Garden Salsa

Something a little different as the growing season comes to an end. This is a great use of garden grown veggies and makes a wonderful refreshing salsa!

• 8-10 Roma tomatoes, chopped (can use other varieties but suggest removing peels and seeds if going that route)

• 1 large green pepper, finely chopped

• 1 small to medium sweet onion, finely chopped

• 1/2 cup green onion, chopped

• 1 heaping tsp., finely chopped garlic

• 2-3 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped (leave or remove seeds based on heat level you are looking for)

• 1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies, drained

• 2 Tbsp canola oil

• 2 Tbsp cider vinegar

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1 tsp fresh chives, finely chopped

• 1 tsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

• 1/4 tsp. ground cumin (optional)

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Can be eaten right away but best after allowing to chill in fridge for a few hours/over night.

Outdoor Cooking Hardware - Update

Since I have started using this website to post my BBQ/Smoking adventures there have been some additions, subtractions, and general changes to what I use. Thought I would take a moment to share!

The first adjustment has been my move over to 100% pellet smoking, having gotten rid of my Landmann Smokey Mountain Series (Brinkmann Trailmaster) offset smoker. This decision was made mostly due to time, while I loved the results using the offset it required more attention and time that I decided would be energy better used elsewhere around the house & with the family.

That said, we still absolutely love BBQ/Smoked meals, so investments have been made in the pellet smoking hardware space. Originally started with a Green Mountain Daniel Boone but end of last year upgraded to a new Green Mountain Ledge Prime 2.0 with a Pimp My Grill rack system. I could not be happier with this setup & if the weather would allow I would easily use this every single week, for at least one meal.

The next big upgrade just took place last month, replacing my simple Charbroil 4 burner propane grill with a big step up to a Monument Grill Denali 610 6 burner propane grill. While my main choice for outdoor cooking is still using the smoker, there are a number of meals that really just need something hot & fast. I am still getting adjusted to this grill but so far I am extremely impressed!

Finally, a couple of years ago I added a griddle to the arsenal, bending to the Blackstone trend that really seemed to take over during lockdown. At the time it was actually difficult to find Blackstones so I went with a Members Mark Pro Series 5 burner griddle. While I do enjoy using this I will admit that it is not used nearly as often as I expected and I’m honestly not sure why.

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Green Mountain Grill Ledge Prime 2.0

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Pimp My Grill Rack System

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Monument Grill Denali 610

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Member's Mark Pro Series Griddle

Oven Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

• 16 Cups Cherry Tomatoes

• 3/4 Cup Olive Oil

• 2 Tbsp Onion Powder

• 1 Tbsp Garlic Powder

• 1/2 tsp Salt

• 1/2 tsp Pepper

• 2 tsp Oregano

Directions:

• Remove stems and wash tomatoes (thaw if frozen)

• Place tomatoes in a single layer on baking sheet(s)

• Drizzle with olive oil and all seasonings EXCEPT oregano

• Bake at 425° for 45-60 minutes or until skins are wrinkly

• Let cool

• Blend in a food processor until creamy

• Run sauce through a food mill (or press through sieve) *NOTE - this step is extremely important for a skin and seed free sauce

• Add oregano

• Taste and adjust seasonings as needed

Tips:

• Garden Tomatoes give the best flavor. Clean, de-stem, and freeze them whole until you are ready to make sauce.

• You can refrigerate the sauce for a week or freeze for extended storage.

• Freezing in quart containers, inside of a gallon bag, works best for long term storage.

• Sometimes frozen sauce needs sugar to cut acidity.

Pulled Pork

Not sure how I have gone so long without adding this to the page. This has been one of the most consistent things I've made on the smoker and has a lot of flexibility.

Starting off I lean towards a bone in pork butt/shoulder. In some cases you can find with skin on, if that is the case you have extra work to remove the skin before next steps.

Season with favorite seasoning of choice (for me that is SPG and Chipotle rub), using mustard as a binder if you need. Initially you will place on the smoker alone until you hit an internal of 165°. Once you hit that place roast in an aluminum pan & add half a stick of butter, more seasoning, and a nice helping of either brown sugar or honey. Cover pan with foil and place back on smoker until you hit a final internal temperature of 205°.

You will want to leave the foil on and let the meat rest for at least half an hour after pulling it off the smoker, if at all possible. At this point the bone should slide out and you will be able to shred the roast. If all goes well there will be a decent amount of liquid in the pan to mix with the meat and you can add additional seasonings to your liking. You could also add BBQ sauce, at this point, but it is not required.

Smoker temp - 250°

Time - All based on temp, so it can range greatly (plan for 8-10 hours for a good size roast)

St Louis Ribs

Temp: 250°

Time: 5/6 hours

Prep ribs - remove membrane, rub light layer of yellow mustard for binder, cover in favorite rub (chipotle rub for this one).

Place on smoker - 3 hour

Wrap in foil with some butter, more rub, and some brown sugar. Place back in smoker - 1.5 hours

Unwrap and cover in sauce of choice - 30 minutes to 1 hour

Beef Ribs (multi bone plate rib)

When your butcher has fresh stock you get what they suggest. I’ve done short ribs before but gave these full plate ribs a go. The giant dino bone is really impressive for presentation! Went with BBQ Pit Boys SPG for seasoning and just let it go on the GMG. So tender and flavorful.

Temp - 275°

After about 2 hours add a probe to start keeping track of internal temp. (Took about 4 hours)

Cook until an internal temp of 205°

Remove from smoker and let sit for just 15 minutes before cutting.

Poor Man's Burnt Ends/Smoked Chuck Roast

I often want brisket but do not want the time commitment to make it or I don't want to deal with such a large piece of meat with only a couple people eating. When either instance is the case I turn to this.

Season chuck roast with SPG and smoke until an internal temp of 165°. Once it hits that internal temp wrap it in foil and place back on the smoker until a temp of 195-205° (205 for slicing & 195 if planning to make burnt ends with it). Remove from smoker, wrap the foil wrapped meat in a towel and place into a cooler for 45 minutes. At this point, if slicing, take out slice and enjoy… if making burnt ends, take out & cut into cubes. Place cubes in aluminum tray with some butter, BBQ sauce, and brown sugar (all to your liking) and place back on smoker for another hour.

Smoker Temp: 225°

Time: all internal temp related 5-7 hours likely

Double Smoked Spiral Ham

It has been awhile since I have done anything new on the smoker. This was an overall success, with just a couple small sections of the ham being a little dry. I also made a brown sugar glaze (recipe at the end of this post). Will certainly be making ham this way in the future!

10 pound smoked spiral ham:

• 225° for 1.5 hours - ham directly on smoker grates.

• 300° for 2 hours - ham in aluminum pan, with 1 cup vegetable stock, and covered tightly with aluminum foil. At the end of the 2 hours remove the foil and remove access liquid (saving the liquid for a future soup of some kind, and only leaving a small amount in pan for the final step)

• 350° for 30 minutes - with glaze, basting every 10 minutes (I also added 1 can of sliced pineapple to the pan, with the liquid from the can being previously used in the below glaze)

Brown sugar glaze:

Combine the following and simmer on low until fully incorporated. Then let cool and thicken slightly.

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 1/2 cup honey

• liquid from 1 can of sliced pineapple

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1.5 teaspoon chipotle seasoning

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Air Fryer Crispy Pork Belly

Pork belly, skin on (size that will fit in air fryer)

Slice, meat side, half way through (about 1 inch thick)

Boil for 10-15 minutes

Dry completely

Place sauce on meat side, including inside of slices

Place on foil meat side down & fold up edges to leave only the skin exposed

Dry skin again & use fork to heavily poke the skin with holes (dry one more time after poking holes)

Cover skin in thick layer of salt (about 1 cup)

Air Fry 375° for 30 minutes

Remove from fryer and clean off the salt

Place back in fryer, skin side up, without the foil

Air Fry 400° for 20-30 minutes

Remove from fryer and let rest for 10 minutes before cutting into bite size pieces.

Sauce:

1 tablespoon each of the following

Hoisin sauce (garlic hoisin if possible, just omit garlic below if used)

Oyster sauce

Soy sauce

Fermented bean curd

Diced garlic

White pepper (to taste)

Smoked Whole Wings

This is something great to do when time is a factor. With only a couple simple steps they are ready for a short 1.5 hours on the smoker! Whole chicken wings are given a coating of garlic herb seasoning (light coat), salt/pepper/brown sugar brisket rub (light coating), and chipotle rub (heavy coating). They are then placed on the 300° smoker for 1 hour (flipped half way through). Once the first hour is up the smoker temp is raised to 400° and they wings go for 20-30 minutes, to crisp up the skin. Finally, they are taken off the smoker and give a good coating of your favorite wing seasoning (in this case Weavers Dutch Country Southwest Dust).

Temp - 300° for 1 hour. 400° for 30 minutes

Time - 1.5 hours

Corned Beef

After some trial and error I have landed on a way that works really well,though the steps seem a little odd. To start the corned beef is actually simmered for 1 hour, with water covering the meat and the juice & seasoning packet from the corned beef added (I know. Boiling meat? Really? Just bare with me). After the hour of simmering the beef is dried off and seasoned with your favorite brisket rub (in my case that is a salt/pepper/garlic blend). The next step is throwing the beef on the smoker, at 275°, for 1 hour. Next, the beef is wrapped in foil, with either butter… beef broth… or beer, and put back into the smoker for 1 more hour. Finally, once done on the smoker, everything is wrapped in a towel and left to rest for at least 30 minutes (longer is better).

Temp - 275°

Time - 3.5+ hours

Results - Best corned beef I have ever had!

Pork Belly Burnt Ends

These are one of my favorite things to make due to their wow factor in presentation and taste. To prep the belly is cut up into 1.5 inch cubes and seasoned on all sides with our favorite chipotle rub and a whatever butt rub we happen to have at the time. These seasoned cubes are then placed on a rack and smoked for 2 hours. The next step involves placing all the cubes into a foil pan with a stick of sliced up unsalted butter and approximately 1/4 cup of brown sugar and/or honey. The pan is then covered with foil and smoked for 2 more hours. Once the time is up the foil covering is removed & half a bottle of the BBQ sauce of the day is poured into the pan (some of the liquid in the pan can be removed prior to adding the BBQ sauce, depending on how thin you want the end result and how much liquid is present). Finally, they are put back on the smoker for another 15 minutes or so, uncovered, to warm the BBQ sauce and get a slight caramelization going. The end result is best described as meat candy!

Temp - 300°

Cooked by time but pieces checked to ensure they made it over 145°

Spatchcocked Turkey

With Thanksgiving just a few weeks away it was time to try out Turkey on the smoker. While I have done whole chicken many times, this was my first attempt at a whole (15 pound) turkey. For prep I spatchcocked the bird and patted the whole thing dry then seasoned the inside with a garlic based poultry seasoning. Once the inside cavity was seasoned I flipped it over, injected it with a Creole Butter injection, and seasoned it heavily with the same garlic poultry seasoning followed by our favorite chipotle rub.

Temp - 300°

Smoked until an internal temperature of 165° was reached in the breast. (Only about 4 hours)

This turkey was as moist as any I have ever fried and the skin came out much better than I expected (after years of frying a turkey this was where I expected this one to fall short). In the end it was a success but now I am wondering how it would go to smoke it whole for a couple hours then finish it frying like we normally do… a best of both worlds kind of situation… I guess, more to come!

Reverse Seared Smoked Poterhouse

What do you do when someone tells you they have a local rub that is simply amazing that they then send to you? First you get curious… then you receive the rub and you bust out some 1.5 inch thick Porterhouses… finally you eat the porterhouse and become rather jealous that the rub is not local to YOU! For this I followed the same steps I normally do for my Tomahawks and they turned out so so good.

Temp - 300°

Smoked until an internal temperature of 120°

Once the internal temperature was reached I took it over to the propane grill, which was as hot as it would go, and did a quick sear on each side.

After searing it was left to rest for about 15 minutes before cutting.

Reverse Seared Smoked Tomahawk Ribeye

This might be the most flashy thing I have done so far on the smoker. The shear size (3.5 pounds) of the steak makes this a show stopper and it is rather straightforward to make. After dinner the wife made a comment that I am never allowed to make a steak any other way from now on… it is hard to argue with her!! For this one I used Weavers Dutch Country Steak Dust seasoning:

Temp - 300°

Smoked until an internal temperature of 120°

Once the internal temperature was reached I took it over to the propane grill, which was as hot as it would go, and did a quick sear on each side.

After searing it was left to rest for about 15 minutes before cutting.

Beef Ribs (multi bone short rib)

These are now my favorite things to make on the smoker and they also happen to be one of the absolute easiest things to make. Surprisingly quick and very hands off once they are on! Seasoning on these is great because it is a store bought rub that really works out great. Rub was simply a heavy coating of Weber Sweet Cracked Pepper Dry Rub seasoning & an additional coating of coarse black pepper.

Temp - 260°

After about 2 hours add a probe to start keeping track of internal temp.

Cook until an internal temp of 205°

Remove from smoker and let sit for just 15 minutes before cutting.

Smoked Prime Rib Roast

For this one I had the butcher cut & prep the rib roast by cutting off the bone and having the bones tied back on. Seasoning of the roast was butter mixed with garlic pepper seasoning and salt. This was much more simple than I expected and one of the best things to come off of the smoker yet!

*Addition 2024 - place a high walled aluminum pan under the roast as it cooks. In the pan place 3 cups beef or chicken stock, 3 tablespoons butter, tablespoon of course black pepper, chipotle (or kosmos q cow cover), a good amount of chopped (or squeeze) garlic, and about a tablespoon of dried rosemary. Take out before boosting the smoker to 400 & reheat if needed when time to serve.

Temp - 250° until an internal temp of 115°

Boosted temp up to 400° to help set up the bark

Cooked to internal temp of 125° & let rest, covered in foil, for half an hour.

Baby Back Ribs - Hot and Fast

Used a modified 2-2-1 method for these but wanted them done a little quicker than normal. Used simple rub of Quaker Steak and Lube Chipotle seasoning:

Temp 325°

2 hours on smoke

1 hour wrapped (brown sugar, butter, and additional rub added)

30 minutes unwrapped with sauce

Garlic Kielbasa thrown on the smoker during the last hour just because there was space available!

Trying something new for the site

Since I have found Smoking/Grilling as hobby I find myself trying many different ways of doing things. The downside to always experimenting like that is losing track of how I did certain Smokes. To remedy that issue I am going to attempt to post each of my successful meals here, along with the how of the cook. Hopefully this will create a repository that I can reference in the future and share with others, so they can give things a try!

DNSChanger Malware Concern is Overblown!

I've seen a number of people posting about concerns they have regarding the recent media focus on DNSChanger. The media keeps posting about how this malware will kick "thousands" off the internet come Monday and everyone needs to check their computer. While it is true that any computer infected with this malware will be unable to gain access to the internet come Monday there are important things to point out.

1. The malware has been known about for some time, giving security companies plenty of time to roll out fixes, so if you have run a virus protection program recently you should be just fine.

2. This issue has been addressed by Microsoft and they have even sent out an update to help fix this problem months ago, so as long as you allow Microsoft updates you should be just fine.

3. The total number (worldwide) of infected computers is only about 280,000 with just 65,000 in the US. With over 250 MILLION computers in the US alone that means there is a .03% chance your computer is infected, so you should be just fine.

4. Even if your computer IS infected the FBI has controlled the servers the malware points to for some time, so there is no major danger to your computer. Worst case you can't access the internet come Monday and you have a computer-literate friend come over and change what DNS server your computer points to.

If you are still concerned just visit the following site and run one of the quick checks they suggest: http://www.dcwg.org

Did I mention.... you should be just fine, the media has blown this out of proportion to gain readership!