Monday, May 31, 2010

Memorial Day BBQ



This weekend was the perfect excuse to make my favorite comfort food, Barbecue. I prefer Texas style smoked with a dry rub. If I have time I will smoke Brisket however out here on the West Coast we have an abundance of Tri Tip. It has a nice layer of fat to keep the meat moist during the smoke and it is more tender than Brisket so the cooking time is significantly less. I rubbed the Beef with Kosher Salt,Cumin,Chili Powder,Black Pepper and Brown Sugar. The meat smoked in a kettle grill with indirect heat for 4 1/2 hours at around 275 degrees. My wife made an amazing potato salad dressed only with Mayo,Sour Cream, Green onion and Bacon. I brought out some Asian flavors to complement a Slaw without the mayo. Here is the recipe for my Green Mango Salad. You can substitute for what ever veggies you like. I used green unripe mango, carrot and cucumber. The combination worked very well and had a nice crunch after soaking up some of the dressing.

Green Mango Salad
2 Cups Carrots Shredded or Julianed
2 Cups Green "unripe"Mango Shredded or Julianed
2 Cups Cucumber Shredded or Julianed

Dressing
1/4 cup sugar
4Tbs Rice vinigar
2Tbs Fish Sauce (asian section of grocery, could substitute soy in a pinch)
2Tbs lime juice
1/2 Tbs Chili Garlic Sauce (asian section of any grocery)
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

Mix dressing and toss with salad. Let sit in refrigerator at least half an hour. Add chopped mint and re toss just before serving.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Kona Green Sea Turtles


On a recent trip to The Big Island of Hawaii I had the chance to spend some time filming and swimming with some of the most beautiful creatures on the planet. They are protected and many successful efforts are being made to aid in their recovery.