Troble

Yes the wildcard is the border crossing coming back. It takes 90 minutes to get there but it can take hours coming back. It’s not uncommon to wait 4 hours at the border on a Sunday to come back to the US. If you have Global Entry it can be a 15 minute thing (provided you find the right lane) but it’s also dependent on how much Trump has offended Mexico that week. When he says something derogatory about Mexico border wait times go way up. With the pandemic confusion there have been wait times of up to 12 hours on a Sunday to cross back. Hence why we have not gone this year, but weekday or timing it right it’s no issue I actually had an office in Tijuana for 2 years and I would drive down to the border, park on the US side, walk across take an Uber to my office and do all that in 35-40 minutes. There are also services in San Diego that will pick you up at the airport and drive you from the airport to the Valle the proper way to do it though is to stop in Tijuana for $1.50 TJ tacos on the way home so you get the best high end food in Mexico as well as the world famous Tijuana tacos everything you see me cook here is basically stuff I’ve seen in Mexico

Yes sir. 90 minutes and across the border. I’ve done day trips there before where I dropped my kids off at school drove down for a 1pm lunch then back to pick the kids up from school but usually my wife and I go there abs stay a night or two, during the weekday and we literally have the place to ourselves. It’s magic. Truly, the only other place I’ve found in the work like it was Cape Town where I could do wineries, beaches and mountains all in a day

That is crazy. I started the wrapping thing by accident when my brisket got done early once and it stuck with me. I usually wrap and rest my brisket for 2-4 hours with 2-3 being the perfect timeframe and 4+ starting to dry out. I’ve done a few when it’s rested for 5 hours. you’ll be fine

@Basher yesterday’s breakfast was for the parents. Today’s breakfast is for the kids may I present homemade Mickey Mouse pancakes from scratch served with crushed bananas, sliced blueberries and chocolate chips inside....pancake batter also contains hints of vanilla extract

@AJR if you get done early just wrap it in foil, wrap in a towel and put in a cooler. You can store it for up to 4 hours with minimal impact on the meat

@Basher I probed it and it was about 140 everywhere I poked. When I carved it I found some medium pieces his I like it (I’m not a rare guy I like pink and juicy but not rare, red and gushy) my wife likes her meat well done so it’s always a challenge cooking a big piece of meat to find the right balance. I think I achieved that this cook fkavor were great especially on the outside bud as I found with my adobada cooks this summer and with some of my lamb/gyros attempts this summer I think I prefer to slice the meat into 1/2 inch - 1 inches thick pieces and have that marinate overnight then take those pieces abs stack them on the spit. It allows for more flavor penetration deep into the meat, although I’ve served it previously by slicing off the outside as it gone done, so I’ll continue to experiment. I appreciate all your advice @Basher but as I mentioned in our last message I can’t utilize the lower grate abs rotisserie at same time there’s not enough space, seems that’s an advantage of your 23 over my 32. I would have liked to have done the potatoes in the KK but I had to put them in the over since the rotisserie was in use really liking the lamb though. Kids like it cause it’s tender, wife likes it causes it’s not too fatty and I like it so next time I’ll try your balsamic marinade @Basheri was shocked I didn’t have any in my pantry yesterday

@tekobo @RokDok all sounds good to me I love to travel and that what got me into cooking really. At the end of 2006 I sold all my possessions (including my house before the market tanked) and I bought a one way ticket around the world my ticket took me from San Diego to Rio de Janiero, Buenos Aires. Auckland, Sydney, Bangkok, Paris & finally NYC. I spent 11 months traveling around the world by myself when I was 27 years old. I’d generally stay in an country a month abs tahr trains and busses all around surrounding areas and if usually know someone in that country that I’d stay with for a week to give me a lay of the land. To say thank you for hosting me I always cooked a last meal for my hosts, people would want “American Food” but we dk t really have that outside BBQ. So I would cook “Mexican food”, I’d get skirt steak and make a carne asada marinade, and if research a place to buy tortillas and beans abs I’d make refreshing beans, and somehow would find a package of tortillas somewhere in the city I was in, but the hot was always guacamole. Everyone in the world had avocados usually but they had not experienced guacamole which was my speciality, so it was always a hit I’ve since realized how much I show my affection abs appreciation for people through serving them food. when I discovered this region that’s so close to my house abs this place Bruma that is so serene it was the first time I had that feeling of being in a magical far away land, but conveniently it’s only 90 minutes from my house so now we go every year. They say Valle de Guadalupe is like Napa in the 70’s or 80’s, up and coming but the locals are already starting to complain about how crowded it’s getting its being written up in NY Times, Conde Naste etc and the restaurant that’s on site at Bruma called Fauna (which is absolutely amazing but indoors and dark/not great for photo taking) was recently listed on the Latin America 50 best restaurants lists in the world this week. So the region is getting wide acclaim. It’s a very special place that I firmly believe is one of the true special regions of the world, based on my travels. I would love to share it with you. I’ll will dig up my itinerary and post it when the wife wakes up

Bone in leg of lamb on the spit over mesquite wood. Marinated in olive oil, garlic, mint, rosemary, cumin, Peruvian salt & black pepper served with pearled olive oil & garlic cous cous with lemon zest & thyme as well as cast iron Yukon gold potatoes with salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary & olive oil. finished with homemade Tadziki sauce

Do it! Just remember this is in Mexico 90 minutes south of San Diego. But there are 10-12 restaurants down there on this level. It is my source of cooking inspiration and my wife and I usually make the pilgrimage at least every fall and occasionally in spring to sample. when you get ready to plan I have a full on OCD itinerary I put together for my 40th birthday last year I’ll share with you

@tony b that’s the one I sent you that’s my favorite local San Diego beer

This is the place we stay at it’s called Bruma http://www.bruma.mx @tony b next time you come to CA pop down to San Diego and I’ll take you down there. You’d love it

@tony b that’s in peso my friend. 85 pesos is $4.50. It’s bottled water Evian or something equivalent. It’s Mexico bro! That sushi omakase with wine pairing is $120 for 14 courses or so and a different drink with each dish. It’s the best dining I get in San Diego. also keep in mind in this magical land you can literally wake up on the ocean, drive 15 minutes inland and eat Michelin star campfire food all day while drinking wine and then go back to the beach (should one want to). I stay in a secluded place in the Valle since the beach is something I see a lot of, but many people like that fact

Breakfast tacos/burritos (tortillas were off size this week) Scrambled eggs with 1/2 & 1/2, thyme, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese hash browns with garlic, salt, butter & black pepper Homemade tortillas (from my local Hispanic market) dusted with Mexican cheese in the skillet to get just a bit of crisp applewood smoked bacon, haas avocado and siracha sauce.

@tekobo congratulations- I just caught up on this thread. Can’t wait to see what your ordered, but also equally curious as to what you plan to cook first to show off your newfound setup. Any ideas?

@tony b it’s $100/person but again for the quality of food and the wine is very good, not exceptional it’s a great experience.

My other favorite spot is a place called Animalon which is on the property of a famous Tijuana Chef named Javier Plascentia. Javier also has a Michelin star and he is the other god father of this type of cuisine He built Animalon as a pop up for his 50th birthday and decided to keep it open during the summers. It’s inside a massive 200 year old oak tree and everything is cooked on an open fire with oak wood https://www.animalonbaja.com http://fincaltozano.com

This is the place I had in mind when I started my backyard project. Originally I was gonna do a Lang offset wood smoker, a wood fired pizza oven and a Santa Maria grill....then I found the KK I used to go to Napa in the fall but haven’t been since 2012, we go south now. Wine is not nearly as good the the food scene and outdoor dining is incredible this guy Drew Deckman earned a Michelin star in Europe but now owns a farm and winery in Mexico we go down there and eat a 10 course meal with wine pairing for $100. World class food, beautiful setting, impeccable service

@Basher good looking crust!

And the Omakase bar

Here’s some food pics

Always wanted to share this place with this group but never sure of the right place. Found this corner of the forum today so figured this would be a good spot I live in San Diego and about 90 minutes south of me and approximately 13 miles north of Ensenada is one of the most magical places I’ve ever experienced in all my travels around the world. It’s called Valle de Guadalupe and it’s an incredible region that has over 150 wineries abs some truly world class dining. The cuisine actually has its own name called “Baja-Mrs”. Mexican food meets Mediterranean. The wine valley is about 8 miles east of the beach so you get incredibly fresh seafood along with incredible local produce. It’s absolutely magical and is the source for all my cooking inspiration. My favorite restaurants cook primarily outdoor over fire using local oak wood, it’s what the region is known for one of the best places is called Deckmans El Mogor. Here are some photos of the restaurant. They recently opened a Japanese Omakase bar on site as well that I will post done pictures of. https://www.deckmans.com https://bajaomakase.com

You’re also up early! you’ve been in the thick of things the past few years. That’s tough. Especially this summer. Unfortunately I think fires are a new reality of CA life. hope you break in that new kitchen with something nice to celebrate your long journey back home

Paul - I’m really sorry for your loss. I have friends and family in Santa Rosa that lost their homes a few years ago. Where are you located in CA? the kitchen looks great. And BTW I thought my wife was the only one who found something to do in the sink when I’m cooking! congrats on making it here. I’m sure it’s been a difficult journey. But you are here now. Congrats

@Basher thanks for the detail. Really fabulous looking cook. I’m finding myself gravitating towards more lamb and really enjoy reading your posts about different ways to prep. I am curious what a noisette is in American English. Got a translation? also not be overlooked but those potatoes look great. You just throw them direct on grill? Any other tips?