Sunday, August 14, 2005
MEATSTOCK IV
MEATSTOCK IV was last night and in the annals of MEATSTOCK history, it will go down as the most high-tech, the wettest and the most controversial.
The menu this year saw a good range of meats from the usual bbq ribs to the exotic ostrich and goat. Bentley and Rose’s pork with not-so-secret marinade was a popular favorite while Sean went exotic with ostrich and buffalo burgers. The goat was nice for the novelty but less nice for the flavor and texture. Lesson learned on that point. Freshly shorn Mike and Xandra provided a big ole hunk of pork that took most of the night to cook and unfortunately wasn’t ready until everyone was too stuffed to eat any more. I’ll make a nice lunch or two out of it. The variety of other meats were delicious and I’m sorry I can’t mention them all. This is a blog, not an essay.
Stretching the definition of MEATSTOCK, we saw the first ever seafood entries in shrimp on the barbie and few salmon steaks. Though their legitimacy was debated, there was little hesitation to eat them.
To wash it down, CBC Pale was in the keg, sangria from homemade wine was in the pitcher and a variety of bottles from Sam light to de Koninck filled the cooler.
This year MEATSTOCK entered the modern age with actual electric appliances enhancing the entertainment. Bentley brought a utility light, his ipod outdoor setup and a long extension cord. The novelty of being able to actually see the horseshoe stakes and to hear a selection of music was terrific. Despite late night tyranny over the play list, it was a major reason for the success of the night.
The horseshoes were flying as intense matches brought perennial tossers Bentley and Ballog back to the pits while Andy and first time MSer Steve impressed the crowd with their skills. Your host even managed to sneak in a game or two in between cooking and fretting. As a bonus, the long lost shoe was found in the sand a little rusted but no worse for wear.
Perhaps seeded by the smoke from the grills, the sky opened up at just about peak grilling/eating time causing a slight rain delay. With thunder and lightning giving warning, we were prepared to bring everything inside if and when the first drops began to fall. The plan went smoothly: everyone grabbed the nearest platter, plate or beverage and headed inside. The party went indoors for a short while, the cooking went on uninterrupted (the rain felt great, I didn’t mind staying outside one bit to man the grills) and once things blew over, the crew got to work drying the furniture and bringing the fun back outside where things were soggy but blessedly less hot and humid.
Many thanks to all who showed up and made it a party. The meats were delicious and diverse and your company was pleasant as always. Extra special thanks for the rapid rain response and willingness to continue on afterwards. When some people may have left for the night, the crowd last night rallied to keep the party going. All y’all rock, thanks.
The menu this year saw a good range of meats from the usual bbq ribs to the exotic ostrich and goat. Bentley and Rose’s pork with not-so-secret marinade was a popular favorite while Sean went exotic with ostrich and buffalo burgers. The goat was nice for the novelty but less nice for the flavor and texture. Lesson learned on that point. Freshly shorn Mike and Xandra provided a big ole hunk of pork that took most of the night to cook and unfortunately wasn’t ready until everyone was too stuffed to eat any more. I’ll make a nice lunch or two out of it. The variety of other meats were delicious and I’m sorry I can’t mention them all. This is a blog, not an essay.
Stretching the definition of MEATSTOCK, we saw the first ever seafood entries in shrimp on the barbie and few salmon steaks. Though their legitimacy was debated, there was little hesitation to eat them.
To wash it down, CBC Pale was in the keg, sangria from homemade wine was in the pitcher and a variety of bottles from Sam light to de Koninck filled the cooler.
This year MEATSTOCK entered the modern age with actual electric appliances enhancing the entertainment. Bentley brought a utility light, his ipod outdoor setup and a long extension cord. The novelty of being able to actually see the horseshoe stakes and to hear a selection of music was terrific. Despite late night tyranny over the play list, it was a major reason for the success of the night.
The horseshoes were flying as intense matches brought perennial tossers Bentley and Ballog back to the pits while Andy and first time MSer Steve impressed the crowd with their skills. Your host even managed to sneak in a game or two in between cooking and fretting. As a bonus, the long lost shoe was found in the sand a little rusted but no worse for wear.
Perhaps seeded by the smoke from the grills, the sky opened up at just about peak grilling/eating time causing a slight rain delay. With thunder and lightning giving warning, we were prepared to bring everything inside if and when the first drops began to fall. The plan went smoothly: everyone grabbed the nearest platter, plate or beverage and headed inside. The party went indoors for a short while, the cooking went on uninterrupted (the rain felt great, I didn’t mind staying outside one bit to man the grills) and once things blew over, the crew got to work drying the furniture and bringing the fun back outside where things were soggy but blessedly less hot and humid.
Many thanks to all who showed up and made it a party. The meats were delicious and diverse and your company was pleasant as always. Extra special thanks for the rapid rain response and willingness to continue on afterwards. When some people may have left for the night, the crowd last night rallied to keep the party going. All y’all rock, thanks.
# posted by Yossie @ 11:56 AM 
