A Perfect End of Summer BBQ

There are certain things to be said about the group of people one chooses to surround themselves with. Given PapaPhat's profession, it's only a given that many of our close friends are also chefs.

This, of course, makes for some very interesting get-togethers, particularly when a PhatKid is concerned.

Among our closest friends are Rupert and Adriana. Rupert is PapaPhat's old boss, and Adriana is his wife. They are awesome. He's an old-school, sometimes-crabby chef (as most old-school chefs are) and she's a cute, feisty little Columbian-American who keeps him in check. They live in Jersey. They share my love of drink and our love of food.

And I have to admit, the trip to Jersey (and subjecting oneself to the horrible driving conditions and poor air quality of the "Garden State") is definitely worth it for the Bacchanalian revelry that goes on at Rupert and Adriana's parties. Actually, any time we get together, it ends up being an obscene orgy of food and drink (get your mind out of the gutter, people, really, all we do is eat and drink).

With the summer coming to a close, Rupert and Adriana decided to host a massive get-together this past weekend. Although it rained on and off, the festivities were still great. There was a plethora of yumtastic dishes served, but given the crowded and hectic conditions there, I managed to come away with only three recipes.

But what great recipes they are.


Let's start with a cocktail, shall we?
Because, well, everything's better when you're buzzed.

PapaPhat doesn't drink, and I'm not one for the hard liquor, but my oh my this interesting take on a martini was amazing. I even had 3 glasses of it! I don't know what it's called, so let's just call it...

Summerific Tropical Martini

1/2 cup of coconut rum
1/2 cup of pineapple rum (or vodka if you're feeling feisty)
1 1/2 cups pineapple juice
Chunks of pineapple (I think you can also add some mango pieces, if you really want to kick it up a notch)

Mix that all up in a large pitcher or serving jar, let it chill.



When it's ready, go get yourself some coconut sorbet.

(See, it's even low fat. Good looking out, huh?)

Put a small scoop of the coconut sorbet in a martini glass
(We used plastic glasses because, well, we're not the most agile when we drink)

Pour the alcohol/pineapple mixture over it.


Drink up!


Creamy, tasty deliciousness.


Onto the main course.

The centerpiece of dinner was a roasted pig.

He went to the market, but never made it back.

Now, I don't eat pork, but I felt that it deserved to be spotlighted for you, dear readers. Rupert was very proud of his little piggie. And he should be, as I'm told it was fabulous, from the first piece of chicharrones to the last piece of meat on the bone.

Now, because of the next few pictures you're going to see, I think you should all know something about Rupert, or Rupee as I like to call him. He came to the US from Austria several decades ago, and has primarily worked in the New York area, and lives in Jersey. So imagine a man with a pseudo Austrian/German accent twinged with a Jersey accent, with the enthusiasm of a die-hard Jets fan.

Here's Rupert with his Babe.

This Little Piggy

To tackle this venture, you'll need:
About 20 garlic cloves, crushed
1 cup of olive oil
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 suckling pic, about 35 lbs. This particular piggie came from Moloney's Market in Jersey City.

Mix everything but the pig together, and rub the concoction on the pig.
Rub it like ya love it, baby.

Let it marinate in the rub for 24 hrs.

When done, take the pig out and rub it again with olive oil, like an old luvah.

Wrap the ears with some tin foil (or they'll fall off). Throw that piggie in the oven, preheated at 350 degrees, and roast uncovered for 6 hours, or until the internal temp is 165.

If you did it right, it should look like this:


Now, cut through the skin, which will have pulled apart from the meat a bit. It'll crackle. And chances are, a mass of fiends will swiftly appear to claim the skin, or chicharrones. And, if you're into scaring little children, chop that sucka's head off a la Lord of the Flies.


Obviously, Rupert likes decapitation and scaring little children.


Dive into it. I was told it was fantastic.


And now, for dessert.
Now that's what I'm talking about.

There were a variety of cakes and pies, but this dish I'm about to show you takes the cake (pun fully intended).

Grilled Peaches in a Pan

Okay, go get yourself:
3 pounds peaches, pitted and sliced
1 pound plums, pitted and sliced
1 cup sugar
2 vanilla beans, cut half lengthwise
2 sticks of butter, soft
1/2 cup Grand Marnier

Mix all of that together in an aluminum pan. Throw it on a grill (medium heat).


Put the lid down, if you can.

Go get yourself another cocktail or two. Sit down and renew your post-dinner buzz.


After 40 minutes, check on the peaches. Mix it all around to get it nice and blended.


When they're semi-soft and somewhat browned, they're ready to eat.


You can pour this over cake or ice cream.


And if you have some left over, you can puree it and pour it over pancakes or waffles the next morning. That should be good for your hangover.


Your welcome.