The American Royal featuring El Fuego Fiasco - Day 5

What better way to start off the New Year than with the 5th episode of The American Royal featuring barbecue team El Fuego Fiasco. This episode they battle with chicken, ribs, pulled pork and brisket as they struggle to get them in on time to avoid disqualification. How would you have done things differently?

As we all get ready to launch our resolutions for the new year I plan on being more consistent in providing you with new content. It's a fresh start and I look forward to bringing you another year of crazy intense MEAT on MEAT action.

Party On!!!
Sean Rice
aka MEAT ME

MEAT as Art: KickStarter Project

Being a huge fan of MEAT as well as someone who can't go a day without even thinking about it. I bring you A Dollar a Pound - MEAT as Art - February 2013 Exhibit: KickStarter Project. This is art by Gregory Dane Sabin featuring MEAT. He needs your support and donations. You can go to this LINK to check it out or see below.

Exhibit scheduled for February 2013, exhibiting my most recent series of meat themed paintings. Beauty & brutality, all in one exhibit.

I have an exhibit secured for February 2013 -  the location will be announced as soon as the date is confirmed. I'm proud to be showing my recent paintings in a premier butcher shop in Los Angeles. Yes, that's right. My exhibit will be in a butcher shop. I felt that a gallery setting was far too sterile for this body of work.

My paintings are inspired my the classic still lifes of Rembrandt, that included freshly butchered meat, fowl and the like, as well as French painter Chaim Soutine. Most recently, Francis Bacon, the master of raw brutality, has been a huge influence.

Although several paintings have been completed, there is much more to be done in the next few weeks, and I am requesting sponsorship to obtain costly additional supplies and canvas, framing materials, and general promotion of the exhibit and the opening reception, i.e., printed postcards, postage, etc.

Thank for your sponsorship consideration!

Gregory Dane Sabin

RISKS AND CHALLENGES Learn about accountability on Kickstarter

My biggest challenge with this exhibit will be the physical display of my work. The butcher shop that is hosting this exhibit has limited wall space, so the challenge will be to design special framing so that the paintings can hang from the ceiling. After the reception, the paintings will be exhibited for several weeks, so they need to be easily viewed, but as the same time not interfere with the day to day business of this very busy retail space.

In the mean time... Hang tight and I will have more MEAT content for you in the New Year

Happy New Year,
Sean Rice
aka MEAT ME

The American Royal featuring El Fuego Fiasco - Day 4

Yes, the long awaited episode 4 is finally here. Day 4 with the BBQ Team El Fuego Fiasco as they set up at The American Royal, prep their meat, enjoy a little party time with the thousands of people, and actually come to realize that their dream of competing in The American Royal invitational is finally coming true This is a short documentary that gives you and in site into what it's like to be a BBQ team competing on the largest BBQ stage in the US. Come join me as we embark on this amazing adventure.

I would like to THANK YOU all for your continued support. Things are looking up and getting better.

Stay tuned,
Sean Rice
aka MEAT ME

What the HELL is going on with MEAT ME?

I am sure a lot of you have been wondering, bitching, complaining; all completely justified, where the HELL is the new content. You saw episode 3 of The American Royal and then nothing... Well I would like to take a moment to tell you (even though statistically you hate content that has nothing to do with actual MEAT).

MEAT ME is literally just ME, aka Sean Rice. I am a one man show and I do the best I can to bring you the latest and greatest MEAT content. I do the shooting, the editing, the writing, the interviews, the photos and managing the social media.

After I got back from "fooding" in New Orleans I needed to end an unhealthy relationship that I was living in for 4 years, each day I was suffering from multiple anxiety attacks a day and need to end this abusive relationship.

I was called upon by my parents 3 months ago and asked to move in and take care of my 83 year old grandma. The move took a huge weight off my back but slowly I become unhappy again. Being a caretaker did not involved taking care of me. I am still trying to build on my own freelance graphic business, but was still in need of unemployment, which comes to an end in January.

I currently owe a devastating $310,000 to the IRS from a failed business in 200. Hopefully come Monday, I'll have started filing for Chapter 7. Since the IRS audit in 2008, the same day I got out of a 96 hour jail sentence from a DUI (my second), I have been a slave to IRS lawyers and now my Bankruptcy attorney. Don't worry it gets better.

The stress keeps mounting and the anxiety keeps getting worse. The end result is no appetite. None. I go to these BBQ events and I take a few bites and can't eat a thing. The only positive thing I have going for me is; being that there is nothing to do in the San Fernando Valley I found myself at the gym everyday doing Zumba and Body Pump classes at the 24hr Fitness in Santa Clarita. Since September 5th I have gone from 238 pounds to 193 pounds. That is a total of 44 pounds in exactly 3 months, I'm in the best shape in my life.

I should be feeling pretty great about myself, right? No, I sleep on a couch in my office and usually only get out of the house for the gym, my group anxiety workshop on Fridays, and the occasional bowling night with a buddy. I hate being alone. I am extremely codependent and I have no one to center my life around to be my source of security, happiness, and self worth.

So when I returned from The American Royal in Kansas City, being the obsessive codependent that I am, I fell in love with a beautiful Latin women I got to know really well over Facebook. We hit the ground running for a full 2 weeks. I was in heaven, not to mention she was beautiful, a huge MEAT ME fan, and loved the exact same things I do. It was one of those "To good to be true". I gave up everything tying to protect this feeling. Then, SURPRISE! She disappeared. Ultimately my emotional insecurity, need, and dependency scared her away and left me destroyed.

I spent so much time worrying if she really liked me, if she felt the same way, what did every word, text, and look mean. My biggest fear was losing her and being alone. The very thing I was trying to control happened and it was my own fault.

I got sick with strep throat and was laid out for the last 2 weeks, it forced me to realize that my life needed to change. I was a wreck at my last anxiety work shop and I needed to figure out how to get myself back. I needed to focus on me. While listening to Love Line on KROQ with Dr. Drew Pinsky one night on my way home from the gym, I heard someone call in with the same issue I had "relationship retardation" they recommended the book Codependent No More: How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself.

I got it. It made me realize that I spend about 90% of my brain worrying about things I can't control and letting others control me by trying to fix them. People are who they are, you either accept them or move on. This is what I am asking you to do with me. It is not easy for me be vulnerable and share this with you but I have realized we are often not along and there is someone going through the exact same thing. Being vulnerable is your greatest strength it can only help.

I apologize for depriving you of being current, leaving you hungry and entertaining content. Next Wednesday the 14th I will have episode 4 of the American Royal up for you to enjoy.

That will be followed by:
3 More episodes of the American Royal Featuring El Fuego Fiasco

3 Cooking Episodes with Ari Elle Johanna from "Things I Make In My Kitchen"

1 Episode of Christie's Butterfly Walk and Slater's 50/50

1 Santa Anita BBQ Competition

1 Episode featuring "The Great Meat Cookbook"

I appreciate your time and listening to me. This is my therapy and you guys have always been the greatest part about MEAT ME. I appreciate all of your love and support. Now I hope to be my best you.

Thank You,

Sean Rice

aka MEAT ME

The American Royal featuring El Fuego Fiasco - Day 3

Day 3 with the BBQ Team El Fuego Fiasco as they get set to drop of their trailer at The American Royal, do some last minute prep and enjoy a last meal of sorts. This is a short documentary that gives you and in site into what it's like to be a BBQ team competing on the largest BBQ stage in the US. Come join me as we embark on this amazing adventure.

IMPORTANT NEWS!

Please keep Mike Weiss of El Fuego Fiasco in your prayers. He just had his right testicle removed last Thursday. The doctor just called and it did turn out to be cancer. Fortunately it's the best form. It was Semonoma in the very earliest stages and was isolated to the inside of the testicle. Moving forward he'll be going to specialist for further x-rays to be concrete that it didn't spread. The likelihood that it spread he said is infantile and that he will not need kemo at this time. They will simply monitor for the years to come. Not the best news but we're all very happy it wasn't worse.

He thanks everyone for keeping him in your prayers and most of all thanks for all the great new nicknames he now has.

I would like to take a moment and thank Mike for everything he has done for me and MEAT ME and wish him the best in recovery and the loss of his testicle.

GOD BLESS BUDDY!
Sean Rice
aka MEAT ME

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"The American Royal" featuring El Fuego Fiasco - Day 2

After a long needed good nights sleep we could finally see the end of the finish line in Kansas City, MO. In this episode we scarf down some of the best fried chicken the midwest has to offer as we find our selves in another pickle with the trailer but as least we have the other team mates, Josh and Chris to help us out.

Stay tuned as we face the freezing cold in preparation for the start of the American Royal in Kansas City.

Party On!
Sean Rice
aka MEAT ME

"The American Royal" featuring El Fuego Fiasco - Day 1

This is Day 1 of my journey following El Fuego Fiasco on their trip to compete in The America Royal BBQ Competition in Kansas City, MO. Mike Weiss, Mike Sanchez and I make it all the way to Oklahoma on Tuesday night October 2nd 2012.

Until Tomorrow,
Sean Rice
aka MEAT ME

The American Royal: A Daily Documentary on El Fuego Fiasco

Starting October 1st I will be leaving with the El Fuego Fiasco BBQ team as they take on their life long dream of competing at The American Royal in Kansas City, MO. I will be traveling with them, living with them and video tapping every moment of their journey. I start the second they pack up and leave  to the actual cook at the competition finishing to the day they return.

The American Royal BBQ Competition is the largest in the US with just over 500 teams it is often considered the Olympics of BBQ. Teams travel from all over the US and the world to be crowned champion of this awesome event.

On this trip you will get a chance to meet several different teams, see what everyone is cooking, as well as what El Fuego Fiasco will go thru as they try and get their name into the BBQ Hall of Fame.

I will be filming almost every moment so you will get a chance to see the good the bad, and the ugly moments during this great competition. If you haven't see El Fuego Fiasco in action you're in for quiet a treat.

If you are competing at this event and would like to be apart of this special short or would just like to say hello please feel free to hit me up on twitter @meatemblog or by email meatmeblog(at)gmail.com. I look forward to bringing you this amazing event as well as an in depth look into what it's like to be El Fuego Fiasco.

For more information about El Fuego please check them out on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/elfuegofiasco for more information on The American Royal please go to: http://www.americanroyal.com/events.aspx?f=1&sf=all&view=ListView&c=15

You can get my LIVE up to date info on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/MeatMeBlog or you can hit me up directly on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/meatmeblog or @meatmeblog works for instagram as well.

For T-Shirts feel free to email me @ meatmeblog(at)gmail.com there is a list and I am about 3 weeks out, so look out for the fresh new designs on Facebook.

Join the Fiasco!
Sean Rice
aka MEAT ME

Harry Soo's Barbecue 101 Class: An Overview

If you have come to this blog post in hopes of learning all of Harry Soo's secrets... You are going to be disappointed. You still have to take his class. I'm just giving you an in depth look into what I enjoyed and a summary of all of the information that Harry covers. 

I love to BBQ, I am no professional by any means but I do like to consider myself an avid novice. One day I make amazing ribs that I would compare to some of the top 10 I have tasted at competitions; and some days it's bland undercooked mishmash. I have seen and been told some of the best ways to BBQ by the best teams in the US and I still can't get it right. I try to BBQ when I can but like many of you, I still struggle with consistency in my final product. 

I think of it like bowling; it looks like you're just rolling a ball down a lane. How hard can it be, right? You won't know until you try it. This is one of the aspects that I enjoyed about Harry Soo's class. It's very hands on. Your not just watching him do it, you get to try it yourself with real time feed back. 

The class cost $349 per student for each class, so Harry squeezes in tons of information. You meet at 7:45 am at his home and are there till about 3 to 5 pm. You can't put a time on BBQ, it's done when it's done. Here is a list of what Harry covers in his class:

How to light a fire
How to make your own rubs and sauces
How to prepare chicken, ribs, pork, brisket, and tri-tip
How to prepare injections and marinades
Detailed instructions on cooking methods
Equipment and Accessories
Overview of BBQ contests and judging
Cooking long-haul Brisket and Pork Butts
Cooking spareribs, St. Louis Ribs, and Baby Back Ribs
Cooking Tri-Tip Santa Maria Style
Cooking Half Chickens and Chicken Thighs
Cooking Sausages and Links
Answering your grilling and BBQ problems and questions
Certificates and Conclusion

What's special thing about Harry is no matter where he is, he is always experimenting. Today Harry smoked a red wattle pig raised at Cooks Pig Ranch - one of the pig producers featured right here on MEAT ME. Raised locally and supplied to nearby restaurants and cooks like Harry Soo.

This particular class, we had the opportunity to be joined by Harry's fiancé, Donna, from the Professional BBQ Team "Butcher's Daughter". Along with Harry's expertise, we got to hear Donna's technique on the same process. Here Donna talks about temperature and what type of bark color to look for.

Harry goes over the details of what to look for when smoking a whole hog on a Daniel Boone Deluxe Pellet Smoker. He is giving away this particular model on his site. I would look for it on his giveaways page.

After discussing different types of smokers Harry goes over the specifics of barbecue safety and food handeling. Harry gets right into it with how to make the perfect rub to use on your meats.

After a quick taste test, we're off to sampling different sauces that Harry uses with his barbecuing and how each effects the final flavor.

Without missing a beat we are mixing the injection we will be using on both the brisket and pork butt. Since the brisket takes longer to smoke than the class allows we check in on one that was started the night before to get an understanding of where your bark is at and what to look for when it's finished.

Before injecting the meats, Harry discusses the different ways to trim the 2 meats; one that he would recommend for backyard smoking and one that he uses in competition.

Once the injections are mixed and sampled we each take turns injecting each piece of meat so we know exactly what to look for when we are do it on our own. Harry has a list of recommended products to use on his website which help with the learning curve.

After injections, it is time to start applying the rub to the meat. Harry covers the various ways in which to apply the rub as well as what to avoid. We all take turns using Harry's technique.

Donna is working on a special lamb recipe that she is using for a competition where you aren't allowed to use any modern day products. I don't mind the extra meat. I'll take whatever I can get. It was delicious.

You can't barbecue without a fire. Harry covers that too. From the type of coals and wood to keeping the fire burning for a whole 16 - 18 hours.

Once the meat is prepped it is ready to go on the the Weber Smokey Mountain where he talks about various ways of keeping the fire up to temperature.

The brisket is ready to be wrapped so everyone takes turns using Harry's technique. Sauce the meat, then wrap it. You have to make sure to keep the air out.

Trimming spare ribs is done in a very specific manner. Each person gets a chance to cut as well as remove the membrane.

Tri-Tip not to be confused with Bi-Tip (just kidding - there's no such thing) is then smoked differently with a piece of wood on the grill as opposed to a traditional smoker.

Harry and Donna have different styles of trimming chicken and they both show you the right way. There is no wrong way - each is unique to the cook.

After everyone gets a chance to cut chicken, it's time to season and prepare it to go in the smoker.

The epic pig is done and delicious. Stuffed from head to toe - it really is a delicious treat.

Harry also sears up some sashimi grade tuna, that is also seasoned with the rub we created at the beginning of the day. After preparing all that food it is finally time to eat.

Delicious and perfectly cooked try-tip side by side with some pork butt. Harry makes sure everyone taste the "Money Muscle"!

Brisket, done! I always look for the jiggle test. Shake the table and if the top of the brisket moves in the opposite direction of the bottom, 9 times out of 10 it's perfect.

The chicken is done and ready to be sauced, along with the ribs.

Finally after all that information we stuff our faces and talk shop about what we just learned compared to what we thought we knew.

It's official: my Certificate Of Completion. I did it! Now lets see if I can put it to good use. That will come next month.

As you can see, everyone in the class is pretty happy with their barbecue experience. Harry covers so much information it's impossible to write it all down. He does supply you with a note book that contains all the information that he covers in the class. When ever there is subjective material, he does expect you to write down what your prefer.

All in all, it was a pretty awesome class and when I was finished I was pretty overwhelmed with all the information I had just taken in. If I had any criticism it would be that Harry covers too much information in a barbecue 101 class, but then again I am sure if he covered less people would complain that were wasn't enough.

People come from all over to take his class so he has to make it worth it. One man rode out from Maryland on a motorcycle so you know his class is to be taken seriously.

You can find out more about Harry Soo's class at: http://www.slapyodaddybbq.com/classes-2/

DON'T MISS OUT! The first week of October is the American Royal and I will be doing a traveling documentary with El Fuego Fiasco as they embark on thier first trip out to Kansas City, MS. I will be launching videos and photos daily with exciting updates.

Look out - for what I believe - to be one of the most exciting adventures to hit MEAT ME!

Barbecue is No Joke!
Sean Rice
aka MEAT ME

Free Styling Sushi with BBQ: Exit Through the BBQ Joint

If you have ever seen the movie Exit Through the Gift Shop then you know what kind of excitement exists in the underground graffiti scene. Imagine what the excitement would be like if you were able to do the same with food. In my last Blog Post, I wrote about all the Bluefin Tuna that Danny Fischer of Baby Blues BBQ caught.  Danny decided we need to make art with it so he called up his close friends and sushi chef’s Ed Arai, Manzo Kitaura, and Doug Miriello to come out to Baby Blues for a night and make what every they wanted using that magnificent, fresh fish. When Danny invited me to the bash, I knew I was in for a treat.

When I first showed up you would have thought it was an ordinary barbecue restaurant. Once I walked into the kitchen, I could see all the awesomeness that was being done in the back of the shop. Ed was prepping some blue fin with a brine as the others start whipping together combinations of their own. As the chefs start prepping their food, they started bouncing ideas off each other as they sorted through the barbecue ingredients they were all limited to using.

As wives, friends and children start spoon testing the food, the chefs starts sprinkling ingredients in to their mixing bowls and finding inspiration from each other. It starts to feel like something special is taking place. It feels like we are in a back alley at night, spray painting with food, using colors that have never been mixed before.

This was taking chefs out of their natural environment and adding the element of spontaneity. It has always been my dream to have a restaurant that sourced its own local meat and featured a different chef every week - inviting people from around the world to really push that creative element without money or superiors being the driving force. Letting the passion be the key ingredient in every dish.

Each one of these chefs has just finished a full day of work so being able to come here and experiment is bringing out their best. As the dishes started to take shape my taste buds start to get blown away. I get a chance to talk with Ed Arai to see what it is like to fuse barbecue and sushi.

MEAT ME: What is your culinary background?

Ed Arai: I started off in sushi by accident. I did it for a number of years. I got pretty good at it and I could have made a living doing sushi for the rest of my life but I felt kind of typecast, you know? It was very one-dimensional and I wasn’t fulfilled doing that part of my art. It was great because your in front of people all the time - I’m free styling - I didn’t work off a set menu because the was done by the rest of the guys that worked for me.

I didn’t want to be working behind a bar, partying all the time, I needed to take my job more seriously. Then Wolfgang Puck and his guys scooped me up and I started teaching sushi to his people.

I picked it up really quick and I opened up a few restaurants in LA. I opened up a gastro pub called Angel in Santa Monica. The stylistic aspect was more of a New York gastro pub. Then I went back to sushi briefly and that’s where I got my chops back, because it’s something you have to practice.

Then I got offered to run Katsuya, Hollywood and be their head chef there. The problem was they already had a set menu and I would just be running their restaurant for them. I basically got tired of being a surrogate. I got offered the Disney gig around the same time which I eventually chose because they have fine dining, freedom over the menu, and I could order what ever I want. It was a test kitchen basically. They built a state of the art 1.1 million dollar kitchen. It was any chef’s dream job and, on top of it, you get to work from 7 am to 4 pm Monday through Friday – which is incredible!

Being amongst the living was really important. I worked at night for over 15 years straight. It burned me out not doing normal shit and being resentful that I was on the other end of the party. I had this opportunity and took it.

MEAT ME: So what is your past experience with barbecue?

Ed Arai: Well, I studied a lot of books on cooking with live fire. When I was at my peek with sushi, I met Danny and Rick (Danny’s business partner) when Baby Blues in Venice was just crackin’. We would both go and see each other and that’s how we became friends. In Venice, 3 to 4 years ago, there wasn’t a lot of interesting food for the people; it was more the upper echelon. Danny and Rick are very easy to talk to and get along with so I felt like I was in some kind of crew with those guys. Then they moved on to Hollywood and I moved on to other things.

I studied cooking on live fire at home. I have got a lot of great cooking elements in my kitchen and I learned a lot of barbecue when I redid the Boardner’s menu in Hollywood about 7 years ago. Boardner’s is the second oldest bar in Hollywood. I went in there for about 6 months and did more All American food. I got really familiar with grilling and cooking with fire.

A friend of mine’s mom writes cookbooks for Weber and she got me all these books and I just started reading and reading. We tried to do what I did in the sushi bar with the raw, but cook the same way we did tonight - searing with live fire and dry rub.

I like to take other people’s elements from their kitchen and work them in. It is so easy to do traditional sushi, but it’s a lot more interesting when you can infuse other flavors.

For example - the seared tuna that I did, I wanted to do more of a steak feeling out of it; a red meat kind of taste and manipulate the flavor.

Tuna’s texture is very close to a very tender steak. It’s hearty, rich, and bloody, so that’s what I was thinking tonight. I saw that they already brought in a sushi chef and I had kind of figured that they were going to do tartare kind of stuff. I just wanted to do something completely different and off the cuff.

MEAT ME: Have you ever combined sushi and barbecue before?

Ed Arai: Yeah. I make a lot of my own rubs and sauces. I’ve done a lot with barbecuing eel. I’ve also done a lot of different sweet sauces because barbecue sauce has more of a sweet tomato base to it; to go with sushi. I guess the next step is combining more interesting colors and flavors.

MEAT ME: Would you ever find yourself coming together with a few other chef’s, where the food was provided and you had the opportunity to free style with these other chefs?

Ed Arai: Yeah. I’m always excited to work with other people. That is why I was cool when I saw the other sushi chef. You see what they’re doing and it pushes you to be more creative and spontaneous.

MEAT ME: Would you ever see a barbecue-sushi fusion come out and hit the main stream? Get this concept out of the alleys and into the streets?

Ed Arai: I think so. I think it is a great combination. There are so many different realms to sushi. There is fine dining sushi, mid range sushi, and then the cheap all you can eat sushi. That is the same for barbecue, different types of meat, different grades of meat, different regions. I think it would be an interesting combination if it’s done right.

There is so much you can do with beef sashimi. You can have raw meat and raw fish, and then combining the 2 flavors. A lot of people like combining their Kobe beef with their sushi. That’s nice, but I think it would be a fun challenge to create an entire menu like that.

MEAT ME: Can you walk me through the dish you prepared tonight?

Ed Arai: I realized that the other guys were gonna do things on the fly so I wanted to create something that was a good closer. I wanted take my time and season and grill off the vegetables so it was a hearty, composed salad. For the tuna I let it brine for about 25 minutes or so with kosher salt this is so it absorbs the flavor of the salt and brine into the tuna. I brine my chickens, my tuna - I brine everything! It just tastes so much better. It’s worth that extra 20 to 30 minutes of just letting it soak in the salt.

The salt brine is the closest to saline in human blood and I want to seal in that flavor. Then I took their Baby Blues Beef Rub which I think has brown sugar, cayenne, paprika, and I put in some dried thyme with a few other herbs. It was really heavy so I added some coarse black pepper to give it a little bit more of a spice and then I let the tuna absorb the dry rub for another 15 to 20 minutes.

Then I rolled the fish in olive oil - it was just really making money on the outside, making sure to preserve the flavor of the fish while that flavor comes at you in layers. When you bite into the tuna, first you taste the flavor of the seasoning, you don’t have to use soy sauce or anything because you want it to cook just in its own flavor. Then I just sear it a minute on each side at the most to keep the inside rare. It has the effect of a steak.

After it was cooked, I topped it with a salad dressing that I made.  The dressing is almost like your traditional balsamic vinegar with mustard. I was a little limited on my choices. If I had the options I have in my pantry at work it would be a different story. I sometimes do some private cooking in people’s homes and it is interesting to see what people have; making pastas and dressing out of what they have in their pantry.

MEAT ME: That’s very interesting, I have never thought about that.

Ed Arai: It’s like a painting. You have a vision in your head and you want it to be a certain way, but your limited to your supplies and what you have on hand. You just have to make the most of it and it seems like people really liked the way things turn out.

MEAT ME: Yeah! I think the fish was pretty amazing. It was unexpected and at the same time fun and tasty.

Ed Arai: That’s something that I would put on my menu. If I was going to have a special … Everyone has the expectation that tuna is going to be served a certain way. Like soy sauce with wasabi and it’s delicious, but the trick, just like any magician, is surprising people with something they would never expect.

When everyone tasted the fish with the grilled Portobello mixed in with the dish, it really gave it that steak-y effect. That’s exactly what gets me off; seeing people eat and then (you can see it in their eye’s) it’s unexpected but to a different level. It’s not like a predictable “oh it’s supposed to be good”… I like to catch you off guard.

MEAT ME: Yea, if you looked at Danny when he tastes it, I would describe it as “Eye Opening”.

Ed Arai: It’s fun. He gets so animated just like a cartoon character. He was just grabbing the fish off the cutting board and saying “What the fuck? That’s really good!”, and that’s the thrill in cooking. That’s why I love doing this.

Before I came tonight I was having dinner with my boss and she was like, “Why you do you have to go cook somewhere else? Are you trying to go get a job elsewhere?” I was like, “No, you should be glad to have a chef that works for you that enjoys cooking”. I am not doing it to get anything out of it other than seeing people enjoy my art and for me to be creative.

I am pretty whipped tonight. I worked a full day today and yesterday. Last night I did the same thing at Baby Blues BBQ Venice where I did 5 different courses of sushi, sashimi, and salad. I didn’t have the other guys last night, it was so nice to have the other guys there and to be able to enjoy myself, have some cocktails and chit-chat. That’s the hole reason we do these things, right?

MEAT ME: Absolutely.

Ed Arai: I do have that tendency to go to dinner parties and kind of take them over… I didn’t want to do that tonight. I’ll go to a girls house for a party and I’ll be like, “No, no, no girl, you don’t want to cook like that. Let me show you.” Teaching is fun.

If someone can take something away from that evening and show it so someone else with a different interpretation, you have gone beyond your expectations that day.

As exciting as this was for both the chefs and the people who got to experience this tasty art, I think I can get the ball rolling on my dream. With that said if you are interested in partaking in an event like this please contact me meatmeblog(at)gmail.com. I am looking for chefs, cooks, barbecue-ers, pastry chefs, food suppliers and restaurants that would be interested in being apart of such a creative and unique event like this.

As the elements start to come together I will keep you up to date as to where and when the first event will take place, what chefs will be featured, who will be supplying the food, what restaurant will be offering up their space and how you can get tickets.

Break out your hoodies and you food spray cans ‘cause it’s about to get crazy.

Written and Photographed by Sean Rice, Edited by Aaron Black (Meat, Inc.)

Keep it Underground,
Sean Rice
Aka MEAT ME
meatmeblog(at)gmail.com