Afghanistan’s first official ‘BBQ joint’ to move to U.S.
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Grilled chicken basted with butter and herbs waiting to be served.
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“Mr. Chief’s Grill Shack” officially ceased operations at its Afghanistan location and is relocating to Mississippi during the summer of 2010. “Mr. Chief’s” was located on a secluded part of a US Army Forward Operating Base (FOB) in east Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom XIV.
The idea started off small with Team barbeques every Friday and the concept grew. “We couldn’t get the Argentine-style grill grates made over here so I took a shot in the dark and emailed the company ‘Grillworks, Inc.’ of Michigan (www.grillery.com) and asked if they could help out. Next thing we know, the grill surfaces arrived in the mail.” claims the unit’s Grillmaster who was referred to as “Chief.” The concept took a life of it’s own at that point. “The grill grates needed a brick and mortar type of platform, so we built one. Since the Grillwork grates were high quality, we built the grill under our vehicle shack. Then came the picnic tables…then the tablecloths…then the condiments, and so on. We secretly kept some of our meats in the FOB’s refrigeration/freezer units till we could secure our own small units. The name came natural because a friend’s mom’s elementary class sent us Christmas cards and my envelopes read ‘Mr. Chief’. Like they say, the rest is history.”
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Grill chicken breasts brined in apple and pineapple juice rest on the cutting board before being sliced and served.
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The guys covertly received a business license from the local mayor, as well as permits from the appropriate military channels. Personnel from the dining facility also came by and privately blessed off on our food handling procedures. The meats were secured by calling in favors from friends at other locations in the country. Fresh vegetables and hard wood for the fire were purchased on the local economy. The entire Detachment pitched in at days end by helping with food preparation and maintaining the live fire. The menu rotated but featured items like fire grilled eggplants, ash roasted garlic and potatoes, lemon and garlic brined Cornish Hens, and honey herb glazed chicken breasts.
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Grilled ribeye steaks await their turn on the cutting board.
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“Mr. Chief’s” was considered the “most exclusive grill joint in the world” because it was invite only, everyone was armed, and it was located on a private Compound. Although there was no charge for the meal, very few people knew of its existence until the week it suspended operations. According to one of the people who ate there regularly, “The first rule about ‘Mr. Chief’s Grill Shack’ was you don’t talk about Mr. Chief’s Grill Shack…it was a place where select people relax 2-3 nights a week and forget about all of the drama associated with the war. We served people from every continent except for Antarctica; civilians, contractors and all services of the military – ranks private thru full Colonel.”
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Lemon and garlic brined Cornish hens with Italian sausages and bell peppers slow grill over Grillworks, inc. Argentine style V-shape grates.
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“Mr. Chief’s” will be built along with “Mae’s Soul Food” on an 8.5-acre lot off US Highway 84 in south central Mississippi. According to “Mr. Chief,” “It’s a shovel ready project. The business plan has been approved for funding, the land is paid for, the blueprints are complete, and all of the equipment, employees and contractors have been identified. I will look at adding in an Afghan Tandoori wood-fired oven since the camp’s two young bakers taught us how to make Afghan bread (naan) while we was here.”
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