Bean and Bratwurst Soup

This is just a quickie post and not my usual full post with a detailed recipe and several photographs.  But it worked so well that I took a picture of leftovers the next night.  It reminded me of my favorite bean and bacon soup as a teenager, only better.

• 2 lbs dried northern beans, soaked overnight
• 19 oz Johnsonville bratwursts, removed from casings and crumbled
• 1/2 cup each of celery, onion, and carrot, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled minced
• 2 quarts chicken broth
• 2 bay leaf
• 1.5 tsp Italian seasoning
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Brown the bulk bratwurst sausage in a large soup pot.  Remove to a colander to drain, reserving 2 Tbsp of the pork grease.  Refrigerate the meat.
2. Saute the onion, celery, and carrot in the pork grease until tender, about 5-7 minutes.  Season with about 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper while sauteing. 
3. Stir in 2 Tbsp of All purpose flour, garlic and cook another 1-2 minutes until coarsely blended. 
4. Whisk in the broth.  Add the beans, bay leaf, and Italian seasoning to the pot.  Bring to a simmer, cover and maintain simmer for 1 hour.  
5. Return the sausage to the pot and simmer for another 15 minutes.  Remove bay leaves.  Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper as needed.

Johnsonville Italian Chili Challenge

Johnsonville is running a new contest and I find the format very interesting.  They have 4 chili recipes.  Your challenge is to take one of them, change it up and then submit your modified recipe.  [OFFICIAL PAGE HERE]

Each of the 4 original chefs will select the one submission that they think best adapts their original recipe.  The four winners will each win a 5.5 qt Flame Stewpot from Emile Henry, a year's supply of sausage, and a $1,000 shopping spree!

I like the fact this is an adaptation recipe only contest and not requiring original recipes.   I can't wait to see how the winners put their spin on the 4 original recipes.  Can you imagine being one of the 4 judges, having one of your favorite recipes in this contest, and having to choose who modified YOUR recipe the best? 

Check out the link and see if you think that you have the perfect tweak to win the $1,000.

[Standard Disclaimer]  I have a business relationship with Johnsonville and receive some compensation from them for various activities.  But this is not a sponsored post.  In fact, I found out about this contest via Facebook just like anyone else would. 

Papas Asadas - Easy Cuban Roasted Potatoes

If I didn't already love a Cuban sandwich, when I saw this recipe for Butterflied Cuban Style Pork Chop from Bobby Flay I probably would have thought the man "done lost his mind". 

It's basically a Cuban without the bread.  It's a butterflied pork chop, stuffed with Swiss cheese, ham, and pickles.  It is an admittedly weird combination but it works quite well.  Like many folks in the comments section in the linked recipe, I added mustard to the inside because you have to have mustard on a Cuban.  At least I do.

For sides, I wanted something super easy because I was feeling as lazy as a sloth tired from working hard all day.  Along with black beans and rice, I made these simple but delicious Cuban roasted potatoes. 

Easy Roasted Cuban Potatoes

by www.nibblemethis.com

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 30 min

Ingredients (4 servings)

• 4 to 5 medium russett potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 Tbsp McCormick Gourmet Collection Cuban Seasoning

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400f. These would also work in a grill set up for indirect heat.
2. Place potatoes in a zip top Glad bag (gallon size). Sprinkle in the Cuban Seasoning and pour in the oil. Shake, toss, twist, agitate and otherwise manipulate to cover all potatoes with the oil and seasoning.
3. Empty the bag onto a rimmed cookie sheet into a single layer.
4. Roast on the middle rack in the oven for 30 minutes, flipping the potatoes around every 10 minutes.
5. Remove and serve while warm.

Powered by Recipage

The potatoes were ridiculously easy and tasted great too.

Use a very sharp knife to make the butterflying easier.

Lay all of your stuff on there and then just close the pork chop like a book.

Grilled and resting on a raised rack.

Cheesy, gooey, and good.

The Pit Is Back
One of the first things a new acquaintance often will say to me when he/she learns that I BBQ and grill is, "I watched that show, BBQ Pitmasters."

Well guess what.  A new season of BBQ Pitmasters is starting up this Sunday (Dec 16) at 9pm EST on the Destination America channel.

Photo credit:  Destination America

Producer John Markus was on The BBQ Central Show a few weeks ago and talked with Greg Rempe about it.  From what I recall, they are calling it Season 3.2 instead of Season 4 because it's kind of a mini-season before next year.  The format will be different for this shortened version.  There won't be an overall grand champion, each week will just have a winner.  Each week will be a regional competition like, best Texas style BBQ or something like that.  While I prefer the more traditional BBQ competition formats (Season 1, some of Season 3), I'm actually looking forward to this mini-series too. 

So don't call me at 9pm on Sunday night.  I'll be watching BBQ Pitmasters on Destination America. 

Product Review: Dizzy Pig Fajita-ish Rub

I received a sample of one of Dizzy Pig's new rubs, Fajita-ish.  Being named Fajita-ish, I immediately knew how I wanted to use it - in bread pudding!  Yeah, I'm kidding.  Duh, I used it on fajitas!

I first learned of Dizzy Pig Barbecue Company about 4 or 5 years ago when I bought my first Big Green Egg.  It seemed like EVERYONE on the BGE forum was talking about these rubs by Dizzy Pig and the funny names (Tsunami Spin, Swamp Venom, Cowlick, etc) caught my eye.  The company was started 9 years ago by a couple of Eggheads like me commenting back and forth on the Egg forum (full story here).  Dizzy Pig products are all-natural, gluten-free, and contain no MSG.

Alexis and I already buy and use several Dizzy Pig products (Jamaican Firewalk, Tsunami Spin, Raging River, and Cowlick), so we were excited to try the new Fajita-ish rub.  

For a side by side comparison, we tried it on a skirt steak against another skirt steak seasoned with Baida brand fajita rub.  Both steaks were rubbed with a little lime juice and then liberally seasoned.  The veggies were tossed in some oil, lime juice and fajita rub.  I preheated the Egg to 500f and grilled the steaks 4 minutes a side.

The veggies finished at about 6 minutes so I removed them to a bowl.  The veggie wok insert is one of the features I love about my Craycort cast iron grill grate system. 

Quick tip about cutting skirt steak - the grain runs across the short side instead of lengthwise like a flank steak.  So to cut it, cut the steak into 3-4 inch pieces like pictured, turn each piece and then slice thin across the grain.

Alexis and I made homemade tortillas for this using this great tutorial from Mely's Mexico in my Kitchen that gave us everything we needed to know to be successful on our first try.

Smash that tortilla!

We served the fajitas with a quick Mexican rice and Bush Beans Cocina Latina beans with some cotija cheese.

It would be easy to say I liked the Dizzy Pig Fajita-ish steak better just because I'm a "homer" for a fellow Egghead.  So I had Brett, Alexis and Trevor all try a piece of both before serving and all three favored the Dizzy Pig Fajita-ish skirt steak over the other.  Not only was the flavor bolder but the taste profile had more complexity to it.   By that I mean it wasn't just 2 or 3 predominant flavors, it hit on a broad array of flavors.

[Standard Disclaimer] I received a free sample but no other compensation from Dizzy Pig.  Okay, the sticker too, I got the sticker, you happy FTC?   Craycort is an equipment sponsor of my blog.  I have a business relationship with Bush Beans but this is NOT a sponsored post.  

Agave Mustard Grilled Pork Chops

Normally I like big, fat, thick pork chops.  Ones that are almost more of a roast, than a chop.   To me those are just as enjoyable as a nice steak.

But I also like those thin pork chops.  You know the ones that they sell in a hulking package labeled "assorted pork chops".  I like them because they are

• cheap
• marinate quickly, and
• cook VERY fast.

I like to refer to these thin chops as "weeknight chops" because they are ideal on those nights when you are in a hurry and don't have time for a 4 hour brine and a two stage roast/sear type cook.  Just a quick marinade and slap these guys on a hot grill.  

Here is a version that we did tonight.  The flavor of agave nectar is kind of like honey but I like it better.  It has a hint of molasses or something smoky - perfect for grilling.  So these are similar to a honey-mustard grilled chop, only better.

Agave Mustard Grilled Pork Chops

source:  www.nibblemethis.com

Ingrdients

• 6 pork chops, bone in, thin cut (1/2" or less)
• 1 oz red wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp agave nectar
• 1 Tbsp spicy brown mustard
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 3 oz olive oil
• pinch or two of salt

Instructions

1. Whisk together the vinegar, agave nectar, mustard, oregano, and black pepper.  Whisking vigorously, slowing pour in the olive oil.  Taste for seasoning and add pinch or two of salt as needed.
2. Pour marinade over the chops and massage in to coat well.  Allow to marinade for 30-45 minutes.  You can let it marinade longer than that but it isn't necessary.
3. Preheat a charcoal grill to 500f.
4. Remove chops from the marinade and grill 2-3 minutes per side until the chops hit an internal temperature of 145f.   
5. Allow the meat to rest for 5 minutes and then top with any accumulated juices.

These chops have all kind of irregular shapes but the one thing they have in common is that they are thin and quick cooking.

To go with our quick weeknight meal, we served these with Bush Grillin' Beans Sweet Mesquite flavor.  Normally, I like to pair sweet with heat but these black beans, onions and roasted red pepper simmered together was a great match for these sweet grilled chops.  The salad was just chopped romaine, green onion, Parmesan cheese and a mixed berry vinaigrette that I made.  

Since these chops are so thin, I like to plan on one and a half chops per person just to make sure we have enough.  If you don't eat them all, don't worry.  They make for great eating in the middle of the night when you are raiding your fridge.

[Standard Disclaimer]  I have a business relationship with Bush Beans but received no compensation for this post.

Southwestern Strip Steaks with Avocado Pico de Gallo

As the summer wraps up to a close and the evenings aren't as long, I start turning to quicker recipes for everyday grilling.  Don't you?

Take last night for example.  After work, I didn't have a lot of time to get dinner together and we had things to do so I made these quick but fantastic tasting steaks in hardly any time at all.  Southwestern spice rubs pack a little heat and while the pico de gallo compliments that heat with the charred mild green chile, the avocado helps cool it out.

With all of that flavor going on, I needed a side dish that was not wimpy.  I turned to the bold tastes of Bush's Grillin' Beans for my side dish and served it with their Black Bean Fiesta Grillin' Beans.  It is probably my favorite variety of Grillin' Beans for anything with a Southwestern flare.  The black beans, yellow corn, and red peppers make a fiesta on your plate.

Best of all - minimal prep and cook time.  Spot on for everyday grilling!

Southwestern Strip Steaks with Avocado Pico de Gallo
source:  www.nibblemethis.com
Serves: 4
Prep time:  20 minutes    Cook time:  10 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 New York strip steaks
• 8 tsp Southwestern seasoning* divided
• 1 cup fresh tomatoes, diced (about 2 Roma tomatoes)
• 1 avocado, peeled and diced
• 1/3 cup red onion, peeled and diced
• 1 Anaheim or New Mexico chile, roasted, seeded and peeled*
• 2 Tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp lime juice

Instructions

1. Remove the steaks from refrigeration and allow to warm at room temperature.
2. Toss the tomatoes, red onion, green chile, cilantro, lime juice, and 1/2 tsp of the Southwestern seasoning.  Add the avocado and lightly fold in.  Taste and season with a pinch or two of salt if needed.
3. Preheat your grill to 450f (medium-high).  Once your grill has been at 450f for 5 minutes, make sure your grill grates are clean and lubricate them using tongs with an oil soaked rag or paper towel.  
4. Season the steaks with the remaining Southwestern seasoning on all sides.  
5. Grill the steaks until they reach an internal temperature of 125f, about 4 minutes per side, for medium rare (temp will rise up to medium rare temps during the rest period).  For medium, cook until reaching an internal temp of 130-135f, about 6 minutes per side.   
6. Let the steaks rest for at least 5 minutes on a raised rack above a plate.
7. Serve the steaks topped with the pico.  

Notes

• Southwestern seasoning - Tonight I used a 1:1 mix of a green chile rub from a small bottler and a store bought red Southwestern seasoning.  Here is the Southwestern rub recipe I make from scratch but tonight I was just grabbing stuff off the shelf.
• Roasted pepper - For heat level, Anaheim is mild.  You can use about 1/4 cup of canned green chiles but roasting them brings so much more flavor.  For more about roasting chiles, check out this post Grilling 101:  How To Fire Roast Chiles.

Don't be shy with the seasoning.  You're Grillin' Bold here!  

If you want cross hatch marks, rotate the steak a quarter turn half way through each side's cooking time.

For extra seasoning, I tossed a few small chunks of mesquite wood on the coals just before adding the steaks.

Gratuitous Egg shot.  I just wish you could smell the aroma of mesquite smoke and grilling steaks coming out of the top.

The purpose of using the raised rack is to avoid the steaming effect that happens when placed directly on a plate.  That lets all your "steaky juicy goodness" escape.   If you don't have a rack like this, steal the one out of your toaster oven or microwave.  

Instead of piling the pico all on top of the steak, I like to do it a little offset like this.  Plus push the beans right up on that steak so their sauce mixes in.  It's a fiesta dagnabit!  

Bonus Recipe

The college football season kicks off tomorrow night and tailgating season is here.  It's always good to have a quick dip recipe up your sleeve, right?   I stole this from saw this on Bush's Facebook Page.

I made a version of this before but I used Black Bean Fiesta Grillin' Beans and a Mexican cheese blend with the sour cream.  Super fast, super easy, and super good.  What else could you want?

Labor Day Grillin' Beans Giveaway!
The folks at Bush's want to help you keep your grillin' groove going and are sponsoring this great grilling gear give away on my blog:

The set includes free Bush's Grillin' Beans, cast iron skewers, spatula, fork, basting brush, and a triple LED grilling light that will light up your grill so you can keep on grilling as the nights fall earlier and earlier.

How to enter:

1. Leave a comment below telling me A) one of your favorite grilled chicken, pork chops, or steak recipe, B) the flavor of Bush's Grillin' Beans that you would serve it with AND C) once sentence that either describes your recipe or why you choose it.  
2. Contest period runs through Labor Day 2012 and ends at 9/3/12 at 11:59:59pm.  
3. Drawing will be random using random.org to draw the winner.
4. Winner must claim prize within one week of posted notice or I will choose a replacement from the remaining entries.

If you are grillin' bold this weekend, be sure to grab a few cans of Bush's Grillin' Beans!

Giveaway closed:  Winner is Marilyn!

[Standard Disclaimer]  I have a partnership with Bush Beans and received compensation for producing 5 recipe posts.  You might notice I've used various Bush products in way more posts that that this year.  It's because our family really likes and uses Bush Beans that much.  We have used their baked beans and ingredient beans for long before I had a blog.  We have loved the Grillin' Beans since they came out a few years ago.  Bush has always just been the gold standard when it comes to bean products for us.  I'm proud to partner with them.

Ribs Smoked On a Gas Grill

Sustainable Pork Tour 2012 (Part 1)

I spent the past two days in the farmlands of Versailles (Ver-sales, not Ver-sigh), Ohio courtesy of the National Pork Board and have learned volumes about sustainable pork farming at Wuebker Farms.  I even held a piglet that was just minutes old.

Squee!

I had a lot of preconceived notions changed and have a lot of topics to discuss so I need to break this into 3 posts.

My intial post is a recipe inspired by my visit in 3 ways.

First, I chose to do "baby back ribs*" since Wuebker Farms is basically an Ob/Maternity Ward for pigs.  Second, I decided to smoke ribs on my gas grill because Jeff and Alan cooked our lunch yesterday on this cooker that they bought for $250!

What a bargain!!! 

It's a gasser with an internal 6 rack rotisserie that they found for a steal when looking for a feed truck for the farm.  The third inspiration is that I based this recipe on a local BBQ sauce that Dena Wuebker recommended, D.B. Yummers.

She wanted to give me two bottles but TSA regulations won't allow you to carry liquids more than 3 ounces so they couldn't fly with me.  The sauce has a thick texture and you can see some of the bigger spices like red pepper flake in there.  It has a bold sweetness and a good kick of balanced heat.  I liked it enough that I ordered a 4 pack from them today.

Not a bad smoke ring for a gas grill.

Wuebker Ribs
source:  www.nibblemethis.com

Ingredients

• 1 rack baby back ribs*
• 1 smoke packet*
• 1/3 cup D.B. Yummer's Mildly Spicy Barbecue Sauce

For the rub

• 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
• 1.5 tsp dark brown sugar
• 1 tsp smoked kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes*
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp dry mustard
• 1/8 tsp onion powder

For the mop

• 1/2 cup D.B. Yummer's Mildly Spicy Barbecue Sauce
• 1/4 cup cola
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat gas grill to 250-275f and place your smoke packet directly above the burner.  For my Smoke Hollow grill, I turned only the left burner on and at the lowest setting.  That kept it around 260-270f. 
2. Remove the membrane from the back of the rib (like I show in this post or the video is this really old post.).  Mix the rub ingredients together*.  Moisten the rib on both sides with a little cola (about 1-2 Tbsp) and then season it heavily with the dry rub.
3. When the smoke pack starts smoking, place the rib on the grill bone side down and away from the burner and close the lid.
4. Mix the mop ingredients together and lightly mop or spoon some over the rib about every 30-45 minutes.   This will layer flavors and keep a moist cooking environment.  
5. Cook for 3 hours, then wrap in a double sheet of aluminum foil and return it to the grill.  Cook for 45 minutes.
6. Remove from the foil and put back on the grill.  Cook until the rib bends easily when you hold one end with tongs, about another 45 minutes (4 1/2 hrs to 5 hours total time).  When they are almost done, brush on some of the straight barbecue sauce (not the mop).  
7. Let rest for 10 minutes, slice and serve.

Notes

• Ribs - These were packaged as "baby back ribs" but are actually loin back ribs.  The only difference is size, true baby backs are 1 1/2 or 2 pounds.  Back ribs can be heavier like these (2.9 lbs).  
• Smoke Packet - For ideas on how to make a smoke packet, check out Patio Daddio's excellent tutorial.  I used a foil mini loaf pan with two Mojo-Qubes and got some of the best smoke I have ever had on a gas grill, it blew chips away as far as the quantity and consistency of smoke production.  
• Red pepper flakes -  this is spicy as written.  Drop the quantity to 1/4 tsp for medium heat.
• I ran my rub through a spice grinder for just a few seconds to get an even texture but you can use it just mixed together by hand.
• If you want "fall off the bone" ribs (which are overcooked), leave them in the foil for an hour.

Close enough!

Wuebker Wub

I covered the Qubes with foil and poked about 8 holes in top.

I have three wood fired smokers but I chose to use the gas grill side of my Smoke Hollow grill just for fun. 

The rib is away from the burner while the smoke packet is directly on the burner (see under the grate to the right).

I don't have to mop when I use my Big Green Eggs but the gasser seems to be a drier environment.

 

I also mopped the bacon wrapped corn, figured it couldn't hurt.

Mmmmmmm ribs.

Served with bacon wrapped corn and Smokehouse Tradition Grillin' Beans.

Alexis couldn't get over the smoke flavor and said she wouldn't have known they were done on a gas grill if she hadn't seen it with her own two eyes.

I'll have two more posts up this week with a ton of pictures and information from my visit with the National Pork Board, Ohio Pork Producers Council, and Wuebker Farms. 

Almost Heaven Dock Party

Bev and Larry (Big Dude's Eclectic Ramblings) hosted one of their summer dock parties at "Almost Heaven South" yesterday afternoon.  Their dock is not a long plain wooden pier.  It is a large covered party barge complete with an outdoor kitchen and can seat up to 25-30 people comfortably.

They were kind enough to invite us and Kathryn and A.J. (Smoky Mountain Cafe).  When we discussed the "menu" ahead of time, we all agreed to keep this as a simple cookout.  That is a challenge when getting three food bloggers together, because the temptation is to try to show your flare.  Then you get stressed out wanting everything to be perfect.  We kept true to our word and put the emphasis on fun and socialization and it couldn't have worked out better.

Cathy gets last minute jet ski instructions from Larry.

She's a fast learner!

Beverly, Larry, and Kathryn taste testing the crawfish cheese dip.

Alexis loading up on the cheese dip.  It reminded me of Spicy Crab Imperial, quite tasty.

In town it was hot and humid but down on the lake it was comfortable all day.

A.J. and Larry enjoying the late afternoon.

We all spent more time socializing than cooking, I loved that.

Beans, brat tub, brats and Beef Hot Links on the grill.  

Yes, I even used a gas grill as part of our keep it simple rule.

Pat telling one of the funny stories that were told all night.  

A.J. coming back in from a ride.

Alexis with a mischievous grin.

A.J. showing his sense of high fashion.

Kathryn and Larry hanging out.

Kathy showing off her new bikini ;)

Oh yeah, there was food.  

 For my "keep it simple" efforts I didn't prepare anything.  I just grilled Johnsonville Brats & Beef Hot Links and Bush's Smokehouse Tradition Grillin' Beans, it couldn't have been easier.  We also had a great potato salad, the crawfish dip, other chips and dips, and later "white pie".  

Brats, beans, and grilled potato salad.

Flag reflection in the lake near twilight.

The fun and talking went on and on....

....until the sun went down and then some.

Alexis extremely "relaxed". 

Thanks again to Bev and Larry for a wonderful evening!

[Standard Disclaimer]  This post sponsored by pure laziness and a desire to "keep it simple".  While Bush Beans and Johnsonville are sponsors of my blog, I received no compensation for this post and paid full retail price for everything mentioned in this post.