Strip steak with bacon, butter and balsamic vinegar reduction glaze

The steak was grilled as usual  but then it was given a coating of butter and bacon fat and reduced balsamic vinegar.  I drained off the bacon, crisped it a little then added it to the potatoes.  I used parmesan cheese on the potatoes instead of cheddar.

 New York Strip Steak Cool Smoke recipe p. 155

2 tsp. Kosher salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

4 (8-10 oz) New York strip steaks

8 T. (one stick) salted butter

1/2 C. diced bacon

1/2 C. balsamic vinegar

S&P steaks evenly.  Let sit 30-60 min.

In small non-stick pan melt 1 T. butter over med-low.  Add bacon and cook 5-7 min. to render but not crisp. add remaining butter and stir until it smells nutty and turns brown.  Move to heat proof container and cover.

Clean pan, add vinegar and reduce by half.  Too much reduction will turn it bitter.  Cover and set aside.

Heat grill to 400º  cook 4 min. rotate 45 degrees and cook additional 4 min. Flip, repeat, until thickest part is 125º.  Remove, let rest 5 min.

Plate, top with 1 1/2-2 T. bacon/brown butter mix, drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Pass any additional sauce.

Pioneer Woman Stuffed Baked Potato 

Ingredients

8 baking potatoes

3 tablespoons of olive oil

2 sticks of unsalted butter

1 cup of sour cream

1 cup of cheddar or Jack cheese

1 cup of whole milk

2 teaspoons of seasoned salt

3 green onions (chopped)

Salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions:

In this delicious-looking stuffed baked potatoes video recipe tutorial by The Pioneer Woman, on Youtube, you will learn how to make these delicious potatoes in a few easy steps.

1/2 C. cheese mixed in and 1/2C. for topping. Mix all together, finish mixing with potato masher or bare hands.

Then, you will mix all of the inside ingredients, restuff your delicious potatoes and bake at 350°F until bubbly on top.

Catfish, chicken thighs and hush puppies

 The mix I used said it could be used on anything so I got some chicken thighs and catfish and made hush puppies too.  The mix got too brown on the chicken right away so I finished it in the oven.  The catfish got too brown too but it was done quickly and tasted good.  The hush puppies didn't need more than a couple minutes.  This is the third meal with beans because the only size can they had was way bigger than I wanted.

HUSH PUPPIES       Makes 24

fat or oil for deep frying

1/2 C. FLOUR 1 1/2C. CORN MEAL

2 t. BAKING POWDER 1 BEATEN EGG

1 T. SUGAR 3/4 C. MILK

1/2 t. SALT 1/4 C. GRATED ONION

SIFT AND STIR DRY INGREDIENTS, ADD REMAINING INGREDIENTS AND STIR UNTIL JUST MOISTENED. DROP BY SPOONFULS INTO HOT FAT AND FRY UNTIL BROWNED.

Smoked Loin Back Ribs with Cherry BBQ Sauce

1 C. Cool Smoke Rub (p. 49)

2 racks loin back ribs, trimmed with membrane removed

1/2 C. apple juice in spray bottle

3 C. Cherry BBQ Sauce (p. 63)

Prepare Cherry BBQ sauce

An hour before cooking, clean & season ribs with 1/4 C. per side with Cool Smoke rub. Use shaker to evenly coat each side.

Heat smoker to 275º & place meat side up in smoker.  Cook 1 hour, spray with apple juice. cook another hour. spray again.  Repeat every 30 minutes until final 2 hour mark.

Prepare Cherry BBQ sauce.  When ribs have mahogany brown  color, wrap both slabs with foil. Move to grill meat side down.  Cook on cool side of 2 side heating 1 1/2-2 hours, until tender. Open pack and check for tenderness with toothpick.  Remove, brush1/2C cherry sauce per side, return to cool side grill 5- 10 min. to set sauce. Watch closely to avoid  burning. Serve with any additional sauce.

Cool Smoke Rub Smoked Chili Powder

1/2 C. Turbinado sugar 1 C. Smoked paprika

1/4 C.+ 2 t. kosher salt 5 t. + 1 tsp dried Greek oregano

1/4 C. smoked Chili Powder (P50 ) 3 T+1 tsp ground cumin

2T.+2 tsp ground cumin 3T+ 1 tsp granulated garlic

1 tsp. cayenne pepper 2 T. granulated onion

1 T+ 1 tsp cracked black pepper 3T+ 1tsp. cayenne pepper Mix as above

1 T. + tsp granulated garlic

1 T.+ 1tsp granulated onion

Mix store airtight cook dark place

Cherry BBQ Sauce

3 C. ketchup

1 c. packed lt. brown sugar

3/4 C. distilled white vinegar

2 T. molasses

1T. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. chipotle chile powder

1 T. chili powder

1 T. sweet paprika

1 tsp. granulated onion

1 tsp granulated garlic

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 C. cherry preserves

1/2 C. sun dried cherries

In 4 qt saucepan, combine all ingr. with 1/2 C. water over med. heat.  Simmer, stirring continuously 20 min until thickens slightly.  Set aside to cook  slightly

 

Grilleld Pork Chops with mustard sauce

I have bought several thermometers from Thermoworks.  They send me emails from time to time with videos about cooking with a smoker and recipes.  Their recipes are always good.  The last email from them recommended the book Cool Smoke by Tuffy Stone.  I didn't know who he was but found out he is a cast member of the TV show BBQ Pitmasters.  I don't watch it because I have no interest in competition BBQ and it's mostly drama and very little information about cooking on a pit.  The book came earlier this week and I have already made three recipes from the book and there are a lot more I want to try. I may be using my smoker more this year than any other.  Going to do some loin ribs with cherry BBQ sauce tomorrow.
 Thick-Cut Pork Chops  Cool Smoke

2 1/2 C. Pork Chop brine

1 1/2 c. Mustard Sauce

4 thick-cut chops (3/4” to 1”)

1 T. salted butter

2 1/2  tsp. kosher salt

2 1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

Prepare pork chop brine 24 hours in advance

Prepare Mustard sauce and warm gently in (or rewarm gently over low heat.

Strain chilled brine and pour over chops in a single layer. Refrigerate uncovered 3 hours.

Remove & pat dry w/paper towels

In small cup nuke butter, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper 30 seconds & brush evenly on both sides of chops.Then dust both sides with 1/2 tsp each S&P

Heat grill to 400º & direct grill over hot side for 4 minutes rotate chops 90 degrees and cook additional 4 minutes, flip and repeat until thermometer is 140º  Let rest 5 min before serving with mustard sauce

Pork Chop Brine makes generous 2 3/4 c.

2 1/2 C. apple juice

3 T. honey

1/4 C. kosher salt

2 small bay leaves

2  tsp. caraway seeds

1 tsp mustard seeds

2 tsp whole black peppercorns

1/4 tsp granulated garlic

 Whisk together, cover and refrigerate 24 hours

Mustard Sauce  makes 1 1/2 C.

3/4 C. yellow mustard

1/4 C. whole-grain  mustard

1/4 C. cider vinegar

3 T. honey

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Combine, refrigerate in air tight container up to 2 weeks

My sister told me about this recipe so I tried it today

Baked Onion

Cut the top and bottom from a sweet onion. Take off the skin and cut a hole in the top.  Put 1Tbsp of butter, 1 Tbsp of Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce and half a cube of bouillon.  Wrap in foil, place in a baking dish and bake @350 for 60 minutes.

Smoked Pulled Pork

 

The recipes are   from Cool Smoke by Tuffy Stone. The pork roast I made was boneless and about three pounds so cook time was much quicker. I used a probe thermometer and mopped it only 3 times before needing to be wrapped.  I wrapped it at about 150 degrees and cooked it to 200 degrees instead of 195.  I felt that the rub would be too salty but this is the first time I made this so followed the recipe. The crust was a little saltier than we like it but when it was chopped and mixed with the rest of the meat, it was OK.  We made sandwiches with the chopped pork and BBQ sauce and topped with coleslaw like is the Memphis in May BBQ style sandwich. Coleslaw is KFC copycat as already posted earlier. 

Fennel Garlic Pork Shoulder

1/2 C. Fennel Garlic rub

1 qt Worcestershire mop

8-10 lb bone-in pork shoulder

Dust shoulder all over with rub. Refrigerate, uncovered, overnight

Heat smoker to 300º smoke for 1 hour.  Mop.  cook 3 hours more, moping about every 30 min.  Wrap, cook to 195º  Let rest 30 min.

Serve sliced chopped or pulled

Fennel Garlic Rub

1/2 C. kosher salt

1/4 C. cracked pepper

1 T. crushed red pepper

1 1/2 tsp. granulated garlic

2 tsp. fresh  cracked 

Mix, store air tight in dark cool place.

Worcestershire mop

1 qt. apple cider vinegar

1/4 C.  kosher salt

1/8 C.  fresh ground white pepper

 1/4 C. Worcestershire sauce

1/4 C. favorite hot sauce

8 T. unsalted butter.

Mix in sauce pan, heat until butter is melted, whisk, pour into heat resistant container. It will keep 5 days

Grilled steak

 

Charlie has a car meet tonight so dinner was early and quick.  Steaks and corn on the grill and a little salad.