155

The vote was close. I suspect it was a tie, with the win going to the guest (me). The grilled stuffed peppers came close. The glazed baby backs came even closer.

In the end, after the literal smoke had cleared, my smoked pork butt with grilled pineapple and pineapple BBQ sauce carried the day.

That was last summer.

The rematch is on, and it will be held this weekend. For the last four weekends in a row, I have massaged Lamb flesh with an assortment of herbs, spices and sauces. I have gone to bed each Sunday night smelling of smoke.

I have been planning the proper smoke wood combination. I have strategized my unique sauce preparation. I have contemplated presentation.

The game is afoot. It is GO time. Competition will be fierce. The home-team rib machine is out for revenge. The host's 10 year old son is in it to win this year as well with his grilled fruit, and he is a crowd favorite. There will be steak. There will be chicken. There will be pork.

Being Portland, I also expect a generous dose of Salmon.

In actuality, I don't expect to win. The lamb is good, and stays tender if I take it off at 155 degrees, and let it "rest." But it doesn't shine like the pork did.

The mint-infused BBQ sauce is creamier now than it was before, and has more mustardy depth. The char wood cooks hotter and faster, locking in moisture and preventing undesirable drying of the meat.

I'm not going to win, but I am going to give them a run for their money,having a "leg" up on the competition as it were...

Either way, I'll be tending the fire this saturday, sitting on my friend Lori's driveway, drinking cheap cold beer. I do hope that Josh joins me with his own grill. If you are around North Portland next Saturday afternoon and want to drop by and check on the progress, give me a call.