The Granite Plate

What a treat! Today we went to Otter Brook Park in Keene to attend a BBQ cookout in honor of my nephew Kenny Siegel’s graduation from college. Kenny has been studying Hospitality Services and is on his way down to Florida for an internship at one of the Disney hotels. Way to go Kenny!

Anyway, when we got there, we were introduced to Chef Aaron Pouliot of the Twin State Smoke Company. Aaron was set up there with the biggest smoker I’ve ever seen. It was a huge, 1500 lb. Lang Smoker Cooker on it’s own trailer. This thing was awesome, with a big fire box at one end and large access doors on either side. You could easily feed about 100 people with this thing without breaking a nail.

There were only about 40 people expected on this day, and nobody left hungry…that’s for sure. When we arrived, Aaron was already under way with several racks of pork ribs warming up in the smoker. The ribs were prepared with a dry rub, and Aaron was burning cherry wood in the firebox. This tank of a smoker was about 6 feet long and had two thermometers at either end so the cooking heat  could be carefully monitored (there’s about a 25 degree difference in temperature from one end of the smoker to the other, and the chef made good use of that—shifting meat around to balance the timing).

Standing around that day, waiting on the meal bell, our anticipation was pushed into over-drool by the smell of that cherry smoke mixed with the cooking meats. With mostly college age friends-of-Kenny attending, the spread was prepared for big appetites. Aside from the ribs, Aaron was preparing enough buffalo wings, hot-dogs, and hamburgers to feed a regiment. Not to mention the pot-luck dishes that guests were bringing. Whew!

Naturally, once we were allowed to line up with our plates, the ribs were the first to go. And they were well worth the wait. The meat was tender and pulled gently from the bone. And the rub complemented the smoking perfectly. It allowed you to really appreciate the flavor and texture of the meat.

I love ribs and all kinds of sauces with them. But it’s not often enough that you get the straight deal… Good meat with an understated garnish and pure smoky goodness. It was heaven. my only disappointment was that I didn’t have the appetite of my nephew.