What are you cookin on the smoker?

[StarSurfer55]

So this is the final product bit it will be great Thin sliced on sandwiches or by itself. 

[Harry in WashDC]

2 hours ago, StarSurfer55 said:

So this is the final product bit it will be great Thin sliced on sandwiches or by itself. 

Excellent job on the "stuffing".  I see no seam, and it looks like it won't fall apart.  It appears to be moist throughout, and the loin has a nice crust.  I'd brag about that if I were you.

[StarSurfer55]

Harry,

 

I use a long knife to make a hole in the pork loin for the sausage to that I don’t have to use chefs twine to tie it up.  I use a basic baste that is half apple jelly and half apple cider vinegar which is thin enough that it forms a glaze during the cook without burning.  I usually weave a mat out of bacon and wrap the loin but there was no bacon to be had in my local grocery store on the one day I was out shopping.  THis is a really easy recipe and usually turns out good.  Sometime I make two up an freeze one to oook at a later date.  The andouille adds a lot of flavor and moisture.  Pork loins, as you are aware, can be very dry so I try to keep it as moist as possible.  I would highly recommend Cajungrocer.com if you want Cajun speciality items (Including king cakes!).   They will even ship live crawfish to you except hat we cannot get them in Michigan as the DNR has them listed as an Invasive species.  (Like I am going to let my live crasfish escape!)

[Harry in WashDC]

47 minutes ago, StarSurfer55 said:

Harry,

 

I use a long knife to make a hole in the pork loin for the sausage to that I don’t have to use chefs twine to tie it up.  I use a basic baste that is half apple jelly and half apple cider vinegar which is thin enough that it forms a glaze during the cook without burning.  I usually weave a mat out of bacon and wrap the loin but there was no bacon to be had in my local grocery store on the one day I was out shopping.  THis is a really easy recipe and usually turns out good.  Sometime I make two up an freeze one to oook at a later date.  The andouille adds a lot of flavor and moisture.  Pork loins, as you are aware, can be very dry so I try to keep it as moist as possible.  I would highly recommend Cajungrocer.com if you want Cajun speciality items (Including king cakes!).   They will even ship live crawfish to you except hat we cannot get them in Michigan as the DNR has them listed as an Invasive species.  (Like I am going to let my live crasfish escape!)

THX.  I was going to make a bad joke about what kind of auger did you use but am glad I passed.  I like the idea of not splitting and tying although at least one of the cooks in our house is likely to object to stabbing through the center of the loin as TOO MUCH WORK.  Maybe I can convince her with your pics.

 

BTW, I neglected to respond to your offer of your carbonnade recipe.  I'd like to try it.  On a related, sort of, matter, we have a pork tenderloin recipe for grilling that calls for a bourbon marinade.  When we have a relatively large group over in Summer, I trundle off to Costco/Whole Foods/wherever and buy those two-packs.  The longest part of the prep and cooking is letting them sit in the marinade - a couple hours.  If I can remember to ask my wife where the recipe card is, I'll post it on the "Cooking with bourbon" thread.

 

Bruce Aidell's "Real Beer and Good Eats" does sit on our cookbook shelf (well, one of the shelves), but I appreciate the cajungrocer reference as we normally go to our local butcher and show her what we want and ask if she can get it for us.  King cakes?  Patti bought one at Trader Joe's this year, I'm STILL vacuuming purple, gold, and green sugar off the dining room rug. 

[StarSurfer55]

Harry,

 

Thanks.  I think that you will like the Carbonnade recipe.  When I cook with beer, I typically use a Guinness as I find it goes well with beef.   I made the mistake one time of using a really hoppy IPA which did not turn out good.  

 

WHen you go on CajunGrocer, you find at least five different brands of Andouille sausage.  Each is different so try several until you find one that you want.

 

The tradition of King Cakes dates back to 13th century France and in Cajun tradition, if you find the baby in your piece, then you have to host the next party.  

 

So just to be clear, while I love Cajun food , I am originally from NW Louisiana which is not Cajun and I refer to as the Redneck part of the state. To further complicate things, my father was from Eastern Kentucky and that is where I get my bourbon leanings.  

 

In the crowd that I run in, th e summer drink of choice is Captain and Coke.  Never been a big Captain fan as I don’t like the spicing in Captain.  I finally found Bayou rum which is made in Laccissine Louisiana using Louisiana sourced cane and copper pot stills.  THe spicing is a more traditional cajun cooking spice and much more vanilla forward.  Their spiced rum makes an excellent rum and coke (my trick is to add a teaspoon of Grand Mariner as I believe that it helps the flavors blend.  THeir Madrid Gras XO is also very good and has replaced Mt. Gay XO as my go to rum.

 

Frankly, I miss the south and southern ways.  I have lived in the upper Midwest now for 30 years and while I find Michiganders to be great  and love living here, there are just some things that you miss from home.  MayHaw jelly, cane syrup, children referring to their elders as ma’m or sir, being gracious with others, and a love of Grits (My son’s elementary school teacher once asked us “what part of the pig do they make Grits from?”.  I have come to consider myself an Ex-Pat Southerner. I actually have a book started on this theme.  If you are interested, I will let you know when it is finished.

[StarSurfer55]

SO today is my wife’s 65th birthday,  MIne is exactly 30 days from now.  Since we are under the shelter at home order in Michigan, I offered to make her birthday meal.  She chose my ribs to so they are now on the smoker.  On at 250 for l2.5 h then wrapped and back on for another 2.5 h.  I have done this enough times that I know that this timing will be perfect.

 

I did manage to get her a cake.  I ordered it online and had it shipped to me.   If you have the need, go to Bake me a wish on the web to get one.  We will put NSR on radio and I will be making her favorite SUmmer Drink (“make me disappear) which, if have more than two, work surprisingly well.

[ratcheer]

Friday, it  was big ribeye steaks. Yesterday, burgers and beef wieners. Today, jerk marinated chicken breasts.

[beasled]

4 hours ago, StarSurfer55 said:

SO today is my wife’s 65th birthday,  MIne is exactly 30 days from now.  Since we are under the shelter at home order in Michigan, I offered to make her birthday meal.  She chose my ribs to so they are now on the smoker.  On at 250 for l2.5 h then wrapped and back on for another 2.5 h.  I have done this enough times that I know that this timing will be perfect.

 

I did manage to get her a cake.  I ordered it online and had it shipped to me.   If you have the need, go to Bake me a wish on the web to get one.  We will put NSR on radio and I will be making her favorite SUmmer Drink (“make me disappear) which, if have more than two, work surprisingly well.

I hope I'm still having birthday ribs at 65!

[StarSurfer55]

So this is the final product and the Make me Disappear drink. I make my own Demerara syrup which is darker than the commercial product. 

[StarSurfer55]

[Richnimrod]

5 hours ago, StarSurfer55 said:

Ooooooooh, Thanx!    I just gave the screen a little lick... DEE--LISH!!!

[Harry in WashDC]

On 3/28/2020 at 4:50 PM, Harry in WashDC said:

We did our “senior shopping” Thursday.  Wife slipped a tri-tip into the cart as a surpris for me.  That cut is rare back here but getting easier to find.  I no longer have to special order. Pics when I cook it.

Well, the tri-tip is still in the fridge.  While rearranging the freezer to put "older" stuff on top, we found a rib eye that needed to be eaten or pitched if we followed the USDA's one-year limit for frozen beef steaks.  We ate it with scalloped potatoes and steamed green beans.  Cynar Manhattans for the cocktail.  I'd post a picture of the inside but we ate it before I remembered I should.

 

Reverse sear in a standard Weber kettle.  Internal temp was 108F before I began the sear and 120F when I took it inside under loose foil.

 

[Special Reserve]

Beef and scalloped potatoes, interesting.  As a kid we had scalloped potatoes and ham, still do, I' make that on Sunday but unfortunately not this year.

 

Enjoy.

[ratcheer]

I'm cooking a half picnic. I'll try to remember to take a picture before we dig in.

Edited April 10, 2020 by ratcheer
Add a photo

[smokinjoe]

1 hour ago, Special Reserve said:

Beef and scalloped potatoes, interesting.  As a kid we had scalloped potatoes and ham, still do, I' make that on Sunday but unfortunately not this year.

 

Enjoy.

Ha!!  That was a 3-days-after-Easter staple in our house!   Not my favorite, as I was getting pretty tired of all the ham leftovers by then, and I knew that the next day the bone was going into split pea soup...so, more ham through the next weekend.  Ma could feed a small town for a week with a ham and “other stuff”...Dang, her scalloped taters were awesome, even with the ham...  

BTW, ham in our fridge now, waiting for Sunday...

[Vosgar]

4 hours ago, Special Reserve said:

Beef and scalloped potatoes, interesting.  As a kid we had scalloped potatoes and ham, still do, I' make that on Sunday but unfortunately not this year.

 

Enjoy.

mmmmmmmm.......we have scalloped potatoes and ham (with onions, of course) on a fairly regular basis. I'd have to consider it a "comfort" food for my wife and I. Always tasty and leftovers heat up nicely.

[Harry in WashDC]

On 4/10/2020 at 3:37 PM, smokinjoe said:

Ha!!  That was a 3-days-after-Easter staple in our house!   Not my favorite, as I was getting pretty tired of all the ham leftovers by then, and I knew that the next day the bone was going into split pea soup...so, more ham through the next weekend.  Ma could feed a small town for a week with a ham and “other stuff”...Dang, her scalloped taters were awesome, even with the ham...  

BTW, ham in our fridge now, waiting for Sunday...

"Eternity is two people and a ham."  Irma Rombauer put that in her "Joy of Cooking".  Some people attribute it to Dorothy Parker.  Others say it is older.

 

Speaking of which, we are having "ham balls" on Sunday made with ham chunks left over from one we cooked late last Summer.  The bone is still in the freezer awaiting the making of split pea soup when we have more room in the fridge.

 

Can the tri-tip be on the short list of things to cook?  We'll see.

Edited April 11, 2020 by Harry in WashDC

[PaulO]

I'm making Italian beef for Easter.  It's in the crock pot now cooking on low.  I have some nice rolls, pickled vegetables, and a red bell pepper to prepare.  I've read a bunch of recipes online.

[Harry in WashDC]

On 4/11/2020 at 6:51 PM, Harry in WashDC said:

"Eternity is two people and a ham."  Irma Rombauer put that in her "Joy of Cooking".  Some people attribute it to Dorothy Parker.  Others say it is older.

 

Speaking of which, we are having "ham balls" on Sunday made with ham chunks left over from one we cooked late last Summer.  The bone is still in the freezer awaiting the making of split pea soup when we have more room in the fridge.

 

Can the tri-tip be on the short list of things to cook?  We'll see.

HAM BALLS with pineapple glaze - I know you want to see them.  They aren't smoked or grilled, but here they are.  Before we ate them, we had Trader Joe's cheese puffs and highballs (JB BIB with Vernor's ginger ale over ice).  We ate them with grilled yellow squash, House of Autry corn bread, and Simi rosé.  Dessert is a 1/8 slice of confitti pie.  After dinner drink for me while watching "Easter Parade" and singing along is WTMK 17.  The "other" pic says it all.

 

Stay safe, you all.

 

 

[StarSurfer55]

it snowed in SW michigan today and I managed to get my first Instacart order yesterday. Instacart allows me to have home delivery from Costco and Wal-mart.  I got some Salmon which I cooked today on the smoker.  I was surprised that costco had salmon filets as the last two times I was there, they were out

 

[Harry in WashDC]

The Santa Maria tri-tip as promised.  About 35 minutes slightly indirect heat to internal temp of 120+F or so (flipping every time I took a sip of 2 OZ. of WT RB 116.8 with two cubes), then push the coals in a pile and reverse sear for maybe 4 minutes altogether.  CLOSED lid throughout.  Homemade salsa from last year and Green Giant corn with Mexican rice from somebody - Uncle Ben????.  Dessert was homemade flan.  Drink before was a margarita with fresh small lime juice (to ward off scurvy in these difficult times ahhahaha) and blue agave syrup plus Cointreau by request - I like Triplum but got no vote

 

Switching to basic BT for a nightcap while sleeping in the front of the TV.

 

 

[Richnimrod]

10 hours ago, Harry in WashDC said:

The Santa Maria tri-tip as promised.  About 35 minutes slightly indirect heat to internal temp of 120+F or so (flipping every time I took a sip of 2 OZ. of WT RB 116.8 with two cubes), then push the coals in a pile and reverse sear for maybe 4 minutes altogether.  CLOSED lid throughout.  Homemade salsa from last year and Green Giant corn with Mexican rice from somebody - Uncle Ben????.  Dessert was homemade flan.  Drink before was a margarita with fresh small lime juice (to ward off scurvy in these difficult times ahhahaha) and blue agave syrup plus Cointreau by request - I like Triplum but got no vote

 

Switching to basic BT for a nightcap while sleeping in the front of the TV.

 

 

Loox Wonderful, Harry!    You sir, are living life, my friend!   Good for you and your bride (or girlfriend?.. I won't tell).

[Harry in WashDC]

4 hours ago, Richnimrod said:

Loox Wonderful, Harry!    You sir, are living life, my friend!   Good for you and your bride (or girlfriend?.. I won't tell).

She's both.

[flahute]

1 minute ago, Harry in WashDC said:

She's both.

How do you two find your plates when they don't have food on them?

[Richnimrod]

17 minutes ago, Harry in WashDC said:

She's both.

Ahhh!   That's always the very best way, isn't it, Harry!