Archive for April, 2010
2 racks St. Louis style ribs
Your favorite rib rub
Peanut oil, for frying
Your favorite barbecue sauce
Pre-wash solution:
2 cups milk
2 eggs
4 ounces beer
Breading:
All-purpose flour
Pepper, salt, and Cajun spices, to taste
Directions
Set smoker at 350 degrees F.
Wash each rack under water. Pat dry. Place racks on a wood-burning bbq smoker. A hickory wood smoke
is best. Smoke ribs for 30 minutes. Remove ribs from smoker and rub each side with the rib rub. Return the ribs to smoker and smoke at 350 degrees F for about 1 hour 30 minutes. Remove ribs and cool completely. When cool, cut ribs into individual sections. Dip each rib into pre-wash solution then the breading mixture, lightly dredging. Shake off the excess then dip into wash again and then the breading mixture.
Place ribs into a 350-degree F deep fryer and cook for 5 minutes or until golden brown. You will have to do multiple batches. Serve with your favorite barbecue sauce for dipping.
Makes about 1/2 cup
3 Tbsp coriander seeds
3 Tbsp dried dill
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1 1\2 tsp celery seeds
1 1\2 Turkish Bay Leaves or 3\4 California Bay Leaf
Toast coriander in a small dry cast iron skillet over medium heat.Shake skillet frequently, cook until fragrant & a shade or two darker(about 3 mins.) Cool,then finely grind remaining ingredients in an electric coffee\spice grinder.Spice rub keeps in a sealed container, in a cool dark place for up to 6 months.
Make a batch of mashed potatoes with lots of butter & season as if you were ready to serve.Add 3\4 cup plain flour(not self-rising)for every cup of mashed potatoes & 1 whole egg per cup of mashed potatoes.At this point you can add some grated onion if you like onions. Gradually add milk to moisten.The mixture should fall easily off the spoon but don’t make it too runny.Moderately grease your cast iron skillet and drop the mixture by the teaspoonful into the grease and flatten with spoon. Fry until golden brown and crispy. The thinner the cake the better.
1 2lb can vegetable shortening
8-12 fresh or thawed catfish steaks of fillets
salt & pepper to taste
1 pint buttermilk
1\2 large box of cornbread mix
1\2 medium onion,grated
1 to 2 eggs
4 to 6 large potatoes
In a large cast iron skillet heat the shortening.Season the fish to taste.Dredge fish in buttermilk and then the cornbread mix.Place fish in hot fat & fry until golden brown on the bottom,flip and fry until the other side is also golden.Remove from skillet and keep warm in oven on low heat.
Using the remaining cornbread mix and buttermilk,make a batter,add the grated onion and egg.Mold hush puppies and fry in the hot fat in the same manner as the fish. Season and place in the warm oven with the fish.
Peel and cut the potatoes into fries.Fry in the hot fat. Remove when crisp, season with salt & serve with the fish & hush puppies.
Note:The hush puppies and potatoes will take on the flavor of the fish. You can strain and save the fat, but you will only want to use it for fish fry.
2 racks pork ribs
Seasoning:1 c salt,1\4 c black pepper,1/4 cup garlic powder
Basting Sauce:3/4 c white vinegar, 3\4 c lemon juice,dash or 3 of Worcestershire Sauce, dash or 3 of your favorite hot sauce,1 small onion or shallot minced,dash or 3 of salt & black pepper, & 2-3 c water.
(In a medium saucepan, mix all ingredients and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Use this sauce to brush ribs or chicken to keep moist.)
Favorite BBQ sauce, if desired
Directions
Prepare BBQ smoker to 250 degrees F. Can use charcoal and wood chips.
Remove membrane from ribs if desired. Rub thoroughly seasoning. Place ribs on smoker grate and cover. Slow smoke ribs for 2 to 3 hours. Every 15 minutes brush ribs with vinegar solution. We serve our ribs without sauce. If you like sauce cooked on, brush ribs with sauce about 15 minutes before they are done, turning often, watching carefully that the sauce does not burn. Ribs are done when they are tender enough to easily pull from the bones. If you’re not a sauce eater, remove ribs, cut and serve with BBQ sauce on the side.
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large shallot
1 clove garlic, minced
1 c chopped mushroom caps
1 large roasted red pepper,chopped
1 c cooked wild rice
3\8 tsp salt
1\4 tsp black pepper
1\8 tsp paprika
6 eggs
1\4 c shredded Asiago cheese
Preheat Broiler
Heat a large cast iron skillet with a olive oil.Add shallot & garlic. Cook over medium heat 1 min. Add mushrooms.Cook & stir 5 mins. til tender.Stir in red pepper,wild rice,1\4 tsp of the salt,1\8 tsp of the black pepper,and the paprika.Cook & stir over high heat 1 min. so as to heat the rice & evaporate some of the liquid.Turn off heat.Coat bottom & sides of skillet with nonstick cooking spray.Beat eggs in a bowl with remaining 1\8 tsp salt & 1\8 tsp pepper.Pour eggs over rice mixture. Cook over medium heat,tilting the skillet to spread the eggs over the rice.When the eggs are set but still glossy,sprinkle on the Asiago.Place cast iron skillet under the broiler. Broil 3-4 mins. until the cheese melts & the frittata edges are browned. Remove from oven.Let sit 2-3 mins to firm up.Loosen edges & cut into wedges to serve.
30 chicken wings, small wing joint removed
1\2 c to cup of your favorite hot sauce or wing sauce(Frank’s)
1\2 c to cup of your favorite bbq sauce (Open Pit)
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Vegetable oil, for frying
To make the wings:
Pour the oil for frying in your stove top deep fryer
to a depth of 2 inches and heat over medium heat to 375 degrees F.
Fry wings 10 mins. or until crispy.
Place the fried wings in a large bowl and drench with the 1 cup of the mixed hot sauce & bbq sauce(or less, to taste).
Now place the wings on the grill or in your broiler for 2-3 mins. flip & 2-3 mins more. Serve!
4 strips bacon
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken
2 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons hot sauce
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups canola oil
Dip:
3/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1/4 cup blue cheese, room temperature, cut into small pieces
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Put the bacon onto a baking sheet and bake until crisp about 12 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat. Once the bacon is cool enough to handle, chop into small pieces.
Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. In a large bowl combine the buttermilk, hot sauce, and chicken. Cover and let marinate in refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
In a glass baking dish, whisk together the flour, cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Remove the chicken from the buttermilk and add to the seasoned flour. Make sure all the chicken pieces are thoroughly coated. Remove the chicken from the flour mixture and put back into the buttermilk. Remove chicken from buttermilk and put back into the seasoned flour mixture for a second coating. Transfer the double coated chicken to a baking sheet and reserve.
Heat the canola oil in a large cast iron skillet to 350 degrees F. Add the reserved 2 tablespoons bacon fat. Working in batches, fry the chicken until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the cooked chicken to a sheet pan lined with paper towels.
In a medium bowl stir together the sour cream, mayonnaise and blue cheese. Stir in the crumbled bacon.
Serve the chicken with the Dip on the side.
* 4 (4 to 5-inches long) russet potatoes (about 2 pounds)
* 2 quarts canola oil
* 1 tablespoons fine-grain sea salt
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Peel potatoes on the sides, leaving the ends with the skin on. Cut the potatoes into 1/3-inch slices and then slice into 1/3-inch sticks.
Fill a large bowl with water and soak potatoes, submerged, for at least 30 minutes up to 24 hours. This will help remove the excess starch from the potatoes and keep them from turning brown.
Heat a stove top deep fryer fitted with a deep-fryer thermometer with oil to 325 degrees F.
Remove potatoes from the water, and pat dry to remove excess water. Add 2 handfuls of potatoes to hot oil. There should be at least 1-inch of oil above the potatoes. Par cook until potatoes are light brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove potatoes, gently shaking off excess oil and let drain on rack. Repeat until all of the potatoes are par cooked.
Raise heat of oil to 350 degrees F.
Cook potatoes again, 2 handfuls at a time, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove from oil, shake off excess oil, and season lightly in a bowl with salt and pepper. Repeat until all potatoes are cooked.
2 lb flank steak,scored on both sides & seasoned with kosher salt & pepper
12 oz. can frozen lemonade,defrosted
1/2 cup tequila
1\4 cup olive oil
The juice of 2 limes
1\3 cup lemon marmalade
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
1 jalapeno,sliced
Combine all ingredients except the flank steak. Blend well.Put steak in zip top bag & pour marinade over the steak.Marinate for at least an hour. Since it is significantly tougher than the loin and rib steaks, most flank steaks are quickly seared and eaten rare to medium rare in order to maintain its tenderness.
Preheat a your cast iron skillet or fajita pan…you will be searing the meat over high heat.
Place flank steak in skillet & cook for about 5 minutes per side depending upon the thickness. You will want to cook meat to medium or medium rare. Remove and let rest 10 minutes before slicing.Slice thinly across the grain. Great as is, on salad, for fajitas,or cold steak sandwiches.