Bacon Sushi

My nephew had a Bacon N Bourbon themed party so I added another B... BBQ.  I made bacon rolls which had half ground beef, half pineapple bratwrust for the center with roasted poblano peppers and Queso Quesadilla cheese, all wrapped with a bacon weave and smoked for a couple of hours, then cut into medallions.

I also made a bourbon & bacon BBQ sauce.

I also took some of the brisket that was left over from Wednesday.

This sauce was made and then I added it half and half with Horizon BBQ sauce... enough to fill the whiskey bottle.

BOURBON-BACON BBQ SAUCE

Ingredients 

1/2 cup small-dice bacon (about 3 ounces)

1/2 cup finely diced red onion (about 1/2 small onion)

2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 cup ketchup (used Jalapeno catsup instead, omitted chili powder)

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

3 tablespoons bourbon

2 tablespoons dark or robust molasses (not blackstrap)

2 teaspoons chili powder (omitted, used jalapeño catsup instead)

1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon ground mustard

salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Total Time: 40 mins

Makes: 2 cups

 Play around with the ingredients: Add more bourbon, less vinegar, different spices, or swap out the sugar for agave nectar, honey, or maple syrup. This sauce is great on ribs

1 Place the bacon in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a small bowl; set aside. Reduce the heat to medium low, add the onion to the pan, and cook in the bacon fat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 to 60 seconds.

2 Whisk in the remaining measured ingredients and season with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Stir in the reserved bacon and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly and holds a line on the back of a wooden spoon when you drag a finger through it, about 25 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper as needed. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Smoked Brisket

I wondered if i could ever do one of these justice and I think I did.  

Brisket log

Monday got 11 lb brisket for $65.50

Tuesday got 50 lbs. white oak logs for $45.00

Cleaned out smoker, grates, convection plate, bottom of smoker, grease drip pan.

Took stock of wood and charcoal, 3 bags of charcoal, 50 lbs logs and 40 lbs of fist-sized oak chunks plus another 25-30 lbs of hickory and apple chunks.

I figure I don’t have enough wood for a 12 hour smoke but only need 5 or 6 hours of smoke so plan to start and finish with charcoal.

Tues, afternoon, cleaned kitchen, trimmed brisket, slathered it with vinegar, then added my favorite rub, Recovered brisket and re refrigerated it. Cleaned kitchen again. split enough logs to get started tomorrow.

Untrimmed

trimmed

Underside trimmed of silver skin and hard fat

slathered with vinegar on top and mustard on bottom,  rubbed. Rub recipe below. Re wrapped brisket and refrigerated overnight. 

Wed.  @ 4:00 am Awoke to the sound of pouring rain.  I hoped the wood was staying dry. I covered it with plastic last night. It was supposed to rain a little last night, be cool and cloudy today. Friday and Sat. are suppose to be really rainy. 

@ 4:30 am took brisket out of refrigerator, took shower and got dressed.

@ 5 am planned to start fire but it is still raining too much.  Went back upstairs and took a splinter out of my finger that i got while splitting wood last evening.

Rib rub:  I was out of onion powder and white pepper so left them out.  I was going to use some steak seasoning from Penzey’s but at the last minute, decided I didn’t like the smell of it for brisket and so made a double batch of this rub.

2 tablespoons sugar 

1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoons paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon black pepper

5:30-6:00 am

 Started fire for smoker. Made coffee, boiled a pot of water for smoker, added it to smoker, stoked fire, added oak logs (sticks).  Chimney vent fully open, fire box door open. Mixed 3/4 apple juice with 1/4 vinegar for spray bottle.

Last week when I smoked pork and pastrami, I did it at 275 as Franklin does.  Since my thermometer is high and his is at grate level, I figure my smoker was going hotter at grate level and deemed 275 on my thermometer as a little too high. I usually run it at 230-240 but plan to keep it around 250 today.

6:15 am Smoker @ 230º, put brisket on, closed firebox door but left damper fully open.  It is still raining but not pouring like before.

6:30  @ 240º, added log, closed damper to 1/2 open.  Had breakfast.

6:45 @ 245º

7:00 raining hard again, @ 225º

7:05 @ 180º

7:10 @ 200º  added log, opened fire box door. Pouring rain now. Outside of fire box steaming, outside of smoke chamber wet.  Grease bucket filling with water.  Going through wood faster than I expected.

7:20 @ 150º, added logs

7:30 @ 140º

7:40 @ 140º added charcoal

7:45 @ 150º partially closed firebox door.  

7:53 @ 240º

8:00 rain letting up. @ 265º closed firebox door, damper fully open.

8:15 @ 305º closed damper completely. Chimney flue still fully open.  Rain has stopped.

8:30 @ 250º

8:45 @ 245º opened flue to 1/4 open. Added log

9:00 @ 245º added charcoal, spritzed brisket with apple juice / vinegar mixture.

9:30 @ 245º added a log

10:30 @ 240º cleaned dead ashes from firebox to improve airflow, added log.

11:00 @ 255º spritzed brisket with juice & vinegar mix.  Front end is looking like it has enough smoke.  Back is still not ready for wrap, I think. Will take it’s temperature in half an hour.

11:20 am @ 250º  5 hours of smoke.

Time to wrap, I think.

 

11:40 Added charcoal,  spritzed and wrapped.  Franklin brushes sauce on inside of his paper before wrapping. I didn't do that. I forgot.

11:50 @ 300º  Closed damper. Have switched to all charcoal.  No need for any more wood.
12:30 pm @ 250º
1:00 pm @ 220º added charcoal
1:30 pm @ 220º  Brisket temp. is 204 at both ends.  It's done. and resting. I won't have to get up so early next time.... if there is a next time.

Done. Juicey and tender.

BBQ Beans

can  Baked Beans

Oklahome Joe rib rub

Brown sugar

Night of the Living Dead BBQ sauce

Molassas

chopped brisket including crust from burnt end and fat.

Dinner was a salad and four appetizers

Salad was cauliflower, broccoli. sunflower seeds, onions and a vinegar and oil dressing, marinated overnight.  Also had Buffalo Chicken Ring with dip, Red bell pepper rings and two taco dips, one meatless and left over from last night. 

Cauliflower, Broccoli & Sesame Salad

Inspired by a salad at Pizza Buono

Should be made a day in advance.

1 cup raw pepitas NOTE I used sunflower seeds

1 tablespoon olive oil

kosher salt or sea salt

1 small red onion or a couple of shallots

3 to 4 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

1 head cauliflower

1 head broccoli

1 bunch (about 6 stalks) scallions

1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted or not

1 jalapeño or other hot chili, minced

2 to 3 Medjool dates, finely diced, or other dried fruit (golden raisins, dried cranberries)

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus a few more tablespoons to taste

1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt

red pepper flakes to taste (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Spread pepitas on a sheetpan, toss with 1 tablespoon (you could probably get away with using less) olive oil and a pinch of salt. Spread out and toast for 7 to 10 minutes or until you hear them starting to pop. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

2. Meanwhile, dice the onions or shallots and place in a small bowl. Cover with three tablespoons of vinegar and a pinch of salt. Set aside.

3. Using the slicer attachment to your food processor, slice up the cauliflower and broccoli. I used almost the entire head each of cauliflower and broccoli and stopped forcing florets down the shoot once my food processor was loosely filled. The final yield was about 8 loosely packed cups.

4. Place sliced cauliflower and broccoli in a large bowl. Thinly slice the scallions (white and light green parts) and add to the bowl. Add sesame seeds, minced jalapeño and diced dates to bowl. Add cooled pepitas and macerated onions (with the vinegar) to the bowl. Add olive oil to bowl. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and toss well. Taste. If the jalapeño has provided enough heat, omit the red pepper flakes; if not, add pepper flakes to taste. Add more salt if necessary. Add more olive oil and vinegar as necessary: I added two more tablespoons olive oil and one more tablespoon vinegar. I used a whole teaspoon of salt. Toss again and taste.

FRIED PEPPER RINGS

Fried Pepper Rings

Description

Works with Asparagus too

Ingredients Related Tips

1 pepper, any color, cut into 1/4-inch rings

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg, scrambled

1 cup milk, or as needed

3/4 cup panko crumbs

seasoned salt to taste

oil for frying, or as needed

Directions

- Place flour into shallow bowl. Toss peppers in flour and then set aside. 

- Add baking powder, salt, egg and milk into flour, mix well. 

- In another shallow dish place panko crumbs. Heat oil in a large saucepan. You want the oil to be hot, but not too hot, otherwise you’ll burn the coating and not cook the inside. 

- Dip the flour coated food into the wet mixture. Place them on a cooling rack so they drip off the extra wet batter. 

- Then dip into the panko crumbs, coat well, and place in hot oil. 

- Cook for 3-4 minutes or until a nice golden color is achieved. Repeat. Food will be very hot right after cooking. 

- Let cool for a minute or two before eating.

 BUFFALO CHICKEN RING

Photo by: Pillsbury.com

Description

You can stuff with whatever you like!

I made the dip with sour cream, blue cheese and a little left over filling.

Ingredients

4 oz cream cheese (half of 8-oz package),softened

1/4 cup hot sauce or red pepper sauce

2 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken (1/2-inch pieces)

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (4 oz)

2 cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury™ refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese

Directions

Heat oven to 375°F. In small bowl, mix cream cheese and hot sauce until smooth. Mix in chicken and shredded cheese just until combined.

Unroll both cans of dough; separate into 8 triangles. On ungreased large cookie sheet, arrange triangles in ring so short sides of triangles form a 5-inch circle in center. (Dough will overlap; half of each triangle will hang over edges of cookie sheet. Dough ring should look like a sun.)

Spoon cream cheese mixture on the half of each triangle closest to center of ring. Top with blue cheese crumbles.

Bring each dough triangle hanging over side of pan up over filling, tucking dough under bottom layer of dough to secure it. Repeat around ring until entire filling is enclosed (some filling might show a little).

Gently separate dough perforations on top until filling peeks through. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until dough is golden brown and thoroughly baked. Cool 5 to 10 minutes before cutting into serving slices.

submitted by Pillsbury.com

Taco dips were simply layers of taco fixings and corn chips

Smoked some spareribs and their trimmings today.

Smoked trimmings for 4 hours, cut up, re-seasoned and smoked a little longer.  Used Horizon sweet rub on ribs and smoked with apple wood.