Slow and Low...tales from the brinkmann smoker

So, at 12pm yesterday, my father informs me that we are going to go get stuff for the smoker...Normally this would have excited me, but anyone who knows anything about smoking meats, knows it takes a long time to get a good product out of it. The best meat from the smoker is the meat that is cooked at low temps for many many moons...SO, all that to say it wasn't until 3:30pm that we got the 3 racks of baby back ribs and 2 whole chickens in the smoker...people began to show up to eat the food at 5:30pm. So then of course we have to start grilling any meat we can find around the house as "appetizers"...by the time we actually serve food, its 9:00pm, keep in mind this is not the good stuff in the smoker. Everyone hits the appetizers pretty hard and get too full to want any of the smoked items that emerge around 11:30pm...that's right I said 11:30pm...You would think I would have had enough, but oh no, We then marinade a whole brisket and put it on the smoker. It is now 1:11pm the next day and I am still tending to the smoker...I have so much food left over its not funny...looks like I am eating well this week.

A great beer pairing I had with this little adventure throughout the evening was the Breckenridge Brewery's Summerbright Ale. This is a delightful brew that has a mild vibe with IPA aspirations...I really enjoyed it, and it paired tremendously with the smoky flavors of the meat. Do yourself a favor and pick up a bottle, you won't regret it.

Breckenridge Summerbright Ale

Andy on the 4pm Houston Fox news tomorrow discussing grilling!!!!

Hey all,

If you get a chance tomorrow around 4pm and can get access to Houstons fox news channel, you can see me on the news discussing great grilling recipes and tips for Memorial Day weekend! Their website is: www.myfoxhouston.com

Interview: The Covey's Jamie Fulton

First off, let me say that if you have not had the pleasure of visiting The Covey in Ft. Worth, you are doing yourself a giant disservice. This is everything a man should want!!!! Top notch quality food paired with some of the BEST(and I mean the best) craft beer I have ever tasted.

The great thing about this place is that it has two separate, but equally impressive dining areas. It has the bar area with booths and flat screens and of course an immaculate bar area where one can order up some delicious panko fried crab cakes or decide between "the Lonestar", which is a burger made from shaved ribeye with carmelized onion, provolone, and roasted garlic mayonaise, or the ridiculously good pizzas (my recommendation being "The Godfather", which is a delicious conglomeration of grilled chicken, spinach, and a bechamel cream sauce all on top of a pest infused crust.) All of this is on what I consider the inexpensive menu...If you really want to impress the ladies, then you should definitely attend in the evening and sit in the posh dining side of the restaurant. My absolute favorite dish that The Covey offers has to be the double bone-in pork chop. This is not your grandma's pork chop folks this is about a 2 inch thick slab of porcine beauty seared to perfection and topped with a brandy apple chutney that just ignites the natural flavors of the chop. Don't miss the roasted garlic sweet potato timbale that is served along with it. It is the perfect combination of soft and crunchy along with the yin and yang of sweet and sour...BEAUTIFUL. Top that off with one of The Covey's Texas Wheat in a long tall pint and you will be sold as well.

I had the absolute pleasure of asking Jamie Fulton, brewmaster and owner of The Covey, some questions about brewing, entertaining, and food in general. We thank you Jamie for your time and consideration! Please take time to visit Jamie at The Covey, 3010 South Hulen Street, Ft. Worth, Texas 76109.

Interview with Jamie Fulton Brewmaster of The Covey

C&F: First off let me say what a pleasure it has been for me to come to the Covey. In my mind it is one of the best restaurants I have ever been to, and I have been to a lot! Can you share with us the story of how The Covey came to be?

Jamie: Thank you! The Covey is the product of years of hard work and the culmination of my passion for great food and drink. I have always had a love for great food. I was the only guy using the grill between the four freshman dorms at Trinity where I did undergraduate study. I got the idea of attending a culinary school from my cousin Kelly and ending up attending a summer course from Le Cordon Bleu in London. After this course a friend of mine, Dustin Dusek, and I backpacked around Europe. It was on this journey that I became inspired to start brewing my own beer. Long story very short, I got a job as an apprentice at Blue Star in San Antonio after I graduated Trinity. I studied courses from UC Davis and finally attended the World Brewing Academy in Chicago and Munich. I began the business plan for The Covey in late 2004 and we opened our doors for business April 4, 2006. The Covey is named after a group of quail, a Texas game bird. I am a seventh generation Texan and avid hunter, and wanted a sophisticated Texas flare in my restaurant.

C&F: How did you come across the location for The Covey? What were the thought processes that lead you to pursue the Hulen area of Ft. Worth?

Jamie: I found the location on Hulen from travelling that area while I was living in Paradise, TX on my parents ranch. I would often come into town to “get supplies” and studied at the nearby Starbucks. The site is bigger than I wanted, but we went for it in the end. It’s a great location and is located in one of the most affluent neighborhoods of Fort Worth. I wanted to stay fairly local to my parents, I enjoy living close to them and spending time with my family with them.

C&F: What would you say you are more passionate about, food or beer? Why?

Jamie: Is that a trick question? I am passionate about both. I would say I spend just as much time thinking about the food we serve as the beers that I brew. Two thirds of our revenue at The Covey is food, so it is obviously the most important as far as the business goes, but beer is my forte and my profession. If I could live off of beer alone, this would not be a difficult question.

C&F: What was the connection between you and Sean Merchant (Head Chef)? How did you guys come into collaboration?

Jamie: The original chef at The Covey did not work out. Upon firing him, I began interviewing for the position. Chef Sean Merchant and I were put into contact by a sales rep from one of our food merchants. Sean showed a love for cooking with wild game, which represents a portion of our menu. Most importantly he conveyed that the most important job of a chef is employee management, which is what was lacking in respect to the chef who was fired.

C&F: Ok, down to business. What excites you about brewing?

Jamie: I have always been creative. From elaborate booby traps in my childhood fort to paintings and drawings done throughout my life, I have an itch to invent and create. The beers at The Covey represent my take on some classic styles and some obscure beers that do not fit traditional style guidelines. I embrace the idea of having “styles of beer” for the sake of judging and for customer knowledge, but it is limiting in freedom by nature. The most avant garde brewers these days, in craft brewing, are breaking these rules and brewing beers they want to drink, not beers meant to win competition. Look at Dogfish Head, the guys seldom win awards at major competitions, but cannot meet the demand for their beer! They have found a niche in extreme and obscure beers that is growing in demand. I love the incredible diversity and endless possibilities when it comes to creating beers. I like to drink beer too.

C&F: Please tell us about your brewing system. How many tanks do you have? What is the typical time frame for a beer to go from ingredients to the tap?

Jamie: The brewery at The Covey is absolutely state of the art. It was purchased new from Newland Systems of British Columbia in 2005. It is a seven barrel system, which means it is capable of producing about 7 barrels of beer per brew. There are five unitanks (fermenting/aging vessels) and seven serving tanks. Time frame of a beer is widely variable. I have aged some of my ales for more than six months, whereas a beer like the Texas Wheat can be brewed and served in about 15 to 20 days. Our most popular, the Vienna Lager, takes six weeks to ferment and age.

C&F: We know that you won a prestigious award for your Vienna Lager. What went into the concept of this beer?

Jamie: Our Vienna Lager is brewed in the tradition of the style with certain special malts and noble hops. There are barley malts from three different countries. Employing a lengthy lagering time and special Bavarian yeast strain add to the traditional aspects of this beer. You can have a great recipe and make a horrible beer. Nothing beats meticulous cleaning, process control from brewhouse to finished beer, removing the possibility of oxygen contacting the beer, and more and more cleaning. A thorough understanding of the entire process is necessary. You will find me reading mostly technical brewing books versus leisure reads: I want to know every trick and technique there is in order to perfect my beer. This fussy perfectionism I have, thanks to my mother, I believe is mostly responsible for the quality of the beer at The Covey.

C&F: Did you know that you had something special when you brewed it? What were some of the affirmations that you received that made you want to submit it to competition?

Jamie: I can like my beer all day long, but ultimately it is my customers that decide whether a beer will stay on draft. SALES!! The Vienna Lager was one of the most popular beers before it ever won any awards. Naturally I kept it on draft. If I took away some of the most popular beers, some of my regulars would lynch me. Some people are enamored with the idea that it won an award and immediately order it. Maybe that particular beer isn’t to your taste. I employ the same fundamental brewing practices with every one of my beers. This one may taste better to you because professional judges have deemed it worthy, but for me, it’s all about what I taste! Even I agree that some are better than others, speaking technically and in terms of flavor, but ultimately it’s all a matter of personal taste. I have brewed some beers that I will never brew again. They sell, maybe they sell fairly well, but I feel there is improvement to be made. So I either change the recipe or retire it altogether. I am my biggest critic when it comes to my beer. I always loved the Vienna Lager, and the recipe is identical to this day as the one I sat and wrote in my living room having a beer with my wife in 2006. I can’t say the same for many of the popular beers, I gradually change many of the recipes to get them where I think they should be.

C&F: What is your favorite beer that you brew?

Jamie: I can’t give you one specifically, but of all time, my favorites include the Weizenbock, Hefeweizen, Horned Frog Pale Ale and ol’ trusty, the Texas Wheat.

C&F: I for one am a huge fan of the higher ABV beers as well as high IBU’s (I am a bit of a hop head)…What would be a beer to fit that kind of palate?

Jamie: High ABV- Regalement, a blonde Belgian style strong ale, “100” a Belgian style dark strong ale; High IBU – our IPA, we rotate hop variety in every batch, so each is named after the particular hop used

C&F: Tell us a little about the brew class that you offer. What is it? How do we join in the fun?

Jamie: The third Sunday every month (except during Cowboys season) at three o’clock I hold beer class. The cost is $20 and you hear all about the ingredients of beer, a little history, some bad jokes and answers to questions you may have. We take a tour of the brewery where I explain how the process works from milling the malt to serving the finished beer. We conduct a professional style tasting, where each “student” gets a six ounce sample of all seven beers. On top of all of that I feed everyone a light lunch.

C&F: What is your favorite dish served at The Covey? Everything I have had is magnificent, by the way.

Jamie: My current favorite is the Halibut Tacos. I eat them at least three times a week and somehow still love them like the first day I tried them. Our steaks are fabulous, all prime, and another of my favorites. The Brandy Apple Double Bone-In Pork Chop is out of this world, and a must try. Our sous chef Larry consistently makes the best soups (Soup of the Day) I have ever had; and many of our customers call daily to see what he has on the menu that day.

C&F: What is it like to work at the Covey? What is the atmosphere like?

Jamie: The Covey is family owned and I treat all of the employees as I would members of my family, with respect and understanding. I am well aware that without the people that I employ to work at The Covey, we would lack the personal characteristic that makes us unique. I want everyone to be happy in order to foster a fun working environment. The employees that are capable of the additional responsibilities that come with not being managed to death – as within a large corporate restaurant chain – shine here. Employees that take advantage of our relativey relaxed working environment, do not work here long. Make no mistake, we are constantly trying to perfect our operation, but we do so without an iron fist.

C&F: If you could orchestrate your perfect evening of entertaining what would it look like? What would be on the menu? Who would be there?

Jamie: All of my friends and family at my parents’ ranch in Paradise, TX; BBQ, bacon wrapped dove, potato salad, all of my family’s traditional recipes, the list is long. Lots of Covey beer!

C&F: At Cork and Fire we believe that food and drink is much more than just sustenance. It has the ability to open conversation and build close relationships. Do you believe this? What would be your philosophy of a meal and its dynamic on a group of people that you are entertaining?

Jamie: When I have guests to my house, I look to impress with unique, tasty offerings, from the cheese and crackers served upon arrival to dessert and everything in between. It must be personal, whether a family recipe, a favorite recipe or an individual creation, to be memorable in my opinion. This is all nothing though without great friends and family to share it with.

Thank you so much for your time. I look forward to stopping by The Covey again and enjoying a pint and some delicious food!

Visit The Covey online at www.thecovey.com.

Book Recomendation: What to Drink with What you Eat

A year or so ago, some dear friends of ours presented me with this wonderful book. It is a practical guide that teaches you about pairing foods with drink. When I say drink I am not just referring to the alcoholic drinks, but also things like coffee, tea, milk, flavored waters...etc. It also then goes into detail of food classes and how they pair with these drinks. This is a fairly cheap book(20(ish) dollars) and well worth it, if you are serious about entertaining and pairing great food with great drink!

http://www.amazon.com/What-Drink-You-Eat-Definitive/dp/0821257188

F.Y.I.

Just to let you all know, my intention here is not to be an online cookbook. Sure there will be some recipes and such added. We will talk about certain kinds of dishes and drink. Mainly my focus is to start some discussion about what makes your inner-chef tick. I write about what I like. I would love to hear your thoughts and recommendations as well. I would love to hear your stories. I hope to also review some different restaurants as well as local shops that line up with the aims of the blog. So with all of that being said...good morning and let the blogging begin!

Bentoni Pan-Seared White Wine Chicken

So the scenario is this: You get a call from a friend, they have the evening off. They want to come and see the family and have a meal. Automatically you shift into chef mode. The problem is...its the middle of the month and the funds are a bit low. Never fear, don't let a lack of funds keep a brotha down. All this takes is a little chicken (boneless breast or quarter), a little white wine, some shallots, garlic, & mushrooms, and a few spices that anyone should have lying around the cupboard.

This thing is easy! Just salt and pepper the chicken, get a large saucepan and coat the bottom with some olive oil. Get that kickin around a medium heat. Once that is getting to temp throw the chicken on each side for about 5 minutes a side. Again, don't fear the Chicken does not have to be done at this point. What will be happening here is that the fats and juices in the chicken will be rendering on the bottom of the pan. When you pull that chicken off you will have some excellent scrapings on the bottom of the pan. at this point, you thrown in a finely chopped shallot and about two chopped cloves of garlic. Add a little oil back to the situation and sautee that mixture down until the house smells like something that should easily be in a 5-star restaurant. This is where the beauty of reduction happens. You get about a cup and a half of white wine (something you would drink, but who are we kidding, we drink it all!) Pour the lovely vino in the pan and scrape all the chickonigarli scrapings from the bottom as the wine sizzles in the pan...yes I just made up that word...call me Suess, Dr. Suess! I digress!

You let this delicious mixture keep on piping until the liquid is almost gone from the pan. At this point add another cup and a half of wine and a cup of chicken broth to the mix. bring this to a medium temp. Once its there add your mushrooms, about a half cup of half and half and your chicken back to the saucepan. At this point you have two options. Option 1: pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and toss the whole pan with a lid in there for about 15 minutes or so. The chicken will come out tender and it will be a bit more infused with the flavor. Option 2: put a lid on the pan and keep it on the stove top. This will keep the chicken from drying out, but will not be quite as inundated with the flavor of the sauce. Both ways are great! Try em both.

I find that this is best served over some farfale (bowtie) pasta, but any pasta will do. Toss together a delicious Caesar or vinagarette spinich salad and you, my friend, are now the champion of the evening...your guest is impressed at such an elaborate meal, your kids sing your praises, and your significant other finds you 10 lbs skinnier and with an angelic glow about you (when is that guest leaving anyway!!!).

Ingredients:
2 to 4 lbs of chicken (boneless breast or bone in quarters)
1 finely chopped shallot
2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
Sliced fresh mushrooms (your choice on type and quantity, just don't overrun it with shrooms)
Salt Pepper
Bottle of White Wine (chardonnay)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil



Some great Pairings for this meal are:

Wine: Penfold's Bin 311 Chardonnay
This is a nice a crips chardonnay with a light finish. It is corked in Austrailia. If you can find it, pick this up to have on hand. It goes great with any light colored meat.

http://www.penfolds.com/wines/bin/bin-311-chardonnay.asp












Beer: New Belguim Mighty Arrow Pale Ale
This is a pale ale that is in my estimation a smoother less amped version of a pale. But please understand my session beer is generally a Dogfish head 90 minute IPA...that being said taste with that in mind. Many will say that pale ales work best with fatty meats, but I think this amped down version of the pale compliments this dish excellently. give it a try and see what you think...don't waste your life on budweiser!

http://www.newbelgium.com/beer/mighty-arrow

Welcome

Welcome to Cork & Fire! First things first...My name is Andy and I have always had a passion for great food and drink. Food is great, but that is not at the essence of why I love it so much. Really it comes down to the fact that a good meal has the ability to open conversation. The right atmosphere can incite feelings or nostalgia, or romance, or even downright silliness. It is more than the sum of its parts. But yet the parts do set the stage for what can be an epic collision of culinary delight and memories that make life happen. I hope that you will visit often and get ideas about your next party, or even your evening meal with the family. I will show you some practical ways to pick a menu that will be easy to make as well as make some suggestions as to what soda, tea, beer, or wine would go well with your meal. Stick around feel free to share your ideas...I'll keep it fresh if you will attend this party!


Andy