Salmon, Cheesy Grits and baby Carrots

Oct 26 2012

I thawed out some wild caught Alaskan salmon I needed to use. There were 4 individual wrapped pieces in a marinade. I would have it with some white cheddar cheese grits, sautéed baby carrots, and cornbread.

It was a cold 45 deg. rainy day after being about 75 yesterday. After lunch I mixed up a batch of Korean crackers to smoke tomorrow. I then made a batch of old fashioned white grits and stirred in some white cheddar and parmesan cheese. I could reheat it easily for supper.

I placed the salmon on a foil lined grill pan; I wanted it to cook in its own liquid to stay moist. I did it on smoke 175 deg. After 20 minutes I started to ease up the temp. to a final 325 deg. While the salmon was cooking I got my carrots sautéing in a skillet with a Tbs. of butter and a Tbs. of olive oil.

When the salmon was done I covered with foil while I reheated the grits. I put the carrots in a pan to hold and toasted the cornbread in the skillet 1 or 2 minutes on each side.

This was a pretty easy cook, we thought it was good. The salmon was just a tad overdone but I don’t want any fish that is rare and it wasn’t bad.

The Salmon

Carrots Sauteing

Salmon is done

My Plate

Smokin Don

Mary's Buttermilk and Sourcream Cornbread

If you like southern cooking and you haven’t been to Mary’s “Deep South Dish” get over there. This gal knows how to cook southern. Everything from how to make a roux several ways, to meats, soups stews, gumbos and desserts; her recipes are great. If I wanted to cook southern I used to go to Paula Deen at food network; but ever since I lucked across Mary’s blog that’s where I go for recipes and ideas.

One of her latest creations Buttermilk sour cream cornbread is delicious. This is cornbread with an attitude! I used her basic recipe and added per her recommendation, a mild Mexican style by adding a cup of shredded cheese and a 4 oz. can of chopped green chilies. I like DelMonte’s cream style corn and used up some shredded cheese from two kinds and some Mexican style.

In my opinion the 3 Tbs. of bacon grease really makes it taste great. If you are vegan and don’t want the bacon grease at least add 3 Tbs. of butter.

I did mine in a cast iron skillet and baked at 440 deg. I checked it at 20 minutes and did another 5 minutes when the edges were getting brown and the top was splitting in several place. I let it cool awhile then the wife and I both had a piece while still warm with butter on top. We both thought it was great! Our grandson ate a piece when he got home from school. I saved two pieces for my Mother and gave two pieces to our daughter in law to take home. There’s just two pieces left to enjoy!

Below are a couple photos of this great cornbread; thanks for sharing the recipe Mary!

Link to Mary's recipe


Mary's Cornbread

A slice of goodness!

Smokin Don

Two Easy Meals from Leftover Rib Meat

Oct 22 2012
Saturday when I smoked two racks of pork back ribs, with backbone, I ate four ribs from each rack so I had plenty of leftover meat. My wife and I love ribs but prefer them hot off the smoker. I decided to pull the meat from these for two different dishes. Sunday afternoon I pulled the meat from one to use that evening for some stir fry.

The other rack I cut the ribs out and broke up the backbones. I put them in a pot, covered with water, a little salt & pepper and a bay leaf. I boiled them for an hour, and pulled the meat and saved. I strained the broth and in the fridge to cool overnight and then skim all the fat off. The stock took on a nice brown color from the ribs. This would be used to make pork & hominy soup for Mondays supper.

I had found some all natural frozen Asian stir fry mix, New World Farms, at Wal-Mart to use in the stir fry. I would have it over some Zatarain’s New Orleans yellow rice. I got the rice on cooking the I heated a Tbs. of olive oil in a skillet, added two minced garlic cloves and the leftover pork, stirred that awhile then added the frozen veggies and stirred awhile, put a lid on and steamed for 5 to 10 minutes. When the veggies were heated through I added a splash or two of soy sauce and stirred. I served this over the rice with some bread and butter. I had a side of Korean kimchee with mine. A pretty tasty meal and it was quick and easy to make, about 35 minutes.

After supper I mixed up three sleeves of crackers with olive oil, ranch dressing mix, and Korean chili flakes to smoke and have with the soup Monday.

Today was a nice 70 plus day. I smoked the crackers in the morning. My daughter in law came down with a piece of plywood for me to saw. She had it all marked and was making a serving tray. She does pretty nice work. I mowed grass while she worked on it. She ate lunch with my wife and went home after her son got home from school. The two dogs had fun playing all this time.

My supper went together pretty fast, I added olive oil to a soup pot and heated on med. hi, diced a med. onion and two cloves of garlic, added to the pot and sautéed until the onion was clear, added the pork meat, added the Cajun seasoning and cumin. I stirred until the meat was starting to stick to the pot. Then I started to add the stock I had skimmed the fat off, I left some, the soup has to have eyes to be good. I had about 8 cups of stock. I brought that to a boil and then added the rest of the ingredients and simmered about 45 minutes. I served the wife and we had bread and butter and the smoked Korean crackers. I crushed up some of the crackers in my soup and added some Cholula hot sauce. Pretty tasty!

This was three meals from some smoked pork ribs and I still have some rib meat to freeze for later.

Printable Soup Recipe

Stir fry mix

Rib Meat to use

My Sunday Supper

Some of the stock to show nice color

Soup ingredients

Onions, garlic, rib meat and seasonings simmering

Soups On

My Monday Supper

Smokin Don

Update: Oct 24 2012

My third easy meal for the leftover rib meat.

Today was a great 70 + day and I worked outside trying to get chores done before winter gets here.
I took food to my Mother this morning and stopped at the grocery for some veggie for supper, I found a nice head of Bok Choy. I would use it with some leftover rib meat for sandwiches and leftover mashed potatoes for fried potato cakes. I also got some nice take home & bake sandwich buns.

I had enough leftover rib meat from the two racks Sandman gave me; I got a lot of mileage from those two racks. The recipe for the Bok Choy I followed was clean and trim, slice head in half, nuke 3 to 5 minutes in microwave, add some sauce then on a med hot grill to char. The sauce I made was ¼ cup BBQ sauce, 1 Tbs. rice wine vinegar, 1 tsp. soy sauce, and 1 tsp. sesame oil.

I did mine all inside for the ease of doing quickly. I did the rolls in the oven 385 deg. For 7 minutes, had the rib meat heated in a skillet with BBQ sauce, and the potato cakes frying. I nuked the Bok Choy added the sauce, took the buns out and put the Bok Choy under the broiler awhile. I had added some smoked onions I had left.

So we had BBQ pork rib meat on hot buns with the Bok Choy and potato cakes. For leftovers it sure tasted good!

Smokin Don

Pork Back Ribs in Parchment Paper

Oct 20 2012

Thursday when I went to The Beer & Wine Depot, Sandman asked if I wanted some back ribs. They were some frozen bone in loins he got a good buy on and he trimmed out the loins from and had some back bones attached. He asked how many I wanted! I said two and he wouldn’t take anything for them. Free meat, thanks much Sandman!

They fit an idea I had to use my Amazin tube smoker on; to see if I thought it added more smoke taste and wrap one to compare wrapped against unwrapped. Even though Sandman would give me butcher paper I had an idea to use parchment paper. I thought it would be a less costly way than buying a large roll of butcher paper and would benefit fellow pelletheads that wanted to try butcher paper. Well that part didn’t pan out; the parchment paper is not porous so it was more like wrapping in foil. It may be cheaper than using foil if anyone wants to check it out.

I did my ribs my favorite way, wet down w/red wine vinegar and rub with Penzey’s Galena Street rub. I thought I would be able to tell if I got more smoke taste with the tube smoker. I prepared the ribs Friday evening and in the fridge overnight.

My wife was going out with her girlfriends to eat and then to a concert. She does not coordinate her plans with my cooking plans. Here I was cooking for five for six months then down to two the past several weeks and I think this is the third time I have done a big cook and ate alone! I don’t think I can eat two racks of ribs!

I did the ribs this afternoon. 1 hour on smoke about 180 deg., 1 ½ hours at 225 deg., 1 ½ hours with one wrapped 225 deg., unwrapped and 1 more hour at 225 deg. A total cook time of 5 hours.

I had some ring bologna from my butcher. I scored it about 1 inch apart and stuffed in a slice of garlic the rubbed in some Cajun seasoning. It would make a good snack. I did it for the one hour smoke and another hour. I had half gone by the time the ribs were done!

I did an onion stuffed with beef bouillon granules, butter and a clove of garlic. To prepare the onion use a med. to large sweet onion, cut just enough root off to set flat, cut the top off. Leave some of the outer skin, cut a cone shape from the center, slice outward down through all but the outer layer several cuts around the onion, add ½ teaspoon beef bouillon granules, press a pat of butter in, press a smashed garlic clove in the butter, then sprinkle some more beef granules on top. I put it on along with three sweet potatoes wrapped in foil the last two hours.

My supper was great, and I really didn’t mind I didn’t have anyone to share it with! Did I get more smoke taste with the tube smoker, I think so. Was the wrapped better than the unwrapped, I think just a little more moist and tender; but not absolute sure. They were both good and bottom line is I don’t think I would make a good BBQ Competition Judge! I had some good bread and butter too, the sweet potatoes were good with the ribs and the onion was the best I have done, a good combo of flavors.

Ribs ready to smoke

Bologna ready to smoke

On the smoker

Onion prepared

My snack is done

One rack wrapped

Potatoes and onion added

Rack unwrapped then back on

About done

The onion

Ribs are done

Some from both racks to try

My Plate

Smokin Don

King Ranch Chicken

The past two weeks I have cooked a lot of comfort food, doing beans twice. I think because the cool fall weather makes me hungry for that type of food and a little because I don’t have to worry about pleasing the kids and grandson since they moved out. My wife doesn’t like beans so tonight I would do a chicken dish for her.

I decided on King Ranch chicken. This dish was named for the King Ranch in South Texas, one of the largest in the world 825,000 acres. It is not known whether this casserole recipe originated on the ranch. I first heard about Rotel tomatoes back in the 80’s on a visit to my sister in Texas. I sent to Rotel for a cook book called, “Snake, Rattle & Rotel”, by Crazy Sam Higgens 1986. I use Rotel tomatoes a lot in chili but don’t think I ever made the King Ranch chicken.

I smoked a whole cut up chicken and a spaghetti squash. I did this up early for using the two breast meat for the casserole and would reheat the squash when ready to eat. I did the chicken for 45 minutes on smoke then to 300 deg. to finish. I put the squash on just after the chicken, total cook time for the chicken about 2 hours and did the squash another ½ hour.

The chicken was brined for two hours in 1/3 cup kosher salt, ¼ cup brown sugar and 1/8 cup molasses in ½ gallon of water. I seasoned the breasts w/Penzey’s Cajun and the rest w/Lawry’s seasoning salt. I placed a hunk of butter in each squash half and seasoned w/Calif. Style garlic salt. The butter was nice to use for basting the chicken a couple of times. I like the squash better done in the oven, I place it cut side down over a pat of butter on a cookie sheet, 350 deg. about 1 ½ hours. It came out a little drier on the smoker but had a nice smoke taste.

When the kids came to get the grandson after school they decided to stay for supper, it sounded good to them. I cut up both breasts to use and used Rotel mild tomatoes & chilies. We had some Home Pride brown bread and butter with it. Everyone liked it and I was thinking I should have tried this a long time ago! I think it would be good with or over mashed potatoes too.

Link to the recipe I used

Casserole ingredients

Spaghetti Squash

On the smoker, after 1 hour

Chickens done

Molasses in the brine gave it a nice color

Peppers, onions and chicken simmering before adding tomatoes and soup

King Ranch Chicken

My Plate

Smokin Don

Ham and Yellow Eye Beans

A sunny cool day here in Ohio; light frost this am & 60 in the afternoon. I had a 3 ½ pound bone in butt end smoked ham from my butcher, Kahs and some yellow eye beans. I would have them over rice and sides of cornbread and Brussels sprouts from my garden.

I thought the yellow eye beans were a popular southern bean but after researching they are more popular in the New England states, grown and eaten there. In my opinion they are milder and sweeter than most beans you would cook with ham.

I coated the face of the ham with molasses and some Penzey’s Cajun seasoning. I put it on the smoker; 45 minutes smoke mode 175 deg. I eased the temp to 275 deg. When it hit 105 deg. IT I foiled it then went to 300 deg. Total cook time was just over two hours for an It of 150 deg.

While the ham was on I decided to harvest my Brussels sprouts; they were not getting to size, too late planting, and I had covered two of the four plants through 4 frosts. Now don’t laugh; I ate a year’s crop in one setting! There were just enough for me, my wife does not like them. I call them sautéed baby Brussels sprouts.

I also mixed up a box of Miracle Maize sweet cornbread and baked in the oven in a cast iron skillet.

I had soaked the beans overnight. When the ham had cooled some I trimmed some of the good meat off and got the bone and beans on to cook, brought to a boil, then down to a simmer. For yellow eye beans they say to use the soaking water to cook in.

The grandson came home from school at 3:00. I gave him a piece of cornbread, he asked for another. I gave him a piece of ham and he asked for a second. He said it was good, at least my harshest critic like the cornbread and ham. I sent some home with his Mother and him.

I got some rice on to cook. I sautéed onions, garlic, and celery in a little olive oil and juice from the ham. I added salt pepper and thyme then added it to the beans after removing the ham bone to cool. I picked the ham from the bone and added it to the beans along with a little more of the ham.

I diced a slice of bacon and browned, removed from the skillet and added a little olive oil and the Brussels sprouts, stirred to coat added salt & pepper. I sautéed a few minutes, added a little chicken broth, covered and cooked another 7 or 8 minutes. I spooned them into a bowl with the bacon bits.

My wife had some sliced ham, rice w/cinnamon & sugar and corn bread, no beans. I had the ham & beans over rice. The Brussels sprouts were great, my wife had a bite then three more bites, and she doesn’t like Brussels sprouts. Fresh from the garden are a lot better than you can buy from the grocery or frozen. Next year maybe I can get them out early and have a bigger crop!

Printable ham & bean recipe

My years crop!

The ham

Hams done smoking

Sliced ham

Ham juice

Cornbread

Onions, celery and garlic sauteeing

Soups On

My Plate

Smokin Don

Carolina Grits, bacon and eggs

Sunday, Oct 14th

I know I said I was going to give my smoker a rest today. I had some good yellow, stone ground grits from Palmetto Farms, S. Carolina to fix & have with bacon and eggs for my brunch today. The bacon was thick sliced from my butcher and was just going to fry 3 or four slices. The grits I bought from Amazon.

Then I got to thinking; the bacon sure tastes better when done on the smoker.

So at 9 am I fired up the smoker and put 6 slices on. I did them at 275 deg. and took 45 minutes to get to the crispy stage I like. While it was cooking I cooked the grits. I added 1 Tbs. of bacon grease and 4 pats of butter to the pan to cook the grits. My glass top stove does not cool down fast so I get the grits & water boiling then move to another burner on low to finish simmering them. I fried two eggs and had a toasted slice of ciabata bread to have with it. My coffee was Newman’s Own from my Kurig.

It sure tasted good; I don’t have this very often so I was really hungry for it.

I did not get them as thick as I like; I like them so a spoon will stand up in them. The leftovers will be thicker.

The grits

Bacon is done

Texture of grits

My Brunch

Update: 10/17/12
At my favorite pellet smoker forum, pellet heads, a fellow member always commented I needed to make red eye gravy for my grits; whenever I posted about grits. I had some leftover ham and some leftover yellow grits from my last two cooks so I made some ham & eggs with red eye gravy for my lunch today.

I have made this in the past a lot but haven’t had it for a long time and it sure tasted good. Redeye gravy is basically made by browning up some ham then deglazing the skillet with some strong coffee and sometimes some water is also added. I used half coffee and half water. Wiki has a good definition of it with variations.

My lunch

Smokin Don