The morning sky was gray. A heavy dampness and the sweet smell of smoke clung in the air. Off Lake Ontario, a barge’s horn rippled through the air, splitting the silence as it issued a warning. And as the sun rose higher in the sky, it burned away the milky mists of morning.

On Saturday May 28, the Roc City Rib Fest played host to a New England Barbecue Society (NEBS) grilling contest. The four categories of the day were scallops, Cornish hen, tri-tip, and bacon — how could this day possibly be bad?!?

Our scallop entries were nice. The first submission was wrapped in a purple cabbage leaf, with a bit of melon, and a corn relish. Sweet, flavorful, with with just a hint of crunch, it proved to be a big hit among the judges at our table. The fifth offering was a rinky, dink, little ole thang that was salty as all hell. And to make matters worse, we one scallop wrapped in bacon and served in a pie crust that might have been prepared in a muffin tin. The pie crust tasted like bad Crisco or spoiled lard. The scallop itself was cooked well, but, overall, this was the least favored item among the judges. The other three offerings were enjoyable enough, but most probably scored middle-of-the-pack. Two of the scallop entries were a tad undercooked for the liking of the judge’s table.

Five stunning hens, some a candied red, others a crisp, more natural brown, were quartered and presented for selection. Juxtaposed with them was one ironic looking submissions comprised of wing-lets, which were dwarfed by the quartered hens. The presentation suffered not only from a humorous contrast, but also because the winglets and drumlets (half the size of what the Anchor Bar serves) rolled around in the box during presentation. With all that said, the wings had excellent flavor and most of the judges scored them well for flavor. If the team that submitted them wants a second go, they should focus on presentation and size.

Tri-tip steak is a cut of beef from the underside of the animal’s sirloin area that is usually about 2 pounds in size. It has a different texture than brisket, but can still be a nice offering when done right. Overall, the judge’s table was pleased with our beef. The second offering was covered in an odd-looking green sauce. While it obscured the view of the meat, which may have hurt some of the presentation scores, the herbal sauce, was a tasty hit with most of the judges. We also had teriyaki-sauced slices of beef that appeared to have been hammered flat and tenderized. This beef had a nice flavor, but was a bit cold by the time we had an opportunity for a taste. By and large, the tri-tip entries were cooked well; almost all the meat was nice and tender.

The last category was bacon…and it created a lot of buzz. As the final offering for the day, we were happy to see some dessert offerings. The first of which, a chocolate chip cookie with big chunks of chocolate, was a sweet offering, but the bits of bacon provided little more than a hint of crunch. Had there more bacon flavor, this would have been a killer submission.

Unfortunately, we also had another ghastly offering of bacon wrapped within Pillsbury dough that didn’t have any standout flavor, except for Pam or Crisco. Some of the treats we had were shrimp wrapped with bacon, bacon layered with chocolate and kissed with a hint of cayenne pepper.

There was also a fatty pork offering, which kind of tough and chewy, and left an unpleasant taste for at least one judge. This entry was topped with a dollop of melted chocolate and a green leaf. The presentation was absolutely beautiful, but the taste fell flat. The most savored item among the judges was the carefully cut watermelon square that served as the entry’s base.

The NEBS grilling contests have always provided excellent eating. In 2011, Roc City was no exception. The scallops, Cornish hen, and tri-tip categories came up big, but the bacon entries were kind of a let down. While we don’t know which teams prepared the food we tasted, we do know who won the event. With that said, we’d like to congratulate Grand Champion Lakeside Smokers and Reserve Champion Buckner Brothers Barbeque. We also want to give a quick shout out to some fellas who attended a NEBS cooking class with us — congrats to the Beverage Brothers on placing fourth in scallops and second in Cornish hen!

The last weekend in May, Memorial Day Weekend 2011, we headed out to judge the Roc City Rib Fest in Rochester New York. Because the drive was about 7 hours, we decided to make go of taking in some extra sights. As part of our trip, we made a stop at Niagara Falls. Although it was dim, cloudy day, with mists clinging in the air, the falls was still a site to behold. The churning, green water below stood out in stark contrast against the pale gray blanket that represented the sky.

From the falls, we drove a little over an hour to Buffalo. And with foodies like us, you already know why — the Wings. We sought out Frank and Teressa’s Anchor Bar — home of the original Buffalo Wing. Yeah, we know some people say Duff’s is the place to go, but on our road trip, we wanted to experience the history as much as the food, so Anchor Bar it was.

Located at 1047 Main Street, this brick red facade can best be described as a neighborhood hang with a homey, but eclectic feel. License plates, Elvis, and a wooden Saute of Liberty holding a plate of Buffalo Wings just scratch the surface of the decor.

We ordered a platter of 5o wings doused with two sauces — half mild and half hot. Our waitress plunked down the platter on a raised platform the stood above all other items on the table. An enticing idea that presents the food well and keeps it in easy reach…which was fabulous.
Crispy, crunchy fries, a flavorless mayo-ridden slaw, and spicy potato wedges comprised our sides.

These wings and drumlets came from chickens that were large enough to fight back! Big, meaty, and crispy, the chicken was moist and really offered something you could sink your teeth into. The platter was adorned with four cups containing a richly textured Blue cheese dressing. Unlike some places that serve a watery sauce with giant gobs of cheese, the Anchor Bar’s sauce contains smaller bits of Blue cheese, which adheres to the chicken more kindly with each and every dip!

The mild sauce was incredibly bland; perhaps, best for children and those with only the absolute faintest of tolerance for spice. The hot sauce was a far cry from flaming. In fact, it had a nice overall flavor to accompany just a tad of burn. This sauce is a good call for most folks who drop in for a taste of what Anchor Bar has to offer.

Check out this video which demonstrates how to slow cook a Boston pork butt on a Weber kettle grill, using offset cooking techniques and mesquite wood.

This video shows a first attempt that was essentially an experiement. The cooking technique uses both fresh charcoal and ashy coal that was previously burned. You start by lighting the ashy coals, which catch the fresh coals. The goal of this process is a longer cook time per charcoal batch.

Did the technique work? What was the outcome of the pork butt? Watch and see…

Hey BOY, join JB, every Yankee’s favorite Cajun (OK, so maybe Celtic’s point guard Rajon Rondo ranks higher for some folks, but only some), as he talks about the ways he augmented his grimy Char-Broil grill using a vaporizer bar to prepare wood-fired pizza using a real cooking stone.

As far as the food goes, he starts with an off-the-shelf Marketside 12″ five cheese pizza, and then doctors it up. You gotta love JB’s fire-roasted bell peppers…and wait til you see what other toppings he slaps atop this beast.

Just for good measure, JB even throws in a crawfish tip at the end. Goota love Cajun cookin!

Dig the all-purpose spice rub by Jill Hough, food columnist at the Oakland Tribune and Bon Appetit, that this bar-b-cutie shares with us. This is a cajun-inspired rub that can be used on salmon, ribs, and anything inbetween.