Easy Meatballs

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 1 tbs dried parsley
• 3 tbs grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tbs water
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• pinch kosher salt

In a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients but the beef.  Make sure to mix everything together.

Then add the beef.  My suggestion is to mix this by hand.  I had a few pairs of rubber gloves lying around from barbecuing.  They made cleanup a snap.  I would recommend buying some powder-free latex gloves.

Once mixed, form the mixture into meatballs.  I would use about 1-2 tbs of meat to form each ball.  Using your hand roll each one into a perfectly formed ball and set aside.  A cookie scoop is a great way to portion the meat so that all of your meatballs are the same.

In a large sauce pan simmer your favorite sauce.  Try my super quick marinara if you need a recipe.

In a large pan add 2-3 tbs of olive oil and bring to medium/medium-high heat.  Once hot, add a few meatballs at a time and cook until browned all the way around.

When cooked, lift the meatball to drain and then add to the simmering pasta sauce.

Once all of the meatballs have been browned, let them cook in the simmering sauce for 20-30 minutes. They will absorb the great marinara flavor.

Serve over fresh spaghetti or your favorite pasta.

The meatballs were delicious and had the perfect texture.  Not a bad meatball.

I plated this up family style and let everyone grab what they wanted.

Chicken Fajitas

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 3 tbs fajita rub – Recipe below
• 2 bell peppers
• 1 yellow onion
• 8 tortillas
• Optionally add sour cream, cheese, guacamole, salsa, etc…

Chicken Fajita Dry Rub

• 3 tbs paprika
• 2 tbs chili powder
• 1 tbs sugar
• 1 tbs garlic powder
• 3 tsp salt
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp chipoltle pepper ground

Mix up the spice rub by adding all of the ingredients to a small bowl and then using a whisk to combine the ingredients.  I save my old spice containers and then place my various spice mixtures into them.  Then I use the all important sharpie to relabel the containers.  Then I can easily shake the spices onto the meat without getting my hands dirty.  Plus, I am reusing and helping the environment.  I wish this was the first reason, but mainly it is so that I can evenly distribute the spice over the meat.

Next trim any fat from the chicken and then dust the chicken with about 2 tbs of the seasoning.  The amount may vary, but the spice mixture above creates more than enough to cover the variations in chicken size.

Once the chickens are dusted have them rest, covered, in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Seed and slice the peppers into long strips. Peel the onion and cut it lengthwise to create long strips.  In a large saucepan, heat 1-2 tbs of vegetable oil along with 1 tbs of the dry fajita spice rub.  Then add the peppers.  Cook over medium heat, covered and stir every once in a while.  For about 15 minutes.

Preheat the grill to medium high heat.  Roughly 350 degrees when the lid is closed.  Place the chicken directly over heat and cook for about 6-8 minutes per side.  This will depend on the thickness of the chicken.

When the chicken is cooked all the way through and the juices are running clear, remove the chicken from the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Remove the lid from the peppers and onions and turn the heat up to medium/high.  Saute the peppers to evaporate some of the juices and to add a little color to the peppers.

Pour the peppers and onion onto a platter.  Then slice the chicken into 1/4 inch slices and then place them on top of the peppers and onions.

Heat the tortillas either in the microwave or wrapped in foil in the oven and serve them along side the fajitas.

Great additions to the fajitas are sour cream, cheese, guacamole, salsa and a little more of the rub.

I like to serve the chili over freshly baked corn bread.  The combination is to die for!

Super Chili

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1-2 lbs chopped stew beef (cut into 1 inch pieces)
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoon whole coriander
• 1 tablespoon cumin seed
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tbs dried chipotle powder
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 jalapeno peppers, chopped
• 2 bell peppers (diced)
• 8 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cups beef stock
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 can kidney beans
• 1 can chili beans (Pinto beans work if you can not find them)
• 2 tbs cornstarch

Heat a large skillet over medium/high heat.  Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and then add the ground beef.  Cook the beef until it is browned.  About 6-8 minutes.  Drain the beef and add it to a crock pot.

Next add 1 tablespoon of oil to the same skillet and add the stew meat to the pan.  Cook the meat until it is browned.  About 6-8 minutes.  Drain the meat and add it to the crock pot.

Next add the remaining oil and cook the onions and peppers.  Just until tender.  About 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat and add to the crock pot.

Measure all of the spices and add them to the crock pot along with the garlic. Mix thoroughly.  Add the jalapenos to the crock pot.  If you would like the chili to be less spicy you can add less jalapenos or even remove them completely from the recipe.

Drain the beans and add them to the crock pot along with the beef stock.  Stir well and then add the can of tomatoes, including the juice.

Set the crock pot to high and let cook for 4-6 hours or until the beef is tender.

If you want the chili to be thick you can add the cornstarch to 2 tbs of water and mix thoroughly.  Then add it to the chili.  Set the crock pot to high and cook for an additional 20-30 minutes.

Serve the chili with sour cream, cheddar cheese, Fritos or corn bread.

Every wednesday I review a cookbook to help weed out the good the bad and the ugly. This week I am reviewing 25 essential techniques for smoking by Ardie A. Davis. I love barbecuing and this seemed right up my alley.

Artie is an award winning expert with his own barbecue university. Artie founded the Greasehouse University. The degree program at the Greasehouse University is is a doctor of barbecue philosophy and is overseen by the Kasas City Barbecue Society. Artie is now a famed judge on the barbecue circuit. Story short, Artie knows barbecue.Artie starts the book off like every good barbecue book going over the basics of smoking. He goes over the tools required, the methods needed and basics of starting to smoke. His essentials include the basics of choosing wood. As you know the wood gives the unique flavor of each dish. Artie suggests wood for each meat and further goes on to suggest woods to stay away from. For instance, mesquite on chicken would be too bitter and alder on beef would be too mild. As a barbecue expert you may already know this and brush it off, but as a newbie, this information is awesome.

The 25 techniques for smoking

Artie list many ways to smoke. Low and slow, hot and fast an paper bag smoking. Low and slow is used for thicker cuts of meat, but hot and fast is used for fish and less fatty cuts of meat. The section that I really enjoyed was paper bag smoking. When smoking a pork butt, the meat is so thick that sometimes you get too much smoke flavor. Artie suggests that halfway through smoking you place the pork butt in a paper bag to catch the juices and to limit access to the smoke. He says that the pork that comes out fo the bag is amazing.

Overall

This book is definitely for a novice barbecuer. The recipes are great, the methods are listed in an easy to read fashion, and the pictures are amazing. Artie has recipes for all of the classic barbecue foods, such as ribs, pork butt and brisket. Artie also has methods and recipes for foods that you wouldn’t quite associate with barbecue. Such as, Smoked-baked barbecue chile pie, smoked duck and whole smoked garlic. If you are just starting out I would definitely recommend this book as it goes through everything that you need to start barbecuing.

It might be the simplest and greatest sandwich ever.

The French Bacon Sandwich (As seen in South Park Complete Season 2 boxed set)

• 1 pound of bacon
• 8 slices of white wonder bread
• 1 bottle of French dressing

The first step is to cook the bacon.  Unlike the cooking segment I like to bake my bacon in the oven.  It comes out looking nicer.  Set your oven to 400.  Then you need a sheet pan lined with aluminum.  Then put a baking rack over the foil. 

Then put the bacon in strips on the rack.  If you have a rack with grates you can push the bacon between the grates for a nice rippled look or else you can lay it flat.  Put in the oven for 20-30 minutes or until it is the desired crispyness. 

I left mine in for 25 minutes.  Then remove and let it cool.

MMM Bacon

Meanwhile grab your white bread and lay it out.  Layer with the bacon and drizzle it liberally with french dressing. 

Doesn't that look amazing!!!

Add the top layer of the bread, cut and serve. 

The French Bacon Sandwich - Quite spectacular looking, if you could only taste it.

That is it.  I know what you are thinking, yep it is solid bacon.  Who wouldn’t love that.

Above is some freshly shredded pork, you can see the nice pink smoke ring.  Doesn’t it look delicious.

Before you can dust the meat with your rub, I always like to brine the meat.  Why brine you say?  Well brining helps the meat retain moisture, become more tender, and overall can help impart nice flavors if you spice up your brine. 

To make my brine I used:

• 3 cups water
• 1/2 cup non-iodized salt (kosher or sea salt)
• cayenne pepper
• seasoning salt
• 1/2 pound of ice cubes

Start with the 3 cups of water, salt, cayenne and seasoning salt in a non-reactive pan and bring to a boil.  I know it seems like a lot of salt but once the mixture boils, remove from the heat and add the ice.  The ice will melt, cooling the brine immediately down so that you can use it right away.  This is why there was so much salt.  We needed it as the ice was going to dilute the mixture.

Next inject the meat with the brine.  You could just let the pork butt soak overnight, but since it is a thick cut of meat it would never fully absorb.  I always inject as much brine as the meat will take and then let rest for an hour.  Make sure to put the meat in a dish as some of the brine will leak out.

Once the meat is fully rested,  remove it from the refrigerator and pat it dry.  Now it is time for the rub.  Remember once again, it may seem like there is way too much seasoning and salt in the rub, but it is only on the outside of the meat.  For it to penetrate the flavors have to be strong.

The Rub – In a bowl mix

• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 3 tbs paprika
• 1 tbs dry mustard
• 1 tbs chili powder
• 1 tbs seasoning salt
• 2 tsp onion (powder or granulated)
• 2 tsp garlic (powder or granulated)
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp celery salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

After you pat the meat dry and liberally shake the rub over the meat.  I then pat the rub into the meat and let the meat rest for the rub to set.  After it sets, rotate the meat and rub the other sides.  Then let the meat sit while you get your fire started in your smoker.

Once you have your smoker going steady around 210-230 degrees, insert a thermometer into the meat and place it on the smoker in the warmer part of your smoker.  If your smoker is anything like mine, it has hot and cold spots.  Since the pork butt is a thick cut of meat I usually place it on the grates near the firebox.

I had a 6lb pork butt cooking at 215 degrees.  So it would take approximately 10 hours to cook.  So I set the smoker, closed up the vents so that it stayed at 215 and barbecued it for 5 hours.  At the 5 hour time I opened up the smoker flipped and rotated the meat.  While the cover was open I basted it.

Above it the meat halfway through cooking.  As you can see the rub is set and it is looking amazing.

Barbecue Mop – (All purpose Memphis Basting Sauce  from Paul Kirk’s Championship Barbecue)

• 3 cups water
• 1.5 cups red wine vinegar
• 3/4 cup Heinz 57 steak sauce
• 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup prepared yellow mustard
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1 tbs seasoned salt
• 2 tsp liquid smoke

Every 30 minutes open the lid and mop the meat.  If you don’t have a mop you can go to the hardware store and grab a clean spray bottle.  This works very well.  A word of WARNING.  The only problem is that you need to strain the mop sauce before you put it into the spray bottle.  I have lost of few good spray bottles by not properly straining the mop sauce. 

When the internal temperature reaches 200 degrees remove from the smoker and wrap in aluminum foil.  Let sit for 20 to 30 minutes to let the internal temperature rise to 205 degrees.  This is the perfect temperature to pull the meat.

As you can see above, the bone is falling out of the meat.  I have also added a picture of the perfect smok ring.  It penetrated the meat, hardened the rub and made some delicious meat.

Using two forks shred the pork butt to make nice pulled pork pieces.  Serve meat as is or add your favorite barbecue sauce.  Perfect side for pulled pork include potato salad and cowboy baked beans.

One of my passions is barbecueing and this outing was nothing but spectacular.  The meat was perfectly cooked with a kiss of smoke.  The meat was juicy and tender.  It made some of the best pulled pork sandwiches that I have ever had.  If you have a chance to barbecue I hope you try this method.  Brining makes all of the difference.

The baked beans were soft, tender and delicious.  As you can see from the picture above the beans are laced with smokey bacon and some of the trimmings from my pulled pork.  Pork and beans is the best combination in the world.

Ingredients: (adapted from the boston baked beans recipe from Allrecipes.com)

• 2 cups navy beans or pinto beans or any other bean you have in the house 
• 1/2 pound bacon
• 1/2 pound burnt ends from brisket or trimming from pork butt
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1/4 cup favorite barbeque sauce
• 3 tablespoons molasses
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 can of only the finest american beer.

If you know that you want to make these beans it is preferred that you soak them overnight the night before.  If you are short on time let them sit at least 6 hours. 

Preheat the oven to 325.  This works in ovens from 325-375.  So if you have other dishes that need to bake, it is alright to turn the heat up a bit.  I would not go over 400 as that will cause all of the sugars to burn.

Next dump the beans and soaking water into a large pot and place on the stove.  If the beans have swelled you may need to add a bit more water.  Make sure that the beans are fully submerged.  Turn the heat to high and once it starts to boil turn down the heat and let the beans simmer until soft.  This usually takes between 2-4 hours.  Depends on soak time. 

Now drain the beans and reserve the liquid.

In a sauce pan, combine the beer, molasses, salt, pepper, dry mustard, ketchup, bbq sauce, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke and brown sugar.  Bring to a boil.  While the mixture is heating up, dice the onion and cut the bacon into managable sizes.  Then in a large baking dish or caserole dish, add the beans, bacon and onion.  Once the sauce pan mixture is boiling, remove from heat and pour over the bean mixture in the baking dish.  If the mixture does not fully cover the beans add some of the reserved bean liquid until the beans are fully covered.  Cover with a lid or aluminum foil and bake for 2 hours. 

At the 2 hour period, remove the lid, add either the burnt ends or some scraps from the brisket or pulled pork.  Mix well and return to the oven.  This time bake for 2 hours uncovered or until the beans are super soft and tender.

These beans definately took a lot of time.  They were worth it.  A little tip, make sure you boil beans till tender.  I was once again in a rush and I took them out after about an hour.  They were not soft and or tender in the four hours that I baked them.  I actually had to add water again and bake for another two hours.  Otherwise the recipe and the beans are amazing.  I hope you enjoy.

When I started BBQ’n and making sausage I had no idea where to find good meat. I started by going to the Safeway grocery store by my house and picked up prepackaged Pork Butts and Briskets. Then I went to a specialty butcher which cost two to three times as much. I decided to call the butcher up at the Safeway and order the best cuts from him. 

I though by calling that I could get in good with the butcher.  So I ordered a 8lb pork butt and a 6lb brisket.  The biggest ones that he had.  When I showed up the butcher was so happy.  He spent the last 20 minutes timming the two slabs of meat.  He was so proud of his work.  Then I said that I needed them untrimmed so that I could bbq them.  The look on his face when said this was a mixture of disgust, hatred and sadness.  I kindly asked him about some untrimmed specimens.  He was not too happy with me. 

On a side note, No offense to the butcher but even if I was not BBQ’n I would still want the fat. It is where all of the flavor resides.  Plus, if you get untrimmed pork butts you can use the fat for sausages and you don’t have to order more.

Well after a few minutes talking to the butcher I asked him for untrimmed specimens. He was not too happy to begin with but he went in the back and came out with four vacuum sealed pork butts. I got to choose. It was amazing, you could see the fat and the bone. I got to determine what I wanted. After doing this I BBQ’d all day and took a specimen back to the butcher. It was the best thing that I have ever done. Now I call and he has six to eight different Boston Butts for me to look at. He also can order me full briskets.

My suggestion to you, is to save a buck by looking for deals in the newspaper. Call ahead tell the butcher exactly what you are looking for and make sure to tell him or her that you do not want it trimmed. Finally tell the butcher that it is for BBQ and/or sausage making.

Oh, and it always helps to take a sample to the butcher, because you haven’t seen deals until your butcher knows what you are capable of.

It has finally reached 60 degrees out here in DC and yes, it is time to BBQ. This winter I have made a few modification to Old Bessie (Yes I named my BBQ). I was searching all over the internet for good mods to make to the Char Griller Smokin Pro and I have found a great website DeeJaysSmokePit.net. Over on the forums there you can find a great PDF document by Phil Lee that has great mods for the Smokin Pro.

After scrolling through the mods I found a few that were easy to do and did not require too many tools.

First I added a new thermometer as the one that came with Old Bessie is not accurate at all.

Adding a new thermometer costs about $10 and makes all of the difference. It is accurate and is a must if you have the Smokin Pro. It took me about 20 mins to install, but would be substantially quicker if you have metal drill bit. Since I did not have a metal drill bit, I used a wood 1″ drill bit. Honestly it took 20 mins and I almost killed myself, but it is definately worth it.

Next I extended the chimney down to the grate. This was required as the chimney is installed too high on the smoker allowing the heat and smoke to escape without even touching the meat.

This too was quite simple. All you need is:

1. 3 in. flexible aluminum dryer vent tubing.
2. 3 in. round clamp
3. Screwdriver

First slip the ring clamp over the end of the tubing. Then just slip the end of the dryer tubing with the clamp over the inside flange of the chimney. Tighten the clamp to secure. Then bend the tubing to contour the top of the lid. Once bent cut the tubing at the point where it just touches the edge of the lid. You can then drill a hole in the side of the lid and secure with a wingnut, but I just wedged the tubing behind the lip of the lid (as shown above). The tubing hasn’t moved at all, so securing with a wingnut is not necessary.

The first time that I used this modification it improved cooking time by 2 hours and the final product was the best that I have seen from Old Bessie.

My third modification was to replace the smoker box grate with a new sturdier grate that sits higher to allow for better air-flow.

This one mod was a tad bit harder as once again it requried a drill bit. I should invest in a good set of metal drill bits but I love slipping and cutting my fingers. All you need is:

1. Char Broil 17in. adjustable grate that you can pick up from Home Depot.
2. 1/4 in. Drill bit
3. Metal clippers

Remove the ash Drawer. Open the wings on the 17 in. grate apart so it rests on the pan and just below the damper
bolt. Mark the lip (opposide the handle) where the grate rails rest then drill two holes on the inside lip where you marked. Once the holes are drilled, cut the remaining metal to form two slots. Make sure the grate sits pretty level.

As you can see the grate fits snuggly in the slots. This is key if you dont want it to fall. Below I have included a picture of the original firebox grate. As you can see it is extremely deformed from the heat.

Hope these mods and links help. Check back soon for the BBQ posts. I will have great recipes for rubs, marnades, and mops. Plus look for the post on BBQ 101.