The Devil and I go way back. Growing up, we ran into each other off and on at elementary school, mostly at the principal’s office. It wasn’t until my junior year in high school when I got a car and a girlfriend that we became BFFs, though. Since then, we’ve had many adventures together. The latest came when Chamuco’s Tequila CEO Mark Howard gave me a bottle of the company’s reposado to review. From the snazzy box to the handmade artisan bottle and all the way to the taste, my old buddy’s touch is definitely evident.
5 Great Articles for Fledgling Barbecue Smokers
Over the years Dave DeWitt has collected more hot and spicy stories than a Las Vegas escort service. That’s part of being the Pope of Peppers– you don’t get to wear the name without learning a ton about chile peppers, capsaicin, and, in this case, smoke cooking. Although a lot of Dave’s knowledge makes it into his books, there’s great advice to be had at the Fiery Foods & Barbecue Super Site. Here are just five of the ones good for anyone new (or intermediate) to the sweet art of smoke.
Capsaicin: Living Hot is Living Healthy
Yet again it looks like the spice is right as recent research suggests an incredibly wide scope in health benefits associated with the consumption of hot chile peppers. Not only do many varieties of fresh chiles contain considerable amounts of fiber, antioxidants, and vitamin A, B1, B2, B3, C, and E, it’s also been found that capsaicin (the active chemical component responsible for the fire in chilies) contributes positively to human health on its own.
Camp Chef’s Explorer Camp Stove and BBQ Grill Box
I recently got a Camp Chef two-burner “Explorer” camp stove and a “barbecue grill box” for use while camping and during power outages (that are somewhat common during New England winters or hurricane season). What makes the Explorer different from a traditional BBQ grill is that it has two 30,000 BTU burners but no grilling surface. Without the BBQ box or other optional accessories, pots and pans are needed for cooking.
London Calling: A Fein way to rub your meat
Now that I’ve caught your attention with a very tasteless pun, it’s time to introduce you to a very tasteful seasoning rub. Adam Feinberg is the big brain behind Feinberg’s Rubs and last week I had the opportunity to try his Everything Rub on a 3 pound London Broil I was barbecuing for friends.
Crater Lake Pepper Vodka
Readers of the Burn! Blog know their peppers, and while my work at Simple Cocktails gives me fewer opportunities to taste the spicy stuff, I’ve had some great pepper-based liquor over the last few months.
The Korean Staple: Kimchi
Kimchi (also known as gimchi) and Korean food in general are not cuisines that I have experienced often as a Native New Mexican. Most of the kimchi I had tried were American variations and therefore I was not entirely sure what kimchi was supposed to taste like. When I found out I’d be relocating to South Korea at the end of last year one of the things that I was most excited about was the opportunity to sample some authentic Korean food, including the national dish, kimchi. Once I arrived in Korea I found the cuisine to be somewhat intimidating, with all kinds of smells and flavors that my palate was not used to. Kimchi in Korea has a much more aromatic (also could be described as strong) smell than what I’ve had in the U.S. and it is everywhere you go.
