Thursday, May 05, 2005

summer motto: bbq often

whenever the thermometer hits 70F we rejoice, we dance, we giggle, we laugh...it's so rare lately.
this was our first cook out and meal outside since spring's arrival.
our most often featured item of course is pork sticks --pork butt, cubed, marinated in soy, garlic, sprite, banana ketchup,pineapple juice, calamansi/lemon, ground pepper...everyone's got their own recipe. i just splash everything into a glass jar, tasting all along before pouring into the pork. let sit at least an hour.

i also love broiled squid, in this case the gigantic squid that's been turning up at the Chinese grocery lately. just one, marinated in olive oil, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper and a splash of lemon right before cooking. the scent of squid grilled over charcoal...ahhh. smells like the corner beer garden in my old Diliman neighborhood!
a whole fish is great too, to quickly cook covered in foil or banana leaf...just salt and pepper rubbed all over.

now if only it would warm up again! i've finally found a stable supply of cowboy charcoal--hardwood chunks, please no briquets! this drives husband nuts when i make him search high and low for real charcoal. my obsessive self ascending.