BBQ BEER & BLUES

Black Beans and Rice, with Brisket

2008-07-21T19:44:00.002-05:00

I had all that brisket from yesterday, and decided to use some today. Its a twist on your classic Black Beans and Rice. But for the meat, its brisket instead of pork. Cooked up the beans from raw, and just before they were done, added some brisket, sauteed onions and green peppers, jalapeno peppers, and a whole load of spices including cayenne and cumin, salt, black pepper, and a few more. Then just the right amount of a couple of different hot sauces. Its spicy, but not blow your mind hot. Very filling, and very easy to make.

The chopped peppers and onions, and few of the many spices

The beans ready to eat (sorry, the pic is kind of washed out)

Plated up with some warm tortilla, and a little more hot sauce.

Sunday Brisket, Burnt Ends, and Potato Salad

2008-07-20T11:12:00.003-05:00

Picked up a 15 pound brisket, and threw it on at 7pm last night. It was just a little too big for the grate, so i cut a small piece off the flat. By 8:30 this morning, it was done!! Wrapped in foil and placed in a cooler with blankets to hold it at temp. Before i did that, i removed the point, and chopped that little extra flat piece, and threw them back on the cooker with some sauce, to make some burnt ends. Made a little homemade Potato Bacon salad. Should be a good Sunday Supper!

Raw and ready for smoke

13 hours later, with the point still sttached

The point chopped and mixed with some Jim Daddies Hickory sauce. in about 2 hours, these will be crispy and melt in your mouth tender at the same time.

Finished Burnt Ends

Finished Brisket

Time to Eat!!!

Smoked Beef Adovado Enchiladas

2008-07-17T19:27:00.002-05:00

The smoked beef I made last weekend was turned into Adovado Beef. I smoked the beef until 165, and pulled it off the smoker and put it in a dutch oven. Added half a quart of homemade adovado, and braised until it fell apart.

The smoked Adovado beef on a tortilla.

Add some beans

Then some cheese

into the pan.

Out of the oven, ready to eat

Plated up with some sour cream.

Eye of Round on a Spit, and Kabobs

2008-07-17T19:11:00.003-05:00

Had a birthday party last weekend for my daughters second birthday. I had to use a gasser, and leave the smoker at home. Cooked an Eye of Round roast on the spit, and did some Chicken and veggie kabobs too. May not be true BBQ, but is was damn tasty, and went down real nice with a couple of ice cold beers!

Pulled smoked beef

2008-07-12T13:42:00.002-05:00

Decided it was a good day to throw a chuck roast on the Smokey Mountain. I picked up a beautiful 3.5 pound fresh roast, and its on the smoker right now. I kept the seasoning simple for this cook. Rubbed some Worcestershire sauce on the outside, and then sprinkled with salt and black pepper. When its done, i will pull it apart and serve it on buns. during the week, the leftovers will be heated up with Adovado sauce and made into enchiladas or something.

Raw and ready for smoke

WOW. The smoked salmon ABT's were a sucess!!

2008-07-06T14:36:00.002-05:00

I folded some salmon into my seasoned cream cheese for some of the ABT's i made today. I have to say they turned out great. Salmon and cream cheese go very well together, and heck, bacon goes with EVERYTHING. I will definitely do these again!

The 4 on the back of the plate have the salmon though its hard to tell once they are cooked. I also made some with just cheese, and half a pepper.

Smoked Salmon for Dinner.

2008-07-05T17:42:00.002-05:00

Found a nice fillet of fresh Salmon at the store today. Drizzeled with EVOO, and sprinkled with salt, pepper, and dill. On the smoker at 240 over Alder wood, the traditional wood for smoking salmon. Came out perfect. Tomorrow, i will fold some of the salmon into a seasoned cream cheese mixture, and stuff a few Jalapeños with the mix. Wrap em in bacon and smoke until the bacon is crisp (called an Atomic Buffalo Turd). I have never tried it with salmon, but i think they should really turn out tasty. I will let you know tomorrow!

Happy Fourth of July to you all!!

2008-07-04T15:54:00.005-05:00

I hope all is going well for your 4th of July celebrations! For our 4th of July dinner, I cooked up some Chile Lime Chicken. I took Chicken quarters marinaded them in Olive oil, fresh garlic, lime juice, Chile peppers and Corona beer. Threw on the on the WSM at 300 degrees, and they came nice and juicy, with a crispy skin and good smoke flavor. I also smoked some fresh mushroom Swiss sausages that i picked up at the local butch shop (sailers) today. The nice thing about that is Sailers was closed. Because of a change in plans for the day, i needed some meat for the weekend. My wife called down to see if they were open, and they were not. However a couple of guys were working in the morning, stuffing some fresh sausage. They opened up and sold me the Chicken, 2 kinds of sausage, and a rack of spares for tomorrow. Just another thing that makes the local butcher WAAYYYY better then meat from Wally World or some such chain.

When you are really really hungry for a good burger!

2008-06-28T21:05:00.003-05:00

We cooked burgers for dinner last night. Wanted to make them on the grill, but mother nature had other ideas. No problem though. 1/3 pound burgers made with diced onions, Cayenne pepper, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. And a twist! I needed something more then just a cheese burger. Adovado pork to the rescue. Cooked the burgers on the flat top, added a heap of warm Carne Adovado, sharp cheddar cheese, and sauteed onions and green peppers.

Where comfort food meets Lo and Slow BBQ

2008-06-28T20:50:00.005-05:00

Smoked meatloaf. That point where down home comfort food meets lo and slow BBQ. I made a 3.5 pound meatloaf with ground chuck, and ground pork, and seasoned it the same way i would if i cooked it in the oven. Fresh garlic, onions, salt, pepper, bread crumbs, eggs, milk, and so on. Formed it in a pan, dumped it on a sheet of foil, and placed it on the BBQ. Cooked it at 250 degrees until it was done. Came out moist and tender, with a nice hickory slow cooked flavor. Comfort food and BBQ, two of the best combined together.

Charred Carne Adavoda, with Fat Johnny's Adovado Sauce

2008-06-16T10:07:00.005-05:00

First off, a big thanks to Chez John for the sauce recipe! If you get a moment, check out his blog at Chez Johns Front Porch

For the sauce, 32 dried chili peppers from 4 varieties.

Here the peppers have the stems and seeds removed, along with the other ingredients for the sauce.

While the sauce is steeping in the pot, i seasoned up some boneless country style ribs, and got them ready for the grill.

Charred them just a bit over real high heat, using coals of charcoal and some mesquite wood.

The ribs go the pot with a bit of the freshly blended sauce.

After 2.5 hours in a dutchoven in the oven at 325, they are fall apart tender

And plated and ready to eat, along with some black beans and warm tortilla's

The pork was awesome, and this sauce has limitless possibilities.

A meal fit for a king

2008-06-14T15:21:00.003-05:00

Well, BBQ Beer and Blues is back after a brief respite. I have a beer can chicken on the WSM, along with a batch of ABT's. My wife is making an asparagus salad too. I will post some pics, but i have realized that my camera cord is in the office. Anyway, check back for pics, and have a great weekend!!!~

The ABT's stuffed and ready to go. Jalepeno peppers, stuffed with a mix of cream cheese, sharp cheddar, and garlic and cayenne pepper mixed in. Then wrapped in think sliced bacon, and placed on skewers for easy movement on the smoker.

The chicken on the beer can, with the ABT's all going on the Smokey Mountain.

After two hours, and ABT's are ready to come off the smoker.

Another two hours, and the chicken is ready to go too.

And the wifes Asparagus Salad was awesome as well

A meal fit for a king, but i shared some with the Queen and Princess too.

Mooney

Well, Wicked Weather Stirkes Again

2008-05-27T14:01:00.002-05:00

Over the Memorial Day weekend, our house got struck by lightning. It fried our TV, Computer, Well, and Phone lines. I was hoping to get some more pics and cooks up, but the weather kinda of messed that up. Without a computer at home for a while, i will try and update my blog from work, time permitting. Other wise, once the new computer arrives for the house, i will get back on track. Thank you for your patience!

Well, work was slow today......................

2008-05-20T12:50:00.004-05:00

I am one of the lucky few able to work at home when i want too. Things were slow in the office today, so a quick stop by the local butcher got me these, fresh off of a local hog. The WSM needs so little tending, i can actually get some work done too. If i must...........

Rubbed them with my homemade rib rub

Sitting on the cooker, waiting to go on the heat

After about 5.5 hours, they are done. I foiled the smaller rack, because the wife likes fall off the bone, and i went with the 3-2-1 method. The larger rack was left alone, and mopped with Apple Juice and Jack Daniels mixed with some rub.

Half of the larger rack was glazed with a mix of Ken Davis BBQ sauce, Jack Daniels, Cayenne Pepper, and White Pepper.

Tonights Cook.........

2008-05-17T19:20:00.010-05:00

I am going to be BBQ-in a 15 pound Chuck roast. It should take about 15 hours. Of course being BBQ, anywhere from 12 to 20 hours would not surprise me too much. I will be adding pics as the evening progresses. Right now, I am waiting for a little storm to pass. This is the second one in an hour, and the first one took down a few trees, and one of those trees landed on the power line going to my house. This all happened literally the moment I put a steak on the Weber for dinner. While I was holding the Weber down, trees were falling. Power stayed on, and the power company was here in less then an hour to fix everything. Of course, the weather forecast mentioned NOTHING about 80 mile an hour winds, or storms of any kind. Welcome to weather in the Midwest.

Here it is rubbed after sitting in the fridge for a few hours, just before it goes on the Q.

At 170 degrees meat temp, I put it in a large roasting pan, and foiled the top. I cranked up the cooker temp to 275 and let it go for about 3.5 more hours to 195. I was planning on taking it to 205, but it was clear when i checked it last that she was ready to fall apart.

It was going to be pulled at a different location, but I pulled a part off to show the smoke ring.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe

2008-05-15T20:02:00.002-05:00

Today's song of the day is Trouble in Mind, by Sister Rosetta Tharpe. I chose Sister Rosetta for a couple of reasons tonight. To start with, she is a blues pioneer. She was doing music ahead of her time. She was one of the first successful gospel singers to record albums. She also added a blues\rock element that would not find widespread success until the R&B and Rock and Roll of the late 50's. But she was doing it in the 30's.

I also notice that "Old Time" music us attaining greater success today, with out the understanding of those doing it when it was NEW music. A lot of people are only familiar with newer artists doing that kinda of music. Allison Krauss, Gillian Welch, and Old Crow Medicine Show are enjoying national attention. And deservedly so! There are many AMAZING artists still playing roots music in the MTV age. But ask those fans about the artists who influenced the likes of Old Crow and Mrs. Krauss, and they draw a blank. Doc Watson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Etta Baker, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe sometimes get left to obscurity.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe crosses from Gospel, to Folk, to Blues, and does it better then most. Its well worth your time to check her out!!

Tonights Cook, Habanero Mango Wings

2008-05-14T21:40:00.009-05:00

Took the wings and seasoned with Cayenne pepper, Granulated Garlic, and black pepper.

On the cooker with some Hickory wood.

Turned them the first time

This is the second turn

Finally done

With the sauce.

Half of them are with Mango Hananero sauce, and the other half is a Spice Garlic sauce. Skin was nice and crisp, with a nice hickory wood flavor. They cooked about 400 degrees (its not low and slow with chicken) for about an hour. I used the skewers so i could keep the wing halves together, and keep the wing open to heat. It helps to keep them from falling through the grate, and you only have to turn half as many this way.

The Song of the Day

2008-05-13T21:49:00.003-05:00

Starting today, i will be adding a Song of the Day to the free playlist at the bottom of the page. Todays song of the day is Heavenly Houseboat Blues, by Townes Van Zandt. Townes Van Zandt was one of the greatest American Songwriters. Because he never got much airplay on the radio and TV, he is often overlooked. Even though he wrote many of America's Classics, Like Pancho and Lefty, made famous by Willie and Waylon, he died young without getting the acclaim some of his contemporaries did. The song of the day for Wednesday, May 14 is a classic from Townes Van Zandt.

Singer-songwriters with a Twist!

2008-05-13T21:06:00.003-05:00

On the music player below, i have some of my favorite American singer-songwriters, With a twist. While every Artist on the play list is a great American songwriter, not everyone is doing their own songs. If you think you know which artists are doing other artists songs, take your guess in the comments section.

Just back from the local Butcher Shop

2008-05-12T10:57:00.003-05:00

Lots of people these days get their meat from the super market chain, or at walmart. I still prefer my local Butcher for all my meat needs. It may be more expensive, but i know i will get quality meat, and i know it was raised on local farms, with no hormones. And its just so dang easy. I walked in and spoke with the owner, and ordered 3 12-15 pound chuck roasts for pulled beef, and 2 15 pound Butts for pulled pork. They know exactly how i like them trimmed, and they are exactly the size and weight i need to maximize my BBQ space. Sure, for cooking for 150 people like i am doing later this month, i would save some money at wally world. But this way i KNOW that the day before the big cook, i will have exactly the meat i need, and it will be thawed and ready to go. To me, that piece of mind, plus the added quality of the meat, more then makes up for the added cost.

~Mooney

And for something completly different

2008-05-10T22:49:00.003-05:00

Now, for something completely different, some Americana!! I have a nice mix of Gillian Welch, Avett Brothers, Old Crow Medicine Show, South Austin Jug Band, and the Hackensaw Boys. Might be time to reheat some of that pulled pork from lunch................

The essence of BBQ, Beer, and Blues

2008-05-10T21:43:00.000-05:00

Today we had a surprise party for a family members 60th Bday. I cooked up 23 pounds of pork butt over night, and brought it for lunch. Had a heck of feast. Now, a few hours later, i am sitting here drinking DogFish Head 60 Minutes IPA, while Big Mama Thornton, Blind Lemon Jefferson, and Jimmy Reed howl on the box. But hell, there are no rules here. The Music need not be the Blues, it just needs to be good. I spend most of the time drinking Busch light, not Dogfish Head. and BBQ is just another form of gourmet cooking. Its just different then French and Italian, but no less gourmet. Just don't ask a seasoned pit master to admit it. I am not sure what i am doing with this blog, but i KNOW i am not the only one to love food, tunes, and drink. Or, BBQ, Beer, and the Blues!

Welcome to BBQ B and B

2008-05-09T23:22:00.000-05:00

A new blog devoted to the discussion of all things Music, Beer, and of course, great BBQ!! Over the next few weeks, i hope to everything up and running. Thanks for stopping!