Where the F*** have we been?

Most of you probably haven't noticed our absence, but the loyal few of you are probably wondering what happened to us.  We appreciate your concern, and are happy to let you know that we are safe.  We have a million excuses for why we haven't written recently; among them are wedding planning, triathlon training and Angry Birds.  The simple truth is that we have been uninspired to write.  Although we have been going out to eat less often, we have eaten some decent burgers including Flat Patties, Back Bay Social Club, and 5 Napkin Burger. 

They were all very good.  We just weren't up to writing about any of them. 

Recently though we have been reinvigorated.  Why you ask?  We discovered fire. 

A little over a month ago we bought a grill.  Not just any grill - a shiny new Webber charcoal grill.  Since then we have been grilling instead of going out.  We have grilled everything: beef, pork, chicken, seafood, vegetables, fruit, pizza and even lettuce.  I don't know if I will ever go out again.

On our first date we started with the basics - burgers and corn - and in the process may have found the best burger in Boston.  Well at least we think so.  Our house burger is made with only the best ingredients.  We use 85% lean pasture-raised ground beef, perfectly ripened avocados, bright red juicy tomatoes, uber melty orange cheddar (nothing fancy) and the secret ingredient ... a fresh baked burger bun from Hi-Rise Bakery. 

The chef is obviously quite talented, as my burger was cooked perfectly.  As a side note, a burger doesn't have to be rare to be juicy.  The high heat of the grill seared the juices in without leaving a crispy outer shell.  The patty was then moved to lower heat at the right time to finish cooking and to let the cheese melt around the burger.   After a quick toast of the bun, the burger was served with a side of homemade coleslaw.  I don't know if it was because I grilled it myself, but this was one of the most satisfying burgers I have ever eaten.

We followed this up with grilled white peaches topped with Heather's homemade vanilla ice cream.  It was only her first attempt at making ice cream and I think she has mastered it.  Homemade ice cream is softer than your normal store bought variety because it only contains a few simple ingredients and leaves out the gums and thickeners needed to make it last longer in the freezer case.

For our second date we had surf and turf. The surf was shrimp marinated in garlic and olive oil then sprinkled with smoked sweet paprika.  The turf was a grass fed dry aged ribeye seasoned simply with salt and pepper.  The knock out  dish was the duck fat roasted brussels sprouts prepared on the grill.  Cast iron is remarkably versatile and perfect for use over an open fire.  Just two tablespoons of rendered duck fat in the hot pan and the Brussels sprouts and shallots caramelized beautifully while we seared the steak over the coals. 

Once the steak was off the heat and resting we threw some mesquite chips on the coals and grilled the shrimp.  The quick smoke gave the shrimp and intriguing flavor, but a bit too much paprika over powered the flavor.  We weren't left too disappointed however, as the steak was perfect and the crispy Brussels sprouts were ridiculous.

 As you can see we have been very busy.  We continue to grill a few times weekly and hopefully will have more posts soon.  We also promise to begin eating out again and posting our adventures as we search for the area's best cheeseburgers.  Again sorry for the long delay, we hope this holds you over for a little while.