Perfect hamburger – your step by step guide

All right… Hamburger. The quintessence of junk food, well, besides hotdog, of course… But really, to make a really good burger is very much not a trivial job, mind you! Nailing that perfect balance of taste in the patty, ensuring the texture is just right, using just the amount of sauce required (and creating that sauce too!) – that’s a never ending journey… I’ve spent over 10 years perfecting my burger patty recipe and yet, after a trip down to Tasmania, it got a new twist!

Curious? Great! I’ve got a true step by step guide for you, so let’s go!

Continue reading

Aussie lamb shanks, the Irish way

Hey there!

In my cooking I very often mix and match different styles, tastes and techniques, mainly because I love experimenting, but also because the results can be absolutely stunning. This is one of those adventures – Aussie lamb shanks, seasoned with a wonderful “Three Little Pigs Touch of Cherry” BBQ rub, one of the best commercially available rubs I’ve tried, and then roasted with a pint of Guinness stout (“The black stuff”, as they call it in Ireland).

Continue reading

Pork fillet & bacon roll

1511632175207[1]

Hi mates!

It’s been a long while, as I’ve been busy with my other projects, which I will be delighted to share with you quite soon. My wood workshop has been made fully operational and I am trying my luck as a hobbyist woodworker.

However, my barbie was not given any days off! So here is a quick and very easy to make pork fillet roll, grilled, needless to mention. And with some extra bacon reinforcement it really is a treat!

Continue reading

Grilled “mititei” – back to the roots…

20160731_203035_eng

Hi mates!

Those of you who follow my posts probably remember my origins, roots, if you like, are from Eastern Europe. Generally speaking, Russian, I would say, but being more specific, I was born in Bessarabia, a relatively small piece of land in between Moldova, Ukraine and the Black Sea. Throughout its whole history Bessarabia was a very desired trophy – it’s been conquered by Turks, Romanians, Russians and a handful of others who ruled the land for shorter periods of time… Such a mixture of cultures created a very interesting culinary fusion as well, and Bessarabia’ cooking is heavily influenced by that of the conquerors – Turkey and Romania mainly, but also Russia and Ukraine. So, today I want to show you my take on a traditional Romanian “mititei” – grilled ground meat rolls, as I remember them from my childhood.

Continue reading

Grilled chicken breasts – the simple way

chicken_breasts1

So, the chicken breasts… One of the cheapest cuts you can get, and one might think, quite simple to cook. But here’s the catch – this cut is one of the leanest ones as well, so, to keep it succulent and tender, you will find all kinds of marinating, brining and wrapping techniques suggested in the recipes. No, I am not saying these methods won’t work… On a contrary, they will, and you’ll most probably love the results, but… what if I told you there’s a way to grill an ultimately juicy and tender chicken breast completely fuss-free and ridiculously simple? Do I have your attention now? Good! Let’s go!

Continue reading

Hot smoked rainbow trout

trout1

Smoking has always been one of my all times favorite ways to serve fish. I’ve smoked salmon, hot and cold, also tried smoking grouper and mackerel… So today I am smoking rainbow trout on cherry wood, the classic way. So… here we go!

Continue reading

Sunday Fair Smoked Turkey Legs

turkey_legs_1w

G’day, folks!

Sooo…. I finally got my smoker! Before moving to Sydney I had a Weber Smokey Mountain cooker, which I unfortunately had to leave behind. For the last 6 months I’ve been doing market research trying to find a better smoker, but eventually I am back with my trusty “R2D2”, as my two little “Star Wars” fans named it.

Today I am going to talk about one of those recipes demonstrating how the basic techniques make an amazing outcome. Turkey legs are among the cheapest cuts of meat you can get, but, cooked right, will become a real treat!

Continue reading

Pork loin roast – classic barbecuing

pork_loin_2

Pork loin is one of my favorite cuts. It is equally great for steaks, kabobs or, butterflied, as a wrap for stuffing it with anything you can think of. But today I am sharing a whole pork loin roast, a classic indirect grilling made simple.

Continue reading

Smoked baby back ribs with sweet & hot pineapple BBQ glaze

ribs1

It’s been quite long since I posted something. Main reason is we’re having a bit of a situation in Israel these days – some “unusual garbage” is falling on our heads, courtesy of our “cousins” from Gaza… But here I am, practically smoking under fire :)!

Last weekend I succeeded to lay my hands on those nice baby back ribs… Unfortunately, pork is not the most popular meat in Israel, and even where it is, baby backs are quite rare to find. But here I am, with 4 decent beautiful racks, which I was dying to get on my smoker.

Continue reading