Smokin`ace

Brisket with
Chimayo Chile
e
c
a
’
n
i
k
o
m
S NyC BBQ?
t
i
e
v
belie
ODE
BY JJ GO
C
ompetition barbecuers are a picky bunch. Picky about their
smokers, their meat and even the arrangement of the parsley
in their turn-in boxes. They don’t confer respect willy-nilly,
especially not upon Northerners who show up thinking they can hang
with the Big Boys. Needless to say, the folks competing at the 2005
American Royal Open in Kansas City must have looked sideways at
Adam Perry Lang, the Long Island–born chef who arrived at his firstever competition with just knives and a tent.
Yet when the verdict came in, Perry Lang, the chef-owner (then and
now) of Daisy May’s BBQ USA in Manhattan, had placed first in the
pork shoulder category—using a borrowed smoker. At that year’s
Great Pork BarbeQlossal in Iowa, he won Grand Champion, earning
a perfect score for his ribs. Perry Lang, it turned out, was no typical
Bill Milne
competition newbie.
38
l CHILE PEPPER
M AY 2 0 0 8
JJ Goode writes for The New York Times, Saveur, Food & Wine, and Details, among other magazines
and newspapers. He is co-author of Masaharu Morimoto’s first cookbook (DK, September 2007), and
is hard at work on another with Adam Perry Lang of Daisy May’s BBQ USA (Hyperion, 2009).
M AY 2 0 0 8
CHILE PEPPER l
39
40
l CHILE PEPPER
M AY 2 0 0 8
Bill Milne
Applewood Smoked Pork
Loin with Apricot Preserves
and Jalapeño Salt
After graduating from the Culinary
Institute of America, he cooked under
some of the world’s greatest chefs,
including Daniel Boulud and Guy
Savoy. Perry Lang’s conversion from
haute to down-home began after he
left restaurant kitchens for a gig as a
private chef. He toured the world
cooking for his employer, ending up
on a vast ranch in New Mexico. In
his downtime, he hung out with the
ranch hands who kept the place
running. “We shot arrows at
Styrofoam deer, caught rattlesnakes
and made amazing barbecue with a
thousand-pound pit they made from
an old propane tank,” he says.
The straightforwardness of this
food—fundamentally, just meat and
fire—struck Perry Lang as the happy
opposite of the complex stocks and
painstaking garnishes that had
marked his career up to that point. So
although his culinary background
seemed to better qualify him for
poaching lobsters than for taming the
heat of a Backwoods smoker, he
decided to change course. He would
apply the same rigor and voracious
appetite for learning that had made
him successful in the world of haute
cuisine to barbecue.
This means obsessively refining
recipes, ruminating on the edible
consequences of barometric pressure
and spending more time thinking about
how heat converts meat’s collagen to
gelatin than anyone probably should.
Despite barbecue’s apparent simplicity,
Perry Lang has come to consider it one
of the world’s most complex cuisines,
and he loves struggling to master it.
He treats his barbecue handicap—
being born well north of the MasonDixon line—as an advantage.
“Because I come to the cuisine as an
outsider, I’m not constrained by
tradition,” he says. “I can just focus
on cooking delicious food.” For
example, rather than using cayenne, a
classic barbecue spice, he often opts
for Sriracha, the Southeast Asian hot
sauce, because it contributes acidity
as well as heat. And while purists
scoff at cooks who wrap their meat in
moistened foil during the cooking
process, Perry Lang is comfortable as a
contrarian. “Wrapping helps the
collagen liquefy,” he says. “Some
people would say, ‘You’re braising,’
but I think it should be wrapped if
that makes better barbecue.”
After many months of eating,
reading, traveling and tinkering, he
opened Daisy May’s BBQ USA in
2003. The restaurant draws local and
out-of-town ’cue snobs to one of
Hell’s Kitchen’s still-gritty blocks.
Here he supplements Carolina-style
pulled pork, massive Oklahoma-style
beef ribs, and Texas-style brisket with
an enticing roster of larger, orderahead treats such as whole pig,
pork shoulder and rack of lamb.
His expert touch with meat has
made him many fans, and his success
has been meteoric. Recently, überchef Mario Batali pegged him to
source and dry age serious prime beef
for Carnevino, the celebrity chef ’s
new Vegas steak house.
But Perry Lang’s successes haven’t
kept him from the competition
circuit, where he goes to catch up
with the friends he’s made and to
learn more from the community that
embraced such an unlikely colleague.
His biggest brisket revelation, for
instance, came from the team who
camped next to him at the 2005
American Royal, whose brisket came
in first place.
“I stayed up cooking all night, and
this guy wakes up at 5 a.m. to start his
fire!” says Perry Lang, reliving his
shock. “That’s when it sunk in that
although brisket has always been
looked at as just one type of meat, it’s
really two different types of muscle.”
So now Perry Lang still cooks the
fatty “point” for 12-plus hours in the
smoker at approximately 225 degrees.
But for the lean “flat,” he cranks up
the heat to 325 degrees, and takes
that part of the brisket out of the
smoker in less than half that time.
Even commandments like “low and
slow” are meant to be broken.
Asian Boneless
Grilled Short Ribs
Yield: 6 servings • Zest Factor: Mild
For the marinade and ribs:
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/ cup Japanese soy sauce
4
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine or dry sherry
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons canola oil
4 scallions, finely chopped
1 (1/2-inch) piece of ginger, peeled,
finely chopped
freshly ground pepper
1 (3-bone) rack of plate short ribs,
bones removed
For the glaze:
2 tablespoons firmly packed dark
brown sugar
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
pinch hot red pepper flakes, optional
In a resealable plastic bag, combine all
marinade ingredients, along with 2
tablespoons water. Add the beef, and
refrigerate for 3 to 6 hours.
Place a grill pan on one area of an oiled
grill, and preheat grill to medium-low for
20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small
saucepan or baking dish, combine the
glaze ingredients.
Remove the beef from the marinade,
letting any excess run off. Lightly pat dry
with paper towels, and discard marinade.
Turn off the heat on one section of the grill
(if cooking with charcoal, use tongs to
remove charcoal from that section of the
grill, and pile it on the other side). Top the
cooler part of the grill with a strip of triplelayer, heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place the
pan with the glaze on the foil to warm.
Place the beef on the hotter portion of
the grill. If at any time there are flare-ups,
move the meat from the grate into the grill
pan. Close the grill’s lid, and cook the meat
without moving it for 5 to 7 minutes, or
until the meat separates easily from the
grate and is nicely caramelized. Flip the
meat, close the lid, and cook without
M AY 2 0 0 8
CHILE PEPPER l
41
Asian Boneless
Grilled Short Ribs
moving the meat for 5 to 7 minutes. If
there are any ribs that are slightly thicker,
they may need an additional 1 to 2 minutes
to cook to desired doneness. Brush each
piece of the beef on both sides with the
glaze, and move each to the foiled section
of the grill. Allow the beef to become
glazed and nicely charred, remove, and
slice on the diagonal, about 3/8-inch thick.
Serve with steamed white rice and cilantro.
disposable aluminum pan, preferably a 131/2
x 95/8 x 23/4–inch lasagna pan. Lay the strips
of grilled bacon lengthwise on top, and place
into the hot smoker or ceramic cooker. Bring
the beans to a simmer, and cook for at least 1
hour, preferably 2, so the top of the beans
and the bacon get nicely caramelized and the
beans have a smoky flavor. You can add bits
of leftover chopped barbecue meat to bolster
texture and flavor.
Smoked Baked Beans
with Grilled Bacon
Brisket with
Chimayo Chile
Yield: 6 to 8 servings • Zest Factor: Mild
These beans are versatile and meant to be put in
an active cooker to finish on time with your meat.
Place in a smoker with temperature ranging from
225° to 325° for a minimum of 1 hour. Baked
beans are more caramelized and take on a deeper
smoky flavor if you cook them in a hotter cooker
for a longer period of time, but these beans are all
about convenience.
Yield: 8 servings • Zest Factor: Medium
If you can’t find Chimayo mild chile powder,
substitute ancho or Hatch.
green bell pepper, halved, seeded
sweet white onion
cloves garlic
tablespoon kosher salt
cups barbecue sauce
1/ cup unsulphured molasses
2
1/ cup firmly packed dark
2
brown sugar
1/ cup apple cider vinegar
4
1 (16-ounce) can black beans, rinsed
1 (16-ounce) can red kidney
beans, rinsed
1 (16-ounce) can vegetarian baked
beans, lightly rinsed
5 slices thick-cut grilled bacon
leftover bits of barbecue or burnt
ends, optional
Bill Milne
1
1
6
1
2
42
l CHILE PEPPER
M AY 2 0 0 8
Prepare smoker to 225° to 325°. Using a box
grater, grate the pepper, place in a clean
towel, and squeeze over the sink to extract all
of the juices. Place the dried-out pepper in a
large bowl. Repeat with the onion, and place
it in the bowl. Create a paste by chopping the
garlic and gradually working in the salt on a
cutting board. Add to the bowl, and stir to
combine with the pepper and onion. Stir in
the barbecue sauce, molasses, brown sugar,
vinegar and all of the beans. Pour into a
For the paste and brisket:
5 cloves garlic, pressed
1/ cup Chimayo mild chile powder
4
2 tablespoons beef base
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon salt
1 (4- to 5-pound) beef brisket flat
For packet wrap:
1/ cup honey
4
1/ cup firmly packed dark
4
brown sugar
1/ cup butter
4
1 cup barbecue sauce, plus extra
as necessary
1/ cup apple juice
2
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
fleur de sel or kosher salt
In a bowl, combine all paste ingredients
with 1/4 cup water. Using the point of a
paring knife, make about 20 small incisions
1
/2-inch deep and 2 inches apart on the
brisket. Rub the paste into the brisket, and
marinate for 1 to 24 hours.
Preheat grill or smoker to medium-high
or 325°, set up for indirect cooking. Place
the brisket in the cooker, fat side down, and
cook for 11/2 hours. Meanwhile, in a medium
saucepan over medium heat, combine the
honey, brown sugar and butter, stirring to
combine as the butter melts.
See Ingredients, Page 92
Lay out a double sheet of aluminum foil,
top with the brisket, and cover with the butter
mixture. Wrap the brisket in the foil, and
place it in the cooker for another 11/2 hours.
Remove the brisket from the cooker, and
unwrap. With a spoon, skim off as much of
the fat in the cooking liquid as you can. In
a new piece of foil, wrap up brisket with
defatted liquid, and allow to rest at room
temperature for 1 hour.
Brush brisket with barbecue sauce, and
place it fat side down in the cooker. In a
spray bottle, combine the apple juice and
apple cider vinegar. When the brisket has
been cooking for 15 minutes, spray it
liberally with the apple mixture. Cook for
15 minutes more. Remove the brisket from
the cooker, and let it rest for at least 10
minutes. Reserve the cooking liquid.
Slice the brisket against the grain into
1
/8-inch slices. Moisten the cut sides with
1
/2 cup reserved cooking liquid and
barbecue sauce, and season with fleur de
sel or kosher salt.
Applewood Smoked Pork Loin
with Apricot Preserves and
Jalapeño Salt
Yield: 6 servings • Zest Factor: Medium
Don’t use tenderloin for this dish—use the loin,
which is bigger and doesn’t dry out as easily.
For the pork and brine:
1/ cup apple juice
2
1/ cup apricot nectar
2
1/ cup heavy syrup from canned
2
peaches
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 (5- to 6-pound) pork loin
For the rub:
2 tablespoons green Hatch chile
powder
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon freshly cracked pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
For the glaze:
1 jar chunky apricot preserves
2 tablespoons clover honey
2 tablespoons apricot nectar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
M AY 2 0 0 8
CHILE PEPPER l
43
Smoked Baked Beans
with Grilled Bacon
Arthur Cohen
Adam Perry Lang
Bill Milne
2 tablespoons green chile powder
1 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
For the jalapeño salt:
2 (1/4-inch) slices jalapeño
1/ cup salt
4
44
l CHILE PEPPER
M AY 2 0 0 8
Preheat grill to medium-high or 325°, and
set up for both direct and indirect cooking.
In a plastic container, combine brine
ingredients with 1/2 cup water, and cover
with lid. Shake well to dissolve. Using a
meat injector, inject brine throughout pork
loin, taking particular care to distribute the
brine evenly. In a bowl, combine all rub
spices, and apply to pork loin.
Place pork loin over direct heat on the
grill, charring all sides. Then move the
loin to the cooler side over indirect heat,
and cover, cooking until the pork reaches
an internal temperature of 145°. Remove
the loin, and allow it to rest for 1/2 hour.
See Ingredients, Page 92
In a bowl, combine glaze ingredients.
Place the pork loin back on the grill, and
apply the glaze. Cook just until the pork is
sticky and lightly charred.
In a spice mill, grind the jalapeño and
salt together for 20 seconds.
Using a pastry brush, paint a cutting
board with the glaze, and slice the pork
loin on top. Paint each slice with
additional glaze, and season with the
jalapeño salt.
Charred Peaches
with Habanero Chile
and Mint
Yield: 6 to 8 servings • Zest Factor: Medium
1/
4
cup sugar
1 teaspoon peach sour-dust candy
1 teaspoon habanero powder
10 dried mint leaves (optional)
12 to 16 peaches, split, stones
removed, unpeeled
canola oil, for brushing
30 fresh mint leaves, for tossing
extra-virgin olive oil, for tossing
salt and freshly ground pepper
Preheat grill to medium high or 325°. In a
coffee mill or spice grinder, grind together
sugar, peach sour-dust candy, habanero
powder and mint leaves to make a rub.
Brush peaches with canola oil, and sprinkle
with rub.
Grill open face of peaches until charred.
Remove, and toss in a bowl with fresh mint,
a splash of olive oil, salt and pepper.
DAISY MAy’S BBQ USA
623 11th Ave
New York, NY
212-977-1500
M AY 2 0 0 8
CHILE PEPPER l
45