She’s purdy, doncha think?

We’re going to be seeing a lot more of each other now that it’s officially summertime at our house.

The calendar may say something else, but school’s out now and, believe me, it’s summer!

My boys are wilder than hyenas these days and the warm weather has them acting like they’ve been cooped up for six months straight. It kind of seems like they have, come to think of it.

So . . . I’m going to need a respite from all of the running and swimming and breaking up fights and pretending to be superheroes.

A little wine and a gorgeous steak at least once a week should do the trick.

Ready or not, summer’s here!

Photo courtesy of pdphoto.org.

Kathy Maister over at StartCooking.com has some good advice on cooking a great steak.

I always listen up when someone with experience gives me some pointers. Saves me the aggravation of making the same mistakes. It’s how we EVOLVE, people. Right?

Kathy tells us here the best ways to fry, oven roast and grill your steaks. And pay particular attention to the comments from others at the end. Some of them contain some real gems. People are so creative!

Try them out and see what YOU think!

Photo courtesy of StartCooking.com.

My post on brisket caused quite a stir, it seems. People are so passionate about their barbecue and I love it!

LeFoodDude had a great comment recommending I smoke it for 20 hours and use more charcoal for a better smoke ring.

Well, this weekend I trotted over to my parents’ house where they had smoked a brisket that was much juicier — and smokier — than mine.

Observe:

THIS was some good brisket. Again, they used a SmokinTex smoker, but they split up the smoking into 2 days, letting it sit wrapped in foil in a non-heated oven overnight.

They also smoked theirs a little longer than I did. It seems counterintuitive at first, but the longer you smoke it, the juicier it is.

Oh, and their ribs were better, too.

Is everything just better at Mom’s house or is it just that I have a lot to learn?

Maybe it’s a bit of both. But I do know I have SO much to learn. That’s the fun of it!

LeFoodDude, let us know your thoughts! Anybody else have some secrets to great barbecue???

Photos courtesy of:  my mama