Good morning...Today’s Q&A section comes from a discussion in the Pickled Onion Club, our community of home cooks.

If you have a culinary question, just reply to send one in! We’ll try to get it answered and the best ones will get featured in future newsletter editions.

If you have a lot of burning questions or just want more food content, consider signing up for the Pickled Onion Club.

TRY SOMETHING NEW 🤯

Spring roll framework

Keeping rice paper and rice noodles in the pantry lets you assemble this fresh meal on the fly. In the spirit of the dish, use what you have around (Vietnamese spring roll fillings can actually vary quite a bit)

Roll Components

Rice paper wrapper
Rice noodles
Protein: poached shrimp, tofu, thinly sliced cooked meat
Fresh/green items: cilantro, green onion, mint, lettuce
Crunchy colorful items: carrot, cucumber, cabbage, peppers

Peanut Sauce Ingredients

2 parts peanut butter
1 part soy sauce
1 part rice vinegar
1 part sugar
Optional flavor adjusters: sriracha, grated garlic, grated ginger, lime juice

Instructions

Prep ingredients: Cook & drain the rice noodles, and set aside. Cook or prep your protein. Gather the remaining ingredients.

Make the sauce: Mix together all peanut sauce ingredients until well combined. Taste and adjust as needed.

Assemble: Pass a rice paper through water, and then add the ingredients in layers. Carefully roll it all up. Enjoy with the peanut sauce.

Pro Tip - Try serving these with prik nam pla sauce too.

THROWBACK TIME 🍳

BBQ 101

Making great BBQ is not about the dry rub, sauce, or wood choice. It’s actually about understanding the collagen → gelatin transformation, which softens tough cuts of meat at low heat over long periods of time.

This requires maintaining a consistent temperature for enough time. Everything else just adds & adjusts the flavor.
It’s hard to get past a chewy brisket, for instance, no matter how good the homemade sauce is.

Check out the video, or read the kitchen report article for all the details, including timelines for smoking ribs, brisket, & chicken.

While you’re at it, here are Ethan’s bbq rubs and regional sauce recipes.

The best part of experimenting with smoking meat is all of the leftovers anyways…

THE LEFTOVER SHELF 🥡

BBQ breakfast tacos

We’re taking inspiration from Central Texas & using extra bbq bits to make a filling breakfast taco.

Breakfast Taco Components

Flour tortillas
Leftover smoked meat
Scrambled eggs
Grated cheese
Optional: diced potatoes or refried beans
Not optional: salsa or bbq sauce of choice

To assemble:

Cook, prep, & warm up any ingredients as needed. Fill a warm tortilla with ingredients of your choice and top with salsa or bbq sauce.

Pro-Move: Scramble the ingredients into the eggs as they cook to warm and melt everything together.

FOOD TRENDS EXPLAINED 🚀

Parmigiano martinis

What’s up with Parmesan espresso martinis?

The parmesan espresso martini is exactly what it sounds like: a classic espresso martini topped with grated Parmigiano.

By the way, espresso martinis are usually just espresso, coffee liqueur, and vodka.

Though this unique combination does raise eyebrows, from a culinary perspective, it might work:

The umami and saltness of the parmesan contrast nicely with the bitter coffee and sweet liqueurs, or so people claim.

The shock value of this recipe piggybacks on an already popular drink, so it's not a surprise the trend went viral. See for yourself at #parmesanespressomartini.

Are these around to stay?

It’s hard to say if the cheesy addition will last, but the base cocktail has definitely become a modern staple. If you’ve tried the parmesan espresso martini, send in your thoughts.

READER Q&A 🧠

Birria vs. barbacoa

Question: “What does birria actually mean as opposed to barbacoa?” - John F

Answer: Birria and barbacoa are two popular slow-cooked meat preparations.

In modern preparations, birria is made by braising meat in an adobo made with dried chilies and spices, which results in a red braising liquid (consomé or caldo), which is often served with the meal for dipping (popularized by the quesabirria taco)

Historically, the adobo braise was used to make off-cuts of gamey meat more palatable

In contrast, barbacoa is braised without chilies, uses fewer spices, and is served without a broth.

Barbacoa means “barbecue,” and shows up in many different cultures. Barbacoa cooking methods paved the way for modern bbq practices and variations.

Pickled Onion Club member Daniel C provided additional context on how the two are traditionally prepared in Mexico:

“Birria is usually goat meat. Most of the time you get the birria in its broth (caldo de birria), but it can also be served dry. Barbacoa is usually sheep meat, and there's no marinade before cooking. It's traditionally cooked in an underground oven wrapped in maguey stalks.”

READER PHOTO SUBMISSION OF THE WEEK 🏆

Tomato testing

This week’s dinner winner is Owen W., who made mini shakshuka tarts inspired by Ethan’s video on the differences in canned tomatoes. Owen had guests try an A/B test of shakshuka made from both canned San Marzano tomatoes and locally grown tomatoes. Very cool, Owen!

Reply with a picture of the best meal you made this week for a chance to be featured in a future email.

READY TO SHOP? 🛒

✅ Shopping List 8/6

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The Mouthful 🍳

Do parmesan espresso martinis work?