Mega BBQ

An ex-busboy at Southern Hospitality BBQ & Bar in Manhattan, has filed a lawsuit claiming that he wasn’t paid a living wage during the year he spent working there.

In a federal lawsuit filed Friday in New York, 26-year-old Felipe Ramales alleges that he and some fellow employees were not given their rightful share of automatic gratuity charges that were applied to tables of six or more. The plaintiff also says that he regularly worked more than 40 hours a week and received no overtime pay.

But while Ramales’ grievances are plentiful, a Southern Hospitality rep says that they’re baseless, as well.

Restaurant manager Chris Russell said that staffers took home every bit of their tips and that employee salaries were well over minimum wage.

Reps for Timberlake or his partners have yet to respond to the suit.

Source: E! Online

I found this gem of a recipe this morning. Three things that I love about this recipe: the green pepper, the fact that it does not use prepared bottled barbecue sauce (it does use Campbell’s Tomato soup however), and the simplicity of the recipe. Anybody can whip this up and it sounds really good! As a matter of fact, I think I’ll make this tonight with some homemade French fries. Stay tuned for my review!

Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 25 to 30 min

• 1/2 lb hamburger or ground chuck
• 1/2 c chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 4 slices regular bread soaked in 1/3 c milk, salt and pepper to taste
• 1 can Campbell’s tomato soup
• 4 tbsp flour

1. Mix hamburger, onion, green peppers and soaked bread in a bowl, save soup until later.
2. After mixing well, pat into oval burgers about 1/2 in thick, brown in oven proof skillet. When done, sprinkle in 4 tbsp flour and stir into the juices until the flour disappears.
3. Now mix the Campbell’s tomato soup with 1/2 can water. Pour this mixture over the browned and cooked burgers, stirring to mix well.
4. Bake in oven at 400 degrees for 25 minutes until good and bubbly. The gravy is very good on mashed potatoes or a slice or buttered bread, fast, easy and very good.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Happy holidays folks! Here is a great recipe that can be baked inside your barbecue grill and is very appropriate given the time of year it is right now. Personally, I would bake this in my gas grill rather than using my charcoal smoker/grill. Although the smokiness might add another dimension to your fruitcake. In addition to a less smoky fruitcake, using the gas grill will help you manage your heat a lot easier. Of course you can simply use your oven but hey, this is a BBQ website right!

First off, I would recommend having a surface temperature gauge/thermometer so you can get the correct temperature at the grates. Another factor to consider before starting your Southern-Style Fruitcake is that it needs to rest overnight before you put it in your grill or oven.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup diced candied orange peel
• 1 cup diced candied lemon peel
• 2 cups diced citron
• 1 cup currants
• 1 cups raisins, chopped
• 1 cup chopped dates
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1/2 cup brandy
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground or freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mace
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup plus 5 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
• 5 large eggs, separated
• 1/2 cup molasses

Preparation:

Mix the fruit in a large bowl with the red wine and brandy. Stir to combine and set aside to marinate for 2 to 4 hours.

Butter two 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pans and line them with clean parchment paper. Butter the paper.

Sift the flour with the spices twice. Add the baking powder and salt and sift again.

Put the butter into a large mixing bowl and cream until smooth. Add sugar; using an electric mixer, cream until light and fluffy. Beat the egg yolks slightly and then add them to the bowl. Mix the batter well before you start to add the flour-spice mixture. Stir the batter as you add the flour, a little at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the flour is thoroughly incorporated, add the molasses and stir. Finally, stir in the fruit, along with any soaking liquid left in the bowl.

Put the egg whites in a stainless steel or glass bowl and beat with a clean beater to stiff peaks. Fold them into the batter thoroughly and then spoon the batter into the prepared pans. Cover loosely with a clean cloth and let the batter sit overnight in a cool place to mellow.

On the next day, heat the grill (using your surface temp thermometer) or heat your oven to 250° (for the less adventurous). Place the fruitcake in the middle of your grill (use the burners on the extreme ends so you get a baking effect rather than a grilling effect directly underneath the cake) or again, for the less adventurous put your cake on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. After 1 1/2 hours, cover the pan with a piece of brown paper (do not use foil) or set the pan in a paper bag and return it to the oven. Turn your cake every hour or so to promote even baking.

When the cake has baked for 3 1/2 hours, test the with a toothpick or cake tester. If the tester comes out of the center of the cake clean, the cake is done. Leave the cake in the pan and set on wire rack to cool.

When the cake(s) are completely cooled, turn out of the pans, leaving the brown-paper lining on the cake. Wrap the cake with parchment, then foil, and pack the cake in a tin. Homemade fruitcakes need air, so punch a few holes in the lid of the tin or set the cover loosely on the tin.

Set the tin in a cool, undisturbed place, and every day or two before Christmas, open the foil and sprinkle the cake with a small glassful of brandy, wine, or bourbon. The liquor will keep the cake most and flavorful and help preserve it as well.

All there is to do is sit back by the fire after a great meal, pop open a tin of your homemade fruitcake and enjoy!

With eggplant and squash currently in season, I thought it would be nice to post a recipe that includes both ingredients. BBQ grilled Ratatouille is fun, quick and easy to make and simply delicious. This recipe makes an ordinary weekday seem extra-special accompanying virtually any meat dish or serve as a hearty main dish. BBQ grilled Rataouille goes great with chicken, beef, pork, lamb or fish.

• 2 zucchini, cut into quarters lengthwise
• 2 yellow squash, cut into quarters lengthwise
• 2 eggplant, halved lengthwise
• 2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded and quartered
• 2 yellow bell peppers, stemmed, seeded and quartered
• 2 red onions, quartered
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
• 1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves

Preheat grill to medium-high.

Directions:

Place all cut vegetables and the tomatoes in a large shallow baking dish, add the 1/2 cup of olive oil, and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Place the vegetables on the grill and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, turning halfway through the cooking time. Remove the tomatoes, cover grill, and cook the remaining vegetables for 2 minutes, or until almost cooked through. Transfer vegetables to a cutting board and coarsely chop (leave tomatoes whole). Place the chopped vegetables and tomatoes in a large bowl, add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, garlic, oregano and parsley and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve at room temperature.

Source: Bobby Flay’s “Boy Meets Grill” show.

Since the summer is now over and many folks out there would rather not be outside in the cooler weather grilling. Before it gets too cold it’s probably a good idea to do some maintenance on your grill. I live in Florida where the weather isn’t such a big issue on whether or not we can grill, however I will also do some maintenance now since I am not grilling as much as the peak of summer. Plus the cooler weather is a nice reminder (not to mention more comfortable) to get this job done!

First of all, if your grill is on pavement that you would like to keep somewhat clean, you might want to put something down under your grill. I would suggest moving your grill atop of a heavy-duty plastic tarp. This way the grease and gunk won’t get on your nice clean driveway or paving material. Also, for safety reasons (I shouldn’t even have to say this, but…) please do not work on your grill while it is hot or hooked up to the gas bottle. There, I said it.

Tools Needed
Here are a few tools and items that will help you maintain your grill: Grill brush, vegetable cooking spray (like PAM), lava rocks (for gas grill replacement), flat head and Phillips-head screwdriver, pliers and an adjustable wrench (in case of any loose screws, bolts or if you are replacing the grill insides), high-temperature grill paint (if your paint is cracking, fading or chipping), rubber gloves, dish detergent, oven cleaner (or non-toxic grill cleaner), nylon brush, all-purpose cleaner, wire brush, scraper. There are lots of different tools and gadgets out there to help you maintain your barbecue equipment, however I have listed the essentials at the very least.

Cleaning your Gas Grill
It’s not the funnest job in the world to clean your grill, but you’ll be happy you did once you fire it up come springtime (or anytime for that matter!). Okay, so you have your grill on top of the plastic tarp and you are ready to go. Let’s start by disconnecting the gas bottle and putting it in a safe place. Then remove the bottom tray that collects food and charred material. Scrape and dust off the dry stuff and discard. If the bottom tray is greasy, start by spraying off as much as you can with a high pressure nozzle on your hose and set aside. Spray bottom tray with all-purpose cleaner and let sit out of the sun so it doesn’t evaporate quickly. You can spray and soak more if needed.

Next, remove and inspect grill grates. This is the second season for me and my gas grill and I’m noticing some rusting on my grates. Obviously rust does not taste very good and shouldn’t be eaten, so I will discard my grates. Actually I will see if they can be recycled, if so, they will go into my recycle bin. If your grates are in good shape and are just dirty, set them up so they stand up against a wall you won’t mind spraying with cleaner and getting grime on. Hit them with a wire brush first to get the majority of dirt and debris off. Then spray them with all-purpose cleaner and let sit. If this doesn’t do the trick, try oven cleaner (read manufacturer instructions) and rinse thoroughly.

Some gas grills come with lower grates that the lava rocks sit atop of. Simply take those out and hit them with a wire brush. If they are very brittle and falling apart, replace.

Okay. Now we’ve tackled two of the most grimiest areas of your grill. Next, remove the heat diffusers and/or lava rocks from your grill. the heat diffusers can be scraped, brushed and cleaned, but the lava rocks should be replaced if cracking and full of burned food particles.

Innards

Inspect the inner working parts of your gas grill. If the burner assemblies are in good shape and not falling apart, I would just clean off any debris and make sure there isn’t anything obstructing the flow of gas coming out of the burners. If the burners and inner parts of your grill are trashed, I would suggest calling the manufacturer for the parts you need to replace. Some home improvement stores also carry kits to replace burners and other parts.

While “under the hood” check out the inner walls of your grill. Are they dirty or greasy? If so, use your scraper to scrape away the top layer of grime. Then take your nylon brush with some soapy water and wash off the rest of the dirt and grease. You might even want to mask off your burners with tape so you don’t get water in them. After you have cleaned the inside, throw away the dirty water and load up on some fresh soapy water to clean the exterior of your grill. Dry with a clean towel. Once the inside of your grill is dry, spray it with some vegetable cooking spray to keep parts from rusting.

For self-igniting grills, check out the hardware for this to see if it needs replacing. If so, while you are on the phone with the manufacturer, you might as well order a kit to replace as well.

If you have a grill that has cracked, faded or chipping paint, you might want to consider painting the exterior with high-temperature grill paint. First sand off any cracked and chipped areas, clean surface dust with a dry towel and paint away. Be sure to mask off any temperature gauges, handles and anything else you don’t want painted.

After everything is cleaned, rinsed and reassembled, hook up the gas and fire up your grill to make sure everything is in good working order. If so, roll that bad boy into the garage, cover it up, shut off the gas from the bottle and you’ll be enjoying a nice clean grill next season. For those of you who grill in winter as well as summer as I do, keep on enjoying your grill… Now it’s nice and clean and well maintained.

Charcoal Grill/Smoker Maintenance
Fortunately with charcoal grills and smokers, there are no inner parts to replace besides the grates or possibly a tempurature guage or two. That doesn’t mean you are home free because some smokers can get pretty nasty.

Warning! — Safety Alert! — Do not work on a hot charcoal grill or smoker. I don’t care how many beers you had to drink!!! Okay, now that we have that out of the way… Start by putting a plastic tarp underneath your BBQ grill/smoker to save your pavement underneath. Then remove any trays filled with ash. Make sure the ashes are still not hot or glowing. If not, discard.

Remove and inspect grates in your charcoal BBQ or smoker. If they are rusted out, throw them into the recycle bin and order new ones (including the lower grates for putting charcoal atop of). If your grates are in good shape, hit them with the wire brush first, then some soapy water and your nylon brush. For stubborn grime, spray all-purpose cleaner and soak for a while. For even more stubborn grime, try using the oven cleaner (read manufacturer’s instructions) and rinse well once clean.

Take a look at the nuts, bolts and screws of your grill/smoker. If you need to replace any, do so at this time. TIP: Ask the manufacturer if you can be sent a whole kit of nuts, screws and all hardware that comes with your grill/smoker. I had Char-Broil send me a complete set for my double-door smoker so I have extra parts. Comes in handy!

Okay, now that the grates are out of the grill/smoker, get some fresh soapy water and your nylon brush and scrub the inside of your grill (don’t forget the lid or lids and smoke box of your grill/smoker). If your smoker has a smoke stack like mine does, get yourself one of those brushes with a long handle from the dollar store and scrub the inside with soapy water. Change your soapy water and use a clean towel to wash the exterior of your grill/smoker. Take a clean towel with fresh water and wipe inside and outside of your grill and smoke stack.

If your grill or smoker has a temperature gauge or two, check them out to see if they need to be tightened down. Replace if your temperature gauge(s) aren’t working properly.

Once the interior of your grill/smoker is dry, spray with vegetable cooking spray (including the lid or lids as well). Install grates, cover your grill and store for the winter unless you will be using it throghout the winter.

On both gas and charcoal grills and smokers, spray a little WD-40 or 3 in 1 oil to ensure smooth maneuvering.

This post is a little long-winded, but I think I covered just about everything I could think of pertaining to maintaining your grill. It’s a good time of year to do this, so the timing of this post should suit you well (even though this is not one of our favorite jobs). Happy and CLEAN grilling!

Related links:
Search for grill cleaning supplies at Amazon.com!

Here is a segment of Diners Drive-ins and Dives I really enjoyed and thought it would be cool to share it with you all. Plus, I don’t think I have any videos posted on Mega BBQ yet!

The next time I’m in Chicago, I’ll be sure to look these guys up for their mouth-watering barbecue! If you would like to look them up on the web, check out www.smoquebbq.com.

Just before leaving their website, I noticed Smoque’s ‘View on Q’ manifesto which I would recommend to my readers to take a gander. I know I have picked up a few things in there to shoot for when Q’ing. Here’s the PDF: BBQ Smoque’s View on Q.

What a great special! Char-Broil is promoting their Tailgating Special which offers free shipping to consumers who purchase a portable grill or cooker before October 2, 2008 (Promo Code 8TGPG).

This includes the Grill2Go, the Charcoal H2O Smoker, Table Top Grills (including Portable Charcoal Grill, Mini Boss, or the Gas Tabletop Grill) and the Big Easy.

There are two Grill2Go products: Grill2Go Express which is the smaller table top model and features a 200 sq. in. open flame cooking surface. The Grill2Go Advantage is the model that stands upright off the floor and offers a 308 sq. in. cooking surface.

The Charcoal H2O Smoker is the classic dome style smoker. Believe it or not, the H2O Smoker features more cooking space than the Grill2Go Advantage at 380 sq. in. of total cooking space.

The Portable Charcoal Grill has got to be my personal favorite out of all the portable cookers. The CB500X Charcoal Grill features pre-seasoned cast iron grates, Adjustable fire grate, Easy access to firebox, Two dampers for easy heat control, Temperature gauge, 240 sq. in. cooking surface, Heavy-gauge steel construction. You can definitely cook up a storm with this bad boy and it just seems like this product will last years to come.

The Big Easy is one of Char-Broil’s newest member to it’s lineup. The Big Easy is an infrared oil-less turkey fryer is the safe way to fry your turkey, chicken and roasts. The Big Easy includes a cooking basket, basket lifting handle, and meat thermometer and features: Enclosed burner design with 18,000 BTU’s, Rotary Ignition, Cool-touch handles, Pull-out grease tray, and a wipe-clean stainless steel cooking chamber.

To access Char-Broil’s Tailgating Special page click here or point your browser here:

http://www.charbroil.com/Consumer/Promotion.aspx?PromoID=8&keycode=8TGPG

The contest is named Friday’s Awesome BBQ Sweepstakes to be exact. T.G.I. Friday’s is even giving away instant prizes, plus a trip for two to Lynchburg, Tennessee where you’ll get some one-on-one time with celebrity chef Guy Fieri. Personally, I would love to have a sit down with Guy and discuss some of the joints he has visited on his awesome Diners Drivins and Dives show. My DVR is always set to record any of his new episodes — for sure!

Friday’s is having this sweepstakes commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational Barbecue™ and ends September 30, 2008. To enter click here! Or point your browser to:

http://www.tgifridays.com/SweepstakesContent/AwesomeBBQSweeps.aspx

Here are the prizes!

SWEEPS GRAND PRIZE

* TRIP FOR TWO TO THE JACK™ IN LYNCHBURG, TN. OCTOBER 24 & 25, 2008
* SPEND THE DAY VIP STYLE, TASTING THE WORLD’S BEST BBQ, PLUS SOME ONE-ON-ONE TIME WITH CELEBRITY CHEF GUY FIERI
* PERSONAL TOUR OF THE JACK DANIEL’S® DISTILLERY
* EXPERT JACK DANIEL’S® BBQ KIT
* $200 GIFT CARD TO T.G.I. FRIDAY’S® RESTAURANTS
* 1 YEAR’S WORTH OF T.G.I. FRIDAY’S® FROZEN SNACKS & MEALS

INSTANT WIN PRIZES

* JACK DANIEL’S® CAP OR T-SHIRT
* FREE T.G.I. FRIDAY’S® APPETIZER OR DESSERT COUPON (WITH PURCHASE OF AN ENTRÉE)
* $5 OR $10 T.G.I. FRIDAY’S® RESTAURANTS GIFT CARDS
* 1 YEAR’S WORTH OF T.G.I. FRIDAY’S® FROZEN SNACKS & MEALS

About the Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational Barbecue™ competition:

More than 60 championship barbecue teams and some 25,000 visitors from around the world will descend on Lynchburg (Pop. 361), Tennessee for the 20th Annual Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational Barbecue.

For two decades now, the fourth Saturday in October has marked this true world championship barbecue competition. Among the teams attending will be last year’s Grand Champion, Moonswiners from Taylorsville, Kentucky.

In order to qualify, domestic teams must have won a state championship with 25 teams entered or a competition with more than 50 teams competing in the categories of Pork Ribs, Pork Butts, Chicken and Beef Brisket. The final competitors are then selected during a blind drawing of all eligible teams in early September. The 2007 Jack Daniel’s world grand champion and the current season’s Memphis in May, American Royal Open and Houston World’s Championship Bar-B-Que grand champions receive automatic invitations.

Texas takes their barbecue seriously. So serious that Texas’ own magazine (and ezine) Texas Monthly goes out every 5 years, travels over 15,000 miles and visit over 340 BBQ establishments to name the best BBQ joints in the Lone Star state. This year’s winner: A tiny cafe in a little town of Lexington called Snow’s BBQ.

Snow’s BBQ is about an hour’s drive northeast of Austin and is surprisingly open only on Saturdays. Owner Kerry Bexley a former rodeo clown and prison guard, comes into work Friday night to fire up the oak logs. They open at 8 a.m. and will stay open until they sell out and from the sound of their BBQ and only being open one day per week, I bet they sell out every time.

Pitmaster Tootsie Tomanetz, 73, has been cooking barbecue in central Texas for over 42 years. She comes into work around 2 a.m. early Saturday morning.

“We were named No. 1 in Texas and from that point on our whole business has changed drastically,” Bexley says. “We’ve gone from cooking from 300 pounds to cooking in excess of 1,000 pounds, and last week we sold out before 10 [a.m.].”

With all the hoopla lately it’s not uncommon for folks to call ahead from miles away and order a half-a-pound of BBQ, sausage and some ribs. Even with the high price of gasoline these days, people will travel pretty far to get great barbecue. And great barbecue is what they’ll get at Snow’s BBQ!

Executive editor and chief gourmand at Texas Monthly couldn’t believe there was an unknown great barbecue place in Texas yet to be discovered. Some of the best known barbecue places in Texas are Louie Mueller in Taylor, Kreuz Market and Smitty’s in Lockhart, Coopers in Llano and City Market in Luling. Snow’s BBQ is only 5 years old and only a baby compared to the well-known Texas BBQ joints.

Even Miss Tootsie will agree that the fame of becoming #1 in Texas has changed business there. “There’s no time for relaxation”, she says in her Texas Monthly interview.

People line up 7:00 in the morning 20+ deep waiting to get inside for BBQ. They have to because Snow’s BBQ on the particular day Texas Monthly was there, sold out of barbecue within an hour. Folks from all over the state and even out of state have been coming by to try Tootsie’s BBQ. She’s even getting worried there won’t be any barbecue for their locals who have been eating her great BBQ for many years.

I only have one thing to say to owner Kerry Bexley; It looks like it’s time to open your doors more than one day per week!

I have to be honest with you, I have never really liked or used electric grills — but I know there are millions who have (hence the George Foreman electric grill). In my travels online I came across the Char-Broil Electric Patio Caddie at my favorite BBQ grill website CharBroil.com. For those who would rather not set off smoke alarms inside their home or apartment, the Char-Broil Electric Patio Caddie is perfect for you.

The exterior of this unit has an easy-to-clean porcelain lid with a temperature gauge. Other features include a 15″ porcelain cooking grid, thermsulate liner maintains high grilling temperatures, a wide base design with easy rolling wheels, and a 5-foot cord (in which you may need to use an extension cord if your electric outlet is not nearby).

Specifications:
Product Number: 06601296
Weight (in Pounds): 35.0
Cooking Grate Dimensions: 15″ Diameter
Fuel Source: Electric
Watts: 1650

So for those of you who have an apartment with a small patio and love to grill, I think this product would suit you just fine. There are a few strong advantages for a single person, senior or small family who is on the go to own one of these: The Electric Patio Caddie is not very expensive (around $100 bucks), you do not have to buy propane!, it’s easy to clean up, and it doesn’t take up much space on your patio.

Manual: char-broil_electric_patio_caddie_manual

Parts List: electric_patio_caddie_parts_list

Where to buy: Amazon.com, Char-Broil Direct, The Home Depot

Optional Equipment: Patio Caddie Grill Cover (pictured below)