NIGHT MOVES
I do a fair amount of my cooking very, very late at night. Sometimes this is because of what I’m making-- anything placed in my smoker tends to be an overnight affair of tending fires and owling around my backyard. But more often than not it’s because I work a lot, and the time I do have with my family is best spent ...
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THE SMOKE AND THE FURY
I’ve decided that I like the taste of fire. Actually, I think I decided that a long time ago. But only recently have I come to think of it that way—I like rustic smokiness, I like crispy charred burned bits, I like the deep brownish-black sear from just scorching the hell out of something. I like all the things that ...
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CHARCUTEPALOOZA’S FINAL CHAPTER: NERO WOULD’VE BEEN PROUD
As Charcutepalooza concluded with a call for showing off all we’ve learned, I couldn’t help but feel a small amount of glee for the bad decisions I was about to make. Looking at the contest as a whole, there was a lot that went into it: a push to encourage local and more sustainable consumption, an affirmation of home ...
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IT’S NOT A MEAL, IT’S A COMMENTARY ON YOUR FAMILY HISTORY
I’ve mentioned “Any asshole knows…” a time or two before. It was one of my Grandfather’s favorite chestnuts, usually followed by “you don’t [insert whatever stupid or wrong act someone committed here].” The point being that even an asshole, or someone lacking in intelligence, knows better than to do what you ...
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IT’S LIKE BACON, ONLY MORE DRAMATIC AND WITH EXTRA SYLLABLES
There’s something really outstanding about a pig’s belly. The short of it is probably that it’s outstanding because it’s mostly pork fat, which in and of itself is an inarguable point of greatness. The longer answer though, is a study in versatility. Cured and smoked, pork belly makes bacon, one of the Earth’s ...
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SOME PIG
Sonofabitch. If there was a phraseology hall of fame, this would have to be an all time first balloter. What’s so brilliant about it is that it can apply to nearly anything. “Son of a bitch” is what you call someone who’s a jerk or just plain stupid. “Sonofabitch” is what you might say upon the realization of ...
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