Low & Slow BBQ

--Tailgatin' and how to make mofos start playa hatin' (Recipes)

It's time to sit back, relax and catch a contact as we throw some meat in the smoker on low and enjoy the beautiful fall weather with some real deal bbq. As an avid smoker I have gone thru many trials and tribulations in trying to reach the top and get to to that point where the making of bomb ass bbq is as routine as making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Then I was enlightened with all the knowledge one needs to perfect the art of bbq along with top notch tips and dispelling of the myths. In come's Low & Slow. Written by the Godfather of Chicago bbq it is a book any and every bbq cook and connoisseur needs in his/her collection. GWiv is a friend of mine and his wealth of knowledge when it comes to smokin' is second to none in these parts.


Click HERE to order this must own manual from Amazon

I've been lucky enough to have done some smokin' first hand with Gary and it's always a blast capped off with some unbelievable bbq. His book will teach you everything you need to know to get perfectly smoked meat each and every time. It's broken down into five lessons and has instructions for smokin' with a offset smoker, a kettle grill and his toy of choice a Weber Smokey Mountain. In fact he likes the Smokey Mountain and knows how to use it down to a science that he wrote the manual for them. He's come to find that this product is the most reliable and easiest to use and once you get it down pat, it creates the best smoked meats. But it doesn't matter what you use as long as you follow the instructions exactly as he says too. This book is so helpful it will even tell you how to set a fire for your pit in the middle of a Chicago winter along with over 130 recipes and step by step instructions.


Smoke meat everyday...

Gary has spent years mastering his meats and has everything a pro at this game would have including his own rub. After years of playing around with different formula's he settled on his self named rub which is a wonderfully spicy mixture of seasonings that truly is some of the best rub I have ever used. You can find a similar recipe for this crazy good concoction in his book or if you can also get it from The Spice House where they make it fresh and a re sworn to secrecy with the recipe for fear of death. I always grab a few bottles whenever I stop in over there for spices. You can click HERE to go straight to their page for it. I highly recommend you put this in your spice cupboard. The stuff works great on all meats and in chili and anything else it sounds good with.


The bbq life coaches own bottle of his ridiculous rub

Now I'm not going to sit here and type out the entire book with how to make say the moistest most finger licking smoked chicken you will ever have. If you want to get yourself a life lesson in bbq for less than what it costs to have a meal of it at restaurant/stand your going to have to grab it and have it for whenever the craving for it comes along. Gary is a master of all meats and that's evident in the lesson for brines which includes a buttermilk version that when used with chicken thighs produces the best bbq chicken I have ever had from anywhere.


Buttermilk brined bbq chicken thighs

Gary has made 1000's and 1000's of different batches of ribs and so he knows what needs to be done whether were talking baby back, spare, St. Louis style. If you get the book and follow the leader and take it step by step to the exact instructions you can be a ribmaster in no time and the star of Sunday football bbq's. I prefer spare ribs and recently made a batch of St. Louis style following the coaches words. They turned out flawless with the perfect balance of smoke flavor and just the right amount of resistance of the meat from coming off the bone. I want some right now and just might make some for tonight.


St. Louis spare rib's done low & slow

Low & Slow Lamb Ribs

I do however have a recipe to share with everyone from GWiv. This is one I got to try when we were chilling over at Toons one night and he brought by some of his lamb ribs that he made earlier that day. Well they were so good I had to make them for myself a week or so later and did just that and am going to show y'all what the godfather showed me.

Ingredients

-Lamb Breast (1 breast serves 1-2 people)
-BBQ rub
-Mustard
-apple of cherry wood chunks (combo works too)

Note: Fresh farms in Niles sells lamb breast which is essentially the ribs and part of the breast.

Instructions

1) Start off by removing the tips from the lamb breast so that you have a rack of ribs like those seen in the pic below. Save the tips for an appetizer.

2) Take your rub (I used GWiv's) and rub it into the ribs and follow that up by squirting a line of yellow mustard down the middle and then spreading it around. Doing this vice versa is fine too.


Lamb ribs cut and ready for smoker

3) Set your smoker for low and slow cooking so that its around a constant temp of 250 degrees which is what we want the temp to be when the ribs are going in. Take your lamb tips and season them up with whatever you want and put them in a aluminum foil cooking pan and put those on the bottom rack and the ribs on top (we want the fat from the ribs to drip onto the tips).

Prepare your mop using the ingredients below under the picture of it.


Mop made of olive oil, lemon juice, pressed garlic, salt and fresh pepper

4) After about 2 hours on the smoker at a steady temp of 250 the tips should be done. Mop them up a few minutes before taking them off and enjoy while waiting for the ribs to be done or save them for part of the full meal when the rest of it is ready. Make sure your sides are taken care of.


Lamb rib tips


I made baked 'tatos with a tzatziki cole slaw and fresh sliced tomatoes

5) After three hours in the smoker at 250 the ribs should be ready. remove them and let sit for a few minutes while you dress up plates with the sides and proceed to put a rack on each plate for each guest.


Smoked lamb ribs
________________________________________

So if you too want to master the art of BBQ. What are you waiting for? CLICK HERE.

4th of July Special: Pig Roastin'

--Tailgatin' and how to make mofos start playa hatin' (Recipes)

It's that time of the year, my favorite holiday which would mean Happy 4th of July to all. Is there a better celebration? I don't think so. Not when its all about being outdoors, grilling, smokin' BBQ and drinking drinks and lighting fireworks and the only thing your supposed to do is have a good time, which isn't ever hard. There's going to be tons of smoke in the air this Sunday when people take to their parks and backyards and celebrate America's Independence day. I'm just starting to figure out whats going to be done for my festivities and so in the meantime I wanted to share the results of a recent pig roast party I went to down in Lasalle County thrown by my buddy Jim who is an avid smoker. There arent too many weekends that pass where Jim isn't smokin' some meats of some sort out in his backyard and having a High Life. Check out his adventures in the wide world of food right HERE.


Where the pig was made...a great one indeed

Jim got a 94 lb pig from a local butcher down in his county. It came head on, trotters removed, and butterflied. He roasted it whole using a La Caja China which is a specialty from down south in Miami used for roasting pigs and other meats of choice. You can see it pictured above and the pig goes in the box and is covered with the top which is layered with charcoal and it cooks for hours on end until the meat is ready. You can learn all about them from their website and might even want one in your collection. The night before Jim injected the whole pig with mojo and rubbed it with pineapple juice. it was then put it on ice until the party with some 70+ guests started the next Saturday morning. Even though this party was back in June it's what the fourth of July is all about and that's having a good old time. We had people from all over and all walks of life and a buffet and drinks bar that was as good as it gets. On top of the star of the show the roasted pig, we had everything from ABT's to grilled lobster to fresh made rum punch and it was a blast.


We had two types of ABT's, both were tailgate champion worthy

After the piggy went on at about 7a it was taken off around 2p and looked just perfect. I don't know if there's anything better than perfect but the pig was it.


Ready to roll


Looking good


Eat up

Great company and some glorious food made for a grand time and make sure that's how you spend your upcoming fourth of July holiday. Holiday. Check out my guy Jim's site right HERE.

Last Years (2008) Holiday Dinners

--Tailgatin' and how to make mofos start playa hatin' (Recipes)

If summer is the outdoors grilling season then winter is the down home cooking season. Its right around thanksgiving when everyone starts cooking up old family favorites and classic holiday dishes to celebrate the festivities. The dinner parties seem like they come every night and the food is always good and the drinks are regularly flowing. After all what do they say when celebrating the holiday festivities? "eat, drink and be merry" In my family its tradition for my parents to have a dinner party on x-mas eve and then we go to my moms side of the family on the southside for brunch and dinner is on the northside with my dads side of the family at my aunt and uncles. The menu has always been different but the meals are always the real deal and nothing short of spectacular. I don't know whats on the board for the 2009 holiday menu but I do have the goods from last year.

X-Mas Eve Dinner (2008)

The theme of last years dinner was a Cajun holiday meal complete with a turducken ordered from cajungrocer.com. If you haven't checked that site out I would recommend doing so if your in an area where Cajun grocery goods can be hard to come across or if you just want to order a turducken 'cause you've always been meaning to try one. The turkey, duck, chickens will cost you anywhere between $79 and $125 dollars depending on how fast you want it when shipping is in included. We opted for the turducken with creole pork and cornbread and planned to serve it alongside some popular sides from the region.


Turducken rubbed with Tony Chachere's before it hits the oven

The sides for this feast were decided upon corn maque choux and bread pudding which went very well with the main course. Along with a potato chowder there was also some most excellent gravy made from the bits and sticks to the bottom of the pan that the turducken was roasting on. I've said it before on here so just let me say it again. Nolacuisine.com is an amzing site for New Orleans and Cajun food recipes and tips. Obviously I went on over and checked it out to get a couple good recipes for the dinners sides and was not dissapointed.

Maque Choux Recipe

4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
1/4 cup Tasso, finely diced
3 Ears of Corn
1/2 cup Onion, finely diced
1/4 cup Celery, finely diced
1/2 cup Green Pepper, finely diced
1 Tbsp Fresh Thyme leaves
1/8 cup Garlic, minced
1 Cup Tomato, diced
1/2 Cup Green Onions, finely sliced
Kosher salt, black pepper and Cayenne to taste

Cut the corn off the cobs using a very sharp knife. The trick is to cut about half way through the kernels, then go back and scrape the cobs with your knife to extract all of the milk into a bowl. Reserve the corn milk.

Melt the butter in a two quart sauce pan, add the Tasso and cook on medium-high heat until slightly brown. Add the corn, onion, celery, bell pepper, Thyme and a healthy pinch of salt and reduce the heat to medium. Cook stirring often for about 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

Add the garlic, tomatoes, reserved corn milk and another pinch of salt. Cook for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the green onions, salt, black pepper and cayenne to your taste.

Serves 2-3.


Cajun stewed corn with Tasso and tomatoes. Click HERE for link to recipe I used.

Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce Recipe

For the Bread Pudding:

1 Cup Sugar
1/4 tsp Freshly grated Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
pinch of salt
6 Eggs
1 1/2 Cups Heavy Cream
1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
6 Cups French Bread, cut into 1 inch cubes (be sure it’s a light bread, meaning not too dense)
1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, softened

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Butter a square cake pan with the butter.

Mix together the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a small bowl.
In a large Mixing bowl whisk the eggs, add the sugar mixture, then whisk in the cream and vanilla extract. Fold in the bread cubes being sure to not break them up too much. The trick to this recipe is to make sure all of the bread soaks up the custard, and that you don’t overcook it.

Place the prepared mixture into the cake pan, cover with foil and place the cake pan into a larger pan, sufficient enough to allow for a water bath which will cover the smaller pan by half way.

Place the pans into the oven and bake for 2 hours. Remove the foil and raise the temperature to 300 degrees for 1 hour more or until the top of the pudding is golden brown.

The finished pudding should be slightly firm, while moist, but not runny.

Serve warm with Whiskey sauce, recipe below.

Makes 4 servings.

Whiskey Sauce Recipe

1 1/2 Cups Heavy Cream
2 tsp Cornstarch
2 Tbsp Water
a few drop of Vanilla extract
1/3 Cup Bourbon
1/3 Cup Sugar

Mix together the water and cornstarch. Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan. While boiling slowly whisk in the cornstarch slurry, when the sauce is thickened remove from the heat and add the vanilla, bourbon and sugar. Set aside to cool to room temperature.


Click HERE for the link to the site I used for this


Turducken ready to go


Gravy made from the turducken bits

X-Mas Day Dinner (2008)

The theme of the cuisine didn't change a bit when December 25th hit. My uncle decided to do an old favorite of my grandpas last year and it was the first time I would enjoy the famous NOLA dish Chicken Rochambeau. The Louisiana Creole dish is half of a chicken (breast, leg, and thigh), which is boned and not skinned. It’s grilled, then served as a layered dish -first a slice of baked ham, then the brown Rochambeau sauce (chicken stock and brown sugar), then the chicken is covered with a Béarnaise sauce. Antoine’s restaurant in New Orleans, Louisiana is famous for this chicken dish. I mentioned above that my uncles xmas dinners are always five star and 2008 was no exception. It was my first time trying this classic dish and I was not underwhelmed by any sense of the imagination. What an amazing combo of flavors the dish boasts.


NOLA cuisine: Chicken Rochambeau


XMas Dinner Plate 2008


Wonderful combination of flavors in this dish

The night ended with a flambeed cake made by my aunt.


Dessert 2008


Who's got that fire?

Happy Holidays.

Turkey Day Treats

--Tailgatin' and how to make mofos start playa hatin' (Recipes)

I'm saddened to say that I never got around to frying up a turkey pre-Thanksgiving this year. I wanted to do a little experimentation and document the process and recipe on here but I just never had the time to do it. It was about six maybe seven years ago that my dad decided he wanted to deep fry a turkey to go along with the wonderful baked turkey my aunt makes each Thanksgiving. I've been going to Thanksgiving on the southside with my moms side of the fam since I can remember and Danny's (my dad) Fried turkeys have become as much a part of them as Mary Eileen's asparagus roll's (more on them another day) and the rest of the amazing spread we chow down each Thanksgiving holiday.

-Snoopin' around
a peak into my favorite food sites


I'm not a big turkey guy and to go along with that fact, my aunts oven baked birds are so good that I'll never duplicate them so therefore I never make turkey. I just get as much in me as I can every fourth Thursday in November. But then when my dad and I fried up that first bird some seven years ago I wondered why people even bother baking them. If I'm making turkey, which is rare these days but I don't think will be so in the future, I'm taking that bird and dropping it in hot oil. No ifs and's or buts about it. However that was until I caught a peek at the Chili cheese fry guy's baked turkey. Who is the chili cheese fry guy?!?! The dude that runs chilicheesefries.net which if you don't know about...you need to.


chilicheesefries.net is one of the best recipe sites on the 'net

This from the site "Frankly if you are looking for 30 minute or $10 meals, you won’t find many here. I don’t cook everyday but when I do, it’s all out and all about bold, spicy, rich food. Not that anyone should eat like this everyday but these recipes are for times when you want to indulge and prepare food that will carpet bomb your and your guests’ taste buds." Put together by a native of Baton Rouge, so you know he knows good food, it might be the best men's cooking site out there. All original recipes and all will have you printing them out and putting them in your to do list if you keep one like me. I never thought I would make a baked turkey as I said above. Until I saw CCF dudes original recipe for his own baked bird.

Bitchin' Firebird


Chili Cheese Fry Guys baked turkey (Pic from chilicheesefries.net)

The recipe is what I call a "sure thing" in that you just know its good. I cant wait to try it up. If your looking for something different or are in charge of the bird for your Thanksgiving dinner then check it out right HERE.

-Sampling America's "Micro Fooderies"

If you liked my tip from up above then your going to really like this one. I got an email a few months back from a passionate person in the food world. It was from Ron Broughton and his team at Tribal Moose. They explained how they love S'C&C and wanted to send me a package of their cranberry based sauces. Started in 2005 by Ron who started coming up with ideas and recipes for his sauces back in 1988 while growing up in Seward, Alaska. Not to drift off topic but Alaska State Troopers is one of my fave TV shows right now. A young Ron would always cook with his grandmother and during the 80's he gathered his ideas and perfected his recipe and turned into a full company in 2005 based out of Oregon.


Tribal Moose Cranberry BBQ sauce...a must for your fried turkey

Now if you know me I'm not going to BS, I've gotten other stuff from other companies that you wont see on here because I didn't like it. I've been to places to eat that sucked and so I'm not going to waste my time telling you about them. So when I like something I'm going to let it be known and try to spread the word. I happen to really like Tribal Moose's sauces. As noted above they are cranberry based and aside from both regular BBQ sauce and spicy they also have ketchup and a steak sauce. The first thing I thought when I learned about Tribal Moose was "that would be great for thanksgiving fried turkey" and of course for any leftovers to make sandwiches with the next day. I'm a big fan of the spicy version and my little cousins ate up all the ketchup at a BBQ and loved it. I made sure to save a bottle for my thanksgiving fried turkey and cant wait for the day to arrive.


a must for any fried turkey tailgate or holiday dinner

I would HIGHLY recommend checking out their site and ordering a few for your holiday festivities and backyard BBQ grilling sessions. Click HERE to learn more. Happy Holidays.

The Gluttony does Katz's Deli in NYC

-Snoopin' around
a peak into my favorite food sites


Outside Katz's world famous deli in NYC (Pic from: The Gluttony)

I got some good friends on both sides of the coast but I haven't been able to get out to Southern Cali or NYC in the last few years and I need to switch that up real fast. My man Kellan aka K-RO aka K-REEZY, runs one hell of a site called "The Gluttony" and he comes from Southern Cali and lives it up in Hollywood and its no Perez Hilton so don't expect any sightings of Jon & Kate reuniting over sushi or Lindsey Lohan getting down at the club to be reported. Well maybe the Lindsey doing deadly sins story but none of that Hollywood gossip shat that the media considers news now. The site also happens to be a great source for good food stops in Southern Cali and the West Coast and about as he documents them during his travels while working for one of the fashion games dopest teams in agenda. The food stops are featured in the "Eat W/ Reez" installment. Check out my mans sick photography skills and a West Coasters visit to one of New York city's most famous eateries. Click HERE for the scoop. See ya tomorrow.

Santa Barbara: A tale of two taquerias

-Snoopin' around
a peak into my favorite food sites

Cali Mexican (Pic from: B,E0N)

The discussion of Cali Mexican food versus that of Chicago is a popular topic on this site. With it are many looks into different popular taquerias around Chicago but I haven't been able to get to California to try any Mexican there just yet. Here is a peak into two very popular taco stands located in Santa Barbara, California as documented by Tuens. Click here to check it out.