Patio party

Our patio party yesterday came off really well. Everyone we invited made it, the weather was unbelievable, though a bit windy, and there was more food and drink than we knew what to do with. I guess that means we did it right.

I set up the Smokenator as such, with two racks on the bottom grate and a 6-rib rack on top. Temperatures fluctuated between 220 and 300 the whole time, and I was feeding it a lot of new, already-lit coals. I was ready to ditch the whole thing and just pile some charcoal inside the kettle, but fortunately I planned enough time for something to go wrong, and in the end was able to get the ribs off in time. They were tender but still meaty, great flavor too. The only downside was that I didn't have time to get that back membrane off like I usually do, and it really needed to have been removed. Still, they were a hit.

As I told my guests, this is why you have a big grill. This is all the chicken we marinated overnight in Mojo sauce. Cheap and easy, and a world of flavor when you let it sit in the marinade for at least 12 hours. I'd even recommend going 24 hours - ours went about 18. It's so juicy and flavorful, and cheap. Sometimes, store bought is good. And, although the skin looks burnt, it was really tasty and crispy.

Burgers, dogs, fresh Jersey corn, and some chorizo sausage in case a grown-up wanted something a little different.

      

More pics of festivities - the bounce room was some of the best $200 ever spent three years ago. Who doesn't like to bounce?

What was nice was that even with kids, some people stayed until about 8, so we were able to get the firepit going when it was about 60 degrees. That is the best way to end the night for me - food, fire, and drinks. In all I think we had 24 people over - our largest party yet. And I've got all four October weekends open - probably a first. So I guess it's time to work on beating the numbers....

You got 16 pounds and what do you get?

Smoked baby backs!

We're hosting a patio party tomorrow for friends we used to work with. Total of 27 people expected, kids and adults. Should be a blast - it'll be our biggest party ever. I've got 8 racks of ribs in a neighbor's fridge - there's not enough space in ours. Come to think of it, there's probably not enough space on my kettle for all of them. I've got a standing rib rack that should hold 6, and maybe I'll jury rig the other two on the Smokenator's second grate level. Somehow...

We've also got chicken thighs and drumsticks marinating in mojo sauce overnight, and your basic burgers and dogs... you know, for kids. Wife is making her specialties for app's - salsa and guacamole, plus a chili cheese dip I could eat all day, and a crab dip I won't touch.

I know there are other sides she bought (you can only prep so much), but I just finished 2 pounds of BBQ macaroni salad, a recipe from Cook's Country. It is quite simply the best macaroni salad I've ever had. Considering it's only the third or fourth I've had, it doesn't really say much. But it does rock.

Tomorrow I only need to make my BBQ sauce, which hopefully won't be necessary, and do a ton of setup work before people start arriving around 2:30p. Fortunately, the Hoegaarden beer is already in the cooler....

I. Love. Fall.

OK, it's not really fall yet, but it's been a fantastic couple of days here in central NJ, with sunny skies, low humidity, and highs in the 60's and low 70's. I can't think of any better weather to spend a few hours outside, firepit a'blazing, and ribs a'smoking. Son and I played some golf this morning, right after I seasoned some baby back ribs I bought yesterday and threw them in the fridge. The kettle temps were kinda high, mostly around 400 degrees,and I forgot to soak my wood chunks so they smoked out pretty quickly. I also didn't brine these ribs, which my favorite recipe says to do.

They were a bit over done, I will admit. Certainly low and slow is the best way to go, but I also needed to feed the family at a reasonable hour. I may try again next Sunday, as on the last Saturday of the month we're having a pretty big patio party here, and my goal is to have a couple racks of ribs to serve as an accompaniment to your basic burgers, dogs, and chicken dishes. Those are easy to cook but don't impress friends much. And I'm looking for an ego boost.

Side note...

My father ordered some Lobel's brisket that we had Monday night. It was tender for sure, but for all the $ spent, it had no char, no taste of rub, a lot of sauce, and an odd recommendation for a vinegar-based mopping sauce to drizzle on it.

Again, I stand by anything I've ever bought from them (what little I do because it's so expensive) - their steaks are unbeatable. But I wasn't too pleased with their brisket.

Especially knowing what I can do with one.

Guess what? Chicken Butt.

Had a nice weekend off. Sunday and Monday were spent in the Poconos where my Uncle has been building and renovating a cabin for 30 years or so. Aunt made a great whole tenderloin, and my cousin and I contributed grilled potatoes that needed about 30 more minutes on the grill, and lightly grilled romaine lettuce. There's nothing like crisp mountain air on a cloudless day to do a person good.

But Saturday we had some friends over and Wife asked if I would grill something. I wanted to do a tri-tip, but the butcher was sold out. Mental note - don't go food shopping around noon on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend. So I picked up 2 fryer chickens, some asparagus, corn, and hamburger meat, and started prepping. I've learned that there isn't a whole lot that needs to be prepped for beer can chicken, and I made a bunch of seasoning a few chickens ago so it's always on hand.

I'm slowly learning how to manage the temperatures correctly...

So that I get results like this.

The 620 with a burger for the kid, grilled corn basting in a butter/BBQ sauce, and marinated asparagus.

Mmmm, corn....

Some olive oil, lemon juice, pressed garlic and minced rosemary does wonders for asparagus. You almost can't leave it on the grill long enough, because it tastes good even when charred.

Had some leftover challah bread and an idea...

 

For Jewish Toast. It was a little stale to start and not as tasty as the frozen stuff, and it may not be the best bread for a Texas toast substitute, but I'd like to try it again with fresher bread.

With some time off this weekend too, I'm looking to try my hand at some grilled pizza. Salud!