Backyard Barbeque - the Results!

Summer continues to linger on here in Washington. Last week (and this upcoming weekend!) the temps are still soaring into the high 90’s around Red Mountain. In Seattle, we’re coasting in the 70’s right now which is just about perfect for me. The only real sign of fall seems to be our dwindling daylight hours.
A few weeks back, I invited a group of friends over to help out with some food pairing ideas and work their way through the ultimate make your own burger/dog party. The results were fabulous and we all had sooooo much fun. Here is how the evening of good food progressed:
Snacks as guests arrived: simple chips and salsa and bacon wrapped prawns with chipotle bbq sauce on the grill. Yum, double yum.
Items for the grill: beef burgers, lamb burgers, all-beef dogs, Italian chicken sausages (plus bacon done inside to prevent a Weber fire)
Breads to build on: ciabatta rolls, whole wheat hot dog and hamburger buns, mini baguettes (look at Trader Joe’s – they are perfect hot dog size)
Cheese (eternally my favorite part): gruyere, white cheddar, brie, blue cheese crumbles
Veggies: baby arugula, romaine, tomatoes, grilled onions, jalapeno rings
Condiments to top it all off: pesto mayo, roasted garlic mayo, tomato jam, chipotle ketchup, Heinz 57, whole grain Dijon mustard, French’s yellow mustard
Salad on the side – although that didn’t go nearly as fast for some reason!

(the spread)
I haven't seen people so excited to build up their plates since birthday cakes in elementary school. It was really fun to watch the different combos that people came up with, trying to make ones that would work well with the new releases. Here are the results:
For the 2009 Columbia Valley Malbec - chicken sausage on a mini baguette with tomato jam, arugula and brie. The tomato jam was really the kicker that made the pairing so good. Deep, almost caramelized flavors really highlighted the intensity of the wine while the arugula added to the peppery tones.
For the 2008 Optu Red Wine – lamb burger on whole wheat with roasted garlic mayo, bacon, gruyere and grilled onions. This is pretty much a no brainer. The lamb burger really brought up the earthiness of the Optu while soothing the tannins in the wine. The cheese, mayo and onions just polished off the already rich dish. Pesto mayo, rather than the roasted garlic brought out some neat herbal qualities in the wine and was equally good.
Find the full listing of ingredients and recipes for the tomato jam and roasted garlic mayo here.

Sep 21, 2011 at 3:56 PM

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