Jowl Bacon, Grits, Red Eye Gravy and Eggs

Feb 09 2015

I had saved 3 thick slices of the jowl bacon to fry for a breakfast. I can’t remember the last time I had red eye gravy. It’s usually made after frying ham but thought the jowl bacon would do. I made a small batch of stone ground grits, fried the bacon and made the red eye gravy. I had the eggs frying and made the gravy with some black coffee and a little coca cola.

This was my lunch today, and tasted great. I had saved one piece of the bacon for my wife but it disappeared while I was ridding up the dishes! She went to a movie and will never know!

I had planned to go get a slab of ribs to do tomorrow on my Traeger with the new SS v3 controller. I wanted to do a longer cook with it. It said sunny and 27 deg.; cold but I don’t need to stay out much. I took a second look and it said a chill factor of zero. I chickened out so looks like it will be next week before I get back out on my smoker; supposed to be cold all week.

The grits

Jowl bacon

Red Eye Gravy

My brunch

Smoked Sausage and Jowl Bacon 15 Bean Soup

Feb 08 2015

I was tired out yesterday after getting my smoker cleaned up and my new Savannah Stoker controller installed. I was glad though I went ahead and smoked the meat for my bean soup today. It made for a lazy day for me.

My wife did her usual today, went to church and then out to lunch with friends after. Today though several of the ladies went to a play this afternoon and then out to eat. Since my wife does not like beans it was a great time to make myself a pot of bean soup.

I like to use some of the Hurst 15 bean soup mix once in a while for some great soup. This time I used the recipe on the package, changing just a little. I like Rotel tomatoes and use Cajun seasoning instead of the chili powder. I diced up the jowl bacon and used some of the fattier pieces to brown up a little with the onions and garlic. I then added the rest of the bacon and the sliced smoked sausage, stirred to heat through then added water to deglaze the pan. I brought all to a boil then down to simmer for 2 hours.

While that was cooking I baked some cornbread. I used my favorite mix, Miracle Maize Sweet and baked it in my old Wapak skillet. I added some brown sugar topping for something different. I got the idea from a BBQ show. It was at a joint down south and all there was raving about the cornbread with the brown sugar. I thought southerners didn’t like sweet cornbread; maybe there was all Yankees eating there! Mine didn’t look as good as theirs did; I think they must have swirled it in with the batter some before baking. I didn’t remember them doing that but will try it the next time.

I had the cornbread done and after the beans had simmered two hours I added in the tomatoes, Cajun seasoning and lemon juice then cooked another half hour. I don’t usually add in the flavor packet but did this time and was good.

I had mine with some chopped onions and hot sauce over and a large piece of the cornbread with a little butter! The soup was great and I liked the brown sugar cornbread, it went good with the heat. I had a good Black Butte Porter to wash all down.

Click here for printable bean soup recipe

My supper

Ingredients

15 Bean mix

Some bacon, onions and garlic in

Rest of the meat is in

Some water in

Beans added to simmer 2 hours

For the cornbread

Ready for the oven

Done baking

All and ready to serve

NOLA Style BBQ Shrimp

Feb 06 2015

Most people when you say BBQ shrimp thinks of shrimp done on the outdoor grill. If you are from Louisiana you probably think of shrimp cooked or baked in a lot of butter, bacon grease and seasonings. I found this recipe years ago from the Frugal Gourmet. I love it done this way and has been a year or more since I have done them this way.

When we have this all we need with it is a good salad and some crusty bread to mop up the good butter.

Our salad tonight was some organic spring mix and baby spinach with a few pickled beets added.

I did the bacon, butter and seasonings in my lodge steel skillet then poured over the shrimp and baked in the oven. I placed the dish on the table so we could dip the bread in the good sauce. We were hungry as two Cajuns cause we ate all those shrimp!

Click here for printable shrimp recipe

My Plate

Ingredients

Shrimp

Bacon, garlic butter and seasonings in

Cajun seasoning added to the shrimp

Butter bacon sauce poured over

Baked, ready to serve

My salad

Sandwiches for Lunch for Two Days

Feb 06 2015

I usually try to eat some of our leftovers for my lunch. The last two days it was sandwiches instead and they both were great.

I had saved some pulled pork from the Asian pork for a couple of sandwiches. I had just enough of my easy scrapple left and thought it would taste good with the pork. I fried two thin slices extra crispy. I heated up the pork and it went on a toasted bun topped with some sriracha mayo and the scrapple. That was my lunch yesterday.

I went to Kah Meats for some bacon I needed some for tonight’s supper. He had some jowl bacon so I bought some of it too. I have a couple of recipes in mind to use it so I cut it in half to vacuum seal and freeze. I sliced off a thick slice for a sandwich and fried it nice and crisp. I put a generous smear of stone ground mustard on a bun and placed the jowl bacon on and then fried an egg for on top. I toasted the top of the bun and that was my lunch today.

If you never tried jowl bacon you should. I think it has more flavor than regular bacon.

Pork and Scrapple

Jowl Bacon and Egg

Crockpot Asian Pork and Noodles

Feb 04 2015

We had Pad Thai last night and some more Asian flavor tonight for supper. I found this recipe at Food Network and it looked good. I wanted to do something in the Crockpot and this would be a change from the usual pork. I had to adapt it since I could not find some of the ingredients and I don’t care for ginger or anise so I omitted them.

I had a 3 pound boneless pork shoulder roast and got it in the pot at 8:00 AM for 8 hours on low. At 4:00 I took the roast out and let cool; then shredded, cut up and back in the pot. It was fall apart tender. I turned the Crockpot on high.

Since I was using pasta instead of rice noodles I figured they needed to be in the pot sooner and I par boiled them for 5 minutes. I got them in the pot about 5:15. I then cut up a half head of Napa cabbage and in the pot. I served it at 6:00 along with some crusty bread and butter.

The wife and I both liked it, she ate it as is, I had some dried chives and a few French fried onions on top of mine. After tasting I needed some heat in it so added 5 or 6 shakes of Cholula hot sauce. Next time I will add at least 1 tsp. of dried pepper flakes when cooking. I think my topping of choice would be some sliced green onions.

Click here for printable recipe

My Supper

For the broth, chicken stock not shown

Pork in the broth with garlic

After 8 hours on low

Pork shredded

Pork and noodles back in the pot

Napa cabbage added

Last Night's Pad Thai

Feb 03 2015

I had some pulled chicken in the freezer from the last chicken I smoked a while back. So for tonight’s supper it would be Pad Thai. That’s a dish I get hungry for; I am getting so many dishes I get hungry for and ones I see in here and on the net I want to try I don’t know how to find the time to get them all in!

I had a Pad Thai kit from Thai Kitchen’s; not sure how they can call it a kit since it only contains the rice noodles and sauce. Oh well I use it because I can’t find the right rice noodles in the grocery and I like the sauce.

I baked a take home and bake baguette for bread and butter. It is not usually served with Thai food but I can eat bread and butter with about any kind of meal!

I like this cooked in a wok best but with having to use my cane it was much easier to just do it all up in my Lodge steel skillet. I first fried a beaten egg and sliced to add in later. I heated up some olive oil and added the chicken, about 2 cups, then added some sliced onion and Napa cabbage. I had the rice noodles soaking in boiled water. I drained and added the noodles in and let heat up.

I added the sauce and a can of bean sprouts. I stirred and then topped with the eggs. I then served, my wife likes it just as is but I add some Mai Ploys sweet chili sauce and chopped cashews to mine. The Mai Ploys adds a touch of heat too.

My supper

Steak Fingers and Poutine

Feb 03 2015

It is a good thing I am back doing most of the cooking now. My wife’s favorite, and mine, source for meals, Sandman’s carry out is closed this week. He has been shutting down a week in February and going to Las Vegas. I imagine he is enjoying some warmer weather right now.

I am anxious to get back to more cooking on the smoker but it’s been too cold and my patio is icy right now. For tonight it was some more indoor cooking. I had some round steak frozen to use, some that my wife got from Sam’s when she was supposed to get some tenderloin steaks! I had some cheddar cheese curds frozen too so some steak fingers and poutine would taste good.

I trimmed the fat from the edges of the steaks and pounded with a mallet some to tenderize and sprinkled on some Adolf’s meat tenderizer. They went in the fridge about 3 hours before fixing. I cut them into strips, seasoned with some Penzey’s 4S salt and coated with a little flour. I fried them in some olive oil on med. high for 4 or 5 minutes each side.

I baked some Or Ida fast food fries in the oven for the poutine. For the gravy I used a packet of Pioneer brand brown gravy mix fixed per directions. Instead of water I used a mix of chicken and beef broth then stirred in a Tbs. of Worcestershire and about a tsp. of Kitchen Bouquet.

We had some of my fermented beets for a side, and it all hit the spot. Ever since I tried Canada’s favorite snack food Poutine I get hungry for some. It would taste better with some great crispy homemade fries but the Or Ida’s baked are pretty good.

The round steaks

Steaks cut and seasoned, gravy mix and cheese curds

Frying the steak fingers

My supper