Back from the Island

Life is full of sad, unalterable facts. Tasty sweets make you fat, babies grow up, and vacations eventually end. Last week, Tiffany and I enjoyed a nice break from the world on the stunning island of St. Lucia. A former colony of Great Britain, St. Lucia is a geographical work of art featuring mountainous peaks framed by sandy beaches and blue seas. The diversity of the island's terra reminded me a little of Hawaii.  Our home for the week was the Sandals Regency La Toc, where we stayed in a very nice two story villa situated on a bluff overlooking the Caribbean Sea.  Our resort was all-inclusive and featured butler service, which was a nice perk that I never got totally comfortable using.  While there, we enjoyed a romantic beachside candlelit dinner for our anniversary, went into Castries (the capital city) for a day of shopping, took a day-long tour of the island by bus and boat, and lounged on the beach in our downtime. As I said before, the island is simply beautiful...it seemed like every home, restaurant, and shop had a clear view of the ocean. The locals are kind and very hospitable. They live simply but are happy.  I suppose there's a lesson somewhere in that. Unfortunately the food nerd within me was disappointed with most of the resort's culinary offerings. Ours featured six different restaurants, all of which were vanilla at best.  Fortunately, we got to enjoy excellent St. Lucian cuisine on our days outside the resort. Seafood and local produce were the staples of our meals, and they were delicious - the island boasted the best bananas I've ever eaten. After a week of fun and relaxation, we returned home to find things much the same as we left them. No news is good news, I guess. 

I enjoy traveling, mostly because it means I'm going somewhere besides work. It also means I have time to read, so I always pick out a book or two before leaving.  My choices this time around were The Shack by William P. Young and God of the Possible by Greg Boyd. I'm not quite done with The Shack, so thoughts on it will come later. God of the Possible is a treatise on Open Theism, which states that God sees the future as a combination of certainties and open possibilities and works in relation to this. In other words, God does not "know" all things to come, only the things He has decided He will do. At face value, this is a jolting assertion. It denies a basic tenant held by most of mainstream Christianity - God knows all things that are, have been, or will be, and He is eternally changeless. Boyd, a former atheist, writes that he grew tired of trying to explain away scripture that described God as changing or being surprised (and there are many) in the name of the classical view of complete foreknowledge. He also struggled to make sense of the problem of evil in light of total foreknowledge - if God knew Hitler would kill millions, how could He go ahead and create Hitler?  In God of the Possible, Boyd outlines the open view in detail, defends it using scripture, and addresses common critiques. 

This book is wonderful. I won't say that Open Theism answers every question - that can't be done by any human theory. After consideration of the evidence presented, I believe it presents a scripturally accurate picture of God as He is. Now, I had to get over a hump in accepting this theory - am I removing omniscience or power from God by supposing He does not know all aspects of the future? After study and thought, I believe the answer is a resounding "no."  It seems that the notion of an all-knowing and controlling God is rooted in the theories of Hellenistic philosophers such as Plato.  Not until the fourth or fifth century did Christianity begin to assign these attributes to God in its teachings.  Logically speaking, the notion that God "knows" the future removes free will from the equation. If it can be unequivocally (trademark Bill Oliver) known a man will choose God over sin or vice versa, did that man ever really have a choice?  If we assert that our decisions are our own and that we alone are responsible, then how can these choices be "known" until after they are made? In the end, stating God cannot know the future decisions of free agents strips Him of no more power than saying He cannot make a square circle or a married bachelor. It is a self-contradictory concept. In scripture, God is repeatedly described as being surprised, shocked, disappointed, and regretful at the actions of His creation.  He also makes future events contingent on the behavior of His people - "if you will, then I will". Patrick Mead has done a thorough series on this very subject on his blog, and he lists many of these instances. I won't rehash those here, but you can peruse them at your leisure.

What's the purpose of all this, anyways? I do not believe this is an issue that is doctrinally critical - who among us can truly know the mind of God? If I'm 110% wrong, then that's OK. We are not saved by doctrinal perfection. The open view offers an explanation for questions that have troubled me for quite some time, and upon inspection of scripture at face value, it appears to be accurate. In my admittedly limited mind, a God who works with free, rebellious, immature, and constantly changing agents and STILL accomplishes His plans is far more amazing, loving, and perfect than one who knows all that will happen and controls all things. Humans need control to make things work...our God does not.

Well, I didn't mean for that to drag on for so long. Time permitting, I'll have some pictures from our trip posted for all to see very soon. Until next time!

A Friday Quickie

Happy Friday, everyone. I hope you've made plans to honor the father/father figure in your life. There may be no taller order in this world than to ask a man to emulate the role that God Almighty established and perfected. No small feat, that's for sure. Lucky me....I was blessed with a man who has filled that role with honor and dignity for nearly 30 years now. Thanks, dad. I love you. 

Modern Christianity has a load of problems, issues, and warts to deal with. For my dollar, the most damaging of them all is the seemingly insatiable need to judge, condemn, or shun people we deem more sinful than us. The church has, deservedly so, acquired a reputation of being holier-than-thou jerks who love nothing more than pointing out the faults of everyone and everything but itself. And we wonder why nobody wants to join us on Sundays. Sadly, it seems as though not a week goes by without someone telling me a story of a friend or acquaintance of theirs who refuses to consider Christ because they've been mistreated by someone in this way. Wednesday night, we heard the story of a gay man who killed himself because his circle of friends, who were Christians, refused to have anything to do with him after he 'came out.'  This is unacceptable, and it has to stop. Anyone who reacts to any sin in this way is foolish, immature, and way out of line. Who are you to judge? I don't know how it got this bad, especially given all the warnings we are given about it by Jesus himself. Take a long look in the mirror, folks. You'll see the worst of sinners. You'll see a soul marred by selfishness, immaturity, and pride. You'll see a person unworthy to even utter the name of God, let alone carry his Spirit around inside them. If you don't see these things, immediately go pick up a Bible and read it. Please keep your mouth shut until you have read enough to see the aforementioned person in the mirror. Then, go look again. See that worthless, self-damaged sinner...completely useless on his own....and realize that God's grace saved and justified that person.  Sin cannot be grouped into social classes. We are all equally guilty. 

I read a great little blog each morning called "My Utmost for His Highest."  It consists of the compiled writings of Oswald Chambers, a Scottish minister from the 19th century.  The wisdom of his words is timeless (wisdom from God tends to have that characteristic) and I draw a lot of motivation from them. Also, having to decipher the "King's English" Chambers writes in at 5:30am helps to get the blood pumping. Today's entry might have been my favorite yet. Coincidentally, it speaks to today's topic. Take it away, Oswald:

"Judge not, that ye be not judged." Matthew 7:1
Jesus says regarding judging - Don't. The average Christian is the most penetratingly critical individual. Criticism is a part of the ordinary faculty of man; but in the spiritual domain nothing is accomplished by criticism. The effect of criticism is a dividing up of the powers of the one criticized; the Holy Ghost is the only One in the true position to criticize, He alone is able to show what is wrong without hurting and wounding. It is impossible to enter into communion with God when you are in a critical temper; it makes you hard and vindictive and cruel, and leaves you with the flattering unction that you are a superior person. Jesus says, as a disciple cultivate the uncritical temper. It is not done once and for all. Beware of anything that puts you in the superior person's place.
There is no getting away from the penetration of Jesus. If I see the mote in your eye, it means I have a beam in my own. Every wrong thing that I see in you, God locates in me. Every time I judge, I condemn myself (see Romans 2:17-20). Stop having a measuring rod for other people. There is always one fact more in every man's case about which we know nothing. The first thing God does is to give us a spiritual spring-cleaning; there is no possibility of pride left in a man after that. I have never met the man I could despair of after discerning what lies in me apart from the grace of God.

These and other wise words can be found at http://www.myutmost.org/. Have a great weekend, friends. Take dad out for Sunday dinner or something. He deserves it.

Follow up

As a quick follow-up to yesterday's post, I'd like to share a link from Patrick Mead's Q&A Blog, Tentpegs, that deals with the issues I talked about yesterday. He does a much better job of verbalizing on this subject than I could.

http://tentpegs.patrickmead.net/?p=1469

Tough Questions

Hello again from Central Arkansas. Despite this surprisingly aggressive storm season, we are all still here and doing well. Things are rolling along routinely, I suppose. Tiffany and I are counting the days until our summer vacation to St. Lucia. In preparation, I have been exercising, running, and pumping iron like never before.  I'm in the best physical condition of my life at just south of 30 years old. Special thanks to Joey, Matt, and Chris for being reliable workout partners. I met a man at our monthly Wednesday night meetings with the Christians at Emeritus Retirement Center who told me that he'd made it to 97 years old recently.  I could tell this wasn't a medically assisted number. He stood before me looking fit and healthy, with good posture and strong shoulders.  He told me that he attributed his longevity to regular exercise in his younger years.  As I shook his hand, I marveled at how he still had a firm grip.  I guess there is something to all this sweating after all.

I was going to pen an easy read today. It was going to be a quick update, followed by some thoughts on grilling for the holiday weekend. There's a problem, though. All these storms, along with the death, destruction, and pain they have brought along, have troubled me. I decided to try to verbalize the thoughts I've had and the conflict that has come with them. I apologize in advance if they come off as shocking, heretical, or otherwise faithless in any way, as I don't intend them to be. Here goes....

We pray to God for protection. We ask Him to be our shield, our shelter from the storm, and we mean it literally. "Don't let this tornado blow me away."  Then, when the storm passes, we thank and praise God for His protection. And then.....we ask His comfort on those who were killed, hurt, or uprooted.  Joplin, MO was nearly wiped off the map this week. Were there not saints there? Did they pray for protection?  What happened? And if God is doing what we like to think He's doing (answering our prayers for safety) then what did the saints in Joplin (or Tuscaloosa, Vilonia, or elsewhere) do that brought such a fate on them? Are we just special? Is it all a part of some plan, some grand design?

Consider a quote from famed Christian thinker and writer R.C. Sproul. These thoughts probably lie at the root of the questions I have. 

"If there is one single molecule in this universe running around loose, totally free of God's sovereignty, then we have no guarantee that a single promise of God will ever be fulfilled. Perhaps that one maverick molecule will lay waste all the grand and glorious plans that God has made and promised to us... Maybe that one molecule will be the thing that prevents Christ from returning."

Sproul is verbalizing what most of us have grown up believing without question. We believe, and rightfully so, that God's promises are true and that Christ will return. Therefore, God must be in total control of everything, because if He wasn't then He wouldn't be God and couldn't make such promises.  Right? Right?

I have weak moments, and maybe this is one of them. I'll admit to that. I'm just being 100% truthful with you when I say that this doesn't add up for me.  Do we conclude that God brought the storms?  Do we try to give Him a pass by saying he "allowed" them? I suppose these matters are far too complicated to be resolved by a quick answer or a couple of hastily selected scriptures. This is a mean, cruel, and unforgiving world that is occupied by an even more cruel enemy who, according to I John 5:19, has control here. Is this enemy, Satan, nothing more than "God's dog on God's leash," as some have said? If so, why is he constantly described as an enemy, foe, and general opponent of God's will? Alternatively, why are we told to stand guard, to "watch and pray," putting complete faith and trust in the Father if He is the one orchestrating all the calamity and trouble we face to begin with? Does that make any sense?

Some of you might be troubled by all this. To some, it might appear that I am questioning the sovereignty of the Father. Trust me, that is not the case. I believe with every fiber of my being that God is who He claims to be, and He is sovereign. However, I don't think belief in a sovereign God requires belief in an all-controlling God. I don't think I have to try to find a "purpose" in every tragic event. Sometimes tragedies just happen. Sometimes, they might be caused by the enemy. And sometimes, we bring them on ourselves. I have to ask these questions, difficult as they are to consider. You see, I interact with people who do not believe in our God on a regular basis. They believe in man, science, and reason. If I tell them the storms were "God's will" or "part of a plan," they are going to call me on it and make me explain myself. And I can't do that without making God appear to be the culprit or an accessory.  I can, however, describe a God who is at war. I can speak to them of a God who fights with me through this battle of life, a God who is there with incredible comfort and strength when the difficult times come.  I can tell them that we are living on a battlefield, and I stand with the strongest warrior in the fight. Battles go back and forth, and casualties are almost a certainty. In the end, however, I know that the strong warrior I stand with will win conclusively and permanently. I can't justify or reason my way through every tragedy.  I can stand by the constant, unmoving God who will be there after the storms have passed.

A Weekend of Food

Another weekend has come and gone, and it's back to the grind here in Little Rock. Hopefully everyone got a chance to show love and respect to the mothers/mother figures in their lives. I see the imprint my mom has had on my life more and more as I grow older. She continues to be a source of inspiration and wisdom for me today. Thanks, mom. I love you.

I spent a whole lot of time manning the stove (and grill) this weekend. We celebrated Mother's Day with the Parris family at Casa Summitt, and I had the honor of making dinner. The menu featured jalapeno poppers (jalapenos were on sale), corn casserole, fried okra, potato salad, rolls, slaw, and BBQed chicken breast.  Everything was made from scratch.  I came away with a vastly increased level of respect for the meals my granny used to throw down for the family.  We'd do Sunday dinners at her house, and she would have an unbelievable spread prepared.  I now understand the amount of work that went into those meals  Everything came out great and we all had a great time. Also, chicken breasts should be cooked with smoked wood. Always. 

I had some spare time Saturday, so I made up a quick bread for our Sunday church class. Quick breads are fun because they are fairly versatile, which allows the cook to try different combinations of ingredients. I made a chocolate quick bread with coffee (from Guillermo's - www.g3coffee.com) left over from that morning. It came out so moist, complex, and flavorful that Sandra Oliver told me it was the best she'd had and that I should blog it. So, here it is. Enjoy!

Coffee-Chocolate Quick Bread 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups AP Flour (I use King Arthur)
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup strong coffee
• 2 tbsp coffee grounds (I used leftover grounds from that morning)
• 1 cup chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift the flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda, and baking powder together in a bowl and set aside.

Combine butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Cream butter and sugar together until the mixture resembles mashed potatoes. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix thoroughly. Add coffee grounds and allow to mix thoroughly. Combine coffee and buttermilk in a glass or measuring cup. With the mixer on low, alternatively add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to the bowl, making sure to stop and scrape the sides of the bowl periodically. Once all the flour and buttermilk are combined, stir in chocolate chunks.

Pour into a greased 8x5 bread pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until internal temperature is at 200 degrees. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before serving. This bread is best when made the night before and wrapped in plastic overnight.

My Life Group, A Helpful Article

I really love my Life group. We gather each Wednesday night at Guillermo's Gourmet Grounds, a fantastic little coffee shop in West Little Rock (you can order online and they'll ship). A typical evening begins with snacks and conversation, followed by a group discussion, then prayer. These discussions, which are generally facilitated by the wise and insightful Dr. Bill Oliver, have covered an array of subjects too wide to list here. We are not afraid of any topic of discussion or of any opinion...all viewpoints and beliefs are welcome and encouraged.  Participants have included Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, and even an atheist or two.  We are mature enough to objectively listen to each other and agree to disagree when necessary.  Friends remain friends, even when opinions differ sharply. I've been attending this group for around five years and I have watched as souls have grown, matured, and developed together. It is truly amazing what God's Spirit has done to us. We have progressed from simpler discussions about everyday life to the deeper topics of God and spiritual warfare.  We have examined and challenged the very basic tenants of faith and have been unafraid to do so, knowing that God would prove Himself.  Recently, we discussed the Holy Spirit. We studied scripture and asked ourselves how the Spirit manifested itself in us, and if we were holding it back from doing more. I was so proud to be a part of that discussion. As we spoke of the promised gifts that came with the Spirit, I saw minds open.  As we talked about how much power the Spirit holds, I sensed excitement.  And as we discussed the reasons we don't possess the fruits of the Spirit mentioned in Gal. 5:22-23, I felt hearts breaking.  Each of us began to see how much we get in the way of the Father's desire to fill us with His Spirit.  We are held back by so many things - fear, selfishness, ignorance, empathy.  Our group is still growing.  We'll continue to objectively study, discuss, and pray over these things in an attempt to improve ourselves and reflect the nature of the Father just a little bit better than before. I don't know what I'd do or where I'd be without this wonderful group.  That's something I really don't want to think about. 

I came across an archived post on Patrick Mead's Tentpegs blog which really left an impression on me. I hope he's okay with my reprinting it here, because I'd like to share it. We can't do a stinking thing about the negative interactions and challenging hurdles we run into, but we can certainly decide how we're going to deal with them before they hit. Take it away, Patrick. 

Act or React? 

In every circumstance today you will get a choice: will you act or react? Most people never give it any thought. They go through life as if they were a ball in a pinball machine, reacting to this and that all day, every day, never in control of their path. Others make a decision about who they are, what they will do, what they will not do, and how they will honor their belief system regardless of any “action” in their way. They are faith heroes. And you can be one.

Look at Hebrews chapter 11. It is considered the faith chapter, the honor roll of faith. You might know the chapter very well but I would like for you to check something out: look for the verbs. When you do, you discover that the chapter is a primer on HOW to live by faith. Real faith has a verb attached to it; a purposeful, decisive action.

11:4 — by faith Abel offered…
11:5 — by faith Enoch pleased God…
11:7 — by faith Noah prepared…
11:8 — by faith Abraham obeyed…
11:9 — by faith he dwelt…
11:11 – by faith Sara conceived…
11:17 – by faith Abraham offered…
11:20 – by faith Isaac blessed…
11:21 – by faith Jacob blessed…
11:24 – by faith Moses chose to be known as a son of Israel… forsook Egypt… kept Passover…
11:29 – by faith the Israelites passed through the sea…
11:30 – by faith the walls of Jericho fell…
11:31 – by faith Rahab received the spies…
11:33 – subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped mouths of
lions, quenched violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, went from the
weakness to strength, became valiant in battle, drove away the invaders, the dead
walked again…

These people did not merely believe (as some weak form of intellectual assent), but they matched that faith to a verb and so became great heroes. The scripture tells us that God honored their choice to act by:

1. God Himself witnessing that they were righteous.
2. They became heirs of righteousness.
3. They did not see death.
4. They received the inheritance.

You have a choice today and every day. You can either act or you can waste your life in reacting. Once I was partnered with three non-believers during a golf match. My opponent took every opportunity to curse, make noise while I putted or teed off, and never gave me a putt regardless of how close it was to the hole. In response, I helped him look for his errant tee shots, gave him putts well outside the normal range, and gave him every compliment on his good shots. The other two players in our foursome watched this almost the whole match before finally coming over to me. “Why are you still giving him putts and treating him so nice? He’s cheating! He’s rude!” and so on. I responded, “I decided before I left my house this morning what kind of person I was going to be. He doesn’t get to change that decision.”

I learned that from Hebrews 11. Faith means nothing without a verb. Choose your verb. Don’t let the world choose it for you.

Books, Lamb Meatballs, and Rules

Greetings, everyone!  Let's head to the kitchen...after a few random thoughts.


I've been reading a few good books recently - Disappointment With God by Philip Yancey and God At War  by Greg Boyd. These books were both challenging to read in their own rights. DWG deals with a painfully honest question - where is God when trouble comes? Yancey objectively asks and examines this question by interviewing people who have lost their faith because God did not "show up" for them when they felt He would or should. I think this an important issue to consider.  Many people among us believe that if they meet some undetermined level of faith and pray hard enough, God will rescue them from difficult situations or tough times.  This belief is reinforced each and every time they hear a testimony crediting God with pulling someone out of the depths of some kind of depravity or trouble.  The jarring reality (to them) comes when God doesn't seem to do the same for them in their time of need. What is going on? DWG takes the reader inside the mind of someone who is going through this struggle, then searches scripture to see what expectations we can have of God when we are hurting. Good stuff. 


I'm still in the beginning chapters of GAW, but I'm enjoying it. Most of you who know me have heard me talk about the Patrick Mead lesson series by the same name, and this book is his source material.  Be warned - this is not a Yancey-style easy read. Boyd's main goal is to disprove the classical Christian view that God is in full, total, and ultimate control of everything that goes on, and that He has a purpose in all things. Boyd eschews this view in favor of what he calls a "warfare worldview," which supposes that there are free-acting spirits  with power that can and do oppose God.  Since this idea flies in the face of mainstream Christianity, Boyd writes in a scholarly level of detail to give credibility to his theory. This makes GAW read like a textbook some of the time, but it is compelling nonetheless. I am inclined to agree with Boyd's theory. There are too many intellectual roadblocks involved with trying to find "God's good will" in the evil acts of evil men.  Better to believe that there is a real enemy with real power to effect our world.  We know Satan has control/dominion over this earth, as we are told multiple times (Jn 12:31, I Jn 5:19, Mt 4:9, among others), so why wouldn't he have the ability to fight against God's people with real power? I can discuss this at length in another post if anyone is interested. 


I've been thinking about some of the rules and laws we Christians impose on one another.  It seems to me that a law of love ought to have the opposite effect.  We should understand that we are free from law and rules but bound by something stronger - a love that compels us to sacrifice and bend over backwards to serve others.   Last year's journey through the Daily Bible rammed home a very important point to me - the New Testament is not in any way, shape, or form a rulebook. Leviticus is a rulebook, and it reads like one. I'll bet the bones Ezekiel saw raised weren't as dry as Leviticus is.  Why, then, do we treat our new covenant like the old one men already failed at?  How many man-made regulations and procedures do we hold people to and defend to the point of separation, all in the name of a God who came to earth to free us from such things? I've heard of an interesting test for our "laws," and it makes sense to me.  If you were able to read the New Testament as though you had never seen it before and had no previous teaching or influence of any kind, would you infer from your study that your rules should apply? Try this with all aspects your religion.  By the way, absence of permission for an action does not mean that action is wrong.  If it did, we might need to reevaluate staff ministers, church buildings, and elders elected by the congregation.  Try it out - it's just another part of "working out your own salvation."  


Do you remember the time I devoted an entire post to the practice of chopping/grinding beef at home? Today I found this article, which supports my theory with some exhaustive research. Notice how pale that store-bought patty looks? Grind your own meat, people.


Tiffany and I have recently taken up attempts to eat in a more healthy manner in preparation for our summer vacation. Generally, this means cooking meals out of her litany of South Beach Diet cookbooks. Surprisingly, most of the entrées don't taste like "diet food" in the typical sense. The meal plan is mostly devoid of carbs and sugars, but you get to eat hearty meat-and-veggie style meals which fill the stomach. Am I ready to abandon 12-layer lasagna (we'll get to that one later), pancakes, and hearty, delicious burgers forever? Of course not, but as lean eating goes, the meals in these cookbooks are more than bearable. Plus, you trip across a gem every now and again. 


I love lamb. No, not the cute and cuddly versions which generally accompany Western paintings of Jesus. I'm talking lamb meat. Succulent and flavorful with wonderful texture and mouthfeel, lamb is truly awesome. Last night, we prepared lamb meatballs from the aforementioned South Beach cookbook. Actually, I adapted the recipe to a meatball application - the original called for leg of lamb. I'm sure the leg would have been delicious, but these meatballs were out of this world. They were hearty, full of flavor, and very filling all by themselves.  I plan to use them (sans mustard) in future spaghetti applications as well.  They'd also be incredible mixed with dill, feta, and cumin and made into Greek burgers. Kroger sometimes offers quality ground lamb for half price, so keep your eyes peeled at the grocery store and buy that stuff up when it's on sale. Store it in the freezer until it's time to cook. 


Lamb Meatballs 


Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground lamb 
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tbsp parsley, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (a microplane zester is great for this)
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp freshly cracked pepper
• 2 tbsp EVOO
• Dijon Mustard, to coat

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 


In a large bowl, combine lamb, egg, parsley, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper and mix with fingertips until combined. Try not to squish the meat. Form meat mixture into decent-sized balls-You should get 5 or 6 meatballs out of the mixture. 


Preheat the oil a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the meatballs with plenty of space in between. Cook the meatballs on one side for three or four minutes, or until a nice sear develops. Using tongs, flip the meatballs over and sear for another three or four minutes. If you want to be really fancy, braise the meatballs by tilting the pan slightly to the side so that the oil and juices pool. Using a spoon, pour the hot oil over the tops of your meatballs. 


Once the meatballs have developed a good sear, coat them in dijon mustard,  move to the oven, and bake until they hit an internal temperature of 160, about 10-12 minutes. Remove the meatballs and allow them to set for five minutes so that the juices redistribute. 

The Finest Burger in the Land

Greetings, one and all. As promised, I'm going to try to blog more often, at least once a week or so. Of course, this presents the small challenge of coming up with interesting content to write about. Sometimes that's difficult, as routine life here in central Arkansas can become a bit droll. Days run into days, as they say, and I just don't always feel like I've got pertinent information to share with you all. Every once in awhile, however, something jumps up and surprises me. Let me tell you about a meal I had this weekend. 

If you're like me, the act of eating a hamburger has degenerated from a memorable affair (remember "burger night" when you were a kid?) to something much more plebeian. As an adult, the thought of eating burgers conjures up images of endless drive-through lines, dollar menus, and barely palatable patties of pitiful construct. The great hamburger experience has truly fallen from its once lofty perch in my mind. I just don't expect that much from dine-out burgers anymore....frankly, I can do it better at home.  So then, I'm really not sure what motivated me to choose the burger from Capital Bar & Grill last Friday night. Maybe the unusual side of Parmesan fries caught my eye. Maybe I was just in the mood. Who knows? Boy, am I glad I did. 

The Capital Bar and Grill, located inside the Capital Hotel in historic downtown Little Rock, is a local institution. Alongside its sister restaurant, the exclusively expensive Ashley's, the Capital Bar and Grill (henceforth CB&G) is home to critically acclaimed dishes of all shapes and sizes. Knowing as much, I went in expecting good things from them. I ordered an Old Fashioned to start dinner and began perusing the menu. A few delicious-looking items caught my eye. The ham sandwich with house cured and smoked ham looked spectacular, as did the roasted chicken. Above all, one entry reached out and grabbed me. Simply titled "The Burger," it was a 7-oz. patty of all-natural local Arkansas beef, topped with house-made pimento cheese,  house-made pickles, lettuce, tomato, and onion, and served with a side of freshly cut Parmesan fries. Despite my instincts, I couldn't resist the pull. I ordered The Burger. Brilliantly, I was asked how I'd like it cooked. "Medium rare!" was my reply, and the excitement began to build. Could I finally have found a burger worth paying for? My mouth continued to water as I munched on complimentary deep fried black-eyed peas (oh yes) and sipped my drink. After a moderate wait, it arrived. The Burger, oozing with that homemade pimento cheese, looked as though it had been prepped for a photo shoot. I topped it with onion, lettuce, and mayonnaise (house made, naturally) and took a bite. 

It's been said that great food does more than fill the stomach or satisfy cravings. Truly great food takes you places, brings back memories, and evokes feelings that had previously been dormant. I'm going to tell you people something....from the very first bite, The Burger yanked me from my seat at CB&G and sent me to a time, years ago, when I loved burgers as much as anything. A time when a trip to McDonald's was a happening (these were much simpler times), and when ground beef smothered in cheese was my very favorite food in the whole wide world. The beef, seasoned with steak spices, was incredibly crisp on the outside, yet tender, juicy, and perfectly medium rare in the middle. The bun was toasted perfectly and added another level of crunch. The pimento cheese....well, the cheese was sublime (I'm running out of adjectives here). The locally-sourced veggies and homemade pickles were as flawless a compliment as could possibly exist, and the real mayo added a tiny bit of tang that blended right in. Every single ingredient was delicious in its own right, and when combined became an orchestra of contrasting flavors and textures. I enjoyed about eight perfect bites before the end came and I had to return to reality. The poor fries, tasty in their own right, were an afterthought. I munched on them for awhile, but I'd have traded three plates of fries for another mouthful of the Burger.  I could not think of a single other thing I'd have rather eaten at that moment.  As the check arrived, I realized that a cheeseburger had just vaulted itself to the very top of my list of memorable meals. Just like old times. Thanks, CB&G.

http://capitalhotel.com/CBG/

Guinness Chocolate Cake

Wow....I'm not all that diligent with this blogging thing, am I?  I'd love to blame this on my nonstop, too-busy-to-think schedule, but the truth is that I sit at a desk at work for eight hours a day and have more than enough time to punch up an entry now and then. Shame on me...I'll try to do better. Who knows, all this writing may come in handy someday. But enough talk. Let's get down to the business of baking. 


I have waxed poetic at the joy of baking on these virtual pages before. I love the technical, nit-picky nature of weighing flour down to the gram and carefully mixing everything together. It seems the quality of one's baked goods are directly proportional to the amount of obsessive-compulsive detail that goes into them. Give your cake, bread, or muffins a bit of time and effort, and they'll reward you with moist deliciousness. Baked goods truly come into their own during holidays, when the baker can fashion themed treats based on the occasion. Christmas obviously takes the cake (haw haw) on this topic, but I think that some of the "lesser" holidays deserve some baked respect. And since it's March 17 and your writer is fair-skinned, red-headed, and a lover of stout Irish beers, let's give some love to St. Patrick's Day with a fantastically moist creation called Guinness Chocolate Cake. 


Beer in cake? Yes, it's unorthodox. But as we have shown here before, beer is great at providing a yeasty backnote that is right at home in a variety of dishes. In this cake, the rich chocolaty Guinness brings a complex twist to an otherwise standard cake batter. I expected that, but I did not expect the incredible moistness this cake packs. Wow.  The "frothy" cream cheese icing is a perfect complement to the cake's yeasty sweetness. I took the cake to our church's small group and people were blown away by the moisture and pleasantly unexpected flavors. This one was an unqualified hit, and I'll absolutely make it again. Trust me, give this one a try. If you have friends/acquaintances who are teetotalers, just tell them the alcohol cooks out.  I think that it does, anyways. 


Guinness Chocolate Cake 


Ingredients:

• 1 cup Guinness stout 
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, cubed 
• 3/8 cup unsweetened cocoa 
• 2 cups superfine sugar (pulse regular sugar in a food processor if you don't have any) 
• 3/8 cup plain yogurt 
• 2 large eggs 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour 
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 

For the topping:

• 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar 
• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature 
• 1/2 cup heavy cream 
• 
  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. In a large saucepan, combine Guinness and butter. Place over medium-low heat until butter melts, then remove from heat. Add cocoa and superfine sugar, and whisk to blend.

In a small bowl, combine sour cream, eggs and vanilla; mix well. Add to Guinness mixture. Add flour and baking soda, and whisk again until smooth. Pour into buttered pan, and bake until risen and firm, 45 minutes to one hour. Place pan on a wire rack and cool completely in pan.

Using a food processor or by hand, mix confectioners' sugar to break up lumps. Add cream cheese and blend until smooth. Add heavy cream, and mix until smooth and spreadable.

Remove cake from pan and place on a platter or cake stand. Ice top of cake and serve.

Food, Inc.

Hello loyal readers, and thank you for checking back in.  Today's post is going to be a change of pace as well as a first for me - I'm going to do a movie review! Please hold your applause until the end.

While at home last Saturday night, Tiffany and I were browsing our Netflix "watch instantly" queue (just about the best thing ever) when we came upon a recommended documentary called Food, Inc.  Having recently watched Super-Size Me, we were in food-doc mode.  The film's description promised to expose the disturbing underbelly of the food industry as well as the detrimental effects that mass-produced chickens, pigs, and cows have had on America's health and economy.  As a cook as well as a person who eats food regularly, this interested me.   I clicked play and off we went. Ninety-four minutes later, I was genuinely disturbed and disgusted.

Side note - I don't really know how to frame this, since I'm covering new literary ground here. Do I recap the movie book report-style or leave the plot uncovered so that the reader can be shocked/surprised as I was?  I'll try to stay somewhere in the middle, just in case the movie isn't available to some of you.

We start things off with a few statistics and an overhead shot of a "corporate" cow farm. It seems that things have changed since the old days, when cows (and chickens, pigs, and so on) were raised in wide open fields, allowed to forage and grow naturally, and only slaughtered when the time came. The obscenely high supply of beef, poultry, and other foodstuffs required by the McDonald's (they seem to keep popping up in these things) and Burger Kings of the world has forced the food supply industry to adopt a factory-style approach to farming. Cows, chickens, and pigs are packed into tiny shacks or fences, fed food engineered to fatten them up at twice the rate nature intended, and processed as quickly, efficiently, and effortlessly as possible.

We go to images of the inside of a typical modern chicken coop.  There are so many chickens crowded into this shed (that's all it is - a tin shed with a few fans) that one can hardly see the ground. The chickens are fed corn - something they'd never, ever eat in the wild - and are fattened at about double the natural rate.  They are engineered to grow larger than normal breasts because folks prefer white meat.  Consequently, most of the chickens shown were so top-heavy they could only walk two or three steps before falling down from exhaustion.  In addition, it turns out that a byproduct of having thousands of chickens enclosed in a small tin shed is the rampant spread of bacterial infection.  These chickens spend their days wading around in one another's filth and excrement, so bacteria has a field day jumping from bird to bird. Naturally, the solution is to pump them full of antibiotics.  The grower informs us that she is completely allergic to antibiotics due to her constant exposure to them Once the chickens have reached their weight limit, trucks arrive during the night to collect them.  The next day, we see the now-empty shed, completely barren save a few dead chickens the collectors left behind. The grower informs us she will probably lose her contract with Tyson because she let cameras in.  A postscript informs us that very thing happened a short time later.

Our next stop is a giant cornfield somewhere in the Midwest.  We are shown rows of corn stretching as far as the eye can see. What an image of Americana. Corn, it seems, has gone from the dinner plate to just about everything we Americans use in just under 100 years. Corn is in most processed food and drinks, gas, plastics, and even medicine.  It seems to be a true miracle crop.  As it turns out, corn also is the main food supply used by meat mass-producers.  There are several good reasons for this. Obviously, when animals are packed into very confined spaces, they can't forage for grass like nature would intend, so they are fed corn in troughs.  Their corny diet has the added benefit of fattening the animals up very quickly. Additionally, we are told that the United States government, in their infinite wisdom, has decided to subsidize farmers who grow corn with taxpayer money.  Several farmers report that they sell corn for far less than it costs to produce, but that they profit thanks to Uncle Sam's checks.  Finally, remember when I mentioned  that McDonald's is the largest purchaser of beef, poultry, and so on in the world? You can imagine that they would want their chicken sandwiches in Des Moines, IA to taste exactly like the ones in Ft. Lauderdale, FL taste.  This is accomplished by feeding the sandwich fodder the same food - corn. So corn, it seems, is king. Naturally, this has several side effects, but I'll only cover one - illegal immigration.  Stay with me here, because this all ties in.

Remember those government subsidies I mentioned before? Well, they make corn incredibly cheap to the final buyer. So cheap, in fact, that (thanks to NAFTA) corn can be exported to Mexico and STILL be sold cheaper than the farmers in Mexico can grow it.  Big deal, right? Well, floods of cheap American corn in the Mexican market created a new problem.  Mexican farmers began to go out of business because they couldn't price match the American corn, and the Mexican economy began stuttering from unemployment.  The meat processing industry swooped in by laying off American workers, sending buses to Mexico, and hiring the now-unemployed Mexican farmers to come work for them.  You would think that this active lawbreaking would be punished...and you'd be right, if by punished you mean law enforcement rounds up a few illegals here and there instead of punishing the company importing them. The level of corruption at work is shocking.

I could go on and on for another three or four paragraphs. The movie covers E. Coli's devastating spread (including a poor mother whose child died after eating an infested fast food burger).  It is clear the fault rests in the hands of the food producers.  We also learn that the entire soybean market is controlled by a single company that uses its power and position to strong-arm farmers into using their genetically altered beans. I could go on and on. Bottom line - Food, Inc. ought to be mandatory viewing for anyone who eats.  Think about it - how much do you know about the origins of the food on your plate?  In the old days, people either grew and raised their own meat and vegetables or bought them from someone they knew and trusted.  Modern eaters have had their eyes covered as two or three big companies have redesigned the food production industry with little or no government regulation. In fact, the government only steps in when the producers screw up on a grand scale.  This isn't acceptable.  We need to be informed as to how our food is produced, from coop to supermarket.  If you can watch this movie and still feel OK about that McChicken sandwich (or even store-bought birds) then more power to you. I can't.  I'm sold on organic now.  And those are five words I never thought I'd say.

BBQ 101

I have a feeling that if I were to get up out of my chair, walk outside, and ask the first 20 people I met what they considered to be the trademark "food of the South," I'd get a fairly wide variety of answers. One might say biscuits and gravy, another fried chicken, and the next fried catfish (we do a fair amount of frying down here). I'd bet, however, that the majority would offer an answer consisting of three ubiquitous letters: BBQ. (Or barbecue? We'll go with BBQ because it's my blog, and it's easier to type.) You know what? I'm with them. I cannot think of a single dish that varies so greatly from state to state, and even from region to region. There is almost nothing about BBQ that isn't reliant on the cook's interpretation. Even the protein itself is up for debate. North Carolinians (and traditionalists) will tell you that the only true BBQ is "whole hog," where the entire pig is smoked and combined before eating. Texans don't even use pork, opting instead for beef brisket. In Kentucky, they use mutton. Sauces bring an even hotter debate. Some say good 'Q needs nothing, others claim it ain't BBQ unless it's sauced. I won't go into a big historical discussion covering all the various nuances of regional BBQ here. If you happen to be interested in that, a great account can be found here. My intention for this entry is to prove that anyone can produce restaurant-quality BBQ in their own backyard with a few simple tools and some know-how.


Before we begin, I think it's important to establish a few ground assumptions. So here goes:

• BBQ ≠ Grilling. BBQ is prepared using indirect heat and smoke. Grilled foods are cooked quickly over direct heat. BBQ'ing requires more time, attention, and skill than does grilling. Please don't confuse the two.
• BBQ = pork. Regional nuances aside, pig meat is the generally accepted protein of choice when BBQing. Here's why: the very tradition of BBQing came from poverty. Poorer southerners (typically slaves) couldn't afford beef, so the readily available pig was their best option. Along the way, some of them figured out that if the fattier parts of the pig (the shoulder specifically) were cooked over low heat for an extended period of time they transformed from tough and sinewy to tender and juicy. Modern BBQ was born.

Ok, we've laid the foundation. Here are a few tools you will need:

• A grill. Most American backyards/porches are equipped with a grill of some kind, be it gas or charcoal. I used a Weber "kettle" for my BBQ, and this walkthrough will reflect that. It is possible to BBQ using a propane grill as well. Instead of using charcoal, just use your burner as the heat source.
• Wood. The deep smoky flavor of good BBQ is a product of the type of wood used by the cook. Traditional pork applications use hickory, but fruit woods such as apple are common as well. I chose hickory. Most hardware stores will sell you a big bag of wood chips for around 6 bucks. I used both wood chunks and chips so that I had good smoke throughout the cooking process. If you have access to natural wood, use it, but be careful to check for mold, mildew, or other potentially nasty spots on your wood. Also, stay away from pine and other sappy woods, as they will leave a bitter flavor on the meat and make your diners think you smoked your pork using an old dresser. I just play it safe and buy my wood from the store.
• A thermometer. The most indispensable item in a BBQer's toolkit is an accurate thermometer. Heat control is vital - too much heat and you're grilling, which will make a fatty pork shoulder chewy and tough. Too little and you're in the "danger zone" and running the risk of bacterial infection. The sweet spot for BBQing is between 200 and 250. You won't know you're there unless your grill is equipped with a thermometer, preferably one located at or around the cooking position. You'll also need a meat thermometer to check for doneness. This one isn't quite as vital, but if you're a perfectionist (like me) knowing when you hit 190 degrees will tell you exactly when your pork is done. Spend the 15 bucks and get a good, reliable digital instant-read thermometer.

As always, we begin in the grocery store. You'll want to pick up a cut from the shoulder, and it should be labeled as "pork shoulder" or "Boston Butt." No, I don't know why a shoulder cut is called a "butt." Figure on each diner eating 1/2lb of meat - a 10lb butt can feed 15-20. See why this is so popular with low income brackets? At home, take your pork out of the wrapper and pat it down with your rub of choice. I'll post the one I used at the bottom, but a store-bought rub will work as well. Just spend a little extra and get one with some pedigree, like Rendezvous. Be generous with the rub. Cover as much of the meat as possible, and pat (not rub, ironically) it onto the meat. Wrap everything in plastic wrap and stash it back in the fridge. This should be done at least 24 hours before cooking.


Home-cooked BBQ is not a last-second endeavor. You will need to allow yourself around 8-10 hours of cooking time. Chill out - this doesn't mean you'll be standing over the flame poking at the meat for that long. Fatty cuts (like our pork) need to cook for an extended amount of time so that the collagen and fats can break down properly. Fill a chimney starter about 3/4 of the way with charcoal, light up, and give the coals about 15 minutes to get warm. They should all have a gray, ashy coating on them. Next, set up your grill for 2-zone indirect cooking. Bank the coals to one side of the grill, place your wood of choice directly on the coals, and put a metal container (a small bread pan is perfect) with a couple of cups of water in it on the other side of the grill. The water, called a drip pan, will help to modulate the heat, making it easier to keep from overcooking the meat. Lid up, open the vent 1/4 of the way, and let the heat settle in around 225-250. Don't put the meat on until your grill is at the proper temperature.


Once the correct temperature rolls around, place the pork directly over the drip pan. Lid up, and walk away. Go mow the lawn, clean some dishes, or read. Resist the urge to lift the lid every ten minutes and poke things. As long as you start with the right temperature, checking the heat once per hour is plenty. If the it drops to around 200, add another prepared coal or two. If the smoke runs out, toss another wood chunk on the fire. Keep the heat between 200-250 and things will be just fine. As noted before, this is a long process. The pork needs to be smoked for at least four hours to develop good smoky flavor and bark (the dark exterior part that BBQ lovers crave.) After that, you can remove it from the grill, wrap it in foil, and finish it off in a 250 degree oven. Internal doneness will depend on how you plan to prepare your 'Q. It'll be sliceable at around 170 degrees, but let it get to around 190 and you'll have pork fit for pulling. Once you hit 190, move your pork from the oven to a cooler, close the lid, and let it rest for an hour or until dinnertime. Don't worry, it'll stay warm for hours in there. When you're ready to serve, pull the meat using two upside down forks with the tines opposite each other. Serve on a bun (Wonder Bread brand is perfect) topped with homemade coleslaw and BBQ sauce. Finally, sit back and absorb the adulation of your diners as they rave about your pitmaster-quality 'Q. Seriously, this is one of those dishes that really impresses people when it's done right.


See below for the rub recipe I used, as well as recipes for slaw and bbq sauce.


"Memphis Dust" Rub

• 3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup paprika
• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 1/4 cup garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons ground ginger powder
• 2 tablespoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons rosemary powder

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix with a fork. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months. Experiment with added ingredients to expand the flavor (chili powder, ground mustard, etc.)


"Sweet Heat" BBQ sauce

• 2 tbsp EVOO
• 1/2 onion, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 strips smoked bacon
• 5-7 sprigs thyme
• 2 cups ketchup
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 chipotle pepper with adobo sauce
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1/2 tbsp chili powder
• 1/2 tbsp powdered mustard
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 3 cups bottled BBQ sauce

Heat oil over medium in a large saucepan or medium pot. While oil is warming, wrap the bacon strips around the thyme sprigs and secure with kitchen twine. Place the bacon-thyme bundle into the oil and cook until bacon renders. Add the onion and garlic and cook until browned. Add remaining ingredients except for bottled BBQ sauce, bring to a simmer, and allow to cook for an hour. Remove bay leaf and bacon-twine bundle and move sauce to a blender. Add bottled BBQ sauce and puree until smooth. Run sauce through a sieve to remove any remaining chunks. Bottle and sell for $6.00 each.


Delicious Coleslaw

• 1 bag coleslaw mix
• 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp Memphis Dust
• 1 tbsp adobo sauce (from canned chipotle peppers)
• 2-3 tbsp sugar, to taste

Combine all ingredients except sugar and coleslaw mix in a large bowl with a whisk. Add sugar until coleslaw base is sweet enough for you. Toss in coleslaw mix, adding more mayonnaise to increase creaminess. Chill before serving.

Bring on the weekend!

 A redundant title? I suppose so, but I'm carrying around a greater-than-usual anticipation for the coming weekend.  I guess it's a combination of a big Hogs game and a frustrating work week mixed with the prospect of a delicious pulled pork sandwich that has me worked up. Yes, I am smoking a pork butt to feed everyone watching the game with us. Yes, it will take 8-10 hours and I'll lose sleep Friday night in the process. Yes, it's worth it.  I'll come back afterwards with a blog detailing the whole process.  Taking something from 8lb hunk of pork meat to tender, smoky goodness is an engaging but really (and I mean REALLY) rewarding process. If only my wife could share in the fun with me.  Unfortunately, she's on weekend rotation.  People need pills on Saturday and Sunday too, I suppose.

Arkansas has quite the challenge ahead of them this weekend, as the #1-ranked Crimson Tide of Alabama roll (no pun intended) into Fayetteville for a 2:30pm showdown. If  you live in Little Rock and make a habit of listening to drive-time sports call-in shows as I do, you've no doubt heard outlandish predictions of 20 point victories for Arkansas. If the Razorbacks lose, these very fans will turn and call back in after the game and demand the immediate firing of the entire coaching staff, the AD, and the janitor.  Athletic schizophrenia, I suppose.  Fortunately, I am capable of keeping a clear head throughout all this senseless chatter. Arkansas will have to play at the very highest level they can to beat the Tide. Alabama has a two-tiered rushing attack (similar to the McFadden-Jones tandem we had a few years ago) and a coach who is second to none. They also have a stellar defense. The Hogs' offense has proven it can score, but hasn't proven it can run the ball for a first down with consistency.  The O will will have to score early, protect Ryan Mallett, and control the clock so that UA's defense has a chance to rest. In the SEC, it's commonly said that winning on the road requires you to be 10 points better than the home team. Are the Tide 10 points better than the Hogs? I lean toward "yes." They haven't lost a game since 2008, they're well-coached, and they don't take a Saturday off. Last year, Arkansas got bruised, bloodied, and beaten pretty badly in Tuscaloosa. I expect this game will be closer than that, but Alabama still has the edge until the Hogs (or anyone else) take it from them. I'm predicting Alabama wins in a close one, 41-38. Here's hoping I'm wrong.

We are in the first portion of an interesting topic at the Oliver life group.  Patrick Mead of Rochester Church of Christ in Rochester, MI, did a series a few years back entitled "God at War." We are going through this study and discussing things that don't get mentioned in church as much as they probably should. Here are a few questions that have been discussed so far:

• If God is good and all-powerful, why is there evil in the world?
• Why do bad things happen to good/innocent people?
•  Is God in total control, and is everything a part of his plan?
• How much power do Satan and his demons/angels have on earth?

A lot of our discussion has challenged our assumptions and notions about God.  Fortunately, we have a group that is hungry to learn and understands that taking on and considering challenging topics is a vital step in spiritual growth. We are moving away from the "milk" of God and towards the "meat," and it's very exciting.  I wholeheartedly recommend Patrick's lessons, which can be found here as well as on iTunes.

My "war against the flesh" continues. It seems that my flesh is no longer all that motivated to stay in shape and exercise. This always happens around this time of year for some reason or another. Sadly, it usually coincides with increased food consumption, especially during holidays and weekends. The spirit is willing, but the body is lazy.  I'm not buying new pants, so I guess I'll just gut it out. Stay well, everyone, and check back in Monday or so for the BBQ report.

A Grind is a Terrible Thing to Waste

As promised, I'm back with a new post (working pants must be on this week...ha).   I really hope this one catches on, you know. It's going to seem ridiculous to some of you for me to suggest that you should go to the trouble of buying, cutting, and grinding your own meat.  After all, isn't it just easier to reach for the "tube o' beef?"  Look....supermarkets have sold the burger lovers across this land sub par product for long enough. Trust me - the difference between the texture, flavor, and mouth-feel of a freshly ground burger and one constructed from prepackaged mystery meat is night and day. Besides, it's really easy to do yourself.

Before I explain the home grinding process, allow me to explain my disdain for the aforementioned tube o' beef. Obviously, the texture is junk because the meat has been squeezed and mashed together for...well, who knows how long. There's more, though. That tube, especially when labeled as "ground beef" or "hamburger meat,"  is just about as structurally diverse as a hot dog. By definition, ground beef can contain cuts from all parts of the cow.  Butchers generally accomplish this by grinding up all the trimmings that are left over at the end of the day from all the cutting they do. There could be some rib bones in there for all you know. Ground chuck, another common burger grind, is made up of one type of cut (the chuck/shoulder) but still consists of trimmings from various cows.  Better, but not perfect. Why?  You see, most of that prepackaged stuff comes from a big slaughterhouse, where countless cows are brought to meet their end. Where there are lots of cows, there's the potential for E.coli. And since we know that ground beef/chuck/whatever consists of leftover cuts from multiple bovines, your chances of winning the bacterial lottery are much greater with the tube than they are with a single cut. To combat this, we've been told that we need to cook our burgers to hockey puck consistency to make double dog sure the bacterial baddies are fried. See where I'm going with this?  If you buy a single cut and grind it yourself, you can cook the burger to whatever level of doneness you prefer. Medium rare burgers become as safe as a medium rare tenderloin when the grinding is done safely at home. Now...let's get down to grinding!

The process begins at the grocery store, where you should be careful to choose the correct cut for the job.  The safest bet is a 50/50 blend of a chuck cut, commonly labeled as "English Roast" or chuck steak, and sirloin steak. Once home, make sure your meat is thoroughly chilled. You can control the amount of fat in your finished grind by trimming your cuts. Once trimmed, cut the meat into 1/2-inch cubes and place 8-10 of them at a time into your food processor. Season with salt and pepper and put the spurs to it.

Pulse the processor blade 10 times, one second per pulse. The finished product should come out looking like this:

Technically, it's chopped beef.  This is a good thing, though.....you'll discover that when you bite into the finished product.  Now this beef is obviously not limited to burger-making...you could chose to make meatballs, meatloaf, or even steak tartare, if you're so inclined. I made burgers, so that's what we're going with here.

Softly form the meat into 5-oz. patties.  Try not to smash them too much...that would ruin the texture your food processor created. A gentle toss back and forth between your hands will form a nice ball that looks something like this:

Once weighed, gently flatten the balls into patties and lightly salt both sides. Make them thinner than you want the end product to be, because they'll plump up during cooking. If you don't need/want to use all of your ground beef, do what the butcher does - wrap it in parchment paper, tape, and freeze until it's needed. Easy, huh?  From here, you can cook the burgers however you'd like. I prefer the tender juiciness of a medium burger, cooked to around 160 degrees. Top it with teriyaki, cheddar cheese, and a slice of grilled pineapple, and you have the Hawaiian, a burger I enjoyed several times while on honeymoon.

Doesn't that look delicious? Wait till the first bite hits your tongue...the texture is amazing. And the juiciness will blow you away. Now you know how the steakhouses do it - just make sure and have plenty of napkins on hand!

BBQ and tree limbs

For several years now, I have battled the constant nuisance of overgrown trees in my backyard. Specifically, I have battled the 4 metric tons of leaves dropped by said trees. This year, spurred on by a fear of another year of back-breaking yard cleanup, I finally decided to do something about it. After a few calls to some very good friends, I had a team ready to trim, saw, and prune the veritable forest that had accumulated out back. We worked for 7 hours at cutting, trimming, dragging, trimming some more, and raking nature's bounty.  Our work paid off, and I now have a neatly trimmed treeline out back and three giant piles of limbs out front. I hope the Maumelle sanitation department is feeling kind when they pass my place.

As a reward for their hard work, I prepared dinner for my friends.  We started with an appetizer of grilled brats and sliced cheddar cheese. Dinner included homemade bourbon baked beans, corn with garlic butter, and BBQ pork sandwiches. The pork was smoked for 7 hours over low heat and was tender with a wonderfully smoky flavor. Complimenting the sandwiches were slaw and homemade BBQ sauce. For dessert, we had skillet peach cobbler and homemade vanilla ice cream. I think I put more time into the meal than the tree trimming!  If  you ask me, though, a good meal is always worth the time and effort.  Everyone left with full stomachs and compliments galore. I can't speak for the others, but I didn't get hungry again until around 3pm the next day. Thanks to my brother Matt, Matt Collar, big Clay, and Andrew for all their help. Special thanks to my lovely and patient wife for putting up with our noise as well.

Did you know.....homemade vanilla ice cream is worlds better if real vanilla pods are used? Slice the pod open and scrape the beans out into your milk mixture before scalding. Place the pod into the milk along with the beans to infuse the milk with some serious vanilla flavor. Real vanilla isn't cheap, but there's no denying its superiority over extract.

Dinner is going to be a cabinet cleanout affair tonight. I have an English roast in the fridge that would probably make some nice burgers. Yes, an English roast. It's from the chuck, so all it needs is a quick chop and grind.  What, you've never ground your own burger meat? Check back tomorrow....I'll show how easy it is to grind meat at home.  This is one task that's really worth the effort.