Grillstock: onto day 2

Alabama 3 are just finishing their set (play some sopranos already!) and there’s a double rainbow in the Bristol sky. A good end to a great day here I’d say. Although we’re not quite finished here. The pork has just gone on the smoker and I’m starting my BBQ beans preparation. Lap’s marinating the chicken with his trademark jerk sauce. We were very happy with everything we sent today, particularly lap’s lobster dish, the apple pie and the brisket. Hoping for good scores tomorrow. Couldn’t blog the brisket because was too busy putting it out but thanks to all the crowd who were very vocal in their support! But will post more on that tomorrow!

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Grillstock: dessert and ribs have gone!

Too hectic to blog for a while there … We sent our dessert of BBQ apple pie and smoked ice cream at 13:30 and then it was on to the ribs. These meat rounds are judged by BBQ experts and the judges are completely poker faced when presented with their boxes, so it’s very hard to gauge their opinions. One more round to go today: brisket!

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Chef’s Special

Grilled lobster with Alphonso Mango

Ingredients
One Live lobster

For the mango salsa
1 Large Alphonso Mango – diced
2 small vine tomato – concassed
3 inch daikon – part diced (reserve some part shredded)
Coriander & Mint
Dressing – Fish sauce, lime, sugar, water, chillis (finely minced one large mild red, one quarter scotch bonnet)

3 or 4 Lemongrass stalks lightly bashed and tied together to form a brush, soak in oil
12 Lime leaves

Split lobster in half and separate claws. Discard the head sac and intestinal tract.
Place lobster bodies shell side down into a flexible grill basket on a bed of lime leaves. Drizzle oil over the flesh side using the lemongrass brush and grill flesh side down first for 4 minutes. Flip and grill the shell side for a further 4 minutes, baste with more lemongrass oil. The claws will take 2 more minutes to cook than the bodies but be careful not to overcook them.

Let the lobster cool a little. Combine the salsa ingredients.

Remove claw meat, remove tails & portion, place shredded daikon in shells to give the meat lift and dress with a little of the salad
replace the meat and dress with the rest of the salad

 

 

Grillstock: brisket coming along, ribs in

Well my brisket has fared quite well overnight, although one of my flats is nearly cooked and it’s only 9am (serve at 17.30!). I’ve rigged up my temperature probes and we’ll see when it’s ready… In other news, apples are prepped and the ribs just went in!

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Grillstock: brisket on, and night time!

Overheard earlier: “Is your pineapple juice fresh, or from concentrate?”

Well it’s time to have some rest. We seem to be the only team that put our briskets on already, but that’s because they are uber – and massive. And there’s nothing worse than an undercooked brisket. Some teams are threatening to turn up at 3am or 4am to start theirs off. Anyway, Ozzy – one of our ProQ’s is on and I’m leaving him to it. Night night!

Grillstock: ribs and brisket are rubbed

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We’ve rubbed our ribs and brisket. I’m a bit disconcerted to see the team next door forensically trimming the fat from his brisket, whereas I just lopped off the bit which was about 3 inches thick. And he’s even made it so it will fit the competition box and everything! Anyway will be interesting to see what the final result looks like….