Bacon, Bacon, Bacon - Let's Grill Some Bacon

Pulled Pork Sliders and Sweet Potato Wedges

Here are some pictures from my cook today for supper prior to watching the big game tonight. I smoked two 10 lb pork shoulder picnics from Wal-Mart.



Pork shoulder picnic

We ended up with a whole bunch of pulled pork. I'll be eating left overs for lunch all week.


Pulled pork

 I baked sweet potatoes whole in the smoker for the last hour of the cooking session.



Sweet potato wedges

Then I sliced them into wedges and plopped them in a frying pan filled with about 3/4 of an inch in vegetable oil.



Frying the sweet potato wedges

 The wedges were fried for about 10 minutes until the skin started to turn crispy.



Sweet potato wedges wtih dipping sauce

Linda made the dipping sauce with Greek yogurt, chipotle, mayonaise, Adobo sauce, chili powder, garlic, and some smoked paprika.



Pulled pork sliders

 We served the pulled pork on dinner rolls.



Supper before the Big Game

This was my supper before the game and for my birthday.

BBQ Transportation Candidate

I wrote a post a while back about buying a Class A RV to travel to bbq contests. Since that post, I've kept my eye out for other potential RV's that appear to be possible candidates for someone who may be looking. By the time you buy a trailer, customize it, and then buy a truck to pull it with, buying an RV might be a better solution for some people.

Today I found a 1999 Monaco Dynasty, which based on the pictures available at MonacoDynasty.com, appears to be well taken care of. I have no affiliation wtih the seller and have not seen the coach up close and personal, so I cannot vouch for it's suitability for purchase, but I personally think it looks very good.

Here are the details from the website:

40 Ft in Length
One slide out
350 HP Engine
Allison Transmission
2 kw Inverter (New)
QD 7.5 kw Generator
w/Auto Gen & A/C Start
3 Point Leveling Jacks
Back-up Camera
Fog Lights
2 Air Conditioners/Heat Pumps
Solar Panel
Docking lights
2 Fantastic Fans, 1 Koolmatic Fan
Antilock Braking System
215,500 miles
Mud Flap
Silver Leaf Engine Analyzer
Cherry Wood Cabinets
Automatic Satellite System
Washer and Dryer
Aqua Hot 3 Zone heating & Hot Water
4 Door Refrigerator w/ Ice Maker
AM/FM Cassette w/10 Disc CD Player
VCR & 2 TVs
Convection Oven/microwave
Slide Out Tray in 2 Bays
Full Awnings
Leather Recliner
Sofa Bed
Full Cabinet behind Kitchen Table
Power Pilot & Co-pilot Seats
Model - PBS Slide
Stored in Florida
No Smoking - No Pets

The website lists the sales price at $39,000.

Cold Weather Smoking

Today I am smoking two 10 lb pork shoulder picnics for the Superbowl celebration tonight.  I haven't had a major cook in a few weeks, so I've been looking forward to it for the past several days. Their is a certain challenge to cooking 20 lbs of meat within an established timeframe and to a certain standard. I want juicy, flavorful pork that is not too dry and not too greasy. I want it cooked to 199-200 degrees internal temperature so that it pulls apart easily - just the right consistency for pulled pork sliders I have in mind for Superbowl snacking.

There's only one problem....it's 12 degrees outside right now and we've had a few days of snow that's beginning to accumulate into several inches at this point.

I use an upright charcoal smoker with a charcoal maze, water pan, adjustable air intake, adjustable exhaust, and 1 inch of insulation throughout the cooker walls. The water pan rests on a removable metal grate about 4 inches above the charcoal. The water pan is completely adjustable. I can remove it completely, move it forward or backward, or place it directly above the center of the maze. This adjustability gives me more control over the fire management and temperature of the cooker and ultimately; how fast I cook the meat.

I have experience with cold weather smoking, so I thought I would share some tips that I've learned.

Cold Weather Smoking Tips

1. Prepare everything the night before - load the cooker with charcoal, get your supplies ready, move your cooker into an easily accessible pre-staging area so it's easy to get to when you're ready to start cooking. I store my cooker in the garage, so last night before going to bed I pulled it out from it's storage area and positioned it directly in front of the garage door. This morning all I had to do was roll it outside, light the fire, and it was off to the races.

2. Use an insulated charcoal smoker - In temperatures below freezing, a stickburner (i.e. offset smoker using firewood with the cooking chamber located to one side of the cooking grates) isn't going to work

3. Get the fire hot first - In warm weather it's not crucial, but in cold weather it's a mistake to put the meat on the cooker before the cooker temperature reaches at least 200 degrees. Put the meat on too early and you will probably extend the cooking time by a couple of hours. Opening and closing the door and pittling around adjusting the fire will keep the cooker temperature lower than desired longer than desired.

4. Add water to the charcoal pan slowly - To help your cooker build temperature quickly, don't start with a lot of water in the water pan. You can always add more later. I like to start with about 1/2 a gallon in my 3 gallon water pan and then add more as needed.

5. Keep an eye on the temperature gauge - In cold weather the cooker temperature will fall very quickly if conditions are not just right.

6. Keep additional supplies of charcoal close-by - In cold weather it's going to require more fuel to maintain a given temperature, so don't  be afraid to add more charcoal during a cooking session if it's needed.

Meat Labeling Characteristics

Several months ago I sent an inquiry to a pork producer asking a question about their website's statement that their pork is "All Natural". I don't know for certain, but I am guessing that most people don't really know a great amount of detail regarding what the term "natural" refers to on their meat.

I made an assumption that "natural" meant no hormones, no antibiotics, and non-GMO feedstock. But you know what they say about those who make assumptions....:-)

Today I received a response from the pork producer stating that their pork contains no hormones and no antibiotics, but that they do use GMO corn. I personally do not consider GMO corn as natural, but before I allowed myself to get too excited about it I did some additional research on USDA.gov .

Here are the definitions quoted from the Food Labeling page of USDA.gov:


NATURAL:
A product containing no artificial ingredient or added color and is only minimally processed. Minimal processing means that the product was processed in a manner that does not fundamentally alter the product. The label must include a statement explaining the meaning of the term natural (such as "no artificial ingredients; minimally processed").

NO HORMONES (pork or poultry):
Hormones are not allowed in raising hogs or poultry. Therefore, the claim "no hormones added" cannot be used on the labels of pork or poultry unless it is followed by a statement that says "Federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones."

NO HORMONES (beef):
The term "no hormones administered" may be approved for use on the label of beef products if sufficient documentation is provided to the Agency by the producer showing no hormones have been used in raising the animals.

NO ANTIBIOTICS (red meat and poultry):
The terms "no antibiotics added" may be used on labels for meat or poultry products if sufficient documentation is provided by the producer to the Agency demonstrating that the animals were raised without antibiotics.

I learned some things I didn't know and cleared up some assumptions that I made when purchasing meat at the local grocery store. I suspect that I am not alone in the basic assumptions I made, but I don't know for sure. Maybe no one but me really worries about things like that?  :-)

Sidetrack Bar and Grill - Ypsilanti, MI

Linda and I were looking for some place different to eat lunch today and decided to try Depot Town in Ypsilanti. We've driven through the area a few times in the warm weather months and the restaurants in that area are always packed to capacity. Today we stopped by Sidetrack Bar and Grill.



I attended evening classes at Eastern Michigan University nearby a few years back, but aside from grabbing a bite here and there from a local run-of-the-mill franchise place near campus I never had the time before or after classes to explore the local hangouts. (Definitely my loss.) Apparently the movie about Betty Anne Waters titled Conviction starring Hilary Swank was actually filmed at Sidetrack. And last but not least, the 1/3 lb hamburger was ranked #19 on Oprah.com.



Linda had the macaroni and cheese with andouille sausage. I had the handcrafted hamburger with a side of sweet potato fries. Both selections were delicous. The burgers are not the one-size-fits-all variety. You can choose from a large selection of add on condiments for the burger including a large selection of cheeses, raw or cooked onion, Ranch dressing, salsa, mushrooms, bell peppers, avocado, marinated portabello mushroom and even a fried egg.

Cheeseburger and sweet potato fries

Cheeseburger close-up, 1/3 lb

The Moose on the Wall

 

And lest anyone forget that this restaurant is situated very, very close to the railroad tracks in Depot Town...hence the name Sidetrack...it's likely an Amtrak train will fly by at speed when you least expect it and make you wonder if it's actually coming in through the huge picture window near the dining area.



Can You Earn Income From a Blog About BBQ?

I received an e-mail today presumably from a visitor to my bbq blog asking me to share a few thoughts about blogging and the potential for earning an income from it. I am flattered to receive questions asking me for advice about such things. I don't consider myself an expert at all, but I did my best to reply with information that might be helpful based on my experience. A short e-mail morphed into blog-post-length, so I thought I'd share it in a blog post here in case it might help someone else.

I love blogging. I've been blogging on the internet since 2001 in various forms. I started with a plain old website and then switched to Google's Blogger platform. I tried to switch over to the paid Wordpress platform a couple of years ago because I like the templates and plugins available, but I don't have enough knowleldge to do it myself.

If I were starting over from scratch, I'd definitely use the Wordpress platform.

I have 7 or 8 blogs, but my bbq blog is by far my biggest and oldest. It's ironic, but my smallest blog actually was the most profitable. I had a blog about vermicomposting that was very profitable. I wrote about composting and gardening in my backyard. I also wrote about raising eisenia foetida red worms and sold my "extras". I had referrals coming from several sources including the local Worm's Way retail store.

My wife and I at Martin's original location in Nolensville, TN

BBQ blogging has become very competitive. When I started there were only 3 or 4 real bbq blogs. There were some link aggregators compiling bbq sites, but only a few people writing high quality bbq articles. It's several years later now, but the interest in bbq has skyrocketed thanks to popular television shows on Food Network, Versus, Discovery, etc. who featured many programs about bbq contests.

I earn a steady income from my bbq blog, but it is not "big". I don't dismiss it though because over a period of years it starts to add up. I earn a little money that helps support my bbq hobby. The income keeps me interested enough in the website to continue writing articles for it.

There are ebbs and flows in blogging. As my readers have witnessed, I go through periods where my creativity declines and through other periods where I am writing content that is more engaging and interesting. My site has enjoyed a steady readership year after year and I have several hundred subscribers who receive updates from my site in their e-mail inbox. It continues to be the sincerest form of flattery to me. That someone would continue receiving my blog posts for a period of weeks, months, and years. I go through periods where more people unsubscribe to the blog than I'd like, but during other periods I have added new subscribers on a consistent basis.

If you like blogging about bbq, then go for it. Read other blogs about bbq and learn what you like and what others like. That will help you find your own blogging voice and position in blogosphere. I do not think it's realistic to start out with the goal of earning a significant income, but it is certainly possible. It is an endeavor like most things...you get out of it what you put into it.

So You Want to Write a BBQ Book?

Let me start with a qualifier that I have not actually published a book at this point, but I have been writing one seriously for a while now. It's a work of fiction and has nothing to do with bbq. It's in the vein of David Baldacci's mystery/thriller work meets Ron Rash's southern character/setting/region influences.


Some of what I write in this blog article might not transfer perfectly to someone writing a non-fiction book about bbq. It is based on my research of the process. I am sure there are multiple ways of doing it, but I will outline one way that many have pursued. Please forgive me if I leave out some vital detail. My goal is to provide further information for your own research if you choose to use it.

I attended a workshop on publishing recently and learned that there are more than 500,000 written works published annually. Based on those numbers, the odds of each newly written book selling more than a few hundred copies to family, friends, and neighbors are against you. Based on the staggering odds against success, it's even more difficult for an unpublished author to obtain a traditional book contract from on of the major New York publishers.

If you're lucky a book contract may be worth a $5,000 - $10,000 advance on future sales and then 8% - 9% of whatever the publishing company may earn from sales of your book. And since books sales decline each year it's in print, your revenue stream will be in decline shortly after your book hits the traditional book store shelves. 

You will work on the book for 2 or 3 years, wait at least 1 1/2 years to see it published, and then you hope and pray that enough people buy it to earn you more than a few small royalty checks before your book goes out of print.

Well, don't give up yet. There's another way. It's called self-publishing. Many reading this may be saying to themselves, "but I don't want to self-publish". The cold hard facts of the matter are that you may have no other choice, if you want to see your book in your reader's hands. 

Before you dismiss what I'm saying about self-publishing you may be interested to know that 2012's best-selling written work 50 Shades of Grey started out as a self-published book. You may not agree with it being a book worth reading and you may not agree with the book's subject matter, but like it or not that book changed publishing and how it will be done in the future.

Those of you who wish to participate in writing books and getting them into the hands of those readers who will pay for the privilege of reading it will want to do more research in this area because if it's done well, it can be more lucrative than traditional publishing. Just ask Amanda Hocking or Dan Poynter.

Steps to Self Publishing

• You've got to actually finish the book first
• Treat the endeavor as a business
• Learn how to obtain an ISBN for your book
• Get a website
• Get business cards
• You need a brand
• Start marketing the book 6 months in advance of publication
• Sell your book

You can choose from several approaches to self-publish you book.

• Do-It-Yourself:  Cost $4 per book and profit $3 per book sale
• Indie Print:  Cost $5 - $6 per book and profit $3 per book sale
• Literary Services:  Cost $8 - $10 per book and profit $1.50 per book sale
• Electronic Publishing: Cost $75 - $100 flat fee to design the e-book format

Traditional book publishers are upset with the growing popularity of electronic publishing. After you understand how some authors are bypassing the New York publishing houses completely and earning more money, it's easy to understand why.

Amanda Hocking turned traditional book publishing on its' ear.  She cracked the code, so to speak, to earning millions from her books without any assistance from traditional publishing companies. In 2010 she earned $20,000 in a few short months selling her paranormal romance books on Amazon.com. She had no prior experience in publishing. She was a complete novice.

Amanda sold her books in electronic format for $.99, $1.99, and $2.99 as serials (i.e. each new book built on the one before it). This kept readers coming back for more, but the lower price point was key. She knew that readers would buy more books for $3 or less than they would for $15 or more. Within a few months, she earned a million dollars from her work.

A certain amount of luck was involved, but in my opinion the odds of Amanda's success in self-publishing was much greater than if she'd chosen to follow the traditional path. She had control of almost everything and she kept more of the proceeds. Win, win.

This article is getting on the longish side, so I'll close with a few resources that you may wish to research further.

Smashwords.com
360DigitalBooks.com
LightningSource.com
dtp.Amazon.com
Payloadz.com
DanPoynter.com
JohnKremer.com
BTOL.com
PartnersPublishersGroup.com

You will also probably want to research the pro's and con's of the following electronic book publishing formats:

.epub
.pdf
.mobi
.RTF (not recommended)
.TXT (not recommended)

If you choose to write a barbecue book and publish it in e-reader format (i.e. Kindle, Nook, iPad, etc.), it's probably best if you read a few books on an actual e-reader so that you understand the in's and out's that your readers will experience if they choose to purchase your book.

It's not absolutely required, but you will likely find the services of an editor valuable. A good editor will help polish your novel to ensure there are no glaringly obvious grammatical errors, duplicate paragraphs, etc. to help you avoid embarrassment and look-out for your readers happiness on your behalf. If you choose to hire an editor expect to pay roughly $3 a page. Look for an editor that has experience editing in the genre you're writing in. Don't ask an editor who specializes in teenage vampire books to edit your dutch oven cookbook.

Armed with this new information, resources, and knowledge gained for free on the bbq blog, you now have a leg up on almost any unpublished bbq-author-wannabe who day dreams about publishing a book about bbq so they have enough money (and time) to actually cook some bbq.  All you need to do is write 50.3 Shades of BBQ Cookbook or The Barbecue Hunger Games trilogy and you'll be well on way to bbq author prosperity (said with tongue firmly planted in cheek).  :-)

And if you find yourself struggling with a lack of motivation to keep-on-keeping-on with your writing project may I suggest reading some of Jim Butcher's thoughts about writing on his blog about writing.

Special thanks to the Bellville Michigan District Library for sponsoring the workshop this past weekend.  And thanks to Beverly Jenkins and Sylvia Hubbard for taking the time to answer so many questions from those who attended.

Low Country Boil

With the NFL playoffs in full swing, many people are planning parties to celebrate their favorite teams. If you are looking for something different for your football get-togethers this year, try a low country boil. There are many definitions for "low country", but for this recipe low country refers to South Carolina and Georgia coastal areas. It's a quick and easy way to feed large numbers of people.

I've never lived in South Carolina or Georgia to know whether my recipe is authentic (or not), but the basic idea of it comes from an insert that was included with the turkey fryer my brother-in-law gave me for Christmas more than 10 years ago.

The turkey fryer kit consists of a propane burner, a 5 gallon aluminum cook pot, and strainer that fits inside the cook pot to contain the food.

Here's my version of the recipe.

Ingredients

• Old Bay Seasoning
• 4 ears of corn on the cob (cut to 3 inch sizes)
• 2 lbs red potatoes (new potato size)
• 1 lb baby carrots
• 1 large sliced onion
• 1 - 2 lbs of andouille sausage (I use pre-cooked)
• 2 lbs of shrimp (fresh is better)

--Start with 2 1/2 gallons of water in the cook pot.
--Bring it to a rolling boil.
--Add 4 tablespoons of Old Bay Seasoning.
--Add new potatoes and baby carrots.
--Cook the potatoes and carrots for 25 minutes in the boiling water.
--Check the potatoes and carrots for tenderness.
--Add 2 more tablespoons of Old Bay Seasoning
--Add corn on the cob and cook for 5 more minutes
--Add andouille sausage and cook for 3 more minutes
--Add the shrimp and cook for 4 more minutes (if using fresh shrimp cook until shrimp turns pinkish color).

Enjoy!

If you don't have any Old Bay Seasoning, you can try making your own. I've not tried it yet, but the following sounds about right to me:

• 6 parts paprika
• 4 parts celery salt
• 1 part cayenne pepper
• 1 part black pepper

If you've got a favorite seafood seasoning recipe, I hope you'll share it by posting a comment!

Martin's BBQ in Nolensville on Diners Drive-Ins and Dives

My sister-in-law lives in Nolensville, TN so I have eaten at Martin's several times while visiting and you should too.

Oven Baked Brisket

A few years ago, my younger self would have scoffed at the idea of cooking a brisket in the oven, but cold weather, darkness, lack of time, and the need for a potluck dish to feed up to 20 of my co-workers caused me to actually embrace the idea last week.

I used the Cook's Illustrated brisket recipe circu 2005 that I credit for helping me fine tune my competition brisket technique. After experimenting with the recipe a little bit back in the day I drastically improved the consistency of my brisket at KCBS contests. I would gladly post a link to the recipe if I could find one, but most of the links are to personal blogs and discussion boards that have reprinted the recipe from the published magazine. If I run across a direct link to the recipe, I'll post it here.

Whole brisket trimmed to make it a "flat".
I used a skillet for 7 minutes to help sear the meat side.

I flipped the brisket and skipped the skillet for another 7 minutes.

Then I carmelized some onions with a little brown sugar.

I don't have any more pictures of the process to share, but to summarize the onions were layered across the bottom of the pan with the brisket placed on top. I finished off the brisket in the oven for 3 hours at 300 degrees. At that point the brisket was 198 internal temperature.

I removed it from the oven and let it rest 30 minutes at room temperature before slicing. The slices were marinated in the au jus overnight in the refrigerator. The fat was skimmed from the surface before reheating.

The brisket was reheated for 25 minutes with some cooking wine and 2 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar as suggested by the original recipe.

An oven cooked brisket will never compete directly with a smoker cooked brisket, but it was actually pretty good overall.

A Visit to Zingerman's Roadhouse in Ann Arbor, MI

We were in Ann Arbor today for some Christmas shopping.  After a trip to Sears and Macy's we headed across town to the Hallmark store.  Before making the trip back to Bellville for stops at Dunham's, Dick's, and Kroger, we decided to find a place to eat lunch.

As luck would have it, the Hallmark store shares a shopping center that includes Zingerman's Roadhouse. Click here to read more about Zingerman's.

The front door area at Zingerman's Roadhouse on Jackson Road.
This cell phone picture doesn't do justice to the sign.
I wish it had been dark outside. It must be amazing at night!

Here is a view of the drive through area aka Roadshow constructed from a vintage Airstream trailer.

 

Here's another view of the drive thru at Zingerman's Roadhouse.
 

And in case anyone doubts the authenticity of the bbq served at Zingerman's,
here's a picture of their smoker behind the restaurant.

 

This alternate view of the bbq smoker includes a bag of Kingsford charcoal.

The menu includes many comfort food choices including chicken,
smoked ribs, bbq pork and beef, and grits of course. I thought about
trying the whole hog, but opted for the pork sliders.

  

The Traffic Light Pulled Pork Sliders were excellent.
They are the perfect choice for sampling the variety of bbq pork
 on the menu. They were served with all three choices of bbq sauce with
a side dish of mustard coleslaw. I also ordered the twice
cooked sweet potato fries. They are baked in the oven and fried. Ummm...
Linda had the Grilled Cheese a Go-Go with cheddar cheese.

I didn't take any pictures of them, but the walls are decorated with hundreds of salt and pepper shakers stored in glass cases. Click here to read more about the salt and pepper collection.

I enjoyed reading about how the collection was built, especially those that arrived at the roadhouse via Jim Metzler of Elkhart, Indiana.

From the Zingerman's website:

If you head back through the hallway past the entrance to what we’ve come to call the “fireplace room” you’ll be looking straight at an entire case of shakers that came courtesy of Jim Metzler of Elkhart, Indiana.
 

And...last but not least here are a couple of pictures of the pork slider sandwiches:

The sliders are small bites of bbq goodness.
I detected a healthy amount of vinegar on the pork.
It definitely reminds me of the first time I ate bbq pork
more than 20 years ago in Dickson, TN.



If you look closely past the slider, you can see the
 mustard coleslaw and twice cooked sweet potato fries.

For the non-believers who can't travel to Michigan to check it out first hand, here's a list of awards for the restaurant:

James Beard Award, Best Chef Great Lakes – Alex Young, 2011

James Beard Nominee, Best Chef Great Lakes – Alex Young, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

Current 2011 Dining Guide – Friendliest Wait Staff, Friendliest Bartenders, Best Place to Dine Alone

Alton Browns’ Food Network Show Best of – Best Comfort Food in America, Macaroni and Cheese

Bon Appetit – Top 10 Barbecue Restaurants in 2010

Open Table Diner’s Choice Award Winner – Fit for Foodies, Most Booked, Great For Lunch, American

Lifetime Achievement Award, Bon Appetit 2007 – Paul Saginaw and Ari Weinzweig, co-founder of Zingerman’s Community of Businesses

Coolest Small Company in America, Inc. Magazine, 2003 – Zingerman’s

Smoking a Turkey on the Weber Smokey Mountain (WSM)

I usually deep fry our Thanksgiving turkey, but a few years ago I decided to learn some new tricks. The goal was to smoke the bird low and slow at 250 degrees or less and prevent it from drying out to compete with the moist and tender deep fried birds we've been eating for the past several years.

I started out at Publix and purchased a Fresh Not Frozen turkey.

Next stop...Ace Hardware for some Cherry Smoking Chips.

The turkey was injected the night before smoking with Shake's Honey Brine and refrigerated.

I started by making a "smoking pouch" for the chips and placed them on the charcoal resulting in instantaneous smoke. Tip: Soaking them in water overnight will help them burn a little slower and the smoke will last longer.

Another tip: If you have access to cherry wood "chunks", you'll achieve more smoke flavor. I had to settle for the cherry wood "chips" this time.
After reading a few of the posts at The BBQ Bretheren, I decided to drape some bacon on the bird for a little insurance, but I was hopeful to avoid a turkey that tastes like bacon. Tip: If I do this again, I'll start the cooking process without the bacon, which will help achieve golden brown skin on the bird. Bacon is effective, but could be added after the turkey has been cooking for a couple of hours.


I started the water pan with a 1/2 gallon of apple juice mixed with a 1/2 gallon of water. I stuffed the turkey cavity with five or six apple halves and smoked the bird on my WSM at temperatures hovering consistently between 240 - 250 degrees. I pulled the turkey off the smoker when the temperature in the breast reached 170 degrees. I've read a lot of "guides" recommending cooking the birds to 180 degrees as measured in the inner thigh as well.

After looking back through my pictures tonight, I noticed that I failed to take a picture of the finished product.

My smoked first smoked turkey was a semi-success. I achieved tender and moist white meat, but the bbq turkey was not quite as satisfying for me as the deep fried turkeys I'm more accustomed to.

Will I do it again? Definitely yes. I love a bbq challenge.

Fried Turkey Time

For the past 6 or 7 years I've been frying a turkey for Thanksgiving Day dinner and for the past 3 years I've also been frying 2 for potluck lunch for about 35 co-workers.  A fried turkey is so much better than oven baked turkey.

For the uninitiated, fried turkey retains moisture better than oven baked, but even though it's cooked in peanut oil or cottonseed oil the turkey is not greasy.  Simply heat the oil to 300 degrees, turn off the heat source, and slowly lower the turkey into the oil.  Relight the heat source and cook the turkey 3 1/2 to 4 minutes per pound.

A 13lb. turkey is the perfect size for deep frying. Any bigger and you risk a boil over or undercooking the bird. For a smaller bird, you simply have less turkey goodness to enjoy, and who would want that?

I use Shake's Honey Brine from The BBQ Shack and brine my turkeys overnight prior to cooking. You can still use the brine for a baked turkey or even a slow cooked bbq turkey. You can also stuff the turkey with mango, peach, apples, organges, etc. - or something else - to get creative and add a little something extra to the flavor profile.

Here's a video I did back in the summer for a recipe contest where I used mangoes. The video is for a smoked turkey, but the brining process is similar. It goes without saying, but if you decide to deep fry, stuffing the bird with fruit is not a good idea (insert smiley thing here).



And here's a word of final advice, because fried turkey does add an extra element of risk....Think Safety.

Dutch Oven Beans

We've been watching our weight more and more going into the holiday season as a cushion toward the inevitable holiday 5 or 10 that we gain each year. (I have lost 9 lbs and Linda has lost 7 lbs by increasing proteins and decreasing carbs.)

Today I brought on the dutch oven and made a 5 bean soup that turned out well. Well actually it was 4 beans and some peas, but legumes nonetheless.

5 Bean Soup Recipe

• 1 cup great northern beans
• 1 cup red beans
• 1 cup pinto beans
• 1/2 cup navy beans
• 1/2 cup black-eyed peas 
• 2 tbsp garlic powder
• 2 tbsp onion powder
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp Kosher salt

Directions:  Soak dry beans for 4 hours. Drain beans. Add bean mix, ham hock, 2 quarts of water to a medium sized dutch oven. Cook for 4 hours in the dutch oven on medium low heat or until beans are tender (use bottom heat only).

Dutch oven table, ash bucket, and bag of charcoal briquettes

I started with 9 briquettes and added 6 - 7 hourly

Ham hock

Legumes ready for cooking

Adding the beans to the dutch oven pot



I used a single slice of ham hock



Adding the spice mixture



Half way there




Bowl of beans topped with some home grown pepper relish

 The beans turned out very well. The relish adds just the right amount of additional heat. If I make this recipe again without the relish  I'll add 2 tbsp of vinegar instead.

BBQ Contest Transportation

A lot of new bbq contest competitors are amazed at some of the RV's used by more experienced teams. (I know I sure was back in 2001.)

I've always dreamed of owning an American Eagle or American Tradition manufactured by Fleetwood RV's American Coach luxury division. I'd even settle for a Holiday Rambler Ambassador. But just like in 2001, I don't have the serious coinage it requires to own a new one because a new one ranges in price from $225,000 - $500,000 and maybe even a little more depending on the exact options chosen.

I suspect I'm like most "average folks". When I daydream about things that are out of my personal economic reach, price is no object. Daydreams are free, right? Who would even think about checking into a used one? Well, it turns out there are a lot of very nice used motor coaches on the market right now.

Here are a few examples:

1996 Beaver Monterrey
1986 Bluebird Wanderlodge
2000 Holiday Rambler Ambassador
1999 American Eagle

If you really get serious about looking, there are many, many other examples ranging in price from $19,900 to roughly $39,000 are available. The chassis used for many of these Class A coaches (Freightliner, Spartan, or Roadmaster) are designed to last for 1,000,000 miles, so the owners most likely wear out before the coaches do. Many of these coaches have Detroit Diesel, Catepillar, or Cummins Diesel engines that have been recently rebuilt and have proven themselves for decades of RV use.



2000 Nemar Dutch Star listed for $39k on CampingWorld.com



Monaco Diplomat listed for $38k on CampingWorld.com

Happy shopping! Happy day dreaming!

Happy Trails! Chili Seasoning Mix

With temperatures falling into the lower 40's, we're beginning to crave chili on the weekends. Linda usually cooks up 2 gallons or so for lunch and we eat leftovers all week long. Her basic recipe includes a little bit of this and little bit of that with some ground beef, garbanzo beans, chick peas, black beans, kidney beans, chopped onion and some diced tomatoes.

Earlier this month, I purchased a chili mix from HappyTrailsChili.com hoping to get some ideas about how chili spices are supposed to taste from the perspective of a world champion chili cook.  The Happy Trails! Chili Seasoning Mix is marketed by Tom Hoover, a very successful ICS chili competitor and businessman. Tonight we decided to try it out.

I followed the recipe directions on the back of the package:

• 2 lbs of ground beef (browned and drained)
• 1 pkg of Happy Trails! Chili Seasoning Mix
• 2 cups of water
• 8 oz. of tomato sauce
• I added two cans of beans (my aplogies to any Texans that might be reading this)

I brought it to a boil and simmered the chili for 30 minutes prior to serving.

I've got another package of the mix to experiment with. Next time I'm going to use top sirloin instead of ground beef.  If you want to try some for yourself, you can purchase it at HappyTrailsChili.com.

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BBQ Made Simple

O.k. I'll admit it. 

This weekend I was in the mood for some complicated bbq.

I pulled out my favorite copy of Peace, Love and Barbecue last night and prepared to cook one of the numerous World Championship bbq recipes that are featured.  Unfortunately, after a quick trip to the pantry for supplies to mix up a pork rub, I soon realized that I was missing a primary ingredient - sugar. (We've been trying to eat a little healthier and I've been using stevia in my iced tea.)

Since it was almost 9 p.m., heading out to the store did not sound too appealing. Sometimes you just have to drop back and punt, so I headed back to the pantry and returned with some leftover Billy Bones spice rub that we purchased at Cabela's.

After a couple of apple juice-mixed-with-honey injections and a quick-but-liberal sprinkling of spice rub, the pork butts were marinating in the refrigerator. There was minimal mess and less fuss compared to mixing up a recipe from scratch.

Keeping with the less-is-more philosophy of the day, I pulled out the Weber Smokey Mountain water smoker this morning instead of rearranging the garage to pull out the custom built insulated upright that works pretty well with temperatures nearing refrigerator levels here in Southeast Michigan. The WSM is nearing it's 11th year birthday, but still works like new. It's a true set it and forget it cooker. Who needs a fancy smancy computer controller? And what good really comes from those my-smoker-is-bigger-and-more-expensive-than-yours models?  Truth be told, I have always gravitated toward using the $189.99 basic black cooker versus the $1,500 custom painted red version of the same basic design for informal personal cooking sessions.

I often think about putting my retirement savings on the back burner for a while and putting my name on the waiting list for a premium offset smoker that's all the rage on the competition circuit these days.

But on days like this while watching the Sunday morning talking heads, reading the newspaper, surfing my favorite bbq websites, catching up on Facebook, and writing a couple of bbq blog posts I remember why I started cooking bbq in the first place. I really enjoy good food cooked the way I like to eat it without having to spend a lot of money.


Pulled pork seasoned with Billy Bones spice rub from Cabela's

In competition I cooked pork butts to 196 degrees and let it rest in a cooler for 4 or 5 hours before turn in time.

I cooked this pork at 225 degrees for roughly 8 hours to an internal temperature of 200 degrees. I have found that when cooking the meat a little longer, it doesn't need to rest quite as long before pulling. These butts rested for 90 minutes and separated easily.



While I had the cooker fired up I decided to cook some pork ribs too. I purchased these ribs locally from Back Forty Acres in Chelsea, MI. They are untrimmed, but for eating ribs at home it's not always necessary to trim them. Trimming is time consuming and there's also a certain amount of waste that occurs.

 



Untrimmed pasture raised Tamworth ribs from Back Forty Acres

Update:  I took some leftover ribs for lunch and they were delicious.

Great Lakes Regional Chili Cookoff

On Sunday we'll be heading to Plymouth, MI to compete in the Great Lakes Regional Chili Cookoff. It's our first attempt at a chili cookoff. I'm not expecting to win, but it's an opportunity to dip my toe into the competitive chili arena. I've attended the event many times and see some similarities with bbq contests sanctioned by FBA and KCBS.

The weather today was raining and cold, but the forecast for tomorrow looks a little warmer with a chance of rain in the morning.

Here's a picture from last year taken while I was sampling some verde chili.

I'm entered in ICS red and ICS verde. My personal tastes gravitate a little more toward the verde than the red, but as a bbq enthusiast I'm used to eating a lot of pork :-)

If you're in Plymouth, or near it, stop by and say hello.