Chili Jar Eggs

These look amazing, done deal next cook

Baloney Burgers

Sausage Sandwich by the BBQ Pit Boys

I have to make this happen



Keep Smoking My Friends

Alligator recipe by the BBQ Pit Boys

Not sure I will every try this, however very interesting video

KC BBQ Tour

Ok and yes it has been awhile. The truth be told I have been watching what I eat so not been as active BBQing as in the past. Our time in KC seems to be coming to a close so we want to now try all the BBQ in the area we can before moving on.

 

We are going to be doing a year tour of all the BBQ joints in KC. After all KC is the BBQ Capital of the world.

 

We choose Zarda Bar-B-Q to start the tour. Zarda has been doing BBQ in KC since 1976. It is not secret here @MySideOfTheSmoker that if I don't make my own baked beans you get Zarda's brisket BBs.

 

(Read the entire Zarda Story here)

 

 

 

We chose the Lenexa location as well we were in Lenexa.

 

We chose the

Variety Plate

$23.25

Serves 1-2. Any two Sliced Meats, 2 oz. Sausage, 3 oz. Burnt Ends, 1/4 Chicken, Rib Snack, (2) reg. Sides & Bread. No Substitutions

 

And added a side of burnt ends.

 

Zarda has very good BBQ and if I had not been to several others I would have said it was the best. The service was outstanding and I give Zarda BBQ a 7 out of 10 ranking. Keep in mind this may change as I try more in the coming months.

 

Next Up: BB's Lawn Side BBQ

 

Keep Smoking My Friends

Randy

 

 

 

 

Jethro's BBQ

So you may have noticed the lack of blogs lately and that is entirely on me. I am wondering what I can say next until I actually enter a competition. Indeed the only thing stopping me is money as I have come to the conclusion I need a new pit and rig to travel with. I am confident on my brisket, chicken and pork and it is only my ribs I am having slight issues with. (but that is a story for another day)

 

I decided that this year I would regularly sample other BBQ to get some ideas on where I need to be. So last weekend we were in Des Moines Iowa and from many recommendations I had to try Jethro's BBQ.

 

 

 

 

We wanted to try as much as we could so we went with the sampler platter that included four meat items and four sides. We choose chicken, pork, brisket and as ribs were not an option we had sausage.

 

For the sides we choose baked beans, coleslaw, mac n cheese and jalapeno creamed corn.

 



 

As you can see the presentation was excellent, however overall I was not very happy with the product.

 

The brisket while tender lacked much flavor at all and the chicken and pork were very dry. The sausage was very good, however when I sample bbq I always judge by the brisket as to me it is the most difficult to perfect.

 

The beans and coleslaw were good, while the mac n cheese was mediocre at best.  Now the jalapeno creamed corn on the other hand was excellent. One item I have never tried to make myself but will in the near future.

 

Overall I would only give Jethro's a 5 out of 10 rating, however I will give them another chance in the future. Oh and for those of you who think it the best, well you have never tried my BBQ have you?

 

Keep Smoking My Friends

Randy

A Smoking Sunday

I had planned on writing a different post for this week, however I had such a great day this past Sunday on my Pit I just had to post on it.

I had two Corned Beef Briskets in the freezer and really wanted some smoked Turkey so that was my plan for the Pit.

The Corned Beef took no prep as I purchased them already brined and corned. I added a sprinkling of my Squirrel Rub to just the tops of each for a little added flavor and moved on to my Turkey Prep.

I had only the bone in Turkey breast which I have found in the past was the best when you wanted sliced smoked Turkey for sandwiches.

I melted down a stick of butter, added both apple juice and some of my Cluck-Cluck Rub and injected the breasts well. I had some of my injection left over so I simple poured it into the cavity and them applied rub to the outside of the bird.

I let that sit for about an hour while I prepared my Pit.

I everything on at the same time and let smoke using Cherry and Pecan Wood for about three hours at 250.

I then wrapped all for an additional three hours. The Turkey was nearing my ideal temp of 165 - 170 so I took it off the put to rest, leaving it wrapped.

After another hour the corned beef was nearing my preferred temp of 190 so I simple put into the oven letting it rest and tenderize. I was very happy with this cook and as you see below all turned out well. The only thing I would do next time is leave the Corned Beef in the smoke a couple of hours longer as I believe the brining process keep the smoke from penetrating as much as I would have liked.

Keep Smoking My Friends

Randy

Smoked Salmon

 

 

Yes I realize I have not posted in a while, however with this being the dog days of winter plus the fact I have been on my winter diet it should make sense.

 

We were having some friends over a week or so back so I wanted to have something for snacks and just happened be making a run to my favorite warehouse market. I heard the Salmon calling my name and remembered I was out in the freezer so the decision was made.

 

Smoking Salmon is quite easy and I have found that starting with "smoked salmon" from the store is a great way to go. This Salmon, while advertised as smoked really has no smoked flavor at all. Add the fact it is curt to the correct sizes you really can not go wrong.

 

All I do is put the Salmon in aluminum pans, sprinkle some of my basic or chicken rub over it and put 4 or 5 small pats of butter in the pan for some good moisture and flavor.

 

Smoke for 2 hours on 225 and  you will have some excellent hors devours for your next gathering.

 

I tried something different with a couple of the fillets this time by using a habanero seasoning and then topping with maple syrup looking for a sweet and spicy combo, however I was not happy with the result so I will try this again the next time adjusting my formula.

 

Keep Smoking My Friends
Randy 

New Year Cocktail Options

Well here we sit on the precipice of yet another new year. I am sure if you are like me you are probably thinking over options for your New Year's Toast. While I am a big fan of Champagne, I also enjoy many, many other cocktails. (Yes I know sparkling wine is a tradition). So here are a few ideas for you to consider as you ring out 2014 and ring in 2015.

Classic Cocktails are always a great option and I am not going to give you blow by blow recipes as you can Google them or if you are one of my many faithful you will have seen many posts on these here.

Whiskey Cocktails
The Manhattan
The Old Fashion
The Rusty Nail
The Hemingway Highball

Vodka/Gin Cocktails
The Martini
Vodka Press
Gin Rickey
Gin Fizz
The Cosmo

That should get you started and if you are like me and planning on staying in this year and simply having a few friends over, imagine how much fun you can have crafting these classics while your friends sit around being amazed!

One last thought and I should not even need to remind you, Don't Drink and Drive!

Cheers
The Professor

The Christmas Gift

As adults it seems Christmas Gifts are really not all that important as most of us had stories to tell about some gift we received that we never understood. The Chia Pet, or sunglasses for bike riders or that shirt that all you could do was say "What the hell were they thinking?"

Swapping stories with my group of cronies by the Pit and I recalled this story from my youth. 
The Christmas Gift

I remember as a young boy of eight there was a Christmas party at my church where each child was supposed to take a gift for the grab bag. The idea of a grab bag is that everyone throws a gift in and then everyone takes a different gift out and has a surprise gift. I guess the surprise being the receiver does not know who the giver is, or something like that. There were two boxes, one for the boys and one for the girls and all of us kids placed our gifts into the appropriate boxes as we entered the room.

The limit for spending on the gift was a quarter of a dollar. Yes, I know twenty-five cents does not sound like much, however keep in mind that this was 1966! In 1966 you could buy an ice-cream cone for a nickel, so imagine what twenty-five cents would buy. And imagine is exactly what I did. What treasure would I obtain as I dove into the huge box at the front of the room! Images of marbles and toy soldiers rolled and marched through my head.

My mother always took special care to pick out the perfect gift for such occasions. She could always find a gift for a quarter that normally would cost fifty or even seventy-five cents. Most of the time I wanted to keep what I was putting in the grab bag for myself but that was not allowed.

The lady in charge told us to form two lines, boys on the left and girls on the right. We immediately and swiftly moved into two single file lines; poised in attack formation.

As the lady said, now one at a time go get a gift; everything seemed to move in slow motion. Kids, both boys and girls, hurled themselves to the front of the room and lunged at the grab bag boxes! One girl was knocked down, and two chairs fell over! Wrapping paper, which mothers so carefully applied to the gifts earlier that day was flying everywhere, as I stood frozen in a state of shock and disbelief. Part of me said run, run to the boxes, while the other part of me heard my Mom say, “Take your turn”. Turn, what turn! All that was in front of me was mass confusion. I then thought, well if everyone put a gift in box there still should be one left when I get to the box. I relaxed and waited.

Then all at once it was over and the lady said to me, “Son did you get a gift”? I shook my head and said, “No”, in a timid voice. She motioned me to the box and as I peered over the edge I saw one tiny cylindrical shaped object not much bigger that a tube of Chapstick.

I picked up “my gift” and thought it was awful heavy for such a small gift. I started to take off the paper, and watched in shock as twenty-five pennies bounced off the floor. The lady and I picked up the pennies and she said something like “Oh, now you can buy whatever you want”.

I heard some kid in the back laugh and I decided to leave the party early. When I walked in the door my Mom knew something was wrong and when I asked about the party I started to cry. Mom looked at my hands and said, “Keep your coat on we are going to the store”.

I never even had to say a word. Somehow my Mom had figured the whole thing out. She even gave me another quarter to go with the twenty-five pennies. I do not remember what I bought with the money, but this has to go down as the worst Christmas gift I ever received that turned into one of my fondest Christmas memories.

Smoked Chex Mix

If you have followed this blog you already know I am not afraid to smoke anything. Cinnamon Rolls, Ritz Crackers and Cheese to name a few.

So when two of the KC Usual Suspects (J.W. and C.H.)came to me with the idea of smoking Check Mix the challenge was accepted.

I am not 100% sure of the recipe that C. used, however it looked to be about the same as I have used in the past.  Also don't be afraid to try different combinations and if you look at the Check webpage they have dozens of recipes.

The process is simple, heat your Pit to around 250 and use a mild wood. (I choose apple) Smoke for about an hour and fifteen minutes stirring every 15 minutes or so.

This will make a great addition to your holiday parties and even a great addition to your holiday gift baskets.

You can make huge batches of this and freeze for use at a later date.

Keep Smoking My Friends
Randy

The Sauce is the Boss

Yes I realize that this is the saying of Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce, however I have found this to be an absolute truth when BBQing.

While I make my own sauce I really enjoy two commercial brands. The previously mentioned Sweet Baby Ray's.

and another sauce I have just recently discovered through a friend, D.R. Full Moon, a Kansas City BBQ Sauce.

I don't know a lot about the Full Moon sauce except it is really good when using as your BBQ Glaze. I enjoy Sweet Baby Ray's as a general purpose sauce, meaning on eggs, hamburgers etc.

Now most of you who follow this blog know I have a great sauce for glazing as well. (see below)

Now the key I have found when applying sauce is to apply when you are hot and then let the meat cool while the glaze settles in. I sometimes do this by firing up a BBQ Grill as I finish up on the pit and then when the grill is its hottest more the meat over and glaze with sauce while turning the grill off and keeping it closed.

Keep Smoking My Friends
Randy

Randy's BBQ Sauce

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups ketchup, preferably organic

1 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup molasses

1/4 cup pineapple juice (or you can sub apple cider vinegar)

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon worchestire sauce

2 1/2 teaspoons ground mustard

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (use less if you don't like the heat)

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1/8 cold water mixed with 1 tablespoon corn starch (optional)

Combine all the ingredients except the water and corn starch mixture in a medium size sauce pot. Bring to a boil and reduce and simmer for five minutes or until all the sugar has dissolved. If you like a thicker BBQ Sauce add the water and corn starch mixture. Simmer until desired thickness is reached, but watch closely. It thickens really fast! Serve immediately or store in fridge.

Bacon Wrapped...

I was having a group of Usual Suspects over for the labor day weekend and wanted to make some great smoked appetizers. I choose Smoked Bologna, which I had smoked previously, and two new items.

Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers Wrapped in Bacon and Tater Tots, both plain and some stuffed with cheese and wrapped in Bacon.

Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers

I started with some larger peppers hoping they would not be as hot and cored them removing the white and seeds. I then stuffed them with my smoked meatloaf (previously prepared and smoked) and wrapped with with a whole piece of bacon. I then placed each in an aluminum pan for smoking.

I had them on the pit for about two hours at 225 - 250 adding smoke the entire time. I also sprinkled some of my basic BBQ Rub on top. I then sliced them into pit sized pieces after allowing to cool for 20 minutes.The real key to being done is when the bacon is nice and crisp.

They  turned out really good, however they were HOT! I really could not eat them, however those Usual Suspects who were fire eaters really ate them up.

Bacon Wrapped Tater Tots.

For the Tater Tots I tried making small incisions in each tot and putting a small piece of cheese inside, however this was very time consuming and I really could not get enough cheese into each tot to make a difference. The next time I will put a larger chuck of cheese on the tot and then warp in Bacon. I  used about a third of a piece of bacon on each tot and sprinkled basic rub on top. (again using an aluminum pan) I smoked at 225 - 250 for two hours adding smoke the entire time. Again the key to the readiness of the tots is crisp bacon.

Even with the cheese a non factor these turned out awesome! Word to the wise if doing these make about three times as many as you need as I ate six before anyone arrived ;)

The plain tots were also great and I sprayed the aluminum tins with cooking spray prior to smoking. I used the same formula, sprinkling my basic rub on top and smoking at 225 - 250 for about two hours. I added smoke the entire time and when the tots were crisp you know they are done.

Keep Smoking My Friends
Randy

Smoked Turkey Breasts

While I had smoked whole turkeys before I was wanting some sliced smoked turkey for sandwiches so I stopped at one of my local markets and picked up two bone in 15 pound turkey breasts to smoke.

I started by injecting with a mixture of apple juice and my Cluck-Cluck Rub and let set for a couple of hours. Some rave about using a brine, but I have yet to try this as my luck with injecting has been great.

I then rubbed the birds with yellow mustard and more of the Cluck-Cluck Rub and then added a half stick of butter and more rub in each cavity. This is an essential step in my opinion to keep the turkey moist. (true also with a whole turkey) You can also add some sliced apple and onion if you wish as this also helps with moisture.

I heated up my pit to 250 - 275 and used hickory and cherry wood for the smoke. I cooked uncovered for an hour and covered. As I have said in other articles when smoking poultry it is very easy to over smoke causing a bitter taste in your bird.

I cooked for two hours more and the finished product as you can see turned out great. I rested the birds for about 30 minutes before slicing.

In the picture the skin looks a little dark, however it was crisp and you could easily bit through it. This is key to smoking any poultry as you get a lot of taste in the skin!

The turkey sliced very nice and made great wraps!

Keep Smoking My Friends
Randy

Smoking, This and That

For those who have been fortunate to either be following this blog or physically following me you know that the last month has been a whirl wind of smoke! I have had the pit fired no less that 7 times with cooks of Ribs twice, 3 separate brisket cooks, 5 pork shoulders, several meatloafs, salmon, sausage jalapeno bombs and the beat goes on.

So for the last few weeks I have been smoking several different types of items and making some other dishes off the pit as well as experimenting with new side dishes.

For this weeks blog I wanted to touch on a few new items.

First I was looking for a new snack to serve to some of the usual suspects. I really enjoy smoked cheese and crackers, however the temps have been just to hot to smoke cheese So I decided on smoking the crackers.

As you can see in the pic I choose Ritz Crackers (after all would Andy lie? Everything taste better on a Ritz!)

I simply added the chosen amount of crackers to a pan, fired my Pit trying to keep the temp below 200 and poured as much smoke as possible into the crackers for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

The outcome was fantastic!  Went well with all types of cheese and made for a great happy hours.

Side of the Week:

I am always looking for new side dishes and lately I have been in an I...Talian mood.

I choose summer salad of Green Bean and Mozzarella Cheese. The most important point and I can not stress this enough is to use all FRESH ingredients.

Ingredients:
2 Cups Fresh Green Beans cooked and drained
6 (I used about twice that many) Plum or Cherry Tomatoes Halved
1 Cup Fresh Mozzarella Cheese Grated
1/3 Cup Fresh Basil (I used about 6 leaves)
1/3 Cup Italian Dressing of your choice

Toss all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Keep Smoking My Friends
Randy

Our First Event

One of my first goals when diving into the world of BBQ was to compete in BBQ contests. However, as I have been smoking for a couple of years now I have now found real enjoyment out of cooking for others just to see the enjoyment they get out of eating all the different items that come off the Pit.

With this in mind I accepted my first offer to cater an event. After some vigorous negotiations I was hired to do a wedding rehearsal dinner. The guest list looked to be 55-60 so with that in mind I I started planning months in advance.

A couple of challenges arose early on. First I had no experience in cooking for that number of people and had no idea how much food I would need. Second, I had to decided on a menu not only for the numbers, but one I could prepare. Last I would need to travel to get to the event site and needed to be able to haul the necessary equipment without the need of a trailer.

I started doing some research and found that if you were serving sandwiches you could calculate about a 1/2 pound of meat per person. That made it sense and also led to my option of smoking brisket and pork shoulder as these make excellent sandwiches and can be prepared to feed a larget number.

I figured about 30 lbs of brisket and 36 lbs of pork shoulder would be more than enough. That came out to two briskets and 4 pork shoulders.

I smoked the briskets a day in advance of my departure and would smoke the pork on site. Yes you are correct that heating the brisket on site and making it moist would prove a challenge. (more on that later)

I arrived on site and set up camp.

As you can see in this picture I found an extra smoker on site (also more on this later)
I started on the day of the event at 6:00 in the morning by injecting the pork shoulders and reading my smokers. At 8:00 I fired the Pits and rubbed the meat. The smoke arrived about 8:30 which is when I put on the meat.

I was smoking around 250 - 275 and was looking to add smoke for about the first three hours. I has smoked the baked beans the day and had coleslaw to make so that would keep both Central Patti and I busy for a few hours.

I covered the port shoulders after the smoke was done and went about getting other things done. I glazed the pork about an hour prior to the start of the event and put the beans in the oven for warming and thickening.

Now as for the brisket I laid it out in a warming pan and with a combination of my Magic Mix and Beef Broth attempted to make sure the beef slices were moist, but not soggy. This turned out only marginal to me, however the brisket went very fast once the guest started eating.

I thought the overall cook was average, however I had lots of positive comments, met a lot of great people and made some new friends. I also learned a lot about catering an event and hope to do another soon.

Keep Smoking My Friends
Randy

Bacon Wrapped, Mozzarella, Pineapple, Onion Rings

Yes that is not only a mouth full to say, but also to eat.

 

 

However, if you take the time to prepare and cook them you will not be disappointed.

 

Now I am not going to try and take credit for inventing them, only perfecting them ;)

 

Here is where I learned how.

 

http://www.slapyodaddybbq.com/2014/05/bacon-wrapped-pineapple-mozzarella-rings-2/

 

Harry Soo is one of the top 10 BB Pit Masters in the world and has dozens of great ideas on his pages.

 

To things I learned is that wrapping the rings takes a lot of patience (thanks Central Patti) and I cooked over direct heat adding a light smoke to my pit. Then moved to indirect heat after the bacon looked crispy to finish them off.

 

Keep Smoking My Friends
Randy

 

Chicken Fajita Bombs

I recently made this for a Derby Party and they were a big hit and oh so easy to make. It was also Cinco de Mayo weekend so something called Chicken Fajita Bombs seemed appropriate.

Start with boneless chicken breasts and slice in half lengthwise until you have a two filets about the size of your hand.

For the filling I diced red peppers, jalapenos and sweet onions and used a shredded Monterey Jack cheese.

Add the filling and be very generous as you fill then sprinkle fajita seasoning onto your filling.

Roll up the chicken and wrap with a couple of pieces of bacon. Sprinkle the top with more of the fajita seasoning.

I then smoked at 225 for 2 hours or until the internal temperature was 165. You can either slice into medallions or serve whole as an entrée.

These make great appetizers sliced into medallions and 6 or 8 whole chicken breasts make many, many bite size snacks. I recommend letting the rest prior to slicing as this makes life much easier.

Fajita Seasoning Recipe

1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
2 teaspoons Chili Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Paprika
1 teaspoon White Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Cumin

I actually doubled this and I recommend making a big batch as it will keep forever

Keep Smoking My Friends
Randy

Brisket Redux

If you have been following this blog you know all about the challenges I have had with Brisket. The last half dozen have been really good, however last week I changed my formula a bit and believe I have a recipe/formula that will not only please those who get to sample my Brisket, but also one I would not hesitate to use in a contest.

I started with a 15 pound brisket and trimmed the fat an injected and marinated  the night before smoking.

For my injection/marinade I used a simple formula

Beef Broth (canned)
A very strong beef broth I created with bouillon cubes making this mix twice the strength

Early the next morning I drained the brisket and put in a new pan. I next coated the brisket with squeeze butter and applied a heavy coat of my Squirrel Rub (more on this later, however it is simply my brisket rub.

Letting the Brisket sit I fired up my pit and let get to 350 before putting on the meat and adding smoke. I used only pecan wood for this cook.

I smoked for 3 hours

I then took the Brisket and wrapped the pan tightly with aluminum foil putting it back on the smoker for 2 hours, again at 350.

After 2 hours I had reached about 185 internal temp and off the pit came the Brisket. I then wrapped the entire pan in an old blanket and let rest for 2 hours at room temperature.

As you may image this really made the house smell great!

After two hours I separated the point and flank draining all the juices into my fat separator and wrapping the flank in foil to put it back on the pit at 350 (I did not all more heat so the heat kept dropping as the meat tenderized) for another two hours.

Meanwhile I cut the point into cubes and placed in a pan along with some sweet and spicy BBQ sauce and some of the juice I had just drained. I also added some of the Squirrel rub and stirred the pan. I then placed the pan back on pit (you can also use an oven if you are home) heating to 300 for another two hours.

That was it and you can tell by the pics it turned out great.

Brisket Point turning to Bunt Ends

Sliced Brisket Flat

 

 

Keep Smoking My Friends

Randy

Glazed Ham

I have been wanting to try smoking a glazed ham ever since I first read about it on one of the many social media sites I follow. As it worked out it was very easy task and the finished product was fantastic.

I started with a basic spiral bone in ham (not a green ham). I covered the ham with honey Dijon mustard. Next I added a light layer of my pork rub for a second flavor profile and then finally covered this with a third flavor profile of brown sugar then sprayed the entire ham with pineapple juice. I was looking for a good combination of sweet and heat and hoped to keep it moist with the spritzing of pineapple juice.

I heated my Pit to 225 and used apple wood for my smoke. I put the ham in a foil pan (as I do with anything I smoke) and let smoke for 2 hours.

I then removed the ham from the pit, spritzed again with pineapple juice and covered with foil.

I put the ham back on the pit for another hour at 225.

I took the ham off the pit and uncovered adding another layer of brown sugar and spritzing again with pineapple juice.

Back on the pit the ham went uncovered for another hour at 225.

and well perfection is all that comes to mind

The final product had an excellent smoke flavor along with a good combination of sweet and heat. The only think I may do different next time is to not use as much brown sugar on the last coating.

Side of the Week:

To go with my glazed ham I made an Oriental Ramen Broccoli Cole Slaw and here is the recipe.

2 (3 ounce) packages beef-flavor ramen noodles
 2 (8 1/2 ounce) packages broccoli coleslaw mix
 1 cup toasted slivered almonds
 1 cup sunflower seed
 1/2 bunch green onion, chopped
 1/2 cup sugar
 3/4 cup oil
 1/3 cup white vinegar

1. Before opening noodles, crush into 1 inch pieces. (This is an important step so crush well) Open packages and set aside flavor packets.
2. Place noodles in bottom of large serving bowl. Top noodles with broccoli slaw, then sprinkle with almonds and sunflower kernels, and green onions.
3. In a separate bowl combine sugar, oil, vinegar, and flavor packets from noodles. Pour over slaw, cover and chill up to 24 hours.
4. Toss before serving.

This makes enough for many, many people so if you  have four or less I recommend cutting this recipe in half.

enjoy

Keep Smoking My Friends
Randy