Weekend Barbecue

This weekend we went north to Grayling. To do what we do best up there, eat and drink with friends. This one was to celebrate Dave's son David who was on a brief leave from Iraq.




No, it's not Thanksgiving. That's proud papa Dave's turkey coming out of the smoker.



We brought our Coffee Cardamom rubbed beef to join two kinds of ribs, I forget how many smoked chickens, the turkey, and two kinds of ribs. Along with baked potatoes and baked beans and other sides. That table managed to hold all that meat without collapsing.




An apple-cranberry pie was requested...and delivered. I was putting it together in such a hurry Friday night, I screwed up the lattice pattern. And the only way to fix it would have been to do the whole top all over again. OR: dust the hell out of the top with cinnamon and sugar, throw the thing in the oven and get my ass in the shower so I could get to work on time. And tell myself repeatedly that no one is even going to notice. Sharon's mom made 'Chocolate Sin', which is a lot like mom Reinert's 'Peanut Delight'. Layers of nut crust, chocolate pudding, whipped cream...*sigh*. Need I mention we were all stuffed afterwards?





Sunday we enjoyed an afternoon borrowing Sharon's parents' pontoon boat on Lake Margrethe. I have to confess Tim and I and Sharon and Rodney pretty much drank the cooler dry. We did a little swimming, but mostly a lot of cruising and talking and laughing like loons. That pic is sometime before Tim lost his shirt...literally. He had hung it up to dry when the wind took it overboard. By the time we swung around to find it, it had sunk like a stone. Oh well, that just might mean a trip to Bell's Brewery to get him a new Two-Hearted Ale shirt.

As promised, here's the beef rub recipe:

Jake's Coffee-Cardamom Brisket Rub

From 'Barbecue Bible Sauces, Rubs and Marinades' by Steve Raichlen

1/2 cup ground coffee or chicory
1/2 cup coarse salt (kosher or sea)
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup hot paprika
2 tablespoons ground cardamom
2 tablespoons ground ginger
1/3 cup chopped fresh garlic
1/2 vegetable oil, or as needed

Combine all the ingredients except the oil in a bowl or food processor and stir or process to mix. Stir in enough oil to make a thick paste. The rub should be used the day it is made. Cover and refrigerate until using.

Makes about 2 cups; enough for a 6-8 pound brisket

Notes: We used eye of round the first time and a trimmed bottom round roast the second time.

We found sea salt to be way too salty. Kosher was better.