Dave Parker
(Do not read this article if you are hungry!)
The Robson Ranch Grill Masters – Smokers & Grillers gathered for a legendary smoked sockeye salmon feast at the home of Pitmaster and Master Brewer Bob Morrison. After years stationed in Alaska serving our country, Bob knew exactly how to showcase the very best of wild-caught Alaskan sockeye salmon, and he served it up three delicious ways.
Bob carefully selected only vibrant, deep-red fillets, because pale pink means “not true sockeye” or worse, “old and freezer-burnt.”
• Dish 1: Lemon and pepper salmon fillets
Fresh filets topped with sweet onions, sliced peppers, butter, lemon juice, and black pepper, grilled hot and fast (5–7 minutes) for perfection.
• Dish 2: Smoked salmon pinwheels
Creamy pinwheels rolled with onions, garlic powder, lemon juice, Worcestershire, mayo, sour cream, cream cheese, and smoked salmon.
• Dish 3: Brined and smoked salmon bites
Savory salmon pieces brined in salt, sugar, brown sugar, and Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum, perfect on crackers or all on their own.
The salmon may have been the star, but the appetizers were showstoppers, too:
• Dave Parker fired things up with smoked jalapeño popper pigs in a blanket—jalapeños stuffed with cream cheese and Mexican cheese, seasoned with Meat Church Holy Gospel, kissed with Kinder’s Sticky BBQ sauce, wrapped in bacon, smoked, then finished in crescent rolls.
• Sammy Monge wowed the crowd with something no one had ever tried before—smoked guacamole, blended with onions, chili powder, and his top-secret ingredients.
For sides, Bob Riley (true Texan to the core) served up spicy smoked sausage and baby potatoes with Holy Gospel seasoning, butter, Greek spices, and cheddar. Steve Courtney brought his own spin with smoked potatoes, creole seasoning, and colorful peppers.
It was more than a backyard cookout—it was a gourmet BBQ experience. As the Grill Masters put it, “BBQ you can’t find or buy anywhere!”