10?’s with Rick Schaefer of Brock Masterson’s Catering

There’s rarely a festival in Dayton where you don’t find Brock Masterson’s hawking their “Down East” Blue Lump Crab Cakes, “Fatty” Reuben, Grilled Salmon  and Brock’s Legendary 3-Potato Hash.  There’s always a line, yet the food is so good it’s worth the wait. Brock Masterson’s Catering was founded in 1986 by Chef Rick Schaefer, and while catering is his main business, Brock Masterson’s can be found grilling out at over 20 festivals throughout Dayton region. But now you can also find Brock Masterson’s in your grocery store.  “Customers have been asking for years about the special blend of spices that we use to season our grilled meats, so bottling the spices for the customers just made sense,” said Rick Schaefer, Owner & Executive Chef of Brock Masterson’s.

Brock’s Dust, cooking & grilling spices come in four varieties:  Brock’s

Dust for Poultry, Beef, Seafood and Pork.  Each one is specifically formulated to enhance that type of meat.  Chef Rick suggests sprinkling the meat liberally before cooking, grilling or broiling, and then sprinkle Brock’s Dust again immediately before serving.

Brock’s Dust is available locally at all 3 Dorothy Lane Market locations, both Dot’sMarket locations, through our website www.brockmastersons.com or by visiting our booth at an upcoming festival.

And while we were talking with Rick about his new spice line, we insisted he do  10 question interview:

What is your favorite ingredient to cook with?

Butter, it just makes everything taste better and it’s God’s gift to the culinary universe.

 What ingredient do you dread?
Puff Pastry, it’s a pain to work with.

What’s your favorite dish to make?

 Parmesan encrusted Sea Bass with Buerre Blanc Sauce

What’s your favorite pig out food?

 Cheese Burgers of any kind.

What restaurant, other than your own do you like to dine at in the Miami Valley?

 I make it a point to seek out and dine at local restaurants.  Some of my favorites:  Golden Nugget for breakfast, Amar India or Ajanta for lunch, and The Oakwood Club for dinner. 

What’s your best advice for home chefs?

Recipes are over-rated, unless baking where exact measurements are critical; don’t be afraid to add your favorite spice or ingredient to make the dish your own.  Plus, always have fun, some of our best dishes we serve were originally “failed science experiments”.  Invite friends and family over to share your culinary creations; this is the perfect time for bonding.  Food is the tie that binds and instills comradery among family.

If you could invite any 4 guests to a dinner party who would they be and why?

Well, at a fantasy table where we could intelligently discuss music, science, religion and social issues:  I would invite: Albert Einstein, Mother Teresa, John Lennon, and Carl Sagan.  The reality is that I would give almost anything to just have one more meal with my 4 grandparents.  Some of my very best childhood memories were making and eating holiday meals with my grandparents.

 Who do you look up to in the industry and why?

There are just too many to name, but I do have the utmost respect for anyone who can open a local restaurant/business and go through the daily grind of making it succeed.

What do you do in the Miami Valley on a day off?

Day off, what’s that?!? Just kidding.  I love to drive, go for walks/bike rides on the local bike trails, eat out at local restaurants, and because it’s open 24 hours a day, I do find time to sneak away to the Horseshoe Casino to play Baccarat or throw some dice.

Share a kitchen disaster, lucky break or other interesting story:

Lucky Break:  I have the very best employees and the greatest staff in Dayton and I love them all.

Disaster:  Well, we were at a client’s home, and something almost too horrifying to mention happened.  I went to the bathroom, just #1, I swear, flushed and much to my horror, the water started rising.  I reached down below the toilet to turn off the water valve, but this was an older home and there was no shut-off valve.  There was no plunger, coat hanger, nothing.  As the water started spilling over the lid, the most horrifying thoughts were running through my head since the hosts were entertaining just a few feet away in the dining room.  I grabbed the only thing I could, the host’s elegant, embroidered towels and sopped up the mess.  I peeked around the bathroom door and flagged down one of my staff members.  She thought it was strange that I wanted to see her in the bathroom, she walked over, peeked inside, looked up at me with wide eyes and ran to get paper towels and a trash bag.  We cleaned up everything and threw the mess into the trash bag.  Somehow in the midst of cleaning up we got the giggles and could not stop laughing.  We were bent over laughing so hard at how ridiculous the situation was.  I looked at my employee and told her we had to find the washing machine and pronto.  While the guests continued eating, unaware of the scene in the nearby bathroom; I quickly threw the towels into the washing machine.  Once they were cleaned and dried, I hung them back up in the bathroom.  A gentleman had been in the bathroom right before I was and I blame this entirely horrifying situation on him.