Bryan Gooding

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A pig roast, the Lopez Island way

Scenes from the annual “Big Fat Pig Roast” on Lopez Island, Washington. (Photos ©Bryan Gooding) It is a week and a half into September and the rains we usually see later in the month are here. It is 60 degrees and it feels like fall. In a week we are having a fundraiser for the Lopez Island (Washington) Grange because it is an old building with a history that sorely needs a paint job. The event is called the “Big Fat Pig Roast” and will be a covered dish dinner for 150 locals where the main course will be a two-and-a-half…

Cooking - 10/23/2018

Recipe: The secret to great BBQ Chicken -- brining!

The whole bird with rub applied from Bryan Gooding's award-winning recipe for brining and smoking BBQ. chicken. (Photo ©Bryan Gooding) Brining and smoking BBQ chicken recipe Our brining and smoking BBQ chicken recipe earned the Posse its first category win at the Blues, Bandits festival in Oak Cliff, Tx. The key to any good chicken -- from fried to smoked-- is brining. We all have endured a tough, stringy, dry piece of chicken and making it juicy is an easy fix. Ingredients for Bryan Gooding's BBQ chicken recipe. (Photo ©Bryan Gooding) Just take a little extra time to brine. Ingredients:…

Cooking / Popular - 03/28/2018

Smoked ham from heritage piglets

Heritage hams with rub applied, ready to become smoked ham. (Photo ©Bryan Gooding) Every spring there’s a new crop of weaners on Lopez Island. Robin and David Gibson of Two Shed Farm raise heritage pigs down the hill and ended up with 17 piglets from their two sows. Time for some smoked ham. We were lucky enough to have two six-pound hams for a holiday dinner. A six-pounder easily fed eight people with leftovers to take home for each couple. Reports have come back of smoked ham and egg breakfasts and ham omelets deluxe the following morning. Robin and David…

Cooking - 12/29/2017

Recipe: Lightly smoked, grilled salmon on a Weber -- Let the fish speak for itself

Lightly smoked, grilled salmon served with grilled fresh vegetables. (Photo ©Bryan Gooding) When you live on an island where you can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a salmon you have to cook fish. The touch of smoke you get with this approach to lightly smoked, grilled salmon really kicks up the umami flavor profile giving it a heartier taste. The added benefit of this recipe is a fast cook on a regular Weber. The dish looks and tastes great. Ingredients: 2 – 2 lb. Coho salmon fillets kosher salt lemon pepper olive oil fresh or dry dill lemon Martha's…

Cooking - 09/13/2017

Recipe: This ain’t your Mama’s smoked bacon

Whole pork belly from Midnight's Farm on Lopez Island, before trimming. (Photo ©Bryan Gooding) There are only a few dishes in barbecue where a pit master can take it to the edge and really personalize the food. Sausage is one. Smoked bacon another. Former ferry Captain Kenny Burtness dropped by one day and left us a one pound slab of his homemade smoked bacon. This was not by any stretch of the imagination normal looking bacon. Irregular in shape with wide swings in fattiness and leanness, Kenny had used an unusual blend of spices and maple syrup for his personal…

Cooking - 08/29/2017

Recipe: Apple smoked pork belly from heritage pigs

Apple smoked pork belly on the cutting board as appetizers are prepared. (Photo ©Bryan Gooding) This apple smoked pork belly recipe won the Posse its first People’s Choice Award at the Blues, Bandits and BBQ Cook-off in Oak Cliff, Texas. The pork belly, brie, and peach marmalade crostini knocked out the crowd and was the first item we ran out of that year. In the photos here, our pork comes from David Bill and Faith Van De Putte here on Lopez Island, Wash. It is a Berkshire/Tamworth mix that has been developed into a fantastic heritage meat pig. “Great tasting…

Cooking - 08/03/2017

Recipe: Foolproof smoked pork butt for beginners

In the beginning, I wanted to smoke and had no idea where to start. Just about every book on the subject suggested using a pork butt for a test flight. The reason is simple: it is almost impossible to overcook. The abundance of fat and the sheer mass of the cut gives the beginner a lot of room to hide any loss of focus. Everyone loves a pulled pork sandwich and it is a great start for the backyard BBQ. Because it is a massive muscle I find that with this much pork the meat next to the surface with…

Cooking / Popular - 05/02/2017

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