BBQing - How To

Mussels in Thai Curry Broth

2013-12-18T12:43:00.001-08:00

This recipe works well on the side burner of the grill, or on the stovetop. Despite having a fair number of ingredients, many of them can be combined in the kitchen to limit the number of items being brought to the grill.

You'll need 1/2 lb to 1 lb of mussels per person.

2 to 3 lbs mussels
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 small onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp Thai red curry paste
1 can unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1 tomato, diced
1 head of broccoli, chopped
1-2 carrots, quartered, and cut into 3-4" lengths
Handful of fresh chopped cilantro

Sort through mussels and discard any that are damaged or open, keeping only mussles that are tightly closed. Soak the mussels in a bowl of water for 20-30 minutes (do this step first and prep the rest while waiting).
Remove the beards from the mussels, and clean the shells.
In a large saucepan or pot (a lid is needed), heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft.
Add the garlic and red curry paste. Stir.
Add coconut milk, lime juice, fish sauce and sugar. Bring to a boil.
Add tomato, broccoli, carrots, and mussels. Stir.
Cover and reduce heat to medium. Cook until mussels have all opened, stirring occasionally. It should take only a few minutes.
Add the cilantro just before serving.

Discard any mussels that haven't opened. Serve in large bowls with broth over top. Best with a crusty bread to soak up broth.

(Based on an LCBO Food & Drink magazine recipe.)

Crab Cakes

2012-12-02T11:44:00.001-08:00

Crab Cakes - All crab, less filler.

1 lbs - lump crab meat
1 egg, large
1.5 tbls mayonnaise
1 tsp spicy brown mustard
2 tsp seafood seasoning - old bay
1 tbls Worcestershire sauce
1 tbls Parsley
1 tbls baking powder
1.5 tbls flour
2 slices of cheap white bread
3 oz whole milk

Mix together the egg, mayonnaise, mustard, seasoning, worcestershire, parsley, baking powder, and flour.

In a separate bowl, cut the bread into small pieces and add the milk.

Combine the egg mixture, bread mixture and the crab. try not to break up the lumps of the crab meat.

Form the mixture into 4 balls tightly packed and place on a baking sheet. Place in the fridge for 2 hours or more.

When you are ready to serve:

Heat enough olive oil to cover the bottom of a non-stick pan on medium high.
Place the a crab ball into the pan and press down lightly. Do not over flatten!!!
Cook 5 minutes a side or until golden brown on each side.
Drain on paper towel

I serve the cakes with a Mango Salsa.

Apple Pancake - German pancake with apples and Cinnamon

2012-11-21T16:54:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite breakfasts is the Apple Pancake from a local small chain. Long story short, I got to thinking and made my own version. My family loves it!!! Give it a try, it will take some time but I think it is well worth it. Send me your comments.

Preheat a cast iron 10" frying pan (deep) in a 400F oven.

Ingredients

1 stick of butter (8tbsp)
4 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 apples - granny smith
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Method

Combine and mix well, eggs, flour,milk, salt, and vanilla
Melt 1/2 of the butter in the preheated frying pan
Pour the flour mixture into the frying pan and place back in 400F oven for 20 minutes
Peel, core and slice thin the apples
Combine sugar and cinnamon
Melt the remaining butter
After 20 minutes in the oven cover the pancake with the apples then the sugar and drizzle with the melted butter
Return it to the oven (400F) for another 20 minutes.
Enjoy!!!

TriTip 2 - Smoked!

2012-09-06T17:28:00.003-07:00

One of the benefits of an offset smoker is that I can cook off the flame. Tradition states that BBQ is cooking low and slow. The result is a tender product with a great smoke flavor. yeah yeah yeah, I know any smoker can do that! How about if we use our BBQ know how and combine it with our Grilling know how? Well you will be left with one hell of a good TriTip!

Warm up your smoker to 300 to 325F using your favorite fuel. I use red oak.

Trim your TriTip as normal, then rub with the following mixture. Cover the meat completely with the rub.

Rub (adjust to size of the meat)
1/4 cup Olive oil
3 tbsp Kosher Salt
1 tbsp Black Pepper
1 tbsp Onion Powder
4 cloves of Garlic - crushed

Place the meat in the smoker for 45 minutes per pound, or till it reaches 140F. Remove and wrap in foil for 20 minutes. Slice thin and serve.

Jungle Juice - When beer is just not enough

2012-08-01T17:15:00.000-07:00

I was asked recently what is in my Jungle Juice, well I blushed, then realized she was asking about the punch I was serving.

I make a large batch the night before and keep it cold in the fridge till party time. To serve, pour over ice.

Recipe:

One Cup of each, Vodka, Rum, Gin
One Cup of Pineapple juice
One Gallon of Fruit Punch

Chicken Flautas - Your local Mexican Restaurant will ask you for this recipe.

2012-07-30T18:00:00.000-07:00

I know this is not a BBQ recipe but if you want your guests to say WOW then whip out your fryer and get ready to have your taste buds dance.

You will need 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts with rib meat (About 2LBS total). Marinade overnight in the following:

• Lime Juice – ¼ Cup

• Olive Oil – ¼ Cup (Extra virgin or whatever you have)

• Garlic Powder - 2 tsp

• Salt – 1 tsp

• Chili Powder – 1 tsp

About 2 hours before you are going to fry your Flautas, Drain and BBQ the chicken over a medium heat till done. Remove from BBQ and cover.

Let chicken stand for 15 minutes then shred the chicken. I have found that shredding works best but I have diced the chicken with good results.

Place the chicken in a bowl with the following:

• Salt - 1 tsp

• Garlic – Minced - 1 tbsp (Fresh or out of a jar)

• Red Pepper Flakes – 1 tbsp

Cover and allow to cool.

Remove the tops and seeds from 3 or 4 dried Pasilla Chiles. Then add them to a pot of water with a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil. Let stand for 15 minutes. Drain and chop fine. Add to the chicken

Add the following to the chicken and mix well.

• Onion – ½ medium sized – Chopped fine

• Monterey Jack Cheese – ½ cup shredded

• Lime Juice – 3 tbsp

Heat oil in fryer or deep pan on stove to 350F. I prefer to use shortening but peanut oil works well to. You will need enough oil to cover the Flouta.

You will need 24 flower tortillas, soft taco, medium size. I now enlist help, the frying phase moves fast.

Start to assemble the Flautas by placing about 2 tbsp of the chicken mixture on a tortilla towards one side then roll the tortilla tight. Secure closed with 2 tooth picks.

Fry till golden and crispy (less than a minute), turn if necessary. Do not try to do too many at a time. I do about 3 at a time. I usually have someone help me by rolling while I am frying. Drain on paper towel and remove the tooth picks.

Serve hot with sour cream and guacamole

I normally cut them in half and serve as an appetizer.

Curing and Smoking a Ham

2012-04-15T17:46:00.000-07:00

Curing and Smoking a Ham

This year I decided to cure and smoke the Easter ham. My wife thought that I was crazy and my sister had all the confidence that it would turn out great with the side comment that we could order pizza if it did not turn out. With the cost of pork shoulder at $0.99/lbs. the decision was made.

I started reading all about what makes a ham a ham. I will save you time, Ham is cured pork. You can dry cure it or do an easier wet cure. If you are looking for a Virginia Ham……..this is not the page for you but if you are looking for a great tasting ham that is easy and does not break the bank, look no further. This post is a wet cure and you need vary few tools, some room in your fridge and your smoker with an apple wood or other fruit wood.

This will take you 1 day/2 lbs. to cure so plan accordingly. Also, I suggest you order the Prague Powder online a head of time. I found that not many stores carry it in my area.

I used a pork shoulder. It is not the traditional cut used for a ham but that what I was able to find at my local meat provider. I decided that I wanted to do two 10 pound hams, one that I would roast and one that I would smoke. Also the smoke time is about 1 hour per pound. In hindsight I think I will do a combination of smoking and roasting next time.

Below is my method and recipes used:

Brine the pork in a plastic container, covered and placed in the fridge. The temp of the fridge should not drop below 38F. The cure process will stop below 38F.

Brine Recipe:
• Prague Powder #1 - 1 teaspoon per 5lbs of pork. Do not add more than this.
(Prague powder #1 contains 6.25% sodium nitrite and 93.75% sodium chloride)
• 2 cups of kosher salt
• 2 cups of brown sugar
• 2 tbsp – cloves
• 2 tbsp – crushed garlic
• 2 tbsp – black pepper
• 4 tbsp – onion powder
• 4 tbsp – maple syrup

Dissolve all the above but the Prague powder in 1 gallon of warm water and let cool or add some ice. Dissolve the Prague powder in a small amount of cold water and add to the brine mixture. Add the pork to the brine mixture. I placed a plate on the top of the pork so that the pork was completely submerged. Cover and place in the fridge for 1 day per 2 pounds of pork.

Note about trimming the pork: I decided to leave all the fat on the pork. I would have removed the skin if it was there. My friends and I debate the benefits of leaving a thicker layer of fat and removing it after cooking. I think leaving the fat on provides a better end product. Give me your thoughts on the subject.

Ham Number 1

Smoking the Ham:
Smoking a ham takes 1 hour or so per pound.
I removed the ham 12 hours before my target serving time.
• 1 hour for prep and raising closer to room temp.
• 10 hours for smoking
• 1 hour for rest

The ham was removed from the brine and rinsed. I dried the ham with paper towel. I mixed a dry rub, applied it to the ham.

Dry Rub:
• Brown Sugar – 1 cup
• Paprika – ½ cup
• Pepper – ¼ cup
• Dry Mustard – 2 tbsp
• Ground Cloves – 2 tbsp
• Onion Powder – 2 tbsp
• Nutmeg – 1 tbsp

The smoker was set to 220F and stocked with Apple Wood. I used my Bradley Electric Smoker. The water bowel was filled with equal parts of apple cider vinegar and orange juice. Once the smoker was up to temperature the ham added.

After about 6 hours I mopped the ham with 1 part canola oil to 4 parts orange juice every half hour.
The ham reached 155F after 10.5 hours. I wrapped the ham in foil and let it rest for an hour or so.

Ham Number 2

Roasting the ham:
I roasted the other ham for 30 minutes per pound at 350F with the following liquid.
• 2 cups Peach Nectar
• 8 Chipotles chopped with Adobo sauce
• 1 cup of water

I basted the ham every 30 minutes.

One hour before the ham was done. I mixed ¾ cups of brown sugar, ½ cup of honey, ¼ cup mustard, 1 tbsp ground cloves and glazed the ham. Returned the ham to the oven and increased the temp to 400F till the crust formed. Removed from the oven and covered with foil for one hour (The internal temp when I took the ham out was 155F)

Both hams were moist and flavorful but the smoked ham had that extra dimension of flavor.

Grilled Lobster

2012-04-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

This is my go to recipe for those BBQs I want to class up. It is really easy and loved by all.

Ingredients:

Lobster Tails, 6 - 8 tails with top shell split. (I use 6oz tails)
Olive oil - 1 cup
Lemon Juice - 3 tbsp
Garlic Powder - 1 tbsp
Salt - 1 tbsp
Paprika - 1 tbsp
Pepper - Fine Ground - 2 tsp (lemon pepper works to)
Cayenne Pepper - 1/2 tsp

Mix together the olive oil and lemon juice (I use a salad dressing electric mixer) , then combine the oil mixture with the other ingredients.

Split the tails and brush with the above oil mixture.

Preheat the grill on high heat.

Oil the grill and place the tails, split side down. Grill for 4-5 minutes. Turn.

Bast the split side frequently till the tail is done (another 4-5 minutes). The meat should be firm. Toss the left over oil mixture, it was exposed to the raw lobster.

Serve with a steak!

Chipotle Grilled Corn

2012-04-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

I love corn and who does not love grilled corn at a BBQ. Usually I let my guests add their own toppings from a selection of Butter, Salt, Lime, Parmesan cheese, and Pico De Gallo.

To mix it up a bit I will serve a Chipotle Grilled Corn.

Ingredients:

Corn - Fresh and husks removed - 6
Butter - Soft - 3 tbsp
Lime Juice - 2 tbsp
Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce - 2 peppers and 1 tsp of sauce
Salt - 1 tsp

Chop the peppers to a fine chop. Mix the butter, peppers, sauce, lime juice, and salt.

If you have the grill space and the time, grill the corn over a medium heat turning frequently till done.

I typically do not have the time or the grill space. I use this method.

While you are grilling your main dish, place the corn in boiling water
When the grill is free, remove the corn and place it on a hot grill turning to add grill marks to all sides

Once the corn is done, brush Chipotle Butter mixture onto each ear of corn.

Steak Rub

2012-03-31T10:08:00.000-07:00

I use this rub on most of my Steaks.

- Kosher Salt - 1/2 cup
- Paprika - 4 tbsp
- Onion Powder - 4 tbsp
- Garlic Powder - 4 tbsp
- Black Pepper - 2 tbsp ground
- White Pepper - 1 tbsp ground
- Cayenne - 1 tsp
- Ginger Powder - 1 tsp

Combine and rub on both sides of each steak. Let the steak rest while the grill comes to temperature.

GRILLED SHRIMP SCAMPI

2012-03-29T20:07:00.001-07:00

GRILLED SHRIMP SCAMPI

This is a crowd favorite. I serve this with steak when I am grilling for the gang. Yes you can serve over pasta but I find that pasta is a hard food to eat at a backyard bbq.

Tools:

Grill
Large Frying Pan

Chafing Dish with fuel

Ingredients: Enough for 20 jumbo Shrimp. Scale to fit the number of guests and what you are serving the shrimp with. I plan on 4 shrimp per person when it compliments a steak.

Shrimp - Jumbo

Marinade:
Olive Oil - 1/2 cup
Red Pepper Flakes - 1/2 tsp
Garlic - Crushed 5tsp (use the bottled stuff) or 10 garlic cloves

Pan Sauce:
Butter - 1/4 stick
Olive Oil - 2 tbsp
Garlic - Crushed 2 tsp
Lemon Juice - 2 tbsp
Salt and Pepper to taste
Parsley - Chopped for garnish

Directions:
I prepare the shrimp first and keep it warm in the chafing dish while I grill a great steak! Make sure you preheat your chafing dish.

Mix the marinade ingredients and pour it into a Ziploc bag with the shrimp. Refrigerate for 1 hour or longer.

Heat grill to high.

Grill each shrimp on high for 2 minutes per side.

Combine and melt the pan sauce in the large frying pan over your grill, then add your grilled shrimp. Cook for about 1 minute toss while cooking. Transfer to the chafing dish (shrimp and sauce).

Chuck Steak For a King

2012-03-21T18:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, we are sometimes on a BBQ budget that calls for chicken but we want to grill steak. One option is to dip into your Vegas fund and pick up a Ribeye, not a good option in my book! My recommendation is to keep your Vegas fund intact and pick up a Chuck Steak. Yes I know, it is not the best for the grill but with a little know how your BBQ guests will love it.

I like to pick a Chuck steak that is about 1.5" - 2" thick with good marbling.

Marinade the your steaks over night in the refrigerator.(24 hours is best)

I mix the following marinade in a bowl. Place my steaks in a ziplock bag and then pour in the marinade. I close the bag making sure there is no air in the bag. Depending on the size and number of steaks you may need more then one bag and you may need to adjust the amount of marinade you mix up.

1/2 cup Olive Oil
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar
2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 tbsp Lemon Juice
2 Crushed Garlic Cloves
2 tbsp Black Pepper
2 tbsp Dry Mustard
2 tbsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Ginger Powder

One hour before placing the steak on the grill, remove it from the marinade and cover both sides with the following mixture and let the steak rest on the counter.

6 Crushed Garlic Cloves
2 tbsp Salt
1 tbsp Black Pepper
1 tbsp Olive Oil

Set your BBQ on high. Grill the steaks 10 - 14 minutes per side or when Medium Rare (130F)

Remove from grill, cover in foil and let rest for 20 - 30 min.

To serve, cut the against the grain into strips 1" thick or a little less.

Enjoy!

Super Bowl – The day after. Recipes and Tips

2012-02-08T14:42:00.000-08:00

It can be argued that food is as important to a Super Bowl party as the big game. The food must be simple but tasty, exciting but include staples. My goal was to have food available throughout the whole game with a verity of snacks, main entrees, and desserts. Most important, do not forget the importance of a variety of drinks!

My plan was to have the family room as the main event watching area, then a TV on the deck and a TV on the food table. This allowed enough seating for everyone and no one felt like they would miss the game or a commercial if they got up for a drink or food. (Decorations are for another discussion)

We had about 25 people over, football fans and non-fans alike. Having people bring food helps defray the costs and makes it more personal. Remember that if you do not organize well, you will receive duplicates or not enough of something.

Tips for asking people to bring food or drinks:

Pick a category. For example, I asked everyone to bring a dessert
Tell them how many people you expect
What items you already have coming
You know your guests, relay any food allergies that you know of
I also let people know if it will be and indoor or outdoor event

Before you can ask people to bring food or make any other plans, you must come up with a menu. (A theme for the party is a subject for a different time)

My menu looked something like this:

Fiesta Dip White Dish 1
Onion Dip White Dish 2
Buffalo Dip CrockPot Trio (1)
Sweet Winnies                      CrockPot Trio (2)
Nacho Cheese                    CrockPot Trio (3)
Chili Large CrockPot
Veggie Tray w/ranch   Apps-on-Ice
Shredded Cheddar   Larger White Dish
Chopped Onion White Dish 3
Sour Cream   White Dish 4
Ripple Chips Blue bowl 1
Tortilla Chips   Blue bowl 2
Fritos Blue bowl 3
Chicken Wings   Steam Tray 1 (1/2)
Fries (steak) Steam Tray 1 (2/2)
Pulled Pork Steam Tray 2(1/2)
Hot Dogs Steam Tray 2 (2/2)
Hot Dog Buns Big Red Bowl 1
Hamburger Buns Big Red Bowl 1

Bottled:

Ketchup
Mustard
Relish
BBQ Sauce
Blue Cheese

Drinks:

Water Red Tub 1
Juice boxes Red Tub 1
Diet Soda Gray Tub 1
Coke and Sprite Gray Tub 2
Bottled drinks Metal Tub
KEG Kegorator
Mixed Bottle Beer Kegorator
ICE – 4 Small bags Cooler
ICE – 3 large bags in red, gray, metal tubs

Misc:

Paper Lunch Plates
Paper Small Plates (For desserts)
Napkins
Red Solo Cups (sing along if you know it)
Forks
Spoons
Table Cloths
Chafing Dish Fuel (I use the 6 hour fuel)

Note that I include what serving dish I plan on using. This keeps me from over committing crockpots or chafing dishes etc. It also helps when others are helping me setup, I can just give them a list.

I develop my shopping list from my menu. (shopping lists are another topic for another time)

Tip: When setting up the food and drink tables, place all serving dishes out to see spacing. You do not want to finding out that you do not have enough space right before the party starts.

Also note that I did not include any desserts in my list. I have asked each guest to bring one. I keep a stash of plastic serving trays, just in case someone does not bring it on a tray or in a “serve from” container. I usually have a good idea of what people are bringing so I can plan for the appropriate spacing.

Another good idea is to set up stations, one for drinks, and another for regular food and the last one for desserts. This helps keeps things flowing. Some people place chips and snack around the party area. I am not a big fan of that; I find that you end up trying to manage too many bowls and trays. Also I find that the person sitting next to it tends to take it over. Let people get up and grab a plate of what they want, it encourages movement.

Tip: When people arrive, spend a moment with them touring where everything is. End at the drink table and fix them a drink. You will find that the party will kick off on a better note.

Timing:

I get allot of questions on this subject. Most of what I do is based on experience, my recommendation to you is to throw allot of parties and practice! Seriously, I believe that throwing a good party is all about attitude. You must think about each of your guests individually, what you want or like is less important. Timing just lets you relax and focus on your guests. For my Super Bowl party I had allot of elements going on that required multiple timelines. I will try to cover them all but remember that personal experience is the key. This was my schedule (condensed for this article):

2 weeks before:

Initial Menu
Guests invited and Desserts organized

1 week before:

Shopping list created
Shopping Started

2 Days Before:

Pork injected and wrapped place in fridge

1 Day Before:

Furniture moved
Chairs setup
Food and drink tables setup
Serving dishes set out
Pork BBQ’ng in the smoker (set to come out of the smoker 2 hours before the party)
Chili cooked and in the fridge
Dips mixed and in the Fridge

Day of the party

4 Hours Before:

Final furniture setup
TVs Setup and turned on
Final dusting and touch up
Clean, dry, and dreg the chicken wings – place in fridge

3 Hours before:

Vegetables cleaned and cut up, placed in the fridge
Drinks set out, no ice yet
Crock pots filled and turned on high (Chili, winnies, cheese, buffalo dip)
Steam pans filled with water
Plates, cups, napkins, forks and spoons put out

2 Hours Before:

Pork out of the smoker (wrapped in tine foil and resting), rest for 45 min.
BBQ on - Grill hot dogs
Once the hot dogs are grilled, place in steam tray and cover
Light steam tray burners
Pull the pork and place in covered steam tray

1 Hour Before:

Put out all the food
Ice all the drinks
Heat oil in deep fryer

After guests arrive:

Cook fries (I do all the fries first because the chicken will change the flavor of the fries)
Cook the chicken wings

** If you have access to more than one deep fryer, I do recommend using two. Also I fry almost everything in peanut oil. You will notice the difference, trust me.

This is just a guide, depending on what food you are serving, you will need to change it up.

Recipes used:

Pulled Pork:

There are a ton of recipes for pulled pork, you may want to read up on it from multiple sources before you try it for the first time. This one is test one hundred and something for me, the group liked it enough that I will share the recipe. Again, this is one of many recipes, try, learn, combine it with other recipes to make it your own, enjoy.

Rub:

Yellow Mustard - 1 cup
Crushed Garlic - 4 tbls
Worcestershire sauce - 3 tbls
Seasoning salt - 3 tbls
Onion powder - 2 tbls
Cumin - 1 tbls
Salt - 3 tbls

Injection:

Olive oil - 1 cup
Garlic powder - 2 tbls
Cumin – 1 tbls

Pork:

Bone in pork butt - 10 to 14lbs

The pork will take 1.5 to 2 hours per pound at 225F. The pork is done when it reaches 190F. Remember that the pork will sit at 160f for a few hours, this is normal. You will need to plan to have it reach 190F two hours before the party.

Two days before the party mix the injection ingredients. Using a meat injector, evenly inject the oil mixture in to the pork. Wrap the pork in cling wrap and refrigerate.

1 - 2 hours before you need to put the pork in the smoker. Mix together the rub ingredients then apply the rub to the pork generously.

Smoke at 225F for 1.5 to 2 hours per pound or till the internal pork temp reaches 190F

Once the pork is done, wrap it in foil and let it rest for 45 minutes or so. Pull with 2 forks. Serve with plain hamburger buns, coleslaw and BBQ sauce.

Sweet Winnies

1 large package of little smokies
1 bottle of grape jelly
1 bottle of BBQ sauce (bold flavor)

Mix equal parts BBQ sauce and grape jelly. Add little smokies and heat in crockpot till hot.

Wings:

Peanut oil - enough to fill deep fryer
Chicken wings - 20 - 30pcs

Dredge:

Corn starch - 2 cups
Garlic powder - 2tbls
Paprika - 2tbls
Salt - 2tbls
Cayenne pepper - 1tbls

Wing Sauce:
Hot sauce - 1 cup
Butter - 1 cup
Garlic powder - 1tbls

Mix the dredge ingredients. Clean and dry the chicken pieces. Place chicken in a bowl with the corn starch mixture. Mix the chicken and the corn starch mixture till the chicken is well covered. Place the bowl in the fridge till ready to use, at least one hour.

Heat the oil to 375F.

Heat the sauce ingredience in a pot over low heat till completely melted and combined.

Add wings to fryer basket, do not overload. A good rule of thumb is a single layer in the basket. Fry for 13 minutes or until golden brown.

Coat the wings in the sauce and serve.

Enjoy the party!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2011-03-12T16:59:00.000-08:00

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Quick,portable and delicious! Perfect for potlucks,parties.picnics or anytime you are craving a savory snack with a little kick.

This dip can be prepared ahead of time and kept in the fridge until you need it.

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts

1 8 oz. package of cream cheese

1 Cup of sour cream

1 Cup of Franks red hot*

3/4 Cup of shredded cheddar cheese

Preparation:

Take cream cheese out of fridge and set aside to soften.

Boil the 2 chicken breasts in a medium saucepan until cooked through,about 30 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and set aside to cool.

You will need an oven safe dish large enough to hold all of the ingredients, a 9"x 9" casserole dish is perfect.

When chicken has cooled enough to be handled shred both pieces completely, discard any fat or bad pieces. Shred until you have a very fine uniform texture. Place in casserole dish.

Add the cream cheese,sour cream,wing sauce and the shredded cheese to the chicken and mix together thoroughly.

Cooking:

Cook uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until heated through in a 350f oven. Remove from heat and let cool 10 minutes before serving.

That's it!!! serve with fresh tortilla chips!

*You can substitute the Franks Red hot with any yummy buffalo style sauce

Lasagna My Way

2010-12-19T13:09:00.000-08:00

I do not know if I would call this traditional and it does not include the extras that I think destroy a great piece of comfort food. It holds together when served leaving no soupy mess at the bottom of the pan. I do some of this recipe by eye so the measurements are a guesstimate. Oh, yeah I use a lasagna pan, not a 13x 9 dish. (mine is 15"x12"x2 1/4")

18 Lasagna noodles - Boil for 9 minutes with salt and 1 tbsp of olive oil, drain and rinse
2 tbsp Olive Oil, (not including the 1tbsp used above)
2lbs of 90/10 ground beef
2lbs of pork sausage (not links) - I buy fresh from the butcher
2tbsp Italian seasoning
1tbsp Salt
1tbsp Pepper
1tbsp Onion Powder
2tbsp crushed Garlic
30oz Ricotta Cheese
1 cup Sharp Cheddar - Shredded
7 eggs
1 cup Parmesan Cheese
37oz of your favorite pasta sauce.
2 Cups Mozzarella Cheese - Shredded

Preheat you oven to 350 degrees (F), you will be baking for 1h, 50min. Note that when I make this, the meat sauce is hot when I put the Lasagna in the oven, if you wait to bake later in the day or the next day you will need to increase your cooking time to 2.5 hours or so.

Grease your lasagna pan with 1tbsp of olive oil. Make sure that you get the sides and edges. Trust me, this is important when it comes to serving the perfect slice and cleaning up afterward! Pour 7oz of the pasta sauce in the bottom of the pan. (enough to cover the bottom of the pan)

In a large pot, add 1tbsp of olive oil, heat on high and add the ground beef, and pork sausage and salt. Brown and drain.

To the meat add the garlic, pepper, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and heat for 5 minutes on high. Mix well while heating. Add the remainder of the sauce and heat on medium till hot (aprox 30 min), mix well, while heating.

In a large bowel, beat the eggs, add the ricotta cheese, cheddar cheese, and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese. Mix well with a fork.

Putting it all together- Use 6 cooked lasagna noodles to cover the sauce at the bottom of the pan. Cover the noddles with 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture, then 2 cups of the Mozzarella, then 1/3 of the meat sauce. Repeat, 2 more times.

Bake for 1 hour 35min. Remove from oven and check with a thermometer that the center is hot. If so,top with 2 cups of mozzarella and the balance of the Parmesan cheese. Place back in the oven and bake for 10 -15 min till the cheese is melted but not burnt.

Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes while you heat your garlic bread!!!!! Cut and serve!

Never Fail Pork Ribs

2010-12-14T20:53:00.000-08:00

This takes some work but the ribs will be a hit at your next event! I use my Bradley Electric Smoker for this recipe but you can use any smoker. I encourage you to modify the recipe and procedure to fit your tastes and available equipment.

Step One – Remove the silver skin

Flip the ribs over exposing the underside of the rack of ribs. Using a small sharp knife, slip in between the first bone and the thin film. Carefully separate the skin from the bone giving you enough of the skin to grab. Carefully peal the skin off the rack of ribs, this will take some force.

I am asked about this first step all the time. I did a test, on some ribs I did this and some I did not. The people that had the ribs with this step missed did not like the ribs as much. So, do this step!

Step Two – Brine

· 1 cup kosher salt

· 1 cup brown sugar

· 2 tbsp lemon pepper

· 2 tbsp mustard powder

· 1 tbsp garlic powder

· 1 gallon (cold)

Use 1/3 of the water, add the salt and sugar, heat and dissolve. Do not bring this to a boil. In a large container add the water/salt/sugar mixture and another third of the water and stir in the rest of the spices. Add the ribs. Use the last third of the water to cover the ribs. Cover the container and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.

Step Three – Rub the ribs

A good rub is all about your taste. I have listed mine below but I recommend that you experiment to come up with your favorite concoction. This recipe is enough for about 4 racks.

· 1 Cup Brown Sugar

· ¼ cup salt

· 4 tbsp Garlic powder

· 4 tbsp Onion powder

· 4 tbsp Paprika

· 2 tbsp White Pepper

· 1 tbsp Cayenne powder

· 1 tbsp Cumin

· 1 tbsp Mustard powder

· 1 tsp Ginger powder

· 1 tsp Nutmeg

Mix well and coat the entire rack heavily.

One variation is to rub the ribs with yellow mustard then apply the rub. I am still on the fence about this step. Try some with and some without!

Step Four – Smoke the ribs

Bring your smoker up to 220 degrees (F). I like to use apple wood when smoking pork. Smoke for 4 hours. No need to do anything with them, just let them do their thing. I do insert a remote meat thermometer just for insurance. Note that you may want to reduce the time to 3 hours if you are smoking only 2 or 3 racks. (You do not want the internal temp to go above 155 just yet)

Step Five – Oven bake

Place the ribs in a disposable tray and add 1 can of beer to the tray. Tightly cover with tin foil and bake for 2 hours at 220 degrees (F). The ribs are done when the meat pulls away from the bone tips.

Step Six – BBQ

Just before you are ready to serve the ribs, remove them from the oven and place them on a medium heat BBQ. I first BBQ the meat side till I get grill marks and the crust hardens a bit (do not burn them). Then I flip the ribs and add bbq sauce. See my sauce recipe on this web site. Grill till the bbq sauce caramelizes (do not burn the ribs).

Step Seven – Serve

I cut the slabs into 2 rib sections and plate. I always have a choice of a mild and hot bbq sauce* for those that want to add more sauce while eating.

*I add 1 tbsp of Cayenne and 4 dashes of pepper sauce to the bbq sauce to heat it up

Tip: To my basic bbq sauce recipe, I add 3 tbsp – Lemon juice and 1 cup honey.

Brisket 1

2010-11-26T21:09:00.000-08:00

Tonight's menu is Beef Brisket and Baby Back Ribs, both smoked. For my friends on the East Coast a Beef Brisket is a boneless slab cut from the breast section beneath the first few ribs. This cut is a tough piece of meat requiring a long, (let me tell you 4:30am eat at 6:00pm) long slow cooking time. Yes it is necessary! If I were the cow that once owned the brisket, I would want it cooked correctly... none of this throwing it on the gas grill with a few soaked wood chips...nah nah I say. You must smoke it slowly over a hardwood fire 200 - 225 degrees. Today I am using pecan wood. Why so slow and long? Go to Alton Brown's site on the food network for this and many other answers.

Back to the real issue at hand. Brisket and Ribs. I have 6 full racks of baby backs rubbed and wrapped and they will take about four hours. I will add them to the same grill I am doing the brisket. This will make controlling the temperature harder but hey, what is cooking without experimenting and enjoying it with a few friends.

The menu will also include cornbread, grilled veggies, beans, salad. Do not forget the beer and cigar (if the wife is out!)

Here are the recipes:

Beef Brisket

Rub

Salt Kosher (1/2 cup)
Pepper (2 tbsp)
Cayenne powder (1 tbsp)
Garlic (2 tbsp)
Onion Powder (2 tbsp)
Ginger (1 tbsp)

Mixed all ingredients, rub on the meat. I did not worry about the fat side. Wrapped tight in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Wet Mop

Bottle of beer
Apple cider vinegar (1/2 cup)
Worcestershire sauce (3 tbsp)
Vegetable oil (1/4 cup)
Crushed Garlic (1 tbsp)
Ginger (1 tbsp)
Pepper Sauce (2 tbsp)

After the first 2 hours of smoking (no, not the cigar), mop the meat side every 30 minutes.

I have an off-set smoker. It is not an expensive unit but it does the job and I did not want to mortgage the house on something that I was not sure I would enjoy using. I started 10 pieces of charcoal in a chimney starter and placed them in the firebox on top of a grate to allow air flow. Air flow is key to maintain good temperature control and flavor. The hardwood was chunked so I soaked the largest pieces and placed one chunk (6" - 8" by 3") beside the coals. In the cooking chamber I added a pan filled with beer, which I filled as needed. I kept a few cold for my consumption and yes 4:30am is the perfect time for a beer!

Once the temperature was stable, I added the meat fat side up for two hours.

Maintaining temperature

This is not an exact science. I will tell you how I am able to do it but I recommend that you practice a few times before inviting the gang over. First keep your smoker clean. The ash buildup does not help and can add a bitter taste. I clean mine after each use. I simply use a brush, I do not like using chemical cleaners.

I add the coals to the fire box with all the vents wide open but the cooking chamber closed. Once the coals are all uniformly lit and the first pieces of wood had been added, I close the side vent 3/4 of the way. Waiting a few minutes, I found the temperature rising so I closed the vent the rest of the way. My fire chamber is not air tight so closing the vent all the way still allows a surprising amount of air in. Every 1/2 hour to 45 min. I added 3-4 pieces charcoal to maintain the heat. As the day became hotter (it was 84 degrees F on Saturday) I found I need to shut the chimney vent by 1/2. I added wood as needed and made sure ash was not building up under the coals, preventing airflow. The temperature in the cooking chamber at meat level should be 200 - 225 degrees F.

Meat Care

Keep you meat moist, words to live by while smoking and with activities that I am not discussing in this blog. I kept the tin filled with beer to keep the smoke moist. After 2 hours I flipped the meat, fat side down and mopped every 20 minutes to 30 minutes.

I wait until the internal temperature reaches 195 degrees F, and then wrap the brisket in foil for 20 minutes. The cooking time is 1 hour 20 minutes / pound.

Serve

To serve I cut the meat into 1/4" strips against the grain.

Reviews

Great texture, not chewy. Excellent smoke ring. Nice char on the outside but not too much! The flavor was good and not to smoky, the meat was moist.

Glazed Carrots

2010-11-26T18:41:00.000-08:00

A friend mentioned that the key to great Glazed Carrots is Ginger Ale. Well I played with the idea for awhile and here is what I came up with. Let me know what you think.

In a large skillet mix over medium high heat

32oz baby carrots
1/2 stick of butter
1tsp salt
1 can of ginger ale
1 tbsp brown sugar

Bring to a boil till the soda is reduced. Mix in:

1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tsp Ginger powder
1/2 tsp Nutmeg

Easy to impress salad

2010-11-26T18:12:00.000-08:00

This salad is easy but filled with great ingredients and topped with a no guilt dressing.

Toss in a large bowl.

2 bags of Fresh Express 50/50 Mix (It is their Spring Mix and Baby Spinach
2 Green Apples, pealed and diced
1/2 pound of Gouda Cheese cubed (small)
1 bag of dried cranberries
1 bag candied walnuts
15oz can of corn - drained

Blend well

3oz of Lemon Juice
1tsp salt (kosher)
1tsp pepper (fresh)
1/4 extra virgin olive oil

Roasted Turkey

2010-11-26T17:47:00.000-08:00

Want to make a great turkey every time. Here is how I do it. The trick is a little time and a few extra steps.

Two days before the meal

Brine the turkey for at least 24 hours. (I am assuming that the turkey has been defrosted* or it is fresh)

1 cup kosher salt
1 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp Basel
2 tbsp Thyme
1 tbsp All Spice
2 Bay Leaves
1 gallon (cold)

Use 1/3 of the water, add the salt and sugar, heat and dissolve. Do not bring this to a boil. In a large container add the water/salt/sugar mixture and another third of the water and stir in the rest of the spices. Add the turkey. Use the last third of the water to cover the entire turkey. Cover the container and refrigerate.

Day of the meal

I prefer to use an electric roaster. This frees up the oven for the rest of the meal and I think it offers better heat control. Refer to your roasters instructions for cooking time but I plan on 20 min / pound at 375F

30 minutes before roasting, rinse the turkey and place it on a baking tray. Inject with your favorite injection recipe. I use the one below.

In a sauce pan heat and stir till dissolved

1 stick of butter
1/3 bottle of beer
1/4 cup chicken stock
3 tbsp salt
2 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp white pepper

Heat only long enough to melt the butter and dissolve the salt. Inject the mixture into the turkey using a flavor injector.

Stuff the turkey (if desired)

Place the turkey in the roaster. Sprinkle with:

Paprika
Pepper

Cover with the cheapest uncooked bacon you can find (1lbs is usually enough). The idea here is to cover the turkey completely, the bacon fat will add flavor and add moisture to the bird.

1 hour before the turkey is done, remove the bacon and discard.

For the last hour baste the turkey every 15 minutes until the turkey reaches 165F measured with an instant read thermometer inserted in the inner side of the thigh.

Remove the turkey from the roaster and let it stand for 15 minutes covered with foil.

Let me know your experience with this recipe and any changes that you make.

* Defrost a turkey in the fridge 24hours/5lbs.

Pumpkin Dump Cake (more like pie rather than a cobbler)

2010-11-23T17:39:00.001-08:00

Pumpkin Dump Cake (more like pie rather than a cobbler)

I am not sure of the origin of this recipe - To the creator, thank you!

1.   1 (29 oz.) can pumpkin
2.   3 eggs
3.   1/2 c. brown sugar
4.   1/2 c. white sugar
5.   1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
6.   1 tsp. cinnamon
7.   1/2 tsp. ground ginger
8.   1/4 tsp. cloves
9.   1 pkg. yellow cake mix
10. 1/2 c. chopped pecans
11. 1/2 lbs melted butter

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch pan. In a bowl, mix first eight ingredients. Pour into pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix over top of mixture. Sprinkle pecans over top of cake mix. Drizzle butter all over the mixture.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes; the edges will be brown.

It’s also good warm or cold with Cool Whip on top. (Personally I recommend homemade whip cream, it is worth the extra few minutes)

Palacsinta (Dessert Type) Yields about 20

2009-12-13T21:09:00.000-08:00

The Crepes

3 Cups Flour

1 tblsp Sugar

1.5 tsp Salt

6 Eggs

1.5 Cups Milk

6 tblsp Melted Butter

1.5 Cups Soda Water

3 tblsp Oil

Mix flour, salt and sugar together. Mix eggs to the flour mixture one at a time, then slowly add the milk then the butter. Beat well. Strain the batter to remove lumps. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

When you are ready to make the crepes mix the batter then add as much of the soda water as needed to make the batter as thin as cream. Heat a frying pan (non-stick is better) Calphalon C1210P Commercial Nonstick 10-Inch International Griddle/Crepe Pan and brush with the oil. The pan is hot enough when water droplets pop loudly when flicked on the pan. Pour three tablespoons of the batter in the pan and tilt it around so the crepe is as thin as possible. Cook for about a minute then flip and cook for about thirty seconds.

The filling

1 lbs Small-curd Cottage Cheese

3 Eggs

½ Cup Powdered Sugar

¾ Cup Sour Cream

3 tlbsp Butter Milk

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 13x9 pan. Pyrex Grip-Rite 2-Quart Oblong Baking Dish, Clear

Strain the cheese and mix in 3 egg yolks and sugar. Beat the 3 egg whites till stiff. Fold the egg whites into the cheese mixture. Spread one to two tablespoons of this filling on a crepe and roll. Place the roll in the prepared baking dish. Fill the baking dish with rolls.

Mix the sour cream and milk and spread it over the rolled crepes. Bake for 20 minutes.

Corn Bread

2009-11-07T20:28:00.000-08:00

I recently was asked for this Corn Bread recipe. It is one of my favorites, moist and delicious. Always a hit with the kids!

Mix well:

Butter - 2/3 cups
Sugar - 1 cup

Add:

Milk - 1 - 2/3 cups
Eggs - 3

Mix separately then blend into wet mixture:

Salt - 1 tsp
Flour - 2 cups
Baking powder - 5 tsp
Cornmeal - 1 -1/3 cups

Pour into greased 9" x 13" baking dish

Bake for 25 min (check at 20min) at 400 degrees

Do not forget the Honey Butter!!!!

Lemon Soufflé Pancakes with Raspberry Syrup

2009-05-23T19:24:00.001-07:00

Yield:
12, 3-inch pancakes with approx. 1 1/4 cup syrup

Ingredients:
3 Eggs, separated
1/3 C Cake Flour
3/4 C Ricotta Cheese
1/4 C Butter, melted
2 T Sugar
1/4 t Salt
2 T Lemon Zest, grated
Fresh Raspberries for garnish

Raspberry Syrup:
3/4 C Light Corn Syrup
3/4 C Fresh Raspberries
3 t Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed

Method:
Separate the eggs and beat the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks. In another bowl, stir together the egg yolks, flour, ricotta cheese, butter, sugar, salt, and lemon zest until well mixed. With a large spoon or spatula, fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture. Gently stir; there should still be small pieces of egg white showing. Heat skillet or griddle over medium heat. Grease lightly and spoon out about 3 large tablespoons of batter for each pancake. Cook slowly for about 3 minutes, then turn the pancake over and cook about 4 1/2 minutes. Keep the pancakes warm in 250 deg. F oven until ready to serve. Serve with raspberry or maple syrup and fresh raspberries.
To make the raspberry syrup, combine corn syrup and raspberries and bring to a boil. Simmer 5 minutes and remove from heat. Allow to cool, then add lemon juice. Strain through a fine mesh strainer, pushing mixture hard to remove seeds.

Mac and Cheese

2009-04-03T20:38:00.000-07:00

I can't take credit for this recipe, props to Ina Garten.

Kosher Salt
elbow macaroni - 1 pound
milk - 1 quart
Butler - 8 table spoons
flour - 1/2 cup
Gruyere cheese, grated - 12oz, (4 cups)
extra sharp cheddar cheese - 8 oz (2 cups)
black pepper - 1/2 teaspoon
nutmeg - 1/2 teaspoon
cherry tomatoes - 6-8 sliced
bread crumbs - 1.5 cups without crusts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Prepare macaroni as directed on the package. Drain well!

Heat milk in a small saucepan, but do not boil it.
In a large (4 -quart) pot, melt butter and add the flour, cook over low heat for 2 min while whisking. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook till thick and smooth. Turn off the heat and stir in the Gruyere and Cheddar cheese, 1tbls of salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Pour into a 3 quart baking dish.
Melt the remaining butter and combine the fresh bread crumbs and sprinkle on the top
Arrange the tomatoes on the top of the bread crumb mixture.
Bake for 35 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

This is a great main dish or a fantastic side!