Fifth Avenue Forum

You're on TV?

Well, I was on an episode of Top Chef: Just Desserts, and I was preparing to film an audition for Master Chef but bailed when I realized I had to commit 6 weeks to the show.

But can you even imagine? Me on TV?

I haven't seen any of the new Chef's Table episodes yet, but the Aussie dude you knobs are bagging on worked for years at a Basque restaurant called Asador Etxebarri, which is currently ranked as the 3rd best restaurant in the world. When Tony Bourdain visited that restaurant 10+ years ago, he was the guide/translator for what Bourdain called (at the time) the best meal of his life, which he consumed standing in the kitchen using plastic tasting utelsils. Guy's good at cooking.

His food looks incredible. He's also a complete knob.

He's on Triple D, c2i.

He's on Triple D, c2i.

tif's Grocey Games.

Well, I was on an episode of Top Chef: Just Desserts, and I was preparing to film an audition for Master Chef but bailed when I realized I had to commit 6 weeks to the show.

But can you even imagine? Me on TV?

Gonna need a link to that episode...

This entire episode is pretentious, not just this dude. Nothing but him catching random **** and then cooking over a fire in abandoned warehouses.

Well, I was on an episode of Top Chef: Just Desserts, and I was preparing to film an audition for Master Chef but bailed when I realized I had to commit 6 weeks to the show.

But can you even imagine? Me on TV?

Gonna need a link to that episode...

I don't know anywhere to get it that doesn't require purchase, but it's Se1, Ep6 of Top Chef Just Desserts ("Black & White"). I'm on camera as a dining guest (along with my boss at the time and his partner), we get maybe 20s of total screen time. On the day, they set up and filmed me complaining about the presentation of one of the dishes, but it wasn't used in the final edit. It was a real hoot, and I'd love to do it again someday. I was the only person who recognized the guest judge (Michael Laiskonis, then of Le Bernardin in NYC), and when word of that got around everyone was coming to our table to ask me about him. I was like, "I don't know him personally, I just recognize him."

Good weekend of summer food, including:

Corn on cob
Peaches
Blueberry pie
Watermelon
Pizza (not a summer food, but a food for all seasons)

I grilled corn in the husk yesterday, and it was excellent.

Making Detroit style pizza tonight for the first time... kinda stoked about it as it's one of my favorite styles that you just can't find very often. Especially in central PA.

Buffalo Wings: Drums or Flats?

And if you say Flats, tip on or no tip?

Discuss.

I have *very little* (pretty much non-existent) experience with American-style outdoor grilling.

Say, I want to grill pork chops, and I want to put:
A) BBQ sauce or
B) A1 steak sauce (will be cooking for a foreigner who has never had A1 sauce)

At which point do I put the sauce on (and is there a difference between A vs. B):
- before I put the pork chops on a grill? (I'd be worried to do it that way)
- X minutes before I am done (what is "X" then)?
- right after I take them off the grill?

Thanks!!

Buffalo Wings: Drums or Flats?

And if you say Flats, tip on or no tip?

Discuss.

Both and don’t care. Just make them crispy and gimme a good sauce.

I have *very little* (pretty much non-existent) experience with American-style outdoor grilling.

Say, I want to grill pork chops, and I want to put:
A) BBQ sauce or
B) A1 steak sauce (will be cooking for a foreigner who has never had A1 sauce)

At which point do I put the sauce on (and is there a difference between A vs. B):
- before I put the pork chops on a grill? (I'd be worried to do it that way)
- X minutes before I am done (what is "X" then)?
- right after I take them off the grill?

Thanks!!

I personally would just grill the chops and then have the sauces available at the table to put on afterwards. You could also make a marinade using either or both sauces and let the chops sit in them overnight or for a couple hours. More flavor is absorbed by the meat the longer it sits in it. If I had to choose one over the other I'd go with A1 sauce since I think it pairs better with pork chops.

I have *very little* (pretty much non-existent) experience with American-style outdoor grilling.

Say, I want to grill pork chops, and I want to put:
A) BBQ sauce or
B) A1 steak sauce (will be cooking for a foreigner who has never had A1 sauce)

At which point do I put the sauce on (and is there a difference between A vs. B):
- before I put the pork chops on a grill? (I'd be worried to do it that way)
- X minutes before I am done (what is "X" then)?
- right after I take them off the grill?

Thanks!!

I personally would just grill the chops and then have the sauces available at the table to put on afterwards. You could also make a marinade using either or both sauces and let the chops sit in them overnight or for a couple hours. More flavor is absorbed by the meat the longer it sits in it. If I had to choose one over the other I'd go with A1 sauce since I think it pairs better with pork chops.

I agreed with everything until you said go with A1. You’re a monster.

Buffalo Wings: Drums or Flats?

And if you say Flats, tip on or no tip?

Discuss.

Drums >> flats
Though I'm not a monster who orders specific ones at a restaurant.

Pull the tips off the flats. Makes them easier to eat.

I have *very little* (pretty much non-existent) experience with American-style outdoor grilling.

Say, I want to grill pork chops, and I want to put:
A) BBQ sauce or
B) A1 steak sauce (will be cooking for a foreigner who has never had A1 sauce)

At which point do I put the sauce on (and is there a difference between A vs. B):
- before I put the pork chops on a grill? (I'd be worried to do it that way)
- X minutes before I am done (what is "X" then)?
- right after I take them off the grill?

Thanks!!

If you insist on saucing before serving, I'd brush it on right before you take them off and let it caramelize for a minute or so per side.

I have *very little* (pretty much non-existent) experience with American-style outdoor grilling.

Say, I want to grill pork chops, and I want to put:
A) BBQ sauce or
B) A1 steak sauce (will be cooking for a foreigner who has never had A1 sauce)

At which point do I put the sauce on (and is there a difference between A vs. B):
- before I put the pork chops on a grill? (I'd be worried to do it that way)
- X minutes before I am done (what is "X" then)?
- right after I take them off the grill?

Thanks!!

If you insist on saucing before serving, I'd brush it on right before you take them off and let it caramelize for a minute or so per side.

Thanks for all the tips! At the end, I decided not to be lazy - and so I separated my pork chops and got them marinated this morning. And, for the fun of it, I even got 3 chops into Secret Aardwark Drunken Jerk.

Plus, I will put some extra BBQ on the BBQ-marinated chops right before I am done and get that stuff caramelized...

I have *very little* (pretty much non-existent) experience with American-style outdoor grilling.

Say, I want to grill pork chops, and I want to put:
A) BBQ sauce or
B) A1 steak sauce (will be cooking for a foreigner who has never had A1 sauce)

At which point do I put the sauce on (and is there a difference between A vs. B):
- before I put the pork chops on a grill? (I'd be worried to do it that way)
- X minutes before I am done (what is "X" then)?
- right after I take them off the grill?

Thanks!!

I personally would just grill the chops and then have the sauces available at the table to put on afterwards. You could also make a marinade using either or both sauces and let the chops sit in them overnight or for a couple hours. More flavor is absorbed by the meat the longer it sits in it. If I had to choose one over the other I'd go with A1 sauce since I think it pairs better with pork chops.

I agreed with everything until you said go with A1. You’re a monster.

Haha, I really don't like A1, but unless it is a really good BBQ sauce, if I am going to put A1 or BBQ on a pork chop, I'd go A1.

Made a batch of chili yesterday.

- 24-hour sous vide oxtail, then pureed the 'braising' solids/meat juice as a stock base
- Cubed chuck roast and shredded aforementioned oxtail meat
- California, Ancho, Guajillo, Pasilla chiles with cayenne, toasted cumin, and garlic powder
- Fire roasted tomato puree
- All cooked together in ye olde Dutch oven for 5 hours, adding more chile blend and pureed stock every 90 minutes or so

Deliciously layered and complex, long finish of warm heat, garnished with raw onion, cilantro, crema, and some fresh sliced Fresno chile.

Made a batch of chili yesterday.

- 24-hour sous vide oxtail, then pureed the 'braising' solids/meat juice as a stock base
- Cubed chuck roast and shredded aforementioned oxtail meat
- California, Ancho, Guajillo, Pasilla chiles with cayenne, toasted cumin, and garlic powder
- Fire roasted tomato puree
- All cooked together in ye olde Dutch oven for 5 hours, adding more chile blend and pureed stock every 90 minutes or so

Deliciously layered and complex, long finish of warm heat, garnished with raw onion, cilantro, crema, and some fresh sliced Fresno chile.

What kind of beans did you use?

NO BEANS!!!

I said I made chili, not stew.

Sounds like a pretty good meat sauce.