Vidalia Onions and Peppers and Sausages - 52 Pork and Side Dishes from the Grill

This is one of those dishes that is fantastic, but is so simple it is rarely served for anything except a cook's treat.

Have you ever watched those cooking interview shows?  The ones where the host will ask the chef what their favorite meal is?  More often than not the cook will mention something very simple.  Something that brings out the best flavors of only a couple of ingredients.  Something with a simple cooking method and Something generally unexpected by the host and audience.

That's what this dish is for me.  Sausages cooked over an open flame, beautifully charred on the outside and just cooked through moist tender and delicious on the inside (trusting the sausages to be seasoned when you buy them).  The vegetables (Simple Onions and Bell peppers) are rough diced r sliced to be bite size and then coated with Olive Oil so the will grill nicely.  Once again, one of those handy dandy grill pans, the ones with all the holes in the bottom, makes cooking this incredibly fast, easy and efficient.

I make these whenever I can find those sweet Vidalia Onions

This dish goes from planning to fully cooked and served in about 15 minutes.

And is just about my perfect meal.  Simple, fast and really does make these ingredients taste as good as it gets!!!

Is this too easy to justify a blog post???

OK... here's what I did...

Vidalia Onions
and Peppers
and Sausages

Ingredients

1 Package of 5 Sausages or Brats
4 Small Bell Peppers, 2 Red, 2 Yellow
2 Medium Vidalia Onions
Drizzle of Olive Oil to coat the Vegetables
Salt and Pepper to taste

Cooking Directions

1. Dice up the cored and seeded Bell peppers.
2. Put these in a medium bowl, drizzle Olive Oil and mix to coat.
3. Season with a couple of pinches of Salt and a few turns of a Pepper Grinder
4. Move to the grill over direct high heat, spread out the sausages/brats and put a a grill pan in the center.  Add the vegetables to the grill pan.
5. Cook until the sausages have a nice char and are cooked through.  Cook the vegetables until soft and have a few char marks.
6. Serve HOT and ENJOY!

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So,  I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of  "52 Grilling Time Secret Extras" or "52 Ways to Cook BBQ and Grilling Recipes"!!!

Well over 52 recipes actually as I just can't stop... Over 100 in one grilling season (I love to grill!). But not just leat... Drinks, Condiments (LOTS of different BBQ sauces), Drinks, Desserts... even specialty items like GRILLED Pizza, and fun shaped Watermelons.  Easy and these ideas will make you the MASTER of your Backyard Domain!

******************************************************

This simple recipe has been added to my growing list of "52 Breakfast Ideas!"

It's the most important meal of the day.  From fancy to simple, there are always ways to dress up a breakfast dish.  These are the meals that make Bed and Breakfast Inns legendary (and usually easier than you think).

Here's your chance to make your guests Ooh and Aah!

***********************PINTEREST*********************

Come and find me on Pinterest... Any of my "52 Ways to cook" Boards are worth following.  If you like this post, please take a second and "Pin" this to your own boards... Better yet, if you are part of a foodie group board please take a second and add this post to your group pins... best way to show your Love!

And BTW, if you are not yet part of a group board, drop me an email at Contact@eRecipeCards.com and request to be added to my group board... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! (be sure to include your pinterest ID when you write)  Once you are added, any pins you add will be seen by 10s of THOUSANDS of followers of the board (and growing daily).

Rules, only 2... 

1. In order to join you need to start following the group board as well as at least one of my boards.
2. And you must ONLY pin original sources, posts from food related bloggers only.  If you are a blogger, this is a great way to have thousands of potential readers see your work,  If you are a fan of bloggers, a great way to share your favorites...
   Come and be a part of ... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! on Pinterest

Smoked Italian Sausage - 52 Pork Dishes

The last couple of days I have been showing recipes for BBQ smoked dishes (Citrus Honey Garlic Smoked Ribs AND My own recipe for SINGLE WIDE Trailer Park AWESOME Smoked Pork and Beans and BEER!).  This is another very easy dish that I love to make.

First "Trick" is to find the best sausage.  Hunt down a good butcher and chances are they offer a variety of different sausages.  me, I like this locally sourced Italian sausage loaded with just the right combination of seasoning, fennel seeds and a nice mix of pork and enough fat to give it flavor.

Made even better when cooked on a smoker.

Slow roasted, on a grill over indirect heat (see my recent post on smoking ribs on a Weber Kettle Grill for details), at 225 degrees.  It takes about 2 hours for the sausage to get up to an internal temperature of 150-155 degrees.

I did the same rub that I used on the ribs (again, see that post for the recipe).  And that really is all there is to it.  Just take raw sausage, form it into a tube, liberally rub a spice mix into the outside.  Slow roast, 225 degrees for a couple hours until the sausage reaches an internal temperature of 150 degrees.  And you have pork gold!

And I had a wonderful dish.  Sliced up it fits along side the ribs, save some for breakfast. Or just snack on it while you are waiting for the rest of the smoked meat to cook.

I used a bit of this sausage to make a new side dish...

Even has the illusion of healthy.

These little grilled Zucchini boats stuffed with a nutty delicious sausage mix.

And for that recipe... Come back tomorrow, you will be glad you did!!!

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So,  I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of  "52 Grilling Time Secret Extras" or "52 Ways to Cook BBQ and Grilling Recipes"!!!

Well over 52 recipes actually as I just can't stop... Over 100 in one grilling season (I love to grill!). But not just leat... Drinks, Condiments (LOTS of different BBQ sauces), Drinks, Desserts... even specialty items like GRILLED Pizza, and fun shaped Watermelons.  Easy and these ideas will make you the MASTER of your Backyard Domain!

****************************PINTEREST**************************

Come and find me on Pinterest... Any of my "52 Ways to cook" Boards are worth following.  If you like this post, please take a second and "Pin" this to your own boards... Better yet, if you are part of a foodie group board please take a second and add this post to your group pins... best way to show your Love!

And BTW, if you are not yet part of a group board, drop me an email at Contact@eRecipeCards.com and request to be added to my group board... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! (be sure to include your pinterest ID when you write)  Once you are added, any pins you add will be seen by 10s of THOUSANDS of followers of the board (and growing daily).

Rules, only 2... 

1. In order to join you need to start following the group board as well as at least one of my boards.
2. And you must ONLY pin original sources, posts from food related bloggers only.  If you are a blogger, this is a great way to have thousands of potential readers see your work,  If you are a fan of bloggers, a great way to share your favorites...
   Come and be a part of ... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! on Pinterest

Beer Braised Grilled Brats - 52 BBQ Tutorials

SUMMERTIME AND THE LIVING IS EASY!!!

And so are Beer Braised GRILLED Brats!  Easy, delicious and sets your brats above and beyond the rest of the neighborhood... Just one more way that will help make you recognized as "The Guy" (or Gal) when it comes to backyard grilling!

All of the prep work is done in advance.  Brats are raw sausage (as opposed to hot dogs which are precooked).  But they also come with a casing on the outside to hold the meat n shape.  This casing needs to be punctured to allow the beer to seep into the meat.  Release your inner WOLVERINE, grab a couple of toothpicks and dive in a couple of dozen holes throughout the brat.

I make a bed of Onions in a crock pot (single layer to prevent the brats from touching the HOTTER bottom).  Set the crock pot on the lowest setting, Add a bottle of beer and another layer of onion rings.

As in all cooking, the quality of the beer does matter.  It's better to drink less than to drink watered down light beer.  I prefer to shop local, drink local.  Here in Kansas City there is a wonderful local brewer, Boulevard Beer.  I selected their Single Wide I-P-A, India Pale Ale.  You only need to cover the brats about half way up their sides, I have a smaller crock pot that works great, only needing one bottle of beer.

Slow heat the beer (not even a simmer, low heat) for about an hour, turn the brats and slow heat for another hour and you are ready to grill!

The brats will cook fast, so a high heat just to char the outside is all you need!  Go ahead, toast the buns and add a pot of beans and you have a low effort, just a few minutes of hands on work yet a FANTASTIC BBQ meal!

I did make the meal a little more festive.

Once the brats were grilled, I dressed them in separate ways.

From simple Onions and Pickles (Pickled red onions, I guess not as simple, but they sure looked colorful and of course delicious).

More traditional Sauerkraut, Mustard and tomato slices.

To a more exotic grilled pineapple and bacon.

Just a tad more festive I cut these into thirds and put each piece on a skewer to make a variety pack, sort of a Beer Brat Shish Kabob.

Jackie and I had a guest, made three shish kabobs bit left a couple of brats Naked in case someone had other preferences for toppings (but everyone wanted a Beer Brat Shish Kabob).

Like I said...

Summertme

And the

Living

IS 

Easy

(And Delicious)

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So,  I am also adding to my Growing list of  "52 Cooking With BEER Recipes"!!!

Everyone knows about cooking with wine, but BEER has so much more complex flavors.  I imagine the day after beer was invented, someone made an Irish Stew. Cooking with beer infuses recipes with this intoxicating concoction of hops and barley in an effort to enhance and enrich everyday food..  Come take a look, sure to have something you might like to try.  All recipes have been tested and WORK!

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Also,  I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of  "52 Grilling Time Secret Extras" or "52 Ways to Cook BBQ and Grilling Recipes"!!!

Well over 52 recipes actually as I just can't stop... Over 100 in one grilling season (I love to grill!). But not just leat... Drinks, Condiments (LOTS of different BBQ sauces), Drinks, Desserts... even specialty items like GRILLED Pizza, and fun shaped Watermelons.  Easy and these ideas will make you the MASTER of your Backyard Domain!

****************************PINTEREST**************************

Come and find me on Pinterest... Any of my "52 Ways to cook" Boards are worth following.  If you like this post, please take a second and "Pin" this to your own boards... Better yet, if you are part of a foodie group board please take a second and add this post to your group pins... best way to show your Love!

And BTW, if you are not yet part of a group board, drop me an email at Contact@eRecipeCards.com and request to be added to my group board... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! (be sure to include your pinterest ID when you write)  Once you are added, any pins you add will be seen by 10s of THOUSANDS of followers of the board (and growing daily).

Rules, only 2... 

1. In order to join you need to start following the group board as well as at least one of my boards.
2. And you must ONLY pin original sources, posts from food related bloggers only.  If you are a blogger, this is a great way to have thousands of potential readers see your work,  If you are a fan of bloggers, a great way to share your favorites...
   Come and be a part of ... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! on Pinterest

Smoked Pork Tenderloin and Spinach Salad ala Chris Lilly - 52 Pork Dishes and Side Dishes from the Grill

Today's post is a bit different for me.  I am writing a review of one of my most recent purchases... Fire & Smoke, a Pitmaster's Secrets by Chris Lilly (of Big Bob Gibson's fame).  In my opinion, no review is complete without at least one recipe from the book made with my home kitchen and grilling equipment limitations.  I selected the Amazing Pork tenderloin over a Spinach Salad... But we will get to that in a second.

First... Here's the "About The Author" blurb on his Amazon.com page...
CHRIS LILLY is vice president, executive chef, and partner of Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q. The Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q Competition Cooking Team has won ten World BBQ Championships, six world titles at “Memphis in May,” and the American Royal International Cook-off and BBQ Sauce Competition. Lilly is married to the great-granddaughter of BBQ legend Big Bob Gibson and is the author of Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book.

Yeap, Mr. Lilly does indeed have his BBQ chops!  If you have ever had or heard of Baptized Chicken using an Alabama White Sauce... That's from Chris Lilly and his restaurant, Big Bob Gibson!


In that book, we are taken on an historical tour of how one of the most famous BBQ joints came to be and has thrived among the competition in an area while dozens and dozens of pop up want to be pitmasters have come and gone.  The restaurant has certainly evolved in it;s 90 plus year history, as have the recipes.  But Chris shares his memories of the last half of the history along with the family legends that create the mythical shrine to Southern BBQ.

This original book did a great job of what it intended to do.  Introduce the restaurant, share stories and legends, entertain and give home Que-ers an opportunity to try out the Big Bob Gibson magic themselves.

The only possible complaint people had was that the book relied too much on the seasonings, rubs and sauces that are available for purchase at the restaurant (or by mail order).

Fire and Smoke, his new book is the perfect companion to his original as the history section of the book goes into much more detail about the types of cooking grills and smokers used throughout the south and less specific to the restaurant.  In other words... The way we cook!

The book is simply beautiful.  Almost every recipe includes a full page photo of the finished dish or suggestions on serving or cooking techniques for that dish.  The little extras are always appreciated.  From references on a dozen or more different types of grills and smokers (complete with cost and each cooker's "ideal" use) to chapters on making your own rubs and sauces (this time giving the recipes instead of suggesting mail order).  There is even a detailed chapter on making Grilled Pizzas (a personal favorite use of the grill for me)!!!

Whole chapters on GRILLED Drinks (yeap... Grilled) that will make all of your guests Ooh and Aah at your skills, to appetizers to salads and sandwiches, main dishes, side dishes and a lot of fantastic desserts... There is even a first ever chapter for me...  I had never seen a chapter on what to do with leftovers in a major BBQ book before.  If you are like me,if I am going to fire up my smoker, I am going to load it up.  So, what to do with that gallon of extra pulled pork... How about an Overstuffed Pulled Pork Potato (you will have to buy the book to see that recipe)... Or a delicious looking Brisket Eggs Benedict.  Now I need a new smoker just so I can make EXTRA EXTRA leftovers!

Yeap... Indeed, I loved this book.  One of the most complete I have ever seen.

Chris does go into great detail on the methods of cooking with photo tips and ideas to recreate his recipes.  Terms like "Indirect Grilling" and "Internal Temperatures" are explained so that even a novice can carefully read the details and succeed.  But a more seasoned Que-er will also come up with more than a few ideas that make the price of the book more than worth it.

As to this recipe... Could not be more thrilled.

The recipe includes a fresh made salad dressing (nothing screams homemade treat like opening a mason jar of salad dressing at the table as you serve).  There is also a recipe for a suggested rub to apply to the pork before cooking.  A terrific introduction to making a rub and eventually working up a signature rub... Again, bragging rights while serving when you talk about ingredients in "your" rub can not be over rated!  And finally there is a cooking sauce that is used during the cooking process.  Making that moist tender and FILLED WITH FLAVOR piece of meat perfect every time.

The total package for a no fail meal.

And speaking of meal, the salad is a real treat.  I did pack mine with a few extras to make it a little more colorful, but what a beautiful presentation of a fruit filled salad with the perfectly seasoned and prepared pork medallions on top.

The total package indeed.

the book is available from Amazon.com.  Just a quick disclaimer, I received no compensation for this review.  I bought the book myself, paid full price... Well discounted full price as I bought from Amazon.  I have included links for the books below.  If you click on one of those links and buy, I will get a small  (appreciated but very very small) reward from Amazon for directing you their way.

The reprint of the recipe is meant as an example of my positive review of the book, to highlight the details and ease of following the recipes.

And one final note... There are lots of ingredients in this recipe.  But considering the scratch made salad dressing is 7 ingredients, the scratch made Seasoning Sauce another 6 and the Dry Rub recipe is 8 ingredients, if you use a store bought salad dressing (not recommended, nor as much fun, nor (and most importantly) will you be able to have total bragging rights when you serve, or a store bought rub or sauce, the actual dish only has 8 ingredients.  But most of the other ingredients are probably in your pantry anyway.

OK... to the recipe...

OK... here's what Chris Lilly says to do with my very minor changes clearly listed...

Smoked Pork Tenderloin and Spinach Salad
ala Chris Lilly

Ingredients

• FOR THE SALAD DRESSING:
• 1/4 Cup Vegetable oil (I used extra virgin Olive Oil)
• 1 TBS Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 TBS Distilled Vinegar
• 1/4 tsp Hot Sauce (I used Tabasco Brand)
• 4 tsp Granulated Sugar
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/8 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• FOR THE LIQUID SEASONING:
• 3 TBS Soy Sauce
• 2 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 TBS fresh Lemon Juice
• 4 tsp Dark Brown Sugar (I used Light Brown Sugar)
• 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/4 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• FOR THE DRY RUB:
• 1 TBS Dark Brown Sugar (I used Light Brown Sugar)
• 2 tsp Salt
• 1-1/2 tsp Paprika
• 1/4 tsp Ground Cumin
• 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/4 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• Pinch of Ground Cinnamon
• Pinch of Ground Ginger
• And Finally... FOR THE MEAL
• 1 Pound Pork Loin (I used a 2-1/4 pounder)
• 5 Slices of Bacon (I used thick cut, 1/2 a pound, 8 Slices (I like Bacon))
• 1/2 Red Onion
• 5 Ounces (about 6 Cups) Spinach Leaves
• 2 Clementines peeled and separated, or canned Mandarin Oranges (Note:I used "regular" Orange slices in place of the Clementines)
• NOT IN THE BOOK ADDITIONS I MADE TO THE SALAD
• A handful of left over Strawberries, greens removed and sliced
• a small can of sliced Waterchestnuts
• 6 Green Onions, sliced in half lengthwise, brushed with Olive Oil and grilled

Cooking Directions

1. Build a charcoal fire for indirect cooking by situating the coals on only one side of the grill, leaving the other side empty. Preheat the grill to 275 F.
2. For the dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, vinegars, hot sauce, granulated sugar, salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. For the liquid seasoning: in a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce, olive oil, lemon juice, brown sugar, garlic powder, and pepper. Set aside.
4. For the dry rub: In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, salt, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, pepper, cinnamon, and ginger. Season the pork tenderloin liberally with the dry rub.
5. In a 10 inch cast iron skillet on the stovetop, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until it is crisp and browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Add the seasoned pork tenderloin to the skillet and sear for about 30 seconds on each side. Remove the skillet from the heat and pour the liquid seasoning over the pork.
6. Put the skillet over indirect heat on the outdoor grill. Close the lid, and cook, turning once, until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 145 F. in the center of its thickest portion, about 30 minutes. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let it rest.
7. Put the skillet, with the cooking juices, on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add the red onion and cook, stirring, until softened but still slightly crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer the onions to a bowl.
8. Rinse the skillet under running water to cool it and wipe it dry. Fill the skillet to the top rim with spinach leaves. Top the spinach with the onions, clementines, and bacon. Slice the tenderloin into medallions and arrange them on top of the salad. Drizzle the top with the dressing and serve in the cast iron skillet family style.
9. NOTE... These are the changes I made... NONE, except I used a large serving platter instead of the more dramatic presentation of the salad served in a cast iron skillet.  I also made only a single substitution, the Orange slices in place of the clementines. I also added a few extras in the salad (strawberries, water chestnuts and grilled green onions). I only added them because I had extras around the refrigerator with no plans. Better to fancy up the salad than waste food.
10. And ENJOY indeed!

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So,  I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of  "52 Grilling Time Secret Extras" or "52 Ways to Cook BBQ and Grilling Recipes"!!!

Well over 52 recipes actually as I just can't stop... Over 100 in one grilling season (I love to grill!). But not just leat... Drinks, Condiments (LOTS of different BBQ sauces), Drinks, Desserts... even specialty items like GRILLED Pizza, and fun shaped Watermelons.  Easy and these ideas will make you the MASTER of your Backyard Domain!

****************************PINTEREST**************************

Come and find me on Pinterest... Any of my "52 Ways to cook" Boards are worth following.  If you like this post, please take a second and "Pin" this to your own boards... Better yet, if you are part of a foodie group board please take a second and add this post to your group pins... best way to show your Love!

And BTW, if you are not yet part of a group board, drop me an email at Contact@eRecipeCards.com and request to be added to my group board... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! (be sure to include your pinterest ID when you write)  Once you are added, any pins you add will be seen by 10s of THOUSANDS of followers of the board (and growing daily).

Rules, only 2... 

1. In order to join you need to start following the group board as well as at least one of my boards.
2. And you must ONLY pin original sources, posts from food related bloggers only.  If you are a blogger, this is a great way to have thousands of potential readers see your work,  If you are a fan of bloggers, a great way to share your favorites...
   Come and be a part of ... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! on Pinterest

Dressing - Chorizo Sausage and Apple Stuffing - 52 Do Ahead Side Dishes

High horse for just a minute...

Stuffing a turkey is bad.  There is a risk of killing your family with food poisoning.  While selectively, on the surface, not a bad idea, but food poisoning is not selective.  Everyone goes.  BTW, the risk is small, but it is there.  But, more important (well, not really important, but more likely), you run the more real risk of overcooking your turkey in order to get the stuffing hot enough.  Your bird will cook faster and more evenly if you leave the cavity empty.  Or better yet, stuff a lemon into the cavity so the steaming juices will help moisten and flavor the bird...

And of course if you are going to Grill or Smoke (or Fry) a turkey, stuffing is not even an option.

So, why not a cast iron skillet recipe.

One pot (well skillet), cook, mix and serve all in the same skillet.

By cooking in a large skillet, you get the benefits of a big amount of crispy top, covering an equal amount of the creamy melt in your mouth savory bread pudding custard base.  Everyone gets that wonderful contrasting texture in each spoon full.

And a side benefit, it adds a beautiful color to your buffet table.  the Chorizo sausage has a beautiful red color that will infuse into the other ingredients, adding a golden amber color to the dish.  And a perfect way to serve the turkey, resting on a bed of Dressing!

Now really... Isn't that better looking than a brown mushy stuffing.

Oh, one more thing to consider...  OMG taste!!!

Chorizo sausage is a spicy Spanish mix of pork, peppers, paprika (lots of paprika) and other spices.  It adds a just spicy enough taste to the dressing without being overpowering.  Since it is nicely spiced, no need to add a lot of other spices to the dish.  It does not have that sage taste that is in most stuffing, but then again, most stuffings do not have the Chorizo taste you find in this dressing!  But if you really think you will miss it, you have my permission to add some sage to the recipe.  I also did not use celery.  Personal preference only, feel free.

OK, here's what I did...

Dressing - Chorizo Sausage and Apple Stuffing

Ingredients

1 loaf of bread cut into 1 inch cubes (or a bag of bread cubes)
8 TBS butter, divided
1 pound fresh Chorizo sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
2 Granny Smith apples cored, and sliced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup Buttermilk
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup walnut pieces
4 eggs, beaten

Cooking Directions

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
• Break out the large heavy cast iron skillet.  You will be cooking on the stove top as well as baking in the oven.  Or, when it comes time to mix, you can transfer into a baking dish.
• Melt 4 TBS butter
• Brown the sausage in the butter.  DO NOT over cook the sausage.  You just want to take the chill out and slightly color the outside.
• Add the onion to the sausage and sautee for about 10 minutes
• Add the apple slices and sautee for another 5 minutes.  If you like celery, add now as well.
• Add the broth and bring everything to a boil.
• Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
• Top with bread cubes, add 1/2 of the parsley and sprinkle with 1/2 the walnuts (do not mix yet)
• Drizzle the buttermilk and 4 beaten eggs over the bread, as evenly as possible
• And finally, fold the bread mixture into the sausage mixture and mix gently.  You want an even mix, but you do not want to over mix the bread cubes into bread crumbs.
• Move the skillet to the oven, 325 degrees for 40 minutes.  You will see the bread cubes just start to brown.  Now, drizzle evenly the remaining 4 TBS of butter over the top and add the final  bits of parsley and walnuts.
• Return to the oven and finish browning the bread, about 20 minutes more.

Here are a few photos to give you an idea about what I am talking about...

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My good Blogging buddy Larry has been RVing around the country and stopped by our little corner of the Universe.  I used the occasion of his visit to throw a Bobby Flay style BBQ Addiction Whoop de Doo with...

Fish, Fowl, Hoof, Larry, Snout and Fish!  

First up, the Fowl, that's a BBQ Turkey, brined and injected with Cajun Butter and Glazed with that Jack Daniel's Whiskey BBQ Sauce.

Second is the Hoof, a 30 Garlic Peppercorn Beef Roast.

Third is Larry hisself!

These Sweet Cherry Baby Back ribs are second from the right 

And last but not least... the Fish is an absolutely amazing Cranberry Walnut sauce Sugar Cured Whole Salmon Filet.

But even Larry does not travel 4,000 miles in a rolling Studio Apartment on Meat alone... Come back all this next week for my side dishes, desserts to go along with all that meat.

I started with a spectacular presentation of a simple Jell-o salad (Dessert???).  Just a little extra effort and I had Stained Glass Jell-O, worthy of any Church PotLuck.

And then I whipped up a quick and easy faux Succotash (no Lima Beans) of corn and tomato relish (salsa, or... well, why not go ahead and call  it a Succotash!) that added bright colors and a unique combination of tastes (and only takes about 10 minutes to make)!

I did serve two kinds of potatoes, not only these, but I also WHIPPED up what I consider the world's BEST Garlic Mashed Potatoes.  These have it all... BACON, Garlic, A secret ingredient that leaves them with a hint of natural sweetness.  They are creamy yet still have a little bit of texture lumps.  I like a few  skin on potatoes so there are bits of red potato skins for color, texture and health. Making mashed potatoes for any group is always tough as people like what they like and question why anyone would make something new.  But for me at least... BEST EVER GARLIC MASHED POTATOES!


For that second potato dish ( Mostly I like the look of the presentation of a big beef roast resting on a bed of)...
Garlic Green Beans, Red Potato warm Potato Salad!  Makes a beautiful presentation and loaded with flavors (and adds another vegetable to the table.

We are getting close to the end of my "Feeding Larry" series.

But I did want to remind you all of the AMAZING Mac and Cheese... Flavored with a package of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing seasoning packet, this is about my very favorite.  Fast and Easy Ranch Mac and Cheese, can be made a day in advance, served warm or cold... A PERFECT Side Dish for any occasion!

Now we are into the side dishes (and haven't even started the pies yet)... 10 Dishes and still rolling along.  See you tomorrow!

*************************************************************************

So,  I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of  "52 Grilling Time Secret Extras" or "52 Ways to Cook BBQ and Grilling Recipes"!!!

Well over 52 recipes actually as I just can't stop... Over 100 in one grilling season (I love to grill!). But not just leat... Drinks, Condiments (LOTS of different BBQ sauces), Drinks, Desserts... even specialty items like GRILLED Pizza, and fun shaped Watermelons.  Easy and these ideas will make you the MASTER of your Backyard Domain!

****************************PINTEREST**************************

Come and find me on Pinterest... Any of my "52 Ways to cook" Boards are worth following.  If you like this post, please take a second and "Pin" this to your own boards... Better yet, if you are part of a foodie group board please take a second and add this post to your group pins... best way to show your Love!

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Myron Mixon Andouille Stuffed Pork Sliders - 52 BBQ Tutorials

Sit back and plan to enjoy a long post (but plenty of photos, so not really that long).  If you want to skip to the recipe, just scroll down about half way.

Recently, right here in my back yard, the big time came to town!  Meaning, the American Royal 34th Annual World Series of BBQ!  The American Royal (as it is commonly called) is an annual event here.  More than 500 teams compete, making this the largest BBQ competition in the nation.  Reputations are made and locked in for life with a win at the Royal.  More than one restaurant and BBQ sauce was created from a win at the Royal.

Thanks to the kindness of a Blogging Buddy... Chris of the Nibble Me This Blog was invited to cover the Royal as a media correspondent.  His inconvenient day job and obligations got in the way so he passed my name on to the PR dept.  I have been attending the Royal for years as a partier.  This was a chance to see things up close in a new light... The words, Time of my life come to mind!

I am sure that had Chris been able to cover the even he would look at it with a different eye than I would.  After all, Chris recently invested in a new BEAUTIFUL Competition Smoking Rig.  He has the bug.  If you have read his last few months worth of posts, he has the fever.  His days as a top notch home grillmaster are numbered and he has plans to hit the road.

Me, I still am striving to be the master of my domain, king of the Cul de Sac grillers I can see from my back deck.  So I chose to cover the event with eye towards what I can learn and transfer to my home deck.

The Royal is many things.  For the most part, whatever you are looking for, you can find at the Royal...

Inspiration... OMG, just driving into the neighborhood where the Royal is held will inspire you to cook, cook, cook.  The air is filled with the delicious aroma of smoking meat.  There is bits of smoke rising from the multi acre competition area.

The set ups that experienced competitors use is fun to see.  I am always drawn to this Superman (Clark Kent) themed set up who have 75 years worth of competition under their collective belts.  They shared a bit of their Que that they were preparing for the party night and of course... WONDERFUL!

You will also find plenty of like minded souls willing to talk, share and help.

This guy is Shannon Kimball.  He is a local guy who was competing in the "Best BBQ Sauce on the Planet" award.  i have started making my own sauces, with several different under my belt this summer I was interested in hearing what he does.

Turns out that was time well spent as just a few hours after he took time to tell me the number of times he made his signature sauce before he hit on that balance of sweet and heat, spice and texture, carefully recording each formula... HE WON!  Yeap, I tasted his sauce when he was just a contender and I got tips from the maker of 2013's BEST SAUCE ON THE PLANET!


You can also get more than enough information about any cooker you can imagine... Some day I will join the masses and pick up an Egg.  Until then I can do hours worth of research by talking to salesmen as well as cooks who compete using a Big Green Egg.  No matter what cooker you may dream of, they are probably represented at the Royal.  Good Bad and Indifferent you can get plenty of hints, tips and suggestions.

And you can also see the popular cooks of the day giving live cooking demonstrations and even get a snack of what they are cooking.

I sat through a half dozen cooking demos from plenty of great cooks, all sharing something that I can take home as a Cul de Sac master griller.

This particular gem came from the demo by Myron Mixon.  You may recognise Myron from his many TV appearances such as BBQ Pitmasters.  He has won an amazing 180 Grand Championships and over 1,800 BBQ trophies.  He has chops!

He started his presentation with a talk about competition and an invite to attend one of his cooking classes.  Then he wanted to show a back yard trick to getting a great presentation from simple, probably in your pantry ingredients.  And sure enough, I had the necessary ingredients...

I love a sale.  That's what freezers are for.  A few times a year my local store will put those long thin pork loins on sale for less than $4.  Normally they run about $8 so I snatch up a few each time I see them cheap.  Generally I like to make one each time I smoke so that I can add the diced meat into my beans.

He also uses a precooked sausage.  He used a polish sausage.  But I decided to use an Andouille Cajun New orleans spiced sausage.  Again, bought on sale (watch the newspaper, there are almost always coupons).  And again, frozen which came in handy when you try to stuff this into the loin.

The technique is pretty simple...  Take a long thin knife and cut an X all the way through the center of the loin.

Then take a long thin poking device (I used my honing steel used to get an edge on knifes) and enlarge that X all the way through.

Then just force the sausage into the loin.

And now you just smoke or grill or even roast in the oven as you normally would.

And what you end up with is a beautiful presentation as well as a a delicious mix of meats, spices, rub... and just happen to be the right size for little slider sandwiches.

Tailgate party idea anyone???

It may look a bit odd, but this makes sense.  I was able to put a sweet BBQ rub on the outside of the loin.  The pork has a natural sweetness and came out just as deliciously tender as you can imagine.  While the sausage was indeed deliciously CAJUN Spiced.    Since the sausage ended up in the center, Heat and Sweet, a variety of textures and layers of flavors in EVERY BITE!  Unusual look, surprisingly complicated flavors turns my usually throw away sale meat into something special... And makes a great slider!

OK... It's all from my freezer or from my fridge.  Just double click the blue letters to see the recipes for the ingredients (or make up your own combinations and send them to me on the comment section)...

Myron Mixon's
Andouille Stuffed
Pork Loin and Sausage Sliders

Ingredients

1 Hormel Brand Pork Loin
1 Foot long Cooked Andouille Sausage (Frozen)
Sweet Cherry BBQ Rub
a Dozen Slider Buns (Try THIS RECIPE)
Pickled Red Onions for Garnish
Bread and Butter Pickles for Garnish
Not Shown, but I used Sweet Root Beer BBQ Sauce for topping

Cooking Instructions

1. Cut an X in the flat side of the pork loin.  Use a combination of a long thin knife and a thin long round poking device to get a hole throughout the loin.
2. Shove the frozen sausage through the hole, leaving a bit sticking out of both ends
3. Allow the sausage to thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
4. Rub the sweet spice rub into the outside of the pork loin.
5. Grill indirect smoking style, long and slow, 250 degrees, no lower than 225,  until internal temperature of the LOIN is 140 degrees.
6. Allow to rest for 10 minutes (the internal temp will go up to 145) and slice thin
7. Serve on bun, garnish as you like and ENJOY!

Keep coming back.  I will have more reports from the Royal as well as additional recipes, tricks, tips and techniques that I learned on my weekend of FUN!

Thanks Chris and my hosts at the Royal!

*************************************************************************

So,  I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of  "52 Grilling Time Secret Extras" or "52 Ways to Cook BBQ and Grilling Recipes"!!!

Well over 52 recipes actually as I just can't stop... Over 100 in one grilling season (I love to grill!). But not just leat... Drinks, Condiments (LOTS of different BBQ sauces), Drinks, Desserts... even specialty items like GRILLED Pizza, and fun shaped Watermelons.  Easy and these ideas will make you the MASTER of your Backyard Domain!

****************************PINTEREST**************************

Come and find me on Pinterest... Any of my "52 Ways to cook" Boards are worth following.  If you like this post, please take a second and "Pin" this to your own boards... Better yet, if you are part of a foodie group board please take a second and add this post to your group pins... best way to show your Love!

And BTW, if you are not yet part of a group board, drop me an email at Contact@eRecipeCards.com and request to be added to my group board... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! (be sure to include your pinterest ID when you write)  Once you are added, any pins you add will be seen by 10s of THOUSANDS of followers of the board (and growing daily).

Rules, only 2... 

1. In order to join you need to start following the group board as well as at least one of my boards.
2. And you must ONLY pin original sources, posts from food related bloggers only.  If you are a blogger, this is a great way to have thousands of potential readers see your work,  If you are a fan of bloggers, a great way to share your favorites...
   Come and be a part of ... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! on Pinterest