upcoming cooks.

Well, after a few weeks of ridiculously cold weather, it's starting to look a little like Spring again (with the exception of the Winter Storm Warning tonight, of course....)  The time has changed (finally), the flowers in my front yard are starting to pop up through the dirt, and baseball is back after a lockout that lasted two months longer than Tom Brady's retirement.

That said, let's plan a few neighborhood barbecues!

First up, opening weekend of baseball!  The Rox open the season at home against the Dodgers, the Cardinals at home against the Pirates, and the Royals at home versus the Guardians from Cleveland..  Three home openers from the only three teams that matter.  So we've got Colorado, StL, and KC........let's get creative.

Colorado means green chili.  And for the first time ever in life, I'm putting ETB's take on green chili on the menu.  I've cooked and tweaked and cooked and tweaked and am finally satisfied....no proud, of my recipe.

A quick description: a combo of Hatch green chilis, chipotles & adobo, a house-blend of spices, and chunks of slow-smoked pork.  Eats more like a stew than a sauce, and is moderately spicy and smokey. Goes great with eggs, tortillas, tortilla chips, hashbrowns, chili dogs, chili burgers, over fried taters, over mashed taters, with a bloody mary, with a margarita, served with sour cream, onions, shredded cheese, and warm flour tortillas, or in a bowl, plain.  I dig it the most.

St. Louis would typically mean StL-style ribs.--their dang namesake.  I do them lots.  Lots.  But this time we're mixing it up a bit.  Instead of ribs, which I absolutely love cooking, we're representing StL with one of its most weirdly popular foods....Provel Cheese.

That ain't barbecue, ya dingus.  True, but wait....

Kansas City Is one helluva barbecue city.  I used to live there, I know this shit.  So in representation of BBQ City USA, we're making the Z-MAN SAMMICH made famous by Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que (OG's still call it Oklahoma Joe's and only go to the gas-station location).  

Quick Description: Thin sliced smoked brisket piled on a brioche bun and covered with two onion rings, melted PROVEL (not provolone---see what I did there?), and sauce ON THE SAMMICH...which I'd never do...but it's the Z-man, so I have to, and it's fantastic.

We'll have it all ready to pick-up curbside at the barbecue driveway, Saturday, April 9 between 11am and 1pm.  Get those preorders in!

So there we go.  Here's the menu in menu-like form:

BASEBALL OPENING WEEKEND BBQ MENU:
Colorado-Inspired Smoked Pork Green Chili- $7*/pint
Kansas City-Inspired Z-Man Sandwich w/ St. Louis-Inspired Provel cheese - $12*

When?
Pick-up between !1am-1pm, Saturday, April 9

Where?
My barbecue driveway, curbside

So, go Rockies! Go Cards! And Go Royals!  But especially Cards.  Every other team, "Booooooo!"
*all prices are suggested, friendly, neighborhood donations


Secondly, Cinco de Mayo.

I'm gonna do tacos.  

Colorado has just ridiculous Mexican food...it's so good.  But here's an alternative: Barbecue Tacos!

Traditional pulled pork...pulled Carnitas....chicken of some sort...maybe beef of some sort.  Haven't nailed down an exact menu just yet, but the wife and I have been throwing around some fun menu ideas. We gots lots a time to figure it out.  Driveway margaritas might be something.

At any rate, throw these dates on your calendar and get your pre-orders in for April 9!  If you want brisket a la carte, I'll see what I can do--just contact me.

Thanks gang!  See you soon!

​-Ear.l