Grilling the Unusual

When you are a child, anything your parents do is considered normal.

I remember my great uncle, a native from New Madrid, MO, placing what looked like the biggest hot dog I had ever seen on the grill.

Even my father was taken back by what he had saw.

"Uncle, what is that?" my dad asked.

"Boy, that there is a pig tail!" my uncle said.

After a tail had cooled off, my dad and I had shared one. The end was as crispy as a pig nose or snoot, and the other end was as flavorful and juicy as a rib. I was no stranger to a snoot or ribs, so the fusion was pure swine heaven.

From that day forward, my father grilled pig tails at every barbecue. At every occasion, he tries to lure a new victim into eating a tail. Also, with the word "tail" comes a list of innuendos.

From then on I have ventured out by grilling fish, seafood and vegetables. I found out that some vegetables can be grilled to go into a nice pasta, and now I look forward to it whenever possible. 

I believe that everyone's palate should take a journey, good or bad.

Although I am not Greek, I would like to travel to the Mediterranean just for the cuisine. The next time that you decide to grill, take yourself somewhere new.

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