Weekend Report

I think this weekend was very nice.

Friday night I grilled some leg quarters.

Saturday was a nice day, did some smoked ribs with corn on the cob - smoked baked beans - and potato salad topped off with corn pones - good cold beer - and some good friends. (Vicky, Tracy, Steve, Griffin, my daughter Jennifer - and of course me and Julie and Robyn)
Oh and Sweetie too!

Sunday looks nice right now but... they are calling for about a 80 percent chance of rain so I doubt I will cook outside today. ( I do need to clean my grill and smoker)

I did something a little different on the ribs this time - I added apple juice to my water pan water - and that mixed in with the Pecan smoke was very good. Everybody seemed to like them (or they lied) but anyway...



On another note, my brother-in-law Dale had to come back into town from a job because of some health problems. We will say a prayer and hope all will is well with the big lug (G).

Stay tuned...
Macdaddy

Tons of recipes

Some of you may wonder why I use the mix of rub and sauce on my ribs when I have tons of rub recipes and BBQ sauce recipes.

Well I have tried lots of them, and they are very good - but sometimes I have a stroke of genius and play with the right companionable mix to come out with what I have now and use.

Say what ? ? ?

" I like what I use now."

The mix I use for grilling can be used on any meat.
The mix I use for ribs is for - well, for ribs.

It's easier that way for me.
I do have tons of sauce and rubs and marinade recipes that I will post this year.

I have tons of recipes - period! That I will try to post this year.

I'm going to update my site where I can post pictures and links. So just hang in there with me.

Macdaddy

Grilled Orange Chicken

I was looking through some of my old recipes and ran across this one.

It is very simple (works for me) and easy to make and grill.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Lea & Perrins Steak sauce
1/2 cup Orange juice
1/4 tsp. Ground ginger

You can use any part of the chicken ( I used Thighs for this )

Mix all this into a mixing bowl.
Wash and pat dry chicken.
Place chicken into a Zip lock bag.
Pour marinade into bag over chicken (remove as much air as possible) and seal bag.
Let chicken marinade for 30 mins.
Remove chicken (discard marinade) and grill until done. (about 45 mins. for thighs)

You can also do this in the oven. ( I prefer the grill)

Pre heat oven to 350

Place chicken (skin side up) and marinade in a shallow baking dish.

Bake until juices run clear (about 1 hr.)

Baste occasionally with marinade.

Enjoy!

Macdaddy

Seasoning Mix

Well I got the Leg Quarters grilled just in time last night as it started to rain on me.
If I cook today it will be inside ( rain - what else! )

I thought I would post some seasoning mix recipes that Willard has sent me.

If you have any good recipes that you have made (time tested) send them to me.

I'll look them over and post them. Just make sure the ingredients are clear and the directions are easy to understand and follow.

Old family recipes (Grandma - Grandpa)

Your recipes

They can be anything, (main course - veggies - dessert - cakes - pies - etc)

So here are some more recipes that come out of Louisiana.
Enjoy!!!
Macdaddy



Cajun Boil

Book: Louisiana
Chapter: Seasonings

4 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
3 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons whole allspice
2 tablespoons dill seeds
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
8 bay leaves
Salt and cayenne pepper (or liquid hot sauce) to taste

Combine all dry ingredients thoroughly. Place in a square of muslin or cheesecloth and tie securely with string, like a large sachet d'spices. Add salt and cayenne or hot sauce to taste. When water for seafood is boiling, add the bag and boil for several minutes, until the boiling liquid is tinted and seasoned, then add shellfish and cook until done, depending on what you're using.

Yield: Enough crab boil seasoning for 5 pounds of seafood, sausages and vegetables (corn on the cob, red potatoes and whole small onions). You can add whatever you like. The potatoes are the best.
Zatarain's Crab Boil is the best ready-mixed seasonings. Just add
whatever seafood, meat and vegetables you like.




Cajun Butter

Book: Louisiana
Chapter: Seasonings

2 Tbsp butter
1/4 tsp chili powder (Gebhart's)
1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1/8 tsp ground red cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cornstarch (or arrowroot)
1/4 cup chicken broth

Stir together butter and spices. Cook 1 minute (med heat). Stir
in cornstarch & chicken broth. Cook until bubbly. Serve warm over
cooked corn on the cob or other vegetables.



Cajun Seasoning

Book: Louisiana
Chapter: Seasonings


1 box salt
3 tablespoons black pepper
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons dried parsley
4 tablespoons cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder


Combine all ingredients; store in an airtight container.



Cajun Spice Blend & Cajun Sauce

Book: Louisiana
Chapter: Seasonings

1/4 Teaspoon black pepper
1/4 Teaspoon white pepper
1/4 Teaspoon red (cayenne) pepper
1/4 Teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 Teaspoon paprika
1/4 Teaspoon salt

CAJUN SAUCE

2 Tablespoons margarine
2 Tablespoons flour
1 Cup milk
3/4 Teaspoon spice blend

Make a standard white sauce from the flour, margarine and milk.
Stir in the spice.



Creole Seasoning Blend

Book: Louisiana
Chapter: Seasonings

Use with seafood, chicken, beef, or vegetables.
Yield: 1/4 cup.

1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/4 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon chili powder

Combine all ingredients; store in an airtight container.



Dry Rub

Book: Louisiana
Chapter: Seasonings

3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup paprika
2 1/2 tablespoons coarse salt
2 1/2 tablespoons ground black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Mix brown sugar, paprika, coarse salt,
Black pepper, onion powder and cayenne
pepper in small bowl for dry rub.
Store at room temperature.

This dry rub is excellent on ribs, chicken
or even steaks and pork roast. Rub on
meat and refrigerate over night
before grilling or smoking.


Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast)

Book: Louisiana
Chapter: Seasonings

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup

Weekend Report

I did some grilled pork chops last night with Yellow corn and baby Lima beans and rolls.

The pork chops were cut 1 1/4 thick
Rubbed with my seasoning blend mix (Natures Seasoning with extra Garlic powder and med. grind Black pepper mixed in) and marinated in Lea & Perrins White sauce. (for about an hour)


Grilled for 45 mins. with Pecan wood smoke - Excellent

Beans were cooked with Country Side Bacon for seasoning meat.
I use to use Smoked Hog Jowl for seasoning but have found Country Side Bacon to be the better seasoning meat for beans and such.

I've got some Leg Quarters for dinner tonight.
I don't know if I'll get to grill them or not, depends on the weather,why else? Hint: RAIN!!!
I have never seen so much rain as we have gotten this winter.

If it had been cold enough through all this rain - Tennessee would be buried to its tree tops in snow.
Now I ain't wanting "THAT" to happen - but chill with the rain. (save some for spring and summer there big guy)



I'm going to list some recipe names I ran across
See if these are appetizing enough to eat. Yum, Yum. (I swear I'm not making these up)

Turnip Greens Stew
Taco Soup
Cream of Reuben Soup
Grits and Greens
Cheddar-Chili Cheesecake
Chicken & Brie Quesadillas with Chipotle Sala
Chili Cornbread Salad
Plum Fajitas ( Yuck!)
Grilled Salmon with Nectarine Onion Relish ( hum...)
Shrimp & Grits Eggs Benedict
Grilled Chicken with Lemon Yogurt Coleslaw ( as Julie would say - not in this house )
Balsamic Marinated Olives
Warmed Cranberry Brie ( double Yuck!)
Broccoli Cornbread Muffins

Macdaddy

Happy Valentine

I didn't get to the computer yesterday to say "Happy Valentine" to all the ladies. (sorry)

Yesterday didn't start out to well for me.
The fridge has been acting up here lately.
So yesterday it decided to fill up the ice maker with water and then just keep on filling.

Needless to say, water was running out the door.
If it had done it after I had left for work instead of before - Lets just say the floor would have been flooded.

Nice way to start off the day. Sigh...

Macdaddy

Barbecue?

I picked up a recipe magazine at the store the other day (I won't say the name of the magazine) but it is a well respected and often read magazine.

It had some good looking recipes in it, so I bought it and took it home for later reading and study.

Upon further study, I saw recipes called "Barbecued" that for the life of me, I really couldn't find anything "barbecued" about them.

Nada-nothing-zilch- what gives? Can anything be called Barbecued and not be?

Evidently so.

This is so confusing.

Barbecued Meatloaf, the only thing I could find close to barbecue was a can of tomato sauce.

Does tomato sauce make a meatloaf in the oven Barbecued? (I've been eating meatloaf most of my life and I thought barbecued meant Barbecue Sauce - in or on the meatloaf.


Another one is Chuck Roast Barbecue.

Again the only thing in it even remotely close to barbecue is 1/2 cup of ketchup and 1 tbl. spoon of cider vinegar.

What gives?

Now one recipe called "Chicken Barbecue" actually had a bottle of barbecue sauce in the recipe.

So this one can be called "Barbecued" Right? Right?? Right???

But I have never seen so many so called "Barbecue Recipes" that don't have anything in them to make them Barbecued.

Maybe that's why somebody started spelling it Barbeque ( I'm not a historian I don't know)

So anything can be called Barbecued and not really be?????

I am sooo...confused.


Macdaddy

Rib Update

Alrighty then, got the ribs smoked yesterday with the help of my daughter Jennifer and I must say they came out "fine dandy hunky dory". Jennifer sure liked them and Julie did too!

Sorry Vicky, they're all gone.

People are bugging me at work about bringing in some Chili for them. If I make some I'll save you some. Next time the weekend is nice I'll get our Thursday night gang to come over and I'll feed you proper like.


I told my readers last time I did ribs that I would share my rub and sauce recipe. Well here they are. This is what I use and how I mix them.


I don't measure any mix (even though I should for recipes). My thinking is like this, "any good cook shouldn't have to measure". If you screw it up, you'll know better next time.




Rub:
Note: they go in this order of more to less.

Pride of SZEGEND pork rib rub ( Food Lion store)

Konriko Creole seasoning (Publix)

Kroger Barbecue seasoning (Kroger)

Whole Cumin seed (Kroger)

Ground double super fine Mustard powder (Kroger)

I have a metal pepper shaker with a cover top that I mix all this in and apply to the ribs.



Sauce:
Note: same as above more to less

Bull's Eye original (any store)

Maggi Chili Sauce (Publix)

Plochman's Mustard (prepared) (any store)

Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce (any store)

Brer Rabbit all natural unsulphured Molasses (Kroger & Publix)

Mix all into a glass bowl or big mug and heat until warm ( I just toss it in the microwave for 1 min.)


So there you have it. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!!


I guess I'll cook inside today, why you ask? I'll give you one guess.
(hint: What it does almost every weekend I'm off)

I got lucky yesterday and had a beautiful day to cook outdoors.

Macdaddy

Ribs for Sure

Well shoot me in the foot and call me stupid.

I didn't get to smoke the ribs because me being the dunce that I am sometimes, didn't remember to take the ribs out of the freezer until late Sat. afternoon!! "Duh..."
Good one there Macdaddy.

Needless to say they were still frozen solid as a rock on Sunday. "Hey no problem, I'll just stick them in the sink!!"

So me being the dunce that I am sometimes I didn't trim them before I put them in the freezer so they wouldn't fit in the sink to thaw out in water. Sigh... I could have put them in a cooler of water to thaw, but by this time I was not thinking like I should be and was not in the mood to listen to my brain anymore.

My heart was crushed and I was a little more than miffed at myself.

So anyway... I'll try again this weekend.

I'll remember to take them out tonight after we get home from bowling.

I WILL smoke them this weekend come "Hell or High Water" or even "Snow storms" and 10 degree weather!!!

Hell even if they're still "Froze" they are going in the smoker!!!!!

It will just take 16 hrs. instead of 4. (G)

Macdaddy

Dump Cake

This should be even easy enough for me to do!!

Macdaddy

2 Cans Apple Pie filling
1 Yellow Cake Mix
1 Cup Chopped Pecans
2 sticks butter

Preheat Oven 350 degrees

1. Spray oblong cake pan with cooking spray.

2. Put 2 Cans Apple Pie filling in pan.

3. Put Cake mix on top of pie filling

4. Dot the butter on top of cake mix .

5. Sprinkle Chopped Pecans on the dry cake mix & butter.

6. Place in preheated oven for 1 hour.

Often times I make this cake with 1 Can Blueberry Pie filling & 1 large Can crushed pineapples instead of Apple pie filling.

Or 2 Cans Cherry pie filling instead of Apple pie filling

Food for Thought

This came from TexasCook.com


Mother's Recipe


My mom's the finest cook on earth;

And she told me long ago,

That bread's no good unless you add

Some lovin' to the dough."

And when you're baking pies," she says,"

A pinch of faith and trust,

If added to the shortening makes a flaky, tender crust.

And compassion by the spoonful in

The batter of a cake,

Makes it come out light and fluffy,

Just the finest you can make."

Now these things can't be purchased in the store across the way,

But Mother keeps them in her heart

And uses them each day.

"Author Unknown"

Super Bowl Weekend

We all know the Super Bowl is this weekend.

Since the Colts didn't make it (Peyton you let me down) I guess I'll pull for the Eagles.

Now before you send me nasty e-mails, New England has won enough times already. (so there 'nuff said)


The weekend is suppose to be fairly nice ( no rain!!) and it's not going to be 15 degrees either.

So the ribs should come out of the freezer Friday, and I'll smoke them Sat. afternoon.

Sunday I will do some wings on the Holland and Julie will fix some things ( she makes a good dip that we have had before) I don't remember what all is in it, but it is good, maybe I can get her to post it before Sunday.

So we'll just munch and have some cold beer and watch a good football game
and relax.

I'll let you know...

Macdaddy

Happy Anniversary

Today is our 4 yr. Anniversary.

I got to fire up the Holland tonight and did some beef tenderloin and some shrimp too!!!

I'll say this to my wife, "Honey I love you more and more every day"

Thank you for loving me. I'm glad I met you.

"Happy Anniversary"

Note: the weekend weather looks good for the ribs to come out of the freezer. Woo Hoo!!!

Stay tuned...

Macdaddy