Anyway, I like having direct communication to a knowledgeable resource and I’d like to bounce a couple culinary questions off of you…

-I recently acquired a sufficient gas grill. I have been enjoying it so much (that I fear it may soon develop into being a crutch)! On several occasions, I’ve tried to make barbecued pork (ribs and chops). I first sear the meat, then move them to low indirect heat. I then slop on some homemade barbecue sauce. But the sauce never seems to stick to the meat. When I flip the meat, I hear the disappointing hiss of tangy peach barbecue sauce hitting the flame below. Any tips? Perhaps tips on consistency (thick or thin is better?), timing of first baste (baste before sear, after sear, well after sear, etc.), duration (time between bastings).

I recently grilled my first whole bird. It was a roaster chicken, I believe, weighing in at roughly 4 lbs. Because it was my first time, I was kind of improvising. I butterflied it and rubbed an herb butter under the skin and on the skin, let it refrigerate overnight, grilled it and applied a honey balsamic mop sauce to it. It came out fine. But I was wondering if buttering the chicken was an unnecessary step since I was painting it with my sauce. Also, I was wondering if letting the chicken sit overnight with the herb butter was helpful or was useless. The bottom line is that I was pleased with the glazed and crisp skin of the chicken, but the thicker parts of lacked taste towards the center. What would you recommend for this problem, brining perhaps? If I choose to brine, could I also pat it dry and apply a spice rub, let it sit overnight, and THEN grill it? Would this be overkill?

When visiting my girlfriend in NYC, we went to a great Cuban restaurant, Cafe con Leche (80th and Amsterdam). Cramped, loud, ethnic, large portions, outdoor seating…The ideal meal. They accompany no matter what you order with a pleasingly intense garlic dip. It had the consistency of thin tomato sauce, had a slightly acidic bite, and was a pure ivory/white color. I forgot to ask for the name, but from what I gather, it was just a garlic mojo. However, the garlic mojo recipes I find online call for orange juice, which would detract from the ivory color that this dip had. Any ideas on the composition?

I know I kind of blitzkrieg’ed you with questions and ramblings, sorry! Whenever you get a chance, I’d like to hear your thoughts on these matters as well as anything else culinary!

-Chris

It has been a treat to see Scott develop his skills and sense of style, taste, and nuance for food and things foodie. Most of all, I enjoy when Scott comes over and we cook together.

You should all be so lucky.