Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Super Bowl Bar-B-Que

Hello Friends and Neighbors
Somewhere along the line I have picked up the name of Col. Dave. To go along with that, I have grown a mustache and a goatee. I am going to leave it on for the rest of the year if Betty doesn’t kill me first or it drives me nuts!! Everyone is talking about Bar-B-Q for the Super Bowl -- I wish I could get some to Payton; I know he loves it. He is from Louisiana, and his dad went to Ole Miss. Both of those are known for being REAL Bar-B-Q country.
To do pork and beef it takes hours of work and watching. So let’s do chicken The Lil’ Red Barn’s Quick and Easy way. Goodness gracious, it’s GOOD!!
I know that heat control is a problem with most of the small gas and charcoal grills. Most have the thermometers in the top of the grill where the temp is a lot cooler then on the grill. So if we are going to cheat, let’s go all the way and do it in our oven where all we have to do is to set the timer and watch the ball game!
First, buy some good thighs (I like them for their flavor and uniform size).
NOTE: I love Springer Mountain chicken!! It is all natural. If you can’t find it ask your grocer to get it. It is a good product at a good price. As a certified judge, I know.
I set my oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit, open the package and wash , then squeeze dry.
Remove the skin and any extra fat. Lay out the skin. Make sure there is enough skin to cover the thigh around the sides and tuck under. Trim, then lay it on paper meat side down next to its skin. Sprinkle the bone side and the sides with dry rub lightly (recipe below). Turn it over and sprinkle the meat side lightly, then replace the skin and tuck it under.
I place them in a 2 inch deep cake pan lined with Heavy Duty aluminum foil. If I were to be doing only 4 or 6 thighs, I would line a pan with heavy duty aluminum foil, but fold it up about a half inch past chicken. For 4 thighs I would cut up one stick of butter, two sticks for 8 thighs. Always leave approximately half of space between the chicken and place the butter in the spaces .Then place them in the oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes with skin side up. Be careful not to knock the skin off. Cook for 45 minutes then baste with its own juice. Now leave for 30 minutes with meat side down. Remove from pan and place on cooling rack. I would place a sheet of heavy foil with the edges turned up down on the shelf below for dripping. Leave there for 15 minutes. Remove the chicken and dip in glaze. Place back in oven for 15 minutes. Plate and serve.

Rub for Chicken
Enough for 8 thighs
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons salt
2 Tablespoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For the Glaze
1 cup of your favorite red BBQ sauce (not sweet)
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup Maple syrup
1/4 cup Brown sugar
NOTE: you can make it as sweet or hot as you like!!
Add hickory flavor liquid smoke by the teaspoon to suit your tastes. You need to have it sitting on a cold stove with the vent-hood running. Let someone open the smoke and add a teaspoon full, stir and walk away with the bottle and spoon. This way, you will get a true taste. Smell is 90% of what we think we taste.
Happy Super Bowl Eating!!!
Dave

Friday, June 26, 2009

No Hassle Fourth of July Menu

For those of you that want to have a bunch over for the Fourth of July, I would suggest you having Pulled-Pork Sandwiches, Bar-B-Q Beans, Potato Salad and Coleslaw.

Why this menu?

Because you can do it a day ahead of the party and be able to enjoy the party on party day. All you have to do is to ice your drinks, heat your beans and BBQ, and enjoy your party as much as your guests do.

If you have a smoker, use wood chips for about 3 hours at 250 degrees Fahrenheit. If your grill does not have a smoker, place a piece of metal over a burner and place wood chips on it. On my gas grill, I use the lid off a 5 gallon metal bucket. It will take about 1 hour and 15 minutes for each pound of raw meat. I would first trim off any loose meat, as it will burn easy. What I do is place them on a cookie cooling rack, fat side up, so I can move them around easily. I then leave them there for 3 hours. Next remove and wrap in heavy duty aluminum foil and place them in your oven so you can regulate your temperature. Next, you want to check them with a meat thermometer. You want it up to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the aluminum foil and place it back in your grill at about 220 degrees Fahrenheit. Baste with a basting sauce made from 1 part of your favorite BBQ sauce and 1 part apple cider vinegar to mop with. I would mop about every 15 minutes until they reach 195 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, wrap in heavy duty aluminum foil and let rest for at least one hour (make sure that your meat is 195 degrees). When it is cool enough, you need to pull it. That way you can get all the fat and gristle out. You can leave it stringy or chop it. Finally, roll it in some sauce very lightly. Don’t over sauce it. Let your guests add their own sauce. If you have trouble you can email me at foodsofthesouthland at comcast dot net

Have a safe and Happy FOURTH of JULY!!

DAVE

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Grilling and Chilling

Well, I have been dragging my feet lately with my blog updates. I hope to catch up. I have been judging week after week. We’ve travelled all over. You wouldn’t believe! One week in Southern Alabama, next in Southern Georgia. Then we traveled to Salisbury, Maryland, then Northern Mississippi, and then spent a week in Memphis. We had little time to rest, because after that we travelled to Sevierville, TN and then back to Stone Mountain, Georgia. So we’ve been all over recently! Now, we are home for two weeks, and the 4th is right on us.
And it is definitely grilling and chilling time.

I have so much catching up to do, I am going to make this short and sweet.

So let us grill some chicken thighs. I think they are the best: more flavor, more meat and easier to do. Don’t let the Mayo fool you like it did me!

Now we are grilling:

L.R.B.’s Bar-B-Q ‘d Chicken

Use thighs that are the same size.

To make marinate, use one bottle of Kraft Spicy Italian salad dressing. Let it sit then pour off the oil and leave the goodies. Then take the juice from a jar of sliced and pickled jalapeno peppers and fill the dressing jar. Shake.

To make glaze use

1 part Memphis style B.B.Q. sauce or what you have

1/4 part Pure honey

1) Clean thighs, place in zipper locking bag and add marinate. Leave in for 2 hours.

2) Pull skin down over top and sides and pin.

3) Start fire and bring up to 275 degrees Fahrenheit (use wood chips if you can)

4) Take your thighs and pat the skin dry

5) Add a heavy coat of mayonnaise to skin side.

6) Put into the smoker for 1 hour

7) Wrap in Heavy Duty foil for 1/2 hour, and test internal temperature. You want it to be 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

8) Remove from foil and wipe off excessive mayo.

9) Glaze with your glaze. Then put it back into the smoker to caramelize. DON’T LET IT BURN!

Now we are chilling:

Blueberry & Lemon Chicken Salad

This is one that you can play with. You may want more of this and less of that, so do your thing. Another is if you are calorie conscious, you can use yogurt instead of mayo.

Here is what we need:

4 Lg. split chicken breast, with skin and bone.

1 red bell pepper (med)

1 celery hearts

1 bunch green onions

1 pt. fresh blueberries

2 fresh lemons (if you get lemon yogurt you will need only 1 for garnish)

1 pt. yogurt (now you can get lemon yogurt) or mayo

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

You will need some good crackers

1) Let’s boil our chicken with a little salt and pepper till just tender.

2) Get it out of the hot water. Let it cool, then pull off the skin and bones.

3) Cut into 1/2 inch squares and chill in the fridge.

4) Cut your red peppers and celery in 3/8 inch squares

5) Slice green onions 1/4 inch thick, white and green parts.

6) What I like to do is to fix everything the day before and let it chill in zipper locking bags. I like to wash and look my blueberries. I use a chilled S/S bowl, add everything BUT the chicken, including the mayo or yogurt If you don’t have lemon yogurt then take the zest of one lemon, then add salt and pepper.

7) Now it’s ready to eat except for the chicken.

8) Lastly, fold (DO NOT MIX) in the chicken. Then transfer to serving dish that the edge is garnished with thin slices of lemon around the edge of your dish.

Serve on a lettuce leaf or with crackers

Monday, February 9, 2009

Update on Bar-B-Q

We have had a bad winter, but now we can see the other side of it. Days getting longer, sun shining but to tell the truth we have had more snow and colder weather then we have had in over 8 years. Betty had surgery to repair her aorta. She is up and going strong, back dancing again. I have been certified as a Judge for the Kansas City Bar B Q society and the Memphis Barbecue Network. I am planning on competing in 2 or 3 that are close to home. I have this new cooker that is great. I just don’t have the help to man it that can be off from work enough. It usually takes 5 days.

For M.B.N. You do whole shoulders, whole hogs and ribs. For the K.C.B.S. you do butts or shoulders, ribs, chicken and beef brisket. You need at least 3 good strong people.

When you are there to judge you get to mill around. Believe you me, you will meet some of the nicest people in the world out on the BBQ trail. When cooking, about all that you will meet is the ones on each side of you. You get a LOT of good BBQ. It is much better than what you can buy. It is all so good you have a problem telling the best.

I ran 2 butts today using different dry rubs and basting sauce. On one I used a sweet glaze that I use on ribs but it was too sweet for me. I ran them at 225 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 hours and down to 200 degrees F for 2 hours while basting. All the grease was gone, tender, juicy and very tasty.

I have said this before. If enough are interested I will do a step-by-step where if you follow it you will have perfect Bar-B-Q and be the envy of your neighborhood. You can reach us at foodsofthesouthland@comcast.net

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Happy New Year!

Well this will wind up 2008. I can’t help but wonder if yours went by as fast as ours did. It was both good and bad. Betty had heart surgery on the 12th of December, and she is up and going strong. I finally got our new smoker finished and used it four times. It worked well and looks good. Now it is up to me to make championship Bar-B-Q again. I will be going down in Alabama the 17th of January to be certified as a K.C.B.S. judge and in Georgia the 3rd of April and finish my judging to be certified with M.B.N. I plan on entering 3 or 4 contests that are close to home. I can’t foresee being able to get enough help that can afford to be off many 5 or 6 day stretches. Most of the teams are at least 4 people. I will be getting into all phases of Bar-B-Q’ing after the first of the year. And make each of you that are interested a great Bar-B-Q’er.

I have always been told that it was bad luck not to have Black Eyed Peas and hog jowl for New Year’s Day. I have no idea where that came from but I don’t want to take a chance on it. So here is what I will do.

It’s a must for New Year’s Day to be able to ward off bad luck, bring good luck and have a happy life. You must start off the New Year with hog jowl, black eyed peas, fried cabbage and hot buttered cornbread!!!

Get some smoked hog jowl
Black eyed pea’s - frozen, canned or dry (if dry soak overnight in water)
Head of cabbage
Onion
A bunch of green onions

In a cast iron pot (or whatever) put 1 Tablespoon of hog lard (or whatever). Cut jowl into 1 inch blocks when the lard starts to smoke drop in the meat cook until most of the grease is cooked out. Then dump in the peas and cover about 1 inch. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a good simmer. Cook until soft. When they are about done, add salt to taste.

Fried cabbage

Cut cabbage to about the size of a match folder. Chop some onion. Add a Tablespoon of hog lard to your cast iron skillet. Drop onion in first, stir a couple of rounds and add cabbage. Then add about 1/2 cup water and cover with enough heat to keep it steaming for about 10 minutes. Then remove the lid, cook the water all out, being careful not to burn.

Here’s wishing YOU the best of luck throughout the coming year,

DAVE

Friday, December 19, 2008

Fruit Cake

Fruit Cake - Unbaked

1 pound graham crackers
1 Cup pecans (toasted)
8 oz. seedless raisins
8 oz. candid mixed fruit
1 pound dried figs
1/2 Cup maraschino cherries
1 pint whipping cream
1 teaspoon rum flavor
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Make crumbs of graham crackers. I place all of the fruit, marshmallows and nuts in food processor and cut to where the cherries are about 1/4 there size, but not too fine. Now add the vanilla and rum flavor. Then fold the fruit and cracker crumbs in. Whip the cream until it stands up good then fold it together. Now fold in the whipped cream.

I take a 5X4X9 loaf pan and line with aluminum foil that is large enough to seal it. When packed, I would use the back of a tablespoon to smooth the top.

You can lay a cloth on top with some rum on it and seal and place in the fridge for 24+ hours. When I serve, I slice about 1/4 inch thick and cut that piece in half. Then place a heaping tablespoon of whipped cream on one half then place the other slice on top with a heaping teaspoon of whipped cream in the center. Dust lightly with powdered sugar and sprinkles.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Christmas Cookie Balls

Merry Christmas to You and Yours

ONLY SEVEN DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS !

This year has come and gone so fast. We did not put up very many lights this year because I did not have the time or help to do it. While it was nice weather, I worked on our Lil’ Red Barn Smoker because I could stand on the ground and do it by myself. I have spent the last two weeks running back and forth to the hospital and Drs offices. Betty had to be cleared by 4 or 5, then go to post op before her surgery that was last Friday. She had her aorta repaired. They went in and put in a (BOOT) ha! before she had a blowout.

She came home Monday and is up and going now. We do a little thing that is a lot of fun. We do a Twelve Days of Christmas where we each have a little something to open each day for twelve days. When I first started it, I got a clay flower pot and placed a small tree limb in it. I found a small bird and two plastic pears. At first she didn’t have the faintest idea what it was. I had to tell her that it was a partridge in a pear tree. If you could see it you would know why she didn’t. It is a lot of fun. I guess I could say that is the highlight of our gift opening. We place them in a gift bag at each side of our tree and we each pick a bag.

Last year we had 6 trees and this year only one. As I was picking out what ornaments that I was going to use, I placed the others on a table in a pile. When I backed off to look at our tree I looked at the pile. It was out of this world. So I placed a square table in the corner and raised the back corner 6 inches and clamped some Styrofoam around the edges and covered it with a Christmas tablecloth. I then piled the ornaments on it. I think it really looks good.

We have a 3 car garage that is finished as a party room. One end is in field stone with a fireplace and a band stand. Behind it is our test kitchen and pantry, and it is 10ft x 33 ft.

I have just finished making a batch of Christmas cookies. So here is the recipe:

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

BETTY –n- DAVE

The Country Cooks

------------------------

Cookie Balls

1- stick of real butter
1 box red velvet cake mix
1- 8 oz pack cream cheese
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I use pecans and toast them first.)
1- large egg

Have butter and cheese at room temperature and cream.

Add the egg. Mix then add nuts and mix. Now add the cake mix a little at a time. (NOTE: it will be stiff.) Place into a Zip-lock bag and refrigerate until chilled.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Spray baking sheet lightly with Pam. Then, with your hands now, pinch off a piece a little smaller than a golf ball and roll in your hands until round. Then roll in multi-colored sprinkles and place about 1 inch apart. Bake for 14 minutes. If you are going to ice them do it while they are HOT. If you do not want the nuts, leave them out.

It should make about 4 dozen cookies.

(Note) Better make a double batch, they will go fast!!