Potato Bombs

Take desired # of potatoes (baking) and pre-cook in the microwave until a bit soft, but not finished.  Core out the center with apple core-er to create hollow cavity along the long-axis.

Stuff with your favorite goodies:  

• meats, bacon, prosciutto, sausage must all be pre-cooked
• onions, shallots, horseradish, scallions
• herbs, spices
• long-sliced cheeses
• use cored potato pieces to plug the ends

Wrap potatoes with bacon, and sprinkle with spice rub.  Wrap in foil and place on grill (350') for 1 to 1.25 hours, rotating a couple times throughout cooking.  Bake until finished.

Half the potatoes and top with your choice of butter, sour cream, chives, etc...

https://youtu.be/7aUNmtSgB0c

Smoked Brisket

Smoked Brisket Recipe

I start with an 8# brisket which will easily feed 6-8 folks. 

I always recommend injecting Beef Brisket just because it will give your meat more flavor and it will help to keep it moist during – and after – the cooking process.

• 1 14 oz. can of beef broth
• Worcestershire Sauce (1 TBS)
• Soy Sauce (1 TBS)
• Accent (1 tea)

Next, apply your favorite BBQ rub.  Give it a good coat all over the brisket. Make sure you get the edges covered and any get it down in all the folds. You want seasoning on all surfaces.

The Last layer of seasoning is Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick. Not only does it bring more flavor to the bark but it also creates texture due to the coarse grind of the spices in it.

So I have the brisket on the pit, fat-side up and the temp holding steady at 225 degrees. For smoke I use a few chunks of pecan and cherry wood, but not too much. It’s easy to overpower beef with smoke. The cherry will give you all the color and smoke ring it needs, trust me on this.

At this point you can set a timer and relax for a few hours. Keep the temp steady at 225 and the door closed. Set the probe for 165-170 degrees and it will take about 4 hours or so.

I don’t go by internal temperature at this point. I know some folks say to take it to 165 or 170 before you wrap, but I really don’t care what the internal is right now. What is important is the color on the outside. It should be dark but not burnt. I want a mahogany color not a meteorite!

Once the color is right on the outside, I wrap the brisket in aluminum foil. Pull off strips about 36” long and lay them cross wise over each other. I use at least 2 layers because I don’t want any leaks. I like to pour ½ cup of the injector marinade over the brisket and then carefully wrap it in two directions and place the brisket back on the cooker to finish.

The temp should be holding steady at 225 for the remainder of the cook and it’s probably going to take about 4 more hours. Typically, a brisket takes me 1 ½ hrs/# to cook at 225.

It’s a good rule of thumb but not always the case. This is where the internal temperature becomes crucial.

Brisket needs to get to 198 degrees in the thickest part of the flat. Sometimes it happens is 8 hours, sometimes it’s 12. There’s no exact science here but be patient and start checking around the 7 ½ hour mark.

Once I see 198 in the flat, it’s time to get it off the heat. Open up the foil and remove the brisket to prepare the burnt ends.  Burnt Ends are considered a delicacy in the BBQ world. They are pieces of the brisket’s point, cut into chunks, sauced, re-seasoned and placed back on the smoker until they are melt-in-your-mouth tender.

Cut the brisket into the desired slices and place the slices in a small pan. In the pan you can mix 1 cup of the au jus and 1 cup of BBQ sauce. This will keep the slices moist and add flavor to them.  I place the sliced flat back in the foil and place it in an empty clean cooler to keep it as warm as possible.

Then I cut the point into burnt ends, toss them in the sauce, and place on the smoker. To make the sauce, use 1 cup of BBQ sauce mixed with 3 TBS of the au jus from the large aluminum pan.

Coat the burnt end pieces gently with this sauce and place back in the smoker for an hour (uncovered).

Enjoy!!!

Turkey Neck Gravy

Take that nasty turkey neck from the brine, and gather some of the herbs to brown it in a pan with ~ 2 Tbsp. of EVOO.

• Keep that neck browning for 5-10 minutes to get burned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. 
• Add ~ 2 cups chicken stock and reduce, scraping bits of the bottom of the pan. 
• Add 1 Tbsp flour to make roux and thicken. 
• Add 2+ Tbsp heavy whipping cream and stir.  
• Add 2 shots cognac or brandy and cook off a bit. 
• Remove Turkey Neck and herb bits and dispose. 
• Continue to reduce until ready to serve. Gravy will thicken when setting. 
• Season to taste, but the brine really helps with this!

B-Fast Casserole Muffins

8 oz. can Croissant Rolls
1 lb. bfast sausage 6 liquid eggs
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350. 
2. Spray 12-muffin pan with cooking spray. 
3. Line the muffin tins with croissant squares from bottom up along the sides. 
4. Brown the b-fast sausage and drain on paper towel. 
5. Scramble eggs, sausage, cheese and divide into the muffin pan. 
6. Bake 15-20 minutes until edges are golden brown. 
7. Let cool a bit before removing from pan.

Pumpkin Pancakes

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pinch clove
1 cup low-fat milk
6 tablespoons canned pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 egg

Directions:

1.  Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, spices and salt in a bowl. 
2.  In a separate bowl whisk together milk, pumpkin, melted butter, and egg. 
3.  Fold mixture into dry ingredients. 
4.  Spray or grease a skillet and heat over medium heat: pour in 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. 
5.  Cook pancakes about 3 minutes per side. 
6.  Serve with butter and syrup. Makes about six 6-inch pancakes.

Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients
3 tablespoons oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup water chestnut
2/3 cup carrots
3 tablespoons chopped green onions
1 teaspoon minced garlic
boston lettuce

Special Sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon hot mustard
2 teaspoons water
1 -2 teaspoon garlic and red chile paste

Stir Fry Sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

Directions:

1 Make the special sauce by dissolving the sugar in water in a small bowl.
2 Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and sesame oil.
3 Mix well and refrigerate this sauce until you're ready to serve.
4 Combine the hot water with the hot mustard and set this aside as well.
5 Eventually add your desired measurement of mustard and garlic chili sauce to the special sauce mixture to pour over the wraps.
6 Bring oil to high heat in a wok or large frying pan.
7 Add chicken and let cook halfway
8 Add water chestnuts and carrots
9 Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl.
10 When chicken is cool, mince it as the mushrooms and water chestnuts are.
11 With the pan still on high heat, add another Tbsp of vegetable oil.
12 Add chicken, garlic, onions, water chestnuts and mushrooms to the pan.
13 Add the stir fry sauce to the pan and saute the mixture for a couple minutes then serve it in the lettuce"cups".
14 Top with"Special Sauce".

Rio Grande Margarita

Not sure if this one is true, but it's googled off the internet. Straight from the Rio in Boulder!

3 parts Cuervo Gold
2 parts Duffy's lime juice (can be tough to find, but there's no substitute)
1 part triple sec
1 part clear apple juice