PORK BELLY SOAKING

An eleven pound pork belly is soaking in a marinade of 'Love.' This a nitrate free bath of salt, apple juice, sugar and molasses. That is all she wrote. "The Great White Hunter" has commissioned me to make a nitrate free slab of bacon. This brine will work its magic for three days and a hot smoke stoked with Hickory wood will transform this piece of swine to a magical treat. Stay tuned!

• 10 pounds of pork belly
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 cups kosher salt.
• 16 ounces molasses
• 1 gallon of water
• 2 quarts of apple juice or cider
• 4 tablespoons of black pepper

PROS & JOES GRILLDOWN 2011

Mother Nature smiled on the Pros & Joes Grilldown event this Saturday. She held back on the thunder and downpour of rain until after this barbeque meat extravaganza. The skies were overcast but that did not dissuade 1,300 hungry and thirsty Redding residents from attending. This was a contest that pitted professional cookers versus the backyard grilling enthusiasts. Boy was there enthusiasm among the ranks of cookers.

The crowd was treated to many different grilled and smoked food items. The hungry public traveled booth to booth sampling foods from whole cooked Hog to jalapeno poppers. Once they have had there fill, they voted on the ’Peoples Choice award.’ Ribs, chicken and tri-tip was the meat prepared for the judges. Our judging duty was very difficult to pick out the best out of so many tasty entries.

“The Billys” band provided music to create a festive atmosphere.There was a lot of full and happy people. The results were tallied and the winners were declared.

Grand Champion

Pros    --------------- D&D BBQ
Joes    ----------------Grill Billies
Peoples Choice ------ Dills

I need this option on my rig!

This is a fun local event. Ms. Goofy’s sister Shastina judged for the second time.and now has the BBQ bug. I am sure she will become a certified KCBS judge in the near future. Speaking of certifiable, My Bro-In-Law John is considering letting me drive his Harley around the Shasta Dam. Today might be the day.

The End

JACK IS BACK

It is the night before the big event, the Pros & Joes barbeque competition in Redding California. What better way to whet ones appetite but with some mouth watering juicy grilled steaks. Where else can you go in Redding but Jacks? New York for the Genius and fillet for Ms. Goofy made a meat tasting warm-up that could not be beat.

Ms. Goofy's sister Shastina will be joining us in the judging booth tomorrow. Hopefully Shastina will put in a good word to my Bro-in-Law John to persuade him to let me ride his Harley. We have our taste buds open and my fingers crossed.

PROS & JOES 2011

This Saturday May 28, in downtown Redding California will be a fun barbeque event. It is the battle of the 'Pros & Joes'. The Pros being local restaurants and catering companies versus the Joes, backyard barbeque enthusiasts. Ms. Goofy and I will be in the Judges arena to referee this epic event. This is a great event for the public to taste some great BBQ. Hope to see you there. Here are some pictures from last year.

Pros & Joes BBQ Grilldown

XOLO

Downtown Oakland once was a dark, dreary and not so very safe place to visit. It has slowly gone through a neighborhood transformation. Restaurants, Art galleries, night clubs and a restoration of the Fox Theater have brought back life to this renamed destination, ‘Uptown Oakland’. Xolo is a taqueria that is located across the street from the Fox. The Fox is a venue that has been showcasing some big name performers. Xolo is the perfect place to grab a bite before or after the show. We came for the ‘Danger Dog’ but stayed for the burritos.

Xolo is an offshoot of the popular Dona Tomas restaurant that is located several miles down the street. Xolo is a causal taqueria whose specialties are burritos. We walked into Xolo’s and were greeted by two friendly servers that would take our order at the counter. Three menu items, two cerveza’s and non complimentary chips & salsa set us back forty five dollars. We received a number and looked for a place to sit. In the back is a warm cozy outdoor patio which became our choice of seats. Our food was brought promptly.

Chile Verde was not a menu item. Our server suggested that I order the chile verde bowl. This bowl consists of the filling for the burrito minus the tortilla. The menu describes the chile verde burrito as; “pork stewed in tomatillos & chiles, black beans, diced red onions and cilantro’. That is what I got in a nice glass bowl. This chile verde bowl contained only three or four cubes of meat with a tiny amount of shredded pork. It was very tender. In fact it was so tender; I would say it had a mushy texture. The tomatillo/chili sauce was very mild and bland. Overall this dish of chile verde was very disappointing. Ms. Goofy had a ‘Machaca’ shredded beef burrito which she enjoyed. The chips were freshly fried, crisp, salty and tasty. It is too bad they were accompanied by bland and nondescript Pico de Gallo and tomatillo salsas.

Xolo is a convenient and inviting place to grab a bite before the show. They have a reputation to live up to being an offshoot of Dona Tomas. The ‘Danger Dog’ was a fun and messy menu item. Ms. Goofy liked her shredded beef burrito. The servers were friendly and prompt. I would not recommend the Chili Verde. Come to ‘Uptown Oakland’, watch a show at the Fox, have a burrito at Xolo’s but be prepared to leave with an empty wallet.

XOLO
1916 Telegraph Av.
Oakland Ca. 94612
510 986-0151

DANGER DOG

It is the end of the world as we know it and Ms. Goofy and I are going out with a bang. Danger Dogs were on our list of things to do and a trip to ‘Uptown Oakland’ to ‘Xolo’ would satisfy our wish. It has been a strange day. We arrived at Xolo and met this man in a clean pressed military uniform. He asked us if we knew were he could find an establishment of liquor consumption. We could not help him and I asked if he was on shore leave. He said no he was only an actor waiting to be picked up at a certain corner to go film a movie. Ms. Goofy ventured to guess that it was for an Adult movie.

The ‘Danger Dog’ is a bacon wrapped hot dog, mayonnaise, mustard, pinto beans, cheese, pickled jalapenos, and avocado on a bollillo roll. It was a holy mess and I guess I deserve it on this final day. Xolo is located across from the newly renovated Fox Theater in Oakland. Chile Verde review to follow shortly.

I SAY TOMATO

How ever you say it, it is time to get some ‘Gosh Darn Golly Wompers’ tomato plants in the ground. Mother Nature has been throwing us curveballs with her rain delays. We have made it to the fifth inning (month) and is time to play ball. A strange long trip to Bezerkley, to visit my favorite two nurseries for unique and fun tomato plants was in order.
  Last year, the ‘Julia Child’ tomato plant was purchased and transformed into a beautiful pink Brandywine type of tomato that we want to grow again. We arrived at the first nursery (which will remain nameless) and it was closed. Closed on Thursdays? No problem we will just go to the next garden of our tomato delights. I was shocked and greeted with the same sign ‘Closed on Thursday’s’. Only in Berkeley are gardening establishments closed in the middle of the week. Conspiracy? A large retail box store was settled for to purchase one ‘Brandywine’ tomato and a half dozen jalapeno plants.

I am going to share my ultra secret growing tip for beautiful and tasty tomatos. A green thumb with a special fertilizer will help. ‘Gardens Alive’ sells a special mixed blend of organic material, minerals and special guano from a rare lisping ‘Quichomo Islands’ bat. Follow the directions and reap the awards for delicious tomatoes.