Black Eyed Pigz

Archive for January, 2010

Well, the camera battery is charging, so I didn’t get any pictures of the setup on this one, but it’s marinating as we speak, and I’ll get pics of the cook if nothing else.

I’ve got 2 boneless chuck roasts, about 4 pounds total.

They’re currently marinating in a mixture of:
Bourbon Whiskey - 4oz
Worcestershire Sauce - 2 Tablespoons
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Kosher Salt
Beef Broth

When they go on the cooker, I’ll spritz them down with a little fruit juice and smoke them over hickory wood until they’re about Medium-Well.

Pics to come!

Well, I took the plunge and made some homemade breakfast sausage just now. It honestly took about 15 minutes all the way through. Now, keep in mind, I cheated a bit here and there, but this is how easy it can be.

What I used:
Hi Mountain Breakfast Sausage Seasoning Mix “Prairie Sage”
2 lbs of Ground Pork

Here’s how it looked:
The pieces……

Adding the Seasoning to the meat:

Seasoning Mixed in, a splash of water to help meld the spices and meat:

Test Fry:

Finished Patties:

The results…. Not too terribly bad, pretty good to be honest. This seasoning blend using red pepper flakes, sage and salt mostly. In the taste testing I noticed the red pepper biting my tongue, which I enjoy but those with a more delicate palette may not. The sausage itself is not as dense as store bought sausage, which is actually kind of nice to feel in your mouth.

Overall, I would do it again, but I think I would mix up my own blends next time. More sage, less red pepper and maybe throw in a few grinds of black pepper. Definitely worth the effort, definitely better than store bought.

I was lucky enough to stumble onto a really nice bbq and cooking forum recently called the Smoking Meat Forums, www.smokingmeatforums.com

What a talented group of people they have meeting there. In just a few days I learned about so many different things you can be making on your grills, smokers and even open campfires. It’s incredible. I posted my introduction and within a few hours, nearly 2 dozen people replied, welcoming me aboard. Very friendly place.

In reading through the wealth of information posted there, I stumbled into their bacon making and sausage making boards. Wow. I never knew it could be done this easily at home. And to test the waters, I’m working on making my very own breakfast sausage this weekend. There will be pics of the process and of course, my opinions on the finished product as well.

I’m also considering making my very own buckboard bacon sometime soon. I have to play with the ol’ smoker to see if I can get the smoke and temps at the right levels for what I need. Again, expect plenty of info and pictures on that process as well.

If you’re looking for a great place to learn about great food, visit the Smoking Meat Forums today. You won’t be disappointed.

I got a chance to pick up some really nice chuck filets at the store the other day. So, seeing as how they’re just like filet mignon, only from a lesser cut of beef, I decided to wrap ‘em in bacon and grill ‘em up.

Here’s what I did:

Started with 8 chuck filets:
Marinated for about an hour in beer and texas pete hot sauce:
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Wrapped with bacon and put them on a hot grill:

Grilled for about 7 minutes per side, give or take:

Served them up with a baked potato, some green beans and a few cold beers. Aaahhh…steak.

Well it’s only Wednesday, the 6th day of 2010 and South Carolina is in the midst of one of the coldest streaks we’ve ever experienced. With that in mind, I really want to get out on the smoker soon and cook something up.

I was watching a show on the Travel Channel about 15 bodacious bbq’s or something like that and there was a guy who is the official bbq provider to the Professional Bull Riders and he was grilling up some wild wings. It looked like he took just the drumette part of the wing, marinated/seasoned it and wrapped the meaty end with bacon before putting them to the fire.

If I can track down some drumettes this week, I think that’s what’s going on the grill Friday or Saturday. I’ll keep you posted on my progress. However, if you have a better idea for a meal I should cook, by all means, pass it along!

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, I know alot of my recipes center around the smoker but I can’t help it. I’m addicted to smokey tender food. But you don’t have to own a smoker to make good BBQ. You can use your charcoal or gas grill just the same. It will take a little learning on your part, but, it’s definitely something you’ll be glad you did.

Basically, you want to cook your bbq over an indirect heat source. That means AWAY from the fire. In a grill, it’s easy really.

For Charcoal owners:
Get your charcoal lit and burned down to white ash, and arrange it all on one side of the pan. Then place your food as far away from that fire source as you possibly can. Open your exhaust vent to allow all the smoke to escape, while you want smokey food, you don’t want so much smoke that it tastes like a half-burnt log from the campfire.

For gas grill owners:
Light one side of your grill. Then follow the directions above.

To impart smoke using your grill, soak a few handfuls of woodchips in water, then wrap in heavy duty aluminum foil. Poke a few holes in the pouch you’ve just made using a fork, and set it directly on top of your fire source. It will produce a nice even smoke for your cook.

Whichever way you go, make sure you have a thermometer that you can measure temperatures with INSIDE the grill, at grate-level where your food is cooking. Ideally, you should be cooking at 250 - 275 degrees.

I just realized I never shared this recipe with you, so my apologies.

Honey Pineapple Ham Glaze:

1 15oz can Crushed Pineapple
1/4 cup Honey
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar.

In a small sauce pan, drain the juice from the pineapples into the pan, use a spoon to mash down the pineapple and get as much juice as you can from them. Or you could just use about 1/2 cup of pineapple juice already squeezed I guess. Then add your honey and brown sugar. Simmer this over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it reduces and becomes thick. Remove from heat and brush on your ham.

Keep in mind, if you let this sit and cool to room temp, it will be almost hard like rock candy. If this happens, just put it back over the heat and stir until it loosens back up.

For an added kick, throw in a pinch of chipotle powder and cinnamon. MMMM MMMM!

As part of my New Year’s Resolutions this year, I am posting photos of the Smoked Ham cookout I did on New Year’s Eve.

So, here we go:

Here you’ll see the ham, sitting in just a splash of pineapple juice, waiting to go on the smoker. The ham was left in this pan while it cooked to catch all the juices.

Now after about 3 hours smoking at 250 degrees with hickory wood and charcoal, the ham is ready to be glazed. I brushed on the Honey Pineapple Glaze that I made up and left if on the cooker for about another 20 minutes.

And finally, the ham is glazed and ready to be cut and devoured by the hungry masses. This thing was just incredibly good. That glaze made this thing taste so incredibly good, there’s no way Honey Baked Ham can compete.

Friends, I spent part of yesterday trying out a new idea for BBQ Beans. I’ve always been a fan of the Bush’s brand Grillin’ Beans, but thought I could do better myself.

So I sat down with a baked bean recipe, and adjusted it here and there, coming up with a killer combination that I think is a definite keeper. Here’s the lowdown:

2 15oz cans beans (Any kind you like, but I used 1 kidney bean and 1 great northern bean)
1/4 lb bacon
1/2 large onion diced
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup Ketchup
1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar (may want to use a bit less to suit your tastes)
1 tablespoon Chipotle powder (again, adjust for your tastes, this was a touch spicy)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
4 tablespoons yellow mustard

Start out by cutting your bacon into bite size pieces, then put in a pan with your diced onions. Cook until the bacon is just starting to get crisp around the edges and the onions are transluscent. Then add all of your other ingredients. Stir well to combine and let it cook on medium heat for about an hour. At the hour mark, test it to see if you need to add any more spices. Turn the heat down to simmer and let them simmer for up to 45 minutes.

The BEST BBQ Beans you’ve ever had.

The only thing I will do different in the future is to put them on the smoker and let some hickory smoke mingle in with the beans. Otherwise, I see no way to improve on this killer recipe.

Let me know if you try it out, it’s a definite keeper for us!

Folks, I know all of us love a juicy ribeye or a succulent porterhouse, but man, those things are costly. When you have a family of 6 like I do, it’s not always feasible to drop $50+ for some steaks when the urge strikes you.

SO, one week at the grocery store, the wife picked up some chuck steaks. CHUCK STEAKS????? What’s wrong with you woman!??? Well, after I got over the initial shock and dread of a sub-prime piece of beef, I marinated them up and tossed them on the grill. Any steak would have to be better than no steak, right?

Well, let me tell you, these things were incredible. Had all the characteristics of a good ribeye. Boneless, marbled with fat and fork tender when grilled to a medium doneness. Needless to say, I haven’t looked back since.

Keep in mind, however, there are usually 2 types of chuck steaks in the meat cases. One will be labelled as “CHUCK EYE” which is a super tender portion of the chuck roast, much like a ribeye steak. The other will be labeled simply as a “CHUCK STEAK”. Reminds me a bit of a NY Strip. It was tender, juicy and best of all super affordable.

When you’re making a plate of 7 or 8 steaks to feed the troops, this is the most economical way to enjoy a good meal. It’s not going to win you any steak-master awards, but it’s damn good eating nonetheless.

For a marinade, give this a try:

1 12oz Miller High Life Beer (it just has to be High Life)
1/2 cup of Frank’s Red Hot Hot Sauce
Fresh Ground Black Pepper About a teaspoon or so
Pinch of Kosher salt (Don’t use table salt, it’s not the same)

Throw your steaks in a plastic bag, pour in the ingredients and seal the bag, removing as much air as you can. Slosh the mixture around to coat all the meat thoroughly, and let it do it’s magic in the fridge for at least an hour, 2 is better.

Get your grill smoking hot, toss the steaks on and cook for about 6 - 7 minutes per side for medium doneness. Remove them from the grill and let them rest on the counter for about 5 minutes or so before serving.

If you try this one out, let me know your thoughts on the chuck steak. I think it’s a great way to save money AND enjoy a good piece of meat!