Loin Back Boneless Ribs

Apr 27 2014

I went to Sams club Sat. with the idea of getting some type of beef to do. I came home with a package of pork loin back boneless ribs. The first I had seen this cut and wanted to try them. I looked them up and found it was cut from the top of the back ribs. I couldn’t find any methods for cooking and it varies from grilling fast to smoking low and slow for country style ribs that usually are cut from pork butt. I decided to do mine on my Traeger 1 ½ hours on smoke 170 deg., foil for 1 ½ hours at 250 deg. and un-foil for an hour at 270 deg.

When I got the ribs out of the package they looked to me as if they were just fileted from a section of whole loin about 1 ¼ inches thick; then sliced part way through to look like rib sections. One of the pieces had a thin fat cap and the other was no fat. I wet them down with a little red wine vinegar and coated well with Penzey’s Galena St. rub on both sides. I covered with saran wrap and in the fridge for about 6 hours.

I got them on my smoker at 2:00 for a 6:00 supper time. After 1 ½ hours at 170 deg.; I coated one with some of my butcher’s BBQ sauce and the other with some blackstrap molasses. Both were foiled and back in for 1 ½ hours at 250 deg. I took them out of the foil and back on the smoker at 270 deg. and after 15 minutes I coated with more sauce. The one with molasses I sprinkled on some more rub and a little dried garlic flakes. With a ½ hour to go they were done so I dropped back to smoke mode to hold until I finished the potatoes and some Naan bread.

The potatoes were what we always called a hobo pack. I coated two layers of foil with some olive oil spray, 3 thin slices of sweet onion, sliced yellow potatoes, sliced carrots, a few pats of butter and seasoned with Penzey’s Fox Point seasoning. I wrapped and used a toothpick to poke a couple holes in it. It went on my Weber gas grill I had one burner on at 350 deg. It went on the burner side for 15 minutes then on the indirect side to finish, 1 hour total.

The Naan bread I drizzled on some olive oil and coated well with some Lebanese Za’atar and on the indirect side of the gas grill for 5 minutes.

It was a pretty good supper. The lean ribs without the fat cap were too dry. The other ones I had used molasses on were great, a little crispy coat, moist and tender. This was the first time I had used just molasses and rub and will use it on BB’s and spares sometime. I doubt if I will ever buy this style of boneless ribs again.

I know it’s a lot of pics for something that didn’t turn out great and I won’t be doing again but I thought they were purdy!

The ribs

The back side

Seasoning

6 hours marinade, ready for the smoker

After 1 1/2 hours on smoke

The potato pack

All done

Ready to cut and serve

My supper

Sockeye Salmon with Brussels Sprout Salad

Apr 24 2014

I fixed tonight’s supper on a healthier note; wild caught sockeye salmon over rice and a Brussels sprout salad. The salad I adapted from a recipe I got from attending a cooking school at Bon Ami Gabi restaurant, in Las Vegas.

The salmon was frozen skin on filets I had thawed out. I marinated the salmon with Lawry’s teriyaki with pineapple for 30 minutes. The rice was Zatarain’s New Orleans style yellow rice done in my rice cooker.

I made up the vinaigrette, cleaned and sliced the Brussels sprouts and mixed them about 2 hours before supper. I fried up the bacon and saved in the fridge. I found some salad topping that was pomegranate flavored dried cranberries and sugar coated walnuts so I didn’t have to roast walnuts.

After getting the salad ready I worked a couple hours staining the tile grout in our foyer. That’s major work for this ole man down on my hands and knees. I wanted to do the salmon on my new Weber gas grill but we were getting some sprinkles and I was tired so I did the salmon in a Lodge steel skillet stovetop. I sprinkled on some Penzey’s Fox Point seasoning and did them in some olive oil for 6 minutes skin side down, and then I turned for 3 minutes. I removed the skin and flipped back for a minute before serving.

The wife and I both enjoyed this meal. For healthier I think this is my favorite meal, fish over rice and a good salad. If you want healthier yet omit the bacon on the salad; but it’s so good!

Printable Salad Recipe

Brussels sprouts

Sliced

Lardons

Salmon in marinade

My salad

My supper

Ham Bone Yellow Eyed Beans

My Mother fixed a lot of ham and beans when I was growing up; my Dad’s favorite meal. She always had some cornbread with them and Dad liked navy beans. I didn’t really care for them then but I ate some because that is what we had. Now I love beans fixed about any way.

I like to use northern beans but for this time I had a pound of yellow eyed beans to use. They are about the same size as northerns but to me are a little more tender and sweeter.

I took three days soaking the beans, cooking the ham bone and finally assembling all for the ham and beans with some skillet cornbread.

Monday I put the beans in water to soak overnight. My ham bone from a picnic ham had plenty of meat left on so I covered with water, added two stalks of celery, two carrots, a med. sweet onion, salt and pepper. I brought it to a boil and then turned to a slow boil for 1 ½ hours. I removed the bone and removed the meat after cooling. I discarded the veggies, well I ate the carrots, and strained the broth then it went in the fridge overnight.

Picnic ham bone

Making the broth

Meat from the bone

Tuesday I skimmed all the fat from the broth. I drained the beans and rinsed after saving out a cup of the water for making a roux later. I chopped two carrots, two stalks of celery, and a medium sweet onion into a 1/4 inch dice. I minced two garlic cloves. I added the carrots, celery and onions to a stock pot with 2 tablespoons of bacon grease and sautéed until soft. I added the minced garlic and cooked a few minutes longer then added in the beans and enough of the stock to cover well. I added some salt and pepper brought it to a boil and then slow simmered for 1 ½ hours. I chopped the ham saved from the bone and added to the pot. I cooked it another ½ hour and then cooled and in the fridge overnight.

The veggies

Veggies sauteeing

Broth and beans added

Ham chopped and added in

Wednesday I baked a skillet cornbread using my favorite mix, Miracle Maize Sweet. At supper time I heated up the ham and beans to a boil. I made a blond roux using a tablespoon of bacon grease, about two tablespoons of aspic I saved from the ham, two tablespoons of flour and some of the saved bean soaking water. I added it to the pot along with a teaspoon of Penzey’s Cajun seasoning and a few drops of Cholula hot sauce. I let simmer about a half hour. I served a good helping of the ham and beans over cornbread, topped with some chopped sweet onion, Cholula hot sauce and fresh ground pepper. I had a piece of buttered cornbread and a Liny’s Hoppin Helles with it. It sure tasted good!

The cornbread

Bacon grease and ham aspic for the roux

Making the roux

Roux stirred in

My supper

My Easter Ham Dinner, early

Apr 19 2014

Easter dinner in the past used to be getting out the good tablecloth and dishes and have a big meal for family. This year it was just the wife, me and the dog so we didn’t get real fancy. Our kids and grandson went to Chicago to see Cincinnati play the Cubs Friday afternoon. Our daughter who lives near there went to their hotel and kept the grandson Friday night while mom & dad went to a concert. They will be with her parents in Toledo tomorrow on Easter.

I had a 6 ½ pound smoked picnic ham from my butcher that would be just right. I did it up on Friday on my Traeger using Cookin Pellets 100% hickory pellets. I smeared it with some black strap molasses and did it 45 minutes at 200 deg. grill level and then eased up to 325 deg. When it hit 100 deg. IT it went into a foil pan with some water and a couple tablespoons apple cider vinegar, covered the pan with foil and went to 350 deg. until an IT of 147 deg. It took a little over 2 ½ hours total. I let it set for about a half hour then took the foil off and saved the pan juices and let cool. I wrapped and in the fridge overnight.

This morning I fixed some cheesy scalloped potatoes and a jiffy mix corn casserole with asiago cheese.

After lunch we went to my Moms and took her enough for a couple of meals and some other food I had saved for her. We would have eaten with her but anymore at 92 she gets too nervous with anything out of her normal routine so we came home to eat our Easter dinner. Well the early Easter dinner I fixed; we are going to an Easter dinner buffet in Lima tomorrow at one of my wife’s favorite places.

I heated some of the ham in a skillet with some of the pan juices and nuked the potatoes and corn and served some Kink’s Hawaiian rolls with dinner. The ham was just right, tender enough to cut with a fork but had firmness to it. The potatoes were extra good since I used heavy cream in them instead of my usual milk or half and half. The asiago cheese gave the corn casserole a nice flavor. The ham bone is going to make some good ham and beans.

May all who celebrate Easter have a great Day

Printable Potato Recipe

The Ham

Unwrapped

Smeared with molasses

On the smoker at 100 deg. IT

Resting

Cheesy cheddar potatoes

Jiffy corn casserole

My dinner

Bacon Cheeseburger and Scalloped Hasselbacks

Apr 17 2014

I got my new Weber gas grill yesterday so I sure had to try it out tonight! Some bacon cheeseburgers and scalloped hasselback potatoes should do the trick.

I bought 1 ¼ pounds of ground chuck from my butcher. I threw a good tablespoon each of Penzey’s dried garlic flakes and onion flakes. I mixed that in well and made 3 patties from it and in the fridge for a few hours.

There has been a lot of good hasselback potatoes fixed and posted here. The scalloped version recipe is all over the net and this is my version. I sliced 3 yellow potatoes and did a thin slice of butter and alternated a thin slice of asiago cheese in each slit. These went into a foil pan and I drizzled some olive oil over them and some Penzey’s sandwich sprinkle. I preheated the grill to 400 deg. and the potatoes went on at 5:00.

I seasoned the burger patties with some Tatonka Dust on each side and back in the fridge. I placed a grill grate in my grill and fried 3 slices of good bacon for the burgers. Too fast for me I almost burnt it.

At 5:40 I poured some heavy cream over the potatoes and added some shredded cheddar then put the burgers on; 6 minutes and I turned them for another 5 minutes. I topped the burgers each with a slice of bacon and a slice of baby Swiss cheese after 2 minutes I added the buttered Italian seasoned ciabatta buns to toast. All was ready to serve at 6:00

Our daughter in law and grandson was here she had some of my chicken bog I had thawed out and a potato. My wife and grandson split a sandwich and a potato. The sandwiches were pretty large. I added some good mustard to my sandwich and had a potato and some of my Kimchi on the side.

My burgers were almost overdone but were delicious. It had been awhile since I cooked much on a gas grill. It might be back to my smoker the next time; more suited to this slow ole man!

The Tatonka Dusted burgers, onion, garlic, bacon and cheese go together well for a great tasting burger!

Potatoes ready to Bake

 


Doing the bacon

Topping the burgers, ready to toast the buns

My supper

My New Weber E210

Apr 15 2014

I just bought a Weber Spirit E210 two burner gas grill. Our son and wife are buying the house they now rent so for a house warming gift I am giving them my Weber Q100 gas grill. It’s only about 3 years old and has served me well and still in new condition.

Before I bought my Traeger smoker I had a Weber Spirit 3 burner and gave that one to my oldest daughter and husband. I didn’t think I needed a gas grill but then found it was nice for some quick BBQ so I bought a little Weber Q100.

Even though I can do some good steaks and burgers on my smoker using grill grates a gas grill is handy to have when I decide I want steaks or burgers at the last minute. When you love to cook BBQ outdoors you need all the equipment you can afford!

I bought the grill from Lowe’s and it was already assembled. I sprayed all the inside with Pam and got it seasoned this afternoon and now it has a new home next to my smoking deck.

I think I am pretty well set now with my Traeger 07E pellet smoker, Weber 210 and the Weber Jumbo Joe when I get hungry for some charcoal BBQ. I am now a happy barbecuer!

My new cover I got today

Tatonka Grilled Sirloin Salad for Two

Apr 15 2014

It did get above freezing enough to melt most of the snow today. It was windy and felt a bitter cold since we had some nice spring weather. I wanted a steak salad for supper tonight.

I got two small pieces of sirloin from my butcher that was just a pound. I didn’t look close enough and the larger piece was tapered to on the thin side but it would work. I went to the grocery and got some Italian mix salad, asparagus; extra sharp white cheddar and some take home and bake garlic knots.

After lunch I made some Italian dressing for the salad. I cleaned the asparagus and nuked for 2 ½ minutes to get crispy done. About 2 hours before cooking I seasoned the sirloin with some porcini mushroom powder and Tatonka dust then covered and in the fridge. I sliced a large sweet onion thin and caramelized in a little butter, olive oil, a pinch of sugar and sea salt. I left them in the skillet and reheated some while the steaks were resting.

I made up the salads with the Italian mixed greens, asparagus and some thin sliced extra sharp cheddar. I baked the garlic knots and made a side of canned pear halves with a little organic coarse brown sugar sprinkled on.

I had the Traeger at 380 to 390 deg. grill level and did the steaks on grill grates 7 minutes on each side. I had placed the thinner one on the colder side. I trimmed some of the fat and sliced the sirloin thin on a bias and placed about half on each salad, I poured some of my Italian dressing over and topped with some caramelized onions.

My wife and I both loved this dish; the steak was tasty and melt in your mouth tender. My wife said the pears are good what did you do to them, I said sprinkle on a little brown sugar! Sometimes it doesn’t take much to impress her!

Printable Dressing Recipe

Seasoning the steaks

Asparagus for the salad

Onions

Steaks were just turned here

Resting for 5 minutes

Sliced

My supper

Tortilla Corn Dogs and Smashed Potatoes

Apr 13 2014

I have had these in mind for a long time. Growing up in the 50’s the County fair was a yearly highlight. A deep fried corn dog painted with mustard was my favorite treat. I get hungry for one once in a while.

I thought why not just wrap them in a corn tortilla and do them on the smoker. It was just the wife and me tonight. I had potatoes so I used a weber foil pan, just right for small helpings; I sprayed with some olive oil and covered the bottom with sliced sweet onions. I nuked the potatoes the smashed and added to the pan. I had room for some carrots so I sliced two small ones with a veggie peeler and added them.

I melted some butter and poured over the potatoes and seasoned with some WOW, salt and pepper. They went on my Traeger I had heated to 225 deg. grill level. I eased the temp up to 370 deg. over the next half hour.

I had slashed the dogs on both sides and they went on grill grates about 10 minutes per side. I folded each with a corn tortilla, folded over the dog then some egg wash brushed on half, rolled up and secured with tooth picks. I then brushed on more of the egg wash. I had a little problem with the tortillas tearing. I did them for 5 min. on each side and they were ready to serve.

Well they were not the same taste as deep fried corn dogs but pretty darn good. I smeared on some good mustard for my two dogs. My wife said she only wanted one dog but went back and ate her second one. She will not eat deep fried corn dogs.

Onions, potatoes and carrots ready for the smoker

Dogs ready to wrap

All done

My supper