Keeping it Simple for Spring Time Grilling

With the weather here in East Bay hitting the 80's over the weekend, it finally feels like Spring is here to stay. The garden is all planted and the bass are spawning on the Delta, so Spring has fully sprung. Even with all of that there is one thing that makes it feel like Spring is here and Summer is right around the corner, and that is BBQ and grilling. Walking out of the hardware store yesterday I caught that always recognizable smell of Kingsford charcoal and lighter fluid on fire. It immediately inspired me to break out my old faithful 18 inch Weber kettle that now only has two legs, also known as R2D2.

On the menu tonight, two beautiful prime quality ribeye steaks. When you grill steaks, keep it simple and you will be outdoing any $45 steakhouse product in the comfort of your own backyard.

Step 1: Get it Blazing!
Use a charcoal chimney to get your coals blazing hot. Let them burn in the chimney until they are red hot and white ashy all over. We want that flavorful crust on the out edge of the steak. The only way to do that is to bring the heat. You should only be able to hold your hand above the coals when laid out for two seconds tops. Last thing, since we are keeping it simple, use newspaper for your chimney. Three pieces of bunched up paper works perfectly and it saves you money on lighter fluid and doesn't leave that lighter fluid taste lingering around in any of your food.









Step 2: Buy Quality Beef!
Your steak will only be as good as the source it comes from! In my opinion a ribeye is the best grilling steak around as it has great marbling throughout the meat which means more flavor. Pay the extra money and get a good "choice" or better yet "prime" quality ribeye form your local butcher or market. Remember spending $12 on the steak is nothing compared to the $40-$50 it would cost at a steakhouse. This isn't something you're going to do everyday so spend the money for the quality and enjoy it.

When selecting your ribeye, you want to choose a steak that is at least one inch thick. I would choose one that is closer to 11/2" thick and close to 16 ounces in weight. The thickness and size is essential for grilling so you can get a good exterior sear and keep a nice medium/medium rare center. A thinner cut will dry out by the time you get a good sear on the exterior. Pick a ribeye with some good marbling (the lines of fat in the beef), as this will melt into the steak which imparts all the flavor.


Step 3: Keep the Seasoning Simple
Grilling a steak is all about the steak. You spent the money on a good cut of ribeye, don't ruin it by over seasoning or marinading it. It's as easy and salt and pepper. Sprinkle your steak liberally with both salt and pepper. Most people under season their steaks which will result in less flavor. Remember this is nearly a pound of beef so go a little heavier on the salt and pepper so that each thick bite has a proper amount of seasoning. A lot of recipes will say to rub the steak with oil to help seasonings stick, forget about it! The salt and pepper will stick just fine without and the oil will prevent that good crusty sear we are looking for.

Step 4: Timing is Everything
So you're finally ready to grill. Lay out your super hot coals in an even layer so that you can hold your hand just above the grill for no more than two seconds. When this happens your ready to grill. Lay your ribeye over the hot coals and set a timer for 2 1/2 minutes. When that time expires turn your steak 90 degrees and set the timer again for 2 1/2 minutes. This will give you those beautiful grill marks and a nice even sear.

After 5 minutes have passed turn the steaks over and repeat the process on the other side. This will give you about a 10-11 minute total cook time on your ribeye, which will give you a perfectly cooked medium rare steak.

Step 5: Rest and Enjoy a Beer
When you take your ribeye off the grill, loosely cover it with foil and let it rest for about 5-7 minutes to let the juices move back into the meat so that it will be nice and juicy when you take that first bite. While its resting enjoy a nice cool beer (you actually should have been doing this the entire time you've been grilling). So there are all these great craft beers out there to choose from but this is one time I can say just enjoy the warm weather and sun and crack open a refreshing light mass produced lager such as the infamous B-minus (bud light).

Served Island Style with sticky rice, sautéed sherry mushrooms & onions, and steamed chard. 

The warm weather is here so get outside, grill, and crack a beer!!!

CHEERS!!!

Doesn't Get Any Fresher Than This

Now that I live in NorCal I don't get a chance to get out on the ocean for "fun" fishing as much as I used to in San Diego. The thing I miss the most about it, the fresh fish to bring home to grill up. In San Diego I regularly had freshly caught tuna, yellowtail, or ono (wahoo) at my fingertips to create a delicious grilled seafood masterpiece. Nowadays that is rarely the case but I do come across the occasional striped bass when out on the bay or delta in between my regular freshwater bass tournaments.

Just last week I decided to take one of these striped bass home for a little fresh fish dinner. People often get intimidated by grilling fish but it's simple as long as you remember a few key rules.
1. Get a fresh fish. It shouldn't smell fishy and if buying whole look for nice clear eyes.

2. Keep your grill clean, hot, and oiled up. This rule can be applied to many other things in life as well, I'll let you use your imagination :)

3. Don't move the fish until its ready! Don't do the classic grilling fidget where you wanna peek to see if it's sticking. If you think its going to stick it probably is, so let it form a nice crisp crust and your sticking to the grill problems will be a thing of the past.

Ok, now for the fish. This particular "striper", as they are known in the fishing world, was literally swimming two hours before it hit my grill. This one weighed a few pounds after cleaned and I decided to cook it whole, skin on and scaled. For this particular recipe I went the propane route, using my Infared Charbroil grill, that will crank out an amazing amount of surface heat that will help when cooking a "skin on" fish. When grilling fish keep it simple, especially with a milder white fish like a striped bass.

Rub some olive oil on the outer skin of the fish and season with salt and pepper. Cut diagonal slits about a 1/2 inch deep into the flesh. This will help the heat penetrate the fish and keep the fish from wanting to curl up as the skin crisps. For some flavor I cut up some slices of lemon, onion, and fennel tops and stuffed them into the body cavity of the bass. Simple as that.

Over a medium-high heat place the whole bass gently on your grill and cook for about 7-8 minutes on one side. Remember NO PEEKING!!! Use a spatula and tongs to then flip the fish over without scraping under the fish so that the skin will stay intact and repeat cooking the other side for another 7-8 minutes. cooking the fish whole will keep it ridiculously moist and add even more flavor. Simple as that!

Source

Enjoy this bass with a nice amber ale that has some good floral
flavors but also a little bit of bitterness. Try one of my San Diego favs, Ballast Point's Calico Amber Ale. Can beat pairing a bass recipe
with a beer named after a bass right?

CHEERS to the Striper (not stripper)!!!

What to do in Tahoe When There's No Snow

  As the new year roles in up here in NorCal we all have been loving the less than winter like weather so far this year. I sit here and write this post in shorts, a t-shirt, and my slippers on January 7th....yes that's right, it's 70 degrees out today and full sunshine. Last weekend we went to South Lake Tahoe, where I once called home, amongst the beautiful summers and snow-filled winters. After college I lived out my snowboarding dream for two seasons, working at Heavenly resort and drinking my way through the plentiful drinking holes of the south shore, always ending at a nearby blackjack table.

  Well, those days appear to be a thing of the past as this year the only thing white in Tahoe was the pasty skin of those from the midwest on a holiday vacation in sunny California. So what do you do if there is no snow in Tahoe? You drink beer of course!!! And play blackjack and shoot pellet guns in the middle of the Nevada desert, but that story is for another time.

   This trip I finally tried the brewery I had walked by at least 100 times. Stateline Brewery is located in the basement of the Heavenly Village shops at the base of the Heavenly Gondola. There are signs everywhere so you can't miss it. I've always seen their logo and liked it, boasting their "It's always 5 o'clock here" slogan. I finally decided to give their beer and food a try. Stateline Brewery offers a rotating menu of their five beers that include Stateline Pilsner, White-out Wit, Neat Wheat, Avalanche Ale, and Darker Parker Strong Ale. I decided to try their sampler that included three of their craft beers plus three guest beers.

First up was the Stateline Pilsner, a German style lager in which they brewed using Belgium barley and German yeast. This beer was very light in color and in taste. It wasn't my style of beer as it was very light and resembled somewhat of a craft version of the typical mass produced American lagers of the world.

Next up was their Avalanche Pale Ale, a very mellow version of an American style pale ale. It was light in color and surprisingly very light in taste and hoppiness. I guess that was the theme of their brewmaster as their beers were all of a lighter version in hop flavor compared to most craft breweries. Finally, the third sampler was placed in front of me, their Darker Parker Strong Ale. It was by far the darkest and most flavorful of their current beer selections but still a pretty mild ale by craft beer standards. It is a Scotch Ale that offered the common characteristics of a malty flavor, but this one didn't follow up with much of hoppy finish.

Overall, Stateline Brewery was a fun atmosphere and more modern scene than many of the bars/restaurants of South Lake. They have a pretty extensive menu of your typical brewpub type food. I had a french dip sandwich that was a generous portion and pretty good au jus on the side. The side was good as each sandwich comes with a beer battered, almost tempura-style french fry that had a good seasoning. Next time your in South Lake Tahoe, whether you're fresh off the powder or just praying for it, stop by Stateline Brewery for a pint and some food.

CHEERS!!!

Respect the Elder

  After a long, loooooonnnnng week of work and dealing with car dealers trying to fix my truck last night I was due for a good drink. I stopped by the Whole Foods near my house to check out their beer selection. I don't shop there much but I will give it to them, they have a pretty good craft beer selection. After a quick browse I saw one of my favs, Pliny the Elder from Russian River Brewing Co. Pliny is a double IPA that is very hoppy which makes sense given its name (read Russian River Brewing's story on the website.) For those you not in NorCal check out your local Whole Foods or BevMo to find the Elder!!!

CHEERS!!!