How to throw the ultimate cannabis barbecue – MEDCAN24

Now that summer’s officially in full swing, it’s time to enjoy these long warm evenings with some backyard fun—and what could be more fun than getting high with some of your friends while enjoying a great meal? What would the cannabis barbeque look like? We’ve always thought of barbecues in our backyards as an opportunity to eat burgers with beer.

Jordan Wagman was a James Beard Award winner chef known for crafting cannabis-infused meals for private parties in North America. He gave us some inspiration and insight. Wagman, a Canadian born chef, is confident that he has the skills to create a Fourth of July Cannabis BBQ. He laughs, “This is a moment when I am proud to show my US passport.”

The Sauce

It doesn’t matter where you barbecue. You can make a variety of foods on a grill. These include burgers, vegetables and more. Wagman explains that the secret lies in the sauce. When you are working on a hot barbecue, you would not necessarily begin basting the burgers and ribs at first. By the time it’d charred there would be no cannabis left,” he says, alluding to the fact that cannabis infusions are temperature-sensitive and that cannabinoids will denature at around 250 degrees. 

Wagman suggests using a standard sauce without cannabis throughout the cooking and marinating process. The addition of cannabis-infused products is only done at the very end. He says he will use an infused BBQ sauce to glaze the meat at the very end.

Wagman follows a science-based approach when serving salads or sides infused with cannabis. He says that the most important part is making sure all dressings and vinaigrettes have been well-emulsified so cannabis can be evenly distributed.

Emulsification is best achieved by vigorously shaking or blending the oil-based cannabis extracts with other ingredients in the dressing. Wagman, a cannabis expert, says salads with an infused oil dressing are great for preparing in advance. You can make salads the night prior by layering a large amount of ingredients that are wet on the bottom and adding some lettuce to the top. He says that all you have to do is add the dressing at the time. 

It’s so Sweet

Wagman’s cannabis BBQ also offers a variety of grilled desserts, including grilled dessert pizza. He says, “This is my favourite thing to do when grilling season comes around.”

Chef Wagman also gives advice on how to make baking easier for those who are not fond of it. Wagman offers a kitchen hack. Buy raw pizza dough from the supermarket and instead of using flour to work it, you can use olive oil. Then, get your grill hot and roll out the dough by hand. Place the dough directly onto the grill. You can use anything as a topping—marshmallow, almond butter, infused chocolates—just be creative! My favorite is melting some brie, blending it with dairy, and adding cannabis oil. Add sliced apple or pear to the grilled pizza for an amazing cheese and fruit pairing.

Wagman says that you can make drinks yourself at home using terpenes. Wagman says that the drinks are very terpene-heavy and can take many directions. A peach mango fizz is one of Wagman’s current favorites. The drink includes mango puree and coconut basil vinegar. This is then topped with peach puree infusing terpenes, lime juice and dried mango garnish. 

Wagman says that no matter how much you inject, it’s important to keep you and your guest comfortable and make sure they don’t get too high. He says that safety is always the priority. “If I were to ever be a host You can contact us by clicking here.Even if they are a guest in my house or I have a friend over, I only use products I purchased legally. “It’s important to have a tested product with efficacy so that you can dosing down to a milligram.” 

Wagman stresses the importance of evenly dispersed emulsions. Uneven dosing in the brownie pan can be caused by an improperly emulsified batter. As long as your cannabis is evenly distributed, it’s easy to do the math. The potency of each portion equals the amount of cannabis divided by the yield.

Fish Wish

What should you cook for the marijuana barbecue? Wagman shared a delicious recipe for an infused BBQ. When the grill’s busy cooking your burgers or brats you can bake a whole salmon in the oven and serve to the family. Add Jordan’s famously infused hot-sauce on top. Delish.

Roast Whole Fish

Servings: 4

Infused Hot Sauce 

• ½ cup (125 mL) cherry tomatoes
• Each basil leaf: 6
• ¼ cup (60 mL) chipotle peppers in adobe sauce
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) coconut or apple cider vinegar
• ¼ tsp (1 mL) cannabis oil or tincture
• ¼ tsp (1 mL) sea salt

Basil Puree   

• ¼ cup (60 mL) olive oil
• ¼ cup (60 mL) coconut or apple cider vinegar 
• ¼ cup (60 mL) basil leaves
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 each green onion
• ½ tsp (2 mL) sea salt
• ½ tsp (2 mL) freshly ground black pepper

Prepare Fish

• Clean and scale 4 whole fishes, each weighing approximately 16 oz (1lb). (see tips)
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
• ½ tsp (2 mL) sea salt
• Parchment paper
• Baking sheet

Directions

1. Combine cherry tomatoes with basil, vinegar, marijuana oil, and chipotle in a blender. Puree until smooth. Bring to a rolling boil, then remove from heat.
2. Blend basil, garlic green onions and olive oil in the blender until smooth. Place in a large bowl.
3. Heat oven to 400 F 
4. Make three parallel cuts, one inch apart, on both sides, starting at the tail and ending near the belly. 
5. Set aside. Season the fish with salt and olive oil.
6. Place the parchment into the cavity. Press down on the bottom edge of the parchment paper to make it flatten. This will allow the fish to stand up by itself. Repeat until you have all your fish on the parchment pedestal and place them in a hot oven.
7. Cook until the flesh and eyes have turned opaque (about 20-25 min). Take off heat and place aside. 
8. Divide hot sauce evenly and put in the middle of your plate. Pour the pureed basil on the top, and then place the fish over it. 
9. Serve instantly

Chef Jordan’s tips

Use your favourite fish.

Find out more about Chef Jordan by reading the latest issue of Cannabis Now.