Gainesville Micro Meat-Up

[Jim White]

Hello! I'll bet you all thought you were rid of me. Well, I'm baaaack.

The occasion that brought me back to posting at The Pit was that WayneT and Mari Jo (and Truffles) came to visit Lisa and me (and our menagerie) for a few days. Of course, we over-indulged every day.

They arrived on Thursday. The first order of business was for Truffles to meet Bean and Cashew.



We moved on to smash burgers in the dream outdoor kitchen. Cooking together is so much fun!



These burgers turned out well, and there were enough for lunches later in the visit.





Just check out that lacy crust!



Wayne will step in for the next portion of our festivities.

[Richard Chrz]

It’s great to see you, and how great that you had a chance to get together with Wayne T and Mari Jo, and of course the pups!

There was no doubt the food would be good!

[Mosca]

Beautiful! I was just thinking about WayneT and Mari Jo, and how awesome the NC meetup was, and how I hadn’t “seen” him recently. Glad to know everything is good. Heyas, Wayne, heyas Mari Jo!

[WayneT]

Hi Tom. Good to hear from you. I’m glad you have fond memories of the NC gathering. Mari Jo says “hello.”

[Jim White]

I still think about how nice it was for you to drive us to Charlotte for the NC Barbecue Festival. That was a really fun day.

[Mosca]

Wayne, it was incredible. All the hotels have been great, but that one was a step above. But it’s never about the hotel, or even the food. It’s always, always, the people.

[WayneT]

This foursome foodie festival was planned during our get together in Charleston back in early August. And boy have we all been anticipating it. It’s not very often reality lives up to the hype but in this case it exceeded it.

After amazing smash burgers on Thursday evening, we all went out to Embers in Gainesville, a local prime beef-only steakhouse with a stellar wine selection.



Some of our entrees…


A 6 ounce wagyu filet with grilled asparagus and lobster mashed potatoes.


A 6 ounce wagyu filet with bleu cheese-topped, balsamic-glazed, roasted tomatoes, and sautéed shrooms.

Other entrées and sides enjoyed were pan-seared scallops, caramelized onions, and coconut/panko fried shrimp.


Pumpkin pie with almond-bacon brittle and a dollop of marshmallow on top.

This fine-dining establishment was the second act in Wagyu Weekend. A foretaste of the feast to come.

If you are in Gainesville and want the second best, flame-kissed, prime beef, this place will punch your ticket.

[barelfly]

Alright!!!!!!!!! Love it!

and great cook! Hope you are doing well my friend!

[Jim White]

The main attraction for Wagyu Weekend was the Snake River Farms Wagyu Gold brisket that Steve B gifted me as my Secret Santa. Life got in the way back at Christmas and the brisket went into the freezer to await an appropriate occasion to break it out and share with people who could appreciate its incredible quality.

We separated the point and flat. Trimming was a two hour joint project with Wayne.



Incredibly, this meat was softer when raw than some briskets I have cooked to "probe tender".

It was an aggressive trim. The weight on the label 13.7 pounds. Here are the point and flat after trimming.





Both pieces had portions that were relatively thin, so we were a bit concerned that they might overcook before the bulk finished. Fortunately, that was not the case.

The meat was dry brined and allowed to sleep in the refrigerator overnight.

The next morning, Mari Jo made her Perfect Blueberry Lemon Scones. Now that's how to start a day! Of course, Truffles was supervising to make sure perfection was achieved.



A bit later in the morning, we applied a generous amount of Meathead Red Beef Rub



Sorry, no action shots there, but we cooked at 275 degrees in the Lone Star Grillz Adjustable.

Wayne was the cook on duty when real probe tenderness was achieved, and he put the meat into the Pit Boss Copperhead 5 at 175 for holding. It got a four or five hour hold. The pans used for the hold were the drip pans under the meat, so the hold was in Wagyu tallow.

[Jfrosty27]

Great to hear from all of you. I also was wondering about you folks. Glad to hear you’re all ok and eating very well!

[CaptainMike]

Not one, but two bad pennies! Great to see you all!

[WayneT]

Turning up randomly.

[Jim White]

We thought about having Brussels sprouts in your honor as a side with the brisket, but wound up going other directions.

[CaptainMike]

You guys are all right!

[Donw]

Fantastic to hear from you both again.

[Panhead John]

Great looking food pics! Glad to see you guys back!

[HawkerXP]

Can you hold it for 9 hours?

looks like a fun time!

[Draznnl]

Great to hear from both of you missing persons.

[RonB]

I am happy to hear from both of you, an also happy that you got together and had a great time.

[DavidNorcross]

So so good to see you both! Looks like you had a great time.

[Sid P]

The irony of two friends that have forsaken us getting together and then rubbing our noses in it 😉! I’ll pass on this huge opportunity for sarcasm and just say it’s great to see you and your ladies and I hope all is well with you. Stick around a while!