Glad it worked out for you. It took me a few times to get it perfect. I am like you, very critical of my food. I use a charcoal grill with the coals all the way into the corner of one side and the ribs on the other side. Didnt know that. Bobby Flay said it helped lock in the juices the other day on the food network. I will have to ask my friend who is an executive chef his opinion on the matter.
This weekend we went to a peach orchard outside of Houston. Now I'm up to my eyes in peaches (picked 13 lbs). So last night we had hickory smoked & grilled chicken breast, fresh grean beans and grilled peaches with vanilla ice cream. Topped it with a rum sauce with Sailor Jerry, Butter and Brown sugar. I also threw some fresh pineapple on the grill because I had just seen Bobby Flay do it on Food Network. Grilled Peaches and Pineapple = HEAVEN. So good. Try it today. Also, as far as the whole searing thing goes, I sear more for color and a nice crust on meat- I dont really rely on it saving the juices. It helps, but it's not going to be the meats total juice saver.
A number of studies done on that issue. You actually lose a little bit more moisture by searing, but the gain in taste and texture outweighs that loss. Alton Brown, on the food network, did a show proving it was a myth.
Yes, searing does result in the loss of juices. But think about eating ribs without a nice crispy and flavorful crusting on the outside, it's a necessary step in the cooking process of many dishes. If memory serves me correctly, the carmalization and the Maillard Rxn are responsible for the flavor induced by searing. It's important to counteract the loss of juice by letting meat sit for several minutes before cutting, so as to not let it evaporate via steam. Tonight's dish was a chicken pesto (with basil, roasted pecans, lemon, olive oil, garlic and seasoning) served between toasted french bread slices along with a side of watermelon. The cost of the whole meal was less than 10 dollars. As lsutiga pointed out; I'm a cheap a$$.:hihi:
Caught 26 crabs last night. So we are having Gumbo tonight and some other crab thing I hate tomorrow. Need to eat my Speckled Trout before they go bad, too. Tough life this week. :yelwink2: However, last night was a 6 month old, freezer burned lean cuisine. It all evens out.
