[Beer Monger]

Cheese makes just about anything better - including fish.  Of course the right cheese w/ the right fish is important. 

[gordonstrong]

On Chopped, it was probably Scott Conant.  He owns Scarpetta, a high end Italian place in NYC and franchised a bit, I think.  IIRC, he criticized it without even tasting it.  I hate snobby rules.  People would never have paired pinot noir with salmon if the "white wine with fish" people were treated as gospel.

I think the reasoning is that the cheese is usually Parmigiano Reggiano, which is quite strong, and that it overpowers the delicate nature of fish.

OK, so I don't have a need to grate Parmesan on my halibut, but I'm going to put it on linguine with white clam sauce, or other things with shrimp or crab.  Mornay sauce is meant for seafood.  And if the food has a lot of garlic in it, the "delicate nature of the fish" argument goes out the door.  Balance is everything, and you do need to taste what's in it.  But if you like it, ignore what the snobs tell you.  Keep an open mind and don't be afraid to experiment.

This is a bit OT for BBQ, but it's one of those foodie things that comes up.

[deepsouth]

it was scott conant, iirc.   i like the guy, but i hate hard and fast rules.   

[bluesman]

Balance is everything, and you do need to taste what's in it.  But if you like it, ignore what the snobs tell you.  Keep an open mind and don't be afraid to experiment.

+1

Balance is very important when it comes to food in general. Too much salt, sugar or any spice will kill a great recipe. Typically speaking, this rule applies to bbq and beer as well...and there are some exceptions but again it's a general rule of thumb to keep in mind when cooking and/or grilling.

[fatdogale]

OK, so I don't have a need to grate Parmesan on my halibut, but I'm going to put it on linguine with white clam sauce, or other things with shrimp or crab. 

Mmmmmmm, linguine with white clam sauce.  That's good eatin, right there.

[euge]

OK, so I don't have a need to grate Parmesan on my halibut, but I'm going to put it on linguine with white clam sauce, or other things with shrimp or crab. 

Mmmmmmm, linguine with white clam sauce.  That's good eatin, right there.

Exactly what I made today for lunch. Except the clam-sauce was canned (Cento brand) from Italy. Regardless of being canned it was very tasty. And I only used the slightest bit of freshly micro-planed parmsean since the flavor was indeed delicate.

[fatdogale]

I like using tri-tip for making chili. The meat texture really lends itself well for that but I haven't tried Q'ing one yet. That sounds great and looks even better deepsouth.

Do you cube the tri-tip for chili, or have it ground?  I've been trying various chili recipes looking for "the one", and read somewhere that coarse-ground (chili grind) tri-tips are excellent in chili.  I don't have a meat grinder, so the butcher would have to do it for me, but it sounds delicious!

I recommend grinding but that's just my preference. I prefer a more consistent texture for my chili and a "chili grind" allows for that. Just ask the butcher to give you a "chili grind".

I also like Euge's recommendation of grilling then grinding if you have the ability that sounds like a great idea.

Thanks...I prefer ground beef, too.  Grilling and then grinding it would add a nice smoky note to the chili - I'd like to give that a try, but it'll have to wait until my kitchen becomes better equipped...

[Beer Monger]

I have a grinder (hand-crank) & this sounds awesome.  I may have to pick up some tri-tip & smoke it for some chili once the weather gets a bit better around here (Seattle - rainy all week... month...). 

[redbeerman]

On Chopped, it was probably Scott Conant.  He owns Scarpetta, a high end Italian place in NYC and franchised a bit, I think.  IIRC, he criticized it without even tasting it.  I hate snobby rules.  People would never have paired pinot noir with salmon if the "white wine with fish" people were treated as gospel.

I think the reasoning is that the cheese is usually Parmigiano Reggiano, which is quite strong, and that it overpowers the delicate nature of fish.

OK, so I don't have a need to grate Parmesan on my halibut, but I'm going to put it on linguine with white clam sauce, or other things with shrimp or crab.  Mornay sauce is meant for seafood.  And if the food has a lot of garlic in it, the "delicate nature of the fish" argument goes out the door.  Balance is everything, and you do need to taste what's in it.  But if you like it, ignore what the snobs tell you.  Keep an open mind and don't be afraid to experiment.

This is a bit OT for BBQ, but it's one of those foodie things that comes up.

Parmesan will go well if grated on a fish with stronger flavor such as salmon.  We grill salmon with salt, black pepper and some  cheese grated on it.  Try it, you'll like it!

[Beer Monger]

Parmesan will go well if grated on a fish with stronger flavor such as salmon.  We grill salmon with salt, black pepper and some  cheese grated on it.  Try it, you'll like it!

I Love red thai curry on salmon.  They have a dish at The Pike in seattle that's salmon, stuffed w/ crab, on a bed of baby spinach and topped with a spicy red thai curry sauce.  It's awesome & I've done similar at home. 

[denny]

OK, so I don't have a need to grate Parmesan on my halibut

I've got a recipe for cashew crusted halibut that has Parmesan in it.  Just a bit, but it really ups the flavor.  OTOH, I'd never just put Parm directly onto the fish.

[bluesman]

OK, so I don't have a need to grate Parmesan on my halibut

I've got a recipe for cashew crusted halibut that has Parmesan in it.  Just a bit, but it really ups the flavor.  OTOH, I'd never just put Parm directly onto the fish.

Just the word "crusted" in combination with fish sounds great to me Denny.  

That recipe might go well on a cedar plank placed on the grill.

[denny]

Just the word "crusted" in combination with fish sounds great to me Denny.  

That recipe might go well on a cedar plank placed on the grill.

I think the cedar might overpower it.  I'll save that for wild Chinook salmon!

[gordonstrong]

OK, so I don't have a need to grate Parmesan on my halibut

I've got a recipe for cashew crusted halibut that has Parmesan in it.  Just a bit, but it really ups the flavor.  OTOH, I'd never just put Parm directly onto the fish.

OK, that does sound good.

[denny]

OK, so I don't have a need to grate Parmesan on my halibut

I've got a recipe for cashew crusted halibut that has Parmesan in it.  Just a bit, but it really ups the flavor.  OTOH, I'd never just put Parm directly onto the fish.

OK, that does sound good.

I'll post it when I get home today.