Meat, Smoke and Me

My school had an outing to the countryside two weekends ago. We all went out to the mountains (teachers, bus drivers, administration - no kids) and played a bunch of soccer and kickball, ate some real good food and did some karaoke singing once the sun went down. It was a stellar time. At the end of the night, I was handed a little bonus that I used to pay for half of a brand new, full-size Weber grill from Costco.

Those of you that know me well, will understand how important having a grill is to me. The lack of an available grill has been one of the only downsides to living in Korea, and the problem has now been fixed.

Assembling my new, shiny grill in the alley, I couldn't help but smile. I knew what kind of joy and culinary fulfillment this tool will bring to my life in the next 10 months I spend here. I have never owned a new grill - I've always hand-me-downs and garage sale grills. This grill is perfect. I am also a little excited about the fact that I am only going to use the grill for 10 months, so I can abuse the hell out of it.

I have now had the grill for a total of eight days, and already I have grilled three times: KC strips, peppers and potatoes the first night, beer-can chickens on Friday, and ribs, asparagus spears and potatoes last night. I believe I have already gotten my moneys worth out of the grill and it has hardly been a week.

The grilling season has officially begun here in Seoul. I have gotten some looks from people in the alley who wonder what exactly is going on inside the smoky black orb surrounded by strange foreigners, but as I have said many times on this blog, people look at me weird wherever I go and whatever I do, so I have become pretty comfortable with the quizzical glares.

I am so happy about the new world of grilling that has been opened up to me here in Korea. I think I might be able to end this damn skirmish with the North if only I can get some of my beer-can chickens, covered in Gates rub and sauce across the border to Kim Jong-Il and his people and let them taste what freedom tastes like...

Much love from Seoul