Chillin' & Grillin'

One of my favorite by-products in this life of fitness: you need to eat to get strong.  And from everything I’ve read, remedy protein – meat – is the best way to build muscle.  And from reading and personal experience, no protein builds strength better than red meat.
Let give credit where credit is due: Congrats to Big Man Bob for placing 2nd in a rib cook off on Saturday.  I have been lucky enough to reap the rewards of Bob’s hard work.  Delish!
So I love red meat, and emboldened by Bob’s triumph, it was time to cook.  And variety is the spice of life, so on Monday, I cooked a Tri-Tip, 2 pounds of salmon and 8 chicken thighs.  Thank you Christopher Columbus for finding the New World so I could take the day off!
I’m not a native California-ian, and I never heard of a Tri-tip before I moved to the area 4 years ago.  It shocks people, but Tri-Tip isn’t a cut of meat seen outside this area.  Listen up:  Don’t tell anyone!  If it gets popular, they might get scarce around here.  Tri-tip has easily become my favorite cut of meat, so nearly any time I cook, I throw a Tri-Tip on the grill.
Growing up, cooking out was a Weber grill, lighter fluid, briquettes, hot dogs and hamburgers.  I like to think I’ve raised the game since then.
From the start, I only use real wood charcoal.  The bag looks like this, but I’ll use anything that is real wood, lump charcoal:
Real Charcoal
Second, I don’t use lighter fluid, I use a chimney.  It looks like this:
Chimney in action
When the meat goes on the grill, it’s low heat and slow cooking.  All my meat is cooked indirectly, and i don’t put it near the flame until it’s done.  I haven’t talked about spices, rubs or whatever.  Put on what you like, I almost feel like if you cook it the right way, the smoke will do the work for you.  But in case you’re wondering, I love Spade L marinade, which is sold in Raley’s.  I would put this stuff on cereal if I ate cereal.

I case you’re wondering, I do have a gas grill.  It might work, I never use the thing.
Please post your favorite grill item to the Facebook page.
Workout of the Day
Strength
Split Snatch Double (alternate legs)
Build to a heavy double in 15 minutes
Metcon
AMRAP 12
15 Hand Release Pushups
Lunge Walk 10m out
15 Kettlebell Swings 53/35
Lunge Walk 10m back