I saw a caterpillar...

From caterpillar to butterfly

On my other blog, read all about how this crazy caterpillar chose my front steps to change into a butterfly

Smoked Fatty, with Bacon!

Fatty's ready for sauce

Yesterday I made a smoked fatty wrapped in a bacon weave. A fatty is just another name for a BBQ'd log of breakfast sausage, in this case Jimmy Dean's Spicy Sausage. I smeared the sausage with plain yellow mustard and liberally covered it with my homemade pork rub. I put in the fridge for a few hours to let it think about what I was about about to do to it.

About an hour before I was planning to put it in the smoker I took the sausage out of the fridge and made the bacon weave. It turned out a 5x6 weave covered it perfectly.

Bacon weave is go!

Fatty ready for the smoker

I put it on the smoker with lump charcoal and hickory and apple wood chunks.

Smokin'!

The first picture up above shows the fatty after about three hours. Then it was time to sauce the puppy!

Saucy!

I used O'Baby BBQ Sauce. Does anyone know if they're still in business? The website has a 2013 copyright date and the shop link goes to a dead Etsy page...

Anyway, another 30 minutes or so in the smoker and then the fatty was ready!

And there it is, the finished fatty with an extra drizzle of O'Baby's.

And it was MINE, ALL MINE!

Look at that shine!

You can't see it, but there's a smoke ring

MINE!

Smoked Tri Tip

Tri tip with tomato and onions

This weekend I decided to smoke a tri tip roast. The roast was a little under three and a half pounds.

Yesterday I smeared yellow mustard on the tri tip and covered it with my steak rub. I put it in a dish, covered, overnight in the fridge.

This morning I started up the offset smoker with regular charcoal. When it was up to temp I added some hickory and apple wood chunks I'd soaked overnight.

I put the tri tip in the smoker and let it go for a few hours, until the internal temp was about 115 degrees.

Tri tip just started on the smoker

The smoker smoking

Tri tip on the grill to char

Tri tip about to be sliced

Then I put the tri tip on a small Weber grill over direct heat for about five minutes each side. I brought it in and let it rest for at least fifteen minutes and the sliced it thin. Slapped it on a plate with some sliced tomatoes and red onion drizzled with Italian dressing and covered with shredded cheese.

Good eats.

Tomahawk Cut Rib-Eyes

One sweet rib-eye with roasted potatoes and steamed veggies.

 I picked up a couple of bone-in rib-eyes from Olde Towne Butcher last weekend. They were about two inches thick (probably a bit thicker, next time I'll measure them), tomahawk cut with a bone handle sticking out. Because of how thick they were I planned to reverse-sear them on the grill. I drizzled some canola oil on them and then gave the steaks a healthy covering of my go-to beef rub, AmazingRibs.com's Big Bad Beef Rub (Note: I use their original rub recipe with salt).

The reverse sear: I set up my Weber grill for indirect cooking with charcoal. The rib-eyes went on the indirect side, each with a remote temperature probe so I could monitor the cooking process. I flipped them when they got to about 70 degrees internal temperature. I put them over the coals when their temps got to about 105 degrees. I flipped them once more and took them off the grill at about 130 degrees and let them rest.

Before.

After, resting.

For sides I steamed some veggies (to add color to the plate) and made oven-roasted potatoes using Lipton Onion Soup mix (these are a great easy side for almost anything).

The rib-eyes were like butter. They always are from Olde Towne Butcher. I'll probably do it again this weekend.

Look at that juicy rib-eye!

Keyword: Grilled

Grilled andouille sausage, grilled onion, and grilled tomato.

Before and After

 
Chicken wings on the grill do not last long after they're done.

Tomahawk Rib-Eye on the Grill

Perfectly cooked rib-eye.

Wow. It's been awhile since I posted anything. That doesn't mean I've not been having any BBQ adventures! Here's the most recent one.

I came home yesterday to find my best friend in the whole wide world, my wife Annie, had gone to Olde Towne Butcher (Facebook) and procured a two pound tomahawk cut rib-eye. Just for me. This baby was so big I knew I could grill it only one way: the reverse sear!

Now normal people like Bobby Flay will tell you to sear the meat over high heat and then finish it off over low indirect heat. This will work fine, but I have better results reversing the process. I cook the meat on the indirect side of the grill until it's almost done, then sear it off over high heat to finish. Look at that picture on the left. With the reverse sear you get a nice even color throughout the meat and an excellent crust on the outside. I think doing it the other way gives you less pink in the middle (did I say I was shooting for medium rare?).

It hangs off the plate!

So the first thing I did was lightly coat the monster meat with canola oil and give it a dusting of Amazing Ribs Big Bad Beef Rub (original recipe with salt). You can see what a monster cut that was. It didn't even fit on a regular dinner plate!

Now it's grilling time. Since this was a weekday I decided to use the gas grill. I put a good amount of mesquite and apple wood chips in the smoker box on the direct side of the grill.

Indirect, half-way done.

The meat went on the indirect side with a thermometer probe. I planned to flip it when it was 75°-80°F. This picture was when I was about to flip it after about 15 minutes. Of course I wrapped the exposed bone in aluminum foil so it wouldn't burn.

After about another 10-55 minutes the meat was about 105°F so I moved it over to the direct side of the grill. When it was at 115°F I flipped it again and then took it off when it hit 125°F.

After it rested for about 10 minutes I dove i. Perfectly cooked, buttery tender!

This is how you cook a rib-eye!

This baby is searing!

Jucy Lucy

The Jucy Lucy, or Juicy Lucy, originated in Minneapolis. In it's pristine form, it's two hamburger patties with cheese stuffed inside. When cooked the cheese is molten and oozes out when you bite in. Variants use other ingredients, such as jalapenos or onions, instead of or with the cheese. So the The Jucy Lucy is a stuffed hamburger.

Left: Ready for the top patty. Right: Ready for the grill.

Today we decided to make our own Jucy Lucies (Lucys? Lucy's? Whatever). We started off with ground beef and added Worcestershire sauce, Cajun seasoning, and onion powder to make the patties.  Then we stacked some New York extra sharp cheese on the bottom patty and sealed the deal with another one on top.

After cooking on the grill with some pecan chips smoking for added flavor we built the hamburgers on toasted buns smeared with spicy brown mustard. I prefer onion rolls and put the lettuce, onion, and tomato on the bottom. A healthy squirt of ketchup on top added the finishing touch.

Grilled Lobster Tail Po' Boy

So I had a couple of lobster tails laying around this weekend and wondered what to do with them. Obviously the grill would be in play, but I've grilled lobster tails before. I wanted to mix it up a bit.

So I looked around the spice cabinet and saw some Cajun spice shake begging to be used (really, it called to me). So, Cajun seasoning, shellfish... Po' Boy!

The po' boy is New Orleans' unique take on the hoagie. According to Wikipedia, it's usually made with roast beef or fried seafood. The seafood variant typically has a remoulade sauce. Well, I wasn't planning on cranking up the fryer this weekend, so I opted to grill the lobster tails. Tradition be damned.

I made a tangy remoulade (except I used roasted garlic instead of raw) and mixed some more of the roasted garlic with melted butter to baste the lobster tails. I recommend using Zatarain's Creole Mustard in the remoulade. It has a great spicy flavor and the whole mustard seeds give it great texture.

So I brushed the lobster tails with the melted garlic butter, tossed on some Cajun seasoning, and grilled them for about five minutes per side (until the flesh was opaque). Since I was planning to cut them up for a sandwich I didn't care about keeping the shells intact for plating. Which was a good thing since the shells did not cooperate with me when I was getting the tails ready for the grill.

While the tails were cooking I tossed half an lemon on the grill to cook also. A little canola oil helps the lemon get those nice grill marks. Cooking a lemon this way really releases the juice and adds a little smokiness. Grill your lemons whenever you can.

Finally the lobster was done, the lemon was just charred enough, and the remoulade had rested long enough in the fridge. Time to assemble the po' boy. I used an Italian style roll (I know, not traditional). I spread a healthy portion of the remoulade on both halves, added shredded lettuce and red cabbage, then piled on the lobster. I finished the po' boy with a couple of tomato slices and a quick squeeze from the grilled lemon.

End result? A great sandwich you'd be proud to serve your guests. But you'd prefer to keep it all for yourself.

What's that? Lobster's too expensive? Use grilled shrimp instead. It's great both ways.

Garbage Pizza

Garbage Pizza fresh from the oven.

So I was trying to think of something to do with the really thick cut bacon I got on Father's Day. Then it hit me: Garbage pizza!

Garbage pizza is everything but the kitchen sink. Basically you throw anything and everything you want on the pizza, cover it in cheese, then bake it.

For this, I used a store bought boboli crust as the base. I covered it with a thick layer of tomato sauce with sausage, onion, and peppers. Then a layer of thick cut pepperoni, sliced smoked ham, and then the bacon.

Now that's some thick bacon!

The bacon was almost a quarter inch thick and each slice was over twelve inches long. I sliced three strips of bacon into chunks then cooked them until they were almost crispy.

I may have tasted a few pieces along the way. Quality control.

After these went on the pizza I added the veggies: Sliced onions, green bell peppers, and mushrooms.

Finally, a heapin' helpin' of shredded mozzarella topped it off.

After thirteen minutes in the oven at 450° the garbage pizza was ready. The first slice was excellent.

Ready to eat.

Waiting for the cheese.

And before you say it, yes I know this wasn't cooked on a grill or a smoker. I promise the next time I make pizza I'll use the grill.

Father's Day 2012

My people know what to get me for Father's Day.

That's an Oregon Scientific Remote Meat Thermometer on the left and really thick cut bacon from the Eastern Market butcher in Washington, DC on the right.

Actually I got the remote thermometer a week early so I could use it with the incredibly good brisket I made that weekend. I used it again this weekend when I made pulled pork to die for (more on that later). The only complaint I have about the thermometer is one that the Amazon reviewers have made: You have to reset both the transmitter and receiver every time you turn them on to get them to link up. And the instructions aren't clear on that. Other than that, works great.

Now, the bacon. I am thinking about what I can do with it. I have many recipes that call for thick cut bacon so this will be a challenge. But you know it will be good. And I'm open to suggestions.

Stay tuned.

Brisket! In the Smoker!

Go to Texas and ask for BBQ, you'll get brisket. This chest muscle from the cow is cooked low and slow for hours. Done right it practically melts in your mouth. This is my version.

I started with a seven pound flat cut. I cut off a small piece to cook separately so it could go in the baked beans later. Along with bacon. But that's another post.

The morning after.

The night before, I trimmed most of the fat off and applied my rub. This was based on Amazing Ribs' Big Bad Beef Rub, but I add freshly toasted and ground coriander. And maybe one or two other things. Then several injections of low sodium beef stock and the brisket was ready to be wrapped and refrigerated for the night. I also put some hickory, mesquite, and pecan wood chunks in water to soak for the next day.

Restaurant Review: TC's Bar-B-Que

Awhile back I wrote about my favorite BBQ restaurant, Cotten's in Jacksonville, FL. At the time I noted that the owners had changed and some of the long-time staff (Ms. Lucille!) had moved on to their own place. I finally got a chance to visit TC's Bar-B-Que a week or so ago. It was worth the wait.

I like hole-in-the wall BBQ joints, and TC's fits the bill perfectly. It's basically a long counter with four tables in front. Ragged cafeteria chairs provide the only seating. At the time, the unisex restroom was out of order, but they opened it when one of my lunchmates asked.

But the real test is how does the food taste? Ms. Lucille has the recipe for Cotten's classic mustard-based sauce and it's just as good here as there. The ribs I had on the rib sandwich plate were St. Louis cut, but I'm told they have full size spareribs also. I can say the the rib plate was exactly what I was expecting: Three juicy ribs between two slices of white bread, with a salad and fries on the side. The salad had their homemade dressing and it was excellent.

While we were eating several people came in to pick up take out. And TC's is the place all the city officials and police left Cotten's to eat lunch at. You can't get much higher recommendations than that.

Ms. Lucille doesn't run the day to day business anymore but her presence is felt. TC's is definitely the place to go for BBQ in Jacksonville.

I may have a new favorite BBQ joint.

TC's Bar-B-Que
1269 Edgewood Ave W
Jacksonville, FL 32208
(904) 765-9945

TC's on Yelp. TC's on Google+.

Bacon Wrapped Saltines

A while back I mentioned Larry Gaian's (of the BBQ Grail) experiment in wrapping bacon around saltine crackers. This is what happened when I did it.

Prep is easy. Wrap each cracker with half a strip of bacon. I used center cut but you can use whatever kind you like. The bacon won't go completely around the cracker so just be sure the ends are tucked in underneath. They'll stay in place when everything's cooked.

Then I sprinkled some of my favorite pork rub on top. I use Meathead's Memphis Dust Rub recipe. Here's a handy tip. I usually have a problem with brown sugar clumping when I try to mix the spices together. I put it all in a blender and give it a few pulses. This mixes it well and you end up with a finer rub. The better to get into the meat, I say. If you use coarse salt (kosher or sea salt -- and you should) just add it after you blend the other spices.

Then the crackers went on the hot grill, set up for indirect cooking. Larry Gaian cooked his for about 20 minutes. I kept an eye on mine and after about 12 minutes they were starting to get done. So I put some Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce on them and let them go for a few more minutes. After a total cook time of 15 minutes the bacon wrapped saltines were done.

How did they turn out? Just look at the pictures. These make great appetizers and don't take much effort to make.

Do try this at home.

Meatzapalooza 2012

This Memorial Day weekend we hosted what I called Meatzapalooza 2012. On the menu was some of what you expect, hamburgers and hot dogs, and some of what you don't expect, the infamous bacon explosion and a traditional low country boil. I think some veggies made a token appearance but, really, who cares? It's all about the meat.

I had a couple of other items planned but we got so busy I put them off. Don't worry, you'll read about them soon enough.

Speaking of busy, the only picture I got was of the smoker cooking the bacon explosion. Yes, that is the same smoker as the one in my blog header. I recently sanded and repainted it, and restained the wood handles and shelf slats. Looks pretty good, doesn't it?

I've written about how I made my first bacon explosion, so I won't go into the details again. I will say I used a bit too much Italian sausage (just a bit, really!) and the bacon weave wouldn't quite cover the sausage roll. So I had to slap some more slices of bacon over the gaps to make it complete. Think of it as bacon spackle. I assembled the bacon explosion several hours ahead of time. Everything had time to set up and so it all held together when I put it in the smoker. Besides, how bad can be it be if you have to add more bacon? To anything?

The low country boil was pretty basic. Baby red potatoes, corn, smoked sausage, and shrimp in a pot with Old Bay seasoning and Zatarian's Crab Boil. Basic, but great flavors.

Both the bacon explosion and the low country boil were hits this year. I bet they will be again next year.

Self Protection

I probably won't make too many political posts here, but I just want to say:

An armed society is a polite society.

Smoked Holiday Ham

Smoked ham and beans -- Is that a slice of bacon, too?

Ham is traditional for Easter, so I smoked a ham and baked beans today. For the ham I followed the procedure detailed on howtobbqright.com, with a minor tweak: I used a spiral cut ham to start with. Mainly because I'm lazy and wanted to make it easier to serve when the ham was done.

There are a couple of risks using a spiral cut rather than an uncut ham. The first is that it might fall apart during the smoking process. The second is that it might come out too dry when it's done. Fortunately neither of these happened today. You do have to be careful moving the ham on and off the smoker grate. The bottom slices will tend to peel off.

The basic ingredients

The first thing you do with the ham is throw away the glaze packet that come with it. You'll make your own soon enough. To prepare the ham, rub it with honey dijon mustard and lightly coat it with brown sugar. Then it goes in a 225° smoker for two hours. I used applewood chunks with some random mesquite and hickory thrown in. After two hours spritz it with pineapple juice, wrap it in foil, and continue to cook it for another hour.

After two hours in the smoker

After the third hour open the foil and put more brown sugar on the ham  and spray with more pineapple juice. This will make the glaze. Cook for another hour. After a total of four hours cooking time take it out and let it rest for about thirty minutes.

For the beans I used the recipe for barbecues beans I found at BBQ Recipes Cookbook. Again, I made a couple of minor tweaks I'll explain in a moment. I started with drained Bush's Original Baked Beans as the base. Then I added Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce, paprika, and dry mustard.

Tweak #1: The recipe calls for honey but I substituted brown sugar today (I'm out of honey -- an oversite). 

Tweak #2: It also calls for onion and green pepper. Instead of adding them raw I sauteed them in olive oil first to soften them up. I should have cooked the pepper a little longer since it was still a bit too crunchy when the beans were done.

Beans, done.

Finally I topped the mixture with bacon slices and it went in the smoker for about an hour and a half, uncovered. I wanted the beans to be ready when the ham was done resting, so I put them in the smoker after it had been cooking for three hours. And I added more wood to make them smoky.

Is that the face of Jesus in the center of the ham?

The ham practically fell apart when it was done. I have no idea how those sweet potato chunks got in the picture.

Surf and Turf, Part Deux

I do like my surf and turf. This week instead of lobster I grilled black tiger shrimp to go with the rib-eye.

I used the Grilled Prawns in Garlic and Chile Oil recipe from Fish & Shellfish, Grilled & Smoked.

Basically you infuse olive oil with crushed red peppers and garlic, then use it to baste the shrimp while they cook and as a dipping sauce afterwards.

While tiger shrimp are an invasive species in the Gulf of Mexico, the ones I used were imported from southeast Asia.

What salt to use, when

Do you use table salt, kosher salt, or sea salt? What about pickling salt or pretzel salt? Do you know the difference?

The Virtual Weber Bullet has a good post on the various types of salt and when to use them. They advise against using iodized salt because some people claim it causes an off taste. So much for when it rains, it pours.

Two tips I think are very useful: Don't use fancy or gourmet salts (like sea salt) for BBQ rubs. Sea salt is best as a finishing seasoning.

Second, not all salt is equal, literally:

"Table salt weighs about 10 ounces per cup, while kosher salt weighs 5-8 ounces per cup, depending on the brand. If using kosher salt in a brine, you must use more than a cup to achieve the same salt flavor you would get from a cup of table salt."

One cup of table salt = 1.5 cups Morton Kosher Salt = 2 cups Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt.

This means if you want to use kosher salt in a recipe that calls for regular salt, you need to adjust the quantity based on weight not volume. If the recipe specifies kosher salt then use the exact amount.

All About Salt via Lifehacker.