WE HAVE MOVED
Hey all,
We have updated our blog space. You can get updates, read reviews, and try out new recipes with us at http://outdoorgourmet.blogspot.com.
THANKS! -KB
Sweet on Local Honey
Here at the Outdoor Gourmet, we are sweet on local honey; so much so that I am writing tasting notes for our pals at Sweet Bee Honey Co. in the classic wine tasting method. Check ‘em out!
Welcome to your weekend. -KB
Honey is nature’s own sweetener, packed with healthy enzymes, vitamins, and antioxidants and comes in many different varieties, ranging in color, flavor and body, depending on the floral source and time of year. And crystallization is natural! Raw honey, when unaltered with extra water or additives, forms sugar crystals. Just warm it up to transform it to its original liquid form.
Found abundantly in the northwest, Russian or Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea Maculosa) blooms purple during the height of summer. Our colonies grow vibrant while working this plentiful plant, which produces dark gold honey.
The aromas of Knapweed Honey can be likened to a wheat field on a hot day- sweet and grassy. Followed by soft caramel notes, this medium-bodied honey is easily paired with just about anything.
Buckwheat Honey Reserve
Clusters of white flowers frost the Buckwheat (F. esculentum Moench) fields of Washington in Spring. This crop is grown almost solely for the production of Japanese Soba Noodles and produces a beautiful, dark auburn honey.
Earthy aromas, dark and rich, make Buckwheat the fullest bodied and most complex honey we produce. Molasses, tobacco, and cinnamon notes warm the pallet and make for a robust, smoky finish.
Limited Early-Harvest Blackberry Blossom Honey
Blackberry blossom honey is the purest and most rare honey produced in the great Northwest. Nectar collected from the thorny brambles of the Himalayan Blackberry (rubus armeniacus) creates this monofloral honey that drips from the comb translucent and nearly colorless. Once it’s packed, a faintly opaque and blonde hue makes it obvious why this is our reserve label product.
Clean, crisp lemongrass aroma, followed by soft floral and melon notes is what sets this honey apart as one of our most premium products. A hint of sumac adds a rich, full flavor on the finish, giving depth to this light-bodied honey.
Late-Harvest Star Thistle Honey
Harvested from scrubby, sun-colored flower of the prickly yellow star thistle (centaurea solstitialis), this is our lightest-bodied honey. With a tropical fruit and fresh-pressed comb aroma, this is a highly sought-after flavor by avid honey connoisseurs.
Northwest Alfalfa Honey
Rolling hills of bluish-purple alfalfa bloom cover the landscape of Eastern Oregon in early summer. The nectar from Alfalfa (medicago sativa) creates this rich, monofloral honey, clear and golden.
Warm, earthy aromas of cloves and spiced peaches fetch imagery of the staple crop from which it’s harvested. Smooth on the pallet, this medium-bodied honey is abounding with summertime flavors.
To find this high-quality, local product, check out the Walla Walla Farmers Market or visit www.sweetbeehoneyco.com.
Bristol Bay, Alaska
This week, I have a guest blogger! My friend Dave was good enough to give a bit of insider info on the commericial fishing industry in Bristol Bay, AK.
Thanks Dave!
Welcome to your weekend! -KB
Winter has finally given way to a beautiful spring here in the Northwest. This spring, before we know it, will become summer, where the Alaskan fishing industry will quietly swing into full gear.
When we bring salmon home from the store to enjoy a wonderful meal, we might not consider exactly how this particular salmon got to our dinner plate. Like all our foodstuffs, the salmon was once a living “breathing” organism. In the next few months we will track some of the various life-cycles of herring and salmon while also providing an insight into the fishing industry. The fishing industry most familiar to this author is commercial fishing district of Bristol Bay, Alaska. Bristol Bay is located roughly 300 miles west of Anchorage. Bristol Bay is home to five river districts that provide some of the largest and richest runs of sockeye salmon (also known as red salmon) in the world.
In order for this fishery to remain a viable and natural resource the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) controls these rivers to ensure that escapement numbers are reached. What are escapement numbers? Escapement numbers are the fish allowed to return to the spawning grounds to reproduce. For instance, in 2009, according to the ADF&G, the total salmon returning to Bristol Bay was 40.43 million fish, of which 9.53 million sockeye were allowed to escape. The ADF&G predicts a slightly smaller run this year of 39.77 million fish, where 8.01 million fish are allotted for escapement and 31.76 million fish are allotted for processing. These numbers, for this area of Alaska, are fairly typical over the recent years. Why are escapement numbers important? These fish that escape and reproduce provide this renewable and precious resource that allows us to enjoy a delicious source of protein while maintaining the delicate balance of the Alaskan eco-system.
At an average selling price of $0.70 per pound in 2009 (for sockeye), fishermen make some or all of their living in this relatively short six week season. Fishermen generally have a contract to fish for a certain processing company which buys their entire catch. From the moment of catch, to the processing facility, and beyond to your local seafood department, quality control remains paramount. Processors are charged with the responsibility of preparing the salmon safely for the specific market buying them. For instance, some processors focus on specialty markets such as smokehouses while others fill industrial sized orders. In later entries we shall discuss the specific processes that go into preparing an average salmon for the market.
[PICTURE FISHIN] Capt: Fishing in the Naknek River
Although the average salmon season lasts only six short weeks in Bristol Bay, there is no lack of preparation that goes into a typical salmon season. No matter whether one works on the fishing boats or on land in a processing facility the fishing industry is grueling work. While sockeye salmon may reign king in Bristol Bay during the months of June and July, Pink and Coho Salmon have later or more abundant runs in August and September in other parts of Alaska. Salmon is not the only marine fishing in Alaska. From Crab to Pollock Alaska provides an extraordinary amount of marine produce for the world to enjoy.
As Discovery’s Deadliest Catch has illustrated, fishing remains a dangerous job. However tough and dangerous work there is to be done, the American spirit remains well and alive to accomplish the task. If one is well motivated and resilient one can typically find decent employment in this industry.
On the other hand, sport fishing is also abundant and should be taken advantage of given the opportunity. The natural wonders of Alaska are awe inspiring with thousands of acres of national parks. Given the opportunity, Katmai National Park should not be overlooked. For as little as $200 (accessible by plane from King Salmon, AK) visitors can walk amongst the bears and visit Brooks Falls. [PICTURE BEAR] Capt: Bears dueling for Salmon – Katmai Nat. Park (Brooks Falls)
For further information:
Grilling Competitions
So this year, I would like to hit up one of the many barbecue competitions, grill festivals, or/and celebrations of outdoor cooking methods in general. I did a little research and these sorts of events are multitudinous! Some are huge national events and some are after-party events to small town county fairs.
Here is a little overview of the most tempting of the cookout competitions…
International Bar-B-Q Festival (May)
Owensboro, Kentucky
www.bbqfest.com
American Royal BBQ Contest (October)
Kansas City, Missouri
www.americanroyal.com
NEVADA (September)
Best of the West Nugget Rib Cook-off
Sparks, Nevada
www.nuggetribcookoff.com
Barbecue Festival (October)
Lexington, North Carolina
www.barbecuefestival.com
Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational Barbecue (October)
Lynchburg, Tennessee
www.jackdaniels.com
National Capital Barbecue Battle (June)
DC
www.barbecuebattle.com
Texas Steak Cookoff (May)
Hico, Texas
These are major league competitions, so to get our feet wet in the world of competitive grilling, I will be taking part in Smokin’ the Coeur d’Alenes Inland NW BBQ Competition, which will be held at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds on Father’s Day weekend.
Welcome to your weekend! -KB
Easter Dinner
So, it’s Easter Sunday and I woke up to a dusting of that white stuff on the newly-green lawn, but such is life in the Northwest. The sun has managed to come out and melt away the snow to provide optimal grilling weather, but the weather wouldn’t have deterred me anyway. Like the Postal Service, neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow, nor gloom of night prevents the OG from doing what the OG does. Unlike the Postal Service, we get our grill on seven days a week.
As is the case with any holiday, I take the opportunity to make it all about food. And this Easter the menu is…
Crimini Mushroom Soup
Spring Spinach Salad with Strawberries
Alder Planked Prime Rib with Lemon Zest Asparagus
Lemon Tart with Meringue
( Lemon Tart compliments of my pastrily-endowed sister Amy)
First things first: With these large cuts of meat, the golden rule is LOW and SLOW, so I needed my plank to absorb as much moisture as possible for this extended grilling time. I soaked a couple 1 inch thick Outdoor Gourmet Alder Grilling plank for about six hours to insure they were good and saturated.
My cut of beef had a lovely layer of fat running over the top of the ribs and some good marbling throughout, so I sliced right along the fat to create a cavity for the fresh rosemary, thyme and garlic cloves. I used a whole bulb of garlic and liberal amounts of herbs, then rubbed the roast with coarse kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper.
I preheated my grill to medium heat (350-400º) and stuck my plank on the grill for 5 minutes to heat it thoroughly before the beef makes it to the plank. Once I had the prime rib on the plank, I cranked the grill up to high heat (500º-ish) and let it go for 20 minutes. I did this for two reasons: to get a nice char on the bottom of the plank (char equals smoke, which equals alder flavor) and to allow the meat to form a crust that holds in moisture.
Ok, twenty minutes is up and I just headed out to the deck take the heat back down to 350º and try out a new gadget: an Oregon Scientific Wireless Meat Thermometer. I placed the thermometer needle in my prime rib and closed the grill lid and wandered back to my computer to continue blogging. The cool thing is I have a remote that I program to my specific needs. I programmed in: Beef, Medium Rare (or 145º) and it monitors the internal temperature of my entrée.
This is so rad because I don’t have to open the lid of my grill each time I want to check on my food, therefore releasing all that good heat and smoke. You gotta get one of these.
So, here I sit, with my Oregon Scientific remote that tells me I have 8 degrees to go until Medium Rare perfection, so I have just enough time to slice some strawberries for the salad before I grab my prime rib off the grill, cover with foil, and allow it to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Letting beef rest allows the meat to cook for another couple moments while locking in the moisture.
Below is a link about the Oregon Pacific Wireless Meat Thermometer! Check it out.
Happy Easter! -KB
Spring
Twice a year, the earth is neither tilted toward or away from the sun and for just a moment, (this year, around 17:32 Coordinated Universal Time) the earth’s equator aligns with the center point of the sun before it began to list again. Darkness and daylight are in perfect balance for a day and for us in the Northern Hemisphere, this marks the beginning of spring.
The vernal equinox has been celebrated for thousands of years and there is no lack of traditions and rituals surrounding the coming of spring.
For most ancient civilizations, the vernal equinox was the start of the New Year. The Roman year began on the ides of March and the astrological year begins on the first new moon after the equinox, which brings in the first astrological sign Aries, the ram. The Greek God Ares, the god of the ram, is the equivalent of the Roman Mars for whom the month of March is named. The Persian New Year, Nawruz also falls on the spring equinox.
The Saxons had a spring festival celebrating the goddess, Eostre (from whose name we get the direction East and the holiday Easter). Eggs were one of the symbols of this festival and represented new life and potential. During the equinox, there’s supposedly a certain gravitational pull that makes balancing an egg on its point possible. Thus, we have the tradition of the Easter egg.
All these different cultures had their own food traditions based essentially around the same idea: They survived the grey and bleak winter! Time to forage for something that hasn’t been in the root cellar for three months.
Although it is often anything but springy here in the northwest in March, rivers are teaming with the Steel Head run and a couple edibles things are beginning to poke through the soil. Asparagus, rhubarb, young herbs, leafy greens, wild onions/garlic and fiddleheads are coming soon.
Winter is over. We made it. Happy Spring!
Welcome to your weekend. -KB
Cedar Planked Steelhead Recipes:
http://www.tastespotting.com/search/cedar+plank/1
Fiddlehead Recipes:
http://www.tastespotting.com/search/Fiddleheads/1
Outdoor Gourmet’s St. Patrick’s Day Feast
So, to prove that just about anything can be planked, I made the St. Patrick’s Day classic Corned Beef finished on the grill. But before I started making variations on traditional meals all willy-nilly like, I decided to research the history of the dish.
A brief, yet corny history:
A Corned Beef is a cut of brisket that is brine-cured over a period of two or more weeks. The term “corned” refers to the course salt or rock salt kernels used to preserve the meat. It is said to be a spring celebratory meal because the meat would cure in salt crocks all winter and be ready to eat just in time for the equinox.
Beef was considered to be an indulgence in Ireland and was only available to the wealthy, as cows were kept for their milk or for breeding. Corned Beef was reserved for special occasions and export, so pork joint or ham was the meat of the common Irish man. The Irish immigrants substituted brisket in their traditional Bacon and Cabbage dish because it was more readily available in New York in the 1800’s, so Corned Beef and Cabbage is actually an American St. Patty’s Day tradition.
Cork’s Canned Corned Beef was one of Ireland’s only exports in the 1700’s and supposedly exclusively sustained the British armies during the Napoleonic wars. In 1861, Corned Beef and Cabbage was served at Abraham Lincoln’s inaugural dinner.
Outdoor Gourmet’s St. Patrick’s Day Feast
I used a pre-cured cut of meat because it was already the 17th and I didn’t have a couple weeks or several pounds of rock salt.
3 lb. Corned Beef
Spice Packet (cloves, coriander, fennel, black pepper)
1 Outdoor Gourmet Maple Grilling Plank, soaked for 2 to 3 hours
First, trim fat from meat. Brisket it traditionally a fatty piece of meat and up to a 1/3 of the weight can be trimmed down.
Then place mean in large pot or Dutch oven and cover in water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer, add spices and continue to simmer for 2 hours.
While your brisket is simmering, heat grill to medium heat (350-400) and place plank on grill 5 minutes prior to brisket.
Then place the beef on the plank, close grill lid and allow to cook for 20 to 25 minute.
Remove from grill, slice thinly and serve with Colcannon.
Colcannon Recipe: (I added kale to this recipe)
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Colcannon/Detail.aspx
For directions on how to make your own corned beef from fresh brisket go to:
http://www.thespicehouse.com/recipes/traditional-corned-beef-recipe
Maple planking this corned beef created smoky flavor and added a nice, crispy crust to the meat, while the inside stayed very moist. It was the best Corned Beef I have ever had.
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! -KB
Planking Essentials
Using cedar smoke to flavor food is hardly a new technique. Native tribes of the Pacific Northwest hung their fresh-caught salmon over open fires fastened to hand-split pieces of Western Red Cedar and stoked their smokehouse fires with wet cedar.
Plank cooking was taught in culinary schools as early as 1910 and recipes in the first edition of Fannie Farmer used cedar planks.
In 1998, the Outdoor Gourmet introduced the first cedar grilling plank to the market. Before that, people used cedar shingles, which I don’t really recommend, as many of them are treated and produced in a non-food safe facility.
Cedar grilling planks are used to grill fish, red meat, pork, poultry, vegetables, fruit, and even dessert items. The process of cooking on planks infuses food with a delectable flavor while moistening and protecting from direct heat. The result is a perfectly cooked entrée or side dish infused with the aromatic scent of Western Red Cedar.
Here’s how it works: First, soak your cedar grilling plank in water. An hour or two prior to grilling will work just fine, but a longer soak time permits the plank to absorb more moisture. This allows for more cedar-infused water vapor to be released during the grilling process.
Then get your grill up to medium heat (350-400 dregrees).Place the wet plank on the pre-heated grill and heat plank for another 5 minutes before adding the food. This allows the plank to begin to smolder and smoke.
Next, place you food on plank and close grill lid and let cook for recommended time. No flipping, turning, or tweeking is needed.
Grilling planks are also an excellent option to hold, serve, and display delicate meats and fish, which may otherwise be overcooked or fall apart when placed directly on the grill. “Planking” is also an extremely healthy method of preparing food because no additional oil or butter is needed in the cooking process. But grilling planks aren’t just for the grill. They can be used in the oven or microwave to get the savory flavor of cedar.
Feel free to share your planking experiences, questions, or recipes. Happy Grilling!
Welcome to your weekend. -KB
Introduction:
After over a decade and numerous knock-offs, we are here to raise our hand and say “we are the original.” Outdoor Gourmet introduced the first cedar grilling plank in 1998 and we’ve been planking and playing outside ever since.
So here I am, to write about just that.
The purpose of this blog is to document the northwest lifestyle as it relates to food and the great outdoors. My goal is to experiment with outdoor cooking methods, cruise the fodder at festivals, frequent barbecues, patronize potlucks, review restaurants, and invent recipes. I will hunt, gather, grow, pick, scavenge, forage, and otherwise procure local northwest ingredients all in the name of top-notch nosh and good company.
Each weekend, I aim to post my culinary conquests and gastronomic gaffes to hopefully enthuse you about what a great place we live in and all the enticing food fare choice that it provides.
Welcome to your weekend. -KB
