It's backyard barbecue season, and we had questions about what to grill and what to wear. So, we caught up with our favorite local chef, Craig Basler, head chef at Dalie's Smokehouse on Big Bend and Dougherty Ferry Road, for some answers. We found Craig firing up the grill—with a blow torch—and sporting the perfect backyard barbecue fashion from local men's clothing designer Paulie Gibson. Our first question for Craig was, "How do we get our steaks and sides to taste like yours?"
"We make almost everything from scratch," said Craig. "Everything from our side dishes and sauces to how we finish our main dishes, we put our little twist on every product. We are a lot different than our big brothers downtown."
Dalie's Smokehouse is part of the Pappy's Smokehouse Family of restaurants, including Pappy's Smokehouse, Bogart's Smokehouse, Southern, and Boogie's BBQ in Nuremberg, Germany.
Dalie's prides itself on being a community restaurant with a family feel. Craig explains, "We create specials that evoke traditional family memories. Every Friday, we have chicken and dumplings, and our cucumber and tomato salad is made exactly the way Grandma made it. It makes me happy to offer the food we grew up with on Dalie's menu."
And while the menu offers familiar favorites, like the Reubens and the Cubans, every day is different. "We have the Dalie Special that can be anything from Cajun food to a pork steak sandwich," said Craig, who said keeping the menu fresh keeps him from getting bored.
New to the menu are charcuterie boards that Craig made from local trees. Craig expands Dalie's catering menus with appetizers and main courses to accompany these beautiful boards.
Dalie's will collaborate with Civil Life Brewing to offer a special evening dinner that pairs various local beers with popular menu items in the fall.
In the meantime, feel free to pair your favorite beverage with two of Craig's favorite recipes: pork steak with a side of cucumber and tomato salad.
Pork Steak Recipe
Feeds 6
Ingredients:
6 Pork Steaks, Bone-in (We like them cut ¾” thick)
6 Tbsp Red Rub, Available at Dalie’s Smokehouse
4 Tbsp Brown Sugar
2 cups Pork Steak Sauce:
1 cup Papa Joe’s Original sauce -Available @ Dalie’s Smokehouse
1/2 cup Sweet Hope sauce- Available @ Dalie’s Smokehouse
1/2 cup Apple Juice
1 1/2 tbsp Rib Rub, available at Dalie’s Smokehouse
Procedure: We smoke our pork steaks with indirect heat for 2 hours before we grill them directly over a charcoal fire. This effect can be achieved using any indirect heat method that allows you to control the temperature 250 degrees
1) 6-8 hours before cooking your pork steaks, season each pork steak on both sides. Each pork steak should get ½ Tbsp of rub and 1 tsp brown sugar on each side.
2) Preheat your smoking device to 250 degrees.
3) After the pork steaks have been seasoned for at least 6 hours and your smoking device is up to temperature, place the pork steaks on to smoke.
4) While the pork steaks are smoking, combine the ingredients to make the sauce. Put the sauce in a pan and bring to a simmer.
5) Once the pork steaks have smoked for 2 hours, you should see the meat receding from the ends of the bone. When this happens, remove the pork steaks from the smoker, wrap and place in a warm (140 to 160 degrees) area
6) Prepare your charcoal fire to finish the pork steaks.
7) When the charcoal has heated up, place the pork steaks over the coals until the meat/fat begins to caramelize. Flip the pork steak over and repeat the caramelization.
8) When both sides of the pork steak have some caramelization, baste one side with the Pork Steak Sauce.
9) Flip the pork steak over and baste the other side.
10) Allow the sauce to caramelize on the charcoal side and repeat step 9 twice.
11) When both sides have been sauced and caramelized twice, remove from the grill and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
12) Enjoy!
Cucumber and Tomato Salad
Makes ½ gallon
Feeds 12 people
Ingredients:
6 cucumbers (approx. 8-10 inches long), sliced ¼ inch thick
¼ cup Red Onion, very thinly sliced
1 lb. Tomatoes, Ripe, Diced
Vinegar & Oil Dressing: 3 cups
4 cups sugar, white granulated
3 Tbsp salt
2 tsp finely ground black pepper
2 cups apple cider vinegar
¼ cup salad oil
Procedure:
· Prepare Cucumbers and Red Onion. Mix together in a 3 quart or larger bowl.
·Combine the Vinegar and Oil dressing ingredients and mix until the sugar is dissolved. Best way to mix is in a 1-quart jar with a lid and shake vigorously.
·Pour the dressing over the cucumber and onion and allow to sit at least 2 hours.
· While the salad is setting, dice the 1 lb. of tomato and add right before you serve it.