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 BBQ
NEWS RECIPES
Seasoned Ground Pork Pasta Bake
By Kent “The Deck Chef” Whitaker
thedeckchef@hotmail.com
Sometimes you just need a hearty dish that sticks to your ribs. This recipe is one of those dishes that can be made for a main course or even a hearty side. Either way, it’s quick and easy and packed with flavor. This recipe is actually an emergency recipe Ally and I came up with while making a menu. We decided that one more dish was needed and as we often do, we started off on a wild search through our kitchen shelves and fridge to see what was available.
Nothing beats being under the gun to come up with something creative. As Ally will tell you, I do some of my best thinking when I don’t have time to think. If she gives me too much time on something I will often over think what I am doing. In many cases this means additional trips to the grocery store or the local hardware store.
Thank goodness we have a small local old time hardware store that knows when I come in once during the course of a day I am usually going to show back up at least twice as a project moves along. But, in this case the recipe is so simple that repeated trips to the store will not be required… at least not for this. All you need is some ground pork, your favorite pasta shells, some cheese, sour cream, a few seasonings and small carafe dishes, or a baking dish. And of course feel free to substitute items as fits your taste buds!
Seasoned Ground Pork Pasta Bake
1 lb. ground pork
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 can black beans drained
Tomato paste
Chopped parsley
Olive oil
3 c. pasta shells cooked
3 Tbsp. sour cream
1/2 c. shredded cheese your choice
For the Sauce
2 c. milk
5-6 Tbsp. flour
1-2 egg yolks
1-1/2 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese grated
Dash of cinnamon
Crushed seasoned bread crumbs
In a skillet, brown and drain the ground pork with the onion, garlic, tomato paste, parsley, olive oil. Stir in black beans. Cook pasta as per directions and add to meat. Stir in sour cream and cheese. In a saucepan combine sauce ingredients except bread crumbs and over medium low heat stir until it begins to thicken. Spoon the pork and pasta mix into individual large carafe dishes, top with crushed seasoned crumbs or croutons, then sauce, then additional bread crumbs. Or use a single baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees until golden.
You can visit Kent online at www.thedeckchef.com or www.racingedgeradio.com or www.myspace.com/thedeckchef for his latest books, signing info and more. Look for Kent & Ally’s recipes, cooking tips and tricks every month in the National Barbecue News and other publications.
Dry Cured Beef Roast
Fire Up The Grill
By Steve Collins
The Home Chef
stevec@thehomechef.net
www.thehomechef.net
Cured beef has an honorable and ancient history across many culinary traditions, from corned beef, to pastrami to Armenian basturma. This recipe is a dry cure. Use your favorite rub, or you can use the one I’ve provided. I’ve done it here with a two-pound boneless eye-round. This is a perfect amount either for two people (with tasty leftovers) or for four people with no leftovers. It will work with any cut. My favorites include eye round, tenderloin and rib-eye (prime rib). It can also be done with bone-in cuts. My favorite bone-in roast cuts is be rib eye. Watch for what’s on sale and take advantage of the freezer. The roast requires at least a day’s advance preparation for a good cure. Two or three days curing time is even better. Once the meat is cured, it is first seared over a hot fire, and then put to the side while the Smoker-pro is put over the fire. Put the roast on the grate over the Smoker-pro and cook it to desired doneness. If you don’t have a Smoker-pro (and personally, I wouldn’t want to do without mine) the roast can be planked or smoked using indirect heat. Once you have tried this you will want to make it again and again. The leftovers are fabulous. We wish a Happy and prosperous New Year to all.
1 two-pound boneless beef roast
Olive oil
3 Tbsp. kosher salt
3 Tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
2 c. hickory wood chips
(If you’re using a plank, soak it for an hour, and if you are smoking this, soak the wood chips for 1/2 hour.)
Rub the roast with olive oil. Combine the salt, pepper, sugar, oregano, cumin and garlic well and cover the roast generously with the mixture. Wrap the roast tightly in cling wrap, put it in a shallow dish and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to three days.
Prepare a hot fire. When fire is ready, sear the roast on all sides directly over the fire. While the roast is searing, put the wood chips into the Smoker-pro. Once the roast is seared, set it aside while you put the Smoker-pro directly over the fire. (If you are cooking on charcoal, add more charcoal if needed and allow the coals to turn white before putting the Smoker pro on the fire.) Put the roast on the cooking grate directly over the Smoker-pro, cover the grill and cook for 40 minutes or until the meat has reached the desired doneness. An instant read thermometer should read 135? for rare to 165? for well done. When you take the roast off the grill, let it sit for 10 minutes before slicing.
Easy Garlic Pork Kabobs with White Sauce
By Kent “The Deck Chef” Whitaker
thedeckchef@hotmail.com
Sometimes the freezer gods step up to the grill… or the plate. And sometimes your wife’s impulse buys help out as well. After a crazy dead line week for my new book Chow Line, a book filled with veteran’s memories about best food and worst food during WWII, Ally and I were ready for a home cooked meal. We were tired of almost two weeks of sandwiches quick meals and food passed through a window. Not only was I wiped out but Ally and her company moved to a new location so she was ready for some legendary Kent Whitaker – down home, quick and easy cooking.
Since I had not been to the store in a while I knew that something forgotten in the freezer was going to come into play. Thankfully Ally had stopped by the store for some dog treat related items. We were so busy that we forgot about shopping for us, but if one of the furry pups in the house needs some chew toys we head out the door like a baseball pitcher coming out of the bullpen. But Ally’s second sense kicked in and she also bought a package of pre-made three cheese Italian pasta shells that caught her eye as she walked through the deli. ?She thought it would be easy during one of our busy nights to boil those little jewels in place of a sandwich.
I headed to the freezer and found a package of pretty thick pork steaks, looked in the fridge and spotted some milk, sour cream and deli white American cheese slices left over from our week of assorted sandwiches. In about thirty minutes I was grilling some kabobs and we soon enjoyed our first real meal in two weeks. Some seasoned pork with a creamy sauce served over some stuffed pasta. I hope you enjoy it as well.
For The Kabobs
Pork
Olive oil
Splash of red wine
Minced garlic
Italian seasoning
For the Sauce
1 c. milk
1/3 c. sour cream
2 Tbsp. flour
3 white American cheese slices
Minced garlic
Italian seasoning
2 Tbsp. minced onion (browned if desired)
Parsley
Coat the cubed pork lightly in olive oil, red wine, garlic and Italian seasoning and allow to rest for a few minutes. Place on kabobs and grill over medium high heat. You can of course bake or skillet cook if desired. While the pork is cooking, combine the sauce ingredients in a sauce pan and cook over medium low. Stir as needed. Thin with milk or thicken with more cheese or a few sprinkles of flour as desired. Serve the pork over pasta, stuffed pasta or even rice and drizzle with the sauce. Serve with hot bread sticks or bread.
You can visit Kent online at www.thedeckchef.com or www.racingedgeradio.com or www.myspace.com/thedeckchef for his latest books, signing info and more. Look for Kent & Ally’s recipes, cooking tips and tricks every month in the National Barbecue News and other publications.
Holiday appetizers on the Smoker Pro
Fire Up The Grill
By Steve Collins
The Home Chef
stevec@thehomechef.net
www.thehomechef.net
Everybody likes to do things just a little bit more special for the holidays. Here are some festive appetizer recipes. These are a great contribution to a party or serve them as part of a holiday dinner. They are good enough to be an excuse to have a party. The beauty is that they can be prepared in advance (earlier the same day in the case of the chicken livers) up to a day before for the wings and lamb meatballs. Billie and I wish you a happy and festive holiday season with lots of good food, family and friends to savor the enjoyment.
Chicken Livers Wrapped in Bacon
1 lb. chicken livers, cleaned
8 strips of apple wood smoked bacon
1/2 c. sherry
Toothpicks or skewers
Cup of your favorite wood chips (I prefer apple)
Prepare a hot grill. Cut each strip of bacon in half. Roll a chicken liver in the bacon and secure with a toothpick. If you prefer, thread them on skewers (three or four to a skewer). When all of the chicken livers have been rolled, put them in a baking dish and splash with sherry. Refrigerate until ready to cook. When the fire is hot add wood chips to the Smoker Pro and put it directly over the hottest part of the fire. Put the cooking grate over the Smoker Pro and arrange the prepared chicken livers on the cooking grate right over it. Cover the grill and let the livers cook for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn them over, cover the grill and cook for 15 minutes more. Remove the cooked chicken livers and arrange on a serving platter. Use your favorite garnish.
Chipotle Apricot Chicken Wings
2 lbs. chicken wings, separated and wing tips removed
1/2 c. apricot preserves
2 Tbsp. chipotle from canned chipotle in adobo
2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
Cup of your favorite wood chips
Prepare a hot grill. Clean and separate the chicken wings. Mix the preserves, chipotle and vinegar. Put the chicken wings in a gallon reclosable plastic bag with the apricot preserve mixture. Refrigerate until ready to cook. This can be prepared up to this point and refrigerated for up to a day. When the fire is hot add wood chips to the Smoker Pro and put it directly over the hottest part of the fire. Put the cooking grate over the Smoker Pro and arrange the prepared wings on the cooking grate right over it. Cover the grill let cook for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn chicken over, cover the grill and cook for 20 minutes more. Remove the cooked chicken wings arrange on a serving platter.
Lamb Meatballs with Mint and Feta
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. celery, finely diced
2 Tbsp. onion, finely diced
2 Tbsp. carrot finely diced
2 Tbsp. fresh mint, finely chopped
1/2 c. feta cheese, crumbled
1 lb. lean ground lamb
Cup of your favorite wood chips
Prepare a hot grill. In a sauté pan over medium heat, cook the onions, celery, carrots and garlic for five minutes. Remove pan from heat and let cool. Stir in the mint and feta cheese. Stir in the ground lamb and mix well. Form the lamb mixture into balls 3/4-inch in diameter. Cover them and refrigerate until ready to cook. The meatballs can be prepared a day in advance and kept refrigerated. When the fire is hot add wood chips to the Smoker Pro and put it directly over the hottest part of the fire. Put the cooking grate over the Smoker Pro and arrange the prepared wings on the cooking grate right over it. Cover the grill let cook for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn the meatballs over, cover the grill and cook for 20 minutes more. Remove from the heat and arrange on a serving platter. Serve with Roasted Red Pepper Tahini Sauce and toasted pita triangles. Recipe for sauce is below:
Roasted Red Pepper Tahini Sauce
3 Tbsp. tahini
1/2 roasted red pepper, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
Place all ingredients in a blender and pulse until uniformly pureed, scraping as needed. Refrigerate until ready to serve. May be made up to a day in advance.
New Mexican Style Turkey Meatloaf
Fire Up The Grill
By Steve Collins
The Home Chef
stevec@thehomechef.net
www.thehomechef.net
This is a great way to do a turkey meatloaf. I used my Smoker Pro, which I absolutely love, but you can also plank it. Serve with mashed potatoes and green chile gravy (recipe below). Remember, the gravy will have a bit of a bite. Add a side of greens and you’ve got a great New Mexican-style comfort food dinner for a late fall evening.
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 c. onion, finely diced
1/2 c. celery, finely chopped
1/2 c. red or green bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 c. carrot, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
1-1/2 lbs. ground turkey (you can substituted ground beef if you prefer)
1/2 c. breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten
If you are planking this, soak the plank for at least an hour before putting it on the grill
If using the Smoker Pro, you need a cup of your favorite wood chips
Prepare a hot fire in the grill. Heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, carrot and garlic. Cook for five minutes, stirring. Add the cumin and oregano and remove from the heat and let cool. Put the ground turkey in a mixing bowl. Season it to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Work the sautéed vegetables and breadcrumbs into the turkey so that they are thoroughly blended. Form into a loaf. Lay out 3 strips of bacon parallel to each other on a clean work surface. Put the turkey loaf the bacon (perpendicular to the strips). Wrap the bacon around the turkey loaf. Refrigerate until ready to cook.
Put the woodchips in the smoker pro (or make sure that your wood plank is soaked for at least an hour). If using a plank, place the turkey loaf on the plank, put the plank on the grill grate directly over the fire and cover the grill. If using the Smoker Pro put it directly on the fire, then put the cooking grate over the Smoker Pro. Put the turkey loaf on the cooking grate and cover the grill. Put the Smoker Pro directly on the coals, put the cooking grate on and put the prepared turkey loaf on the grill-rack directly over the Smoker Pro and cover the grill. Cook for one hour. The turkey loaf is ready when an instant read thermometer reads 160?.
Green Chile Gravy
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 c. onions, finely diced
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
3 Tbsp. flour
2 c. chicken stock
1 c. roasted green chiles, diced (You can also used canned chiles.)
Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for five minutes. Add the flour, stir well to coat the onions and cook for three minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil, Stir well, making sure that clumps don’t stick and burn. When the stock comes to a boil add the green chiles and reduce to a simmer, continuing to stir. Cook for five minutes more. You can put the gravy over the turkey loaf, the mashed potatoes or both.
Smoked Chicken Tacos
By Kent “The Deck Chef” Whitaker
thedeckchef@hotmail.com
Are you looking for a bit of extra flavor for your next round of Tacos or Tex-Mex recipes? The answer may be as close as your smoker or grill and some wood chips. The great thing is that anyone can add some smoked flavor, even if you don’t have the larger smokers as with many competition teams or restaurants. The use of commercial smoke pouches or plain wood chips on a covered grill will work.
There is not really a recipe for this article other than grab some chicken breasts, lemon, cumin powder and chili powder. As the third round of this recipe came around, I also tossed in some garlic powder, minced jalapeno and minced onion. So the recipe is anything you feel will make some good taco seasoning and your choice of hickory or mesquite.
The first time Ally and I made this dish we used hickory wood and the second time we rolled out the Mesquite chips. Both times we used a combination of charcoal and wood with my larger covered cooker. The third time was short so the gas grill was fired up along with my wood chip holder.
I seasoned the meat with a bit of olive oil, lemon juice and a light rub of chili powder and cumin powder. I popped all of this in a zip close bag, tossed it in the fridge the night before and settled down on the couch to rest up for a weekend of SEC football. The Braves were tanking, so my priorities were yanked back into focus with the gridiron.
The next day I got some heat going, got the smoke rolling and placed the chicken breasts on the grill and lowered the cover. At this time I just wanted grill marks and some good smoke as well. I Let things roll for a while, basted a bit with a light mix of seasoned oil and moved the chicken to a cooler area and I let the smoke do its work. Before removing, I shredded the chicken a bit in dime size pieces and let the smoke hit the inside pieces a bit. And I sprinkled some extra seasoning over everything for some extra bite. With the chicken juicy, shredded and smoked I served it up with some hard and soft shells complete with normal toppings including some pepper jack and smoked cheddar. Sunday leftover meat was utilized in a pan cooked crunchy Smoked Chicken Quesadilla with plenty of melted cheese. Comfort food after your football teams tank on Saturday.
The great thing about football these days is that you can catch a game not only on Saturday but with a zillion sports channels they are now playing on just about any night of the week. Toss in the NFL, NASCAR and playoff baseball and sports fans are taken care of. None sports fans… well, it’s a great time for yard work!
Here is a quick tip about cooking the chicken. The third time around I was using the gas grill and did not use a water pan for added moisture. So before serving I hit the chicken with some water and wrapped in foil for a few minutes to steam it because I was worried about dry chicken. The end result was a very favorable taco sauce like sauce. Sorry for a lack of a set recipe. But Ally and I have cooked this dish three times and each time we have practiced what we preach. We used what we had on hand and every time the results have been wonderful. The only thing that was the same all three times was a cream sauce made from sour cream, a dash of hot sauce, some taco seasoning and a dash of lime. It made a great topping other than plain sour cream. And like all of my dishes, change it up as you see fit, or as your pantry allows.
Hope you enjoy! I’m back to the weekend getting ready for another weekend of SEC football, NASCAR, the NFL and yes, this weekend includes the honey do list. But thank goodness I married a lady who is great with power tools and finds a weed eater amazing while still looking like a million dollars. And she likes barbecue… I am a lucky dude.
The Deck Chef just got...faster!! Listen every weekend for Racing Edge Radio on ESPN Radio 1370. Kent and Ally host Racing Edge Radio complete with tailgate recipes, racing updates and driver interviews!! You can visit Kent online at www.thedeckchef.com or www.racingedgeradio.com or www.myspace.com/thedeckchef for his latest books, signing info and more. Look for Kent & Ally’s recipes, cooking tips and tricks every month in the National Barbecue News and other publications.
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