The Meatwave

Nearly twenty years ago, a group of seven friends huddled around a dollar store grill and gave The Meatwave its official start. On that fateful day I had little knowledge of how to actually cook, and knew even less about how to do so with a live fire, so never could have imagined both of those things would combine to become a passion project that would span at least two decades and lead to things like writing for Serious Eats and traveling across this country and beyond for barbecue. So it was humbling to kick of the 2024 Meatwave season with a look back at where I've been and how much the community built around food and fire has meant to my life.

I wanted to get back to those early days of grilling and decided to mirror the menu at the first Meatwave, which consisted of barbecue chicken, hot dogs, and hamburgers. Of course I can't leave well enough alone, so offered all three of those things in some variation of their classical selves. This started with barbecue chicken, which I decided to devise my own recipe for a spicy mustard-tomato style sauce for. This type of barbecue sauce has been producing my favorite bites during sauce testing, so I wasn't surprised when I really loved these finger licking good legs and thighs.

Last spring I was planning a potential trip to the Cleveland area and my preparation had me noting spots where I wanted to get Polish boys. While I ended up not taking that trip, it left a desire in me to try these regional sandwiches that consist of kielbasa topped with coleslaw, fries, and barbecue sauce. I can't vouch for the absolute authenticity of my version, but I can say they were damn tasty.

Moving on to burgers, I actually wasn't coming up with anything new that was hitting me right, then I realized I've only done a vegetarian version of patty melts, but never one with beef. So I cooked up a huge pot of caramelized onions and used that on these burgers, along with the required Swiss cheese and toasted rye bread, plus the more non-traditional burger sauce. I had also bought regular buns, tomatoes, onion, and lettuce so my guests could have a standard backyard burger, but almost no one went for those because the patty melts ended up being an even bigger hit than I was expecting.

Finally, I needed a real hot dog offering tossed in the mix because kielbasa didn't really fulfill on the original menu. Since I had a vast amount of caramelized onions on hand, I thought of the idea of a French onion dog. Fashioned after a deconstructed French onion dip, these started with a mayo and sour cream based sauce, then added on caramelized onions, and were finished with potato sticks to give the salty crunch you'd get with a chip. I'm a sucker for French onion dip, so I was equally a sucker those same flavors in hot dog form.

The original Meatwave concept was less about cooking and more about creating a time to hang out with friends regularly during the warm months, and that's still my driving force for keeping this thing going. I have a bigger crowd these days though, from the seven folks at that kickoff to the nearly forty that showed for this Twentieth Meativersary. I didn't end up getting snaps of every single person in attendance, but here are some of the amazing people who make these cookouts so special, starting with Bryan, Evan, Meredith, and Jenny here.

And another fine looking bunch with Christina, Chelsea, Farrell, Kim, and Leslie.

Next we have Juliana, Cody, and Kris. One thing I don't do anymore now that so many people show up is take photos of all the great menu contributions everyone makes, but I have to call out the amazing little apple pies Juliana made based off of a 1971 Dinah Shore cookbook recipe.

On the couch we have Dan, Mary, Sue, and Josh. Josh brought a keg of beer specially brewed for The Federal that only further made this day extra special.

Another concept of the original Meatwave was for it to become a way to meet new friends, and I'm happy to say that's still happening today as Chris brought new-to-Durham folks Kellyn and her husband and child (apologies for not remembering their names right now). Also in this photo is Anna, who Chris was also responsible for getting to come out, and her family has quickly become regulars.

Another great feature of the longevity of this event is getting to see all the littles grow up. In previous years, Brooks would almost always shy away from the camera, but when I asked for a photo on this day, she happily smiled along with Ethan, who rightfully did not stop eating.

I wanted to make sure to capture Alice's awesome haircut—she hadn't even been born when we first moved to Durham!

And I like to end the friend round-up with my biased opinion of best, Betty! Like everyone, Betty enjoyed the perfect weather, all the great company, and getting in some delicious dishes (Betty's bites were more opportunistic than most). I couldn't have asked for a better anniversary event, or a start of the season. As much as I love it all, I can't say I see myself doing this another twenty years, but then again, my 2004 self probably would have said the same thing...and here we are.

Published on Thu Apr 25, 2024 by Joshua Bousel

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