Pulled Pork

Off the shelf: 4 lb. pork butt, fat removed and layered
across the top for the smoking.

We found this recipe for pulled pork on the traegar.com recipe site. What got our attention was the ease of the procedure and the promise of something "new and different."

Ingredients: 

1 (6 to 9 lb) Pork Shoulder/Butt
Rub
2 C  Apple Cider
Aluminum Foil

Procedure: 

Start the smoker (Traegar)  on "smoke" for 4-5 minutes with the lid open. Set the temp at 250 and preheat, lid closed for 10 - 15 mins.

Trim excess fat off the meat.  Generously season with your favorite rub, here's a link to mine, on all sides of the meat.

Place the meat directly on the grill and cook until the internal temperature in the fattest part is 150 degrees (about 3 hours - give or take). Remove from the smoker.

Stack 4 layers of aluminum foil large enough to wrap the meat on all sides. Pour the apple cider (or beer, or coke - not diet - or whatever you prefer) over the meat and foil all sides creating a leak-proof seal.

Replace on the grill, still at 250 degrees, and cook until the internal temperature in the fattest part of the meat is 204 degrees, another couple of hours, or so, depending on the size of meat and weather.

Remove from grill and allow 45 mins for the meat to rest while still wrapped.

Open the foil, pour off the juices into a fat separator, place the meat in a dish large enough to pull it apart with a pair of forks, remove and discard the bone, if any, and excess fat.  Add the separated liquid back to the meat and season to taste with additional rub,  mix, and if you wish, add a few dollops of your favorite bbq sauce, mix again.

Serve either alone, in one of your favorite recipes, or as a sandwich on fresh hamburger buns.

Leftover pulled pork can be stored in the refrigerator, in sealed container, for up to 4 days.

 

Burnt Ends

Poor Man's Burnt Ends - Chuck Roast

Malcolm Read: You Tube

Ingredients:

5 lb Chuck Roast
Montreal Steak Seasoning
1/2 C BBQ sauce
1/4 C Brown sugar
1/4 C Coca Cola, beer, apple juice, beef broth, your choice 

Procedure:

1.  Preheat your oven/smoker at 225 degrees F.  If smoking, hickory wood works well, pecan may be better. 

2.  Apply liberally the rub. When the temperature is right, place the roast on the grill and close the lid.

3.  Cook until the internal temp is 165 degrees F.  This took two hours on my Traeger smoker at 275 and they weren't quite as tender as I wanted at the end, so I'm recommending the longer, slower cook at 225 degrees F. for the next time.  Continue cooking until 195 degrees, either exposed, or after wrapping in foil.  Back on smoker for another hour/give or take until . . . 

4.  At 195 degrees F. remove the roast and let rest for 15 - 20 minutes. Cut into 3/4 inch cubes and place in a foil baking pan.  Add 1/4 C brown sugar and drizzle with most of the BBQ sauce. The original recipe does not call for any other additions, but I'm thinking to add 1/4 to 1/2 cup Coca Cola (never diet coke), or beef broth, apple juice, or whatever you like, to keep the meat moist. Cover with foil.

5.  Place the pan on the grill, close the lid and cook for an additional 60 - 90 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and the cubed bits are falling apart tender.

6. Add 2 tablespoons brown sugar and the remaining BBQ sauce, stir and return to the grill for just a few more minutes until everything is well incorporated.

Serve hot as a main course.

Recipe modified from on found at https://heygrillhey.com

Simple "Almost No-Knead Bread," Updated.

The large loaf has 4 cups of flour, the other one had 3
and the same recipe, only smaller portions.

I love to bake bread. Maybe because in my biological studies the process of fermentation fascinated me. How tiny organisms, a fungus, yeast, can turn sugar (glucose) into CO2 and alcohol (C2H5OH - ethanol), and feed with world is an incredible feat. The CO2 bubbling through the dough gives it that sponginess, and that sweet odor - it's the trace amounts of alcohol being released. The same reaction is responsible for beers and wines,(different species of yeast - no flour please).

This recipe is an update on one that went viral, thanks to Mark Bittman of the New York Times Food Section, some years ago (the main difference - the Hot Water).  Here's a link to that Youtube.

Ingredients:

4 C        flour (any kind)
1/2         tsp yeast
1 1/2      tsp salt
1 1/2 C  Very Hot Water (not to exceed 130 degrees F)

Method:

Flour in a bowl, add yeast and salt, stir, then the water.

Stir until you get a "shaggy" ball. No kneading - stir with a large spoon (mine's made of wood).

Cover bowl with Saran and let sit at least 3 hours on the counter (you can go 4, 5, 6 or more if you want).

Remove the dough ball and place onto a floured surface. With a few moves (I use a scraper like those for picking up chopped veggies) flop the ball around to make another ball - no need to knead.

Spread some parchment paper over a skillet or bowl, drop the dough on the parchment and let it sit aside until you get you oven ready. About 30 mins.

Dutch ovens create high humidity (steam) inside that makes the bread bake perfectly. Others can be used, just need to make sure whatever you use has a lid with no plastic for the baking oven.

Put the Dutch oven inside the baking oven: pre-heat to 450 degree F.  (The loaf you see above I baked on my Traeger at 450 - ish.)

Carefully drop the dough, parchment paper included, into the hot Dutch oven, cover with the lid, slather some olive oil across the top, sprinkle it with with a bit of flour, some fresh chopped rosemary and sea salt (or whatever else you might like to sprinkle there - cheese(s), chopped olives, etc.).and put in the oven at 450 degrees F for 30 minutes.

At 30 minutes remove the lid.  The temperature of the bread should be about 195 - 210 degrees F, and the crust nicely browned. If you want more brown, and I always do, leave it in the oven, without the lid, for 10 - 15 minutes.

Remove, let cool, slice and enjoy.  Keeps, tightly covered for about 3 days.

Simply Smoked Ribs and Bread

It seems there as many ways to prepare ribs as there are ribs. I've read too many to remember, I've watched others grilled, roasted, smoked on tv, and I've tried quite a few as well. Yesterday, with two racks to prepare, I was browsing through the Traeger Recipes and found one, much simpler than all the rest: no mops; no smoke for 3 hours, wrap in foil for two more and  one more without the wrap; no exotic rubs, sauces, or overnight marinades (which always seems to make the ribs taste like ham).

Nope, just this:

When ready, set the temperature at 225 degrees F, place the ribs meat-side up on the rack for 2 hours, then turn them over for one more.  Let them rest for 10 minutes, slice and enjoy. That's it.

All I added to that method was some of our favorite rub and some bbq sauce slathered over them with about 20 minutes to go.


Moist, tasty, good.

Earlier in the day, I baked up a couple loaves of bread to go with the ribs.

Smoked Tri-Tip

What can we say, is there anyone who doesn't enjoy a nice, moist, tri-tip steak once in a while? 

Ingredients:

• Tri-Tip Steak: 3-6 lbs
• Montreal Steak Seasoning

Method:

Remove steak from wrapper.

Wipe excess moisture with paper towel.

Spread the Montreal Steak Seasoning liberally on both sides of the meat.

When ready, start the Traeger on Smoke with the lid open until the fire in established (4-5 minutes).

Place the meat on the grate on the smoker setting and leave it for 45 minutes to allow the smoke to penetrate the meat and create the desired smoke-ring.

Turn the temperature to 250 degrees F and continue cooking until the temp reaches 135 degrees F.

At 135 degrees (about an hour, begin checking at about 40 mins), remove the meat, cover with foil, and turn the temperature up to 450 - 500 degrees F.

Once temperature is reached, place the meat back on the grill for 4 minutes, each side.

Remove, let rest for 10 - 15 minutes, slice against the grain, and enjoy.

Smoked Chicken Thighs - Traeger Style

Ingredients:

• Chicken Thighs
• A Binder for the Rub: Zesty Italian Salad Dressing.
• Your favorite Rub

Method: 

Trim the thighs, I like to remove as much loose fat as possible without taking the skin with it.

Slather the thighs with a binder for the rub. I always use Zesty Italian Salad Dressing.

Apply the rub liberally, I recently found a rub with no salt at Costco.  It has been good enough to reuse often.

Start the Traeger on Smoke with the lid open until the fire is established (4 to 5 minutes). Once the fire is established, move the temperature to 250 degrees F.

Place the thighs directly on the grill and cook until the internal temperature is 165 degrees F. About 45 minutes to an hour.

Remove, cover with foil.

Raise the Traeger temperature to 450 degrees F then place the thighs back on the grill each side for 4 to 5 minutes to get the skin crisp.

Remove, cover tightly, let rest for 5 - 10 minutes, the enjoy.

Eggs on Avocado and Toast

We came across this simple and easy recipe on Pinterest.  Hungry and trying to think of something "new and different," we found this easy to put together little snack on Pinterest. It made a perfect brunch.

Simply do this:  toast a piece of multi-grain bread, spread a bit of avocado mixed with just enough cottage cheese to give a smooth consistency, a few drops of lemon juice, layer one over-easy, sunny side up egg atop, sprinkle with crushed pepper and a bit of sea salt.

Easter Ham with Honey, Mustard and Clove: 2015

Whether you believe in Jesus, or the Easter Bunny, Easter brings both its promise of eternal life and/or - more eggs in your basket. Usually celebrated, like holidays, birthdays, Saint Paddy's Day, and others, with food, for this occasion most of us enjoy - a big chunk of pig thigh - we call, ham.

We love to get the family all together for Easter.  The kids are all just a bit past hunting for eggs, but we enjoy the meal and all the craziness that goes on while they are here. In years past, the ham has tended toward dryness, and often too salty, so this year we went for something a little different...un-sliced, shank ham.

Un-sliced ham offers up thick pieces of juicy, tender meat. That is because slicing meat adds surface area through which moisture escapes during the baking and even while sitting on the platter. Some people slice off bite-sized pieces of meat on the plate because they would rather conserve the moisture - for taste.

We didn't do anything to reduce saltiness of this ham, other than use a glaze that called for none, as most glazes do. Not sure why, but no one seemed to notice the usual saltiness in this ham.

It was as good as the picture indicates, maybe better.


Ingredients-

1 10 lb ham, shank
1 C honey
1/4 C Whole Grain Mustard (Dijon works)
1/4 C packed brown sugar
1 tsp crushed cloves
4 tbl unsalted buter

Method-

Prepare the glaze: Place the butter in the pan at med-low heat.  Once melted add the other ingredients and stir util well blended, about 3-5 minutes. Remove and let cool, preferable to a honey-like consistency.

Take ham out of refrigerator half and hour before putting it into the oven.  Set the oven temperature at 350 degrees F.  Trim the fat leaving at least 1/4 inch.  Layer the pan with a couple of layers of aluminum foil (nice when it comes clean-up time).  Just before putting the ham in the oven, cover the top with parchment paper, then wrap the entire ham tightly with aluminum foil.

Cook for 55 - 60 minutes.

Take the ham out of the oven and reset the temperature to 425 degrees.   Remove the foil and the parchment paper.  Score the meat with slices no deeper than 1/4 inch. Brush about a third of the glaze over the top and down the sides; then back in the oven.  Every 20 - 25 minutes, brush more glaze, do this until all the glaze is used and the ham is a dark golden color with a brown crust. Remove from the oven, cover in foil and let rest for about 30 minutes.

Collect the pan juices, remove the fat that rises to the top, and place on table as a aus jus.

Enjoy

The Croque Mademoiselle

I came across the Croque Monsieur and Croque Mademoiselle in the book, "Paris Cafe: The Select Crowd," by Noel Riley Fitch and one of my online friends, Rick Tulka (a Mad Magazine cartoonist).

Both Croques are basically ham and cheese sandwiches, but what sets the Croque Mademoiselle off is that it has an egg on top. Both are lathered in a sauce of some type: bechamel, Hollandaise, etc.

My version of the Croque Mademoiselle is a combination of recipes I have found, including the one in the book mentioned above, and what I like in a breakfast plate - with two eggs, not one, on top.

The Croque Monsier was first mentioned in literature with volume 2 of Proust's, "In Search of Lost Time," 1918.

Ingredients:

Two eggs, poached
2 or 3 slices of ham
1 piece of bread, white will do, toasted or roasted, and buttered
1 slice of gruyere, swiss, or asiago (I used asiago here and grated it over the top)
bechamel sauce, or in my case, 1/2 pkt of Hollaindaise mix from the grocer's

Procedure:

Prepare the sauce
Toast the bread
Poach the eggs
Heat the ham
Toast on bottom, then layered with the ham, then the eggs, the sauce, then the grated cheese.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy

"Pan Seared Steak with Brandy Sauce"

Pan-seared Steak with Brandy Sauce,
Asparagus and noodles with Pesto

Watching some "ol-boys" in Montana, with Anthony Bourdain, working out of a blackened, cast-iron skillet, this idea for a sauce-lathered steak came to mind. After some thinking and some internet searching here's what we came up with:

Ingredients:

1 lb steak: round, flank, skirt, or your favorite choice
1/2 C finely chopped shallots, or scallions
4 tbl Butter
1/4 C Red Wine
1/3 C Beef Broth
4 tsp Worcestershire
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp Tomato paste
4 tbl Brandy
1/2 C Cream of Mushroom

Procedure:

At high-heat, place 2-3 tbl butter in the pan. Swirl to contact all sides of the pan. Add 1 lb of bite sized chunks of the steak. Brown on all sides, reduce heat to medium-low, add another tbl butter, if needed, and the red wine. Continue at this heat until the red wine evaporates and the liquid in the pan thickens. Remove the meat, and cover.

Saute shallots/scallions for 2 mins on medium-high. Add brandy for deglazing the pan, increase temperature to high-heat. Once the brandy has evaporated, add the broth mixture (broth, Worcestershire, Dijon, tomato paste). Bring to a boil. Cook until thickened.  Add the cream of mushrom, stir until the liquid is well mixed.

Enjoy.

 

"Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs"

As a young man I could take, or leave, chicken of just about any kind: grilled, barbecued, or baked.

On a 45-day guided tour of Europe in 1970, I had fried chicken 23 times. It was years before I could eat it again, and enjoy it.

However, as I accumulate more and more years, I am finding I like chicken better and better - fixed just about any way.

This is a super easy recipe from "Simply Recipes" by Elise Bauer, which we found today, and put it together this evening for a very flavorful dinner.


Ingredients:

4 chicken thighs
1/4 C spicy mustard
1/4 C honey
1tbl olive oil
3 or 4 springs fresh rosemary
salt
freshly ground pepper

Method:

Set the oven for 350 degrees.

Mix the mustard, honey, olive oil and salt in a small mixing bowl. Further add ingredients to taste.  I added a bit more mustard and salt.

Place the thighs in a roasting pan and pour the mixture over the top.  Add the rosemary springs between the pieces and bake for 45 mins to an hour. We removed ours at 45 mins, but it could have gone just a few more minutes for added browning and crisping of the skin. Done when the juices run clear, or at 170 degrees.

"Another Lovely Loaf of Bread"

Due to the angle of the camera, this beautifully raised loaf looks flat.  It isn't. 

You may find this hard to believe, but this freshly baked loaf of bread was never kneaded, it never needed to be kneaded. It's kinda fun to play with those words.  

But not as much fun as baking this loaf. 

Here's the recipe * : 

Ingredients:

4 Cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 Cups water (85 - 95 degrees)
2 tsps Quick Rising Yeast
2 - 3 tsps Salt
2 Tbl chopped rosemary
2-3 tsps Sea Salt

1 tbl olive oil

Procedure:

Put the yeast in the water and stir until smooth, about 2 minutes.  Add 2 cups of flour and the salt, then stir until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the next 2 cups of flour and stir until the dough ball pulls away from the side of the bowl. No more. Cover and, for full flavors, refrigerate overnight; or let sit in a warm place for about 2 - 3 hours until the dough ball has doubled in size.

Next day, turn the oven light on in your oven. Then in about 30 mins put the covered dough in the oven with only the oven light on (the oven light produces enough heat to get your oven to about 80 degrees), let warm. Let rise for two hours. 

Set the oven for 500 degrees.  

Then carefully pour the dough into either a 9 or 10 inch oiled skillet or a dutch oven.  Let it sit for 15 or 20 mins until the dough has risen again to maybe twice its size.  Spread the olive oil on the surface, evenly sprinkle the rosemary, and the sea salt. 

Put it in the oven, reduce the temp to 400 degrees.  Bake for approximately 20 - 30 minutes, or until you have a nicely browned crust.  

Remove and place on a rack for cooling, then enjoy.  

* Recipe adapted from the book, "No Knead to Knead," by Suzanne Dunaway. 

"New Book, New Bread Recipes"

I recently purchased a bread recipe book from Amazon called, "No Knead to Need," by Suzanne Dunaway, and absolutely love the breads now coming out of the oven.

The three breads here all came from the same batch of dough, and my oven!  The baguette is a regular sized loaf, the two focaccias are about 7 or 8 inches by roughly, 11. The sugar and cinnamon disappeared first.

Ingredients:

4 Cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 3/4 Cups water (85 - 95 degrees)
2 tsps Quick Rising Yeast
2 tsps Salt
2 Tbl chopped rosemary
2 tsps Sea Salt
1 Tbl unsalted butter

Procedure:

Put the yeast in the water and stir until smooth, about 2 minutes.  Add 2 cups of flour and and salt, then stir until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the next 2 cups of flour and stir until the dough ball pulls away from the side of the bowl. No more. Cover and, for full flavors, refrigerate overnight; or let sit in a warm place for about 2 - 3 hours until the dough ball has doubled in size.

Next day, turn your oven to 200 degrees, let warm. Put the dough, still covered, in the oven and close the door, not quite all the way. Let rise for two hours.

Pre-hear the oven to 500 degrees. Scrape the dough onto a floured surface, and cut into two equal pieces. Put one aside.

The Banguette: I go ahead and knead the dough 5 or 6 times, then form it into the baguette. Put the dough on a baquette pan, available in most kitchen stores, or online. Let sit for about 15 mins, then put into the oven, lower the temperature to 400 degrees. I also put a pan of water in the oven to keep things on the moist side.

The Focaccia:  Knead a few times, then spread the dough out on a floured cookie sheet. Use your fingers to punch down the holes, or indentions, in the dough. On one I spread olive oil, freshly chopped rosemary, and sprinkled the surface lightly with sea salt (just under a tsp). For the other, punch the holes: spread some unsalted butter, then sprinkle liberally with a sugar/cinnamon mix (or do them separately).  Heat at 450 degrees for about 12 - 15 mintues.

I did all three breads in the oven at the same time. Pre-heated to 500 degrees, then reduced to 415 for about 15 minutes, then reduced again, to 400 in another 10 mins. Internal temps for bread should be about 205 - 215 degrees for doneness.

Enjoy.    

"Mushroom Frittata with Endive Salad"

I first had frittata, that I remember, at a friend's home a couple years ago. It was such a culinary delight that I haven't forgotten about it. This morning while thumbing through an old magazine, I found this recipe for a mushroom frittata.  It also comes with an endive salad, but I'm thinking it might served just as well with some cubed and pan-fried potatoes.

No picture, yet.  Once I make this and take a few, I'll post one of them here.  

Serves: 4

8 large eggs
3 tbl extra virgin olive oil
8 oz assorted mushrooms, sliced
2 tbl unsalted butter
1bunch scallions, chopped
1/4 C chopped fresh parsley
2 tbl chopped fresh tarragon
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2/3 C grated gruyere cheese
4 heads endive, sliced crosswise
3 Campari or small vine-ripened tomatoes, chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon

1.  Set a rack in the upper third of the oven; preheat to 450.  Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until foamy.  Heat 1 tbl olive oil i a large nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.  Ad the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes.  Reduce the heat to medium. Add the butter, scallions, parsley, tarragon, 1/4 tsp salt and a few grind of pepper.  Cook until the scallions are wilted, about 3  minutes.

2. Pour the beaten eggs into the skillet in an even layer and cook until they start browning, about 3 minutes; sprinkle with cheese. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until set, about 5 minutes.

3.  Meanwhile, combine the endive and tomatoes in a bowl. Add the lemon juice, the remaining 2 tbls olive oil and salt and pepper. Toss and serve with the sliced frittata.

Recipe from, "Food Nework Magazine," vol 7, no. 4, p. 108.  

"Honey-Crusted Chicken Breast"

My wife prefers meals quick and easy to prepare. This is a DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hyper-tension) recipe, and it was so easy, I put it together during half-time of the most recent Seahawk football game (they won).  Along about the end of the 3rd quarter, we pulled the breasts from the oven and had dinner:  Honey-Crusted Chicken Breast, Garden Salad, baked potatoe, and some home-made French bread toasted and layered with melted parmesan cheese. The chardonnay finished it off.

We have both been diagnosed with high blood pressure, but we have controlled it with pharmaceuticals (doesn't that just leave a metallic taste in your mouth??).  I recently found the DASH recipes online and this is the second we have tried.  The first was the minestrone soup found in the previous posting on this blog.

The meat was moist, a total must with chicken breast. The honey flavor wasn't overpowering, or missing. It was very good.

Ingredients:

• 3 Chicken breasts, boned and skinless
• 4 tsp honey
• 12 saltines, 2 inch square
• 1 tsp paprika

Procedure:

In a bowl, crush the saltines and add the paprika.  Mix.  In a larger bowl cover the chicken breasts with the honey. Once the breasts are covered, drag them through the saltine/paprika mix.  Cover all the entire piece.

Place the chicken into a baking dish and then in the oven at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the meat is 165 degrees.

Remove and serve.

"Diego's Killer Minestrone"

Winter is the time for soups, stews, and good breads, so when this recipe for minestrone soup appeared in our local newspaper this December, it jumped up and made me take notice. I thought it looked good on a number of levels; but the recipe needed modifications in a few places, so here it is, "Diego's Killer Minestrone."

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped
1 large stalk celery, chopped
1 medium carrot, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups fat-free, broth *
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes *
1 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 cup or more chopped spinach or other greens
2 15 oz cans, one kidney and one pinto beans , drained and rinsed *
1 cup uncooked whole-grain small shell or other pasta
1 small zucchini, diced
2 tbl fresh basil, chopped or 2 tsp dried
2  tbl nutritional yeast, optional (didn't use this one)
1 tbl dried cilantro *
1 tbl dried oregano *
2 tsp dried dill *
salt, pepper, Tabasco to taste *

Procedure:
In a large saucepan, heat about two tablespoons of water over medium heat.  Add the onion, celery and carrots and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.  Add more water, about a tablespoon at a time, if vegetables begin to stick to the pan.

Add garlic and continue cooking for another minute. Stir in broth, tomatoes, rosemary, spinach, and beans.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and add pasta. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add zucchini, or green beans, cilantro, oregano, and dill. Cover and cook for 5 minutes more.

Remove from heat and stir in the basil and yeast. Simmer until time to serve, or cool, then refrigerate for later re-heating.

* The original recipe called for unsalted broth which wasn't available; a large tomato, but tomatoes this time of year are dismally free of taste thus the can of diced tomatoes; one can of beans, either kidney or pinto, we love beans so we tossed in one of each; cilantro, oregano, dill, salt, pepper and Tabasco were added for additional flavorings.

 

"Almost No Knead Bread"

Click on the pic to watch the interview conducted by
Mark Bittman, New York Times food reporter, which started this craze.   

Few things beat a full-flavored slice of buttered bread, or one slathered with peanut butter and honey, or simply toasted and savored with a meal.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 tsp Instant Yeast
• 3 oz room temperature water
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 C All Purpose Flour
• 1 tbl white vinegar
• 7 oz room temperature beer

Preparation:

Add the yeast and water, stir just enough to mix.

Add the salt, the flour, the white vinegar and beer.

Stir with a wooden spatula until you get a nice ball of dough.  At first it will feel too wet, then it will feel too dry, then it will begin to feel just right. Stir until most of the dough on the sides of the bowl have disappeared into the ball.

Cover with plastic wrap and sit for 12 - 15 hours

Using a spatula remove the dough from the bowl onto a flour lined surface.  Knead about 6 to 10 times, form into a ball, then place into a skillet lined with parchment paper that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray.

Let sit for about two hours, or until the dough has doubled in size. Pre-heat the oven and dutch oven inside to 500 degrees.

Once dough is ready, and the oven/dutch oven/ are hot, pick up the dough by the parchment paper and gently lay it inside hot dutch oven.  Cut one slice across the top, about 1/4 inch deep.  Sprinkle with flour.  Replace the dutch oven lid and put it back into the oven.

Lower the temp to 425 degrees and let bake for 30 mins.  Remove lid and bake another 10 - 15 mins to bring a nice dark color to the crust.  Internal temp should be about 200 - 220 degrees.

Remove, let cool completely prior to slicing.

Enjoy.

"Beef Jerky"

Beef jerky can be tricky.  I tried it once a few years ago, and gave up on the first try. The meat reduced down to less than 50% of its original purchase weight, it was dry and crunchy.  Not what I wanted.

A few nights ago, at a Christmas party, a friend brought some in he had smoked on his Traegar smoker, and it was delicious!  After picking his brain, I decided it had to be tried again.

Use meat low in marbling, it won't render down to less than what you purchased.  He also used a jerky packet purchased at one of the local stores where barbecue supplies are sold.

Ingredients:

• 5 lbs of carne asada (I bought mine at Costco for 4.98/lb . . . cheap in comparison to the jerky you buy at the grocery store).
• 1 pkt "Jerky Cure & Seasoning" (about $6.00 - contents good for 15 lbs of meat).  I was surprised at how many flavors are available. For this first attempt, I went with "Mandarin Teriyaki."

Preparations:

Follow the directions in the packet which include cutting the meat, mixing the ingredients, the curing the meat overnight in the fridge, then cooking it the next day. I smoked it at 200 degrees in my Traegar for about 2 hours.

I'll be sharing this with my son, son-in-law and daughter, and there will be plenty left over to enjoy during the Seattle Seahawks football game.

"Louisiana Style Chicken Wings" *

Found a recipe for Louisiana Style Wings and modified it a bit by smoking the wings with Northwest apple wood just enough to create what should become the great Northwest Classic Louisiana Style Wings.   We wanted the meal to focus on the wings, so we use the bean pods, carrots and celery in their freshest, and crunchiest state so they, along the wings could be dipped in the Ranch Dressing.  A salad to round out the meal and served with Southern Style Sweet Tea. These babies were succulent, sweet and hot enough to leave a memory in your mouth for quite a while after they were gone.

Ingredients:

2 lbs large chicken wings
Spicy Italian Salad Dressing
Favorite chicken rub (Montreal Chicken Seasoning), or other
1/2 stick butter
1/2 C Louisiana style hot sauce (Frank's Red Hot Louisiana Sauce)
1/4 C Honey
2 C Blue Cheese
1 Garlic Clove

Preparation:

1.  With a sharp knife, cut the wings into three pieces through the joints.  Discard the wing tips, or save for chicken stock.  Spread something the rub will adhere to over the wings. I use Spicy Italian Salad dressing.  Add your favorite rub.  We have been using a no-salt rub found at Costco and it's great.

2.  Make the spicy honey-garlic sauce:  Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add the garlic, and saute for 2 to 3 minutes until it softens (do not let it color).  Stir in the hot sauce and honey and cook for several minutes to blend the flavors  Keep warm.

3.  When ready to cook, start the Traeger grill on Smoke with the lid open until the fire is established (4 to 5 minutes).  Place the wings on the grill and smoke for 20 - 30 minutes.

4. Remove the wings, cover, and reset the temp to 375 degrees.

5. Replace the wings on the grill. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 175 - 180 degrees.  The chicken is safe at 165/170, but the higher temps produce a more pleasant consistency to the meat, or until the chicken is no longer pink at the bone.  Place the wings in a large bowl, pour the sauce over them then blend until the wings are covered with the sauce.

5.  Serve with the blue cheese or ranch dressing.

* Recipe adapted from www.traegergrills.com/recipes.

"Jerk-Pineapple Chicken"

Veggies and Chicken breasts, medium heat, on the grille.

Not many things go as well with warm summer days than firing up the grille and tossing on something that will hit the taste buds smack on.

Such was this recipe we found in the Food Network's magazine.  

The recipe called for 4 small chicken breasts, but we used two larger sized pieces.

Mix up 4 sliced scallions, 

2 sliced bell peppers (we had only one, so one was what we used), and 1 sliced pineapple, with a tblsp of vegetable oil, and about a half a teaspoon of fresh Jamaican Jerk rub. 

Toss the chicken into the mixture to get it juiced up, then put the chicken breasts on the grille.

The recipe says to grille for 15 to 18 mins, but I left them on until they reached 165 degrees, turning a couple of times. 

Half way through the grilling, put the veggies on the grille.  

We added some roasted carrots, chunked and baked potatoes, and an ear of fresh corn to the our plates.  Then poured a glass, or two, of some Gevertztramiener wine to balance out the heat of the jerk rub.