I recently moved from Blacksburg, VA where there was a big push for local shopping and local dining (buy local. eat local. be local.). We took that to heart and while living in Blacksburg we dined at local establishments rather than chains (Blacksburg has actually been pretty successful (in the past) at keeping the chains at a distance). We shopped at the Blacksburg Farmer’s Market on weekends and we tried to keep it local for shopping when we could (we’ve been boycotting Wal-mart for years and my wife can claim not to have been in one for at least 5 years while I had to cheat once).

We moved to Raleigh, NC this summer and have found it much more difficult to keep it local. The presence of the chains and dining preferences of friends of ours have made it difficult, but as for ourselves, we would much rather eat at Daniels than at Macaroni Grill or Carrabas to name just a single type of cuisine and a few chains. We have tried the local Farmer’s Market and when in the grocery store look for the produce which is “locally grown”.  We also try to shape our home cooking with seasonal fare (e.g. with vegetables that are in season (no summer squash in November, etc.)).

However, recently on a cross continent trip of interviews, we stayed in Guelph, Ontario for a weekend. I was amazed at the focus on “Buy Ontario” while visiting. Every restaurant we visited highlighted the local ingredients on the menu (specifically local meats and sausages), local brews highlighted locally grown grain, signs on the side of the road encouraged buying local and from what I could gather when interacting with locals this is a huge trend. I’m not sure if it’s penetrated Toronto yet, but while out in the smaller suburban towns, it was very noticeable.

The benefits of buying local produced food and shopping at local stores (as opposed to corporate giants) are too numerous to be counted and I just don’t know why it hasn’t been embraced in the US and regionally where we are now with more gusto including at the policy level. Our reliance on factory everything (farming, butchering, growing, packaging, shipping, etc.) and the health codes that go along with those factories don’t actually make us safer and most likely have made us less so, cost more money, do more harm to the environment, create fewer jobs, and have a huge cultural impact with the loss of local and regional trends and flavors.

Myself, I plan on continuing what I’m doing and looking local before looking at Wallyworld. I will continue to shop at the Farmer’s Market and am even looking for a local CSA (if you know of one around Apex, NC, please drop me an e-mail).

What are you doing to support your locality?

What can we do to encourage “local friendly” policy?

Sorry this is late.  I hope I didn’t miss the BBQ.

I love BBQ.  It’s a passion of mine.  My father and I have our disagreements regarding BBQ, and everyone I know thinks I’m right (of course).  For instance, I did a pork shoulder (boston butt) for pulled pork last weekend when he was in town.  I put it on the grill at 8pm on Friday night and we had it for dinner at 6pm the next day.  I do it low-and-slow as to slowly cook the meat and make sure it’s not dry.  I don’t peek at BBQ when it’s cooking, it’s BBQ, not a peep show.  I don’t baste it.  Just a bit of rub and 220 degrees for 20 hours or so until it’s done.  In fact Julia said, “This is the best BBQ I’ve ever had.”  My father said, “But it’s too moist.”  Now, any BBQ connoisseur would laugh at that (as we did).  I think he’s just jealous that I cook my BBQ for 20 hours to perfection while he is in a rush and his is a bit dry after 6 hours in a blast furnace.  Now, I will admit that his pork is pretty damn good….but my pork is better!

BBQ is like religion and each has his own preference in terms of meat (pork vs beef vs other types of meat).  As such there are many opinions on sauce as well.  I usually have at least three sauces out when I serve BBQ and have been known to have more.  There’s the Texas tangy type, Kansas City sweet, North Carolina vinegar (around here it’s called Mountain Sauce and is very thin and an acquired taste), Virginia mustard based, etc.

My old standbys are the Texas tangy and Kansas City sweet.  Most people have most of these ingredients so it’s not like you’ll be shopping for some obscure stuff (and feel free to substitute).

Texas tangy basic BBQ sauce:
3T oil
1 medium onion (minced)
1 clove garlic (minced)
1/2 small bell pepper (or hot pepper, or Anaheim pepper, etc.) (minced)
1/3c katsup
1/2c tomato juice
water to thin
3T cider vinegar
3T Worchestershire sauce
2T lemon juice
1t hot sauce (e.g. Frank’s)
2T molasses (I use his cane syrup for this)
3T brown sugar (or turbinado)
3T yellow mustard
1t dry mustard
pepper
salt

MINCED (not diced)
saute onion garlic and pepper in oil until soft (not brown)
add rest and simmer on low until thick (about 15 minutes)

KC sweet basic BBQ sauce:
2c katsup
1/4c balsamic (this is the secret … you can use cider vinegar but go for balsamic and you’ll be asked for the recipe)
1/4c Worchestershire sauce
2T molasses (cane syrup)
2T yellow mustard
1T hot sauce (Frank’s)
1T basic rub or BBQ seasoning (or whatever spice blend sounds about right)
pepper

simmer on low until thick (about 15 minutes)

Some folks add liquid smoke to their BBQ sauce, but I think that’s sacrilege. If the smoke ain’t in the meat the sauce ain’t going to put it there.

sid.
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Sid Boswell
sid@sidboswell.com

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Consider this scenario: Have you ever purchased something at the store that you were really looking forward to? (eating)? Like you recalled picking it off the shelf and thinking, wow, garlic black pepper pork loin, “that sounds damn good.” So it is in the fridge overnight (or three) and you decide to fire up the grill and have you some garlic black pepper pork loin.

Meanwhile, you’re on the phone with your wife (from Kentucky) and you pull the pork loin out of the fridge just thinking how good it will be for dinner. You casually read the package that says, “? portabelo mushroom ?” pork loin and you literally say (into the phone), “Oh, Snap!”

Why? Because you don’t much care for fungus. Thank you very much.

Call it strange. Call it whatever, but the only legitimate reason for eating one of many varieties of fungi (that you picked out of cow dung in a pasture in Normangee Texas where you lived on a ranch with some dude named Colby and a dog named River) was to see what it felt like (and you vaguely remember seriously thinking the house was on fire (because the paint on the ceiling was patchy)).

So, with that said (“oh snap”), you just figure you’ll wash it off real good and put something on it to mask that smell.

Personally, I would go with something like Wishbone Italian salad dressing and a shit ton of black pepper.

Gave it a name while the Big Green Egg was heating up, and for meat and giggles I tweeted about it or something or other…

Tossed it on the egg at 350°F (ohhhh use of a symbol) for about 20 minutes, flipped it, and after another 20 minutes figured it was done enough for government work. Not that you can catch swine flu from undercooked pork (who doesn’t like limp bacon).

My opinion is that it was a bit salty. That may have been the 15% flavorings in the Smithfield vacuum wrap of fungus smelling yumminess.

Got full. Got bored. Looked at twitter for a bit and decided to reply….

However, I’m seriously looking forward to some not quite mushroom flavored left overs.

By the way, did anyone notice that there isn’t a fungus flavored loin on the Smithfield Web Site (maybe they should update it)?

I just figured earlier this week that Saturday would be a good day for ribs. So I bought 4 racks of Baby Backs and followed a modified 3/2/1 method:

I started by pulling the silver membrane off the back of the ribs. I then marinated the ribs overnight in the fridge by applying liberal dusting of Dizzy Pig Dizzy Dust and some Turbinado sugar wrapping in foil and forgetting. One rack in particular has one side that was quite thick.

Around 11:30am the next day I got my fire prepped at 225°F using Big Green Egg lump charcoal, my plate setter (for indirect cooking in a Big Green Egg), and a BBQ Guru. I dropped in some hickory chunks, put the ribs on and left them alone.

After an hour and a half I rotated and flipped the ribs (except for one rack with an exceptionally thick edge which wouldn’t fit in the rack upside down).

After another hour and a half, I wrapped each rack in foil and put about 1/4 cup of braising liquid (recipe below)  in with each rack.

After an hour and a half I removed the ribs from the foil, removed the plate setter and placed the ribs bone down over direct heat. After a few minutes I basted the top of the ribs with BBQ  sauce (recipe below) let it set and flipped the ribs once. I basted the bone side and once sauce set flipped them again at which point I basted the top again. After a total of about 30 minutes direct I removed the ribs and tented them with foil.

While they rested about 10 minutes I cooked the rest of the meal after which I sliced the ribs in single or double rib portions and served.

The ribs were excellent. The only issue was the “extra meaty” ribs and the big thick end of two of the racks. Still, damn good BBQ, but I’ll just be more careful when picking them out at the store next time.

Braising Liquid (for 4 racks):

• left over liquid marinade from overnight
• 1/2 c dry sherry
• 1/2 c apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 c catsup
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 tsp yellow mustard
• 1 heaping tbs turbinado sugar
• hit of garlic power
• hit of Dizzy Pig Dizzy Dust

BBQ Sauce:

• remaining braising liquid from foil after braising
• 1/2 c catsup
• 1/8 c dry sherry
• 2 tbs yellow mustard
• 1 tbs balsamic vinegar
• 1 heaping tbs of turbinado sugar
• hit of dizzy dust