Barbecue Tales part 10 - Pork Chops

Even though El Siboneys was calling out to me I decided I would do another day of cooking at home.  I love the novelty, and the difference of cooking outdoors on a barbecue compared to cooking at home in Ireland. And it always tastes good so absolutely no regrets.  Although I must say the lure of El Siboneys is so strong!!! Particularly because I live so near it, and omg the smell that emanates from their building as you pass...holy hell it's good!

Anyway! Pork it was!
First I prepped the pork by putting a generous lather of olive oil on it and then a lovely garlic meat rub.  At this point I also prepped the vegetables - garlic, tomato, carrots and broccoli and butter into a little tinfoil tent.  I decided to try grilling green pepper separate rather to all the other veg.

I then immediately put the wild rice on to cook.  The base for wild rice is brown rice - it is brown rice, seasoning and some veg (tomato etc) - and because of this it does need a good amount of cooking time.  A lot longer than if it was white rice.  It takes approx. 25 minutes and 5 minutes sitting time to cook according to the directions on the box which I don't really follow.

And yes I know my stove looks like it comes from 1982.  Kind of embarrassing I know.  Cousin Kasey has suggested to me that I do a blog post about the difference between Irish kitchen appliances and US appliances and all of my appliances are soooooo much better/nicer/bigger here in the US...except for this awful stove (or cooker as we would call it in Ireland)

So there we have the pork chops cooking away on the grill, plus the tinfoil tent of veg on the right.

It was very hot today and as I cooked, the sun was beating down on the back of my legs and I could feel perspiration rolling down my back.  Lol! Nice, Amy, real nice. Bet you're enjoying hearing this.  On one hand, totally gross I know but on the other hand, I have to say - I relished it.  Again so different to Ireland!

I apologise, this food/plate does not really look the best.  In real life it (a) looked so much more attractive than this and (b) most importantly, tasted amazing!  Really really tasty.  I had not cooked pork before as you will know if you have been following my "Barbecue Tales"  blog posts and it was nice that this went so well.  Pork can sometimes be difficult to cook, in a matter of seconds it can go from tender, tasty and moist to tough as leather  But this tasted so nice that pork will definitely be going on to the home cooking rotation/grocery shopping list.

Barbecue Tales part 8 Surf n Turf

We're eating these steaks (and shrimp) quite a lot.  I am not sure what they are even called...they come in packs of 6 and are thin little guys - good everyday strip steaks I guess.  They are so thin, in fact they take literally 3 minutes to cook.  One could argue the little shrimp take almost longer than them!
But like I said, a good everyday steak. With the remnants of wine left over from the weekend and some broccoli, onions and tomatoes grilled in a little foil parcel, a lovely dinner they make!

Barbecue Tales Part 5 - Steak, shrimp & lobster

Psst.  Who wants a recipe for a pretty perfect Valentine's Day dinner at home?

Take a large plump lobster tail and a large plump filet mignon steak

Admire the beautiful colours the lobster shell turns as it cooks on the grill

Add some large plump shrimp to the barbecue, lightly seasoned with oil and garlic. 

Smather some Kerry gold butter over the lobster meat.

Plate those babies up!

Add some good company and wine.  Enjoy!

Dessert.  Take one tumbler of wine, a tin cup of vodka (yep, that's how I roll*) and one giant Reeses's heart

*Sometimes

Happy Valentine's day and much love to you all. wherever you are in the world, reading this right now.  Mwah!

Barbecue tales Part 4 - Sausages

Today started well and ended well.  That is all.  I could literally lock up shop and sign this blog off now, but I do have some photos so I guess I will share these with you and some more information too.

Today was a celebration of some good news and I was treated to a fabulous brunch in the old Westin hotel, now a Margaritaville resort. Amazing seafood as pictured.  Not pictured are the bottomless mimosas, prime rib, french toast and bacon, lobster pasta, skirt steak, sushi, freshly baked pastries, smoked salmon, poached salmon, tuna steak, tuna tartar, meat charcuterie, cheese and more.  And the desserts! The desserts!

The good news was that I have a job! I am working in a cute (and  very beautiful) boutique hotel here in Key West.  I am working with a lovely group of people, and every day am meeting nice happy people who are on their holidays travelling down South from all over the USA.  So that's very exciting!


After the lovely brunch - which by the way we relaxed over for hours - we went for a nice stroll around the harbor/historic seaport of Key West. And then cycled back via Duval Street.  Duval was buzzing!  A really nice atmosphere, everyone just having the craic and enjoying the sunshine while having a few drinks.  On the subject of having a few drinks, that is pretty much what I did for the remainder of the afternoon, relaxed in the tiki hut with a little vodka cocktail.  Oh.  I did one other thing. There may or may not have been a bit of snoozing on the daybed going on *embarrassed face*

So after a fancy brunch of a LOT of food I really didn't need much for the rest of the day.

We made sausages on the barbecue.  Nice big flavourful Wisconsin pork sausages!  Here it is pictured on a Hawaiian bread roll with mustard, tomato and barbecued red peppers. I ate mine plain, no bread, with (French/grain) mustard and bbq sauce.

Last photo of a super day! Here is me at the barbecue (Look Ma, I'm cooking!!!).

I posted this on facebook and Instagram with the caption "And later tonight I shall be teaching my aerobics class down at the Y"
Bahahahahahhaaaa.  Yes I'm silly. I just think my outfit looks so 1980's lol!  Feck it, if you can't have a little laugh at yourself sure what is the point of it at all?
#LifeisShort

Barbecue Tales Part 2 - Seafood

Tonight the menu was mainly FISH!

Yellow tail snapper fillets
Crab claws (exorbitantly priced it has to be said, but nice for a special occasion - the special occasion being: I am in Key West woohoo!)
Garlic dipping butter
Wild Rice
Home made Guacamole
Purple corn chips
Frontera salsa
Wine
Vodka
Beer
Good company

Barbecue Tales Part 1 - Steak

One difference (amongst, like a million differences) about my life now, compared with my life in Ireland is all the barbequing I am doing (or grilling as the Americans like to call it!).  So I thought it would be fun to document as I go, all the food we cook and eat "from the grill".

Yesterday I went to meet with my friend Lara, who was in town from Texas for a music festival.  Seeing as Lara is Texan I didn't need a second invitation to take advantage and wear my cowboy boots to our meet up. The cowboy hat was borrowed for the photo from Lara's son in law and friend :)

After enjoying an awesome catch up with Lara, and listening to some good live music in The Green Parrot I headed home for dinner.  On the menu was STEAK!!  Mmmm!

So! Because I only decided today, to start to keep a record and chronicle my barbequing feats, I am afraid I don't have photos of the full meal and sides etc.  You will just have to do with a written log of it instead!

- Steak

- Wild rice
- The Most Fab barbeque sauce ever.  It tasted like a mixture between barbeque sauce and Irish/English brown sauce.
- Guacamole and purple corn chips