BBQ your best (for me!) at Highbrow BBQ

posted in: Events, NYC Events, Recipes | 10

You know that summer is in full swing when there’s a barbecue to attend to every other day. But the best ones always seem to roll around just at the cusp of Labor Day. This time, New York Magazine is upping the ante with a waterfront BBQ of unprecedented heights: Announcing the first-ever Highbrow BBQ on August 23 — an afternoon extravaganza of charred, smoked and spice-rubbed goodness, plenty of beer, and live music by Islands. If the lure of Top Chef contestant CJ Jacobson‘s highbrow feast isn’t enough, there’s just one more perk I can’t wait to share with you…

It’s a BBQ cook-off! And one of the judges will be none other than me. This is where the fancy-pants stuff you did with hot dogs and risotto will pay off in a big way — the winner takes a $1,000 cash prize, the “undying” respect of New York Magazine, top chefs, and a place in the history of cook-offs as well as barbecue. Pretty highbrow stuff. I beseech you to enter (and feed me). CJ will also be on the critiquing panel, and I’ll keep you posted on the rest of the judges as well as a full schedule events coming up soon.

But for now, grab your ticket to the event before they run out. The $25 entry fee gets you a full day’s worth of food, free beer, a full live music set and a magazine subscription. If you’re fired up for the cook-off challenge, and think your creative BBQ recipe is worth a grand, next write to [email protected] with the following:

1. Name
2. Age
3. City you live in
4. A little bit about who you are and why you should be chosen
5. A recipe that gives a sense of your culinary style

If chosen, you will be sent complete details and rules, and only need to bring your ingredients to the event. A hibachi grill and utensils will be provided on location. Open to meat and veggie entries.

Finally, the grilled chicken pictured above is a simple recipe I made a couple of weeks ago that I’ve been meaning to share. My mom has been making variations of this since I was a kid, and the smell of it charring on the grill always takes me back to backyard barbecues of yesteryear. The soy-based marinade stains the chicken a beautiful red, and when crisped on a flaming-hot grill, it’s seriously finger-smacking stuff.

Soy Ginger Grilled Chicken
(makes about 12-16 pieces)

about 4 lbs cut-up chicken pieces
1/2 cup light soy sauce
1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil
a 1-inch knob of ginger, minced
1 bunch of scallions, both white and green parts, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Combine all ingredients in a freezer bag and marinate overnight. Preheat grill on high to 500 degrees. Place chicken down (no need to shake off marinade ingredients), cover, and reduce heat to medium. Flip once after 2-3 minutes (depending on how big and what type of pieces they are), and cook until both sides are slightly crisp and chicken is cooked through.

10 Responses

  1. Midge
    |

    holy crap! before i saw you today i was telling scott that i had entered this competition and that ny mag wrote me today saying they would have the final contestants by friday! i hope i am in, i could really use 1,000 bones. and new york bbq fame wouldn’t hurt either.

  2. sarah
    |

    too cool– definitely sounds like a GREAT job! i got my tix to the event the other day & am hugely looking forward to it!

  3. Yvo
    |

    I am totally roping all my friends into coming with me 🙂

  4. harry
    |

    I’ll be out of town… bummer.

  5. chad
    |

    i’ll be there, will be cool to meet you irl!

  6. Leah
    |

    hello hello beautiful! I wanted to write sooner after the hope lounge bbq, but keep getting distracted, mainly boys, booze, food… But I would still love to catch up with you, coffee, drink, bbq style, whatever. I will be at the highbrow this weekend with some friends and I know you will be working, so I will come find you. Send me an email if you get a chance, I would like to give you my phone number. We can do a little Emersoniscing and chat more about Shiftdrink.com Have a great day!

  7. acai
    |

    It is oftentimes difficult to find pertinent and good reading issues in the web at the moment, and good thing is for for certain that I was able to bumble on my way here in your blog. To say to you frankly, not merely was I delighted and relaxed by your composition, I was effectively able to gain quiet a count of brainstorms from the issue that you spoke about.

  8. Andrea
    |

    Oh, a bbq cook off! Bbq anything is great really 🙂

  9. Hugs
    |

    That looks really delicious and easy to make.

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