Product Review: Dragon Knuckles

[FTC Disclosure] I paid full price for my Dragon Knuckles Heat Resistant Gloves.  The link provided is an Amazon Affiliate link.  

Gift Card Week:  A lot of people received cash and prepaid cards for Christmas this week.  I thought it would be an opportune time to post some product reviews this week for the things that Santa didn't bring you.

A good pair of heat resistant gloves is essential for having a fun and safe time with your grills and in your kitchen.  For the longest time, a good pair of welding gloves was my weapon of choice.  In March 2017, I bought a pair of Dragon Knuckles after chatting with the owner on Twitter.

I have used them extensively for the past year, at home and on the circuit.  The Dragon Knuckles have become my go-to pair of grilling gloves for several reasons.

• Design - The gloves have the extended cuff.  Most of my burns don't happen on my hands.  Instead, I reach across or under a hot metal rack then burn my forearm when I inadvertently brush against the hot object.  The extended cuff length protects against that.
• Construction - Dragon Knuckles are made using 13 ounces of meta-aramid (aka Nomex) and para-aramid (aka Kevlar).  The coating of silicone adds further heat protection and grip.
• Reversible - Dragon Knuckles fit on either hand.  This is particularly useful because I'm good at misplacing items like these gloves and if I can only find one, it won't be the wrong hand. 
• Comfort - In a previous life, I was a safety professional, and my degree was in Occupational Safety and Health.  I know that comfort is critical for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).  If the PPE isn't comfortable, you are going to avoid wearing it and find your own, potentially less safe, alternatives.  Dragon Knuckles are the most comfortable gloves that I have. 
• Durability - These things have taken my abuse for 9 months and are in excellent condition.

I have a bin full of silicone gloves, oven mitts, and welding gloves but I have found myself opting for the Dragon Knuckles almost exclusively.

Product Review: JJGeorge Grill Torch

[FTC Disclosure] I received a JJGeorge Grill Charge as a free sample.

Gift Card Week:  A lot of people received cash and prepaid cards for Christmas this week.  I thought it would be an opportune time to post some product reviews this week for the things that Santa didn't bring you.

There are plenty of ways to light your grill.

• starter cubes
• twisted paper towel drizzled with cooking oil
• denatured alcohol
• forced hot air (Looftlighter, Bison, etc.)
• gas torches

I've always said, use what works for you because grilling and barbecue are more about preferences than absolutes.  Only a Sith deals in absolutes, right? That said, my "hard preference" for lighting grills is a gas torch because I think they are the fastest and easiest method.  

Using a torch is the method that I recommend in my book, The Kamado Smoker and Grill Cookbooks (Ulysses Press).

Last month, I met the JJGeorge team at the Pensacola Eggfest where they were serving up excellent oysters from the Big Green Egg.  JJGeorge is a company that sells exceptional grilling furniture and accessories such as beautiful kamado tables, grill covers, eye-catching wood trimmed coolers, and the full Smokeware line.

JJGeorge's Nukshuk Coolers are part craftsmanship and part art.

Their newest product offering is their new Grill Torch.

Priced at $39.99 (currently on sale at $29.99!) the JJ George Grill Torch is less expensive than the plain gas torch that I bought at Lowes.

Shaved Tri-Tip Sliders with Bacon and Cheese Sauce

[FTC Disclosure]  I have received free samples from Flame Boss. However, I have also bought units from them at full price as well.  SABER is our infrared grill sponsor.

Shaved beef tri-tip sliders, why haven't I thought of that before?

Crispy toasted rolls, tender seasoned beef, homemade bacon, and a cheese sauce.  These were ideally suited for the Carolina/Tennessee basketball game this weekend.

We did a reverse sear and then let the tri-tip rest in the fridge overnight.  I used an almost 0 setting on a meat slicer to get the slices extra thin. We already had the bacon in the freezer.

The cheese sauce is a blend of Swiss, Gruyere, and cheddar cheeses.  What makes the sauce special is the roasted garlic, horseradish, and a little bacon fat.  It has got a depth of flavor going on.  This sauce would be fantastic on a dinner roll with a piece of leftover prime rib.

Horseradish and Roasted-Garlic Cheese Sauce for Beef Sliders

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 tablespoon bacon fat
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tablespoon roasted garlic paste
• 2 cups half and half
• 1/2 cup shredded Swiss
• 1/2 cup shredded Gruyère
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar blend
• 1 teaspoon horseradish
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Peppered Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Portobello Sauce

A beef tenderloin roast can be a meal that your guests remember for years to come.  Additionally, beef tenderloin roasts are faster cooking, smaller, leaner, and more tender than a rib roast. 

My December assignment for SABER Grills, our gas grill sponsor, was beef tenderloin for the holiday table.  I came up with this straightforward yet delicious Peppered Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Portobello Sauce.

I used a "reverse pan seared" technique.  In addition to the usual benefits of a reverse sear, the reverse pan searing has a few advantages.  

• Using cast iron gets an even crust when searing. 
• Using the cast iron as your indirect shield preheats it for the sear.  
• Best of all, you can use the sucs (brown bits in the pan) to create delicious pan sauces.

The reverse pan sear set up that I used on my SABER 1500 Elite SSE.  

You will find the full recipe for Peppered Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Portobello Sauce on the SABER Grills website.

Reverse Seared Prime Rib on a Char-Broil Kamander

[FTC Disclaimer] We have appreciated having Char-Broil as a sponsor for the past three years.  This is our final sponsored post for them.  

It's time for the Grinch himself to carve the roast beast, right?  Rib roast season is here.

This is an easy recipe for Reverse Seared Prime Rib that I created for Char-Broil's website this year.  The full recipe is there.  These are just some additional pictures and notes.

I kept the seasonings simple, just black pepper, kosher salt, granulated garlic, cayenne pepper, and dried parsley.

The boneless beef rib roast that I bought was "lip on" so I sliced it off by cutting through along the fat line.  I superimposed the yellow line to show where to cut.  Save the lip.  Trim any red meat out for scraps and use the fat for making beef tallow.

Trimmed and tied to keep it in a more uniform shape.

Steak and Grilled Onion Tacos

[FTC Disclaimer:  We are proud to have Certified Angus Beef® Brand is a sponsor of Nibble Me This.]

Want to know why the beef in these fantastic Steak and Grilled Onion Tacos is so tender?

It's tender because I used beef tenderloin for the meat, specifically a Certified Angus Beef® Brand beef tenderloin from our Food City.  I trimmed this butt section of a tenderloin into:

• Left:  Tenderloin chunks from the "chain."
• Center:  tenderloin roast
• Right:  A mini-roast using the side meat (iliacus muscle).

The "chain" is a little strip of muscle (psoas minor) that is hidden in a bunch of connective tissue that runs along the side of a whole beef tenderloin. A lot of people might mistake that for scrap.  But a little knife-work and patience can produce delectable bits of steak that chefs often treasure for themselves. 

These "scraps" of filet mignon are just the thing for Fire Seared Beef Tips and Rice or in these Steak and Grilled Onion Tacos.

Trevor's girlfriend came over, and I wanted to make them something to eat while they studied.  I grabbed my beef tenderloin chunks, a few things I had in stock, and made them these tacos.

Steak and Grilled Onion Tacos

Ingredients

Stir-Fired Cajun Chicken Pasta

This is what happens when you get culinarily bored.  I combined a Cajun chicken recipe with stir-frying techniques (aka stir firing on the grill) to come up with this creamy and delicious Stir Fried Cajun Chicken Pasta.

I started with this Cajun Chicken Pasta recipe from BigOven as a jumping off place and changed the ingredients for my preferences or what I had in supply.  I decided on stir-frying because the ingredients suit that style of cooking and stir-frying on the grill is fun.

Remember that stir-frying happens at a frenetic pace.  Mise en place* is especially important with this "blink and it's done" type of cooking.  This includes the tools you will need, in this case, grill mitts, wooden spatulas, and maybe a set of tongs.  

Stir Fried Cajun Pasta

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, sliced stir-fry style
• 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning (divided)  I used my NMT Cajun Beef Rub recipe
• 1.5 teaspoons Kosher salt (divided)
• 2-3 tablespoons peanut or other high temp cooking oil
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 red bell pepper, julienned 
• 1 poblano chile, julienned 
• 1 sweet onion, julienned 
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
• 1 lb rotini pasta, cooked according to directions
• Slurry made of 1 tablespoon cold water and half tablespoon or cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
• Parmesan or Pecorino-Romano cheese finely grated for garnish

Instructions

[FTC Disclosure]  This post is not sponsored on behalf of anyone.  However, I received free samples of the Meat Church seasonings and received the SABER grill as part of a compensation package.

We have been making versions of this recipe for garlic soup for over 20 years.  I was told that it is based on a peasant dish in Mexico so it is budget friendly, but it is also delicious and easy to make.  

It has a creamy texture and bold aromatics which make it the prescription for soothing the symptoms of the common cold. Alexis got hit with a cold over the weekend so I made a batch for us.  

That reminds me of when we first got married and I had a bad cold.  Alexis didn't cook much but she wanted to take care of me so she decided to make this soup for me.  I took a spoonful and my mouth instantly puckered at what tasted like flavored sea water.  Like I said, she was new to cooking and mixed up tablespoons and teaspoons when measuring boullion for the broth.  A wee bit salty.  It still made me feel better just from her intentions and we've laughed about it over the years.  

When you first start cooking the bread, it will swell up and might make you wonder if you did something wrong.  Don't panic, the bread will break up as it cooks.

Mexican Roasted Garlic Soup

2017 Pensacola Eggfest

Fourth in a series of four posts about my food week in Orange Beach AL:

1. World Food Championships 
2. Thrilla in the Grilla 
3. Grilling Demo for Pensacola Eggfest VIP party
4. Pensacola Eggfest

We were thrilled to attend the Pensacola Eggfest as VIP Judges once again this year.

This food festival for Big Green Egg grilling enthusiasts is one of my personal favorites and is one of the most well run Eggfests in the country.  Rally Pensacola, a group fighting childhood cancers, was the primary beneficiary of the charitable event this year.

It's always fun to peruse the team booths to watch them prepping their grilled culinary delights, such as, grilled wings, wood fired pizzas, and fiery small bites.  As a whole, I don't think there is an Eggfest with a better collection of cook teams than the ones who participate at the Pensacola Eggfest.  These teams can flat out cook!

Eggfest cook teams typically only have a few hours to fire up their grills before the gates open for the crowds.  So instead of pork butts, brisket, and ribs, most teams opt for quick cooking recipes that can be made in high volumes to meet demand.

The teams hit the ground running and work as a unit (or they fake it quite well) to get the food flowing before the crowds rush in.

The Big Green Eggs used in this Eggfest are provided by Escambia Electric and after they are used for just a few hours this one time, they are sold at steep discounts.  These have all been sold this year but I'm sure they can still give you the best price in town.

The Green Eggs and Bam Team are always a lot of fun and serve fantastic bites.

VIP Grilling Demo at Pensacola Eggfest 2017

Third in a series of four posts about my food week in Orange Beach AL:

1. World Food Championships 
2. Thrilla in the Grilla 
3. Grilling Demo for Pensacola Eggfest VIP party
4. Pensacola Eggfest

Each year, we close out our BBQ and grilling adventures at one of the best Eggfests in the country - the Pensacola Eggfest.  This year, Big Green Craig, Big Moe Cason, and I did a grilling demonstration for the 200 guests at the VIP Party on Friday Night.  

We did two items for the demo.  First, we showed how to make a beef tenderloin roast the center of your holiday dinner.  Next, we showed some game day beef ribs that are quicker than a 2-minute offense.

The Pensacola Eggfest has a lot going for it.  

• It is in a great venue - the Blue Wahoos' baseball stadium, right on the gorgeous water.
• They have amazing organizers that awe me all year long with their dedication, talent, and heart.
• The cooks are ridiculously skilled, as a food blogger their creativity and execution impresses me each year.
• But the most important element of the Pensacola Eggfest is its purpose.  

Purpose is what drives this event and it shows.  This year, the purpose behind the smoke and Eggs is Rally Pensacola.  Rally Pensacola is a charitable organization that provides direct financial assistance to families of children battling cancer.  Here is the "why" behind this event that is bigger than just some great food.

So when the organizers asked us to do the cooking demo, the answer was an emphatic yes!  Here are some photos of the action.

My sister drove 360+ miles to come help out, we always have a great time cooking together.

Reverse Seared Beef Tenderloin with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

It stokes my coals to announce that Certified Angus Beef Brand® has renewed our sponsorship for another year.  Their support is what makes it possible for the Nibble Me This team to get out on the road to attend grilling festivals and BBQ contests.  

This recipe is based on one of the sample appetizers that we served to crowds this year at grilling festivals.  It's also what we turned in for our beef category at the Memphis In May World Championship BBQ Cooking Contest.

At those grilling events, we usually serve the beef shaved and served on roasted garlic crostini with arugula, capers, lemon zest, and the cream sauce.  

Here is the same beef and cream sauce served as a main course, served with pan roasted potatoes, blistered grape tomatoes, and bacon.

The Gorgonzola Cream Sauce is a variation of an Ina Garten recipe that we have used for years.  It's rich and brings a ton of flavor to the tender but mild filet.

Beef Tenderloin with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

Published 11/18/2017

Thrilla in the Grilla - A Grilling Contest for Veterans and First Responders

Second in a series of four posts about my food week in Orange Beach AL:

1. World Food Championships 
2. Thrilla in the Grilla 
3. Grilling Demo for Pensacola Eggfest VIP party
4. Pensacola Eggfest

The most rewarding thing I did at the World Foods Championships had to be helping our friends at Grilla Grills run the Thrilla in the Grilla, a contest

• organized by Veterans
• competed by Veterans and First Responders
• table captained by Veterans and First Responders, and
• judged by Veterans and First Responders
• on Veterans' Day!

Earlier this year, Grilla Grills ran the online grilling recipe contest, Red, Hot, and Blue for Veterans and First Responders.  The contestants entered their recipe, told their story, and sent a picture of their dish.  A panel selected the Top 10 winners and Grilla Grills invited them to the World Food Championships to compete head to head.  

The contestants lined up for the final cooks meeting and waiting on the "GO!".

 The meeting was important because this contest varies in a few ways compared to most of the World Food Championships contests:

1. First, the judging uses an open format instead of double blind, so they see which teams are cooking what as the clock.
2. Second, the contestants only submit 1 entry in 2 hours, not structured AND signature.
3. Finally, for an "improvise, adapt, overcome" theme, the contestants are given a mystery box of three ingredients that have to be used.  Each contestant got different sets of mystery ingredients.

We were lucky to have Michael McDearman as our emcee.  Michael is a well known competitive grill master and the Director of the Sam's Club National BBQ Tour.   Here he is interviewing Jason as he gloves up to get started.

Troy Winter seasoning his turkey breasts.  By seasoning from up high like this, he is ensuring better distribution of the seasoning.  If you season too close to the protein, the seasoning can have spotty coverage.

World Food Championships 2017

A week ago today I was in Orange Beach, Alabama for the World Food Championships.

My schedule for the hectic week was as loaded as my truck was.  I had 7 events taking place in 3 locations:

• Judged the World Chef Challenge
• Judged the Bacon World Championship
• Judged the World Burger Championship
• Conducted a grilling demo with friends, Big Green Craig and Moe Cason, for 200 people at the VIP party of the Pensacola Eggfest  
• Judged the World Open Chili Championship
• Officiated the Thrilla in the Grilla contest for Veterans and First Responders
• Judged the final round of the Pensacola Eggfest

Looking back, I'm not sure why I thought this week was going to be a breeze.  It was not.  But the culinary experience was worth everything it took to make it happen.  

I'm breaking this into 4 posts:

1. World Food Championships
2. Thrilla in the Grilla Veterans' Day Contest at the World Food Championships
3. Grilling Demo
4. Pensacola Eggfest

This one is about the World Food Championships and how someone goes from an itch to enter a contest to winning $110,000 and a World Championship.

Last year, two of my friends, Josh Cooper and Craig Tabor, attended the World Food Championships with me in Orange Beach.  While still on the contest site - they told each other that they would be competing there in 2017. True to their word, both of them qualified and I was damn proud of them and their teams.

To compete in the World Food Championships, chefs and cooks had to have a Golden Ticket.  You earn a Golden Ticket through qualifying events across the country throughout the year.  You must compete in the category that got you into the big dance and those categories are:

World Barbecue Championship

World Chef Challenge

World Open Chili Championship

World Burger Championship

World Dessert Championship

World Sandwich Championship

Bacon World Championship

World Steak Championship

World Seafood Championship

World Recipe Championships (Chicken in 2017)

Here is what goes down during these championships.

I ran into my friends, Chad Romzek of Kick Ash Baskets and Tim Shelburn, as they were waiting to get into the kitchen area.  Tim was one of Craig Tabor's Sous Chefs for this event. 

World Food Championship 2017 - Day 1

I am in Orange Beach, Alabama this week for two events.

• Pensacola Eggfest - One of our favorite Eggfests in the country, we'll be doing a demo Friday night and serve as a Celebrity Judge
• The World Food Championships - I get to judge 4 categories at The Ultimate Food Fight

Today was Day 1 of the World Food Championships.  This food sport spectacle reminds me of the days of the Coliseum.  The WFC pits 1500 highly qualified contestants against each other in the kitchen stadium (arena?) where they slug it out and the last cook comes away with their $110,000 share of $300,000 in total prize money.  

Here's what today was like in pictures.  The event runs all week through the weekend so come on out.  Admittance is free and there is a ton of things going on.  If you're in the area, it would just be fun for the heck of it.  If you are a foodie, this is one worth traveling for.  

There were two sessions today. 

• World Chef Challenge - Structured (had to make paella) and Signature (whatever they wanted) rounds 
• World Steak Championship - Structured (had to make kebabs) and Signature

Even though it's only the second year in Orange Beach, the Ferris wheel at The Wharf is already an iconic symbol of the World Food Championships to me.  Personally, I hope they keep it here after the three year agreement ends after next year.  

When I arrived, crews were scurrying around finishing the final touches on building this temporary community.

If you don't see it get built, you really don't realize how much goes into a major production like this.  Tents built, power lines run, and all sorts of infrastructure don't magically appear.

Cooks start bringing in their tools, supplies, and knife rolls.

Here is the field of battle - kitchen stadium.  It can host 40 cook teams at once.

Each team gets the same set up.  A Kitchenaid oven and stove top, a Bull gas grill, a microwave, a mixer/grinder, two tables, and an Orion cooler. 

The exception is the BBQ teams who cook on Saturday.  They bring their own rigs and of course, I went around to see who was already set up.  This is going to be a tight contest this year, there are a lot of good cook teams here. 

Leftover Turkey Ideas: White, Black, and Green Chili

Thanksgiving is still several weeks away but I have already been cooking a few turkey recipes for clients.  That means I have also already been coming up with ideas for leftover turkey recipes.  This one is my spin on a classic - White, Black, and Green Chili.

I cooked this one in a Dutch oven over direct heat on a Big Green Egg kamado grill but you could cook it on a stove top in a heavy bottomed pot.  When using the grill, keep the lid closed when not stirring or whisking to keep the temperature under control.

White, Black, and Green Chili

Published 11/6/2017

This smooth and mildly spicy turkey chili is loaded with white beans, black beans, and Hatch green chiles.

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, washed and finely chopped
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon Ba'Cock Seasoning recipe, divided
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 quart turkey stock
• 2 cups chopped turkey
• 15 oz can Bush's Seasoned Black Beans, drained
• 15.8 oz can Bush's Great Northern beans, drained
• 1/4 cup roasted red bell pepper, finely diced
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon Albukirky Green Chile Seasoning
• sea salt to taste (about 1 teaspoon)
• 2 cups heavy cream

Instructions

1. Preheat grill to 325-350°f.  Add the Dutch oven to preheat once the grill is stable.
2. Add 3 tablespoons of butter to the Dutch oven and saute the onion, celery, and carrots until tender, about 5-8 minutes.  Season with about 1 teaspoon of the Ba'Cock Seasoning while they saute.
3. Make a roux by adding the remaining butter and once melted, sprinkle in the flour while whisking continuously.   Now slowly add the turkey stock while whisking until fully combined.  
4. Add the turkey, black beans, Northern beans, bell pepper, cumin, Albukirky Green Chile Seasoning, and the rest of the Ba'Cock Seasoning.  Allow to simmer until thick and bubbly, about 15-20 minutes.  
5. Remove the Dutch oven from heat and stir in the heavy cream.  Taste for seasoning and add sea salt to taste.  

Yield: 6 servings

The base of this great chili is a homemade turkey stock.  You can use store bought chicken stock but the turkey stock really sets it apart.  

The turkey carcass that I used for this stock was from this Dry Brined, Fire Roasted Turkey Breast with Maple Honey Bourbon Glaze.  I cooked this on my SABER® 1500 Elite SSE (sponsor) on Sunday.

Scenic City Eggfest 2017 - Ooltewah TN

[FTC Disclaimer]  We are proud to be sponsored by Certified Angus Beef®.

This weekend was the inaugural Scenic City Eggfest in Ooltewah, TN hosted by Elder's Ace Hardware and the Nibble Me This BBQ Team was there to cook.  

Photo credit:  Elder's Ace Hardware

Here are a handful of pictures from the event.  I apologize for the quality and quantity in advance, I didn't have my camera (we just used our phones) and I didn't have time to get out and get shots of the other great teams like I normally do.

It's a Big Green Egg invasion!  Photo credit:  Elder's Ace Hardware

Fusion Mini Tacos - Teriyaki Pork with Thai Peanut Slaw

[FTC Disclaimer] We are proud to be sponsored by Smithfield's extensive line of Fresh Marinated Pork.  This is our 6th and final sponsored post for the year featuring these time saving products.

There is a fine line between fusion and confusion when blending cuisines.  These Fusion Mini Tacos tip-toe right up to that line and do a little dance. Fusion Mini Tacos take the tastes of Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand and serves them in a Mexican style.  

The light and crispy shell crumbles when you bite into it and contrasts against the tender pork.  Smithfield's Sweet Teriyaki Fresh Marinated Pork pairs exceptionally with the rich and nutty slaw, spicy chile paste, and aromatic cilantro.   These mini-tacos are fun, bursting with flavor, and will brighten up any tailgate or party menu. 

The Smithfield Fresh Marinated Pork products are a smart foundation for a quick 30-minute meal and you can find plenty of inspiration at their Real Flavor Real Fast website. Smithfield uses only 100% fresh pork, packed with protein, for these and I've only gotten quality pork from them.

The 2 inch sized tacos were the perfect bite.

Teriyaki Pork Tacos with Thai Peanut Slaw

Ingredients

Shredded Chuck Roast, White Beans and Rice

[FTC Disclaimer]  Certified Angus Beef® is a sponsor of Nibble Me This for 2017; however, this is not a sponsored post. 

I've been hung up on comfort food for the past week and things have been very hectic at home this week.  That means one thing:  Comfort food + hectic schedule = slow cooker (aka Crock-Pot®)  

Yeah, I used a crock pot.  In a perfect world, where I have nothing to do but cook:

• I would have done a smoke/braise of the chuck roast on a kamado grill.
• I would have done white beans in a pressure cooker. 
• I would put some pretty garnish on top.

But life happens and you still need to eat.  We cook this kind of stuff on those days and this is what I cooked for dinner last night.

Lucky for me, I had an extra Certified Angus Beef® chuck roast, from my Food City, sitting in my refrigerator.   

Shredded Chuck Roast, White Beans, and Rice

Ingredients

• 3.5 pound Certified Angus Beef® chuck roast
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon black pepper, coarse ground, dustless
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
• tallow or other high temperature oil for searing
• 1 onion, diced
• 1/2 cup beef stock
• 15.8 ounce can great northern beans
• 1/3 cup finely diced carrot
• 3 strips bacon, cooked and finely chopped
• 3 cups cooked rice

Instructions

1. Prepare the chuck roast.  Pat the roast dry and then apply oil to the surface.  Mix together the salt, pepper, and garlic and season the roast with this mix.
2. Sear the chuck roast.  Preheat a skillet (preferably cast iron) over high heat.  When heated, add oil to the pan and sear the roast for 5 minutes per side.
3. Braise the roast.  Place the roast in a slow cooker.  Add the onion, beef stock, and allow to cook until fork tender, about 8-10 hours.
4. Make the white beans.  Saute the carrot in a small pot until tender, 3-5 minutes.  Add the beans and bacon.  Bring to a simmer and let cook for 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Shred the beef.  Move the beef to a cutting board, break into shreds using forks and remove any visible fat/connective tissue. Taste the beef and season with more salt/pepper to taste. Return this to the sauce in the crock pot.
6. Serve.  Place rice in a bowl, top with the beef and the white beans.

Of course, as soon as the picture was taken, I stirred it all together and dove right in.  It was just what we needed for dinner last night.  

Fire Roasted Meatloaf with Honey Whiskey Glaze

[FTC Standard Disclaimer]  We are proud to have Certified Angus Beef® as a sponsor of Nibble Me This. 

What is your favorite comfort food?

When Fall turns the Smoky Mountains red, yellow, and orange each year, I find myself craving one of my favorite comfort foods - meatloaf.  If you have never tried your favorite meatloaf recipe on a grill, you are missing out, friend.  Fire roasting meatloaf gives it a crisp, tasty exterior and another level of flavor.

To Pan or Not To Pan

I like to cook my meatloaf without a loaf pan, on a raised rack over a small sheet pan.  I do this for a few reasons.  

• Better Texture - Cooking meatloaf without a pan lets the rendered beef fat drip away from the meatloaf.  Cooking it with a loaf pan leaves the meatloaf languishing in the grease.
• More Flavor - Cooking meatloaf on a raised rack lets the entire exterior get the benefit of fire roasting.  A pan shields 5 of the 6 sides of a meatloaf and only lets the top get fire roasted.  

Here is a meatloaf that we cooked this weekend.  The recipe isn't anything radically different, but I do a few things to elevate the meatloaf.  

• I start with a fresh ground Certified Angus Beef® chuck roast from our Food City.  
• I add fire roasted red bell pepper and poblano chile to amplify the flavor.  
• Of course, I grill it as already mentioned.
• I use a delicious honey whiskey bbq sauce as the glaze instead of the typical ketchup glaze.

Enjoy!

Fire Roasted Meat Loaf with Honey Whiskey Glaze

Ingredients