbecue all about?

• A celebration of the best of Summer—Fresh beer, great BBQ, & live music
• The Harpoon Brewery in Windsor, Vermont offers an ideal setting for the event
• 40 BBQ Teams from all over will be competing for prize money & trophies
• A select few teams will be selling their award winning BBQ to the public
• Great live music provided by the hottest local bands from Vermont
• Come sit back, relax and enjoy the summer with friends at Harpoon Brewery
• Brewery tours offered through out the weekend

Event Date:

• Saturday, July 28th, 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM (Entrance closes at 6:30 pm)
• Sunday, July 29th, 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM (Entrance closes at 3:30 pm)
• Schedule of Events
  

Where to Come:

• At the Harpoon Brewery, 336 Ruth Carney Drive, Windsor, VT. Map/Directions
• Off Route 5, next door to Simon Pearce, exit 9 off Interstate 91
• Free parking available in the fields surrounding the event site
• Camping at the event is for competing teams only. See attached list of local campgrounds and accommodations

• Schedule of Events

• Door charge is $6.00 per person and does not include beer or food Children under 12 are admitted free, but must be accompanied by a parent

• Cash bars serving a selection of Vermont-brewed fresh Harpoon and UFO beer for $4.25 a pint

• Various BBQ teams will be selling a wide variety of hot delicious BBQ

• The event will be held rain or shine. Tickets not sold in advance

Blogged with Flock

Is Smoking Wood Just Wood?

-

It's easy to find hickory or mesquite smoking wood—is it worth the bother to find something more exotic? And just what is the difference between wood chunks and chips?

When choosing your smoking wood, choices probably seem limited, as most hardware stores stock and sell only the two most popular types: hickory and mesquite. But many grilling enthusiasts swear by harder-to-find, more exotic woods. We wondered if it was worth the bother (and expense) to find these woods. We also wondered about the differences between "chips" and "chunks." It turns out that both wood chips and wood chunks have a place in the world of barbecue. Chunks, because of their larger size, burn considerably longer. More smoke means more flavor, so chunks are our choice for a charcoal grill. We soaked the chunks in water for an hour to promote smoking and avoid flaming and then nestled them into the bed of burning coals. Unfortunately, when placed on the bottom of a gas grill, wood chunks do not get hot enough to smoke. On a gas grill, you must use wood chips, which should be soaked in water for a minimum of 30 minutes (so they smoke rather than ignite) and then placed in a disposable aluminum pan (to shield them from the lit burner). With the basics under our belt, we turned to the type of wood. It is best to stay away from soft resinous woods like pine, spruce, and cedar. These needle-bearing trees contain too much sap, making their smoke harsh and foul tasting. We purchased eight different types of hardwood and tested them for flavor differences while barbecuing baby back ribs. The ribs had been brined for 1 hour and were coated with spice rub. We wanted to see how each type of wood smoke would stand up to these big flavors. We must admit, before testing these woods for differences in flavor, we doubted that we would find many. Isn't wood just wood? One by one, we were proved wrong. Tasters were shocked as well. Here are the eight woods tested, with comments about their flavor. Apple and Cherry: slightly sweet and fruity Peach: slightly sweet and very woodsy Hickory: strong, pungent, hearty Pecan (the Southern cousin to Hickory): a bit more mellow but similar to Hickory Maple: mellow, sweet Oak: very perceptible but not unpleasant acidic note Mesquite: tangy, but during the long, slow heat of barbecuing that tanginess turned to bitterness In the end, tasters enjoyed ribs cooked over all of the woods tested, with the exception of mesquite. Each wood has its own personality and gives food a unique flavor; make your choice based on availability and personal preference. - From America's Test Kitchens

Blogged with Flock

The Casual Approach

If you want to keep your meal simple, go for it! A juicy Syrah is dynamite with hamburgers, hot dogs, and corn on the cob. California's Central Coast and Washington's Columbia Valley are producing many examples of this seductive red.

Greet your guests with a glass of the latest vogue pink. Rose is making a huge comeback, with an increasing number of quality wines coming to market. Unlike the sweet White Zinfandel, roses can be dry, crisp, and refreshing. They make an excellent starter with appetizers and can be added to the list of seafood pairings. Roses from Tavel, in France's southern Rhone Valley, and Provence in southern France; rosados from Spain and various varietal roses from California are all examples of why rose is gaining such popularity.

Remember, don't worry about rules. Match wines that you like to drink with your menu, keeping in mind that one should not dominate the other. Think balance.

Thanks to The Costco Connection for the above information.

Seafood Pairings

This is part 2 of an article from the Costco Connection on some great wine pairings:

Seafood
Grilled Salmon with Pinot Noir from Oregon's Williamette Valley or from California's Sonoma Coast/Santa Barbara County goes very well together.

Grilled Mahi-Mahi and swordfish pair well with a German Riesling.

Flounder is very delicate and may be difficult to grill, so be careful. It goes very well with an unoaked New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

Chardonnay goes with any grilled shellfish and vegetables. The Chardonnay's can be found from Washington, Australia, Chile, and California.

Tomorrow...casual wines!

Summer Wines for BBQ

When the summer season rolls around, many people pair their BBQ with wine. Here are some of the classic pairings that you may want to consider from The Costco Connection.

Australian Shiraz really complements pork loins and chops and chicken breasts with a savory rub.

Pork ribs prepared with sweeter sauces go well with a red Zinfandel from California, highlighting the rich plum and blackberry flavors.

Lamb lovers should consider a Chateau-neuf-du-Pape. It's spicy notes go perfectly with the earthy flavors in both the wine and the food.

Cabernet Sauvignon goes particularly well with beef. Cabernet from California's Napa or Alexander valleys or the rich, herbal qualities from Chile's Acancagua, Maipo, or Rapel valleys can elevate any beef experience.

Tune in tomorrow for some more great pairings!