OK Squamish, what happened? I blinked and all of a sudden, I can no longer leave the house without a sweater.听
So here we are, the cooler weather is already upon us. How do we hold on to the last vestiges of summer? The only tried and true way: barbecue.听
Now, we ain鈥檛 talkin鈥� about grillin鈥� here. Not the land of steaks, burgers and dogs. We are talkin鈥� slow and low (that is the tempo... am I dating myself? Anyone else get that reference?).
For the purposes of research, I had a delightful call with barbecue aficionado Angie Quaale of Well Seasoned in Langley. She and her team this weekend are the hosts of Barbecue Off the Bypass, now in its 10th year. Teams are gathering from the U.S. and Canada to compete. Word has it that Squamish once had its own barbecue festival and that one of the biggest in Canada happens at Dusty鈥檚 in Whistler every year. I say, let鈥檚 reignite that charcoal and keep the home fires burning here in the Mother of the Wind.
If you aren鈥檛 equipped and you think this may be your thing, pick up a Weber Smoky Mountain, not dissimilar from R2D2. Quaale recommends Kingsford charcoal. Start out with a pork shoulder, the most forgiving of cuts.听
Brisket is known as the heartbreak meat, so ease into that one. You won鈥檛 often see a big hunk of tofu over those hot coals, so barbecue really isn鈥檛 for our vegetarian friends 鈥� but they can enjoy the sides. Texas-style sides would be beans and stewier items, whereas in South Carolina, it鈥檚 more of a cornbread, slaw kind of moment. Anything goes, really.听
Everyone likes their barbecue a bit different, hence the worldwide competitions that exist. Here in the west, we like it sweeter and saucier (of course we do), and in Ontario, they like it drier and spicier. Because barbecue is a long, drawn-out process, invite your friends over for the day.听
Everyone sits around, enjoying the last little bit of the warmth, laughing, reminiscing and, of course, drinking. No day of slow low smoking and cooking would be complete without someone on bar duty. Beer is a no-brainer, but if you are drinking wine, go for a zinfandel. When it comes to cocktails, this is when good ol鈥� buddy bourbon really shines.
In the vein of celebrating summer, let鈥檚 squeeze the last little bit out of the Okanagan鈥檚 bounty and have a fruity bourbon drink.
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Summer Bourbon Smash
Add 4-5 pitted cherries or half a peach to a rocks glass (a little bit of both if you鈥檙e feeling wild)
Add 1/2 to a full teaspoon of sugar (preferably raw cane)
Muddle it. A lot. Muddlers are cheap as chips and really useful. Otherwise, use the back of a wooden spoon.
Add some mint for complexity
Pour in 2 ounces of bourbon听
Stir up the well muddled fruit
Add 录 to 1/2 ounce of lime for balance
Add ice to the top of the glass (crushed, if possible)
And sip... slowly...
The beauty of this cocktail is how it changes in the glass. If you drink it all right away, the water won鈥檛 have had time to integrate the flavours, so take it easy, sip away and let it take you on a journey.
No barbecue would be complete without something authentic and delicious for dessert. Pecan pie and fruit cobblers are classics, but this old school banana pudding recipe from Quaale is easy-peasy and sounds delicious:
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Banana Pudding
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, beaten
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 - 4 ripe but slightly firm bananas, sliced
1 box of Nilla vanilla wafers
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Mix sugar and eggs together. Add salt, cornstarch, and milk.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly; cook until thickened.
Remove from heat; add vanilla and mix well. In serving bowl, layer the wafers, bananas, and the pudding.
听
If firing up the wood and having a big to-do isn鈥檛 part of your late summer plans, check out Barbecue on the Bypass this weekend or your favourite barbecue restaurant. I think it鈥檚 time for a road trip.
