[Wine] July BBQ wines

It's July now, and we continue to BBQ at every opportunity. At a recent BBQ, I opened the following bottles of wine for Mr and Mrs H, to accompany our feast of cowboy steak, lamb and chicken skewers, along with various salads. The intention was to have both light and rich reds, along with a nice refreshing white. 

Yalumba Paradox Shiraz 2012

Marks & Spencer, reduced to clear approx €30 (I can't find the receipt)

This was my "rich" red and it didn't disappoint in any way. I've been steadily more and more impressed by the higher end reds produced by Yalumba. From the Barossa Valley, this wine is inky and velvety smooth. It has deliciously appealing spicy, peppery notes along with delicate dark fruit (think cherries), violets and fine tannins. I like to think of it as the elegant cousin of the more typical Barossa big reds.

Domaine des Corbillieres Touraine Sauvignon Blanc 2014
The Corkscrew Warehouse €13.56

This wine hails from a small estate in Oisly, in the Touraine region of the famous Loire Valley. The Barbou family have the distinction of being the first to plant the Sauvignon grape in the region, and it took rather well to the ground. Although not officially organic, the wines are made with natural yeasts and this Sauvignon Blanc is a great crisp example. Lemon in colour, it's herbaceous with gooseberries  and pears. A fantastic summer wine. 

Quinta do Cardo Vinho Tinto 2014

The Corkscrew €15 (cannot find receipt)

I'm slowly becoming a big fan of Portuguese reds and this simple Vinho Tinto is a great introduction. I love the beautiful label but more importantly the contents are organic. It's made from a blend of three traditional grapes, Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca and Tinta Roriz. Whereas the Yalumba was dark and inky, this wine is light in texture and colour, showing as ruby in the glass. It has nice acidity, with dark fruit and a slight balsamic spiciness. A great bottle to have on your shelves. 

[Event] Judging the Pitmaster Competition at the Big Grill

Remember when you were a child and you wished so hard to become a sweet taster in a sweet factory, or else perhaps to be one of the toy testers on the annual Late Late Christmas Toy Show. The chances of these childhood dreams becoming reality were pretty slim, but that didn't stop you from dreaming. Fast forward thirty years and I bet you that we all still have some childlike dreams. Our wishes might have matured somewhat, like becoming the chief shoe buyer for Brown Thomas or working in quality control for a grand Champagne house, but I bet you those dreams still exist.

When I recently saw that the Big Grill Festival was looking for BBQ judges, I knew with every bone and tremor of destiny in my body that my time had come. This was going to be MY moment. I submitted the application form and waited. And waited some more. And then the magnificent moment arrived when I was confirmed as a judge for the inaugural Pitmaster competition with US-style low and slow BBQ.

[Review] My Meat Wagon, Smithfield, Dublin 7

One of my first work projects involved spending a lot of time around Smithfield and the Four Courts area. I was reasonably new to Dublin and to be quite honest, some of things I witnessed in that area did little to enamour the area to me. In fact, if I was in charge of public health, I might have erected a biohazard zone in some places. Smithfield Square had been built, but even with the large Fresh supermarket, it felt like a big, grey, desolate space. The Celtic Tiger Thomas Read's pub failed, just like our economy, and a horde of marauding zombies probably wouldn't have felt out of place. In fact, they'd have brightened the place up a bit.

I wasn't the only person disappointed by the regeneration project at Smithfield, but slowly, inch by painful inch, the area is coming to life. The old Park Inn hotel is now the Generator Hostel, complete with Jameson whiskey bottle chandelier and a buzzing atmosphere. The Lighthouse Cinema has survived bad times and is now a well-established alternative cinema. But any self-respecting area cannot consider itself as truly regenerated until the hipsters arrive. If only hipsters could exist without jam-jar glasses, if only.

Standing outside My Meat Wagon

And if my visit to the recent Big Grill festival taught me anything, it was that hipsters like BBQ. It's like catnip to them. BBQ, craft beers and RayBans seem to complete the hipster trinity. Therefore, the opening of My Meat Wagon, an American BBQ restaurant, in the corner between the Lighthouse and Oscars is part of the Smithfield barometer. 

First things first, I really liked the decor at My Meat Wagon. There are jute sacks, rough wooden planking, galvanised zinc sheets and suspended pallets. We have many storage sheds with all these ingredients on our family farm, except that no West Cork farmer ever thought of setting up a BBQ in their shed. Despite all these design clichés, the overall effect here simply works, with low, warm lighting and original bluegrass music.

The simple menu at My Meat Wagon

Beef good (tofu bad) - seating at My Meat Wagon

We both ordered the Meat on a Board with a mix of Cow, Pig and Bird. To be honest, I was a little perplexed why beef and pork get named, but the source of "Bird" remained a mystery. Each board has a main meat, accompanied by a selection of other cuts and two sides. BBQ chicken has often been a disappointment to me, left dry and dusty by the BBQ process, but here there was a darkly golden laminated skin with juicy meat underneath. 

The Ole Hickory Texas smoker shipped over to sit at the heart of My Meat Wagon had been equally good to the soft, deliciously fatty beef rib, chorizo sausage and excellent pulled pork. Beef brisket, normally my go-to BBQ meat, was a little dry but tasted well. Sides were equally well executed with mash, fresh slaw and fries (served in a mini shopping trolley, perhaps a tribute to the River Liffey?). 

Meat board with pig, bird and cow

There is much to like about My Meat Wagon and it seems like Dublin is not done with BBQ food yet Two huge meat boards, a beer and a glass of white wine came to under €50 with friendly and efficient service. What started out as a small gourmet burger van has matured into a slick, fine BBQ, which would not be out of place in the US. In fact, I'd definitely rate it above quite a few US joints that I've visited. By the time we finished eating, my initial skepticism over the design had been utterly defeated by the fine meat treatment. Put the diet to one side and order the beef rib with sausage. Trust me...

My Meat Wagon, Smithfield Market Square, Dublin 7
Tel: +353 (0)1 874 8172
Twitter: @myMEATwagon

[Review] Bison Bar BBQ, Wellington Quay, Dublin 2

My favourite cuisine type is undoubtedly Chinese, and I especially love Chinese barbecued skewers, such as the lamb skewers to be found at the Hilan on Capel Street. This little mention allows me to segue neatly from the topic of Chinese food to that of my next favourite cuisine, namely BBQ. Spending several months in North Carolina in the US opened my eyes (and stomach) to the glory of smoked and slow-cooked meats. Since then, I've tortured myself by watching episodes of Man Vs Food, drooling over slow-motion shots of juicy brisket and carmelised ribs, knowing that I would not be able to experience such delights until I again returned to the US.

Essentially, I am a glutton. I am addicted to taste. And when I heard tantalising mentions on Twitter that the Bison Bar on Wellington Quay had acquired an American smoker and was now producing proper BBQ, then I knew that I simply had to visit. I think that I waited a whole 2 days before I visited. Yes, I am a master of self-restraint.

Upon entering, one of the first sights is the eponymous bison head overseeing all activity. Through a set of salon doors, seating opens up to the rear featuring uncomfortable-looking saddle stools (yes, there are saddles fixed to stools). There is a short list of €5 drinks specials and we order whiskey sours before settling into seats under a magnificently antlered deer head.  The whiskey sours go down all too easily, and we relax in the evening sunshine streaming in through the windows. Muted blues and Southern music provide the perfect atmosphere. Outside on the quay, a guide dog is looking at us. I think he senses what is to come.

At the Bison Bar

Drinks at the Bison Bar

It's always a good sign when a BBQ joint has an industrial roll of tissue on each table, or in the case of Bison Bar, a roll of kitchen paper. Two squeezy bottles of BBQ and mustard BBQ sauce and a jar of plastic cutlery finish the stage dressing. As we wait, the delicious odours of BBQ start to waft through the bar, and it doesn't take long before the waitress appears with our order. The food is served on a metal tray, lined with a sheet of brown paper, which soon loses its pristine appearance under a deluge of meat juices and BBQ sauce. Two little cardboard bowls hold our side orders (fries & burnt end beans for me, fries and coleslaw for him), along with a little tub of chipotle mayo.

Our dining companions at Bison Bar

Both of us have ordered the combo plate, featuring two meats for €16.95. My ribs are advertised as St. Louis style and come in the expected square format. They are lightly sauced and the flesh falls away with perfect ease. They are joined on the tray by a portion of juicy brisket slices which feature a crusty smoked rind. He has ordered chicken and brisket and is delighted to find that the chicken has retained some moistness through the BBQ cooking. In previous visits to BBQ joints, dried-out chicken has been a major bugbear, but that is not the case with this golden brown example. 

Chicken and brisket for Him

Brisket and St. Louis-style ribs for me

Fries are perfectly standard and are elevated by the chipotle mayo. My portion of burnt end beans are delicious with a deep smoky tomato flavour and I can even see the burnt end shreds in the sauce. The coleslaw is average, and it would be so much better to see a homemade slaw on the platter.

BBQ is on offer everyday at the Bison Bar, starting at midday and lasting as long as meat is available. If you're too late for BBQ, Bison Bar is also a whiskey bar, with a menu running several pages long and covering 150 Irish, Scotch, American and Japanese whiskies, plus another 50 tequilas. With BBQ'd and whiskey sours in your stomach, you'll be hard pushed to find a more perfect pub in Dublin. 

Bison Bar, 11 Wellington Quay, Dublin 2
Twitter: @BisonDublin