Ribs in the smoker to test out a Christmas present from my son

 

Charlie gave me a thermometer for the smoker that reads four different thing and send the temps. to my phone.  I tested the air temperatures in the front and back of the smoker.  The sides were store bought potato salad, Mexican street corn, BBQ beans, coleslaw and green beans.

Competition Ribs from Cool Smoke P. 97

1 C. Cool Smoke Rub

2 racks St. Louis cut spareribs, membrane removed

1 /2 C. apple juice in spray bottle

1 C. Cool smoke BBQ sauce Smoked Chili Powder

1/2 C. honey, divided 1/4 & 1/4

2 tsp. cider vinegar 1 C. smoked paprika

8 T (1 stick) butter, melted 4 T.+ 1 tsp. dried Greek oregano

1/4 C. packed light brown sugar 3 T + 1 tsp. ground cumin

3T +1 tsp. gran. garlic

Cool Smoke BBQ Sauce 3T+ 1 tsp. cayenne

2T. granulated onion

3 C. ketchup

1 C. packed dark brown sugar

Cool Smoke Rub

3/4 C. white vinegar

1/4 C. Molasses 1/2 C. Turbino Sugar

3 T. Worcestershire sauce 1/4 C. smoked chili powder recipe above

1 T. smoked chili powder (p 50) 1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp. kosher salt 1 T. + 1 tsp. granulated garlic

1 T. smoked paprika 1/4 C. +2 T. kosher salt

1 T. sweet paprika 2 T. + 2 tsp. ground cumin

2 tsp. granulated onion 1T. + 1 tsp. cracked black pepper

2 tsp. granulated garlic 1T.+ 1 tsp. granulated onion

2tsp. cayenne

1 1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

2 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 C. apple cider vinegar

& 1/4 C. Honey

Sprinkle rub on ribs (1/4 C. peer side) Let sit 1 hour before putting in smoker.

Heat smoker to 275.  Smoke 2 hours, meat side up, spraying with apple juice every 30 min.  Remove from smoker and 

Drizzle with  1 stick butter &1/4 C. honey & brown sugar. Wrap in two layers of heavy foil, return to smoker for another 1 1/2 - 2 hours. 

Unwrap brush with cool smoke sauce & heat to set sauce 15 min. Watch closely to keep from burning or overset the sauce. Serve with sauce on the side. ( usually set sauce inside under the broiler)  

BBQ Beans

1  can Bushes pork and beans

1 TBS Rib rub seasoning 

1/4 C. Firmly packed brown sugar

3 oz. BBQ sauce

1/4 C. Molasses

1 1/2 tsp Liquid smoke  Put beans open pot and place in the smoker with cooking meat for 2 hrs for natural smoke

1/4 C. brisket chopped fine. (use what ever meat you are cooking)

brisket fat if desired to taste. ( seldom add any additional fat other than from the meat)

Mexican Street Corn Salad

Serves 4

This easy Mexican street corn salad is the ultimate summer side dish! Lightly creamy, spicy & bright, it's a recipe you'll make again and again. 

Ingredients

• 4 ears fresh corn, husked
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
• 1½ tablespoons mayo, (or vegan mayo)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Zest and juice of 1 lime
• ⅓ cup chopped scallions
• ¼ cup crumbled Cotija, or feta cheese
• ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
• ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika or chili powder
• 1 jalapeño, diced*
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

• Preheat a grill to medium-high heat. Brush the corn with olive oil and grill for 2 minutes per side, or until char marks form. Remove from grill and set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the mayo, garlic, and lime zest and juice. Slice the kernels off the corn and add to the bowl along with the scallions. Stir to coat, then add the cheese, cilantro, smoked paprika, jalapeño, and salt. Season to taste and serve immediately or chill until ready to serve.

Notes

*Roast the jalapeño alongside the corn if you'd like.

KFC Coleslaw Copycat - make your restaurant favorite right in your kitchen! Perfect for the summer BBQ's and potlucks!

• 1/2 C. mayo
• 1/4 c. milk
• 1/4 C. buttermilk
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 and 1/2 tbsp white or apple cider vinegar
• 2 and 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 4 cups shredded then diced cabbage about 1/2 of a medium head
• 1 medium carrot
• 1/4 medium yellow onion minced

Instructions

1. Shred the cabbage and carrot and dice finely.
2. Mix all veggies in a large mixing bowl.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Pour over the veggies and stir all with a wooden spoon.
4. Cover the bowl with a saran wrap and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
5. Stir again before serving.

Easy Southern Green Beans Recipe

Now, these easy Southern Green Beans combine fresh green beans, smoked bacon, and onion into the most perfect side dish imaginable.

• Author: Small Town Woman Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 90 minutes Total  Time: 1 hour 50 minutes Yield: 6 
• INGREDIENTS
• 4 slices bacon diced
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 lbs fresh green beans trimmed
• 2 1/2 – 3-1/2 cups chicken broth
• Optional 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (please see notes)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Salt and black pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the bacon until almost completely browned. Add the onion and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Turn heat to low and add garlic; cook for 30 seconds. Remove the bacon/onion mixture to a bowl using a slotted spoon. Reserve the bacon grease. Do not wash the saucepan.
2. Add the green beans and enough chicken broth to cover the green beans. Add the Cajun seasoning.
3. Bring to a low boil. Cover and reduce to simmer. Simmer for 1 – 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Drain chicken broth, return bacon/onion mixture, and heat for 1-2 minutes. Add butter, stir, and serve. If needed, season with salt and black pepper to taste. 

NOTES

• Try adding a ham hock or smoked sausage to the simmering beans. Or chunks of red potatoes or new potatoes. 
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power. 

Potato salad was store bought

The headline of the article was “This simple 1300-year-old ancient tomb cookie recipe blew me away”

 

This recipe was included in a Kansas City Star article ( Jan 21, 2024) about a cookie found in a 1300 year old tomb in China. 

The headline of the article was 

“This simple 1300-year-old ancient tomb cookie recipe blew me away”  

A quote from the article said:

“ After seeing a picture online of the cookies, Nadeem Ahmad, the founder of Eran ud Turan, a living history group based in the United Kingdom, took it upon himself to reverse-engineer the ancient dessert for the modern-day cookie lover.  Ahmad says he decided on grapes and apricot jam since the Turpan basin is still famed for its grapes and apricots hail from Central           Asia and China.”

A picture of the ingredients shows the flour to be White Lily which is a low gluten flour. I substituted cake flour.

I read once, quite a while ago, that wheat is grown in the northern part of China.  Google tells me that Turpan is in a region where winter and spring wheat is grown. I added a teaspoon of salt to the recipe.

Ancient Jam Tartlets

Ingredients

1 stick butter, softened

1 C. sugar

1 egg

2 C. flour

Purple, seedless grapes, either 12 large or 24 small ones

2 T. apricot jam

Instructions

Mix the softened butter with the sugar, then add the egg and blend until completely incorporated.

Gradually ad in the flour, and mix well. The dough will be firm and creamy yellow.  Let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.  Wash the grapes and if large, cut in half.  Gently mix with the apricot jam until they are completely coated. 

Take the dough out of the fridge and divide it into 24 pieces about and inch in diameter. 

Preheat oven to 350º

Place the balls on a silicone baking sheet on the cookie sheet/pan.  Score them cross-wise four times creating an asterisk pattern (*) Place the jam coated grape in a center depression made with your thumb.

.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes

Pork Bulgogi

I got a 9+ pork shoulder with making Carnitas in mind,  it but Charlie wanted it cut up of bulgogi.  I forgot how much waste there is when you do that. But except for this, the rest is portioned out and in the freezer now.  There was about 3 pounds of waste.

I don't know why it turned out so dark, it wasn't burnt, it was good but it should have been red.  I'll use a wok next time. This cast iron griddle is  going to be a chore to clean.

Jeyuk Bokkeum (or Spicy Pork Bulgogi)

Spicy Korean pork bulgogi marinated in a gochujang based sauce with lots of fresh garlic and ginger!

Prep Time10mins Cook Time10mins Marinating time1hr Total Time15mins

Servings: 4 Author: Hyosun

Ingredients

• 2 pounds thinly sliced pork shoulder or butt (or a combination of  pork shoulder or butt and pork belly)
• 1/2 medium onion, sliced
• 3 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces

Marinade:

• 6 tablespoons gochujang
• 1 or 2 tablespoons gochugaru
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons rice wine (or mirin)
• 2 tablespoons sugar (or brown sugar)
• 1 tablespoon honey (or more sugar)
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• 1/2 small apple grated, 3 - 4 tablespoons (or 2 T plum syrup, maesilcheong)

Instructions

• Thinly slice the meat, if not pre-sliced.
  
• Mix all marinade ingredients well in a large bowl. Add the meat and toss everything well to evenly coat the meat with the marinade. Add the onion and scallions and toss again. Let it sit for about 30 minutes.
  
• Grill or pan fry in a skillet (in 2 batches) over medium high heat until slightly caramelized. Adjust the heat as necessary.