“All that really belongs to us is time; even he who has nothing else has that.”
Abraham Lincoln.
“Time and timing is everything. Some things happen in a spur of a moment; like love at first sight or…grilling! Others take planning like a wedding or…planning for that next big barbecue during the Super Bowl!”
Kings Reyes C. JR.
I am not sure where I have heard that or who ever said something like that, but I think it must have been ME or someone like me.
Time and timing goes together with grilling…you can barbecue anytime and anywhere.
Let me tell a short story of the time I was located in the Middle East during Operation Desert Shield in preparation for Desert Storm back in 1990. We were given a free pass to see the Capital of Saudi Arabia (Riyadh) and I took the opportunity to stop at a place to buy a small bag of goodies in which I bought four small tenderloin steaks frozen solid. Later that evening I set up my small little grill, which I normally use to warm up water for coffee or tea in my foxhole (fighting position) and I grilled all four steaks. I had added only salt and pepper from my MRE’s (meals ready to eat) and they tasted like a piece of heaven. Of course I shared them with my military buddy. I still have that little grill stored in my man cave or shed “for those that do know what that means”.
So… at a moments notice you can light up that grill and enjoy your favorite treat or you can plan it all out and create a feast to amaze your friends. So stop what you are doing, print or write down your chosen recipe, and light them up. The grills that is; lets us barbecue and feast like no other day! “To barbecue!”
Just go ahead…and leave a comment or two about the subject.
When I was ten years old my three brothers and I gathered around an open mesquite fire where our oldest brother (Tristan) was roasting a freshly killed rabbit. The place was the Rio Grande Valley in Texas and we were in our backyard. In a sense, we were blessed that we lived out in the country outside the city limits because we could make open fires to BBQ and what not. Our parents had bought an acre of land in the middle of nowhere. By that I mean that the property was surrounded by orchards and fields on two sides. Growing up been part of a big family (total of nine) was really a fun and exciting time.
Needless to say, with just salt and pepper as seasoning, that smoky roasted rabbit tasted like a piece of heaven. Those moments are my earliest recollections of a BBQ. Since then as a boy, I have barbecued baloney, wieners, and even cooked eggs on a cast iron pan over an open mesquite fire. Those were fun days and having Mom laugh at me was an enjoyable experience for me as well, she still laughs at those recollections when we talk about them.
Since then, I have barbecued in many different areas and climates. From the deserts of Arabia, the snowy mountains of Germany, to the beaches of South Padre Island by the Gulf of Mexico, and many different countries as well. I have been to nine different ones while in the service. I love to cook and mostly to BBQ and have picked recipes from all over the world and even created my own. After all, when you’re the Chef of the house or the cook of the house, you too can create your own food exactly how you like it and that is something definitely worth fighting for. The freedom to BARBECUE when you want to and how you want to; among many other things are what made our country a great place to live in. “GOD BLESS AMERICA!”
I Just had an reoccurring dream of BBQ…
Kings Reyes Chapa Jr.
Have your own story to share…be my guest, I would love to hear what your thoughts are on barbecue or about yourself.
While you can grill indoors using approved appliances, most grilling are best done outdoors …especially when dealing with smoke. All grills using charcoal, wood, or propane are meant for outdoor or well ventilated areas. By that I mean having an approved chimney or powered ventilator to exhume the carbon monoxide smoke that is produced as a byproduct of charcoal or propane use. Of course, there are many stoves with grill inserts that use propane and are very safe to use and I have seen indoor fireplaces outfitted with cooking grills etc… Just be sure they are in good working conditions and I would definitely install carbon monoxide detectors to be on the safe side.
This past December I gave away my big I door propane heater to my mom. I stayed with two small electric heaters and bought a third. It was a small propane heater meant for indoor use … or so the box stated. After having used it for an hour I started to feel a slight headache and I decided to turn it off and open some windows. I carefully took the time to read the full small instructions it came with and sure enough there it was in small fine print; safe to use indoors with a ventilated window, “Who the hell would want to turn on a heater when you need to open windows!?” Needless to say, my smoke/carbon monoxide detectors needed new batteries, luckily everything turned out fine and I didn’t ignore the awkward headache. We only live once in this lifetime, play it safe. Know the symptoms, have operating detectors and test them often.
Where there’s smoke…there exists an opportunity for fire.
South Padre Island BBQ
A bomb fire at South Padre Island two years ago where we had set up a different area for barbecue. It was an awesome evening where my brother Joe and sister (Josie) and their families had gathered for a relaxing time.
In this other picture I started a fire in my Stok barbecue grill for some well deserved Rib eye steaks during a Saturday. What I love about this grill is that of the many inserts it has, it has one for arranging charcoal in a neat manner that makes starting fires a breeze. You do not even need lighter fluid, you can use newspapers underneath the insert where ashes normally gather and light it up. I used lighter fluid on this one though and you can tell by how high the flames are in the picture.
And there was fire…
As a wise word of caution, do not leave a fire unattended because it will only take a few moments to get out of control. If you look closely enough to the upper part of the picture you will see I have a solar screen to keep the hot sun out of my work out area. That can easily go up in flames in a matter of seconds. Since this last barbecue I ended up moving the grill I use away from this area to prevent mishaps and later move it back to its place after the grills cool of enough. I also keep a water hose handy just in case. One last thing; do not put anymore lighter fluid to a burning fire, remember that some clothes catch on fire quicker than others or might even start to melt (wind breakers), and do dress appropriately.
As far as food preparation goes; wash your hands often before and after handling raw food with warm soapy water. Follow the recommended cooking times set forth by the USDA or seller of food product. Life is simple; let’s keep that way.
Kings R. C.
Please feel free to share any photos or stories you might have or to leave your comments. Thanks.
This site is about creating flavorful-mouthwatering dishes with smoke, fire, and spice that anyone can create to impress that special someone in your life…or just for yourself!
