unWine'd

My Blog has Moved!!!

2012-12-22T21:22:00.004-06:00

As of today, 22 Dec '12, all future blog posts will be posted @:

http://www.unwinedtn.wordpress.com

I hope you'll follow.

Cheers,
rr

Maple Smoked Pork Butt

2012-12-16T14:54:00.002-06:00

5lb Bone-In Boston Butt. Injected with Apple Juice and Jack Daniels. (1 cup, mixed half 'n half). Light coat of salt and pepper and then a heavy pack of brown sugar. Refrigerated overnight and then back to room temp before placing in smok'r.

Smoked w/ Maple wood for approx 8 hrs @ 225 - 250 degrees.

Cooked to internal temp of about 200 - 205 or until the bone is loose and ready to pull.

Welcome to Fall: Moose Chili & Cornbread

2012-10-05T09:18:00.000-05:00

Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread Recipe:
1 cup self-rising corn meal mix
1 egg
1/4 cup cooking oil
1 cup whole buttermilk
(mix thoroughly)
While you mix, pre-heat the oven to 450 with the skillet in the oven. When the oven reaches 450, take the skillet out, place 1 Tbsp of bacon grease (if you have that) in the skillet (or substitute 1 Tbsp of cooking oil) letting the grease/oil spread evenly and then take a generous pinch of the corn meal mix and sprinkle it around just the edge of the skillet. Now you can pour the cornbread mix into the center of the skillet and place the skillet back into the oven.
I bake the bread for 10 - 12 minutes keeping an eye on it. As you can see from the photo, I prefer it to have a nice brown crust so I'm toward the 12 minute baking side. This cornbread is meant to be thin with a little crunch on the edge.

unWine'd with a pour...

'06 Monastrell (Spain), $9 - $13
Dark fruit on the nose, plum and fig upon first tasting. This is a dry red wine but not tannic, just the slightest hint of spiciness on the finish. It was good with the Moose Chili.

The slow simmer...

Esther Reeves' Cornbread Recipe (circa - 1970s)

Chili Recipe:
2 lbs ground moose
6 medium tomatoes (cored/diced) or 3 cans diced
1 large spanish/sweet onion, peeled & sliced
2 cloves garlic
1 can tomato sauce
1 can light kidney beans
4 oz diced green chiles
3 bell peppers (cored/diced) (I don't use green.)
1 12oz bottle of a nut brown beer
(add spices below or substitute 2 pkgs of chili seasoning mix)
1/4 cup chili powder
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1tsp pepper
1tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp red pepper flakes (leave out if you don't want the extra heat)
1 1/2 Tbsp cacao nibs

* Brown the ground moose in a skillet with 1 clove of garlic.
* Add the browned moose to all the ingredients in your chili pot and mix thoroughly.

I cook the chili in a large pot for 3 hours on the lowest possible cooktop heat. Stir infrequently. After 3 hours, let the pot cool and place in refrigerator for 24 - 48 hours (I prefer two days). After the refrigerator period, place the chili back on low heat and cook slow until it's hot & ready to eat.

Cheers & bon appétit...

Rib-eyes & Meiomi

2012-08-04T16:29:00.002-05:00

2 Tbsp Cacao Nibs (you can find some at Whole Foods)
1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1 tsp Cumin Seed (grind with mortar & pestle)
1/2 tsp Ground Mustard
1 tsp Chipolte Chili Powder
1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar (Light or Dark)
1 Tbsp Kosher Salt
(Mix all these ingredients in a food processor.)

You can rinse the steaks and pat dry or you can apply a light coat of EVOO and then apply the rub, your choice. These steaks are about 1 1/4" thick and I grilled them for approximately 7 - 8 minutes per side for a nice Med Rare.

Char'grilled Bone-In Pork Chops & Venge's Sangiovese

2012-06-10T20:15:00.000-05:00

Recipe coming soon....

unWine'd with a pour...

Flat Iron Steak & Salsa Verde

2012-05-19T20:38:00.001-05:00

Salsa Verde dedicated to "Rear Admiral" Snipes, PR, USCG (circa 1944)

Red Burgundy & Lamb

2012-05-13T20:41:00.000-05:00

unWine'd with a pour...

Tasting Notes: The wine is Ruby in color with Earthiness, Spice & Clove on the nose after corking, tannins mellowed in the decanter. The wine seemed a little light bodied for a Grand Cru but still very good. Over time the wined smelled more of mushroom and vegetables with a very nice , clean finish. If you're a fan of the Old Worlde Pinots - it's definitely worth a try.

Med-Rare Lamb Chops from New Zealand, Skin-On Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Blanched Asparagus with Blood Orange Balsamic

Homemade Red Wine Vinaigrette...

Decanting the '07 Burgundy from Cote' d'Or

14 Hands, "Hot to Trot"

2012-04-26T18:44:00.001-05:00

14 Hands (Red Blend) <$20, from Washington's Columbia Valley; Merlot, Cab, Syrah, Mourvedre' and other reds in the blend... Dark fruit on the nose, not tannic & maybe a little chocolate / spice on the finish. Give it a try.

Additionally, a very interesting story about how the wineries name came about. Check out the story @
http://www.14hands.com/about/our_story

Cheers...

Homemade Guacamole

2012-04-21T14:22:00.003-05:00

Recipe:

6 Avocados
5 Roma/Plum Tomatoes
1 Vidalia or Spanish Onion
2 Tbsp of finely chopped, fresh Cilantro
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1 tsp Kosher Salt
Juice of 2 limes
2 Cloves Garlic

In a mixing bowl, combine these ingredients:
Cut Avocados in half, remove seed - use knife to score the Avocado halves vertically & horizontally - afterward scoop Avocado out with a spoon into the mixing bowl...

Add the juice of the two limes, fold in with a spoon...

Add the Cayenne Pepper, Ground Cumin, Garlic & Kosher Salt, fold in with a spoon...

Add the finely diced sweet onion and fold in with a spoon...

Cut the ends of the tomatoes off, core and finely dice the remainder, add to mixture and fold with a spoon...

Lastly, add the finely chopped, fresh Cilantro to the mixture and fold with a spoon...

Place Guacamole in a covered bowl and refrigerate for one hour. Afterward, enjoy with your favorite chips...

Cheers...

Pan-Seared Beef Fillet with Green Onion

2012-04-15T17:08:00.002-05:00

Cheers...

Easter Weekend, Cherry Smoked Pork Shoulder

2012-04-07T12:18:00.007-05:00

Slow smoked, with cherry & white-oak, Pork Shoulder Shank, 9 lbs

pre-par-a-to-ry info...

I used a very simple dry rub on this pork shoulder. With the fat side down, on a large baking sheet/pan, I spray the meat side with Apple Cider Vinegar and a little Woodford Reserve Bourbon. After spraying with the mixture, for a couple hours at 20 - 30 minute intervals, I applied a generous coat of salt and black pepper. And, I used about 1 cup of brown (light or dark) sugar packed atop the salt/pepper rub on the meat side of the shoulder. I let that sit @ room temp for 2 or 3 hours. Afterward, I wrap it in Saran Wrap & Aluminum Foil and refrigerate overnight. I remove the shoulder from the refrigerator the next morning and let it sit @ room temp for about 4 hours before starting the smoking process. I want the shoulder to be at room throughout before placing it on the smoker for even cooking.

As you can see, from the top photo, I used only half of the smoker for the fire so the other half provides indirect heat beneath the shoulder. The water pan below keeps some moisture in the cooker during the smoke. Once I have the heat regulated at approximately 225 - 250 degrees, I'll place the shoulder on the grill over the water pan, meat side down. I smoked this shoulder with cherry wood as I prefer the likes of cherry, apple or pecan for smoking pork.

Now, with the shoulder on the cooker, meat side down, I'll spray the fat side w/ the Apple Cider Vinegar and then apply a generous coat of salt & pepper. Cover the cooker and let the smok'n process begin. Additionally, every 45 minutes or so, I'll spray the shoulder with the Apple Cider Vinegar / Bourbon mix.

This 9 lb shoulder smoked for about 8.5 hours and the internal meat temp was between 180 - 185 degrees internal when I removed it from the smoker. After removing the shoulder from the smoker, I wrapped it in aluminum foil and let it sit for about 45 minutes. The shoulder meat pulls easier when the internal temp reaches that 190 - 195 degree range and it'll get close to that during the resting period.

After the 45 minute resting period, it's time to pull or chop the shoulder meat. I, personally, prefer pulled so I'll use a couple forks to pull the meat. I pull the fat layer off and start pulling the meat with the forks, only using a knife if I have to. As well, this is a great time for "taste testing," especially the outer edge with the bark "salt-pepper-sugar" where it's full of flavor. Enjoy!

Cheers...

Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa & Chipolte Chili Lime Sauce

2012-04-02T20:04:00.007-05:00

unWine'd with a pour...

Chenin Blanc from Vouvray (Loire Valley area of France) $16

Wheat straw or lighter in color...

Melon, honeysuckle & slight hints of citrus on the nose...

Crisp with nice acidity and it paired well with the fish tacos...

pre-par-a-to-ry info

Fish:
Talapia fillets, approx 5 to 6 oz each
A couple pinches of salt and pepper on each side
Bake @ 350 degrees for 17 minutes (you can pan fry or grill, your call)

Mango Salsa:
1 peeled & diced mango
1 plum tomato, seeded & diced
1 1/2 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
3 green onions sliced thinly
2 tbsp scallions sliced thinly
1 lime juiced
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 jalapeños (remove core and seeds), cut in half and roasted under the broiler for 8 - 10 minutes, then dice
(Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour)

Chipolte Chili Lime Sauce:
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tbsp fresh squeezed lim juice
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 tsp chipolte chili powder
1 pinch salt
(Mix all ingredients and refrigerate for 30 mins to 1 hour)

Cheers...

Cumin Seared Tuna for Tapas

2012-03-30T17:23:00.003-05:00

Tuna sourced from Whole Foods in Franklin, Tn.

Dry Rub for Tuna:
1 teaspoon cumin seed (ground in mortal & pestle)
1 pinch garlic powder
1 pinch onion powder
1 pinch salt
1 pinch onion powder1 pinch cayenne pepper

1 (8-ounce) tuna steak

Mix the first four ingredients from above ingredients in a small bowl. Spread the dry rub over the entire piece of Tuna.

Cooking:
Using a small skillet, add 1 Tbsp of EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) and heat to med-high. When the oil begins to smoke, place the Tuna in the skillet.
Cook for 1 minute and then turn the Tuna steak. Splash just a bit of fresh squeezed lime juice atop the Tuna and in the cooking pan. Cook for 1 minute. My total cooking time is 2 minutes as I want my tuna rare.

After cooking, allow 5 minutes to cool. Wrap the Tuna in Saran Wrap and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Remove from refrigerator, slice thinly and enjoy. Add Soy Sauce and Wassabi if you prefer.

Cheers...

Medici Pinot Noir

2011-12-26T17:34:00.001-06:00

unWine'd with a pour...

'06 Medici Pinot (Chehalem Range overlooking Newberg, OR). Deb, thanks for the introduction! I just needed Roy to "perceive" he'd been given credit. Happy Holidays & Cheers to both of you!!!

~$30 / bottle

Tasting Notes:
I get red fruit on the nose, bing cherry to me, but not too fruit forward. It's nicely balanced and not tannic. The mid-palate seems to have a hint of vanilla and a slight touch of spiciness. And, the wine has a nice lingering finish - quite quaffable.

Beef Wellington with Mushroom Pate'

2011-12-25T13:40:00.005-06:00

Above: 20 - 25 mins in 375 oven. 130 degrees internal temp with instant read thermometer. It produced a very nice med-rare. If you prefer your Wellington more done, cook a few minutes longer and then use an instant read thermometer to see if it's reached your preferred doneness.

Beef Wellington: (This recipe used 4 fillets.)
4 Beef Fillets, cut into 6oz, 8oz or 10oz portions. Your call.
1 box Puff Pastry Shells (thawed)
1 Egg
1 Tbsp Half & Half

1) Salt & paper the fillets to taste. I use a little kosher salt & black pepper.
2) Mix egg and half & half in a bowl (sit aside)
3) Spread a little flour on the counter. Take one pastry shell and roll it out thin.
4) Spoon 2 or 3 spoons of the pate' on the shell and then place the fillet atop the pate'.
5) Next, bring the shell up on all sides of the fillet so as to wrap the fillet smoothly.
6) Using the egg mixture, brush on the shell where you're wrapping the fillet. It will seal/hold the edges.
7) Next, brush a light coat of the egg mixture over the entire pastry, glossy finish.
8) Place the wrapped fillet on your baking sheet (spray baking sheet so the shells don't stick) with the pastry shell seams down.
9) Repeat 1-8 for remaining fillets.

Above: 4 Wellingtons resting after the cooking process. The meat is beef fillet cut into 6, 8 or 10 oz steaks. Whatever you prefer.

Above: Wellington w/ Mushroom Pate' wrapped in Puff Pastry Shell.

Below: Mushroom Pate'
Ingredients / Cooking Instructions:
4 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp finely diced shallots
8oz finely diced mushrooms (I used Baby Bella.)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1) Melt butter over med heat and then add the shallots. Reduce heat a little if necessary so the shallots do not brown. Stir constantly for 5 minutes.
2) Add the finely diced mushrooms to the mixture and mix well. Over med-low heat, continue cooking the mixture for 10-12 minutes. Stir frequently.
3) Next, add the 2 Tbsp of flour and coat the mixture, stir for 2-3 minutes.
4) Now, add the cup of heavy whipping cream. Mix thoroughly and bring mixture to a boil and then reduce heat to low/simmer.
5) Remove from heat, add salt & lemon juice, mix and then let the mixture cool to a warm touch.

Holiday Pinot Noir Tasting

2011-12-17T21:42:00.002-06:00

unWine'd with a pour...

Cooralook (Australia): Not overly fruit forward but some cherry on the nose, a bit of acidity but with very mild tannins. $15

Camas (France): This Pinot is Burgundian in style. Not as much fruit on the nose, more earthiness. A little more tannic than the other three Pinots but not too tannic, a nice finish. This is an easy drinking Pinot and a good transition wine if you're not really a red drinker. $13

HandCraft (Cali): Red fruit on the nose, cherry, raspberry. Very mild tannins and a nice balance. A bit of lingering finish as well. $14

cooper hill (Oregon): Light and fragrant. More toward blackberry and some earthiness on the nose, quite different than the Cali Pinot. Not tannic but with a hint of spiciness leading to a very nice finish. Very nice, give it a try if you're a Pinot fan. $18

Cheers...

They call me Mr. Nibs

2011-11-25T15:27:00.001-06:00

...Cacao Nibs that is. Try this dry rub for your next rib-eye, flat-iron or other steak. Sear your beef in a skillet (cast iron if you have it) for approx 3 mins on each side. You can use a couple Tbsps of butter, oil or EVOO to sear, your choice. Afterward, transfer to grill or oven to finish cooking to your preferred doneness.

Dry Rub Mix (Source: Internet, adjusted to my preference and enough for two steaks, 1 - 1 1/2 lbs)
2 Tbsp Cacao Nibs (you can find some at Whole Foods, other at http://www.kingarthurflour.com )
1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp Ground Mustard
1 tsp Chipolte Chili Powder
1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
1/4 tsp Ground Allspice
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar (Light or Dark)
1 Tbsp Kosher Salt
(Mix all these ingredients in a food processor.)

You can just rinse the steaks and pat dry or you can apply a light coat of EVOO and then apply the rub, your choice.

These, boneless, rib-eyes are about 1 1/4" thick. Apply a "generous" coat of the dry rub all over the steak. Afterward, wrap in Saran Wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes or overnight if you have time. And, remember to remove the steaks from the fridge and allow them to come back to room temp before cooking.

Venge's Scout's Honor Red Wine & Bone-In Chicken Thighs

2011-11-25T11:53:00.004-06:00

'09 Scout's Honor from Venge Vineyards.
This wine is a blend of Syrah, Petite Syrah, Zinfandel & Charbono.

(Charbono - The wine made from Charbono tends to be dark, with medium to high tannins & acidity. This varietal is a grape variety from the Savoie region of France.)

This wine is inky purple (aka - a tooth stainer) in color with much dark fruit (blackberry, black cherry) on the nose, as well as some spiciness. This wine is 15.5% so it's not for the faint of heart, it's a big boy. The wine has good structure, a bit chewy and dusty in my opinion. This wine has a nice lingering finish and will stand up to many bold foods. ~$38.

Dry Rub: (Apply EVOO to chicken before applying dry rub.)
Dried Thyme - 1 Tbsp
Oregano - 1 Tbsp
Cumin - 1 Tbsp
Onion Powder - 1 tsp
Smoked Paprika - 1 Tbsp
Kosher Salt - 1 tsp
Black Pepper - 1 tsp

Grill heat - Internal 350-375
Grill thighs for approx 20 mins on each side, skin up first

Pre-Thanksgiving "Pinot Noir" Tasting

2011-11-20T18:10:00.002-06:00

unWine'd with a pour...

Meiomi Pinot - California, $19
Spindrift Pinot - Oregon, $22
Louis Jadot - Bourgogne (Burgundy Pinot) France, $21
Apaltagua Pinot - Chile, $12

Tasting Notes - Coming Soon

'06 MEDICI, Oregon, Pinot Noir & Pan-Seared Beef Fillet

2011-11-12T16:27:00.009-06:00

unWine'd with a pour...

I was introduced to this Pinot by my good friend Mr. PR Snipes of the Murfreesboro Snipes. I'm a huge fan of Russian River Valley Pinots from CA but after drinking the Medici "I am now a fan!" You cannot find this wine in my area (Middle TN) but since Mr. Snipes was recently in the Willamette Valley area, I am now the proud owner of 6 (now 5) bottles of the '04 & '06 Medici Pinot. I will drink it slowly and purposefully.
As for my personal tasting notes, I get red fruit on the nose, bing cherry to me, but not too fruit forward. It's nicely balanced and not tannic. The mid-palate seems to have a hint of vanilla and a slight touch of spiciness. And, the wine has a nice lingering finish - quite quaffable. I give it a rating of opulent. <$30 / bottle.

Cooking the Fillet: I use a generous coat of EVOO on the steak and then add, to taste, shaved sea salt and black pepper. I let that sit for about one hour at room temp. When I'm ready to cook, I place the cast iron skillet in a 400 degree oven and let the skillet get smoking hot. Afterward, transfer to the skillet to the side burner on the grill. Over high heat I'll place one Tbsp of butter in the skillet and then place the fillets in the skillet. I cook them for 3 minutes and then add one more Tbsp of butter and turn the fillets for 3 more minutes. After that six minutes, I transfer the fillets to my grill, which is at 500 degrees, for another 6 - 8 minutes, not turning - just place them on the grill. This cooking time produces a very nice med-rare every time.

'05 Geyser Peak Cabernet

2011-10-25T16:20:00.001-05:00

unWine'd with a pour...

'05 Geyser Peak, Alexander Valley, Cabernet (~$16 USD). The vino's nose was dark fruit that resembled black cherry and blackberry, nice tannins and a slight hint of dark chocolate on the mid-palate. The finish was fruit and a bit of lingering tannin. Very nice for the price.

...a few wines tasted in twenty-eleven

2011-10-18T18:34:00.000-05:00

unWine'd with a pour...

'07 Mayo Family Syrah - purchased from Lot18

2011-10-14T17:53:00.002-05:00

unWine'd with a pour...

I recently joined Lot18 which is a site where you can search for and see special prices for many different wines. You can check it out to see if you find deals that interest you.

Click link below:
Lot18

My first purchase was '07, Mayo Family, Syrah (Page/Nord Vineyard). As always, I researched the prices on-line, checked the wine's rating, tasting notes, et al. The wine was in my price range and the tasting notes appealed to me. I bought 4 bottles and have had one to date.

This wine is a dark garnet toward inky purple in color with dark fruit on the nose. This wine has the roundness of a nice Cabernet but with that hint of spiciness you expect from Syrah. I thought the mid-palate had hint of vanilla & plum, though slight. The wine has nice structure, not tannic but with a nice lingering finish. I will decant the next bottle and see how that effects the taste as I didn't have time to do that with the first bottle. I will enjoy the other three bottles.

Cheers...

Sweet - Smoky - Spicy Bone-In Prime Rib

2011-10-09T15:27:00.011-05:00

Prime+ Bone-In Ribeye
Source (Butcher Block, Franklin, Tn) Thanks, Bruce...

unWine'd with a pour
(wines notes pending)

Slow smoked with a little cherry wood. I seared the rib in a 450 degree oven for 25 minutes and then transferred the rib to the smok'r. Smoking time will vary, internal temp is the key regardless of time but low and slow is good. I pulled this rib from the smoker @ 125 - 128 degrees internal. Afterwards, I wrapped it in aluminum foil for 30 minutes before slicing & serving. A couple of the end pieces are a little closer to medium doneness but the remainder is as you see it in the top photo. This Prime+ Ribeye was the best I've ever had. The tenderness and fat marbling was excellent. Rib below - 16 lbs.

Miscellaneous prep photos...

Rub recipe:

Prim Rib / Smoky-Spicy Dry Rub for 14 - 16 lbs

1 1/2 cubs cacao nibs, slightly ground w/ mortar & pestle (thanks to my sister for the expedited delivery of the nibs)

6 teaspoons hot red pepper flakes

8 teaspoons cumin seed, grond finely w/ mortar & pestle

4 teaspoons ground mustard

4 tablespoons chipotle chili powder or chili powder

4 teaspoons smoked paprika

4 teaspoons ground allspice

6 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed (Use less or more according to your taste.)

6 tablespoons kosher salt or fine ground sea salt

Mix thoroughly.

Apply a generous coat of EVOO to the entire Prime Rib and then apply a generous coat of the dry rub. You may have some left over if you choose not to use all of the dry rub mixture.

Simply, Thank you... Steve Jobs

2011-10-05T22:22:00.000-05:00

Without your innovation and entrepreneurial spirit, this blog would not exist in its form.