King Ranch Chicken Mac and Cheese

We are cooking a lot of high carb meals this week because it's football camp for Trevor's high school.  That means 5 hours per day of weights, running, hitting, and running some more, so he needs lots of calories.  

I saw this recipe in Southern Living and thought it would be perfect.  First it is part mac and cheese, which Trevor loves.  The second part is King Ranch chicken - a cheesy, gooey, and comforting Tex-Mex casserole.  The two together had to be a winner, right?  The added benefit is that this recipe only requires 20 minutes hands on.

I made a few changes of course, the first being that I cooked it on my Grill Dome kamado grill.  I also did it in one skillet instead of two dishes like the recipe called for.  I wanted mine to be a little more "Tex-Mexy" (...."Tex-Mexish"?) so I used Mexican crema for sour cream and added some of my fajita dry rub. 

Instead of cheddar, I used Queso Chihuahua with Jalapeno for a bit more kick.  Chihuahua cheese is a mild, moderately soft cows milk cheese that melts nicely, making it ideal for cheese sauces like fundido.  I already knew that, but what I did not know is that, according to Cheese.com, it was originally made by Mennonites, which is why it also goes by Menonita.  If you can't find Chihuahua cheese, you can substitute a pepper jack cheese.

King Ranch Chicken Mac and Cheese

source:  adapted from Southern Living

Ingredients

• 8 ounces cavatappi pasta, cooked according to directions
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1-2 tablespoons peanut oil or other high temp cooking oil
• 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon fajita or taco seasoning
• 10 ounce can RoTel
• 8 ounces Velveeta, cubed
• 3 cups cooked chicken
• 10 3/4 ounce cream of chicken condensed soup
• 3/4 cup Mexican crema
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 1/2 cups Chihuahua with jalapeno cheese, shredded (6 ounces)
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• Cotija cheese for topping (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat your kamado grill to 325°F. Initially it should be set up for direct heat with a regular cooking grate set on the top of the fire ring.
2. Once the grill is preheated, place a large, grill safe skillet on the grate and let it preheat for 5 minutes with the grill lid closed.  
3. Add the butter and oil to the skillet.  Saute the onion and peppers for 5 minutes.  Season with the fajita or taco seasoning and continue cooking until tender, another 1-3 minutes.  
4. Stir in the RoTel and Velveeta and cook, stirring frequently, until the Velveeta melts, about 2 minutes.  Stir in the chicken, soup, crema, chili powder, cumin, and about half of the shredded cheese.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese and panko bread crumbs.
5. Switch the kamado to indirect heat (see pictures) and place the skillet on the Grill Extender or other raised rack.  Bake at 350°F until the top is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly, about 40 minutes.  
6. Remove and serve topped with Cotija cheese if desired.  

Mise en place - this recipe goes pretty quickly so have everything ready.

I used a 13" cast iron skillet but you could use a deep 10-12 inch skillet, a Dutch oven, or stoneware casserole dishes.

When frequently opening your grill lid for kamado grills, your cooking temp will rise because you're letting more air in.  Cut your bottom vent to about half of what you normally would have it set for 350°F.  This will help keep your temps from getting away from you.

Cooking over coals adds more flavor than cooking stove top.

Here are some tips for "stove top cooking" (saute, stir fry, etc) on your kamado grill. The frequent opening of the lid can let too much coal to ignite but these simple steps will make it no problem.

1. Start with a lower temp then your desired cooking temperature as it will get hotter every time you open the grill.
2. Close down the lower vent while you have the grill lid open.  Just don't forget to open it back up when you close the lid.
3. Keep the lid closed as much as possible
4. Burp frequently.  It's easy when frequently opening and closing your kamado to create conditions (heat, fuel, limited oxygen) for a back flash.  "Burp" your kamado by slightly opening and closing the lid a few times quickly to re-introduce air to the equation. 

Here is the indirect set up for the Grill Dome - Indirect Rack, stone, and Grill Extender.

Once you are finished sauteing and are ready to bake, your grill should be close to 350°F.

The reason for putting the casserole higher up in the grill is to harness the power of the Grill Dome's great ceramics.  The heat reflects down off of the Grill Dome's dome and browns the top evenly.  This also keeps the bottom from burning.

This one is a winner and we'll make it again.  I held off on adding a chopped chipotle because I didn't want this to be too spicy but next time I'll throw that in too.

This is also my last cook having to cook out front.  The weather finally cooperated and we got to finish pressure washing, sanding, and staining our deck. 

Now it will be grilling on the back deck, the way that nature intended! ;)

[Standard FTC Disclosure]  We are proud to have Grill Dome as our kamado sponsor! 

Spatchcocked Ginger Ale Chicken

This recipe for Ginger "Beer Can" Chicken was in this month's Southern Living (June 2015) and it looked good so I decided to give it a whirl.  I was intrigued by the ginger ale glaze.  It's a keeper. 

I did it pretty much as written except for one major difference - I didn't stick anything up my chicken's butt.  I'll explain why later.  Instead I spatchcocked my bird and cooked it "raised direct" (elevated above the heat).  Spatchcocked chicken cooks faster (1 hour versus the 90 minutes the recipe called for) and more evenly because the backbone is removed and the bird is flattened out. 

The rub is salty and sweet finishing with the flavorful mild heat of ginger.  It also goes on rather heavily - don't forget to season the backside (or inside if you're going can style) too.

I loaded the Grill Dome kamado grill with lump and preheated it to 375°F.  The set up was "raised direct".   This gets you closer to the reflective heat of the dome to get a really nice and even browning. It also helps you keep from burning the bottom. You can achieve this many ways but basically you are just trying to raise your cooking grid another 3-4 inches.  Today I used the Grill Dome raised rack.

Confession - I was working on something else and my cooking temps crept up on me, getting to 400°F.  No problem, I shut the bottom vent slightly and slid a pizza pan under the bird to keep the backside from getting too done.  This is also a good way to catch your grease drippings if you start getting too much greasy smoke.

I thought the glaze was going to be a mistake.  It seemed way too thin for a long time but then it finally reduced as the recipe calls for.  Just make sure to keep it boiling, not just simmering.  This turned out to be a fantastic glaze and dipping sauce.  It is powerfully sweet and then spicy and tasted wonderful glazed onto this bird.

 

This one is definitely going into our rotation. The flavor of this rub/sauce combination makes the chicken come alive with flavor.  It would work great with drumsticks or wings for tailgating too - I know I'll be trying that.  I'd probably double the sauce if you are doing two birds like the recipe calls for, but I like having extra sauce for dipping.

Whether you go beer butt or not, whether you have a kettle, gas, kamado, or other grill...you should give this recipe a try this summer. 

So why don't I do beer can chicken?
In my opinion, beer can chicken is one of the very few things that doesn't translate well to a kamado grill.  It's not a defect, it's just that standing a chicken up in a kamado set up for indirect heat (not over the flames) puts the chicken breasts in the higher heat near the dome while the thighs are down where cooking temps can be up to 25 degrees Fahrenheit lower.

Hope you like these super fancy graphics from my Graphic Arts department.

So, why does the beer can chicken technique work okay for kettle grills and gas grills?  When you do indirect with those grills, your heat source is coming from below and the sides, so the thighs are getting the higher heat.  In that case, the thighs and breasts will be done about the same time as the white meat up top.

The kettle grill indirect set up on left heats from the side and below, so the thighs will cook and be done about the same time as the breasts further away from the heat.  The kamado indirect set up on the right has a heat deflector (black line) so it's getting more heat from the top down. which would cook your breasts before the thighs are done.

That doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't do beer can chicken on a kamado grill.  I've seen people do it and they like it.  But for my money, I prefer to flatten my whole chickens out so that they cook evenly whether I am direct grilling, raised direct grilling, or indirect grilling.  It's just my preference.

But you know my motto - cook what you want, how you want, on what you got.  Anyone that tells you that there is only one way to grill something is full of it.  That includes me. 

[FTC Standard Disclaimer]  I have no affiliation with Southern Living.  We are proud to be sponsored by Grill Dome for our competition team and this blog. 

Yet Another Grilled Corn

One of my favorite summer vegetables is grilled FRESH corn.

Fresh is extremely important with corn because once the ear is cut off from the plant (it's source of nutrients) it immediately begins converting its sugars to starch as an attempt to keep living (On Food and Cooking - McGee).  This process can cut the sugars in half in just hours.  

Another tidbit about corn that I learned from Larry Doolittle, Master Gardener and author of Big Dude's Eclectic Ramblings - there is one silk for every kernel of corn.  

Several people asked about the recipe for the corn in my previous post.  It was an adaptation of 3 Ways with Grilled Corn in the June issue of Southern Living.  I substituted 1 Tbsp of finely minced green onion for the chives and I forgot to add "made a conscious decision not to use" the lime zest.  I also baste some of the butter on DURING the grilling instead of just as a topping when served. Other than that, I pretty much followed the recipe as written in the link.

 

It doesn't take long for the compound butter to harden, maybe 20 minutes in the freezer.

I baste with some of the butter once the kernels are deep brown like this, just the last few minutes of cooking.

Summer corn.....I likes it!

If you have leftovers of the compound butter, it works exceptionally well on the griddle for cooking quesadillas.  It loads flavor onto the tortilla.

Black and Blue Steak Salad With a Twist

Contrary to online appearances this week, I have not disappeared from the face of the Earth.

Any semblance of a routine that I have was replaced with a bowl of upheaval and a side order of adjustment. Some of it was planned, some of it spontaneously erupted. But now the tumultuous waters are settling and I have surfaced for air.

Obviously, meals this week were confined to simpler things. Last night I wanted to time dinner for when Alexis got home after her first day at her new job. I thought I'd make her one of her favorites, black and blue salad.


Yeah I know that this "black and blue salad" has been done an infinite number of times by an infinite number of monkeys in an infinite number of kitchens. But in my defense, I don't think Bill Shakespeare could grill his way out of a paper bag.

Black & Blue Salad

1.5 lb flat iron steak

Marinade (source: I threw it together)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup marsala wine
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 spring rosemary, fresh chopped

Gorgonzola vinaigrette (adapted from Southern Living)
3 Tbsp gorgonzola cheese
2 Tbsp cold water
1 Tbsp white vinegar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard, coarse ground
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp olive oil

4 cups baby spinach

1 leek, white part only, sliced on a bias in 1/4" chunks
1 egg
1 tsp Fire Ant Juice (or your favorite hot sauce but Fire Ant is more bettah and SHOULD be your favorite hot sauce....I'm just saying.)
2 Tbsp cold water
1/2 cup self rising flour

Mix the marinade and marinate the flat iron steak in a zip top back for a few hours.

Make the vinaigrette by mixing everything except the oil and then while whisking, slowly drizzle in the oil. Refrigerate.

Bathe the leek in the egg wash (whisk egg, water, and hot sauce together) and then toss in the flour. Place on a raised rack in the fridge. This will help the batter stick in the frying.

Prepare your grill to 450f (medium-hot to hot). For me, I'm using natural lump charcoal in a Big Green Egg and a Craycort cast iron grate. Don't just throw the meat on as soon as you hit your target cooking temp. Let the grill preheat for at least 10-15 minutes at that temp.

Remove the steak from the marinade and grill for 3 minutes.

Flip the steak and grill another 3 minutes.


Flip and grill another 1-2 minutes.

Flip one last time and cook another 1-2 minutes until the steak hits an internal temperature of 125f for medium rare (temp will raise slightly while resting).

While that steak rests, deep fry the leek rings at 350f until they turn golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.

Place rinsed spinach in 4 bowls and drizzle the vinaigrette over them. Slice the steak very thin and top each salad bowl with 4 slices of the steak.

Here's the twist. I like to twist each piece as shown in the picture to
1) highlight the medium rareness of the steak and
2) add some visual height to the dish.

Top with the fried leek and serve it immediately.

Note: If you have an infinite number of monkeys to feed, you should adjust the quantities a bit.

PS: If you have an infinite number of monkeys, your local codes enforcement department probably also wants to have a word with you.

Can The Canned Enchilada Sauce

I smoked a pair of chickens on the Big Green Egg this weekend to use for dinners this week. During the fall/winter, I find that I do a lot more of "batch cooking" on Sundays where I cook a lot of food for the rest of the week.


I won't repeat the whole detailed process but it's my standard smoked chicken technique. For my fellow BBQthusiasts, I used a mix of cherry and hickory chunks and smoked them for a little over 3 hours at 250f until they hit 180f in the thighs.

So far we have used them to make

• chicken salad for lunch yesterday
  
• chicken alfredo for dinner last night,
  
• and tonight's enchiladas

You could use leftover rotisserie chicken for this recipe but I find that the smoked chicken just gives it that little extra oomph. (Oomph is American southern dialect for "je nais se quoi".)

But what really blew us away was the homemade enchilada sauce. So many recipes call for canned enchilada sauce. I can tell you after tonight, I will never crack a can of that stuff ever again. We adapted Alton Brown's enchilada sauce and it made all the difference in the world. It is rich and rocks the taste buds with a bit of heat on the way down.


Smoky Chicken & Bean Enchiladas
Sauce adapted from Alton Brown's Enchilada Lasagna
Enchilada recipe adapted from Southern Living

Sauce
3-4 cloves garlic, very finely minced
2 ea chipotle in adobo sauce, seeded and diced
2 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp roasted cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
6 oz can tomato paste
2 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 Tbsp turbinado sugar

Enchiladas
3 cups smoked chicken, diced
1 15 oz can beans, rinsed and drained (I used Bush Brothers Mixed Beans but the original recipe called for black beans. Kidney beans work too.)
1 10 oz can rotel (tomatoes with chilies)
1 cup corn kernals
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded
8 ea flour tortillas (8" size)
2 1/2 cups enchilada sauce

Garnish
Cilantro, chopped
Green onions, chopped

Mix all of the enchilada sauce recipes in a sauce pan and heat to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Taste and reseason as needed with more salt and pepper. Cook another 15 minutes. This yielded about 3 cups of sauce when done.

Mix the chicken, beans, rotel, corn, and 1 1/2 cup of the cheeses in a large bowl. Place 1/8th of the mixture on each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in a 9 x 13 baking dish. If you can't find a 9 x 13 baking dish, a 13 x9 will do. Well, it will work if it is a right handed 13 x 9 inch model. I'm not sure about those left handed 13 x 9 ones, I don't have any.

Top with the sauce and remaining cheese. Cover and bake at 350f for 20 minutes.


Uncover and bake another 15 minutes.

Let rest 5 minutes, garnish with the cilantro and green onion, and serve.


Results:
This was ridiculously good. Alexis and I both agreed that the enchilada sauce was the best we have ever had. You won't find a canned enchilada sauce in our house again.

So do you start doing a lot more "cooking for the week" on weekends when the temperatures turn South for the winter?

Confetti Corn Relish & Rice

I scored some wood for smoking yesterday morning. The skies were bright blue and the air crisp as I drove the 40 miles out to Larry's place at Almost Heaven. We made quick work of two of his fruit trees and then loaded my trunk with peach, hickory, pear, and bradford pear woods.

When we were done, we talked about....well, just about everything. We talked about BBQ, family, cooking, travels, chain saws, products, and even some of you guys. That's the great thing about bloggers, we become friends with people we wouldn't have even met before. It was like we were just two neighbors chatting over the fence.

Anyway, thanks Larry for stocking up my wood pile!

Tonight I made a side dish that has been on my "try soon list" for quite some time - confetti corn relish. It was a great side dish to go with the grilled chipolte lime ribeyes that I made and Alexis' southwestern yeast rolls. I thought I'd take the opportunity to be a goofball and make another video too.



Confetti Corn Relish & Rice
source: Adapted from Southern Living

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup sweet onion, diced
1 cup red pepper, seeded and diced
1 cup corn kernels
1 ea jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper ground
1/4 tsp cumin

1 cup long grain rice
1 3/4 cup water
1/4 cup white wine

Cook your rice until done, about 18-20 minutes.



After taking your steaks off of the grill, put a wok or cast iron pan on the grill and add 1 Tbsp of oil (butter, bacon fat, oil, etc). Add the diced onion and cook, stirring often for 2-3 minutes.

Add the red pepper and jalapeno, continuing to simmer for another 2-3 minutes.

Remove from heat and mix in the cilantro mixture, tossing to coat.

Serve over rice.

Alexis and I both thought this was a very good side dish. It has just a little kick from the jalapeno but you could substitute green bell pepper (about 1/4 cup) if you don't like the heat.

Root Beer Beans

The deck rebuild is progressing ahead of schedule and should be complete this afternoon. The two guys doing it have been true craftsman, taking pride in their work as if they were building it for themselves.

I wanted to send them home last night with dinner. The Big Green Egg is spending the weekend in our living room, so I rolled out the Brinkmann SnP offset smoker and smoked a batch of chickens, ribs, and beans. Meanwhile, Alexis cooked a half steam pan full of her mac and cheese.

The BBQ beans were something new that I wanted to try after seeing them on Pages, Pucks, and Pantry earlier this week. Mrs. L had adapted hers from Southern Living and I adapted hers to cook on the smoker.

Smokey Root Beer Beans
Source: Adapted from Mrs. L's adaptation of Southern Living's Root Beer Beans

2 28 oz cans Bush's Country Style Beans
1 small onion, diced
1/3rd ea red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/3rd ea green bell pepper, seeded and diced
6 sliced bacon, cooked until almost crisp and then chopped
1/3rd cup smoked brisket, chopped
1 cup root beer (I used Jones Soda Company brand)
1/2 cup BBQ Sauce (I used Pork Barrel BBQ)
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp of hot sauce (I used Fire Ant Juice)

Combine all ingredients in a half steam pan and cover tightly with foil. Place in the smoker (in your hot spot if you have one). The temps of the smoker could range from 225 to 300f. Cook for 90 minutes. Uncover, stir, and cook for another hour. Stir every now and then as the top will start to thicken.

I was tentative about making this one because I wasn't sure how the root beer flavor would come through. I probably wouldn't have made it if Mrs. L hadn't been so vocal about how much she had liked this recipe. We loved them! They were sweet, a little spicy, and had just the right smokiness. We will absolutely make this again.

We packed up 4 orders "to go" for our deck builders as they finished and they were very grateful.
Smoke Notes for the BBQ Enthusiasts (not written in English):

Fire - Used Minion method. Base fire of Kingsford briquettes and chunks of cherry wood. Adding hickory splits, cherry, and lump through the cook as needed. Ran hot the first 90 min @ 275f even w/ vents shut down. Mostly 250f after that. (Grate temps run 25f lower for the main level)

The ribs were St. Louis trimmed spare ribs. I rubbed one with Billy Bones Competition rub and one with a batch of Southern Succor rub that I had made. I cooked them 3-1 1/2-1 at 250f. Glazes were Pork Barrel BBQ on the Succor rib and Smoky Mountain Smokers on the Billy Bones rib.

The chickens were brined (3/4 c kosher salt, 1/2 c sugar, 1/4 c rub) and rubbed with Poultry Perfect Rub. Mopped them every 30 minutes with my chicken mop sauce. Smoked them for 3 1/2 hrs until the FINALLY hit 160f in the breasts.

Roasted Asparagus Salad

"Desperate. But not hopeless."

Yeah, to quote the Green Day song, I am desperate for Spring. But I'm not hopeless because I made "Spring for dinner" tonight. I've noticed a lot of food bloggers eating Springish lately as if we can will Spring into being here.

This picture is poorly focused but I had to use it because it's the only one I took because this was a quick weeknight dinner.

Roasted Asparagus Salad

source: Southern Living, March 2010

1 1/2 pounds fresh asparagus
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, divided
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes (about 1/2 pt.)
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 head Bibb lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
1 avocado, sliced

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Snap off and discard tough ends of asparagus; remove scales with a vegetable peeler, if desired.

2. Stir together 1 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 1/2 tsp. chopped basil, 1/2 tsp. lemon pepper, and 1/4 tsp. salt in a large bowl.

3. Add asparagus to olive oil mixture, and toss gently to coat. Place asparagus on a lightly greased baking sheet.

4. Bake asparagus at 425° for 13 to 15 minutes or to desired degree of tenderness. Cool 10 minutes.

5. Whisk together balsamic vinegar, garlic, and remaining 7 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 Tbsp. basil, and 1/4 tsp. salt.

6. Toss together tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, and 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar mixture.

7. Arrange lettuce on individual serving plates. Top with tomato mixture and asparagus. Add avocado just before serving. Drizzle with remaining balsamic vinegar mixture.

Note: To make ahead, toss together tomatoes, bell pepper, and onion without dressing. Store these ready-to-use ingredients in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to five hours. The dressing and asparagus can also be made up to eight hours before serving.

We couldn't get bibb lettuce at two stores and went with romaine lettuce. Even the romaine was less than ideal quality. It was tough and a touch bitter. Did I mention I'm ready for Spring?

But Alexis and I both really like the contrast of the warm roasted asparagus in a cold salad. The simple vinaigrette went perfectly with this salad. Alexis said she'd love this recipe without any lettuce at all, just the asparagus and toppings. This recipe would be a nice opener for dinner or just as dinner itself.

Is there a dish that screams "Spring" to you that you have made recently just to get yourself in "Spring Mode"?

Roasted Orange-Ginger Asparagus

The worst thing about our dinner tonight was my photography. I'm fine with that because everything tasted so damn good.

The older spawn was out with his friends and the young'n was spending the night at his buddy's so it was just Alexis and me. So we went with something simple and quick.

Grilled ribeye steak on the Big Green Egg using a Craycort cast iron grate (a product by one of our fellow BBQ Brethren).

I made up an easy but great mushroom sauce for the steaks.

I was going to make a mushroom cream sauce but looking at the mushrooms reconstituting in the beef stock steered (beef pun intended) me in a different direction. Make the sauce while your steaks are resting for 10-15 minutes after grilling.

Brandy Porcini Sauce

Source: Pulled out of my rear but I had enjoyed a beer or two

Ingredients
3 Tbsp butter, divided
2 Tbsp shallot, diced
1/3 cup dried porcini mushrooms
3/4 cup beef stock
2 Tbsp Brandy

Instructions
Reconstitute the mushrooms in the beef stock for 30 minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the stock (reserve stock) and chop.

In a hot saute pan, melt 2 Tbsp of the butter and saute the shallot over medium high heat for about 1 minute. Add the chopped mushrooms and saute another 2 minutes.

Add the brandy and flambe until the flame dies down in about 10 seconds (For me on a gas range top, I boost the heat to high, remove the pan to add the brandy, put it back on and tilt. For you: This is very dangerous and you should never flambe inside. Don't even think about doing it without wearing Nomex long johns, gloves, and a welder's mask [lawsuit disclaimer for Darwin award candidates].)

Add the stock and simmer until the volume is reduced by half. Stir in 1 Tbsp of butter and remove from heat. Serve over steaks.

The side dish was from this month's Southern Living (March 2010):

Roasted Orange-Ginger Asparagus
Source: adapted from Southern Living

1/2 lb fresh asparagus, bottoms snapped off
1/4 cup orange juice
1 Tbsp ginger, fresh grated
1 Tbsp mustard, coarse ground
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
slices of orange

Whisk together the juice, ginger, mustard, salt and pepper. Slowly add the oil while whisking rapidly to create an emulsion.

Drizzle over the asparagus and mix in a casserole dish. Top with the orange slices

Place the dish on the hot grill as the steaks come off.

Cook for 10-15 minutes until the asparagus is done to your liking, turning 1/2 way through. On the Big Green Egg, I did it as it was cooling down from the 550f steak portion of the dinner, it only took about 10 minutes. (Done in a 400f oven for 15 minutes according to the original instructions.)

The food was spot on perfect. I was so glad that I went with using the stock instead of the cream on the mushroom sauce. Impulsive inspirations can be a good thing. The asparagus recipe was not only packed with "both ends of the spectrum flavor", it also adapted easily to the grill.

Sigh....roll me in bacon and put me to bed, I'm content.

PS: Never try that last line in a singles bar....it never works.

Pork Chops with Pepper Jelly Sauce

One of my favorite comic strips in the daily paper is Arlo and Janis, because they are kind of like Alexis and me. I have done this several times:
And I know I'm not the only one with an arrangement like this:
I liked Richard's (aka Buffalo Dick) comment: "I cook like a tornado went through, wife is in charge of damage control."

I saw this recipe for Pork Chops with Pepper Jelly Sauce in the January issue of Southern Living and knew I had to try it.


Pork Chops with Pepper Jelly Sauce

4 (3/4-inch-thick) bone-in pork loin chops (about 2 1/4 lb.)
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons butter, divided
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 large jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup red pepper jelly

1. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Melt 1 Tbsp. butter with oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork chops, and cook 8 minutes; turn and cook 10 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 150°. Remove from skillet, and keep warm.

2. Add flour and jalapeño to skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes or until flour is golden brown. Add wine, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet; cook 1 minute or until almost completely reduced.

3. Add chicken broth, and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken. Whisk in pepper jelly until melted and smooth. Cook 3 to 4 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining 2 Tbsp. butter. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Return pork to skillet; turn to coat. Serve pork with sauce.

Yield: Makes 6 servings

I substituted a mini sweet red pepper for the jalapeno (it's what I had on hand) and used my pork chop rub instead of just salt and pepper. I also used 1" thick boneless chops but the cooking times were still close.

The whole family liked this recipe. The sauce was to die for. As far as "heat", it really didn't have any since I used sweet red pepper but I don't think the jalapeno would have made anything but a mild difference. The recipe comments on the Southern Living site said the same. If you are looking for heat, I'd opt for a habanero pepper.

I threw together a "fiesta rice pilaf" to go with it. We were quite pleased with it too, especially since I just threw it together on the spot without any kind of recipe or plan.

Fiesta Rice Pilaf

2 oz mexican chorizo sausage, (1/2 link) casing removed
1/2 c sweet onion, chopped
1/4 c sweet red bell pepper, chopped fine
1/4 c corn kernals
1 c chicken broth
1 c water
1/4 c green onion, chopped

Brown crumbled chorizo. Remove with a slotted spoon, leaving up to 1 tablespoon of grease (not grease, it's "chorizo infused oil").

Saute onion, pepper, and corn in the same pan over medium high heat until the onion just starts to turn translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the dry rice and toss to coat. Saute for 2-3 minutes until the rice takes a slight golden brown tint. You'll know it's ready when it releases a mild "nutty" aroma.

Return the chorizo to the mixture. Pour in water and broth. Bring to a simmer, stir once, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, fold in the green onion quickly. Put the cover back on, remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes.

And before my good friends from the BBQ Brethren and Outdoor Cooking Guild start ribbing me for wimping out and cooking INSIDE, I did cook lunch on the grill.

Sriracha wings (the sweet heat version)!

with hot and sour noodles.

Have a great weekend everyone!