Foodie Friday: Home Smoking

Welcome to the July 4th Foodie Friday, where great food is always on the menu.

Bandwidth and I are enthusiastic, year-round "smokers." We've smoked our way through pork, beef, fish, vegetables, and even fruit (peaches--sublime, exotic, hearty). 

So when Schiffer Publishing Ltd asked us to review one of their hot new releases, Home Smoking Basics by Maria Sartor, we couldn't wait to get started.

In Chapter 1, you'll learn the basics--equipment, types of wood, and different ways to smoke (how about a wok?).

A peek inside our much-used Weber smoker.

We use a remote temperature probe (see below). It allows you to read the temperature from the comfort of your house, and it has an alarm that alerts you when the temp has deviated from the cooking range. 

We've prepared two entrees today--one beef, one pork. 

First up...

Smoked Short Ribs

If the angels have a smoker in heaven, they surely eat short ribs every chance they get.

There's nothing "short" about these ribs--they are meaty, moist, and fork-tender. When you add smoke, you end up with steak-on-a-stick (er, a bone). You can be proper and use a knife and fork to eat smoked short ribs, but you'll have to resist the impulse to dig in with your fingers.

Smoked Short Ribs

Printable Recipe

Cooking Time: 5 to 5 1/2 hours

Serving: 1 rib per person (super filling)

What You Need:

2 slabs of whole ribs

Smoker

Lump charcoal

oak wood chunks

Dry Rub:

1 part kosher salt

1/2 part ground black pepper

1/4 part chili powder

1/4 part onion powder

1/4 part dark brown sugar

Prepare smoker. Use a charcoal chimney starter and ignite the lump charcoal. 15 minutes later, add to smoker, along with your choice of hardwood. Meanwhile, mix dry ingredients and rub onto the ribs. Place ribs in the smoker on the top rack.

Maintain a temperature of 225 to 250 degrees F. in your smoker.

During the last hour of smoking, wrap the ribs in aluminum foil.

Remove from the smoker and let the meat rest.

Our second dish is...

Smoked Pork Chops with a Fresh Pineapple Compote

What You Need:

Smoker and oak wood chunks

charcoal chimney (starter)

 1 can pineapple slices (Note: we used fresh--and they take a good bit longer to cook, so I'm not sure we gained much, flavor or time-wise.)

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 cup water

3 tablespoons grainy mustard

4  (1 1/2" thick) pork chops

3/4 cup dry white wine

1 jar of fruit mustard.

Cut the pineapple into small pieces and bring to a boil in their juice, along with sugar and half of the water. Skim the foam. Simmer for an hour. Pour the pineapple compote into a bowl and cool. Add mustard. Cover and refrigerate (for up to 3 days).

Prepare the smoker. Smoke the pork chops for 3 hours. Remove from the heat. Brush compote juices on each chop. Serve with the pineapple compote.

Super easy and delicious!

 How to describe another food that the angels surely eat?

Tender and succulent, with a just-right balance of sweet and sour. 

A Note from Bandwidth (the biochemist) about the

Chemistry ("Chem Is Try") Of the Cook:

"When grilling or smoking, the actual chemical reaction of burning is oxidation. The most abundant compound in wood is cellulose (C6 H12 06). 

"Sugar + Oxygen + Heat ---> Carbon Dioxide and Water

"But smoke contains well over 100 different compounds, one of which is nitrogen. N combines with air to firm NO2. Nitorgen dioxide is readily absorbed into the surface area of meats. This NO2 absorbs and creates HN)3 (nitric acid) or NO3, which in turn creates sodium nitrite. This final product creates the ever so desirable smoke ring."

Inside the book, you'll find a comprehensive guide to smoking, including some of the best tips we've seen.

Tips for adding flavor.

Thanks to Schiffer Books for providing a copy of the book. (All opinions are my own.)

The Cook's Resources:

Home Smoking Basics by Maria Sartor

Schiffer Books

Remote Smoker Thermometer

Chimney Charcoal Starter

Weber Smoker

 

*Note: Rattlebridge is not affiliated with any links.

 

***

I hope everyone has a fabulous July 4th! 

Before let you go, I wanted to share a gorgeous Independence Day tree that my friend Judy Cox made for her office. 

 So creative and festive. I've got to have a July 4th tree next year!

Are you contributing a recipe to this week's Foodie Friday?

 If so, locate the blue Inlinkz icon in the lower, left-hand portion of this post. Click on the icon and follow the directions. After you complete the process, you will see a red "x" beside your name. This allows you to delete your link if you made an error; the red "x" is visible to you only.

You can read a complete guide to this linky party HERE.

If you'd like to share your food photos--or photos of other FF participants on Pinterest, join the Pinterest foodie board, Consuming Passions. Leave a message on the most recent "pin" if you'd like your name added to the list.

Every Friday, we are joined at this big, virtual table--thank you for stopping by today. I'm grateful to all of you who spend your days cooking. I'm grateful to old and new friends who contribute recipes every week. I'm grateful to friends who leave a comment. I'm grateful for the silent folks, because you are brought here by your love of all things culinary.

Foodie Friday Link-Up

Have a Safe, Food-Filled July 4th Weekend!

Social Bookmarking

The Mystery Ingredient Club: Some Like It Hot

Summer kicks off with the 4th Mystery Ingredient Club...the sort of club where the meetings are mysteriously infrequent and cloaked in secrecy. 

Speaking of secrets, before the meeting begins, I've got a confession.  

A pinprick of fear darted through my chest when Bandwidth chose the ingredient: chipotle.  When it comes to hot peppers, I'm a big, old sissy baby. My husband is worse. He breaks out in a cold sweat if his food isn't in the Missonary Position. 

But I'm glad that we moved out of our food comfort zone and became acquainted with the smoke and heat of chipotle. This staple ingredient in Mexican dishes became a food star when it broke through into mainstream cuisine. Now, you can find canned chipotles in most grocery stores, along with exotic offerings like chipotle chips, salad dressing, and marinade. 

You won't find a fresh version of these chiles in the produce section of your grocery. They are created from jalapeños--then then they are smoked and dried (many cooks use a food dehydrator). 

Bandy had planned to make his own chipoltes, but his peppers aren't ready to harvest.  The idea of using store-bought peppers didn't fly.  However, I suffered from no such qualms. 

First, I made a raspberry-pineapple chipotle sauce. 

Then I cooked a slab of St. Louis spareribs.

Pineapple-Raspberry Chipotle Sauce

Sautee 1/2 cup chopped onion in 1 tablespoon canola oil and 2 tablespoons unsalted butter. Add 1/2 cup chopped (multicolor) bell peppers. Sautee until the onions are translucent. Add 1 teaspoon minced garlic and sautee another minute (don't burn it or you'll have to start over; don't salt and pepper at this point, as this hinders the sautéing process). Add 1 teaspoon granulated sugar (less if you prefer) and cook another minute or two, stirring frequently.

Drop in a handful of fresh raspberries (optional--they are impossibly seedy!), 1 [18-ounce] jar of seedless raspberry jam, 1/4 cup chopped pineapple, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar, a splash of raspberry balsamic, and at least 1 whole, canned chipotle pepper (remove the seeds by scraping them with a knife). If you love heat, add the whole can, including a few teaspoons of the adobe sauce.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Reduce the sauce over a low flame. Transfer the slightly cooled sauce to a large bowl (set the pan aside--you'll need it later). Puree the sauce with an immersion hand blender. 

Place a strainer basket in the sautee pan.

Pour the sauce into the strainer.

Discard seeds. Pour sauce into a sterilized Mason jar. Store in the refrigerator for 1 week--if it lasts that long.

St. Louis Spare Ribs

1 slab of pork ribs

salt

pepper

chili powder

Season the ribs. Place in a baking pan and bake at 375 degrees F for 90 minutes.

Remove from oven. Brush on sauce and cook 5 more minutes. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

If you have leftover pork, you can make chipotle tacos.

Since I'm no longer a chipotle virgin, I went a little wild and added it to guacamole. I also made a

pineapple-peach-mango-avocado-chipotle salsa. 

Mango-Pineapple-Avocado-Chipotle Salsa

(In other words, an "Everything but the Kitchen Sink" salsa.)
 

1 carton store-bought mango salsa

1 cup chopped peppers

1 cup chopped onion and celery

minced garlic

apple cider vinegar or raspberry vinegar

cilantro (chopped)

salt, pepper, chili powder

Chipotle Tabasco

chopped canned chipotle peppers

fresh lime juice

Mix all ingredients and chill, allowing flavors to mingle.

Now it's time to par-tay, as my mama says.

Won't you try the salsa?

Chipotle pairs well with so many things, doesn't it?

chipotle + pineapple/raspberries/strawberries/watermelon/mango

chipotle + mayonnaise + lime

chipotle + avocado + cilantro

What's your favorite combination?

I can't wait to see what the Mystery Ingredient Club members have cooked. You can

find recipes by clicking on any thumbnail or by visiting their blogs.

Have a great week. Thanks to everyone who cooked with me today! You'll be receiving a complimentary chipotle gift, so please send me your mailing address.

I'm linking to:

Metamorphosis Monday

 

Social Bookmarking
Metamorphosis Monday

Foodie Friday -- February 28th

 

 Welcome to Foodie Friday, where great food is always on the menu.

 

Another Polar Blast is terrorizing the countryside, depleting our propane tank and sending us shivering under the blankets. We've distracted ourselves by watching a marathon of History Channel's Vikings (season 2 begins tonight), along with plenty of heartwarming food. 

 

 

I made pulled pork sandwiches with herb-caper slaw...

 

...and Bandwidth opted for an open-faced cornbread sandwich.

 

 

Adapted from a recipe in The Best of Fine Cooking: Roasting 

 

Smoked Pork Po'Boys with Herb-Caper Slaw

 

                                                                                         Serves: 4

1- 7lb pork shoulder, smoked 4 hours (spritz with water every hour)

Pork Rub: Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

2 French baguettes

1 bag cabbage slaw mix, approximately 2 cups

1/4 purple cabbage, thinly sliced

4 small red peppers, smoked 20 minutes and chopped (you'll need 3 Tablespoons)

1 1/2 Tablespoons capers, drained, rinsed, and coarsely chopped

1/4 cup sliced red onion

3 Tablespoons thinly sliced fresh chives

1 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Plus extra olive oil to drizzle on the sandwiches

1/2 teaspoon honey (granulated sugar is fine, too)

few drops fresh lemon juice

garlic salt (to taste, approximately 1/4 teaspoon)

A few drops of Tabasco--more if you dare

Kosher salt to taste

Freshly ground pepper (to taste)

 

 

Shred the pork.

The recipe called for oven roasted pork, but Bandwith never misses an opportunity to use his new smoker, no matter if it's raining or snowing. That's a sign of a dedicated foodie. It took four

hours and constant coddling to smoke the pork. But it was worth it. Bandwith also smoked tiny red peppers for about 15-20 minutes, and they were so good, I began to gobble them up, and he chased me away. Personally, if I made a po'boy sandwich with smoked peppers, I'd live happily ever after.

 

While the meat "collects" itself, mix the slaw. I added honey, garlic salt, small red peppers (roasted) and Tabasco--if you want the original recipe for the vinaigrette, click HERE.

 

Cut the baguettes in half, then split each half, leaving a "hinge" in the back.

Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the bread. Pop the bread into the oven and broil until brown. Add the shredded pork. Pile slaw on top.

Using a spoon, gather extra liquid from the slaw and drizzle pan juices over the pork. Juice from the slaw is a delicious addition, too.

How simple is that?



 

 

Bandwidth created an open-faced, composed sandwich, using a thin layer of cornbread as a base, then adding the pork and slaw. It was truly delicious, and a great variation if you're not in the mood for a baguette and need something down-home and comforting--nothing says "home" like cornbread, no matter how it's served.

 



 

For dessert, you might want to try a super easy berry tart.

The recipe can be found HERE.



 

 

If you are contributing a recipe to this week's Foodie Friday, locate the blue Inlinkz icon in the lower, left-hand portion of this post. Click on the icon and follow the directions. After you complete the process, you will see a red "x" beside your name. This allows you to delete your link if you made an error; the red "x" is visible to you only.

 

You can read a complete guide to this linky party HERE. 

 

Pretty please do not pin images from the FF thumbnails. Visit the source blogs. Thanks.

   

If you'd like to share your daily or weekly food photos, join the Pinterest foodie board, Consuming Passions.

 

Every Friday, we are joined at this big, virtual table--thank you for stopping by today. I'm grateful to all of you who spend your days cooking. I'm grateful to old and new friends who contribute recipes every week. I'm grateful to friends who leave a comment. I'm grateful for the silent folks, because you are brought here by your love of all things culinary. We are food people. And that's a marvelous thing. 

 

Until next time,

 

 

 

 

 

 

Social Bookmarking