Master chef Sharone Hakman, an East Los Angeles native with Israeli ancestry who’s gone on to cook for the Hollywood elite, is no stranger to having to please everybody at once. Hakman’s BBQ sauce, which runs $11.00 for 12 ounces online with shipping included, is meant to please the palate of the people, while designed with the care of a culinary guru. Hak’s Chipotle Bourbon BBQ Sauce is not just a bottle with his name on it – Hakman made it his mission to personally create a crowd pleasing sauce that wasn’t going to fall flat on flavor or cost a fortune. He ended up creating a flavor that celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay called “The most delicious BBQ sauce ever made.”

The sauce has an initial sweet and tangy taste telling of the caramelized onions and fresh garlic that make up phase one of the flavor. It’s quickly followed up by a little blast of bourbon (this really makes the sauce shine and separates it from the pack), heated and seasoned to perfection by the delayed release of flavor from the smoked and roasted chillies. It’s what you’d certainly expect and hope for from a chef who specializes in taking the complex sensations of south of the boarder and combining them with the fusion cuisine of Israeli cooking. While your usual BBQ sauce makers who take pride in their work tend to produce flavors that seem tempered with time and tradition, Hakman’s comes off as fresh, bold, and a little revolutionary.

Three bottles bought online will run you about $30.00 with shipping included. Here’s to Hak’s BBQ Sauce making its way to your local shelves at some point, or else the cost will remain too high for most consumers. But that’s a given when a sauce is just starting out. Judging from the flavors it possesses and the versatility it has between steaks, ribs, and even pulled pork, it’s probably a safe bet it’ll catch on. In the meantime it’s certainly worth the price for both the experiment and the sensations. You won’t be disappointed in anything but the bottle running out too soon.

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• Built-in versus Exterior Thermometers:
Most build-in thermometers for smokers are much less effective than exterior, or individual thermometers. This is because the built-in model just takes the temperature inside the smoker. Doing this can often result in poor results and often cause you to overcook your food. Using a high-quality thermometer is best so you can know the internal degree of all of your food inside the smoker so you can cook your food for the optimum time.

• You Might Not Need To Buy a Smoker:
Smokers are expensive but some argue that it adds an entirely different dynamic to cooking but you might not need to buy a new item. Some experts say that by merely placing wood chips on top of the hot coals in your charcoal grill will give you the same results. You can also buy a smoker box for your gas grill. Using this indirect cooking method will allow you to work with what you already have and give your food that wood-filled taste and aroma without the added cost of a smoker.

• Fuel Costs:
Factor in all of the costs when doing this. The cost of chips or pellets can significantly add to the cost of preparing and smoking food. Some fuels cost more than others. Sometimes just buying wood chips or pellets to your current grill can end up being far more cost-effective.

• Realizing the Cost In Time:
When you’re smoking food it’s important to be patient because the process is quite time consuming. For example, smoking a 5-pound chicken can take up nearly four hours. This all depends on the internal temperature and how tender you want the chicken to be. The longer it takes, the more tender your result will be. Consider this before buying one because smoking your food is for those who take pleasure in the process rather than the end result.

• Account For the Safety Conditions:
Smokers are a bit of a fire risk so it’s best not to place your smoker on a wooden deck. If you are, place it on a heatproof surface. Some recommend putting it over a metal tray filled with sand in order to catch any drips or falling debris. You should also get a smoker with a drip pan. This is to also help with the later cleanup as well as any fire hazards that may result from hot liquids interacting with flammable surfaces.

Smoking food isn’t easy but it’s quite rewarding so before you make any purchases, consider these factors. The Internet is also a very helpful tool in this research process. You can find tips and tricks to use your smoker more effectively and also get the less expensive options. Do the research before you buy because you’re likely to save yourself a lot of time and money that would otherwise be devoted to trial-and-error.

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1. Bring Your Meat Up to Room Temperature

The reason is that when you pull a steak out of the fridge, it’ll be cold on the outside and on the inside. When you put it on the grill or in the pan, the outside will get cooked faster than the inside. This will result in a piece of meat that’s charred on the outside before it’s even cooked on the inside. It’s a recipe for absolute disaster and something you should avoid at all costs.

The key is to let the meat stand at room temperature before you start cooking it. Let the temperature come up just enough so that you aren’t dealing with a mess later on. Don’t leave it out for too long as bacteria finds meat to be a very pleasing home.

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The core technology of the grill itself is the same as you’d expect from Weber but now you get the whole L shape without the need to build up an expensive (and immovable) grilling area. Here’s what they say about it:

Weber’s most impressive new offering is the Weber Summit Grill Center with Social Area. This stainless steel “L” shaped outdoor grill is a high-end, yet affordable alternative to an outdoor kitchen that typically ranges in price from $20,000 to $50,000. In contrast, the Weber Summit Grill Center with Social Area sells for $4,499 (MSRP). Measuring a total of 57.1″H x 112.375″W x 75.5″D with the lid open, this grill is a less-than-one-day assembly without the need of a building permit, masonry contractor, plumber or electrician. The Weber Summit Grill Center with Social Area is built upon the company’s top-of-the-line, luxury Summit® 670™ grill platform—with the addition of matching, enclosed left and right cabinetry (with adjustable stainless steel shelves inside) plus a right-return Social Area. The entire unit has adjustable legs for leveling on uneven ground, and it can be disassembled to move elsewhere.

The left-hand cabinets enclose Weber’s Tuck-Away™ rotisserie system plus a paper towel holder. The right-hand enclosure has a new, Weber dual-ring side burner that better controls heat and enables a wider variety of outdoor cooking methods in one product: Grillers can use the small ring for small sauce pans or both rings in tandem for large pots or the new Weber Wok. Also, the right-hand enclosure’s corner features both trash and ice bins, so guests don’t have to leave the party to go inside the house.

The Social Area portion has even more enclosed cabinetry with the added feature of an extra large stainless steel serving area. A condiment rail along the area’s back helps minimize clutter.

The Weber Summit Grill Center with Social Area is available at specialty retailers and comes in either Stainless Steel or Black, liquid propane (LP) or natural gas.

At $4500 and boasting a single day construction, it’s something that’s affordable if you’re looking for an option like this.

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That said, as I write this in the chill of winter in December, smoking a turkey is something I might try in the springtime. Think of it as a trial run, with the smoked turkey perhaps coming in 2011… but no promises!

Smoking Turkey

Smoking turkey isn’t really any different than smoking anything else. You want to run the smoker so it’s around 235 – 250° F. Then, much like an oven, it’ll take 30-40 minutes per pound. Since you’ll be cooking it slower, the biggest risk you have is food contamination. Expert recommend that you stick to a 12-16 pound turkey because that will still take you at least six hours to properly smoke. A 20 pound bird will take 10 hours minimum, do you have ten hours to spend smoking a turkey? You can see why food contamination might be a risk.

Prepping the Chicken: The turkey must be completely thawed, which is important if you purchased a frozen turkey. Remove that plastic pop-up timer thing, you won’t need it. If you’re into brining, soak it in the brine for 24 hours and then throw on your favorite rubs after you’ve pulled it out. Basically anything you’d do with an oven roasted turkey, you will want to do here.

Smoking: Like in the oven, put it breast side up in a pan (for cleaning). Be diligent about temperature control, opting to be at the higher end of the range (rather than the lower end).

Internal Temperature: The key is to cook your turkey to an internal temperature of 165° F. Remember that the bones will heat up faster and that isn’t necessarily an indication that the turkey is done cooking. Also, white meat heats up slower than dark meat so you’ll only need to test the white meat’s temperature (assuming the dark meat is cooked at the same time). Finally, the thinner your meat thermometer, the more accurate the reading.

Wood: You can technically use any wood but experts recommend one from a fruit tree like apple or cherry. I think I’ll be using some of the hickory wood that I have since I enjoy the flavor and think it’ll work well with turkey.

Have you smoked a turkey? How did it turn out? Any tips or tricks?

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As the story states, there are no commercial versions of biochar stoves available but you can try to build your own, as they do in the developed world where recycling garden waste is more out of necessity than a desire to do good by the Earth. If you want to learn more about biochar stoves, I recommend checking out the International Biochar Initiative website.

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The Black and Blue
2 ounce The Black Grouse Blended Scotch Whisky
½ ounce calvados (apple brandy)
½ ounce amaretto
¼ ounce Hazelnut Liqueur

How does this fit with Grill Maestro? First, I love scotch and second, I love barbecue. The Blue Smoke is a famous barbecue restaurant in NYC and if it’s fit to sit on their menu, it’s certainly worth a try in my own home!

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I learned about them because of a mailer I received that offered a $10 tank, which is more than 50% off their regular price, and that coupon code is PROPANE740 (Expires 7/31/2010). They have a ton of coupons for new customers, all for a $10 tank, including PROPANE6158 (Exp. 8/31/10) and PROPANE9300 (Exp. 9/30/10), so do a quick search online to find an active coupon.

As for delivery, I just left the tank out on my front steps before 7AM and it was replaced sometime during the day. For $10, it’s a steal and worth doing at least once. I’m not sure if it’s worth $22, as the local Home Depot is only a few minutes away, but for $10 it’s a no brainer.

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There are, however, times when I do appreciate a bit of creativity and this list brings it in spades. Here are the ten marinades they share recipes for, along with their principal ingredients:

• Coffee Marinade – cold coffee, Dijon mustard, garlic, balsamic vinegar, and dark brown sugar.
• Greek Marinade – lemon peel, juice, along with olive oil, oregano and garlic.
• Tandoori Marinade – yogurt, lemon, garlic, chillies, cilantro, cumin, masala, red tandoori paste and tomato puree.
• Teriyaki Marinade – soy, cooking wine, garlic, sugar, gingerroot, honey, and wasabi.
• Tequila Mockingbird Marinade – Lime, tequila, triple sec, jalapeno, pime peel, chili and sugar.
• Dr. Pepper Marinade – Dr. Pepper, garlic, red habanero hot sauce, soy, onion and garlic powder, minced Vidalia onion, and lemon juice.
• Jamaican Jerk Marinade – Allspice, thyme, cayenne, sage, nutmeg, cinnamon, garlic powder, sugar, OJ, lime, habanero and onions.
• Beer Marinade – Onion, garlic, beer, lemon, browsugar and worcestershire.
• Whiskey Ginger Marinade – bourbon, soy, brown sugar, hoisin, lime rind, lime juice, ginger, sesame oil, red peppers, and garlic.
• Peri-Peri Marinade – Chile peppers, lemon juice, cayenne, garlic, and paprika.

I thought most of these recipes looked incredibly fun to do, especially the more exotic ones like Tandoori and Tequila Mockingbird. I’ll probably give these all a try this summer just to see how they are.

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The graphic above gives names to the parts of the cow, before it’s turned to beef. The general idea is that the closer the muscle is to “working” areas, like the legs and the butt, the less fat it’ll have. That means the meat will be tougher in those areas. The tenderest cuts are in the loin area, labeled green and dark pink/purple.

The yellow “chuck” area is typically turned into burgers or used in roasts. The rib is naturally turned into short ribs, prime rib, or a nice rib eye steak. The loins are where you get your steaks. Strip steaks come from the short loin while Porterhouse and T-bones are taken from the tenderloin. Also, the New York Strip and filet mignon are also from here, as they are the two sides of a T-bone steak. The round is good for stews as it’s a little too tough for just putting on the grill.

Underneath the cow, you have the brisket (mmmm smoked!), shank (another good stew and soup meat), plus the plate and flank. Flank is very tough but one of the cheapest cuts, for that reason, so it’s good with marinades and cooking styles like braising. It’s also very lean, making it healthier from a fat perspective.

So tonight I’ll be looking for a nice cut from the shank or round for our stew!

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