In Ireland, it took me a long time to find the cuts of beef used for “fajitas” or carne asada tacos back in the American taco belt: hangar steak, flat iron steak, bavette, chuck tenders, skirt steak, etc. Such cuts of beef are easy to cook on the grill, but…
Irish Whiskey Barrel smoking chips are literally made from barrels that were once used to age Irish whiskey. The oak wood from the barrel staves is cut up, bagged, and sold to BBQ fans. You can buy the wood in the form of sawdust, chips, or big chunks of the…
You figure you’re doing the right thing by diligently cleaning your greasy grill before cooking dinner on it. But then, along come the hospital horror stories about sharp steel bristles falling off your grill brush–and ending up in your dinner guest’s throats, stomachs and guts. It’s not hard to imagine–my…
There aren’t a lot of Irish people who eat oysters. Which is a shame, since the island has some great ones. I try to recruit new oyster eaters when we have friends over for dinner. Raw oysters on the half shell are a tough sell, but hot smoked oysters, painted with…
For St John’s Eve 2018 I cooked Irish sausages on a charcoal grill. It was a little underwhelming. So I suggested that the school acquire a pig roasting box so we could try something a little more ambitious this year. La Caja China, the makers of the famous Cuban-style pig roasting…
Looks like I’ll helping out with the barbecue duties at the St. John’s Bonfire Festival at Burren College of Art. June 23, Midsummer Night, the shortest night of the year, is celebrated all over Europe. In the pre-Christian era, Midsummer Eve was an Ancient Greek festival called Adonia. It was the…
A year ago, while eating a pulled pork sandwich at the Eatyard in Dublin, I noticed the name “Irish Artisan Charcoal” on a steel plate attached to a barrel smoker. Since I moved to Western Ireland in January, I have sorely missed my Texas offset smoker. And I eagerly await…
If you find yourself near the London Bridge on Saturday May 5, stop by Texas Joe’s BBQ joint for a Cinco de Mayo brunch party! I’ll be signing books and hanging out all afternoon.
Dear Friends: On December 31, my entire family (including Frances, the Basset Hound) will embark on a one-way flight to Europe. After toasting the “Happy New Year” aloft, we will land in Paris, hop a flight to Dublin, rent a van, and drive to Ballyvaughn on the West Coast of…
Every four years, Texas Monthly publishes their list of the Top 50 BBQ Joints in Texas. I don’t envy my friend Daniel Vaughn, the Texas Monthly barbecue editor, in the period following the big reveal. The announcement is inevitably followed by mean-spirited second guessing and accusations of bribery and bias….
