It is no real stretch to say that cod is the most consumed fish around the world. Whether you enjoy it as fish and chips, in a stew, or just on its own, the mild flavor, firm, meaty texture and year round availability makes cod an ideal protein. The name cod, however, doesn’t actually refer to a specific fish. Instead cod refers to a family of fish, all with similar traits but minor differences, which makes knowing what fish you’re getting complicated if it’s not labeled correctly.

Some varieties of cod are better than others for a number of reasons. Some species have been over-fished. Others are fished in waters that don’t employ sustainable fishing practices, and still, others aren’t actually cod.

To help you make sense of what’s what, we’ve put together a quick guide to help you make a better decision.

Atlantic Cod
Also known as Whitefish or Scrod, Atlantic cod is what has been historically used for Fish and Chips. However, because of over-fishing, most Fish and Chips is made with Alaskan Cod or Pollock. Atlantic Cod is still available on the market but look for fish that has been caught with hand lines in the US.

Pacific Cod
Also sold as Alaskan Cod, True Cod, Grey Cod, Tara, and Codfish, Pacific Cod is equal in flavor and texture to Atlantic Cod. Fish from Alaska is considered the best choice because the population is healthy. Avoid Pacific Cod from Japan and Russia as those waters have been over-fished.

Black Cod
Also known as Sablefish and Blackfish, Black Cod is not actually a true cod. Most of this buttery fish is exported to Japan. Black Cod is known to mature faster and has a long life span which means they can reproduce faster and longer making them a more sustainable option. This fish is often used as a substitute for Chilean Sea Bass.

Lingcod
Also called Buffalo Cod, Bluefish or White Cod, Ling Cod is a bottom dwelling fish that got its name because of its resemblance to cod and to ling fish, but not because it is in fact cod. It is a favorite fish for recreation fishermen on the West Coast.

Rockfish
Most often sold as Rock Cod or Red Snapper, this fish shares many of the same traits as cod, though it is neither a cod nor a snapper. Rockfish can live a long time. But, they also take a long time to mature. So, they are vulnerable to overfishing. Try to find rockfish caught in California waters as that population is healthy.

Pollock
Pollock or Alaskan Pollock is a species of cod, and considered to be the world’s most plentiful fish. It is oilier and has a stronger flavor than Alaskan Cod. Pollock is the fish most often used to make imitation crab.

Here are some great recipes from our blog, The Kitchen Table… Read more…

If you are a fan of BBQ, you will know that the offerings and sauces will vary depending on region. Texas is known for their brisket, the Carolinas have their pork, and in Memphis it is all about the ribs. For California, it’s Tri-Tip.

Tri-Tip has an interesting history as it wasn’t always available for retail. It was discovered by accident in the 1950s by a butcher in Southern California who started roasting it on a spit and slicing it up for sandwiches. Its popularity took off from there.

The Tri-Tip Roast is the triangular section at the bottom of the sirloin cut of the cow. Because of its location, Tri-Tip was originally thought to be too tough to eat and was sold as stew meat or ground into hamburger. When seasoned with a dry rub and grilled though, the 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 pound lean roast is tender and full-flavored.

A single Tri-Tip can feed four to five people. And, if you are lucky enough to have leftovers, the sliced meat will make fantastic roast beef sandwiches the next day.

Though a dry rub of salt pepper and garlic is the most authentic way to prepare your Tri-Tip, we like this marinade to give it just a little bit more flavor….

Santa Maria Style Tri-Tip Marinade
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Memorial Day is the official kick-off to summer and the backyard grilling season. Though steaks and burgers seem like the obvious choice for something hot off the grill, we thought we’d go a different route and talk about spare ribs and baby back ribs.

Pork ribs are tasty whether you cook them indoors or outside on the grill. There are two basic types of pork ribs—spare ribs and baby back ribs. And, which style you choose is totally up to personal preference. To help you make the choice, here are the differences between the two.

Baby Back Ribs
Baby back ribs can also be sold as pork loin back ribs, back ribs or loin ribs. Pork ribs are cut from where the ribs meet the spine of the pig after the loin is removed. The upper ribs are the ribs called baby back ribs because they are shorter in relation to the bigger spare ribs. (Baby Back ribs have nothing to do with baby pigs.)

Each baby back rib rack can have anywhere from 10 to 13 ribs that are 3 to 6 inches long. The average weight of a rack is 1-1/2 to 2 pounds and will feed up to two people. Baby Back ribs are very tender and lean. But, because they are higher in demand, the price can be higher as well.

Pork Spare Ribs
Spare ribs can also be sold as St. Louis Style Spare Ribs. They are the meatier ribs that are cut from the belly of the pig. They are flatter than baby back ribs, which makes them easier to brown on the grill.

Spare ribs have more bone in them but they also contain a higher amount of fat, which gives the ribs more flavor when properly cooked. A slab of spare ribs will weigh 2-1/2 or more pounds and can feed three to four people. And they tend to be less expensive than baby backs.

Cooking
No matter which style you choose, both spare ribs and baby back ribs require low heat and a long cooking time to result in tender fall-off-the-bone ribs. They are great for smoking, grilling, braising, and even roasting. To make things a little easier, you can roast the ribs in a low oven for a couple of hours and finish them on the grill.

Since both styles are cooked the same way, you can substitute baby back ribs for spare ribs and vice versa. Just note that because they are smaller, if you substitute baby backs for spare ribs, you will need to almost double the amount to feed the same number of people.

Conversely, if you substitute spare ribs for baby backs, you will need to be aware that they will take longer to cook and plan accordingly. Baby Backs take about  1-1/2 hours to 2 hours to cook at 300º F. Spare ribs can take 2-1/2 to 3 hours.

Seasoning
Both sauces and spice rubs will work well with your pork ribs, and they are great marinated, too. We recommend Oakland Dust’s Rub for Pork and Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce for a classic flavor.

And if you are looking for a great marinade recipe, try one of our all-time favorites—Oriental Barbecued Ribs from Bon Appetit Magazine in 1968. (Yes the dark ages, hence the embarrassing name).

For many of us, the arrival of Spring and the celebrations of Passover and Easter mean one thing, lamb. Of course, lamb can also be seen as a symbol of the “re-birth” of the land as it passes out of the fallowness of winter and into more fertile times. However you look at it, lamb remains one of the most popular meats consumed during the spring.

Because lamb can be expensive, more often than not it is eaten as part of a celebratory meal rather than a mid-week dinner—though shoulder chops are a quick and tasty meal when done on the grill.

Lamb is fairly easy to prepare and does not require much more than time and a thermometer to make it turn out great. Rack of Lamb is probably the most elegant offering you could choose, but a gorgeous leg of lamb can be an impressive centerpiece.

Leg of Lamb is a versatile and tender cut of the lamb. It can weigh anywhere from 5 to 9 pounds and can be sold in many different forms. It can be boned and butterflied so that it can be cooked on a grill or it can be boned, rolled, tied and roasted.

You can also buy a half leg of lamb. This is sold in two parts: the shank end is less meaty and can be tougher or the sirloin end which has more meat and is considerably more tender. Either would make a great roast for a family since they usually only weigh 3 to 4 pounds each.

Price-wise, the most economical way to serve lamb to a crowd of 8 to 10 people would be to buy a full leg of lamb.

Preparation is easy. Coat the lamb with your favorite coating or marinade and roast it in the oven at 350º F, or until the internal temperature reaches 115-120º F for a rare lamb, 130-140º F for a medium roast. Before serving, allow it to stand for 20 minutes, loosely covered.

This chart is a great reference for times and temperatures for cooking lamb. You might want to bookmark this page for future reference.

Mustard-Rosemary Paste for Lamb
Adapted from The Complete Meat Cookbook: A Juicy and Authoritative Guide to Selecting, Seasoning, and Cooking Today’s Beef, Pork, Lamb, and Veal by Bruce Aidells and Denis Kelly

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