Our dinner group met a couple of weeks ago and combined with another group for a grillfest of sorts. It was held at Casey and Mark LaCore's son Brian's house and he happens to own a Big Green Egg grill. Now I have never used one of these things so I was looking for direction from Brian and help to finish off my St. Louis Spare Ribs once I got there.
To back up just a bit, I had wanted to make ribs for a long time and I had a fairly good idea as to the method I wanted to use, which was slow cooking them in an oven and then finishing them on the grill. A good friend and customer of mine does them this way so I called my friend Vern Blyckert for his take on the process. He told me that he uses pork spare ribs and cuts them into one or two rib pieces and then seasons them with a rub and some sauce overnight and then wraps them in foil and cooks them at 300 degrees in the oven for 1 1/2 hours and then finishes them on the grill. OK, sounded like a good method and I know that low and slow is the deal so I thought I would "tweak" this a bit. I found a rub from Steven Raichlin that sounded good and added my smoked salt to it rather than regular salt and used a vinegar based "mop" for the oven phase and grilling phase as well as adding applewood smoking chips to the grilling phase to enhance the flavor more.
Now I am not a fan of barbeque sauce so I skipped that and liberally rubbed those rib racks and left them whole after removing the silver skin from the back side, then let them rest, wrapped in foil and sprinkled with some of the mop for an overnight stay in the refrigerator. I then set the oven for 300 and placed those foil packets of ribs in the oven and cooked them for about 2 hours. Next, I let them rest a while, wrapped in a big packing blanket and headed off to Brian's house to finish them off. In the meantime I soaked about 2 cups of applewood chips in water for about an hour and drained them and put them in a plastic container for the trip.
Once at Brian's he gave me a crash course on the Green Egg; it is an amazing piece of equipment. It is a ceramic and porcelain cooker, almost like a wood fired oven which can be closed down to cook at 200 degrees and then opened up by the use of vents and draft controls to cook at temperatures near 700 degrees. Brian had been been cooking all day at 200 to 250 degrees and when I got there he opened the vents and draft and it rose to 450 in a matter of several minutes. I placed the wet smoking chips on the coals and then put the ribs on the grate and mopped them and close the lid. The smoke began to pour out of the vent at the top and about 4 minutes later I opened the lid, flipped the ribs and mopped them on the other side. About three more minutes and we had some good grill marks and a goodly amount of smoke flavor as well. The ribs were cooked perfectly and were almost falling off the bone; it was a success.
Here is the recipe for the rub and mop: This is enough for two racks of St. Louis Spare Ribs
4 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground Black Pepper
4 1/2 teaspoons Dark Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon Smoked Salt (mine, smoked over apple wood for 12 hours)
1 1/2 teaspoons Celery Salt
1 1/2 teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
1 1/2 teaspoons Dry Mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons Ground Cumin
Mix all spices in a small bowl and use about two thirds of the mix to rub down the ribs before placing them in the refrigerator.
Mop:
2 cups Cider Vinegar
1/2 cup Yellow Mustard
2 teaspoons Smoked Salt
Mix these ingredients in a medium bowl and sprinkle or brush some on the ribs before baking and then more as you grill them on each side
Cook well, eat well and enjoy much!
Tim
Monday, August 29, 2011
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Grits and things
I have had a love affair with grits for many years now. I was first introduced to the southern food many years ago when my dad would travel to Florida every winter to his spot in southern paradise near Tampa where he and my mom would spent several months waiting out the cold season here in the North land. He told me about grits after eating them at aCracker Barrel restaurant on his way down to Florida. Now this is not a four star restaurant by any means but it was a good intro to the southern delights.
I have spent a good deal of time working on my grits recipe and my son's friend's wife, who is a true southern girl, says I have some 'smokin hot" grits. Here's my take on this southern classic:
1 Cup water brought to a simmer in a 2 1/2qt non-stick saucepan
1 Tablespoon butter
3 Tablespoons quick cooking grits
2 Tablespoons heavy cream
pinch of Kosher salt
3-4 grinds fresh ground Black Pepper
Combine all ingredients in the pan and cook until creamy.
While the grits are cooking, dice 1/4 sweet onion and sweat it until translucent then set aside.
Chop 2 slices of bacon into 1/4 " pieces and cook until crisp, then set on plate with paper towels to absorb the excess fat.
Combine the grits with the onion and bacon and serve with a couple of basted eggs on top. Break the yolks and mix with the grits for an exquisite breakfast treat!
Good eating,
Tim
I have spent a good deal of time working on my grits recipe and my son's friend's wife, who is a true southern girl, says I have some 'smokin hot" grits. Here's my take on this southern classic:
1 Cup water brought to a simmer in a 2 1/2qt non-stick saucepan
1 Tablespoon butter
3 Tablespoons quick cooking grits
2 Tablespoons heavy cream
pinch of Kosher salt
3-4 grinds fresh ground Black Pepper
Combine all ingredients in the pan and cook until creamy.
While the grits are cooking, dice 1/4 sweet onion and sweat it until translucent then set aside.
Chop 2 slices of bacon into 1/4 " pieces and cook until crisp, then set on plate with paper towels to absorb the excess fat.
Combine the grits with the onion and bacon and serve with a couple of basted eggs on top. Break the yolks and mix with the grits for an exquisite breakfast treat!
Good eating,
Tim
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Nokomis Brunch
Teresa and I decided to go out to one of favorite spots for brunch today, the Nokomis Restaurant on the North shore of Lake Superior. They have, since it started last year, had a wonderful menu for Sunday Brunch. To our surprise they had changed the menu for the summer and omitted two of our favorite items. Both of us had enjoyed their Breakfast Sandwich and Green Eggs and Ham, which are now gone until late fall or winter. They also would bring out either a Fritter or a Beignet of some sort as a starter or Amuse Bouche. That is also gone. Please don't get me wrong, the food was excellent, as usual but it tends to upset the apple cart when what you had expected and looked forward to is not there.
Our server, Sam was very pleasant and actually agreed with us that it was a shame to change the menu but he also told us that over the past few months they had actually had 40 to 50 people turn and walk out because they didn't have a lunch menu on Sundays. I was completely surprised and so, he said, were the folks at the restaurant so they decided to take the most popular items from the brunch menu and the best lunch stuff and combine them into a daily (not just Sundays) menu to meet both crowds in the middle.
I had the daily Omelet with Pork Belly, Cheddar, Swiss Chard, Mango and a few other items I can't remember and Teresa had the French Toast with fresh berries and Creme Fraiche. We both had the Truffle Fries and those were very good. These used to be a "Home Fries" type of potato but now they have become an actual French Fry, dusted with Truffle Salt right out of the fryer.
All in all it was still a very nice brunch, just a bit surprising to take a turn from the expected.
Good eating,
Tim
Our server, Sam was very pleasant and actually agreed with us that it was a shame to change the menu but he also told us that over the past few months they had actually had 40 to 50 people turn and walk out because they didn't have a lunch menu on Sundays. I was completely surprised and so, he said, were the folks at the restaurant so they decided to take the most popular items from the brunch menu and the best lunch stuff and combine them into a daily (not just Sundays) menu to meet both crowds in the middle.
I had the daily Omelet with Pork Belly, Cheddar, Swiss Chard, Mango and a few other items I can't remember and Teresa had the French Toast with fresh berries and Creme Fraiche. We both had the Truffle Fries and those were very good. These used to be a "Home Fries" type of potato but now they have become an actual French Fry, dusted with Truffle Salt right out of the fryer.
All in all it was still a very nice brunch, just a bit surprising to take a turn from the expected.
Good eating,
Tim
Sunday, June 19, 2011
A stellar burger and great walleye
I just got back from a week at our place on Lake Kabetogama for a little vacation catching big walleyes and eating some excellent food with good friends. Teresa and I were there with our friends Steve and Kathy Rudh and Denny and Gail Cletcher from Indiana. The fishing started out very slow but we caught enough "keepers" to have a fish fry and it was marvelous. Fresh walleye straight out of the lake and into a fry pan is an amazing thing. We seasoned all-purpose flour with Lawry's seasoned salt, Penzey's Fox Point seasoning and Course Ground Black Pepper, then made an egg wash using two eggs and a little Half & Half and seasoned some Panko bread crumbs with the same seasonings as the flour. We dipped the fish fillets in the flour first and then into the egg wash and finally the Panko mixture. Peanut oil was our fry medium heated to 350 degrees in a cast iron fry pan to a depth of about 1 inch. It was fried for about 2 minutes on each side or until nice and golden and then placed on a plate lined with paper towel to hold them in the oven until all the fillets were cooked. We served the fish with Tartar Sauce and cole slaw and that was enough. Absolutely fabulous! We could hardly stop eating that stuff.
We had planned to do some burgers during the week and Steve brought some preformed patties that he cooked with cheese and bacon that were excellent and because we had used his patties I had some 80/20 ground chuck leftover. After we got home I decided to make burgers again to use up the beef so here's how it went:
1 Lb 80/20 ground chuck
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 package of Cream cheese softened
8 to 10 Manzanilla Green Olives sliced
1 Claussen Kosher Dill Sandwich Slice, Minced
3T Bacon Jam (see my blog post for the recipe)
3 or 4 Hamburger buns
Mix the sliced olives and minced pickles into the softened cream cheese until thoroughly combined and set aside. Spread out the beef in a large bowl and then season it with Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, then form it into approximately 1/3 lb patties 1/2" thick. Make a small depression in the center of each patty so that as it cooks and begins to sear, the burger will swell in the center and end up nicely shaped in an even thickness. Grill the patties for about 4 minutes per side until medium well.
Meanwhile, split the buns and grill them until well toasted. Spread 1 Tablespoon of the Bacon Jam onto the bottom half of each bun and then place a burger patty on top. Spread a generous 1 to 2 Tablespoons of the Cream Cheese mixture over the patty and top it with the rest of the bun. Serve with whatever sides you normally like alongside a tasty hamburger.
The bacon Jam gives you a nice salty balsamic smoky flavor as you bite into it because that's the first thing that hits your tongue. Next comes the great beef flavor and the finish is the creamy, salty , pickly smooth and melty cream cheese layer. Now that's what I call a burger!
Happy Grilling!
Tim
We had planned to do some burgers during the week and Steve brought some preformed patties that he cooked with cheese and bacon that were excellent and because we had used his patties I had some 80/20 ground chuck leftover. After we got home I decided to make burgers again to use up the beef so here's how it went:
1 Lb 80/20 ground chuck
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 package of Cream cheese softened
8 to 10 Manzanilla Green Olives sliced
1 Claussen Kosher Dill Sandwich Slice, Minced
3T Bacon Jam (see my blog post for the recipe)
3 or 4 Hamburger buns
Mix the sliced olives and minced pickles into the softened cream cheese until thoroughly combined and set aside. Spread out the beef in a large bowl and then season it with Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, then form it into approximately 1/3 lb patties 1/2" thick. Make a small depression in the center of each patty so that as it cooks and begins to sear, the burger will swell in the center and end up nicely shaped in an even thickness. Grill the patties for about 4 minutes per side until medium well.
Meanwhile, split the buns and grill them until well toasted. Spread 1 Tablespoon of the Bacon Jam onto the bottom half of each bun and then place a burger patty on top. Spread a generous 1 to 2 Tablespoons of the Cream Cheese mixture over the patty and top it with the rest of the bun. Serve with whatever sides you normally like alongside a tasty hamburger.
The bacon Jam gives you a nice salty balsamic smoky flavor as you bite into it because that's the first thing that hits your tongue. Next comes the great beef flavor and the finish is the creamy, salty , pickly smooth and melty cream cheese layer. Now that's what I call a burger!
Happy Grilling!
Tim
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Bacon Jam
It has been a while since I last posted here but things have been a bit busy lately. That said , I have been reading a fun book lately entitled Food Trucks, by Heather Shouse, which is a great look at food on wheels across the country and among the gleanings there I found an idea by the owner of a converted Airstream called Skillet out of Seattle. Joshua Henderson makes a burger there that sounds great and what makes it great is his Bacon Jam, which he slathers on the bun before serving it. He didn't give the recipe but a few tips on what he does to make it so I figured it out on my own after some experimenting. Here's the deal:
1 lb bacon cut in 1/2" pcs
1 sweet onion, diced
2 T balsamic vinegar
3 T malt vinegar
2 t brown sugar
1/2 t chipotle powder(www.penzeys.com )
1/2 t allspice
1 t fresh ground black pepper
1/4 t kosher salt
Place the bacon pieces in a saute pan over low heat. While the bacon is slowly rendering, spoon 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat into another saute pan and add the onion. Cook over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring often and occasionally adding a little water or beer and scraping the carmelized bits from the pan with a spatula. Once the onions are deep brown, add the balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, chipotle powder, allspice, pepper, and salt and cook for two minutes more.
Add the onion mixture to the pan with the bacon, keeping the heat on low and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the moisture has been absorbed, about 2 hours. Add 3 tablespoons malt vinegar and cook for about 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat and transfer to a food processor and pulse until the mixture is a smooth consistency. Transfer the mixture to a jar draining off any excess fat and store in the refrigerator where it will set to a jam-like consistency.
Use the jam as a condiment on burgers, fried egg sandwiches, etc.;
Enjoy,
Tim
1 lb bacon cut in 1/2" pcs
1 sweet onion, diced
2 T balsamic vinegar
3 T malt vinegar
2 t brown sugar
1/2 t chipotle powder(www.penzeys.com )
1/2 t allspice
1 t fresh ground black pepper
1/4 t kosher salt
Place the bacon pieces in a saute pan over low heat. While the bacon is slowly rendering, spoon 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat into another saute pan and add the onion. Cook over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring often and occasionally adding a little water or beer and scraping the carmelized bits from the pan with a spatula. Once the onions are deep brown, add the balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, chipotle powder, allspice, pepper, and salt and cook for two minutes more.
Add the onion mixture to the pan with the bacon, keeping the heat on low and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the moisture has been absorbed, about 2 hours. Add 3 tablespoons malt vinegar and cook for about 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat and transfer to a food processor and pulse until the mixture is a smooth consistency. Transfer the mixture to a jar draining off any excess fat and store in the refrigerator where it will set to a jam-like consistency.
Use the jam as a condiment on burgers, fried egg sandwiches, etc.;
Enjoy,
Tim
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Egg Salad Cravings
I had a craving the other day for Egg Salad. I love the stuff about as much as I love Deviled Eggs and I was torn as to which one to make. I really needed some sandwich fixings for work so the Egg Salad won out and I'm glad it did because this was a stellar mix, at least to my palate. Here's the deal:
7 Large Eggs
1 medium Shallot, finely minced
5 small Green Olives, finely chopped
1 Slice of Claussen Kosher dill pickle, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
Pinch of Kosher Salt
1/3 cup Hellman's Real Mayonnaise (or to desired consistency)
Place the eggs in a pot of cold water and bring to a boil, then shut off the heat and cover for 12 minutes and then place in an ice bath for about 15 minutes or until cold.
Peel and chop into medium dice in a medium bowl. Mix all the remaining ingredients into the eggs until thoroughly combined and taste for correct spices.
Serve on good crusty bread with lettuce as a sandwich or on Crostinis as an appetizer topped with a Green olive and maybe a bit of Frank's Hot Sauce.
Bon Appetit
Tim
7 Large Eggs
1 medium Shallot, finely minced
5 small Green Olives, finely chopped
1 Slice of Claussen Kosher dill pickle, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
Pinch of Kosher Salt
1/3 cup Hellman's Real Mayonnaise (or to desired consistency)
Place the eggs in a pot of cold water and bring to a boil, then shut off the heat and cover for 12 minutes and then place in an ice bath for about 15 minutes or until cold.
Peel and chop into medium dice in a medium bowl. Mix all the remaining ingredients into the eggs until thoroughly combined and taste for correct spices.
Serve on good crusty bread with lettuce as a sandwich or on Crostinis as an appetizer topped with a Green olive and maybe a bit of Frank's Hot Sauce.
Bon Appetit
Tim
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Some time alone
I spent some time alone this weekend as my lovely wife was at a conference for a few days. I had decided to spend the time opening up our camper on Lake Kabetogama in Northern Minnesota for the upcoming season. In preparation for the event I stopped at The Italian Village on Friday night to pick up some Hot Molinari and some Hot Capicola for a little Antipasto lunch while I was there at the lake. I had a bit of leftover Baguette and some Parmigian Reggiano and a beer to go along with it and I packed it all up and headed North.
It was sprinkling rain as I drove but it is a nice trip to one of my favorite places on the planet where there are very large walleyes, by the way, so it didn't matter about a little rain. I found the camper in very good shape after a long winter. The tarp my son and I had tied over the top to protect it was in very good shape and all the ropes were still tight. I uncovered it and folded the tarp for storage and hooked up an LP gas tank to the camper and fired up the cooktop to take the chill off the interior. After warming a bit I sat at the table and enjoyed the meats and cheeses I had brought and felt very thankful to be in a place my wife and I enjoy so much and have some great food to boot! I finished cleaning the camper up and organizing a few things and then went down to the dock to see the lake, which had just become ice-free on Friday night.
It was beautiful as usual but the water was quite low. I hope the Spring rains will bring it back up to normal fairly soon.
It started to rain fairly heavy so I packed up my stuff and began the trip(sadly) back home. I remembered as I was heading South that I would be passing one of my favorite places to eat in Eveleth, MN, the K&B Drive In. They specialize in Texas Barbeque and it is very good. I found it while remodeling the home of some friends on Pleasant Lake just a few miles away and stopped there to pick up lunch. I pulled into the drive-in (yes, it really is a drive-in) and asked the server what their specialty was. She told me about the barbeque and I decided to try it. I ordered the Brisket Sandwich and I was immediately hooked. It was great! They also have some pretty good Onion Rings and I always have those when I can. It was a nice cap to the day.
Sunday I decided to try the Brunch at another favorite place, G.B. Schneider & Co. in Duluth. They have recently started doing brunch with a menu of specific dishes and their great sandwich menu as well as a Pastry and Salad Bar to complement the entrees. I noticed Eggs Benedict on the menu and I had to try it. I always try it whenever I see it. Well, it was excellent! the Hollandaise was one of the best I have ever had, rivaling the Over Easy Cafe on Sanibel Island in Florida. It was silky smooth and just the right amount of lemon. It was also served with a near-perfect side of shredded Hash Browns. They had a beautiful crunchy golden exterior and just a bit of softer center which was perfect for my taste.
This was a very nice ending to a very nice weekend except that Teresa was not here to share it with me.
Let the adventure continue!
Tim
It was sprinkling rain as I drove but it is a nice trip to one of my favorite places on the planet where there are very large walleyes, by the way, so it didn't matter about a little rain. I found the camper in very good shape after a long winter. The tarp my son and I had tied over the top to protect it was in very good shape and all the ropes were still tight. I uncovered it and folded the tarp for storage and hooked up an LP gas tank to the camper and fired up the cooktop to take the chill off the interior. After warming a bit I sat at the table and enjoyed the meats and cheeses I had brought and felt very thankful to be in a place my wife and I enjoy so much and have some great food to boot! I finished cleaning the camper up and organizing a few things and then went down to the dock to see the lake, which had just become ice-free on Friday night.
It was beautiful as usual but the water was quite low. I hope the Spring rains will bring it back up to normal fairly soon.
It started to rain fairly heavy so I packed up my stuff and began the trip(sadly) back home. I remembered as I was heading South that I would be passing one of my favorite places to eat in Eveleth, MN, the K&B Drive In. They specialize in Texas Barbeque and it is very good. I found it while remodeling the home of some friends on Pleasant Lake just a few miles away and stopped there to pick up lunch. I pulled into the drive-in (yes, it really is a drive-in) and asked the server what their specialty was. She told me about the barbeque and I decided to try it. I ordered the Brisket Sandwich and I was immediately hooked. It was great! They also have some pretty good Onion Rings and I always have those when I can. It was a nice cap to the day.
Sunday I decided to try the Brunch at another favorite place, G.B. Schneider & Co. in Duluth. They have recently started doing brunch with a menu of specific dishes and their great sandwich menu as well as a Pastry and Salad Bar to complement the entrees. I noticed Eggs Benedict on the menu and I had to try it. I always try it whenever I see it. Well, it was excellent! the Hollandaise was one of the best I have ever had, rivaling the Over Easy Cafe on Sanibel Island in Florida. It was silky smooth and just the right amount of lemon. It was also served with a near-perfect side of shredded Hash Browns. They had a beautiful crunchy golden exterior and just a bit of softer center which was perfect for my taste.
This was a very nice ending to a very nice weekend except that Teresa was not here to share it with me.
Let the adventure continue!
Tim
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