September 17, 2007
Green Beans
If you stay in the catering business long enough, you get some really different gigs/jobs. We experienced this phenomenon this past weekend when we catered a party in Port Wentworth for a regional conference of The Little People of America. As different as we imagined it to be, it was probably one of the better parties (most fun) we have catered in our whole career. They had a talent show, a DJ, dancing and... even though their stature is small, they have large appetites! It was really a fun party to do!
In the last couple of years, we have started adding green beans to the menu. The General despises canned green beans because they taste canned, so I have been buying the frozen 5 pound long cut package at Sam's. They are very easy to prepare. Simply bring your water to a boil (TG uses the turkey fryer pot) and add the green beans...for this party I used 15 pounds. This will cool the water, so wait until the water comes back to a boil. In the meantime, add a handful of minced garlic along with 1/3 cup of Lea and Perrin's Worchestershire sauce. Once the water returns to boiling, cook for no more than 5 minutes. Do not over boil them!! Remove the beans from the pot and put them in half pans and add plenty of butter. As Paula Deen says, "The more butter, the better they taste." These beans retain a nice green color and have plenty of texture and flavor...and have really been a hit at the parties where we serve them.
Posted by The General at 09:57 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBackAugust 29, 2007
A Neat "Hat Trick"
No, The General has not taken up ice hockey! Let's face it cooking...especially BBQ...can be a messy pastime. Over the years TG has collected hats from all over the country. All are valuable in the memories they provide, but most of my favorites had become too dirty to wear. I originally thought taking them to the dry cleaners may work...but that is pretty expensive. Here is an almost cost free way to get your hats clean...put them on the top rack of the dishwasher and hit the on button. Yes, you can have dishes on the bottom rack. When the cycle is complete, take the hat out and stuff a towel in the crown to retain its shape. Let it air dry and you are finished. I have done almost a dozen hats this way and even the worst ones have come out looking as good as new!
Posted by The General at 04:16 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBackJanuary 02, 2007
Just Under the Wire
Last year TLW told me I could not blog about turkeys except during the holiday season. So, I want to slip this one in before I get out of season again...for my own reference as well as our readers.
As already noted in November TG cooked 148 turkeys for the Old Savannah City Mission to serve in Forsyth Park. What we found living here in Savannah is that Savannahians use a simple mixture of black pepper and seasoned salt all blended together for their rub for both turkey and pork...and who knows what else. TG got lucky at Sam's recently and found a product I hadn't seen before and that is Rosemary and Garlic seasoning. I used it as part of my rub on the turkeys I sold to customers. The rosemary and garlic put off a wonderful aroma as the meat cooks. In the absence of fresh whole rosemary, I put bay leaves in the cavity. I also combined the Rosemary and Garlic Seasoning by Tone's with another product of theirs which is Sea Salt and Parsley.
Our old faithful is Morton's Tender Quick which I have been using for years to brine my turkeys. This product is sold often times in hardware stores of all places. Since this is not always found on your local grocery store's shelves, I would suggest if you have trouble finding it to just order it online. They also have a 32 page illustrated guide to curing meat, so you might want to inquire about that also. Remember always cook your turkey to 170* in the thickest part of the bird.
We also have found recipes on the internet for different brines. This is fun way to experiment for all The General's chemistry buddies.
This wraps up my turkey discussion until the holiday season of 2007.
Brining in a heavy duty bag is a great space saver. Just remember to 'flip the bird' often!
Hot and ready to be delivered.
November 22, 2006
Turkey Hotline
Turkey Hotline 1-800-Butterball
Have a great Thanksgiving Day!
Posted by The General at 08:23 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBackSeptember 11, 2006
5 Things To Eat Before You Die
The General got tagged by Bigmista over at The Survival Gourmet to participate in the latest meme, Foodbloggers Guide to the Globe. The premise is that food bloggers from all over the world should list five things that they have eaten and think everyone should try at least once before they die. TLW and I have put our heads together and have come up with our list!
1. TLW's ultimate pick is an authentic Lobster bake...she says forget the fillers (corn, potatoes and sausage) and stick with the fresh steamed lobster and soft shell clams or "steamers" as she calls them. She remembers times on Nantucket and Cape Cod when a large hole would be dug in the beach and a fire was started in it. Then rocks would be thrown on the fire along with seaweed. Then all the food was thrown on top of the seaweed, covered by another layer of seaweed and then a tarp. This way everything steamed with the wonderful aroma of the sea.....
2. Salmon: If you have never enjoyed or had the pleasure of eating wild salmon it is 180* different from farm raised. It just doesn't get much better than Alaska's Copper River Salmon. Use this 50 year old recipe for a 30 minute marinade. The best!
3. Beef brisket cooked correctly is the best BBQ you can eat...although most folks like pork. Make this "brisket rollup" by using either blue cheese or ranch dressing, green and yellow peppers sauteed, mushrooms and onions sauteed, and thin sliced 7" flat bread along with brisket slices.
4. Cuban sandwich includes roast pork, ham, yellow mustard, Swiss cheese, and bread and butter pickles. Use Cuban bread with melted butter on top. Press the sandwich on a sandwich press or under a foil covered brick.
5. Bread pudding with Easy Bourbon Sauce
1 3/4 C sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 t vanilla (pure)
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1 1/2 t nutmeg
3/4 C butter (melted)
1 C whole milk
1 C heavy cream
1/2 C raisins
1/3 C pecans
6 C bread (stale French) diced
Into large blender jar, add eggs and blend on medium speed 30-45 seconds or until eggs are lemon yellow color. Add sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, butter and blend on medium speed until thoroughly blended. Add milk and cream and mix. Fold in raisins and pecans.
Into large bowl add diced bread, along with egg and milk mixture. Fold until bread is completely soaked with egg and milk mixture.
Pour mixture into thoroughly greased cooking pan. Place in preheated oven at 325* and bake for 35-40 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 425* and cook until well browned...about 15 minutes.
Bourbon Sauce
1 stick of unsalted butter at room temperature
1 C sugar
1/4 C water
1 large egg yolk
2 T bourbon
Combine all ingredients except bourbon in small saucepan. Mix well. Cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and continue cooking...about 3 minutes or until the mixture starts to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in bourbon.
September 09, 2006
Pork Brine and a Little Rest
If you have ever competed in a competitive sport, like golf or tennis, you know how important it is to try to "keep it all together." It is sometimes quite a feat! For instance, in golf you may get your putting game down, but then all of a sudden your fairway shots seem to fall off. In tennis, your backhand might be killer, but your volleys never land where you want them to.
Such is the case in cooking competitive BBQ. The General has been whining bemoaning about not winning the Georgia State Championship last month by less than two points. After considerable agonizing, it seems as though our pork was a little off. Sometimes it is the simplest of things that might cause your product to go askew. I was reading the July/August edition of Cook's Illustrated and they had an article on Cuban BBQ Pork. In the article it stated that you should always allow your finished pork butt to rest for at least 30 minutes to an hour to allow the juices to re-distribute through the meat.
All of a sudden, a bell went off in my head! Why have I been taking my pork straight from the pit and pulling it...not allowing the juices to re-distribute? TG knows better than this! Could this be my missing secret?
In the same article, they gave a recipe for pork brine that I think may be worth trying:
3 C sugar
2 C table salt
2 medium garlic heads, separated and crushed
4 C orange juice
Dissolve the sugar and salt in six cups of cold water in a stock pot. Stir in the garlic and orange juice. Submerge pork in brine and refrigerate eighteen to twenty-four hours. **Be sure to rinse off the brine before smoking due to the high content of salt and sugar.
Perhaps I can fix my pork?
This backs up the case that TG argues repeatedly (and doesn't always follow)...keep strict notes because when things start to go wrong you can always refer back to your notes!
August 27, 2006
Slight deviation
TG has always sprayed meat with 1 part apple cider vinegar, 2 parts apple juice, and enough Lea & Perrins to turn the mixture dark. One of our fellow competitors on the BBQ circuit uses a mixture of 2 parts apple juice, 1 part Jack Daniels and 1 part maple syrup. I will be trying this on my beef, pork butt and chicken next week...stay tuned!
And check out this week's Carnival of the Recipes at The Common Room...good stuff!
Posted by The General at 02:01 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBackBingo!
Since we have been here in Savannah, we have been for the most part cut off from buying CAB (Certified Angus Beef) brisket. Wow! It does make a difference. Out of desperation, I asked Donald, the butcher, at the local Piggly Wiggly supermarket if he could get some. He called back a week later to let me know my CAB brisket had arrived and were they ever nice!
TG prepped the brisket by removing any excess fat, but still leaving plenty of fat on for flavor. I seasoned it with Happy Holla' seasoning and some garlic black pepper. The pit was loaded about 10:30 pm and I had set it to cook low and slow all night. The next morning when I checked the temperature, the probe slid right through the meat with no resistance. I knew right then that we had some superb brisket! Most people would say, "Right on!" The brisket was cut across the grain in 1/4" slices and each piece was brushed with bbq sauce mixed with some honey.
Too bad we weren't competing...these briskets would have easily scored in the top ten!
Sometimes the simple things in life are by far the best. Using the fabulous brisket, we made sandwiches. I had read somewhere that one of our fellow bbq'ers at his restaurant always topped his brisket sandwiches with french fried onion rings and some bbq sauce. What a hit!
When we were closing up for the day, a fisherman who had had a little too much to drink, came up to me and started talking about his sandwich...saying it was the best sandwich he had ever had. I hope he remembers the brisket as much as he remembers the onion ring! TLW says he will probably spend the rest of his life craving that sandwich!
I wish I had my 'camera person' with me!!
Posted by The General at 01:00 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBackAugust 20, 2006
Good news for fish lovers!
Inland Seafood, a major seafood purveyor out of Atlanta, sends The General a fax every Friday morning to share what is plentiful, in-season, and out of season. This Friday I received a report that the Alaskan wild salmon (King and Coho) are now available and will be through the fall. Now, if you are used to eating farm raised salmon, this is good and bad news because once you have experienced wild salmon you will never want to return to the farm raised!
TG went to Matthew's Seafood Friday afternoon and purchased a fillet of Coho and a fillet of King salmon. I used the marinade that is my favorite (see recipe). The key to marinating fish is to not 'over do' it! Usually one hour is the maximum for marinating time.
Your fire should not be too hot. Using a piece of aluminum foil on top of the grill grate (sprayed with Pam) will allow you to pick up the foil and the fish with no sticking. However, a fish basket works best to get the 'char look' on the fish. Using the indirect method, throw some bay leaves on the coals for flavor while cooking.
Max internal temperature should be no more than 135* in the center of the fish. Bon apetit!
Water Pan? Drip Pan?
The beauty about doing this blog is that it forces The General to remember the thousands of things I have forgotten! Joe, from Florida, asked when he should use water in the drip pan and when he shouldn't. He also asked what effect the water or the spiced water has. It took some time to come up with an answer, because I haven't used a water pan in years.
In theory, a pan filled with water should help retain moisture inside your pit or smoker. If you use something like apple juice or a combination of apple juice and apple cider vinegar, those aromas should be present inside your smoker and ultimately on your meat. This is something you need to test for yourself and see if you can detect any advantages in this simple process either with flavor or with moisture.
A drip pan without any water/apple juice in it, is just a tool to collect drippings so that those fat-laden drippings don't ignite an unwanted fire in your indirect location.
Posted by The General at 01:16 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBackAugust 16, 2006
Thermometers
Received an email from our blog buddy Joe regarding thermometers. His 22" Weber did not come with one. So if you don't have a thermometer, go to your local grilling store or go to this link and order one from Tel-Tru!
Drill a small hole with a power drill and insert the rod through the cover and put the coupling on to hold it in place...and you are in business just like The General!!
There ya go, Joe!
August 13, 2006
Dillard GA Bluegrass and Barbecue 2006 KCBS State BBQ Championship
On August 4th and 5th we returned to Dillard, GA...nestled in the NE corner of the state and near Highlands, NC. The significance of Dillard is that it is the site of the GA KCBS BBQ State Championship and it is run by an excellent promoter, Jane Tomlin. TLW and I won this event in 1999! The contest actually started in a small Farmer's Market and it has grown substantially (this year 57 teams attended)....some of the best in the Southeast.
We thought we would share the recipes we used.
There are four major categories in the Kansas City Barbecue Society contests. They start with chicken, then ribs, pork and finally beef brisket.
Chicken
We always use thighs in competition because they are the juiciest. We bought some thighs at WalMart and some from Sam's Club.
TG believes in 'hedging my bet.' So I used three different marinades: Champagne Dressing, MoJo, and a combination of Italian Dressing and 8 oz. of Dijon mustard. Those little guys marinated overnight in the different mixtures.
After removing the chicken from the marinade, I gently washed the messy mixtures off. Using Happy Holla rub, I made sure that all of the chicken including under the skin was covered to penetrate all surfaces.
The chicken went into the Southern Pride cooking at 225* and cooked to an internal temperature of 170*.
We started doing well in this chicken category after we got a tip from our BBQ buddy "Jumpin' Jim" many years ago. Remove the chicken from the smoker and let it "waller" in a pan of sauce for 1 hour.
Our Weber was set up for indirect grilling with some pecan and hickory chips to give it that final smokey flavor. Let the chicken remain on indirect heat for about 20 minutes...making sure the thighs don't burn with all the sauce on them.
All three of us decided that we liked the flavor of the MoJo marinade and those were the ones we entered.
In chicken we placed 7th out of 57 teams!
Ribs
First I rinsed the ribs off with water after removing them from the package. It seems to make removing the membrane easier. After removing the membrane, I used yellow mustard and Happy Holla rub along with some Garlic Pepper and I slathered the ribs on both sides with the mixture. I put the ribs in a plastic bag and let them rest overnight in an iced cooler. At 7:00 am the morning of the contest the ribs went into the Southern Pride. They ran for 4 hours between 220* - 240*. We were showing "good bone" after the 4 hours. The only real way one can tell if the ribs are finished is to pick them up on the ends and they start breaking in the middle they are done.
We put one slab on the Weber for about 20 minutes saucing it repeatedly after removing it from the Southern Pride. Much to our surprise the fire was hot enough to caramelize the sauce. TLW and our helper Buckhead Janet liked the flavor of that one and that is the one we entered. The jury is still out on that one??? We probably shouldn't have entered that one, because some of the coating (sauce) turned too dark and got chewy like peanut I brittle... Our rib score was our lowest.
Pork Butt
I rinsed the butts off with water and used Happy Holla' seasoning along with garlic pepper, yellow mustard and a good coating of brown sugar. I slathered the mixture well on all sides of all butts.
The pork butts ran in the Southern Pride at 220* - 240* from midnight to noon the next day. I took the butts off when they reached an internal temperature of 190*. I wrapped them in aluminum foil and let them rest until time for turn in.
Brisket
We use CAB (certified angus beef) for our brisket entries...always. After removing from the wrapper, trim the fat off leaving about 25% of the fat. TLW is quite handy with her knives and likes to do this. She thinks TG take too much fat off. Leaving a good amount of fat on will flavor the meat as the brisket cooks since we always cook brisket with the fat side up...
I used Happy Holla rub, garlic pepper and olive oil to coat all sides of the brisket.
The briskets went on with the pork at midnight at 220* -240* and ran all night until I achieved the internal temperature of 190*. ( TG wrapped with aluminum foil one of the four briskets after it reached an internal temperature of 160*...in order to collect some of the juices.) After hitting the perfect internal temperature, the briskets were removed from the smoker and loosely wrapped with foil.
TLW sliced it across the grain and made each slice about the width of a Number 2 pencil. She sauced each piece front and back with some of our sauce mixed with some of the brisket juice left on the foil wrappers.
Sauce
We used Head Country Sauce and Buckhead Janet mixed up in a half pan a concoction of mostly regular with a dash of the hot. In the half pan she squeezed two lines of honey and added 1/4 to 1/2 cup of brown sugar.
Going to a cookoff when you haven't been cooking can be somewhat of a gutsy thing. The teams you are competing against are generally out there every weekend. We try to take a more social attitude toward going now, but the competitor is deeply engrained in us. When it was all over, we felt both emotions of joy and a little sadness. In the side categories, we took 1st in the grits and a 3rd in cabbage. For the main contest we took 7th in chicken and 2nd in brisket. There were 57 teams participating and on our finish we tied for 2nd place...only less than two points shy of bringing the title of the GA State KCBS Championship home to Savannah! We were thrilled with our victory, but wondering where we could have picked up those two points....surely with a better rib selection???
Next stop...Douglas, GA on November 4 and 5..
July 10, 2006
Boneless Leg of Lamb Stuffed with Olive Tapenade, Garlic and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Our friend, Sir Charles, gave us a boneless leg of lamb with the request that The General brine it before cooking...because that is the way he likes his lamb. A simple brining solution consists of about a quart of water and a half a cup of Kosher salt or sea salt. Put the two ingredients in a blender and blend for about thirty seconds. Put the lamb in a zip-loc bag and pour the brining solution over it and let it sit overnight.
The next day, make sure you remove the meat from the brine and thoroughly rinse the meat with cold running water. The jury is still out for The General on brining...but so far so good. I am beginning to think that it does add to the overall texture of the meat.
I cut the lamb almost all the way through...straight down the center and stuffed it with olive tapenade and something new I found at Fresh Market...minced garlic with sun-dried tomatoes. Then using butcher string, I tied the lamb back together and was ready for grilling.
I set the grill up for indirect grilling and placed the roast on the indirect side and let it cook until it reached an internal temperature of 135*. 
After untying and cutting the lamb, it turned out to be a real crowd pleaser.
I made a simple orange glaze to accompany it.
July 06, 2006
It's a Southern Thang
Three years ago Williamson Bros. restaurant in Marietta, Ga (north of Atlanta) hosted a dinner for the Board of Directors of the National Barbecue Association of which I was a member. You need to understand that they do a huge BBQ restaurant business as well as a catering business...both are very successful. However, on that evening, the thing that they were the proudest of is their "Fried Pickle." They went on and on about how great the fried pickles were.
Now you can't have fried pickles without fried green tomatoes. It's a ritual in the South. There was even a movie called "Fried Green Tomatoes."
Here is an easy how-to for both:
Use Kosher dills for the pickles and sliced green tomatoes (regular hamburger sized tomatoes).
Take a couple of eggs beaten for your dip or bath for both the pickles and tomatoes.
I used Zatarain's Seasoned Fish Fry and after dipping in the egg wash, coat the pickles and tomatoes in the breading.
Zatarain's can be purchased in Sam's Club or most grocery stores around here in the flour section. You can also use a simple combination of all purpose flour and corn meal (1/2 to 1/2) and don't forget to season with black pepper!
Use your black iron skillet and heat your peanut oil to 375*. When your oil reaches that temperature, put in your pickles and tomatoes. Fry until golden brown on both sides.
When frying on the stove top, never leave the skillet unattended...even to go check your grill! And never let your temperature exceed 375*
As Paula Deen says, "Put some South in your mouth!"
Actually that saying didn't originate with Paula Deen...it came from Jack Black owner of the Old Hickory House restaurants in the Atlanta area. When The General was a kid (back in the dark ages) this is where we went to get our BBQ!
July 04, 2006
Pork Loin Stuffed with Olive Tapenade and Parmesan Cheese
Having a crowd over?
A real crowd pleaser for your friends and your wallet is a whole pork loin. Even better, kick it up a notch and stuff it with an olive tapenade. For the marinade The General used "mojo" found in most ethnic sections of supermarkets. Let it marinate over night. The next day, drain the marinade and rub it down with your favorite spice rub (I used Mojo Seco by Konriko.) TLW commented on how good it smelled...even though she could distinguish the cumin...and she is not a cumin fan. You might want to try some also. I then spread the pork loin out and cut it from end to end right down the center of the top of the loin...being careful not to cut all the way through. You will then have a V shaped piece of meat ready to be stuffed. I then spooned in the olive tapenade that I bought at Sam's, some minced garlic, along with some freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Then using butcher string I tied it back together in four or five different places.
Here's a little something I learned at this part of the process. If you are doing prep and stuffing, generally your hands are going to be pretty messy. Leave the ball of butcher string on the counter and just pull from the end to get your desired amount of string. If you try to pick up the whole ball of string, you are going to have some contaminated string!
Set up the grill for indirect smoking and place your masterpiece on the grate. Depending on what temperature you are cooking at, it should take two to three hours to reach an internal temperature of 165* in the center of the meat.
Your sliced pork loin will feed 12 -15 people and will be make an attractive presentation when plated.
June 22, 2006
The Versatility of Pork
Much too often we get in a rut when cooking pork because we translate pork into chops or pulled, chopped, or shredded for BBQ sandwiches. At our local supermarket I found "Pork Florentine" for our dinner last night. It consisted of sliced pork loin that had been pounded to about 1/2 " thick, then it was rolled with spinach and mozzarella cheese.
I then fired up the grill and cooked these rolls over direct heat until they reached an internal temperature of 165*. (Turning often during the cooking process.) The General and his LW were very pleased with the results and it served as a good reminder that you can always upscale your pork!
June 19, 2006
Another Rub
I tried the rub that Steve Raichlen recommends in the Slate article The General mentioned last week. It calls for equal parts of salt (preferably sea salt), freshly ground black pepper, paprika and brown sugar. You can make as much or as little as you want...as long as you keep your ingredients balanced.
TG has already mentioned in the past about Karen Adler and the BBQ Queens Big Book of BBQ and how much I use her books. Here are a couple of her rubs for you to try also:
Cajun Steak Rub
1 T garlic powder
1 T ground black pepper
1 T sweet Hungarian paprika
1 1/2 t cayenne pepper
1 T kosher or sea salt
1/2 t ground white pepper
Brisket Rub
1/2 C kosher salt
1/4 C garlic powder
1/4 C lemon pepper seasoning
1/4 C light or dark brown sugar
3 T ground chipolte
3 T mesquite seasoning
3 T dried thyme
3 T ground cumin
The BBQ Queens also recommend McCormick seasonings and McCormick GrillMates. Check out their website.
Rubs are fun because they give you the opportunity to be a junior chemist and practice and experiment until you get just the right taste.
Posted by The General at 11:02 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBackJune 12, 2006
Vegetarians
Since most of us are into grilling and smoking meats, what do you do when a vegetarian shows up for dinner? First, they should let you know in advance about their eating 'style.' Second, you need to make some inquiries, just like when we cater for a Jewish synagogue. We have found that for every Jewish person, there is different set of rules. The same thing holds true for vegetarians.
Here are some suggestions:
1. I have previously discussed grilled portobella mushrooms with bell peppers and onions.
2. Boca Burgers made from soy beans.
3. Grilled vegetables using a perforated pan and treat them like stir fry.
4. Vegetable wraps.
5. Baked Idaho or baked sweet potatoes with a selection of vegetable toppings.
6. Meatless lasagna and other pasta dishes.
Our son recently arrived here with some weekend guests. We did not know one of them was a vegetarian until the dinner was cooking. She ended up loving the sliced and grilled portobella mushrooms with onions and peppers, the baked potato salad with sour cream (even though it had bacon in it she picked it out!) and corn on the cob. I must say she was not a "picky" vegetarian and was delightful guest!
June 05, 2006
Leftover pork tenderloin and Cuban sandwiches
What do you do with 20 already cooked pork tenderloins? They were left over from a party and they were oven baked.
The General thought they could use a little bit more flavor...and of course some smoke from the grill. TLW and I went to the market and bought a gallon of Mojo...a Spanish/Cuban marinade. I marinated them for 24 hours and then lit the grill for indirect cooking.
I let them smoke for a couple of hours to get a little smoke penetration...and I must say the flavor profile was there! However, pork tenderloin is a very delicate cut of meat and we all thought that they were a tad dry.
This whole exercise was about making Cuban sandwiches and the meat is certainly usable for that!
Here is the spec on a Cuban sandwich.
4 oz. roast pork, sliced
4 oz. ham, sliced
Yellow mustard
Swiss cheese
Bread and butter pickles
Some good crusty Cuban bread (or French)
Here is the best use I have found for a George Foreman type grill:
After you have assembled the sandwich, spray the top and bottom of the bread with spray margarine and crank up the George Forman or a sandwich press.
Toast for about 5 minutes and you've got yourself one serious Cuban sandwich.
A couple of serious sides that can go with your sandwich would be black beans and/or black beans and rice with diced onions on top or a partially baked sweet potato cut into medallions, grilled and basted with a mixture of butter and maple syrup. Another side you might want to experiment with if it is available in your area would be grilled plantains. Now you have a very authentic Cuban meal.
OK...so now The General wants to know what you would do with the 20 leftover tenderloins????
Posted by The General at 06:13 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBackJune 04, 2006
Duck Duck Goose Goose
The General recently took on the challenge of cooking duck. I say challenging because it is not something I normally do. We have a friend who loves duck so much that when he went on a two week cruise he had duck every night...go figure.
Duck really is good...if it is prepared correctly.
Here are the steps I followed:
1. Brine your duck with 1/2 cup of Kosher salt to 1 quart of water. Be sure to dissolve the salt very well...I used the blender to accomplish this. Let the duck brine overnight.
2. Remove from the brine and rinse thoroughly. Forgetting this step with cause your duck to be "over salty."
3. Use a simple rub of Emeril's Essence and some coarsely ground black pepper. Rub all parts of your duck.
4. I was not sure what kind of sauce or glaze to use, and,often, when TG is in doubt about a glaze or a sauce, I go to the
"The BBQ Queens' Big Book of Barbecue" (Karen Adler). These gals really know their sauces...and they are pretty "saucy" too! On p. 241 I found just the right glaze. It calls for 8 ounces of dried apricots chopped or 1/4 cup apricot jam, 1 cup of cognac or brandy (TG used cognac), and 1 1/2 cups water.
- Place the apricots and cognac in a small saucepan and cook over low heat about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the water and simmer over medium heat until it just begins to boil. Turn down the heat and continue to simmer until the mixture is thick...about 10 minutes.
5. Prepare your fire for indirect cooking. TG added some pecan wood chunks to the fire. Before putting your breasts on the grill, you need to score the skin and the trick is to not cut into the meat. Try to make half inch diamonds all the way across the skin. Also you need to trim the skin so that it does not hang over the meat.
6. Cook over indirect heat turning about every 5 minutes until you reach an internal temperature of 170*.
This was definitely a cooking experience well worth repeating. If you really want to get good at cooking duck...or need some inspiration like TG...go to Maple Leaf Farms' website. They even have the Duck University where you can become a duck expert...
Yet Another Way to Present Asparagus
We really have been giving asparagus a good workout lately. But here is another one.
Place the thinnest stalks of asparagus you can find on a perforated pan with another pan underneath after cutting off the bottoms to make nice uniform stalks the make layers of them... (blanch them first). Then apply a generous coating of balsamic dressing to the layers of asparagus...allowing the dressing to seep through the layers and end up in the bottom of the second pan. (Basically you are just trying to apply a nice glistening coat of the dressing to each stalk.)
For a good presentation layer the bottom of a serving tray with thin slices of prosciutto ham, fan out the asparagus, and garnish with cherry tomatoes for a punch of color....
Mmmmm!
Posted by The General at 12:47 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBackJune 02, 2006
Logo Cakes
We have previously mentioned that The General and TLW went back to Atlanta to cater The General's 40th high school reunion. Yesterday TG got a thank you note from Debbie (the coordinator of the reunion). Her note sums up what we believe are the keys for successful hospitality and entertaining. Here is what she wrote:
"Hey Wiley,
You & Janet & your team did an outstanding job with the food for our reunion! We've gotten lots of positive feedback and everyone raves about the food; it was really delicious, a good variety, generous quantity, and wonderful presentation...the topper, of course, being the cake!
Thank you for all of your efforts! I hope your calendar is marked for 2010!
Debbie"
Now here the secret to creating the cake. Sam's Club bakery, and I am sure other bakeries as well, has the technology to duplicate just about any logo or picture you want copied. **Just make sure you are legal with it when you duplicate company names, etc.**
Clients are very often surprised when I show up with a cake that has their company logo on it. For thirty something dollars it is a great way to honor your client!
Alabama BBQ Chicken with White BBQ Sauce
The General subscribes to too many cooking magazines...according to The Little Woman. All are 'looked at' but not many are 'read.' Now she wants me to get rid of some...a hard thing to do! There is one in particular called "Cook's Country" that I especially like.
I especially like Cook's Country because they test and work with the recipes and perfect them before publishing. I am not sure all published recipes go through the scrutiny and the testing that CC puts into their recipes. I have no problem in recommending that you try a subscription to CC!
The latest issue had Kansas City Ribs, Better Burgers, Best Slow Cooker Chile...and most important they talk about our friends from Big Bob Gibson's BBQ in Decatur, AL. The restaurant has been smoking BBQ since 1925. Don McLemore, wife Carolyn, and his son in law Chris Lilly are some of the nicest people you will ever meet on this planet. If you are ever in the Huntsville, AL area, Decatur is just a hop, skip and a jump from there and it would be well worth your time to stop by and sample their "Q."
All BBQ is essentially cooked the same, but it is the sauce that denotes the region. In northern Alabama, they use a white mayonnaise based sauce on their chicken. Cook's Country breaks the recipe down where you can make the same white sauce at home.
Alabama BBQ Chicken
White BBQ Sauce
3/4 C mayonnaise
2 T cider vinegar
2 t sugar
1/2 t prepared horseradish
1/2 t salt
1/2 t black pepper
1/4 t cayenne pepper
Chicken
1 t salt
1 t black pepper
1/2 t cayenne pepper
2 (3 1/2 to 4 pound) whole chickens, patted dry and split
2 C hickory wood chips
Vegetable oil for grill grate
1. For the sauce: Mix all ingredients in blender until smooth, about 1 minute. Refrigerate sauce in airtight container for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
2. For the chicken: Mix salt, black pepper, and cayenne in small bowl. Rub spice mixture all over chicken.
3. Soak wood chips in bowl of water to cover for 15 minutes. Meanwhile open bottom grill vents completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (about 90 coals) and burn until charcoal is covered with fine gray ash. Place 13 by 9 inch disposable aluminum roasting pan in center of grill. Pour half of coals into pile on each side of grill, leaving pan in the center. Scatter wood chips over coals and set cooking grate in place. Cover with lid vents positioned over center of grill and opened halfway. Let grill heat for 5 minutes.
4. Dip wad of paper towels in oil and oil grate, holding paper towels with long-handled tongs. Place chicken skin side down on center of grill. Cover with half opened lid vents over chicken.
5. Grill chickens until skin is well browned, 35 to 45 minutes. Flip chickens skin side up and grill, covered, until breast meat registers 165* on instant-read thermometer, 15 to 20 minutes longer.
6. Transfer chickens to cutting board, brush with 2 tablespoons sauce, tent with foil, and let rest 10 minutes. Remove foil and brush chicken with 1 tablespoon sauce. Carve and serve, passing remaining sauce at table.
May 20, 2006
Lamb Chops and Asparagus
The General bought some lamb chops this week and in deciding how to prep them I remembered that at a food show a while back the good folks from ICA (Ingredients Corporation of America - Memphis, TN) had given me some Greek seasoning. That made the prep process very easy because all I did was use the seasoning and then liquefy it with some Extra Virgin Olive Oil. After lighting the Weber, and when the coals were ready, I seared the chops over direct heat for about 5 minutes per side and then moved them back into the indirect zone. They stayed there until reaching an internal temperature of 135*...then they were ready for plating.
ICA can be an excellent resource for you if you have a secret spice blend that you would like to have bottled in large quantities. Talk to Derenda. I'm not sure wether they are set up to ship small quantities or not...but it wouldn't hurt to ask!
TLW has been on a pretty strict diet and she likes to consume large quantities of asparagus. In a previous post, TG explained how to grill asparagus. The oven method works well, too, and it is really easy!
Cut the woody part off the stalks and place them in a baking pan along with a medium coating of minced garlic, some sea or kosher salt and semi-generous amount of olive oil. Turn the oven on at 325* and bake for about 20 minutes. Check for desired doneness. TLW likes them crispy asparagus and TG likes his a bit softer. Make sure your olive oil does not start to smoke, as The Little Woman heard today it can become toxic.
Yummmm...I can still taste 'em!!!
Posted by The General at 04:40 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBackMay 19, 2006
Beef Short Ribs with Cabernet BBQ Sauce
A couple weeks ago, I bought Weber's Big Book of Grilling by Jamie Purviance and Sandra S. McRae. The General is always challenged by beef ribs...simply because I haven't cooked them often.
On p. 124 I found a recipe for Beef Ribs with Cabernet Sauce.
Cabernet Sauce
I doubled the recipe, but here is the original:
1.5 C BBQ sauce
1 C Cabernet Sauvignon (of course, we had plenty available and I used TLW's Barefoot Cab)
Combine the two ingredients along with some Kosher salt and some freshly cracked black pepper in a medium saucepan. Bring the ingredients to a boil stirring frequently. Keep warm until serving.
Beef Ribs
I substituted Short Ribs that I found at Sam's.
For the rub I used our own steak seasoning that primarily consists of Kosher salt, coarsely ground black pepper, and granulated garlic. I also added some of Emeril's Essence and liquefied them with olive oil.
The directions call for searing the ribs, but my fire was entirely too hot, and short ribs are pretty delicate and just couldn't take the heat, so I cooked them for about an hour in the indirect zone. Here is the key that we don't normally do, but I don't know any other way to get them tender. After the hour of indirect cooking, I wrapped them in aluminum foil and coated them with the Cabernet BBQ Sauce. I sealed the package up and cooked them in the indirect zone for another two hours.
You will need to make adjustments if you are cooking a full beef rib.
It is virtually impossible to accurately use a meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature of beef short ribs. TLW and I taste tested and agreed after one hour of covered cooking that they were not tender enough, so I cooked them for a second hour.
The results were fantastic! I had cooked these as a test and our company glommed them all...Kerry even claimed that it was the best beef she had ever tasted!
Posted by The General at 11:39 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBackMay 17, 2006
Crock Pot Hash: A Delicacy of South Carolina
Marie, over at PractiGal, has announced that this week's Carnival of the Recipes will be devoted to crock pot recipes. The General loves a challenge,and I had to do a lot of thinkin' since our crock pot does not get used very often these days...in fact it didn't take the trip here to Savannah...in fact where is it ?? TLW used to be the Queen of the Crocks years ago, but I have cured that...since she does not have to cook these days :-)
Reading the latest National BBQ News this week, I came across an article on South Carolina and their love for BBQ hash. TLW and I spent some time reminiscing about our early days on the BBQ circuit and our attempts at cooking hash for a couple of contests. Our first attempt was in Tryon, NC. TG looked at many recipes and, along with my partner at the time, came up with what we thought was an acceptable product. TLW took one bite and said that it tasted like (and looked like) dog food. It WAS miserable...but we entered it in the side contest and I think if we didn't come in last we were very close to the bottom. Anyway two Atlanta boys had given it the ole' Bulldog try...and what did we know about HASH???
Next time we wanted to enter a hash contest, TLW stepped up to the plate and, along with some input from our friends Ed and Muriel, she created a hash that she remembered from her childhood in Boston. Very much like corned beef hash patties (but using beef brisket) drizzled with BBQ sauce. Again, my memory fails me, but I think she took first place and was very proud of that honor!
Back to the National BBQ News article entitled Hash: A South Carolina delicacy written by John Waldrop of the South Carolina BBQ Association. He directs those who want to learn more about South Carolina's hash to go to Stan Woodward's website. Stan is a documentary film maker who does projects on Southern foods and culture.
Carolina Hash: A Taste of South Carolina. "Finding that a stew called hash was what displaced Brunswick stew as the stew of choice in South Carolina, Stan, with the support of The Museum in Greenwood, SC, traveled the Palmetto state learning the story of the popularity and historical roots of this indigenous-to-South-Carolina-stew cooked in the black iron pots. This documentary won a CINE Golden Eagle in Washington and was shown alongside entries from The Bill Moyers show, "Now" and ABC's Dateline."
Back to the crock pot! John Waldrop has re-formulated the recipe that he still cooks in his large black iron pot to work in a crock pot!!
CrockPot Hash
4 to 4.5 lb. Boston butt roast
1.2 to 2 lb. beef chuck roast
3 baking potatoes, peeled and diced
3 medium onions, peeled and diced
Seasonings: (use only as a guide...)
5 T white vinegar
2 T spicy brown mustard
1 T red pepper flakes
2 t cayenne pepper
4 T tomato paste
1 stick butter
2 T worcestershire sauce
salt and cracked black pepper to taste
Step 1: Pre-heat 5 quart crock pot on high. Rub both roasts with salt and cracked pepper, then place in the crock pot. Add the diced potatoes and onions, and then fill the pot with hot water or stock and cover. Let it cook 6 to 7 hours until the meat falls apart. Keep check on the water level
Step 2: Remove the meat from the pot and pull apart to let cool. Next remove the bone, fat, and connective tissue. Pull the meat apart in small pieces and then give it a light chop. Break up the potatoes and onions in the pot with a potato masher. Return the meat to the pot. Still on high, let it cook another 4 hours. Add the butter and reduce heat to the lowest setting. Let it cook another 6 hours or until it is the consistency you like.
Step 3: Add your seasonings one at a time and taste as you go.
Step 4: Place over your choice of white rice, or white bread.
Enjoy!
***DISCLAIMER: The General has not tried this recipe, and cannot guarantee its results.***
May 14, 2006
A Great Fundraising Idea
There is a custom here in Savannah that we haven't encountered (or paid attention to) anywhere else on the BBQ circuit. Savannah is definitely a "week end" city. "Savannahians" like to buy whole pork butts for their home consumption. It is really big here and lots of community groups/swim teams etc. use selling these butts for fundraising purposes. **This is something to think about if you live in another part of the country.**
Yesterday, we visited our friend Brooks who cooked over 2000 lbs. of butts for a fundraiser for the Rotary Club of Savannah at Skidaway Island. The Rotary was selling whole smoked butts for $20 each. Most people wanted them cooled down because they were not going to eat them immediately. They also sold whole chickens for $6 each and slabs of ribs for $18. The easy thing is that the people just pick up the aluminum foil wrapped products and take them home in grocery sacks.
This little fundraiser was part of an art and antique car show and the Rotary was able to sell plates of pulled pork, potato salad, and green beans as well. The General assumes that the Rotary made a nice profit...and so did Brooks and Mike his assistant. Brooks uses a Klose pit made by our friend David Klose from Texas. The grill weighs 11,000 pounds and is a stick burner.
Spice Your Buffet
Here is an easy way to spice up your table or a buffet line. We started serving Schwartz pickles on our buffet lines, then one we added some jalepenos, banana peppers, minature corn, pickled asparagus, olives, cut peppers...and then let your imagination as well as your personal taste add others. This adds lots of color and interest to your offerings and will separate you from the mundane...and the pepper lovers come out of the woodwork.
May 11, 2006
Pulled Pork for 40 people
Received an email from Glenn K. from Chattanooga, TN wanting some how-to info for pork shoulder for his daughter's graduation party. TLW thought it would be a good idea to put it on the blog so that we can share it with everyone.
Here goes! When cooking a pork shoulder or pork butt, the first thing that you have to do is the math. Glenn wants to feed @ 40 people and didn't know how much meat to buy. In your finished product, you are roughly going to get only half of what you put in the smoker (that is called "yield"...the other term is "shrink" which accounts for the 50% loss during cooking). So in essence, if you put 40 lbs. of meat in you will only end up with 20 lbs. of finished product.
A normal serving on a catering (if you are not cooking for big eaters) is 4 oz. ...or 4 people to the pound. When feeding big eaters, you generally figure 3 people to the pound.
Glenn wants to feed 40 people. 40 people x 4 oz = 160 oz divided by 16 oz to a pound. Therefore, Glenn needs 10 pounds of finished product...so he would need to start with 20 pounds.
You have to think in these terms rather than the original question, "How many shoulders should I cook?" You buy enough to yield 10 lbs. of finished product...and if you are like The General it would never hurt to have extra in the freezer.
Let's do technique....After purchasing the shoulders or butts, rub them generously with your rub or another. Recently someone generously gave me a large quantity of Bad Byron's Butt Rub and I have used it quite successfully. Using olive to liquefy the rub (you don't want it 'cakey') and yellow mustard (a generous slather) massage it into the meat along with some brown sugar if you want to experiment. Put your meat in the smoker cooking between 220* and 240* for @ 10 plus hours to reach an internal meat temperature of 190*.
Let the meat rest for an hour and here are some tips as to how to get your finished product pulled. I use what is called a pastry cutter or a dough scraper. I like it much better than a cleaver. Put your butt/shoulder(s) in a Rubbermaid dish pan to minimize mess on your counters. Make 4 or 5 good stabs with your pastry tool to break the meat apart and let the heat out so you can handle it. Continue to make stabs until you get the meat fairly well broken down. Then just pretend that you are 'shuffling a deck of cards' by holding the larger pieces in one hand and the other hand is shuffling the smaller pieces from the larger piece. You will also be able to pull out any gristle etc. at this time.
This is where personal preference comes in. I like long stringy strands of the pork and TLW likes thicker larger pieces about the size of your index finger. She claims the larger pieces are moister and will not dry out as fast as the thinner ones.
Now go back and add an additional amount of rub (not too heavy) all over the pulled pork. Gently toss it like a tossed salad. At this point your meat should be very moist and will absorb the rub and or liquefy it. Your goal is to put enough rub to add additional flavor to the pulled meat, but not so much that the rub lays on the meat and can be observed by the naked eye.
When you put your meat into a storage container (for instance...a half pan) and you reheat it to 180* in the center of the pan, always mix the meat around before serving it because you will find that all the moisture is in the bottom of the pan and the top will look dry. Simply toss the meat around (we use tongs for this purpose). Then have your sauce bottles on the serving table so your guests can help themselves and you are good to go!
Notes:
1. Always clean out your dishpan with Clorox Cleanup or 1 ounce Clorox to 1 quart water.
2. Next time you are in WalMart, go to the sporting goods area and look for an orange rubber-nubbed fishing glove. It takes the heat well from the meat and is washes easily in the washing machine.
April 23, 2006
A small gig in Savannah
I recently met the owner of a BBQ grill and accessory store called "Cookouts." That meeting led me to doing a customer appreciation event for Grainger Honda on Chatham Parkway near Savannah. Now there is nothing wrong with cooking in the backyard on the Weber, but it is always a lot of fun when we can bring out one of our big cannons...a Southern Pride SPK700. For this event The General prepped and cooked 14 pork butts which yielded 13 half pans (packed 5 lbs. per pan) of pulled pork.
It never ceases to amaze me how many techniques I used to use, but have forgotten along the way. In preparing these pork butts, I used a combination of Bad Byron's Butt Rub, olive oil, and yellow mustard. Incidentally, pork and mustard go together just like a horse and carriage. The butts cooked all night for approximately 14 hours.
Now here is "the skinny" on cooking pork butt. No matter how much you try to penetrate the meat with your rub and spices, the pork butt is just too thick for your spice to fully penetrate it. What to do? Once you have reached an internal temperature of 190*, bust the butt with a cleaver or sharp knife, or like me a sharp pastry tool with a handle. This lets some of the heat out and allows the butt to cool so that you can handle the meat. Then pull the meat as if you are shuffling a deck of cards...separating the fat from the meat and breaking down the large chunks of meat. TLW prefers to have these pieces about the size of her index finger. I the pulled meat until each half pan was filled with 5 lbs. of meat, and then sprinkled the meat with more of Bad Byron's Butt Rub...mixing it in like you are tossing a salad. My goal was to liquefy the rub and flavor the meat. Never let dry rub simply sit on the meat...it HAS to be mixed in and liquefied or you will get a gritty product.
Here is where we hit a home run with our BBQ sauce. It turned out that the owners of the Honda dealership were both from Eastern North Carolina. Those folks from the east part of NC like their vinegar sauce as well as there coleslaw on top of their meat. We were able to accommodate both. Here is our adaptation of a recipe from Steve Raichlen's BBQ USA p. 304:
Kate's Mountain Vinegar Sauce
(Don't try this recipe unless you are having a party as it will serve 100 and will only keep for a week in the fridge.)
1 gallon cider vinegar
64 oz. of Heinz ketchup
4 C dark brown sugar
2 C granulated sugar
1/2 C salt
1/2 C fresh ground black pepper
1.5 oz red pepper flakes
Gradually bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce heat. Simmer until it the mixture reduces to a thicker consistency than water...but nowhere close to regular BBQ sauce. (This process took about an hour and a half.)
What you will have is a vinegary spicy (peppery) runny red sauce that has a lot of heat to it...but it is not obnoxious. This is guaranteed to raise some eyebrows!
It was good to have the '94 pickup out on the road again with the SP trailing behind it. It turned out to be a great afternoon.
April 18, 2006
Green Beans with Pepper Bacon and Grilled Asparagus
Green Beans:
Here is a green been recipe that I have tried several times with very good results.
In a large skillet, fry up 5 slices of bacon (I used black pepper bacon this time) to a crispy, but not burned state. Thinly slice a medium onion and cook it in the bacon grease until it becomes translucent. In another skillet that you can cover, transfer the onions and 2 T of the bacon grease.
Add:
3/4 to 1 cup chicken broth
2 t dark brown sugar
1 lb. green beans (snap off the ends)
salt and pepper to taste (we love sea salt on these)
Bring the broth, sugar and onions to a boil and add the beans. Cover, lower the heat, and simmer gently (stirring occasionally) until the beans are tender and the liquid is reduced...about 20 minutes.
When you have the correct tenderness remove from the skillet and coat with 2 T red wine vinegar, some additional salt and pepper, and sprinkle with the bacon bits.
Grilled Asparagus:
Here is a recipe I can almost taste just by thinking about it...and it is so simple!
Buy a bunch of asparagus and cut of the woody ends about 3/4". Place the asparagus in a baking dish and cover liberally with olive oil, minced garlic and Kosher salt. Toss. (Hands work best.) Make sure that all pieces are coated with the three ingredients.
Using a grill basket, load the asparagus and place the grill basket directly over the fire. The trick here is to get the larger ends over the hot end of the fire and small ends over the less intense heat. Turn every 3 to 4 minutes until done (about 25 minutes.)
Tip: If you are really busy, leave the asparagus in the baking dish and pop in a preheated oven at 325* for about the same amount of time...flipping them occasionally.
Posted by The General at 11:23 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBackApril 17, 2006
Family Holiday Dinner
The Menu:
Glazed Ham with Grilled Pineapple
Smoked Leg of Lamb and Racks of Lamb
Boiled Shrimp
Deviled Eggs
Green Beans with Black Pepper Bacon
Grilled Asparagus
Corn on the Cob
Almost Southern Potato Salad
Strawberry Shortcake
Ham: The General purchased a spiral sliced ham that came with a package of glaze mix. A last minute decision was made to smoke the ham on the smoker. Now this has both pros and cons. Pros: This is a great way to heat up your ham. Con: Since you have so many ends from the spiral slicing that they may get dry from the heat. The ham only stayed on the smoker for only about two hours, so I was safe. This is evidenced by this picture....a thing of beauty decorated with the grilled pineapple...and it sold well!
Shrimp: I boiled the shrimp using Old Bay Seasoning and just served cocktail sauce on the side. The trick to doing the shrimp is to put the shrimp into already boiling water. The temperature of the shrimp will cool the water back down from a boil. Allow the shrimp to come back to a boil and do not cook over 2 minutes after it reaches a boil. Immediately take the shrimp out of the hot water, otherwise it will keep on cooking. Cool under cold water and they are ready to serve.
Lamb: I did something differently than I normally do and that is to brine it by using 1 quart of water and 1 cup Kosher salt. The lamb stayed in the brine for 24 hours. What this does is it draws the blood from the meat and gives it a less "gamey" taste. As evidenced by some guests who said they normally do not like lamb...but they loved this. I put the lamb which was covered with minced garlic on the smoker and cooked it using indirect heat until it reached an internal temperature of 135*.
The missus and I have two aging (10+) German Shepherd dogs. Mars is suffering from degenerative myelopathy (kind of like Lou Gerhig's disease in humans.) Radar is just big! Both live to eat. I guess living in this house one would expect that as we do give them some tasty treats after dinner. Yesterday, Radar fell asleep at my feet while I was eating dinner, and when I placed a huge chunk of lamb under his nose he didn't wake up. TLW got this picture. I guess Radar was having a really good dream!
Pineapple: Since I was using indirect heat for the lamb and the ham, that gave me grill space to grill the pineapple. I took a whole pineapple and using a sharp knife I cut the prickly outer skin off. Generally, the pineapple will then need a little bit of cleaning "up." Next, I cut it into slices approximately 1/2 inch thick. The slices were grilled over direct heat and turned every 3 to 4 minutes. The trick here is that you are really not cooking the pineapple, just warming it up and getting the grill marks. The slices do not need to be served warm, so you can take them up in advance. It makes for a great and tasty presentation!
Posted by The General at 04:03 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBackApril 15, 2006
A Bird in the Hand is Worth Two in the Bush (G 43 that is)
Tax day is approaching and The General wants to make sure that all returns are in on time. Therefore, he has created a no fuss recipe that is guaranteed to impress and still give you plenty of time to finish your tax return.
The General and TLW have been inundated with different members of the tribe coming to visit us in Savannah this week. One night...after a busy day of who knows what...I "threw" together this delightful meal. Between picky kids and TLW (who is now "watching what she eats") I had many challenges. I very rarely cook chicken at home, so I saw this as a way to please the missus and still kick it up a notch using Cornish game hens.
Start by splitting them in half (I used a cleaver). In the Spanish section of most supermarkets you can find a product called Mojo sauce or marinade. I then marinated the hens in the mojo juice for 24 hours. Since I couldn't use them the next day, I drained the marinade off and left them in the fridge.
The next step is to rub the birds with your favorite rub, or as usual I used a mixture of Happy Holla and Emeril's Essence. Alternatives to this could be garlic and pepper or lemon pepper, depending on the taste profile you are trying to create. After you have placed the dry rub on the hens, liquefy it with olive oil. Our reinvention of the grill basket has really made grilling fun again. Make sure you always coat the basket with a spray of olive oil or Pam before using it.
It took about 30 minutes of direct heat (flipping about every 6 minutes) to reach an internal temperature of 165*. You can pair the chicken with long grain rice, black or red beans and rice, and for your vegetable grilled asparagus. Use lots of olive oil on the asparagus and then sprinkle it with sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper.
The clan was impressed and I still had plenty of time to play with my 17 month old granddaughter Megan...who loves my barber chair built the same year I was born...1946!
