First Cookout of 2012

Well, I finally unpacked the grill from the garage for the first time this year. It took over an hour to clean it and get it ready to meet some new meat. I’m curious, how does a grill sitting in the garage for three months get so dirty? It’s like little leprechauns sneak in during the wee hours of the morning and use up all the propane and dirty my grill! I guess that’s one of the disadvantages of living so close to Notre Dame…

Anyway, I started off by par-cooking a slab of baby back pork ribs and a slab of beef short ribs. I rubbed them down with bacon grease and seasoned them with a variety of dry southwestern spices. Then I slow-cooked them in the oven before tossing them on the grill. What’s that? Really? You’ve never rubbed down your ribs with bacon grease? You have to try it!

Next, I added some hand patted burgers (seasoned with fresh ground Himalayan salt), a package of brats, and an onion. (I will speak of this marvelous onion and how I learned about it from grilling mastermind Steve Cooksey in a future blog entry)

Finally, I added some asparagus for my wife, rubbed in coconut oil with a little salt and pepper. No, let me clarify, my wife was not rubbed in coconut oil, it was the asparagus that was… oh, never mind! Personally I am not a fan of asparagus, but if you are one of those ultra-paleo crazies (I say that with all due respect as I’m married to one) who only eats grass fed stuff, how can you go wrong eating something that is pronounced “aspara-grass” by rednecks everywhere?

Here is how my plate looked after it was all said and done. Who am I kidding!? I should say “here is how my first of many plates looked” fresh off the grill. Notice how juicy the ribs look. The only things I added were the bacon grease and spices – not one drop of that cancer causing, corn syrup infested BBQ sauce that I once thought I couldn’t live without.

Well, the first cookout of the season was a huge success. Now I need to go secure the garage and find out how those blasted leprechauns are getting in!

 Here’s one last beautiful picture of meat trying to impress me and doing a good job of it!