May 31 - End of May BBQ

Grill fodder.

If there's one thing you should know about me, it's that I love to barbecue. I live for it. Well, sort of. To the point where whenever anyone around me mentions the b-word, I start dreaming about marinating meats and charring vegetables.

A neighborhood friend was hosting a barbecue, giving me a great opportunity to feed people and show off my marinating skills. Two of my favorite things.

Meat of kings - about to get charred to perfection.

I picked up a rack of ribs at my local meat mart, and did an overnight marinade involving the following:

2 cups soy sauce
1/2 cup oil
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 onion, diced
tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
tsp powdered mustard
1/2 tsp paprika
2 tsp celery seed
1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes
2 tbsp AP flour

Cut ribs into desired portions, place in shallow pan. Cover with marinade and refrigerate, turning at least four times. Let marinate at least four hours or overnight.

Maillard reaction in full effect!

The ribs were the first thing to enjoy the heat of the grill. Thanks to the efforts of the boys in attendance, they were cooked to perfection in no time at all.

Commence to bone-chewing.

Damn, they were tasty. Super moist and flavorful, and nicely charred outside with a bit of crunch on the ends. Lovely.

Raw stuff. cooked stuff. defrosted stuff.

But that wasn't all! The kitchen was a war zone of bbq preparation - mixing ground beef for burgers, seasoning chicken for grilling, and cooking eggs and potatoes for the greatest potato salad I have ever eaten (and have yet to get the recipe for! boo!).

What preppin' looks like.

Prepping and cooking for a barbecue are as much fun as eating, in my book. I love getting together with people, cracking open a refreshing beverage, and preparing tasty outdoor foods the way our parents used to. If that's not summer, what is?

Grillmaster!

And getting everything on the grill is great! Zach took care of manning the meat station, which I was grateful for. For some reason my meat-charring skills fall somewhat short. I can grill fish and vegetables, but when it comes to meats, I'm worthless. Sigh.

After a good roastin'.

But speaking of vegetables, my other contribution to the party turned out awesome! Cuban corn is my very favorite thing to grill - It's so summery and delicious, and I can pretend it's healthy!

Cuban Grilled Corn

• corn in husks, silks removed
• 2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup finely grated queso blanco
• lime, cut into quarters

In a large saucepan filled with salted boiling water, cook corn in husks for 8 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine chili powder, paprika and salt.

On a medium grill or in a broiler, grill corn just until char marks are visible on husks. Remove and let cool. Pull back husks and rub corn with butter and sprinkle with cheese and paprika mixture. Serve with lime wedges.

Cheese - it makes everything better.

They were super tasty. Something about applying fire to corn makes it magical.

Sly fox.

We gnawed on corn indoors while it rained briefly (sigh. Seattle). Luckily, it was short lived and we were able get outside where the party belonged.

Kickin' it Seattle style.

Outside! Everybody chilled, drank, and got a little rained on as we waited for the burgers and chicken to come off the grill.

Load em up, boys.

Awesome. After filling ourselves with grilled meat, potato salad, and various snacks, I think it's fair to declare the barbecue a rained in success.

Mew.

And this is what it looks like when a kitty sleeps on top of the beer cooler. Aww.