Flowers burst forth from their buds, sunhats replace umbrellas, snow shoveling is replaced by soil tilling, and smiles are easier to come by.
It’s spring, which means a lot of things both literally and figuratively: Rebirth, newness, a transition from death to life.
“It is spring again,” wrote Rainer Maria Rilke. “The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.”
But enough of that crap. For many people the arrival of spring means just one thing: Cooking slabs of meat over fire outside.
This past weekend was the third annual Barn Burner BBQ presented by Johnston’s Pork and Fraser Valley Specialty Poultry. The event was held at the latter’s location in Yarrow (formerly known as Fraser Valley Duck & Goose).
This is divine gluttony writ large in the shadow of Vedder Mountain, and for lovers of barbecue it is a Fraser Valley must-attend.
A note on the word “barbecue”: The word is often abbreviated as BBQ only because “cue” is a homonym for “q”. There is no “q” in the word “barbecue.” But don’t tell that to the Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) folks. And since they are the masters of BBQ and the sanctioning body behind hundreds of competitions a year, well, what the Q do I know?
On that note, while the Barn Burner BBQ in Yarrow is a family-friendly, fun event with a climbing wall, music, product displays and lots of samples, this is also a serious professional barbecue competition.
The four categories at a KCBS competition are: pork shoulder, pork ribs, beef brisket and chicken. These cuts of meat take between four hours for chicken and 16 hours for brisket. And this is taken very, very seriously.
If you don’t believe me, if you take a KCBS course to become a certified judge, you have to swear this oath: “I do solemnly swear to objectively and subjectively evaluate each Barbeque meat that is presented to my eyes, my nose, my hands and my palate. I accept my duty to be an Official KCBS Certified Judge, so that truth, justice, excellence in Barbeque and the American Way of Life may be strengthened and preserved forever.”
This isn’t just cooking. This about the preservation of the American way of life.
The winner this year out of the 19 teams was Regina BBQ veterans Prairie Smoke & Spice. For a full list of 2017 results check here.
The fifth and optional category often presented at these events is a black box. This where the cooks are given secret ingredients to prepare for (uncertified) judges. I’ve been lucky enough to be included as a judge for this category for the last three years by the event organizer, the inimitable Angie Quaale of Well Seasoned in Langley.
This year the chefs brought out some incredibly unique ways of preparing three ingredients: garlic smoked pork tenderloin, duck wing and refried beans. Best in my mind was, as described by the team, a “roasted garlic, smoked pork and pinto bean hand-rolled ravioli with confit of duck demi cream.”
Not your average backyard BBQ.
But the best thing about this event and ones like it, especially at this time of year, is to train our focus on the incredible bounty of food products produced in our backyard.
Spring is here. Go plant your vegetable garden to enjoy all that backyard splendour.
And if you eat meat, spring is here for you too. It’s not a competition and you don’t have to be as fancy as the BBQ teams. Just get outside and get cooking.
Inspired by the Barn Burner, and with spring grilling around the corner, Quaale shares some of the latest trends and BBQ tips:
What is the difference?
• Grilling is direct heat
• BBQ is indirect heat – ‘low and slow’
• So the technique you use depends on what you are cooking – steaks are great for grilling, large roasts better for BBQ
Top tip: Have enough gas
• If you use a gas grill you don’t want your food to be to be half cooked, so plan ahead
Have a tougher cut of meat?
• Marinade – the acid in a marinade will help to break down the meat
Cooking cold meat is a big NO
• Bring the temperature of the meat to room temperature before you start cooking it. The warmer your meat is to begin with, the faster the cooking heat reaches the core without burning the surface.
Take the Temperature
• Use a meat thermometer – they can be purchased at Well Seasoned or in other shops for under $20
• For example, with pork – you want to grill to 140 degrees and then pull it off the heat and let it rest
• Let the juices redistribute though the meat for at least five minutes before you slice
• And fear not - a little bit of pink in a cooked pork chop is OK – you want it to stay moist!
Take a Rest
• As mentioned above, when barbecuing, meat should be left to rest. Rested meat does not bleed out all over your cooking board, soaks in the flavour of the rubs or sauces, and the meat looks juicy and lovely when sliced.
• Paul Henderson is a reporter with the Chilliwack Progress
