Garlic Soup

This is a recipe that I found in a MealMaster import on the internet back when a 14k baud modem was a fast connection (this was not too long after the dinosaurs had been killed off, circa 1995). I'd gone from being single to married with two kids and just learning to cook for a family. I really didn't know what I was doing, but we thought it was really good, it was one of our early favorites.


Later that year, I had a nasty cold and my sweet bride, Alexis, decided she'd make this for me to help clear up congestion. She didn't cook much, I did the cooking, so I was proud of her when she offered me a bowl of Garlic Soup when I arose as a zombie from the bed. It was so thoughtful of her to go out of her comfort zone and to make that for me.

I took one spoonful and instantly felt every drop of moisture in my body being wicked out through my mouth. It was like I just put a spoonful of hot seawater in my mouth and the salt was sucking every bit of liquid out of me.

I felt bad but had to spit it back out. Turns out, when she made the "chicken broth" using bullion and she had used Tablespoons instead of teaspoons. Salty? Just a bit.

We got a good laugh out of it then and even to this day, we'll mention it and get a chuckle. While I still do most of the cooking, Alexis has really grown into her own as a cook. The recipes she that she does do, she does very well.

Today, Alexis has been feeling "sinusy" and stayed home from work. I hadn't made this soup in years and I thought it'd do her good. I changed several things and we both agreed that this was the best version ever.


Garlic Soup
4 appetizer servings

Ingredients
2 tablespoons oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2-3 slices white bread, cubed
1 ea green onion, sliced, divided into white and green portions
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 eggs, slightly beaten

Instructions
Preheat a 3 quart pan over medium heat and add oil. As soon as oil is heated, add sliced garlic and the white portion of the sliced onion. Stir until the garlic is starting to brown.

Add the cubed bread and toss to absorb the remaining oil. Then keep cooking like you were making the bread into croutons. Some of the garlic will start to get deep brown, don't worry. Just toss the mix around trying to toast all sides of the bread.

Add the broth and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. The bread will start puffing up into big pieces as they absorb the liquid. Add the green part of the green onion and whisk the soup for about 1 minute, breaking up the bread cubes into a smoother mixture. Simmer for 5 more minutes.

Slightly beat the egg in a mixing bowl. While whisking the egg, add in three ladles or large spoons of the hot soup.

Return that mixture back into the 3 qt pan, whisk, and simmer for 1 more minute.

Garnish with whatever blows your skirt up (or kilt for dudes). We topped ours with our home smoked cheddar and green onion.

Chivito....sort of

The chivito is a national Uruguayan dish kind of like a philly cheese steak, only it is way better, is tenderloin instead of ribeye and doesn't have cheese whiz.

The chivito is a thin grilled beef tenderloin sandwich topped with ham, mozzarella, bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion and mayo. It has an interesting story behind it's origin and is very open to options. Go read Gera's guest post at Erica's My Colombian Recipes, trust me, you'll enjoy it.

Here's what I did tonight. It's somewhere between the Chivito Comun and the Chivito Canadiense versions that Gera wrote about.

I partially cooked bacon and then finished crisping it up on the Big Green Egg.

I toasted some kaiser rolls.

I sliced a partially frozen butt end of a beef tenderloin on the meat slicer into 1/4 inch steaks....steakettes maybe? Seasoned them with salt and pepper and tossed them on the Egg at 450f direct heat for 45 seconds.

Like that cast iron grate? I received it to test out from a fellow BBQ Brethren member and will be doing a full review in a week or so. Right now, I'll just leave it at "WOW".

As soon as I flipped the beef, we started topping them with Canadian bacon (instead of the traditional ham) and mozzarella. Let the beef go 45 seconds on this side too.

Then we topped it with the bacon, lettuce, onion, and tomato. Instead of regular mayo, I used a cumin-mayo. We served it up with some sweet potato fries and some of the cumin-mayo for dipping the fries.

I first found Gera's blog 4 months ago when I was googling for info on how to make the classic Milanesa sandwich, another Uruguayan classic. If Gera keeps this up, I'm moving my family to Uruguay.

FTC Blog Regulations

The Federal Trade Regulation announced this week that they will begin applying guidance for Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising to social media such as blogging.

Here's a quick video that gives a simple summary:

Long story short: If you get free stuff and write about it, say so.

Disclaimer: Neither Mary Engle, nor the FTC, has provided compensation, benefits, free samples, or sexual favors in exchange for posting this entry.

Dino Bones: BBQ Beef Ribs

[Standard review disclaimer: Unless otherwise stated, I have no affiliation with and received no compensation from restaurants or product manufacturers reviewed and paid full retail price for the item reviewed.]

The hardest part about making "dino bones" is procuring the dinosaur.

I'd only ever had dino bones once and that was this past summer on our trip to Louisville. They were huge, meaty, but more importantly, had a rich flavor. I loved them and vowed I would make them soon. It took longer than anticipated, but soon is now.

Dino bones are huge beef ribs barbecued for hours. I was confused about what cut dino bones were actually from. Some people and places say they are beef back ribs, the part cut off of a prime rib to make ribeyes. Other folks and sites said that dino bones come from beef short ribs. So I consulted the good folks over at the BBQ Brethren and found out that either is acceptable.

Beef ribs are hard to come by in Knoxville. Mainly because true butchers are hard to come by in Knoxville. So I went and saw Scott Lynam at Lay's Market. I told him what I was looking for and he knew exactly what I needed, finding us a very nice uncut beef short rib. Lay's Market is 12 miles from our house and by no means convenient, but he treated me like a regular and has won my family's business.

This also gave me the perfect opportunity to try out the free sample (see disclaimer at top) of Big Bold Red Soppin' Sauce that I received from the folks at Fischer and Wiesner.

Dino Bones (BBQ Beef Ribs)

Ingredients
1 ea 3 bone beef short ribs, untrimmed
2 Tablespoon Grove's Cajun Beef Rub (or commercial cajun rub)
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Tablespoon Black Pepper
6 ounces Big Bold Red Soppin' Sauce (separated into 3 or 4 portions)

Instructions
Rub the ribs with the salt, pepper, and beef rub.

Place ribs bone side down on a cooker set up for indirect heat at 225f grate temperature with a moderate amount of smoke. I like using Jack Daniels Oak Chips for beef. (On the Big Green Egg, that would be a dome temperature of 250f, with the DFMT closed with the dial open, plate setter in legs up, and drip pan.)

Cook for 4 to 6 hours. Using a clean brush, baste every hour with a portion of the Big Bold Red Soppin' Sauce. The purpose of using separate batches is to prevent cross contamination. The ribs will shrink back on the bones very drastically, don't panic. It's supposed to do that.

When you're ribs have pulled back about 50% on the bones and have an internal temperature of 195-200f, they are done. Remove and let rest for 15 minutes. Slice into rib portions. Unlike pork ribs, one beef rib is a normal serving size.

Servings: 4
Source: www.nibblemethis.com

I seasoned both sides of the ribs and then left them out while I got the Big Green Egg up to temperature.

Shrinkage can be a good thing, when it comes to BBQ. That's the toughness leaving and all the goodness staying! I placed the fork in the picture for scale, these are some pretty big assed ribs, kind of like the ribs that flip the car in the opening credits of The Flintstones. Hence the name.

Much like brisket, these will turn very dark. They will be mostly blackened but not burned at all.

The Big Bold Red Soppin' Sauce was not a thick, tomato based BBQ sauce. It is a thin and beautifully tart sauce to be applied during the cook. In fact I used it more like a mop, than a sop and that worked, building multiple layers of flavor instead of one big "hit" of it during the last few minutes of cooking. There are not too many sugars in it so it doesn't burn like BBQ sauce would. The sauce would actually be a good marinade for steaks and a sopping sauce for brisket too. You can order Fischer and Wiesner products online or find them in retail locations. I know that Earth Fare in Knoxville carries some of their products.
For more information on soppin' sauces and recipes for making your own, check out this page.

We were very happy with the ribs. The flavor was excellent. I had just the right about of smoke on them. Alexis and the boys loved them.

Things I'd do next time? I'd probably take them to 200f internal, I pulled them off at 193.8f and there was still a little collagen toughness in one or two spots. I might also try slicing them into individual ribs before smoking, that's how we got ours in Louisville. I'd be tempted to try foiling them for an hour during the cook, but I've just now gotten weened from using the "texas crutch" for pork ribs and don't need to pick up bad habits again:)

European Street Style Beer Cheese Soup

This was the first recipe I ever posted in this blog when I started it in January of this year. You can read the full recipe and the whole story in that post, but long story short, this was my attempt to replicate my favorite soup of all time, Beer Cheese Soup from European Street Cafe in Jacksonville, FL.

If you're EVER in Jacksonville, do yourself a favor. Go to one of their locations and have a beer from their vast selection, a smokerschmitt (or one of their other signature sandwiches), and a cup of beer cheese soup. Gawd, I miss that place!

This time, I used some of the smoked colby/jack, edam, and muenster cheeses from this weekend in addition to the standard ingredients. I also only had a cheap, American beer on hand.

This is the first time I made it without any cheddar at all. While it was still very good, it wasn't as great as usual. It didn't have that edge that cheddar brings. I'd recommend keeping your cheese mix to include at least 50% mild or sharp cheddar.

This is one of those rich soups that will warm you to the bone. It is "Oh my God, it's so good" good.

Fun With Cold Smoking MacGyver Style

It's that time of year where the temperature is dropping and you can start cold smoking foods. Cold smoking is not the same as "low and slow", it's "lower than low, but not as slow as slow". The point is you aren't using the smoke to cook the food, only to cure it.

Some people who have much more ambition than I (or you, or you, and yeah, you over there, more than you too) like J over at Cowgirls Country Life build their own cold smoking shacks. Then again she raises her own cattle, pork, and even shrimp.

Yes, shrimp. I can't even raise Sea Monkeys without getting the Humane Society and PETA called on me.

But anyway lot of folks over at the BBQ Brethren Forum have been having fun making cold smoke generators with cheap soldering irons so I thought I'd entertain myself today making one. All you need is a drill, a can, and a soldering iron. (Well, technically, some drill bits too.)
TIP:  It is getting harder and harder to find food cans without a BPA or other lining.  I burn mine in a hot fire to burn out the lining thoroughly. 

Drill a hole at one end of the can big enough for the soldering iron to fit into. Then drill about a dozen or so smaller holes along the side that will be the top.

Then fill the can with the wood chips of your choice. Then simply cap the end with aluminum foil several pieces thick.
TIP: Assuming this is a used soldering iron, REMOVE THE TIP. A lot of soldering wire contains lead and you don't want to be adding that to your food. Also, make sure there is no solder on the base itself. If in doubt, use a new, clean soldering iron.

Next, clean out your cooker. Remove the coals and ashes that might have residual flavors from your last meal in there. Besides, when's the last time you cleaned that puppy?

Put your rigged cold smoke generator....errrr, I mean your "thermally neutralized, precision controlled combustion device" at the bottom of your cooker.
I plugged the contraption in and in about 5 minutes, had a nice wispy smoke. Holy shiat! It works! It's ALIVE!!!

Now, smoke something. Cheese is easy.

TIP: When I worked in the Risk Management Department of a large grocery chain, the head of the test laboratory once mentioned to me that the biggest enemy to the lifespan of cheeses was bacteria from handling after it was opened. So wash your hands very well before opening the cheese, cutting the cheese, or handling the cheese. Also, scrub the living hell out of your grate or smoke the cheese on a sanitary surface. This will extend the useful life of your cheese.

Since this was an experiment, I used cheap block cheeses including swiss, mild chedder, colby jack, sharp cheddar, pepper jack, edam, and muenster cut into 1" x 1" pieces. Cheenga anyone?

I did the first half with hickory chips, which can be a strong smoke. I didn't want to waste the whole batch if it turned out badly.

Here's the weird thing. There's no internal temp you're shooting for. It's just a matter of dose and exposure, how much smoke for how long. The only general rules are to keep the cooker temp under 80 degrees (f) and smoke the cheese for 1 to 2 hours. I let the hickory batch go 1 hour 15 minutes. The temp shown is the temp of the air inside the cooker, not the temp of the cheese.

The MacSmoker 3000 raised the temp of the Egg about 10 degrees in one hour on a cool day with an ambient temperature of 55f.


With the second batch, I used cherry wood (stacked in the picture above), a much milder smoke. It was a very quick changeover. I unplugged the unit, waited about 10 minutes, dumped the hickory and added the cherry. This time, I also added some raw almonds that I had tossed in some butter, honey, raw sugar, and salt.

When you pull the cheese off, vacuum seal or tightly wrap and let it mellow out in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. It will be very strong at first and needs time to balance out.

Postmortem:

• This works WAY better than what we did last year using 3 or 4 pieces of lump and a handful of wood chips.
• The cherry smoke was predictably milder than the hickory batch, based on the samples. Time will tell.
• The almonds? They had the perfect smoky taste but not the texture so I popped them in a 400f oven for 10-15 minutes to crystallize the honey/sugar coating. FREAKING AWESOME.
• The great thing about this is you don't have to have a smoker to use this. You could put the cold smoker in a grill or any container that will maintain a low, cool temp.

Pork Chop Pineapple Juice Marinade

Ahhh pineapple juice. Poor pineapple juice. I don't know whether to high five you or just shake my head.

When I typed pineapple juice into google to seach for a marinade, out of the top 5 suggested searches, three of them were about whether pineapple juice makes a certain bodily fluid taste "better". Really? Are there THAT many people googling that?


Surely, there's more to pineapple juice than that. It's acidic and sweet, perfect for a marinade. I couldn't find anything that I liked online so I turned to Joy of Cooking and perused the section on marinades for some ideas and made up the following, adapting a citrus marinade. I named it after a lyric in the B-52's song, Stobe Light. oooo-waaaaaah!



"I'm Gonna Kiss Your Pineapple!" Pork Chops
Ingredients
4 ea pork chops, 1" or more thick

marinade
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1.5 tablespoons red wine
1/4 cup parsley, fresh chopped
1 tablespoon tarragon, fresh chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper, ground
1/4 cup red onion, diced

slaw
1/4 ea bell pepper, very thin sliced
1/4 ea red onion, very thin sliced
2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions
Whisk oil into the wine & pineapple juice. Mix in remaining marinade ingredients. Marinade chops for 4-6 hours.

Remove chops from marinade and grill over direct heat at 450-500f for about 4 minutes a side (rotate 90 degrees half way through each side to get nice grid marks).

Check internal temp with an instant read thermometer and pull at 145f. If not done after the 8 minutes, switch to indirect heat and finish roasting until 145f.

Top with the onion/pepper slaw.

I was worried how the flavors would work since I really didn't know what I was doing. But not only the the marinade keep the pork juicy during the high temp cook, it tasted great. And the slaw isn't just a garnish. The flavors bring a little sweet/sour to the party and completed the dish. We'll definitely make this one again.

Christmas Gift Idea: If you have a griller on your shopping list, consider getting them a grilling pan like this one for under $20. They are great for doing veggies like the asparagus I did tonight.


TIP: Layer your flavors. Notice how two of the lemons pieces have been squeezed in the pic but two haven't? I did the first two over the asparagus at the beginning while I let the other two grill. As the pan came off, I squeezed the grilled ones over the asparagus. In theory the high temps help caramelize the sugars in the lemon and give the second dose a different taste. I saw that on Flay or Florence and it made sense to me.

Asparagus is high in iron. Apparently it is high in irony too.