Rock n Roll Rib Platter

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• Slumlord wishes to apologize for posting this late. We were very busy with preparing for our CD release party this past weekend. After which we were far too hungover to accomplish anything other than eating McDonalds and watching trashy television programs. Take it away, TJ

Hey there Slumateers, have we got a treat for you this week. Last week's prime rib was such a success we decided that we must try our hand at the one of the most addictive and powerful substances known to man; slow cooked pork ribs.

Speaking from my own perspective, nothing makes me feel more powerful than viciously beating someone weaker than myself. Tearing meat from bones with my teeth however is a close second, but lord knows I hardly had to tear because these ribs turned out to be so goddamned tender and juicy the meat was falling right off the bone.

Severine Kavanaugh was our saucier for this the diabolically delicious feast we prepared for ourselves this week.

Sold Your Soul for BBQ Sauce

1/2 can of tomatoes
3/4 cup of tomato paste
1 medium onion
3 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons fresh ginger
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder.

The preparation of this sinful sauce is as follows:
Roughly chop onions, ginger and garlic. Fry in oil on medium heat until browned. Add tomato paste, cook on medium heat for a few moments and then add a tallboy of your choice (we used a can of killkenny). Add the rest of ingredients and bring to a boil. Once it has reached a boil, lower heat and allow the concoction to simmer for about an hour or until the beer's bitter flavour has been cooked off. Stir often. puree (hand blender works great), season then cool.

To prepare the ribs for the grill this week we used a very simple spice rub.


SlumSpice mix

Salt
Pepper
Cumin
Chili Powder
Cayenne
Sriratcha sauce
Smashed up garlic cloves

I did not measure the amounts of any of these, instead I proceeded to dump large amounts of each spice into a bowl, stir them around with my grubby mitts, and then proceeded to pound them into to meat. I also smeared the garlic all over the place, then stabbed little holes into the ribs and stuffed them with the remaining garlic pieces.













We sat the rubbed pork on the counter, and proceeded to annoy our neighbours for two hours. Upon completion of our strange rock n roll rituals in Artz Street's noisiest three bedroom unit, we quickly brushed a thin lair of Severine's Sinister Sauce in the final preparation for this portions of a pig's journey to my BBQ.

I fired up trusty ol' rusty and kept it at maximum heat, occasionally scraping charred bits of our last delicious creation off the grill. When the thermometer reached 600 I tossed the ribs on searing each side for about 3 minutes.

I lowered the BBQs heat to it's minimum setting, the ribs were then wrapped in foil, covered with sauce and allowed to cook in their own delicious juices. We did not flip them. We generously applied more sauce, every ten minutes or so for about 40-45 minutes- At which point the ribs were  removed from the foil so the sauce could become crispy and caramelized, more sauce was then generously applied. Allow ribs to sit for 10 minutes before cutting.



Since most of today's creative juices went into preparing the ribs, we decided to make an easy side. French Fries. They were prepared more or less how you would expect them them to be. Potatoes were chopped, quickly boiled to de-starch, blanched then deep fried until crispy, salted, and serves with ketchup, feel free to make your own variations.

When these bad boys were cut into individual ribs my god were they saucy and delicious the meat was tender juicy and falling off the bone. The fact that I am writing this on an empty stomach makes this entry torturous, because I can almost taste the beauty the three of us created this past week. I'm not certain what we were listening to while preparing this, I wanna say "Animals Eat Em" by Antiseen. But it was more likely we were listening to Wu-Tang.
Bon Apetite until next week.

Love, Slumlord.

Backyard BBQ with Slumlord.

 

                   

This is only our third blog so far, but you may have noticed we definitely prefer working with meat in all of its glory. This week Tasha, TJ and I (plus a few extra pals) aim to enjoy the mother of all tasty dead cow chunks: prime rib roast! The lovely Tasha also provided the jam with unbelievably juicy bacon-wrapped-pork-tenderloin-kabobs: because nothing goes with meat like a nice side of meat. And what BBQ would be complete without a hearty horseradish potato salad/ bottle of Jack Daniels? Seriously, I dare you to argue with me.

So last Sunday Tasha calls me up in enthusiastic spirits. She informed me that a backyard BBQ of epic proportions was well underway at our friend Andy's place, that it was nearby, and that he would be more than happy to host our Slumjam. I thought to myself that if something was to get in the way of our Rock, it may as wells be this- what a delicious setback! "Can we still get a little jam in?" I asked her in a nasally voice.. she assured me we would.       

                                                    

     

  

I did some prep for the potato salad at my place before heading over, but I just kinda threw the meat into a cooler with random stuff. I wasn't sure what would be available for use in this strange, foreign kitchen, and I didn't even really know how I wanted to prepare either dish. So, half my pantry ended up coming along for the ride- right down to the salt and pepper. You just never know when you're on location! TJ met up with us after work at the pita plant and here's what we came up with- it was pretty damn tasty if you ask me.

• The 3-Horseradish-of-the-Apocalypse Potato Salad

About 3 lbs Yellow fleshed potatoes, medium diced

1/2 cup bottled Horseradish (or 1/3 cup grated fresh)

2 large Dill pickles, chopped

1 1/2 cups Sour cream

Splash apple cider vinegar

1/2 onion, minced

3 Hard boiled eggs, chopped

1 Tbsp paprika

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp salt

S & P 

Place potatoes in a large pot and cover generously with cold water and the 2 Tbsp of salt. Bring to a boil on high, then lower heat slightly and cook for about 12 minutes or until potatoes are just tender. If you're really impatient or in a hurry (like I usually am), cool your potatoes quickly by gently running cold water over them. 

For the dressing, place all other ingredients in a large bowl and fold them together. Check seasoning and adjust as needed, then add your cold, cooked potatoes and stir carefully until totally coated in the dressin. It really couldn't be any easier, and does anyone ever notice the salad anyway? 

• Double-Pig Shish Kabobs 

2 Pork tenderloins, silver skin removed and cut into large chunks

Your fav BBQ sauce

An assortment of veggies cut into large chunks; we went with red onion, whole button mushrooms, red and yellow peppers.

Skewers 

1 lb Bacon

2 Tbsp Olive oil

S&P

Toss pork in the BBQ sauce, then wrap individually in bacon strips. Toss veggies in the S & P and oil. Skewer meat; alternating with the veggies at your pleasure. We just slow cooked these guys on med-low alongside the roast, turning them occasionally as we leisurely smoked cigarettes.

• Prime Roast of Thomas Kavanaugh

For the roast, I simply followed my heart. I crushed 3 large cloves of garlic with a generous amount of both salt and pepper, plus about 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and 1 Tablespoon of dry thyme. Fresh thyme would have been nice too, or even some rosemary if you're feeling frisky. I rubbed this all over the roast, then stuck a steak knife lightly into either side about 3 times, then crammed the remaining garlic pieces right into the protein. We let this sit for a half hour or so, then TJ hit the grill. He cooked this beast on high for 5 minutes either side, then reduced the heat to medium-low and cooked for 45 minutes. He was careful to keep an eye on it, flipping the roast every 10 minutes and moving it around the grill to ensure and even heat. 

Meanwhile, he was also cooking like thirty frigging pig-kabobs on the same grill, rotating them and basting them in BBQ sauce! The meat was flowing like sin through our hearts, as TJ cooked up plate after plate. What an artist. 

Success! When all was said and done, we were all way too full and there were tons of leftovers to be enjoyed for generations to come. Can you believe that we ended up practing anyway? They say it's not art if you haven't suffered. But I'm starting to think we'd really have something if we just sat onstage, drinking whiskey and eating BBQ at every show from this point on.

Thanks goes to Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Andy for allowing us free range of his kitchen- and to everyone else who helped enjoy this BBQ! 

- Sev

Pork & Beans with Slumlord.

This week we've tapped into the musical fruit itself for inspiration- I dug deep into my cupboards and pulled out a one pound bag of dry white pea beans. Baking up a batch of beans can be so satisfying, as they cost practically nothing to make (if you have the right stuff around the kitchen) and always seem to impress a hungry crowd. You may recall despising those canned, mushy sons of bitches with the little lard cube mixed in. Well, you really haven't had the real deal until you've made them yourself and come to the realization that the unassuming pot of beans is a delicious and complex dish. And they make you fart!

Don't think for a second we'd make beans without cornbread. I crossed my fingers and prayed to our Dark Lord that Tasha had the same thing in mind, and thankfully she arrived with cornbread AND a big old banana-peanut butter cake with chocolate sauce. Our guts were going to hate us more than they could ever imagine.

• Gobeil-Bread

1 1/2 cups cornmeal

2 1/2 cups milk

2 cups All Purpose flour

1 Tbsp Baking powder

1 tsp Salt

2/3 cups white sugar

2 Eggs

1/2 cups Vegetable oil

Pre-heat your oven to 400 F. Combine cornmeal with milk in a medium bowl & let mixture stand about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, grease up a 9 by 13 inch pan. 

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt- set aside. Add eggs to cornmeal & milk and stir to combine, then add this mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir just until smooth (over-mixing will ruin everything.)

Pour batter into the greasy pan and bake for 30-35 minutes. Stick a knife or toothpick in the centre of you loaf- if it comes out dry & clean it's ready for cooling. Makes about 15 slices.

• Peanut-Butter-Banana Cake (or cupcakes)

1 3/4 cups All Purpose flour

2 tsp Baking Powder

1/4 tsp Salt

1 cup Sugar

1/2 cup Softened butter

1/2 cup Peanut butter

1 cup mushed-up Banana

2 Eggs

Pre-heat oven to 350 F and line your pan with parchment(or, alternately, line a muffin tin for cupcakes). Whisk together the flour, baking powder & salt. In a separate bowl, cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy- put some elbow grease into it. Beat peanut butter into the creamy mixture then add the eggs one at a time, followed by banana.

If you have a mixer, add the dry flour mixture to above on a low speed until just combined. If not, stir in a little at a time with a wooden spoon. Pour into cake pan and bake for 16-18 minutes until you pass the toothpick test. Cool before frosting.

•    Chocolate Icing

1/4 cup Melted margarine

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups icing sugar

                                          Mix it together already and pour all over everything.

I have to add that on this particular day, the sun was shining and I had procrastination running thick and hot through my veins. My brother Isaac invited me to Crystal Crescent beach and I pretty much threw that bag of beans against a wall and ran out the door. What a great time!!! But as I sat there with beer in hand and an ass-full of sand, I couldn't help but be haunted by the bean bag. I should have rinsed the beans and soaked them before I left- or preferably over night- in cold water. Shaking off my bean-demons, I vowed to make them anyway even if it meant cutting a few corners. I returned home from my day at the beach and quickly got the beans on the stove, before I even had the common decency to shower. 

• Pork & Beans (Musical Fruits of Procrastination and Compromise) 

2 cups White Beans

1 Onion chopped

5 slices Bacon, chopped

2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar 

2 Tbsp Molasses

2 Tbsp Brown Sugar

1/2 cup tomato paste

1 Tbsp Mustard

1 Tbsp each of Paprika, Cumin and Summer Savory

1 tsp Nutmeg

2 cloves Garlic, chopped

2 Bay leaves

A 796 ml can of whole tomatoes

A splash of beer if you feel like it

Water

About 1/2 Kg of pig Sirloin, sliced

Chopped cilantro or any other herb mixture, for garnish

Rinse beans. Place in a large pot and cover generously with water. If you've remembered to soak them for at least 6 hours, then bring them to a boil and then lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes, drain, set aside and move onto the bacon. If you're me, boil vigorously for 45 minutes, strain, return to pot and cover with cold water once more. Bring them to a boil for a second time, but then lower heat to a simmer for about 20 minutes. 

Strain cooked beans, rinse lightly with cool water and set aside. In a large pot, fry bacon in a little oil until the fat starts to render. Add onions and cook on medium-high until brown and caramelized. Add the strained beans, tomato paste, garlic, paprika, nutmeg, cumin and stir constantly on high for 5 minutes. Add canned tomatoes (juice and all), followed by all remaining ingredients and a little water to cover, if necessary. Mix well and bring to a boil, then (you guessed it) lower heat to a simmer for about an hour and a half, stirring occasionally. Don't be afraid to mash everything up a bit while stirring; just don't burn your fingies, princess.

It's definitely ready when all the liquid is absorbed and the beans are tender. Finish with some coarse grind pepper, salt, and top with cilantro.

It was easy to get all those ingredients into the pot and then disappear into the jam room, emerging only to stir this one-pot-meal during smoke breaks. The beans were ready when we were, and the cornbread was perfect for sopping up what was way to hot to full-on cram into your mouth. Top it off with that devilishly moist PB-Banana cake drizzled with chocolatey goodness and we truly had a Jam to remember. I even called Isaac Hansen over to share the bounty. After all, he's basically our go-to graphic designer and doesn't ask for  much in return; just all the food he can eat. 

That's it for our second rockin' rollin' foodie update- could our next instalment feature human flesh!? A special thanks to Alison Lang from The Coast for promoting our blog and upcoming CD release party in the Scene & Heard section of last week's issue! And a very intimate thanks goes out to my Pastrami Mommy Chandra Bouchie for driving me to the beach. I'll be the Sea Witch to your Ariel any day.

- Sev