Another Pint Please...

The Buddle Inn

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Lang) — Tue, 29 May 2012 00:16:00 +0000

Although safely back stateside, I've got a few more adventures from the Isle of Wight...

When I spoke with David Yates about finding a good pub serving his beer, he suggested The Buddle Inn. So, armed with the Buddle as our destination, we arranged a hike through the "Back of the Wight" to preface our beer destination.

We started of at St. Catherine's Oratory, or the Pepperpot as known by the locals, dating back to 1313 AD it is Britain's oldest medieval lighthouse. It was built as penance for a man who stole wine. Let that be a lesson to you.

From there, we walked to the current lighthouse at St. Catherine' s Point. Built in 1837 it replaced the Pepperpot, in part due to the wreck of the Clarendon in the previous year.

Although normally open for tours, sadly, the lighthouse was closed. In order to make up for it, we walked the nearby fields and snacked on sandwiches while taking in its grounds.

After working up a fairly good thirst, not sustained by the bottles of water we brought, we finally stopped at The Buddle Inn.

The Buddle is not only a local pub, it's a destination pub. It is well out of the way. Feat not though, as it is well worth the trip.

With a spacious beer garden out front and a large compartmentalized dining area inside, the Buddle has tons of character.

They also had Yates. Just as David promised.

In fact, the real ale selection at the Buddle was one of the best I'd seen.

Fuller's, Yates, Goddard's, Island Brewery. The Buddle had them all covered.

Arriving a little after 11, the place was still fairly empty.

For those who had sojourned out at the early hour, they were in the beer garden soaking up some rare English sun. We followed their lead and certainly had no complaints as we polished off our drinks.

The Buddle is a pretty amazing spot and what made our outdoor perch even better, was the beautiful view of the English Channel, just over the tree tops of the garden. Definitely a destination pub, no matter what distance needs traveling.

The Old Customs House

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Lang) — Sat, 26 May 2012 15:33:00 +0000

As a special treat to meet friends, we spent Friday across the Solent in Portsmouth. With almost 1000 years of history, Portsmouth is most notably home to a large naval base and to some, more importantly, their football club, Pompey. Although we always "pass through" Portsmouth, we never really spend a lot of time there. This may have to change. They have a lot going on.

Amazingly, the weather has continued to be beautiful. Seizing this rare moment of local perfection, I hitched a ride to the top of the Spinnaker Tower. The Tower offers a breathtaking view of Portsmouth, the naval yard, the Solent and the north coast of the Isle of Wight. On a clear day, you can see forever.

The observation tower's most interesting attraction was not out the observation windows.

It was on the floor.

I'm standing on glass and yes, those hoofs are mine. Scary, I know…the view was frightening too.

Although it didn't cause me a lot of vertigo, it did provide a great source of amusement, as I watched others scurry across the glass. Some were certainly more adventurous than others.

After leaving the tower, we checked out the HMS Warrior.

Although the Warrior isn't going anywhere, we found another working sail ship that was.

It's crew was making last minute preparations for a tug boat to pull them out to the harbor.

After our sightseeing jaunt was over, we made our way to lunch at The Old Customs House. Part of Portsmouth's harbor renovation was selling off part of the naval yard to make way for new commercial development.

They did a nice job of blending old and new. A channel leading to the harbor was lined with old world war relics - mines, torpedoes, anti aircraft guns and to me, the most impressive sight: The Old Customs House.

Built in 1790, The Old Customs House originally served as the headquarters for the HMS Vernon and later the Commandant General Royal Marines. The building screams history and inside, has been completely renovated.

The floor plan, as far as I could tell, seemed to be intact. The entire pub is made up of different rooms. Some only with tables and chairs. Others with tables, chairs, leather couches and sofas.

We grabbed a sofa near a window and I slid over to the bar to grab a pint while we waited on our friends.

The Old Customs House is "tied" to Fullers. So I had a nice opportunity to try a special style brewed for the Queen's Jubilee next weekend, Hope and Glory Jubilee Ale.

Later on for lunch, I had a Fuller's Discovery.

I've had Discovery at home, but when you compare bottle to cask, there is no comparison. No gas, just naturally carbonated fresh clean beer.

Speaking of lunch, the menu was quite expansive. This always gives me trouble. Too many choices can kill me.

As with most pubs, we placed our food order at the bar and then went outside with our friends to enjoy lunch under the wonderfully warm sun.

For food, I ended up turning toward standard pub fare with the sausage and mash.

Zoë had the bacon, cranberry and brie sandwich. Although I wasn't allowed any of the sandwich, I did snag some cole slaw.

Finally, my regret. I should have gotten Keith's sausage platter.

Five sausages were served on a board with various mustards and chutneys. Yes, it was meant to be shared, but I'm fairly certain I could have eaten it all myself…if I had ordered it.

The Old Customs House was great on all counts: ambiance, food and beer. It served as a great location to catch up with friends we so rarely get to see. We really couldn't have asked for a better time. I believe in the future we are going to do more than simply "pass through" Portsmouth.

The Village Inn

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Lang) — Fri, 25 May 2012 21:16:00 +0000

I was in the Village Inn five years ago. I was also in it last week. I had no idea the Village Inn I was in five years ago was the same one I was in last week. It was that different.

Within the last year, new owners took over and made major renovations inside. It was completely different - basically all new. Most importantly, it was really quite good.

One of the neat things about so many of the buildings in England is their history. It's not every day you can take a picture of a pub...

and later realize someone took the same picture 150 years ago.

We inadvertently stumbled in on buy one starter get one free day. My kind of inadvertent. We skipped "lunch" and went for the starters. First up, a great chutney & pate plate,

followed by creamy leek soup.

Both were excellent, as was the real ale.

The Village Inn is small, but cozy. A mixture of tables and leather chairs scattered the dinning room. Out back was a fairly large beer garden, sheltered by a pergola. Everything was new and fresh.

Our lunch visit was so good, we swung back for dinner earlier this week. The staff was warm, inviting and attentive. I really couldn't ask for much more. Bembridge is lucky to have this as a local.

The Village Inn
61 High St
Bembridge
Isle of Wight PO3 5SF

Tel: 01983 872616

What's on the Grill #245: Brisket in the UK

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Lang) — Fri, 25 May 2012 06:45:00 +0000

Although the English refer to both grilling and BBQ as "barbecue", on this trip I was determined to BBQ in the US sense of the word: low and slow. Bob has really worked his Weber Performer over the last five years. However, of everything he has prepared, he has never tackled a brisket.

Looking back at what Weber is doing in the UK and hell, even a growing number of international visitors to APP, it really appears BBQ is gaining traction worldwide. However, over at Josh's Meatwave, a really interesting comment thread on European BBQ made me realize one obstacle when looking to the US for advice: meat cuts.

When Bob and I decided to cook brisket, we sort of ran into the same problem. All of the brisket we found was rolled.

After an afternoon walk, we swung by a local butcher with a great array of local meat. Thankfully, brisket in the UK is brisket, so it was easy to find. We also had the ability to choose how much we wanted. The butcher put the roll on his cutting board, gauged the width of my outstretched hands and sliced.

With a little help from Wendy, we released the brisket from its bindings.

With the twine removed, a tug was needed to finish the release.

And voila, flat brisket.

Immediately, the biggest apparent difference was the lack of a substantial fat cap. Although some cap was present, it was nothing compared to what I am used to seeing. It was more of a "fat sheet" than a big comfortable "fat duvet".

I had already decided to brine and I'm glad I did based on what I found. Since I was only cooking a 2-3 pound brisket, I reduced my brine to 2 quarts of water, 1/3 cup salt and 1/2 cup sugar. For all of my usual brisket procedures, check here.

The brisket sat submerged in the fridge overnight and I went to sleep.

Brisket Day

The next morning, I pulled the brisket from the fridge, about an hour before grill time, and then helped Bob ready the Performer. I was concerned about keeping the grill temperature low enough, as Bob's briquets seem to put off an extraordinarily large amount of heat.

With the grill finally riding 250 and the brisket rubbed, it went to the grate.

I spent the first couple hours jockeying vents trying to keep the temp in the 250-300 range. When I finally felt things had stabilized, Bob and I did what else, but go for a little bike ride.

We cycled to Yarbridge and a pint at one of it's finest pubs and, as a friend on Twitter told me, their only pub.

When we returned, about 5 hours into the cook, we topped up the grill with freshly lit coals. About 3 hours later the brisket hit 188 F. I pulled the brisket off the grill and allowed it to rest. Why 188? Everyone was hungry and wanted dinner and didn't want to wait 2 degrees. Total cook time, 8 hours.

About this time I also popped open a Well's Eagle IPA.

While there was certainly a good hop bite, I was hoping for something just a little more. Nonetheless, still a good beer.

The brisket sliced up nicely and went great with Wendy's traditional smathering of vegetables: mashed suede (rutabaga), roast squash, carrots and broccoli.

For the sauce, I worked up a sweet english mustard sauce. It turned out pretty good, but I'm still working on some fine tuning.

I had a lot of concerns going in, but it all worked great. In hindsight, I'm really glad I brined. The brisket wasn't as tender as I'm used to, but still hit all of my buttons. Overall, mission UK brisket was a success. How do I know? Wendy had seconds. That never happens.

After going through the paces with Bob, he is all set to give it a try on his own. He loves long cooks and now has one more meal in his arsenal. I can't wait to hear how it goes.

Weber in the UK

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Lang) — Tue, 22 May 2012 17:31:00 +0000

England is barbecue country. How do I know? Look at this display at a local Isle of Wight garden center and keep in mind that's only half of it.

It's reality check time. We are in England. On an island off the south coast. The isle is only accessible by boat and there are more grills and accessories here then at all of the big box stores back at home…combined. I looked on in sheer amazement. Bob mentioned picking up charcoal. I didn't realize we could load up 20 grills as well.

Weber appears to have gone all in on the UK. I picked up their 2012 product guide and couldn't believe everything they were offering. A lot of it, such as the lemongrass, blue and ivory kettle colors are not available, to the best of my knowledge, in the states. Weber is also debuting a "pizza oven" for the kettles. It doesn't appear to be out yet, but it sits on top of the kettle bottom and has a low profile lid and door. Makes me wonder if they have been reading Dave's fire dome adventures at weber_cam.

Add in their pizza waddle, cookware system and first ever UK barbecue school, Grill Academy, it's plain to see Weber has a lot going on across the pond. Flash back 15 years and we could barely find a generic grill. Now, anything is possible.

I think it's great. Now grab a pint and get out and grill!

Yates' Brewery

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Lang) — Tue, 22 May 2012 15:31:00 +0000

We popped over to Jen's house a couple nights ago. There waiting for me, as if on queue, were bottles of Yates' Holy Joe and Yates' Wight Winter. Call it my bad luck, but up until this trip, I had not really experienced any Yates beer. I found both styles really good and both, a little different. Different, that is, in a good way. In a week full of bitters and session beers, it was nice to have something with a little more hop and spice kick. To put it succulently, they were memorable. To me, that's a sign of success.

The next day I promptly reached out to Yates' Brewery and within moments was speaking to owner/brewmaster, David Yates. Upon inquiring about a tour, David suggested we stop out before 11 during the first part of the week. Those are their brew days and although they stay busy, he would be happy to chat.

Yates is a long established Isle of Wight brewery. It is "local" in the truest sense of the word. Situated in a small industrial park in Newchurch, if it had not been for the stacks of kegs outside, we would have completely missed it.

We really didn't know what to expect. It wasn't as if we had to get tickets or sign up for a waiting list. David made it pretty obvious they were working and when it comes to brewing, there is no pause button. The work has to be done.

We made our way through the only open door, which as we stepped inside, spilled immediately into the brewery. From across the floor, I made out the silhouette of David and called out to him. David spun around and at first eyed us a little suspiciously. I can't blame him. Bob looks pretty shifty. I explained who we were and why we had just intruded on his beer operation. Recognition spread across David's face and he immediately thrust out a hand and welcomed us in. Good thing. I was afraid I would have to leave Bob outside.

The brewery was divided into several different areas: the brew floor, the grain loft, a refrigeration room, labeling room, lab and office.

Yates beer is found all across the island and some parts of the mainland. Although he described their operation as "small", I am always impressed anytime I go into a commercial brewer, regardless of their output.

As David indicated in our phone conversation last week, it was a brew day. Working with Ollie, they had a batch boiling in one of their brew kettles.

Ollie was busying taking samples from the kettle and then working on gravity readings in the lab.

David said that because of their size, he does not mill his grain on premises and instead receives it pre-crushed. The ingredient distributor he works with caters to smaller breweries, which allows the brewery to keep costs down.

On the nights before brew days, grain is pre-measured to get a jump on the next morning's brew. Yates can brew two different styles at one time and currently has around eight styles overall.

There are two different brew setups at Yates. One is stainless and completely contained. The other is open and more traditional, or perhaps more like something you might see with our own operation back home.

From the grain loft, there are two large hoppers to get the grain into each of he mashtuns. They are pictured here covered in cardboard.

The traditional setup requires the liquid to be pumped between vessels. The mashtun is next to Bob. The brew kettle or "copper", is to Ollie's left. Behind the kettle is the hot liquor tank.

The grain goes into the mashtun and then heated water from the hot liquor tank is used for the mash and sparge. The collections from the mashtun are then moved to the brew kettle.

When the boil is complete, the wort is moved through a plate chiller, shown here in blue.

I find this part pretty ingenious. According to David, water...even water pressure, are commodities. In order to make things more efficient, they fill large containers with water and stack them. The containers are pictured here behind the stainless fermentor.

The wort is cooled through the chiller by running the water via gravity from the storage container. After passing through the chiller, the water is collected in the hot liquor tank, so that it can be reused for the mash/sparge. The water's dual purpose allows David to run a more efficient and cost effective operation. In comparison, when we chill at home the water just empties into the yard. Perhaps we need to rethink how we do things, too.

The stainless still operation is slick, as it is self contained.

On the left is the mashtun, at the top, and the hot liquor tank, on the bottom. Water is heated down below and then pumped up top.

When ready for collection in the brew kettle, the wort is transferred by gravity from the mashtun on the left, to the brew kettle on the right. Very slick.

Besides the brewing part of the operation, David said they bottle, apply labels and fill firkins too. As I mentioned, Yates brews 8 styles, with a 9th on the way.

Several of David's beers have taken regional CAMRA awards, most recently, their Yule be Sorry took top honors.

David sent us home with bottles of it. I'm dying to try it later. The only "non Yates" beer they brew is for the Isle of Wight Garlic Farm. It's garlic beer.

I'm really curious about it. The garlic is put in at bottling, as David said anywhere else in the brewing process creates too many problems for possible infection in subsequent batches. The beer is only for sale at the Garlic Farm which, funny enough, sent someone into the brewery to pick up more, just as we were talking about it. It must be selling well.

David came to the Isle of Wight in 1979 and after leaving a career in the oil industry, took a job working for a brewery. The rest, as they say, is history. As David worked his way up to brewmaster, he later found himself starting and running Yates' Brewery. Outside of the brewing side of the business, David's son manages the distribution side. Yates is one of the island's largest distributors of beer and wine.

Housed in a sperate warehouse, an army of Yates trucks take all types of different beverages across the island.

David said he never really started out to be a distributor, he just wanted to make beer.

The trucks not only keep local pubs and restaurants stocked, they bring back valuable feedback, especially for Yates' brews. What sells, what doesn't and most importantly, what the customers say.

I cannot begin to say how nice David was to show us around the brewery. He was great to watch. We would start talking and then he would slide over to a kettle, check something, and then slide right back into the conversation. The brewing doesn't stop.

Armed with samples of Yates' beer and a list of pubs with Yates on tap, Bob and I headed out the same nondescript door we walked in. David took a career turn many years ago to follow a passion he has keenly loved and nurtured. It was a honor to have David welcome us in and share it.

The Pointer Inn

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Lang) — Sun, 20 May 2012 12:22:00 +0000

During visits over the last five years, I've been lucky to have made friends with the preeminent Isle of Wight restaurant review duo, Matt & Cat. M&C are the driving force behind the massively successful Isle of Wight Eating Out Guide. Their honest, independent and lively reviews serve as guidance to both locals and visitors alike. More than once on this trip I've heard Bob ask, "So, what do your friends think of "XYZ Pub….".

On Friday night, Matt & Cat graciously invited me to dinner. Which, of course, I jumped at. When we last ate together, they knocked it out of the park. Knowing my love for all things meat and beer, I again had complete faith for another stellar evening.

Our destination was The Pointer Inn in Newchurch. For over 600 years, a pub has occupied its space and just over 2 years ago took on new management. The Pointer Inn is a "tied house" meaning it represents a specific brewery. In this case, Fullers.

Cat mentioned she had booked the last 3 seats for the evening. When we walked in, I was glad she had. The place was packed. The Pointer Inn is a quintessential English pub: two relatively small dining rooms separated by a bar, low ceilings and a unmistakeable warm feeling of community. We made our way through the crowded bar of evening drinkers and checked in with the proprietor, Rachel. Rachel, and her husband Rob, not only run the Inn, they live there too. By all accounts it's their life.

As we grabbed our first pints, a HSB for me and a Summer Ale for Matt, I surveyed the room. There were faces of all ages enjoying dinner and a few tables partaking in birthday celebrations. There was certainly a vibe. About this time I was regretting the fact I brought along my camera bag. It's bad enough having a "different" accent, a credit card without a "chip" (almost no one in England "swipes" a credit card as we do in the States), but to be the only patron bringing luggage to dinner too? Hmm, perhaps a bit much.

We soon took our seats and then relatively quickly decided on our meals. No sooner had we had delved back into conversation to bring each other up to speed on our goings on over the last couple years, dinner arrived.

Matt ordered a pie:

Cat, the filet:

And I, the mix grill:

I tend to be a sucker for any dinner item with an egg on it. Then, figure the mix grill is made up of rump steak, lamb, gammon, chicken, sausage…and an egg. It was a pretty sure thing when I saw it on the menu.

It did not disappoint and better yet, I finished it. There is just something so wonderfully splendid about breaking the yoke of a fried egg and soaking it up with a piece of meat. Devine.

Several times through dinner, Matt mentioned dessert. Normally, I skip desserts and make up for it with beer. However, Matt seemed keen on the pavlova, so as the desert orders were given, I followed his lead.

When it arrived, just one sight of it elevated my blood sugar. It was huge. I later described it to Zoë by placing both of my fists together. It was also delicious and sadly, unlike the mix grill, I just couldn't finish it.

While Matt and I worked our way through ours, Cat had zero complaints on her brownie. It too looked incredible and one glance of the chocolate powder fork silhouette reinforced the notion pub grub is so much more than it ever was.

As dinner wound down, the pub slowly emptied. As it tends to happen with good friends over a great meal, time evaporates.

With most of the tables now empty, we talked to Rachel again. As I mentioned before, the pub is Rachel & Rob's life, but not in a way that "it's my life" is seen as a pejorative. On the contrary, the enthusiasm Rob obviously puts into the kitchen and the passion I observed Rachel work the front of the house shows the The Pointer Inn is successful because it's their life. The Pointer Inn, and I hope I'm not letting the cat out of the bag here, is a top 10 cellarmanship finalist of the 300 plus Fuller's pubs countrywide. No small feat, but after having an amazing dinner and a couple great beers at The Pointer, completely understood.

I cannot begin to thank Matt & Cat for another great evening on the island. Dinner, the locale and most importantly, the company, were all splendid. Cheers.

The Pointer Inn
Newchurch, Isle of Wight

Tel: 01983 865202

The Three Bishops

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Lang) — Sat, 19 May 2012 07:50:00 +0000

One of the best known landmarks on the Isle of Wight are the Needles. These white treacherous rocks, located on the western part of the island, shoot hundreds of feet out of the water and for hundreds of years have posed a hazard to passing ships.

To protect the passage, a lighthouse has been in operation at various locations since 1785.

Outside of the beautiful geology of the area, the Needles and Alum Bay also have a rich military history. The Needles housed a battery during World War I which today has been restored as a part of the National Trust.

Even more interesting, was the top secret rocket facility in operation up until 1971. Remains of gantries still stick out of the rugged rocky coast. It's quite the sight.

As we left the Needles, we continued our way across Tennyson Down, named after the English poet and former island resident, Lord Alfred Tennyson.

The downs give one of the most beautiful views of the island.

As we worked our way around, we ended up in Freshwater and from there, a short car ride to The Bishops Pub in Brighstone. We sort of had the name mixed up. At first it was the Bishop's Three Fingers and then it was the Three Fingered Bishop.

We were ultimately corrected: The Three Bishops.

Although it appears unassuming from the front, the pub is huge. A large sign greeted us and established the "guidelines" for visits.

Seeing we (well really "I") were after real ale, we had a dog with relatively well behaved owners and had mud caked on our boots, everything fit the bill.

It was a pretty chilly day, so the large beer garden outside was relatively empty. Inside, it was obvious the pub had undergone a fairly recent renovation. It was quite nice, spacious and clean. There were two large eating areas and two bars. One bar towards the lower eating area and one up front at more of a "bar" area.

I grabbed an Abbot Ale and everyone else took a tea service. No surprise there.

Brighstone is a very, very small village. There is a little convenience store, a library, an 800 year old church and the pub. My kind of place.

Although we didn't touch the menu, it looked inviting. On a warmer today, it would be great to sit outside and have a meal. I saw several things with "sausage"…I'm easily pleased and look forward to a trip back.

The Three Bishops
Main Road
Brightstone, Isle of Wight
PO 030 4AH

Culver Haven

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Lang) — Thu, 17 May 2012 15:19:00 +0000

I think I need to be careful with the phrase "my favorite pub", as I keep returning to spots I really enjoy, thus leaving me in doubt as to which is really my favorite. Culver Haven happens to be one of those pubs. Sitting high along the wind swept edge of Culver Down, the location is somewhat out of the way, but well worth the trip for the view.

We coincided our stop with a sunset walk, parking just shy of the pub and working our way across the down for an after dinner pint.

There are only a few buildings on top of the down: some holiday rentals and the pub. There are also cows. Lots of them. They have relatively free roam, so outside of the stiles for foot traffic, there are metal grates on the road to help keep them in and perhaps, unbalanced people out.

The last rays of sunlight lit the pub as we approached. I've always thought this place would be great to host an American weekend BBQ. What a way to spend the day minding brisket and pork shoulders. Inside, the place was deserted outside of a large group having dinner.

Several years ago, Culver was branded by Badger Ale, but now is a free house. I preferred the beer selection when Badger was available, but was glad to make up for it with some local ale from Island Brewery.

As I mentioned, we were not eating. Although when I'm involved, that's never really a certainty until the moment of truth: the menu comes out. I do remember the food being pretty good, but truthfully, Culver is all about the view, which we took in from our favorite table out front.

I can't think of a better way to end the evening.

Culver Haven

Culver Down

Isle of Wight

PO36 8QT

01983 406107

The Spyglass Inn

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Lang) — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:47:00 +0000

Easily, one of my favorite pubs on the island is The Spyglass Inn in Ventnor. Nestled at the end of this seaside village, The Spyglass is an incredible spot to take up a chair, grab a pint and watch the English Channel. Our stop at the Spyglass was the mid-way point of our daily hike.

After working our way up about three miles along the south coast, I was ready for lunch.

Although we arrived a little bit before the lunch serving hour of noon, we grabbed a table on the veranda and soaked up some rare English sun. I also took advantage of the bar being open and grabbed a pint of Ringwood's Fortyniner.

Ringwood's beers are excellent and thankfully, on cask.

Once noon rolled around we put our orders in at the bar. As with most pubs, the food order is placed at the bar and then delivered to the table based upon either your table number, or placard.

The wait staff moved through the pub like a well oiled machine. We must have been checked on and "tidied up" after several times. Lunch arrived fast and Zoë's prawn salad arrived first.

It gave her pause, too. The prawns on top were fresh. Very fresh. They still had their heads, eyes and underneath, their eggs.

It freaked her out. Those little types of things can. I actually remember seeing a notice somewhere that the prawns may have eggs, as it was "that time of year". Oh well, what bothered her amused me. I ate them.

As other table orders came and went, we started to realize my lunch may have been missed. Sure enough, although I had paid for it, it was never passed back to the kitchen. They staff was super apologetic and offered to make it up to me by how else, a free beer.

When lunch did arrive, it was huge.

Although I'm sure the burger was good, the free beer made it taste better. I chowed down, we finished up and continued on our hike. Which, brings me to a new rule: no pub lunches and beer before our hikes are done.

If it is to be a casual stroll, no problem. If we are to climb 800 vertical feet, I would like a warning.

Situated behind Ventnor is St. Boniface Down. It's basically straight up and one of the highest points on the island.

Once we got to the top, the view was amazing. However, the ascent on a full stomach and a couple beers wasn't.

Nonetheless, after a few minutes of rest we continued on our way. It was all worth every second.

What's on the Grill #244: Grilled Leg of Lamb

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Lang) — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:42:00 +0000

On Sunday we tossed around what to have for dinner, as grilling was definitely on since the weekend weather was so nice. Thankfully, a sale on New Zealand leg of lamb made the selection fairly easy.

Now I would have said English lamb, but since we had just seen this earlier in the day,

I needed to get dinner from another continent. If Zoë had her way it would have been fruit and veg for dinner and the leg of lamb would have had a name before it ever hit the grill.

I'm not quite sure why everyone is so ready to debone a leg of lamb. To me, meat is always better bone-in. Always. For this reason, our bone-in leg was staying just that way, bone-in.

Grilled Bone-in Leg of Lamb
Somewhat adapted from Stephen Raichlen's How To Grill

3-5 lb bone-in leg of lamb
6 cloves of garlic, sliced
6 kalamata olives, sliced & frozen
4 sprigs of fresh Rosemary
1 T kosher salt
1 T cracked black pepper
1/4 t cayenne pepper
2 T olive oil

I still count my blessings that Bob has a Weber Performer. Although it may not seem it, BBQ (which in the UK is grilling and not BBQ in the US sense) is incredibly popular. Since Bob's grill was ours for the evening, he took the honors of getting it lit. Which, for this recipe, is indirect medium.

For the lamb, pierce the fatty side of the meat all over, with each hole about one inch apart and at least 3/4 inch deep. Take one spring of rosemary and remove the leaves (or are they petals?). Then, take one piece of rosemary, sliced garlic and sliced olive and insert into each hole. The olives are frozen, as it is far easier inserting a frozen and stiff olive, versus one that is not.

Take another spring of rosemary, remove the leaves and mince. Add the minced rosemary to the salt and pepper. Massage the lamb with the olive oil and then add the rub all over.

Although the grill is the same as back home, the charcoal is not. We used briquets and I was amazed at how well they held their heat. I had a hard time getting the grill down to medium, 350 F, even with all of the vents closed. However, once I did, I placed the lamb on and closed the lid. Grill time.

After 30 minutes in, use the remaining rosemary sprigs, dipped in the remaining olive oil, to baste the lamb. Continue to do this every 30 minutes until done. For a 5 pound leg, plan on almost 2 hours to reach medium, about 150 F. Since I'm cooking for the English, they wanted the meat more on the medium well side. Ideally, I would shoot for medium-medium rare, 140-ish F, about 90 minutes.

For dinner, we were excited to have a visit with Zoë's brother, wife and twin nieces. As we hung out, I was asked two questions: Why do you take pictures of your beer? and Why do you take pictures of your food? My behavior was obviously foreign to them. After all, it had been two years since I'd seen them and at that young age Uncle Mike's antics are quite forgettable.

So, yes, I took pictures of beer:

Wychwood's Kinggoblin…a wonderful strong version of their Hobgoblin and Fuller's Bengal Lancer, an original IPA.

After I finished my photo "thing", I was thrilled to see it was contagious.

Apparently taking pictures of food is not as weird after all. The verdict on me, however, is still out.

At just under the 2 hour mark, the lamb was pulled off.

Dare I say, it was probably one of the best leg of lambs I've had in sometime. Of course, I'm sure the presence of family made it just a tiny bit better, too.

The Dark Horse

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Lang) — Mon, 14 May 2012 22:01:00 +0000

It's hard to believe three years have past since Zoë and I were together with Keith & Michelle. At the time, Keith & Michelle were stateside and we spent our time between home and Las Vegas. It seems like yesterday. Since then, Zoë has been out to visit them in Singapore, where they currently live. Wishfully thinking, we both hope to return there together sometime after the first of the year.

Sadly, distance currently keeps us apart. When we learned mutual trips would put us all back on the Isle of Wight within a day of one another, it was a miracle. In order to celebrate our harmonic convergence, we opted for dinner at The Dark Horse in Brading. It didn't disappoint.

Brading is a small village. In fact, as we were waiting for our taxi ride home, which was late on a rather balmy evening, Michelle identified Brading as being from "here"…she pointed to the right…to "here"…she pointed to the left. There's not much to it. Even though Brading only runs from Michelle's outstretched arms, it is home to three pubs, one being the Dark Horse. Before I delve into our evening, I highly suggest checking out the Isle of Wight's dynamic duo of restaurant reviewers, Mat and Cat. Matt and Cat are good friends of mine and the go to source for any and all things eating out on IOW. The Dark Horse, of course, has already been on their list.

Although it was a Saturday night, the pub was half filled. To me, the pub was quintessential English: low ceilings, small rooms and a large fireplace. Although the pub had an old world feel to it, it was obvious some recent work had been done. The back part of the building housed a newer dining room and a small beer garden was built on a deck to the rear.

Although we immediately grabbed a table, we opted to drink and catch up before ordering dinner. At the bar, two of the three real ales served up were from Goddards. Keith and I quickly settled on Fuggle De Dum, one of my favorite locals.

As we caught up, Keith and I talked about everything from work, to the Singapore beer scene to our mutual love of photography. Keith is an amazing photographer and is in the very early phase of putting up his own photography website, Singapore Panorama. Although still putting it all together, the beautiful images he has posted gives an idea of his talent and creative eye.

As we made our way towards dinner, I was amazed at just how the big menu was. To say it was "huge" would be an understatement. The food at The Dark Horse appears to be predominately sourced form local purveyors. Fruit, duck, chickens, beef and cheese all sourced from the Isle of Wight. No surprise, I opted towards the beef.

I had a 10 ounce sirloin grilled medium rare with a grilled tomato, mushroom and crispy onion rings. Keith opted for the same. Yes, we have a lot in common.

Zoë had cod and chips and Michelle had the scampi.

Their chips, incidentally, were fabulous, even if not currently high on my healthy eating list.

The food was incredible and the wait staff was top notch. I left wanting for nothing and I'm pretty sure no one else did either.

As we made out way to the other end of Brading for one last pint before our ride home, we reflected on a great dinner at a great pub and the fact great friends can pick up right where they left off, even if a few years got in the way between dinners.

The Dark Horse
10 High Street
Brading PO36 0DG England

Live, from England

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Lang) — Sun, 13 May 2012 20:23:00 +0000

When Another Pint Please started back in 2006 it was a travel blog. My wife, Zoë, a regular "character" here on APP, hails from the Isle of Wight off the south coast of England. Six years ago we were heading back across the pond to visit family and to celebrate the wedding of two wonderful friends of ours, Keith & Michelle. The blog was my outlet to share our experiences back home. Although beer and food played a key roll in those early days (and certainly plots the current course of APP), the heart of this blog was on the Isle of Wight. Oh, and the title? My favorite pub phrase: Another pint, please.

Fast forward to 2012 and we are back, yet again.

It's been exactly two years since I've been over. Unfortunately, unlike in 2010 we won't be Walking the Wight again, but we will walk "a whole lot of the Wight". It's one of our favorite things to do. It's especially high on my list when it means walking past, or rather in to, a pub. Zoë knows it's a great way of motivating me.

So, whenever you see a picture of the beautiful English countryside,

a lamb,

an old monument,

or a stile,

expect to see a picture of a pub:

The Griffin, pictured above, is the first pub we've hit. After two weeks of rain, we somehow brought beautiful sunny weather to the island. We took advantage of it and after a short country hike, slid in to the beer garden shortly after noon.

Although everyone else took to tea, I immediately wanted someone to pull my first pint. I say "pull", as when in England, I try to only drink real ale. Fizzy, gassy lager? No thanks, I want something from a firkin.

When given choice, I go local. Yes, I love Old Speckled Hen, but when presented with two Isle of Wight breweries, I really can't pass them up, especially my first choice, Goddards.

With only a little bit of jet lag, it was great to sit outside under the warm sun and sip my first pint of the trip.

Although I can sometimes get cask ale at home, there is really nothing like trying it in England. Thankfully, I'm sure I will have a few more while I'm here.

So, please excuse my indulgences as I delve back to the roots of Another Pint Please and bring you my two week adventure of family, food, beer and occasionally inappropriate commentary.

What's on the Grill #243: Grilled Steak Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Lang) — Sat, 12 May 2012 15:53:00 +0000

Surprisingly, well at least to me, is the fact two of my favorite things to eat together are steak and salad. The steak part isn't shocking. I have more pictures of grilled meat on this blog than my local butcher has actual meat. No, the ods part is the salad. Growing up I hated lettuce. Hated it. I was initially going to go off on a tangent about my Mom and cooking, but I'm giving her a pass. Tomorrow is Mother's Day and tossing a salad isn't exactly cooking. In retrospect, my eating habits have just…well, changed. Or dare I say, improved?

Whether it's eating out, or grilling in, I often find myself gravitating towards steak salads. Preparation is easy, I only dirty a few bowls and in one fell swoop, I can knock out almost every major food group. It's a win across the board.

Grilled Steak Salad w/ Red Wine Vinegar, Honey Mustard & Pickled Serrano Vinaigrette

Feeds one big appetite or two normal people

Steak - I went with flat iron, but anything will do
1 sweet onion - sliced thick
1 ear of corn
1 head of romaine lettuce - chopped
1/4 feta cheese - crumbled

For the vinaigrette

1/4 red wine vinegar
2 T honey
2 T dijon mustard
1 pickled serrano - seeded and diced
3/4 cup olive oil
salt & pepper

First, a note about the pickled serrano. About a month ago, I came across a post on Ruhlman's website about pickled chills. One look and I knew I had to make them.

If you don't have any/make any/want any, substitute the hot chili pepper of your choosing.

Heat the grill to direct high for at least 15 minutes. If using charcoal, use a two zone, or indirect fire, so you have a "cool" place to move the food to.

For the vinaigrette, mix together the red wine vinegar, honey, dijon mustard and serrano until blended.

Slowly whisk in the olive oil until the liquids have emulsified. Set aside.

To make grilling the onions easier, I suggest running a skewer through the slices. However, if playing "chase the onion rings" around the grill grate is more appealing, it's certainly an option.

On the gas grill, turn a few burners off to create a cool section. Add the corn to the grill over direct heat and cook about 6 minutes, rotating at least twice. Next, add the onion over direct heat. Cook about 4-5 minutes more, flipping once. Now, move both the corn and onion to indirect heat and place add the steak over direct heat.

For the steak, grill about 3-4 minutes a side. Although I'm always wanting to add grill marks, this particular piece of meat is being cut for a salad, so it's not as important…but, if you are OCD like me, do it anyway. Rotate the steak 90 degrees a side before flipping and then rotate again after the flip, before removing. If anything, it's good practice.

For medium rare, remove the steak at about 125 F and allow to rest at least 5 minutes.

While the steak rests, remove the corn and onion from the grill.

Dice the grilled onions and remove the kernels from the corn. After the steak has rested, slice it. Add the romaine, onion and corn to a bowl and top with the steak and feta. Give the vinaigrette a little mix, and then drizzle over the salad.

Dinner in a bowl. Healthy, easy and an endless number of variations.

Angry Orchard

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Lang) — Mon, 07 May 2012 13:07:00 +0000

I'm not a super huge cider fan. As much as I like a "refreshing" drink on a really hot day, cider has just never been something I've turned to. Zoë, on the other hand, loves her cider. Being English, she has stuck to her favorites through the years, but floated depending on her fancy: Woodpecker, Blackthorn, Strongbow, it all comes down to mood. Not surprisingly, although she loves the fermented apple, US ciders have never risen to the top of her list. At least until her first taste of Angry Orchard. Things changed.

While in Boston last March, we got our first taste of Samuel Adams newest cider offering: Angry Orchard. As a non-cider drinker, I was admittedly hooked. Zoë was really hooked and it's not really surprising why. Angry Orchard's hard ciders are entirely European influenced with apples coming from Italy, France & Norway.

Angry orchard comes in three styles: Traditional Dry, Crisp Apple & Apple Ginger. The Ginger, not pictured here (I already drank it), was our favorite. It's….different and as I like to technically describe it, yummy.

Angry Orchard has started hitting stores nationwide. In fact, I've already found it at my local. I have a feeling our summer beverage selection might include something a little "hard".

Note: Angry Orchard provided me with a taste of the three styles. Since then, I've already bought three times that amount on my on dime. My review is based on how Angry Orchard tasted: fabulous.

North by Northeast

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Lang) — Mon, 07 May 2012 02:11:00 +0000

Ever since the Crafternoon guys of New Zealand and I have hooked up over the inter-webs, I've been dying to experience their beer, food and atmosphere. The pictures from Simon, Chris & Tim call me from half way around the world.

While watching their postings, I found a commonality amount them: 8 Wired Brewing Company. In fact, if memory serves me correct, Simon, the creator of our most often Backyard Brewing Society logo has has created a logo for 8 Wired, too. Even more cool.

8 Wired is a New Zealand based brewery, started by who else, a home brewer. So, although the Crafternooners and the Backyard Brewers are about 8300 miles apart, I was determined to get a taste of something local. Thanks to my own local and a US importer, 8 Wired's The Sultan found its way into my fridge.

I have a special place in my heart for Belgian beers, especially when they are made half way around the world from their origin of inspiration. Take into account The Sultan is not only Belgian, but brewed with sultanas (raisins) and with New Zealand grown Pacific Jade hops, you have the making of something special. The Sultan delivered.

The Sultan was a roller coaster, as there was a lot going on. It started off with raisins and molasses, but the raisins changed throughout. They were sweet, then in the middle, the belgian yeast took hold, along with some brown sugar before the raisins, and a probably a smidge of hops, turned bitter on the finish. The note to myself: stellar.

Although a trip to New Zealand will not come soon enough, I will solace myself in the interim with 8 Wired. The Sultan was great…now to see what other styles I can land. They just may bridge my gap a little longer.

It's a Longshot...

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Lang) — Wed, 02 May 2012 00:53:00 +0000

For the last 15 years, Samuel Adams has run the Longshot homebrew contest. Longshot is Jim Koch and Samuel Adams brewers annual process to highlight, aspire and award the best of the best home brewers.

This year over 1000 homebrewers entered the competition. After working their way through a panel of industry experts, two stood above the rest: Corey Martin's A Dark Night in Munich and Joe Formanek's Five Crown Imperial Stout. Besides the two homebrew winners, part of Longshot is an internal competition amongst Samuel Adams employees. Here, after a final vote by the attendees at the 2011 Great American Beer Festival, Fred Hessler's Derf's Secret Alt took the internal prize.

Outside of simply the thrill of the "win", the homebrewers get to have their beers massed produced and distributed by Samuel Adams. Now that is a prize.

I was particularly pleased with them all, but especially Derf's Secret Alt and the Five Crown Imperial Stout. The fact that they both happened to be 9% ABV plus beers had nothing to do with it. I swear.

If you want to enjoy the offerings of this year's winners, 6 packs are available at your local beer store. If you want a chance to take a stab at winning the 2013 contest, you need to enter first. Not only can you add your well crafted beer into the mix, you can read about the art of homebrewing and heed sage advice from Jim Koch. It's a pretty amazing contest/opportunity.

Although this contest kicks ass on several levels, I will never be a Samuel Adams Longshot winner. My brewing is too Busch League. Yes, I love the beer I make, but the key to successful brewing is dedication, experimentation and consistency. I, on the other hand, brew to have fun in the moment. Yes, I keep records. Yes, I'm dedicated…but the consistency gets a little hard when Brew Days are just as much social as they are, well, brew days. When I start counting yeast cells, better gauge attenuation and hit all my marks during the brew, I might consider entering. Until then, no matter what your long term goals, pick up a homebrew kit and get brewing. The Longshot contest awaits.

NB: Samuel Adams provided me with the Longshot 6 pack and I drank them. I also purchased up a Sam Adams super summer mix pack at Sam's Club. I've had most of them too. This is a disclosure after all.

Relatively Wordless Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Lang) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 11:19:00 +0000

Believe it or not…wait, who am I kidding? Believe it: a 2 pound bone-in ribeye.

Served, of course, with a stellar beer:

Backyard Brewing Society: The Logo

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Lang) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:41:00 +0000

Although contrary to the name, The Backyard Brewing Society actually started in a garage at Drew's house. Drew and I had a mutual love of drinking and making beer. So, we got together to brew beer. Period. Sometime there after, like rabbits in a high school science class, our group started to multiply. We moved to my backyard, Drew's backyard, Dave's front yard, our local's bier garden and once, a church's parking lot. We added in more brewers and tackled the art of home brewing in every season and under every condition. Things grew.

When Drew and I first got together to brew I think we may have had one beer...that we shared. Well that changed too and so has the food. We quickly realized our brewing sessions with "periodic" beer "tastings" on empty stomachs was a bad thing, so we added a BBQ feast to the end of the day. After someone lost an iPhone in a toilet and we about burned my garage down, we added food to the start of the day, too.

These beer making food adventures also earned a name: Brew Day. They were more than marks on a calendar, they were social events. As the frequency of our events started to increase and our numbers grew, we also added a name. In fact, it wasn't just a name, it was a society, The Backyard Brewing Society. We had full members, those who brew, and associate members, those who helped brew. In full disclosure, when we talked about having a group name, Eric joked about calling us "The Butterflies". He wasn't serious…well, let me rephrase that. He was serious, but just thought it was extremely funny to call a group of guys who get together to brew beer, grill meat and socialize, butterflies. It's been a running joke ever since…and an uphill battle to keep him from introducing butterflies into everything we do.

Enter Simon.

For the last few years we've had the name, we have talked about getting an emblem, crest or logo. It just seemed the proper thing to do. We are a society after all. Last year, my friend Simon gave me a shout out through a post at Spoke Magazine. Simon is a Christchurch, New Zealand based bicycle builder, mountain biker, Weber griller, designer and 1/4 of the homebrew collective known as Crafternoon. He's basically my kiwi counterpart, but with loads more talent. Simon's full-time job is with the advertising and design firm Deflux.

If Simon's interests don't spell out the kind of amazing work he is capable of producing, check out the Deflux website. It's phenomenal. For an understanding of why I can't wait to share a beer with Simon and the rest of his Deflux/Crafternoon crew, check out their Careers page. I believe our humor is in the same orbit, or toilet bowl, as the case may be.

Without turning this into War & Peace, I sent Simon an email asking about putting together an idea for a Backyard Brewing Society Logo. He immediately took me up on the idea and created this, the official logo of The Backyard Brewing Society:

Words cannot begin to describe how amazed/excited/stoked we are about Simon's work. It's stellar. I think we all had ideas on what it would be, but needless to say Simon torched them all in a charcoal chimney. The emblem is all there: the backyard, the fermenters, the grill…even the motto, which is really what we are: Beer, BBQ & Brothers. It's a special group and a special society and thankfully, not a butterfly is to be seen. I think. I need to zoom in a little. In this regard, Eric and Simon could have hatched a plan...

Yes, I know this post is a lot of sentimental dribble, but there are several things to understand. First, I have an amazing group of talented friends who enjoy getting together to do something…to learn something. None of us, well none except maybe Drew, are "great" brewers. We continually improve, we learn from our mistakes and more importantly, we brew beer we enjoy. We also grill food we enjoy, too. Remember, we have to eat. Second, the Internet makes a lot of cool shit happen. I know my "Internet Friends" is a running joke, but in reality, it's no joke. Thanks to this blog, I have had the amazing fortune of making and meeting new friends I would have never met before I decided taking pictures of food was cool. In reality, Simon and his New Zealand crew are really a spitting image of ourselves. Just watching their Instagram photos makes me long for when I can actually raise a glass with them, instead of a virtual glass thousands of miles away. The killer logo Simon designed for a bunch of guys he has never met, but completely understands, is a testimony to what this Society is, and more.

So, if you have any design work that needs carried out, please seek out Deflux. Yes, they are half way around the world, but Simons' work is second to none. Unless of course he has included a hidden butterfly I've yet to discover.

Coming soon, t-shirts, stickers…and maybe, lab coats. The Backyard Brewing Society is now even more official. After all, we have a logo.

The Spring Cleaning Grill Workout

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Lang) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 21:47:00 +0000

Whether grilling is a year long pursuit, or a Memorial Day to Labor Day treat, the spring is a great time to clean, tune up and inspect your outdoor cooking apparatus. After a long winter, both dormant and active grills require a little love to keep them fired up through another season. Don't wait until the last minute. Grab a warm afternoon, a cold beer and get ready for a little tender loving grill care.

Gas Grils

Here is my big offender and often times, the grill most in need of a good scrub and clean. Although on the Weber, the flavorizer bars do a great job of helping grease burn off, they do nothing for the pounds of asparagus and eggplant I lose through the grates. To remedy, I disassemble everything. Start by shutting off and disconnecting the gas supply.

Burner Tubes

At the minimum, clean the burner tubes with a stainless steel wire brush.

If it has been some time since the burner tubes have been removed and cleaned, it might be a good idea to consider it. If you have observed inconsistent, or nonexistent, burner flame, there may be blockage. Spiders and other bugs are known to crawl inside and make homes and thus block the gas/air flow. Consult your owner's manual for how to do this.

With the tubes cleaned, work on down towards the fire box and drip pan.

Fire Box/Drip Pan

The tool of choice here is a putty knife. For the most part, a good scrape will remove most of the crud. The fire box and drip pan should be kept relatively "clean". Excessive food and grease build up could lead to a fire.

Also, one of the most important parts to check on the gas grill is just that, the gas. Whether using propane or natural gas, it's always a good idea to check the connections. Several years ago during one of my spring cleanings, I found a damaged gas connection. Cookout turned fiery explosion is a pretty good way of ruining a night.

To test the connections, turn the gas on and use soapy water and a brush to "paint" the joints. A leaky joint will "blow bubbles". A solid connection will not. The joint below is solid and air tight.

Grates

On the Summit, I find the stainless steel grates very easy to keep clean through pre-heating, brushing and pre-meal oiling. However, when I had my old Broilmaster, the porcelain coated grates were horrible and a bit more of a challenge. There are several over the counter cleaners available for grate cleaning, but more often than not soapy water should do the trick. Realistically, a good grilling regiment each time you cook should almost eliminate any extra grate cleaning.

Exterior

Stainless steel is nice, but it can be tricky to keep super clean and shiny. Properly covering the grill after use is the first line of defense. Granted, I have been known to forget this rule from time to time...

Usually, soap and water works for most grime. For a shine, use Bar Keepers Friend. In fact, when it comes to putting some serious sparkle back in stainless, BKF works great.

Now when I have a massive mess, I turn to the big gun: Greased Lightning degreaser. For difficult stains, nothing works better. No matter what you use, be sure it is not abrasive. Stainless steel can easily scratch and scratches can lead to rust.

Charcoal Grills

A charcoal grill is easy to keep running in tip top shape. My Performer is 13 years old and although still going strong, has needed the occasional part.

Usually the charcoal grate, which is the grate the coals sit on, needs replaced. This year it looked pretty good.

However, after removing the charcoal grate I knew I had a problem.

Although the burner tube looks rough, it still works. The ash movers, or whatever their official name is, were a different story. There are supposed to be three, not two. Fortunately, Weber makes it incredibly easy to order replacement parts, even if your grill is older. Thanks to a quick web order, I had a new cleaning system in no time.

After a little bit of work getting the old system off, the new system installed in under a minute. Just like new.

As with the gas grill, I cleaned the outside of the grill primarily with soap and water. In no time it was ready to go.

No matter what type of grill you have, check the owner's manual. If the manual has gone the way of the trash, most brands can be found with a quick Google search.

A little bit of preventative time in the spring can go a long way to make this summer's grilling safer and the life expectancy of your grill last a little longer. Plus, nothing says happiness like a clean grill. Now where's that beer...

Palate Wrecker

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Lang) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 19:46:00 +0000

Last Friday, a surprise tapping took place of Green Flash Brewing Company's Palate Wrecker at Boston's. I'm not one to pass by an Imperial IPA without trying a pint and I'm glad I did. It was excellent. Oddly enough, and no sooner than an hour later, we were cruising through the grocery picking up dinner for the grill. There on the "better beer" wall of Kroger was Palate Wrecker. Once by chance, twice by fate. I picked up a bottle.

By the numbers, Palate Wrecker clocks in at 9.5% ABV and has a 100 plus IBU rating. The hops were readily apparent in the nose. I got a lot of pine. It was probably just a few trees short of a forest. My first taste was full of more hoppy pine, bread and then sweet malt. The hops faded out nicely at the finish and then a bit of nuttiness appeared and hung on a bit longer. I never would have known it, but apparently I like having my palate wrecked. Thanks to chance and fate for making it happen. You guys are swell.

Relatively Wordless Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Lang) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 12:08:00 +0000

The magic of smoked bacon:

What's on the Grill #242: Summer Ale Grilled Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Lang) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 01:32:00 +0000

Yes, I could identify the change in seasons by walking outside. However, walking down the craft beer aisle and scoping out the latest seasonal releases is more fun.

Based upon my latest stroll, I'd say it's summer, as Sam Adams Summer Ale is on the shelves.

I'm a huge fan of wheat ales, which is probably why Summer Ale is one of my favorite warm weather beers. Besides the "occasional" pint to consume, Summer Ale's spicy profile also lends itself grilling. It's my kind of combo.

In celebration of Summer Ale's release, Samuel Adams tapped Chef David Burke to put together a Summer Ale chicken marinade, which I immediately put to use on the grill.

Grilled Summer Ale Chicken
Based on the marinade by Chef David Burke

2 bottles of Samuel Adams Summer Ale
1 T salt
2 T sugar
juice of half a lemon
handful of fresh herbs
1 whole chicken 4-5 pounds

The hardest part of the recipe is deploying two bottles of Summer Ale that are not for consumption. This is precisely why I grab three bottles out of the fridge.

When it comes to marinading a whole chicken, the marinading vessel is key. For the most part, a one gallon zip lock bag will work perfectly. If the chicken is really big, up it to the elusive 2 gallon bag. These bigger bag are a little harder to find, but quite valuable to keep on hand.

First, add the beer to the bag.

Next, add the salt, sugar and lemon and mix.

Add the chicken to the bag and allow to marinade at least six hours. Ideally, marinade the chicken the night before, or first thing in the morning.

Although the bag makes a great container for marinading, protect the contents of the fridge by placing the bag in a bowl or plastic tub.

It only takes one small hole to make a leaky poultry mess in the fridge. Please, practice safe marinading.

Once the marinading is complete, remove the chicken from the bag and pat dry. Pitch the marinade.

Stuff the chicken cavity with fresh herbs, season with salt & pepper and truss. Prep the grill for indirect medium.

Speaking of grills, I needed to give some much needed love to the Performer. Since I've been going to the Saffire almost every time I grill, I could no longer ignore the guilt coming towards me from the the corner of the deck. I don't know if it was the sad face coming form the ash catcher, or what, but I had a kettle that needed some heat…which is why I prepped it for indirect medium.

On the kettle, indirect heat means putting the food over a drip pan, with the charcoal pushed to either side. This way, the heat source is….indirect.

With the grill at about 350 F, I dropped the chicken and closed the lid. Figure on a cook time of approximately 1 hour and fifteen minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 180 F.

Not only is the beer aisle telling me it's summer, so is the grill. I don't care what the calendar says. I'm ready. Happy Summer Grilling everybody.

Relatively Wordless Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Lang) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Strip...

and Sword...

What's on the Grill: 73rd Birthday Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Lang) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 02:04:00 +0000

Last Friday was my Dad's 73rd Birthday. In order to keep him on his toes, or more realistically, speed up his next cardiologist appointment, his four siblings flew into town to surprise him. Wow, that sounds so simple and sweet…which, it was, once the surprise was sprung. The lead up, however, was tricky.

Dinner was on again and off again at least 3 times. The plan was for Zoë and me to take Mom and Dad to dinner and then surprise them with 6 extra dinner guests. However, Dad got sick, Mom got sick, reservations were on, reservations were off and then finally, I applied something I learned when I was three: guilt.

With both Mom & Dad on antibiotics and my application of a few gentle heart string tugs involving a theme of already purchased sea bass and a precious cake, the venue was changed to our house and the dinner was on.

Surprise!

It has been two years since all of Dad's brothers and sisters have been together. For a big family, they are a close knit bunch, even though they live all across the country. I can certainly relate their feelings to what I share with my own siblings.

Speaking of, as they made the rounds, Dad wondered if my bothers and sister were there too. Nope, sorry Dad. We only surprise you on even numbered birthdays.

The family was great in helping us get ready. For starts, we had a couple hours of head start which led to a little beer tasting. Although, I'm still trying to forget my non-beer loving Aunt's homebrew critique…"it's not as bad as that other one I tried". My beer loving Uncle was quite pleased. I'll take that as a win.

Admittedly, it was a little intimidating trying to feed 10 people. Especially when the meal consisted solely of fish.

I had to activate all of the grills and while the gang mingled, we went to work. When I say "we", I meant Zoë and me. The rest of the group just proved that any age group can be corny in our backyard.

Here was the menu: Grilled Chilean Sea Bass with Red Chile, Allspice and Orange Glaze, Ultimate Planked Swordfish, Parmesan Breaded Scallops and mixed grilled vegetables.

The swordfish was a variation of a planked salmon I've done. I opted to plank it, because it gave me a little bit more leeway while I worked everything else.

The scallops I've also done before, but instead of planking, I grilled them right on the grate. The newest addition was the glaze for the sea bass. I find sea bass really easy to grill and incredibly forgiving. However, I wanted something more than just a quick hit of heat and the resulting tender flesh.

For the glaze, I went to Bobby Flay's Boy Gets Grill. Although originally paired with tuna, I felt it worked really well with the sea bass. It's definitely on the "do again" list.

Red Chile, Allspice and Orange Glaze
Adapted from Bobby Flay's Boy Gets Grill

3 cups orange juice
1 T rice vinegar
2 t ground allspice
1 T ancho chili powder
1/2 cup canola oil
salt and pepper

Pour the orange juice into a medium saucepan. Heat and reduce until left with 1/2 cup.

Transfer the orange juice reduction, vinegar, allspice and chili powder to a blender. Combine. Run the mixer and slowly add the canola oil until emulsified. Salt and pepper to taste.

The key to all of this was timing. I placed the vegetables on first. Since I used potatoes that were not parboiled, I needed the extra time to ensure they cooked properly.

The planked swordfish took the longest, so for the remaining fish, I used it as my benchmark: 20 minutes.

At the T-15 mark I added the sea bass.

Normally, the sea bass takes under 10 minutes. However, this was two pounds of Chilean greatness. The first side took about 6 minutes, and was then flipped to the position above to finish off (skin side down). I applied the glaze frequently.

Finally, I dropped the scallops down at about T-10.

Amazingly, every thing came off together and was cooked perfectly. OK, tell a lie, I would have preferred to have pulled the swordfish off just a tad sooner, but it was still good.

As Zoë and I regulated ourselves to the "kids table", we watched on with delight as all of the other "kids" and their spouses laughed and told stories of their youth. It was a pretty amazing evening and we were excited to be a part of it.

Earlier in the day, we had picked up a cake. Besides Dad's birthday, my Aunt and Uncle also had close proximity birthdays, so we commemorated all three. When having the cake decorated, I made sure to point out to the bakery that font size was important. One of the birthday recipients was in his seventies and I wanted him to read it. Thankfully, I didn't have to up the cake size to make it happen.

What a weekend. Happy Birthday, Dad. You are an amazing father and role model. You also inspired my love of grilling. That's double points, in case you were counting.