Pete's Tritip from his Cookbook

Jun 8 2016

I received a free copy of Smoker Pete’s cookbook from his publisher and did a review of it here. I wanted to also pick out a recipe from it to cook and post. I chose a tritip since I have only made two before. I got a nice one that was frozen from my butcher. I didn’t get it thawed in time for overnight in the fridge but got it seasoned and wrapped in the fridge for 8 hours.

Pete recommended his Western Rub for the seasoning. I didn’t make a batch but used all the seasonings on my tritip and it was a great choice. I would recommend it for any beef.

I cooked some bacon this morning on my Traeger for topping a spinach salad I made for a side. My other side was some baby gold potatoes cooked in a cast iron skillet with butter and added coarse salt at the end.

The recipe for cooking the tritip was to smoke at 180 deg. for an hour and then got to 325 deg. to finish the tritip to an IT of 140 deg. After the hour of smoke and going to 325 deg. I heated up an 8 inch CI skillet with some butter and added potatoes to cover the bottom then placed it in the smoker.

The tritip hit 140 deg. and hour and 45 minutes total cook. It hit 142 when I removed it, took inside and tented with foil to rest for about 15 minutes. In that time I placed the skillet of potatoes on the stove to brown them up some and added some coarse salt.

We all had bacon on the spinach salad, the wife and I had some sliced hard boiled eggs and I also had some thin sliced onions on mine.

I sliced up some of the tritip and it was a perfect med. rare; the way I like it. I served it, the potatoes and spinach salad with some bread and butter. The grandson was here and I had to nuke his meat to get it brown! The tritip was very tender and juicy, nice smoke ring and Pete’s seasoning was just right!

This was a pretty simple recipe as far as prep and cooking goes but you can always learn something new. I found I really like Pete’s Western Rub seasoning for beef. I am sure I will learn more as I try more of Pete’s recipes. I would recommend this cookbook to anyone who has a pellet smoker grill.

Click Here for printable salad recipe

The trimmed roast

Seasoned

Wrapped for the fridge

After 8 hrs. ready for the smoker

Bacon for the salad

One hour on smoke

About done

Resting

The spinach salad

Tritip sliced to serve

My salad

My supper

Bacon & Chicken Brat Kabobs

Jun 7 2016

I had the idea to wind some bacon with brats on a skewer; I had some chicken brats from my butcher that my wife likes so I used them.  We were baby setting the grandson too and figured he would like them. I decided to smoke them for an hour and do the bacon for a half hour then thread them on skewers and finish on my Lodge hibachi.

Our sides would be some Zatarain’s yellow rice and fried baby corn. I had the charcoal going in the hibachi and finished the brat kabobs on it. After making the kabobs I coated with a little Savor Spices Super Pig Seasoning.  While doing that I had the rice done and started the baby corn frying in some butter. I had a little problem with flare ups from the bacon grease. If I do these again I think I would finish them on my Weber gas grill for lees flare ups or cook the brats and bacon longer in the smoker.

I served the brats over the rice and we had bread and butter too. Tasted good; the bacon flavored the brats well. My wife said these would have been good on a bun with some sauerkraut. I agree and next time will do some regular brats for sandwiches.

After smoking

On the skewers

Browning on the hibachi

Fried baby corn

My supper

Shrimp Boil for Memorial Day & B-Day

May 30 2016

We celebrated Memorial Day and our son’s birthday today with a shrimp boil. Our daughter had come home for the week-end. Saturday I fixed cheeseburgers on the grill and some potato salad for her and the wife. Sunday night I did skirt steaks on the grill for Fajitas and made some roasted corn salsa. No pics, it was fun to just cook and enjoy.

I had 2 pounds of frozen Texas Gulf shrimp in the shell thawed. I bought some corn on the cob at the grocery I didn’t think would be too great; it always tastes better with fresh picked corn. The smoked sausage was from my butcher Kah Meats.

I added some cabbage wedges this time for the daughter in law; she is a veggie and not a shrimp lover. I fixed some bowls of garlic butter for dipping the shrimp. Loving butter this is a perfect meal; I had a little on my bread, a little on my potatoes and had to have some on the corn! Everyone thought it tasted great. Almost all was gone but a few shrimp. Our daughter in law made a great dessert. It was kind of a creamy peanut butter icing over some kind of chocolate cookies. 

Ingredients

The shrimp

Boiling and ready to add the corn

Served

My first plate!

My Shrimp boil

1 to 2 lbs. good shell on shrimp

1 to 2 lbs. smoked sausage, sliced

1 to 2 lbs. new red potatoes, any bad spots removed

4 to 6 ears of corn; broken in pieces

Cabbage wedges (optional)

1 whole garlic bulb, top sliced off

1 to 2 medium onions, top sliced off.

1 to 2 lemon halves

1 Tbs. Zatarain’s liquid shrimp boil seasoning

1 Tbs. Old Bay seasoning

Hot sauce to taste, I like Cholula, about 2 teaspoons

A large pot with a strainer basket and enough water to cover all. Bring the pot of water with garlic, onions, lemons, Zatarain’s, Old Bay and hot sauce to a boil. Add in the potatoes, sausage and cabbage if using. Continue to boil for 20 to 25 minutes; I do a nice rolling boil. Add the corn and boil for 5 minutes; then add the shrimp and boil another 5 minutes. Lift the basket out and let drain then pour on a large platter or in the middle of the table. Serve with some good crusty bread and plenty of butter. We like some garlic butter to dip the shrimp. A wet cloth is also handy!

This is my basic recipe from over the years; using the larger amounts will feed at least 6 people.

Canadian Walleye Fillet

May 24 2016

I made a run to a Kroger’s store 7 miles away to get some shrimp for the week-end. I got 2 pounds of large frozen gulf shrimp shell on for a shrimp boil. Besides Memorial Day May 30^th is our son’s birthday.

I was going to mow so looked for something to do quickly on the grill for supper.

I saw this nice Canadian wild caught walleye fillet marked down; it had started at $15.99 a pound! I don’t usually buy packaged fish near the end of the use by date but thought it might be good. It was just the right size for the wife and me.

When I opened it, it didn’t smell bad. I pulled what pin bones I could find out and got it in to marinade for 3 hours. I used about half balsamic vinegar infused with honey, and soy sauce, some roasted garlic, lime juice and a little olive oil. I ended up with about ¾ cup. I put the fish in a plastic bag, added the marinade and in the fridge. I turned it half way through.

I nuked 4 small yellow potatoes in the microwave, sliced them up, some onion and had some orange pepper strips thawed. They went in my wire basket with butter and seasoning pored over. My wife made up some salads for us. Our grandson had his last day of school today and was here playing with neighbor kids. He wanted to know if he could stay for supper. I and the wife’s portion of fish just got smaller!

I heated my Weber up on medium 350 to 400 deg. I put the potatoes on for about 10 minutes and then did the fish on the back of grill grates skin side down; it was on about 15 minutes and flipped half way.

It looked like blackened fish but that was from the honey in the vinegar. Tasted great, fish was mild and done just right.

The walleye

Skin side

On the grill

My salad

My supper

Smoked & Braised Black Porter Beef

May 22 2016

My wife is in the Little Sister program at school. She goes twice a month to eat lunch with a 6^th grader. For the end of the year they had a bus trip to see a minor league ball game so she was gone most of the day.

I had bought a chuck roast, just less than 3 pounds and wanted to do it today. I had done one this winter using black porter beer in the Crockpot that was good. I decided I would smoke it for 2 hours then sear it in a CI skillet and then in a Crockpot to braise all afternoon in the beer.

Last night I placed the roast on a rack and coated both sides with kosher salt. It was in the fridge just over 8 hours for a little dry cure. This morning I added some ground coffee and ground black pepper to both sides. It went on my Traeger at 190 deg. for two hours of smoke.

I had to cut the small piece off to get it in the skillet and seared both pieces in a little grape seed oil 3 minutes per side. I let it rest while I used the skillet to sauté some onions and garlic.

I coarsely chopped 2 ½ med. sized Vidalia onions and 4 cloves of minced garlic. They went in the skillet with a pat of butter, salt and pepper and cooked until the onions were just getting a little brown. I then added just enough of the beer to deglaze the skillet and then poured all into a Crockpot. I placed the roast on top; I just had enough room for one layer after cutting the small piece in half.

I added my Deschutse Black Porter to come near the top of the roast. It was on high about 45 minutes and then went to low for 6 hours. I skimmed off most of the fat then I removed the meat and was so tender had to use a spatula. I removed most of the fat, did a coarse chop and back into the pot and turned it to high while I made a side.

As is this would make a great French dip served on a crusty roll. I had some COWB, cheap ole white buns, on hand so that’s what I used for my sandwich. I had some Fiesta lime corn left for a side. I first coated my bun with some olive oil and toasted in the skillet. Then I diced a slice of bacon some onions and green peppers. When the bacon was getting brown I added the onions and pepper and then the corn and fried for a while.

I had a big scoop of the beef on my sandwich with some mustard and the corn on the side. That was a mighty good sandwich! I think the coffee did add to the flavor.

When my wife got home she was still a little hungry so she had a small bowl of the beef and what corn was left. I asked what she thought of the beef and she said great flavor!

Salted for 8 hr. dry cure

Coffee & pepper added

2 hrs. of smoke

Searing the beef

Sauteeing the onions & garlic

All in the pot

Beef removed to chop

Ready to serve

Frying the corn

My supper

Smoked Kraut Brats & Pierogies

May 20 2016

I took the car through the car wash this morning and stopped at Sandman’s for some beer. He gave me a couple of ribs to try he had done on the PBC. That was my lunch and sure was good. It’s a different smoke flavor than I get on any of my cookers and enjoyed them.

After lunch I went and picked up some flowers to plant. I got my wife set up and she planted them for me. I went and took a nap!

My supper would be an easy cook; kraut brats and pierogies. I had found a recipe for grilled pierogies and wanted to try it. The brats were from my butcher and the pierogies were Mrs. T’s four cheese and mashed potatoes. I would rather have some homemade ones but Mrs. T’s are pretty good and I don’t do dough well.

My plan was to smoke the brats for an hour on my Traeger then do the pierogies on my Weber Gas grill and finish the brats on it too.  Some rain moving in from the south made me change to just using my Traeger. The brats went on the Traeger at 190 deg. for an hour.

For the pierogies; I did them without thawing, a large sliced Vidalia onion, poured some olive oil over. They went in my weber grill basket after the brats were on an hour. I went to 300 deg. and was getting about 350 deg. grill level.

I melted 3 Tbs. of butter, a large teaspoon of dried parsley flakes and added some salt and pepper. After the pierogies had been on 20 minutes I poured the butter mix over and stirred to coat. I checked the brats and they were done so I put them on top of the pierogies and all was on another 20 minutes stirring half way.

We had toasted English muffins and some cold artisan sauerkraut with them. I had mixed equal parts of stone ground mustard and mayo along with some good shakes of Cholula hot sauce mixed to have with my brat.

This was quick and easy and pretty good. I still want to try grilled pierogies but will use the Traeger for something quick. I think the next time I would thaw the pierogies in hot water for the smoker and might get some better browning like I get when doing in a skillet. Total cook time was an hour 40 minutes and there was very little prep.

The simple ingredients

On the smoker & about done

My supper

Pellet Smoker Fried Chicken

May 19 2016

Recently on LTBBQ forum member Scally posted about using baking powder to help crisp up chicken skin. I thought we had tried that and searched; 3 years ago Smoke did some and posted the recipe. I found the post where I had tried it and I said I liked it but I haven’t tried it since!

With renewed interest I decided to try it again. I had also read to marinate chicken in vodka to get crispy skin. I decided to give that a try too. I had a split friar so washed and trimmed it some and into a zip lock bag with a cup of Pinnacle vodka overnight in the fridge and turning it some.

It had been in over 12 hours so I took it out and placed on a rack in a pan and back in the fridge for several hours to air dry. I fried up some diced bacon to make our favorite pea salad for a side. I cheated and used some Bob Even’s mac n cheese for our other side.

I cut up the chicken, dipped in the egg, buttermilk mix and then the seasoned flour with the baking powder. I had a foil pan that I melted a Tbs. of bacon grease and a Tbs. of butter and added. The chicken went in skin side down and then in the fridge about 2 hours before cooking.

I heated my Traeger up to where I was running 375 to 380 at grill level temp. The pan of chicken went in for 30 minutes then turned the chicken and went to about 340 deg. grill level for another 30 minutes. I checked with my thermopen and all was getting to temp with 10 minutes to go. I went inside and got ready to serve and heated the mac n cheese in the microwave.

I let the chicken set a couple minutes then served the wife a breast and the sides. I had a leg, a thigh and a wing that had some of the wishbone meat. It all was good the chicken was moist and tender. The skin was kinda crisp and was eatable. My wife and I both thought we tasted something a little different. I think it was the vodka. Vodka is supposed to be tasteless but the Pinnacle vodka made from wheat does have a distinct taste to me. Next time I will drink the vodka and do a simple salt brine!

To be honest after over 40 years cooking chicken on gas grills and 3 different types of smokers I have never achieved crisp skin like you get when deep fried or skillet fried. When I want good crispy skin I go to Sandman’s carry out and get his broasted chicken!

Click Here for printable chicken recipe
Click Here for pea salad recipe

Bacon for pea salad

All in for the pea salad

Chicken ready for the smoker

Chicken done and resting

My supper