Jan
11
I’ll be working on some changes to the site throughout January, maybe even into February. I want to make this a more informational and fun site for you to be a part of. The forums will be going away, nobody used them anyways.
I have some recipes I’m simply dying to try out and want to share those with you, and as always, if you have something you’d like me to try out, let me know! I’ll do what I can to accomodate you.
Jan
06
So yesterday, I told you I was making this roast beef with an eye of round roast. Well, here’s the finish.
First, I chopped up some celery and onions to put in my drip pan.
I then sat the roasts (I cut it in half, if you remember) on top of this pan, on some cooling racks so the meat drippings would mix with the veggies and garlic powder.
Now, after an hour on the grill, away from the heat of the charcoal and apple wood chips, I added a can of beef broth and half a can of tomato paste to the pan. Smoke Au Jus, can’t beat it!
When it was done, I brought it in the house. At 135 degrees, I pulled it off the grill. It’s rare, but when you cover it with foil and let it rest for a half hour, it will creep up to nearly 145 internal temp, and that’s roughly medium. At this point, I separated the veggies from the broth and let it simmer on the stove to make my au jus. I added half a cup of beer to the broth to thin it a bit and add a little flavor.
If anything, I would have used a bit less tomato paste, but it was great. Here’s the roast while I sliced it. Look at all the juices! They were saved and added to the au jus.
And finally, my plate. Roast beef, mashed potatoes, green beans, carrots and corn. This is the stuff dreams are made of!
Before you ask, yes, I had seconds and thirds.
Jan
05
Ah, it feels good to be back on here finally after such a long hiatus. With work, life and the lack of a proper smoker, I’ve been kind of behind the 8-ball if you will. I still don’t have a smoker, but I’m not going to use that as an excuse anymore. I’ve got this thing figured out for the short term and I’m going to make it a point to be regular with the updates here at Black Eyed Pigz.
Let’s get to it, shall we?
What I’m using:
1 7lb Eye of Round Roast
Kosher salt
Roasted Garlic Powder
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Olive Oil
Here we go:
7lb Eye of Round Roast
First thing I did was take the roast out of it’s wrapper and rinse it off. I don’t know why I rinse it off, I don’t think it matters, but I do it anyways. Then I patted it dry and…
2 3.5lb Eye of Round Roasts
So here you see that I’ve cut it in half. The reason I’ve done that is to make sure it fits over my drip pan, as I plan to catch all the deliciousness that drips from this roast so I can turn it into an Au Jus dipping sauce later on. The second reason is to make sure it cooks evenly, without drying out on me. Now you want to rub it down with olive oil and coat it with your seasonings.
Seasoned with roasted garlic, kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper.
Finally, you want to wrap it up tight and let it sit in the fridge for at least a few hours, I’m shooting for overnight. The next step will be getting the drip pan ready and onto the grill. Check back tomorrow for updates.
Wrapped up tight for an overnight rest in the fridge.
Dec
20
It seems like it’s been forever since I was able to update this site. Part of that stems from my business taking off in unexpected and wonderful ways. I’ve been slam-busy all Summer, straight through the holidays. The other part is that my smoker bit the dust. Poor little Charbroil Silver Smoker. The fire box has rusted completely away, and I have no way to maintain temperatures in the cooking chamber.
This saddens me like you wouldn’t believe. As much as I love to cook on the smoker and share the results with all of you, I’m unable to do so at this time. I am saving towards getting a new smoker soon, and hope to be back making smokey-deliciousness to share with everyone.
For now, I simply offer my apologies for the lack of updates and hope that I get things straightened out in the New Year so that we can continue grillin’ and chillin’ for a long time to come.
Happy Holidays to you and yours!
Sep
28
With the NFL in full swing, NCAA Football going strong, it’s time to consider your menus for gameday. I like to keep it simple when it’s just me and the family watching the Redskins drop a heartbreaker to the Cowboys, but that doesn’t mean it has to be boring.
Lately we’ve been on a chicken wing kick. That’s good food right there. You can eat it with one hand, leaving the other one free to pick up your beer, throw the remote or flip off the referees when they make a bad call. And with wings, the only limitation to variety is your imagination.
I’ll be posting some recipes here soon on different sauces and flavors you can try on your next batch of wings. I have been slacking a bit with the updates around here but I promise to be back in full force really soon with great photos and how-to’s for everyone to enjoy.
Jul
18
Hey everyone,
If somehow you weren’t aware, Black Eyed Pigz is on Facebook and I’d like you to like me. I want you to want me…I need you..well, ok…just click the link and like me please?
Sincerely,
Bill
Jul
16
Oh yes, Smoked BBQ Pork Chops. They’re AWESOME! And easy.
Here’s what I used:
Slice your pork loin into chops about an inch or so thick. I didn’t measure, but they grill better when they’re at least 1 inch thick. Marinate in the Jim Beam marinade (boy that stuff is incredible) and let them come near room temperature before you put them on your hot grill. When you place them on the grill, make sure to put them as far away from the heat as possible, you want to BBQ them, not grill them. I added a handful of apple wood chips to my charcoal for flavor, but that’s completely optional. When they’re done, brush them with the Jim Beam Bacon BBQ sauce and let that caramelize on both sides for about 2 – 3 minutes.
Here’s the pics:
Jul
07
Unfortunately, many people think slapping a little sauce on their grilled meats makes them BBQ. That’s not the case. BBQ is, by definition, a cooking method and not a seasoning. To properly BBQ food, you have to maintain low temperatures in your cooking chamber (usually between 250° – 325°) and allow your food to cook slowly, away from the fuel source. This is known as indirect cooking and is also the basis for the term “low and slow”.
Many cooks will add some BBQ sauce or sauce of another kind to their finished meats, to help enhance the flavor of the food. I think the best way to explain this is to say the BBQ Sauce is an enhancement to BBQ, not a main ingredient or even a necessary one. My BBQ ribs, pork, brisket and chicken are NEVER prepared with sauce. I serve them as-is, directly off the smoker, and rely on the wood smoke, spice rubs and natural meat flavors to make it tasty. I always offer sauce on the side for those who enjoy dipping or using it as a condiment on their sandwiches, but it’s just that, a condiment or dipping sauce. Some even call this a “finishing” sauce. When you add the sauce, the food is finished.
Jul
05
A&W BBQ Sauce, we were on vacation in Tennessee this past June and I stumbled into a shop where they offered nearly 10,000 different bbq sauces, marinades, hot sauces, additives, spices, salsas and more. While we were there, I picked up a bottle of the A&W BBQ Sauce. I honestly didn’t expect much from it, it seemed more like a gimmick to me than anything at the time. Boy was I wrong.
This is a pleasantly sweet BBQ Sauce that goes great on grilled chicken. It’s got just enough smoke and pepper flavor to keep it from being too sweet, yet it adds a whole new layer of taste to the food.
They say you can taste the “creamy goodness” of the A&W Rootbeer in this sauce, but I have to admit, I didn’t really notice too much of a rootbeer flavor to it. That’s not a negative, just something I wanted to point out to you in case you were wondering.
I now have a few bottles of this in my pantry, for when I get the urge to grill up some chicken legs or even thighs, this is the perfect complimentary condiment. I have this available for sale in the Black Eyed Pigz online shop for just $7.00. You get an 18 ounce bottle of sweet smokey goodness.
As I said in the past, I won’t offer for sale anything I have not personally tasted and approved of. The store’s selection will grow in time, but I’m taking it slow to insure only the best tasting products are made available. While you’re in the shop, be sure to grab a bag of my own Cinnamon Chipotle BBQ Rub before it’s gone!
Jul
04
We had our big cookout for the holiday a day early. On the menu was Bacon Wrapped BBQ Shrimp, Smoked Chicken Wings, Spare Ribs and Bacon Wrapped Corn. Here’s the lowdown on the corn:
You’ll need:
It’s pretty simple really. Get your corn, and peel the husk back, careful not to remove the leaves, and pull out as much of the silk as you can. From there, soak the entire ear of corn in a pot of water for an hour or more, so the husks don’t burn up on your grill.
When you’re ready to grill, peel back your husks one more time and wrap each corn with a slice or two of bacon. Pull the husks back up to cover everything. You can use butcher’s twine to hold it shut if you like, just be sure to soak the twine in water before you grill it.
On a hot grill, place the corn on the grates. Rotate it every 4 or 5 minutes, to prevent too much scorching and cook until the bacon is done. Usually about 15 minutes.
Bring it in, peel it off, add the bacon to your beans and enjoy!
Here’s all the pics:
