Father’s Day marks unofficial start of grilling season, with new gadgets and cookbooks aimed at dads debuting every year around this time. One of the most pleasant surprises among this year’s crop is “ManBQue!” (Running Press, $22).
With the provocative subtitle, “Meat, Beer, Rock & Roll, 120 Essential Recipes for the Modern Man,” it’s much more than a cookbook. It’s the manifesto and how-to guide of the men’s grilling and lifestyle community of the same name — giving younger guys who are getting married and having kids the good word on keeping friends together with food and fire, and even DIY music play lists.
But men and women over 30 can find a lot to learn and try out in its pages, too.
Authors Jesse Valenciana, the founder and public face of ManBQue, and John Carruthers, the managing editor of ManBQue.com, are the Chicago-based friends who held their first “meating” on the roof of an apartment building some seven years ago. Since then, the community has expanded to chapters in Los Angeles, Seattle, Florida, Costa Rica, Mexico and Germany
Recently, Valenciana and Carruthers got together on the phone to talk about the book and the state of the ManBQue nation, which stays in contact through the website — sharing recipes, beer and music picks and cooking intel.
“It’s crazy that’s there’s this sort of connection of minds across the country and the world because of this concept,” Carruthers said. “It’s not really about Jesse and me anymore. It makes you step back and realize how much people love to cook meat and drink beer and get together with people.”
“ManBQue” begins with fundamental information about choosing a grill and equipment like a chimney starter, then moves on to techniques for grinding your own meat and making burgers and sausages, before finally presenting some of their wilder recipes, like the infamous “Meat Shots.”
“We wanted to give people a nice strong base to start off with, but we go from getting really basic to going really crazy,” Valenciana said.
“You should be pretty good at making a burger before you try making a blood sausage,” Carruthers agreed. “If you’re going to take away one lesson, it’s just try.”
“We didn’t go to school at a culinary institute, we just tried doing stuff. The reason we can tell you how to do it is because we’ve done it 100 times. It doesn’t take any special talent, it’s a developed skill like riding a bike but far more satisfying.”
All good advice. But it was the “Meat Shots” — ground beef formed into edible shot glasses used to serve up bacon-infused vodka — that got ManBQue noticed by comedian/commentator Bill Maher.
“The Meat Shots came from a guy in the LA chapter who should read our book,” Valenciana said. “He comes up with all kinds of crazy concepts. John and I perfected it and it became the thing we’re known for. On Bill Maher, we got mentioned in the same breath as Honey Boo Boo.”
Asked about their early inspirations, both Valenciana and Carruthers point to “The Barbecue! Bible” by Steven Raichlen (Workman, $22.95). “It’s one of the best books ever because it’s easy and basic but you’ll get the techniques you really need,” Valenciana said.
Beyond the essentials of good quality grills, grates and tools like tongs, Valenciana isn’t big on grilling gadgets. But Carruthers is quite taken with the Thermapen, a professional tool originally designed for labs and manufacturing plants that’s become the go-to thermometer for serious home cooks.
“It costs like $96,” Carruthers says, laughing. “I think 18-year-old me would be very disappointed in 32-year-old me. But I really do use it a lot, along with a contractor’s infrared thermometer. I do like those kinds of nerdy things.”
Recipes
These quick and easy recipes from the “ManBQue” cookbook by John Carruthers and Jesse Valenciana cover some of the basics of grilling with techniques that guarantee delicious results.
Wicked Lawbstah
There’s nothing better than a good lobster roll. Preparing it fresh is the only way to go. Some people will tell you that parboiling and dispatching a lobster is unnecessary, and that you can do a perfectly good lobster roll with tail meat. These people are heretics who don’t know the eternal glory of claw meat. Pity them.
Hands on: 30 minutes Total time: 30 minutes Makes: 4 lobster rolls
Kosher salt
2 live lobsters, 1 to 1 1/2 pounds each
Unsalted butter, to brush buns
4 New England-style split-top hot dog buns
1/2 cup lime aioli (recipe below)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne hot sauce
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 stalk celery, diced
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, minced
1/4 teaspoon basil, minced
Chopped chives, to garnish
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Prepare a large ice bath.
Say a final prayer for their souls and send your brave red explorers into the bubbling, briny deep.
Boil the lobsters 5 minutes. Remove and shock in the ice bath.
When the lobsters have cooled, remove from the ice bath. Cut the tails off and split. Split the torsos and remove the tomalley (the green gunk in the torso). Feed it to an old New Englander. They swear by it for some reason.
Preheat the grill to medium for direct heat. Clean and oil the grate.
Place the lobster components on the grill and cook for 3 minutes. Remove the torsos and claws and grill the tails another 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Butter the outsides of the hot dog buns and toast on the grill, 30 seconds.
Stir together the aioli with the hot sauce, onions, celery, parsley, and basil.
Remove the meat from the tail, claws, and torso. Gently fold into the aioli sauce.
Spoon the lobster onto the buns. Top with the chopped chives and serve.
Per roll: 416 calories (percent of calories from fat, 52), 26 grams protein, 25 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 24 grams fat (5 grams saturated), 92 milligrams cholesterol, 388 milligrams sodium.
New York Strip
Our favorite cut of steak, and one that benefits most from leaving it the hell alone and finishing with a bit of butter or oil. Every man (and woman) should know how to grill a perfect cut of steak. This is ours. All knowledge put forth in this book is made possible with the confidence we have from being able to cook our perfect cut of steak in just the way we like it.
Times are measured on a standard kettle grill over a single chimney of hardwood charcoal.
Hands on: 10-20 minutes depending on temperature Total time: 10-20 minutes depending on temperature Makes: 4 steaks
4 New York strip steaks, about 3 pounds total
Peanut oil, to brush
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Shallot-Herb Butter (recipe below), to serve
Pat the steaks dry with paper towels and brush with the oil. Season the steaks with an avalanche of sea salt and a healthy couple cracks of the black pepper.
Preheat the grill to high for indirect heat. Get that SOB as roaring hot on one side as you possibly can. Clean and oil the grate.
Place the steaks down on the grate and, for the next 90 seconds, follow our perfect 5-step plan.
1. Leave
2. Them
3. The
4. Hell
5. Alone
When 90 seconds have passed, give the steaks a 45° turn. This will give them the diamond sear pattern that will make you look like a pro.
Repeat with the second side, 90 seconds total with a 45°turn for the diamond pattern.
Move the steaks to the indirect side. Or not, if you prefer an awesome Pittsburgh rare. Otherwise, here are the times you can look out for. Remember to remove them about 5 degrees from your target temperature to compensate for the carryover cooking while they’re resting:
7 to 8 minutes: Rare
8 to 9 minutes: Medium Rare
9 to 10 minutes: Medium
10 to 12 minutes: Medium Well
12 or more minutes: MURDERER!
Remove the steaks, add a slice or two of the shallot-herb butter, and rest for 5 minutes.
Eat your steak. Scratch that—BASK in your steak.
Per steak: 688 calories (percent of calories from fat, 57), 70 grams protein, trace carbohydrates, trace fiber, 41 grams fat (14 grams saturated), 167 milligrams cholesterol, 176 milligrams sodium.
Shallot-Herb Butter
Hands on: 10 minutes Total time 10 minutes, plus overnight for chilling Makes: ½ cup
4 ounces (one stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 medium shallot, minced
½ cup parsley, chopped
¼ cup basil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
Cream the butter and fold in shallot, parsley, basil, lemon juice and salt. Turn out onto wax paper in a line.
Roll up the paper, forming the butter into a log shape. Tie off ends and refrigerate over night. Unwrap and slice as needed.
Per 1-tablespoon serving: 104 calories (percent of calories from fat, 97), trace protein, 1 gram carbohydrates, trace fiber, 12 grams fat (7 grams saturated), 31 milligrams cholesterol, 270 milligrams sodium.
Hipster Elotes
A cool take on the classic Mexican street treat, with habanero butter and lime aioli.
Makes: 6 ears of corn
6 ears sweet corn, fully shucked and submerged in water
4 tablespoons habañero butter (recipe below)
1 cup lime aioli (recipe below)
1 cup of Cotija cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preheat the grill to medium direct heat. Clean and oil the grate. Remove the corn from the water, shaking off the excess, and place directly on the grate.
Grill the corn 12 minutes total, or until the kernels are tender and caramelized, turning frequently.
Remove corn and rub ears with the butter, spread with aioli, and sprinkle with cheese and salt and pepper to taste.
Per ear of corn: 479 calories (percent of calories from fat, 78), 7 grams protein, 21 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 45 grams fat (12 grams saturated), 50 milligrams cholesterol, 479 milligrams sodium.
Habañero Butter
Hands on: 10 minutes Total Time 10 minutes, plus overnight for chilling.
Makes: ½ cup
4 ounces, one stick unsalted butter at room temperature
2 habanero chiles, stems removed, finely chopped
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
Cream the butter and fold in chiles, honey and salt. Turn out onto wax paper in a line.
Roll up the paper, forming the butter into a log shape. Tie off ends and refrigerate overnight. Unwrap and slice as needed.
Per 1-tablespoon serving: 119 calories (percent of calories from fat, 85), trace protein, 5 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 12 grams fat (7 grams saturated), 31 milligrams cholesterol, 268 milligrams sodium.
Lime Aioli
Hands on: 5 minutes Total time: 5 minutes Makes: 1 cup
1 cup prepared or homemade mayonnaise
3 cloves minced garlic
zest of one lime
1 ½ tablespoons lime juice
Combine ingredients in a bowl or food processor until smooth.
Per 1-tablespoon serving: 80 calories (percent of calories from fat, 98), trace protein, trace carbohydrates, trace fiber, 9 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 4 milligrams cholesterol, 63 milligrams sodium.
All recipes adapted from “ManBQue!: Meat, Beer, Rock & Roll, 120 Essential Recipes for the Modern Man” by John Carruthers and Jesse Valenciana (Running Press, $22).
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