After a long, hard winter, the first spring weekend in Michigan has arrived and it’s all the reason I need to get outside and fire up the barbecue! Sunshine, blue skies and the essence of smoky hardwoods in the air – outdoor cooking season has formally arrived. And, what better way to open up our backyard kitchen, then by throwing down a grate full of gorgeous Australian grassfed racks of lamb.

These beautiful hunks of lamb were frenched across the bones and scored in cross-hatch fashion through the trimmed fat cap. The lamb was then rested at room temperature for 2 hours, then seasoned in a homemade activated charcoal-coffee-garlic rub – yielding an incredible, rustic presentation, layers of brilliant texture and a unique flavor profile complimenting the mildness of the grassfed lamb.

With the grill lid open, the racks were positioned, fat cap-side down, directly over a thick bed of glowing charcoal and smoky hardwoods, searing and encrusting the exterior of the lamb for 4-6 minutes. Once encrusted, the racks were flipped bone-side down and positioned to the cooler, indirectly heated portion of the grill with the bones situated away from the heat source. Over the next 10-15 minutes, the lamb was basted in olive oil and slowly prepared to sweet, tender perfection.

Carved into chops, garnished with an aromatic parsley chimichurri and a birchwood-smoked fleur de sel, then plated for a crowd and served with two handfuls of ice cold Pure Michigan lagers! -Cheers and long live the adventure, David

For more great Simply Spring Recipes visit, True Aussie Beef and Lamb

Print Recipe

Charcoal-Rubbed Australian Grassfed Rack of Lamb with Parsley Chimichurri

Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 2 racks Australian grassfed lamb, frenched and trimmed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional to baste
• 4 tablespoons activated charcoal powder
• 2 teaspoons black sea salt and freshly ground black peppercorn
• 1 teaspoon finely ground coffee beans, unflavored
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Fleur de sel, to garnish
• Homemade or store-bought parsley chimichurri, to garnish

Instructions

• Remove lamb from refrigeration up to two hours prior to grilling and rest on the counter, elevating to near room temperature. 30 minutes before laying lamb to flame, preheat grill to medium-high heat. Meanwhile, score the fat cap in crosshatch-fashion, brush entirety of the rack with olive oil, then generously season with charcoal, salt and pepper, coffee and garlic powder. 
  
• Position lamb fat-side down over direct heat and with the grill lid open sear until nicely charred. Flip rack to bone-side down and move lamb over to indirectly heated portion of the grill. Close the grill lid and cook for an additional 10-12 minutes, basting intermittently with olive oil, until internal temperature reads 125-130F. Remove lamb from heat, transfer to a cutting board and rest for 5-10 minutes before carving.
  
• Slice the racks into individual chops and dress with parsley chimichurri. Plate for a crowd alongside and serve with an ice cold lager.
  

I couldn’t be more excited for 2019, to share a world of grand culinary adventure and the opportunity to partner along this journey with my very good friends at Twin Eagles!

Later this spring and for years to come my family will barbecue over handcrafted, commercial-grade stainless steel and raging infernos of smoky hardwoods in our newly-constructed, fire-breathing outdoor kitchen fueled by Twin Eagles. Innovatively-designed with the gourmet chef in mind, meticulously-engineered and handcrafted to breathtaking perfection, this 42” state-of-the-art grill is quite literally the barbecue of my dreams.

The announcement of this partnership with Twin Eagles is uniquely special as our backyard entertainment space and outdoor kitchen will be the future centerpiece of intimate meals prepared for family, friends and loved ones. Around this grill will be a place of gathering for holiday celebrations, long summer weekends and culinary collaborations alongside peer chefs, grill and pit masters alike. This is where stories will be told, laughs shared, and memories made for a lifetime.

Over the last 10 years of reading this blog, you know how important transparency has been in both my work and writing – And, as you read below I’d like to offer my thoughts as to why I feel so strongly about Twin Eagles and why their line of appliances, grills and smokers will always find a warm and welcome home in my outdoor kitchen.

Candidly speaking, I was first to reach out to Twin Eagles about the prospect of partnership. As a chef who has traveled the globe cooking from the most inspirational of restaurant kitchens to rustic of backwoods barbecues, I have learned that not all cooking appliances are created equal. I aspired to partner with an organization that not only represented the finest of American design and manufacturing, but a brand that shared in my passions for the culinary arts, live fire cooking and the best of outdoor lifestyle. While no partnership of this kind could be more closely aligned, above all my confidence was confirmed as I had the opportunity to develop relationships over the last year with the honest and hardworking, salt-of-the-earth people behind the brand. This is the product and these are the people I’m proud to work alongside!

For a matter of historical perspective, nearly three decades ago in Cerritos, California, Dante Cantal, an entrepreneurial icon of the industry and a globally-recognized gas engineer, founded Twin Eagles upon the deeply-rooted values of independence, vision and strength – the primary traits of our nation’s greatest bird of prey, the Bald Eagle. From concept to construction Twin Eagles entire product line is made right here in the USA, featuring the highest standards of craftsmanship that seamlessly weld together design and durability, form and function, precision and performance. But, above all, Twin Eagles’ defining differentiator is the nearly 100 team members who proudly-called this family business their professional home and best embody the enduring characteristics of the noble eagle.

Today, industry experts recognize Twin Eagles’ rich history of strong business leadership, successful implementation of cutting-edge innovation, industry-first technologies, and creative marketing strategies that support the finest luxury cooking appliances assembled from sea to shining sea.

From a core performance perspective, Twin Eagle’s robust 5-part grilling system is what separates the brand from all other premium marketplace competitors. The synergistic sum of it’s parts yield a grill that preheats quicker, achieves higher temperatures, distributes conductive, convective and infrared energy more evenly, all while using less gas and offering complete control in each grilling zone. Sounds like a winning formula, right?

Additionally, among my favorite standard features of the Twin Eagles Grill, include:

• 14-gauge 304-grade stainless steel burners pumping over 900 degrees of raw firepower to the cooking surface.
• 3/8-inch heavy-duty hexagonal cooking grates that retain and transfer intense heat.
• Interchangeable infrared ceramic briquette and charcoal tray accessories to accommodate for the simplicity of weeknight convenience or a classic slow-cook over a long weekend afternoon.
• Hood assist mechanism that makes for easy opening and closing of the cooking chamber.
• Internal lighting system that sheds a new sense of visibility upon of nighttime grilling.
• And, a concealed chain-driven rotisserie that holds the turning capacity to manage even the largest of live fire feasts.
• Limited lifetime warranty on all stainless steel burners, hexagonal grates, and fabricated stainless steel components. Five-year and one-year warranties cover additional product parts!

Twin Eagles is truly Innovation and Inspiration on Fire™! And, I simply cannot wait to offer you an invitation to share in my experience working alongside Twin Eagles over the course of the year ahead – from behind-the-scenes access through the installation of our family’s outdoor kitchen, to connecting directly over Instagram Live while touring Twin Eagles’ California manufacturing facility, to possibly joining me in-person for a privately-hosted live fire cookout, to enjoying a selection of aspirational recipes worthy of the finest grilling appliance on God’s green earth. – Cheers, David

It’s New Year’s in the heart of Central Texas. And, what better way to send off an amazing 2018 than by serving the crown jewel of beef barbecue – dinosaur-sized racks of Australian grassfed beef ribs!

These gargantuan hunks of succulent beef, also called short ribs, come from the lower, ventral section of the animal’s 6-10th ribs, which by comparison, is a very similar cut to St. Louis pork ribs. Beef ribs are most often found in retail markets butchered into “shorties” – 2-3″ long hunks of rib with 1-2″ of meat atop the bone. But, these ribs derive their name not because of size, but because they are harvested from the beef short plate. When prepared appropriately, this cut of meat is the most tender, juicy and flavorful hunk of beef you’ll ever enjoy.

With that said, there are few occasions we have annually to treat the special people in our lives to a truly remarkable meal – New Year’s is certainly one of those times. An evening to stay home and gather, celebrate in good cheer, reflect on the blessings of another year past, and to look ahead with enthusiasm towards all that is in store for the next 365 days. And, in true Lone Star State-style we’re sending off the year past and welcoming 2019 in grand, live fire fashion – I’m preparing several 4-bone slabs of beef plate short ribs, which is enough to feed more than a dozen very hungry carnivores!

The meat is simply seasoned and slowly smoked over oak wood, before braising in beer until tender, fall from the bone perfection. In the fleeting moments of cooking, the ribs are caramelized in a tangy barbecue sauce, removed from the heat and carved length-wise between the bones, then garnished in fresh herbs and situated atop a bed of buttery parsnip puree and homemade broccoli floret salad. Best plated family-style, a hearty year-end meal like this served alongside loved ones, the best of friends, and two handfuls of ice cold, craft-brewed IPA beers.

-Stay hungry, my friends, and best wishes in your New Year. May 2019 be everything you choose to make of the next 365 days!

Print Recipe

Slowly-Smoked Australian Grassfed Beef Plate Ribs

Ingredients

• 4-5 pound rack of Australian grassfed beef plate ribs
• Hot sauce, homemade or store-bought
• Granulated garlic powder
• Kosher salt and fresh ground peppercorn, to taste
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2-3 Oak wood chunks, soaked in water for 1 hour
• 1 cheap lager beer
• Barbecue sauce, homemade or store-bought
• Fresh parsley, to garnish

Instructions

• Preparation: Before smoking, remove ribs from refrigeration and using a chef’s knife, trim the meat-side fat cap if still present, but leave underside silver skin in tact. Pat the rack dry with paper towel, brush entire surface with thin layer of hot sauce and aggressively season with garlic, salt and pepper, to taste. Rest covered until near room temperature.
• Preheat the Smoker: Meanwhile, preheat off-set smoker (or grill positioned for indirect cooking) to 275°F. Insert a full pan of hot water and toss pre-soaked oak wood chunks over the heat source. Commence the cook when temperatures level and the dark, billowing smoke thins and turns blueish in hue. 
• Smoking the Beef Ribs: Place ribs into smoker and lay bone-side down (if cooking on a traditional grill, set over the indirectly-heated grill gates). Cook with lid closed, for approximately 3 hours, intermittently rotating and spritz ribs with beer throughout the cook, beginning after the first hour.
• Braising the Beef Ribs: Remove ribs from smoker and wrap tightly in a double-layer of tin foil. But, before sealing the tin foil tightly, pour half a beer into the bottom of the foil. Place wrapped ribs back into the smoker for another 3 hours untouched, until the internal temperature reaches 195-200F. Unwrap the ribs, discard the foil and juices, and place ribs directly on the smoker grates. Over the final 15-20 minutes of cooking, brush one caramelized layer of barbecue sauce upon another over the ribs until the internal temperature reaches 205F and a probe moves through the meat like butter.
• Resting the Beef Ribs: Remove ribs from the grill and slather one final time with sauce. Tent with tin foil and place in a styrofoam cooler to rest for 30-45 minutes before carving.
• Plating: Slice ribs length-wise between the bones and serve individually or family-style. Finish with a simple garnish of fresh chopped herbs, plate alongside your favorite fixins’ and pair with ice cold beverage. Cheers!

“Being Jamaican isn’t just a nationality. It’s an experience in love.”  -Anonymous

Close your eyes. Take a moment. And, imagine a destination so beautiful and breathtaking there is nearly no distinction between the earth and heavens. An island nestled in the literal and proverbial heart of the Caribbean, a land blessed by the hand of our Good Lord with soft white sand beaches, aquamarine waters teaming in the greatest diversity of ocean flora and fauna, lush jungle blossoming from city center to mountaintop, days of gentle blue skies and a constant calming breeze, locally-crafted rum that flows like the salmon of Capistrano and timeless island tunes drumming on each street corner, in every club and seaside pub from Alligator Pond, to Half Moon and Golden Grove.

The timeless vision of Jamaica we romanticize is a paradise of picturesque landscapes from the pristine shorline of Seven Mile Beach, to the tropical rain forest waterfalls of Ocho Rios, Negril’s black coral cliffs and tranquil seaside resorts, to the quaint and secluded Frenchman’s Cove, tourist-rich and resplendent Montego Bay, and the Trench Town government yards that gave birth to Bob Marley’s reggae revolution of One Love.

While Jamaica’s 3,000,000 annual visitors are largely compelled by eco-tourism, cultural history and an appeal for the countless number of 5-star all-inclusive private resorts, there is a bursting sense of pride and undeniable excitement for the state of gastro tourism that will soon position this island nation as a global destination of choice for culinary wanderlusts, professional chefs, and foodies alike seeking to explore a sea of comestible Caribbean experiences.

Ground Zero for this mouthwatering movement is Jamaica’s industrial and political capital, Kingston. Long-known as the historical “stomach” of the Caribbean, Kingston is humbly-famed for it’s culinary reputation – from spicy street fare dishes such as jerk and pan chicken, to live fire lobster and prawn prepared beachside from Hellshire to Savana al Mar and back, deep fried bammi and festival for every occasion, ackee and saltfish served by the spoonful at sunrise, ice buckets brimming with bottles of refreshing Red Stripe, to sipping the finest boutique-roasted Arabica coffee overlooking the serine slopes of Saint Catherine’s Peak at the oldest coffee estate on God’s Green Earth, Clifton Mount.

Kingston, the island’s largest city, is physically positioned in harmonious symmetry, situated just south of the towering Blue Mountains, in immediate proximity to near-endless rolling tropical farmlands, and settled overlooking an enormous harbor rich with a countless wealth of sustainable sea life. With foundations dating to the early 1700’s, the commercial epicenter of Kingston is Coronation Market, the literal and proverbial bonding of location, farmer and fisherman, country artisan, culinarian and consumer. This sprawling complex of barter and trade is the largest market of it’s kind amongst more than 7,000 individual Caribbean islands. Today, in the cross-hairs of “Grand ‘ol Coronation’s” hustle, bustle and cast iron infrastructure is where long-standing tradition meets contemporary culinary evolution and the momentum of a globally-influential, 21st Century Kingston. And, it is only natural that this city, play host to among the greatest annual celebrations of agriculture, aquaculture, food, and music in the Western Hemisphere – The Jamaican Food and Drink Festival.

Over a 9-day span late each October, the city transforms, taking a complete departure from the ordinary to extraordinary. The Jamaican Food and Drink Festival comprises seven entirely-unique and unforgettable themed-events hosted at seven iconic venues, including a formal capstone affair at the palatial residence of Jamaica’s Prime Minister, Andrew Holness. More than 50 acclaimed domestic and international chefs are selected to lead the festival in collaboration alongside a series of cicerones, sommeliers, and spirit experts. Together with the support of elected officials, national celebrities, local media and volunteers by the hundreds – this collective prepares for months with a distinct, energetic sense of urban grit, delivering fusions of regional and international cuisine, and an experience unlike any other on this side of the Atlantic or the next.

This grand celebration commences with an extravaganza appropriately-coined, “Pork Palooza.” Affectionately-speaking, this is Jamaica’s “Jack Daniels,” “American Royal” and “Memphis in May” rolled into a single winner-take-all event – a competition-style food fiesta enticing attendees with whole hog asado by the campfire, creative servings of crisp pork belly, slowly smoked, fall-from-the-bone pork shoulder, and tender-to-the-touch baby back ribs smothered in sweet and spicy homemade barbecue. While the public most covets the pork, teams of chefs prepare all year for the opportunity to be awarded the prize of “Top Hog,” the distinction of Jamaica’s top pit master. This year’s big winner was Team Pink Apron, led by Chef Charissa Henry, Brittany Ho, and Josh Parkins. Congratulations, my friends, for your well-earned victory!

Over the days following, thousands of folks will enjoy events ranging from a Master Chef wine and delicacy pairing, complete with awe-inspiring, panoramic cityscape views, to an exotic east greets west affair called, “Chopstix,” which is a cornucopia of Asian-Caribbean fusion hosted in Kingston’s Zen Gardens. The largest event in the series is street fare-inspired “Meet Street & Market” in Historic Downtown, with food trucks galore lining the waterfront, live bands jamming into the late hours of the evening and families from all walks enjoying a fun-filled night of friendly entertainment.

But, my two favorite events were undoubtedly, “Crisp” and “Picante.” Held on back-to-back evenings, the former is an escape of gluttonous indulgence, hosted oceanside and fueled by DJs bumping the best of 80’s pop and rock music. Nearly a dozen chefs prepared juicy pan-fried tenderloin, sweet scotch bonnet-glazed crispy chicken, deep fried lobster skewers, and fish tacos dusted with the perfect balance of spice and seasonings – all washed down by a near infinite offering of local and regional beers. The latter whisked it’s guests to a fairy tale-like Moroccan-themed event hosted in a stone walled castle-like setting called, “The Ruins.” Here the heat turned up with hot dance beats, stylish attire and fiery dishes, both savory and sweet, complimented by Jamaica’s finest mixoligists pouring creative cocktails and smooth, locally-crafted rum. Sincerely, incredible.

As a last dance on our whirlwind culinary adventure, my wife and I were both honored to accept a once-in-a-lifetime, private invitation to the Jamaican Food and Drink Festival’s formal capstone event – an evening of elegance, celebrating history, culture and cuisine at the official residence of the Jamaican Prime Minister.

The soiree was themed as “Modern Heritage Dining,” an embrace of the West Indian culinary evolution. The seasonal 8-course menu was inspired by the terroir and heritage cuisine of the Caribbean, including slavery to colonialism. Each dish featured flavor profiles, ingredients and techniques with deep historical respects, redesigned to resonate with the modern epicurean, offering a menu designed and executed with flawless perfection.

The West India Supper Menu:

• Winter salad with candied sorrel, cassava-crusted chevre, roasted beats and marigold
• Sweet potato gnocchi with mixed herb pesto, roasted heirloom tomato, and charred scotch bonnet oil
• Pan-seared he hake with coconut-onion soubise, sweet potato herb salad and crispy callaloo
• Live fire-charred rack of lamb, ember-roasted potatoes, apple preserve and muddled mint sauce
• Beef Wellington with a tender puff pastry, wild mushroom duxelles, cabernet and pepper sauce
• Oven-roasted cauliflower with pepitas, tahini and garnish of fresh herbs
• Brown sugar and rum-glazed fried plantains
• Calllaloo gratin with panko and parmesan.-Roasted carrot with labne and toasted pistachio
• Mousse au chocolat, almond macaroon, vanish rose gelato, chocolate sponge, blueberry, tropical coulis, and rose petals
• Blue cheese savoury, local cassis and grilled guava
• Locally-harvested and freshly-pressed Blue Mountain coffee and creme

I could not be more grateful to my friends from the Jamaican Food and Drink Festival, CB Foods, Yello Media Jamaica, The Daily Meal, Finn Partners, and the Jamaican Tourism Board for this phenomenal experience and a lifetime of wonderful memories. But, above all, it will be your endearing kindness, gracious hospitality and warm spirit that will be long remembered. -Until we meet again, David and Jennifer