All The Way Burger ala Melvin's

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I enjoy so many burgers in various configurations, but my hands-down favorite burger is the ATW burger from Melvin's in Elizabethtown, North Carolina. I've posted about this one before, but this time I made it on a griddle.

All-the-Way means the burger comes with coleslaw, chili, diced onions, and yellow mustard.

Melvin's Hamburgers & Hotdogs - Elizabethtown NC

When I was a wee lad and would visit my grandparents' farm, one of the highlights of my trip would be the day we went to town to get a sack of burgers from "the pool hall" (Melvin's is located where the pool hall used to be). 

The line would always be out the back door, but it moved quickly, even for a hungry 9-year-old. This is a typical lunchtime.
Credit: TripAdvisor

The line moves so fast because the menu is limited. Photo Credit: ZMenu

I always got my Melvin's ATW or All-The-Way, which is 

• chili 
• creamy coleslaw, 
• diced onions, and 
• yellow mustard. 

I've seen this referred to as "Carolina style." The fast-food chain, Cookout offers this as "Cookout Style."

Smoked Tri-Tip Sandwich with Beer Cheese Horseradish Sauce

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Last weekend, I was shocked to see that my local grocery store had some nice-looking beef tri-tip. They were richly marbled and at a reasonable price, so I didn't hesitate to buy one. 

My game plan was to smoke it, sear it, and then slice it up for some killer roast beef sandwiches the next day. I love it when a plan comes together.

Shaved smoked beef tri-tip, fried onions, and beer cheese horseradish sauce on an onion roll.

I used sharp white Vermont cheddar in the sauce because I needed something bold to compete with the horseradish. I could just drink this sauce.

The recipe is below all the notes and pictures.

Fried Chicken and Pimento Cheese Sandwich inspired by Abridged Beer Company

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Abridged Beer Company in Knoxville is known for their excellent pub food as much as they are their brewery. Their burgers are made with locally sourced brisket, and the nachos are piled as high as Mount Le Conte with goodies. You can get a fried chicken sandwich one of three ways - Maple, Buffalo, or Pimento. 

During our last visit there, my youngest son got the Fried Chicken Sandwich with their spicy pimento cheese. My food was also good, but I have been craving a fried chicken sandwich with pimento cheese since that visit for a few weeks. This week I finally did something about that craving and made this insanely good Fried Chicken and Pimento Cheese sandwich inspired by Abridged. 

Abridged puts pickles on theirs, but it turns out, I was out of our Olde Virden's Spicy Pickles. Time to make another batch.

Fried Chicken and Pimento Cheese Sandwich

By www.nibblemethis.com

Published 07/28/2021

Crispy, deep-fried chicken fillet with our spicy pimento cheese, which includes a fire-roasted poblano. 

Portobello Marsala Strip Steaks

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We don't do a lot of sauces for steak. Dragging fresh slices of steak through the juices, seasonings, and melted butter on the cutting board is my standard MO. But every now and then, I like to shake things up and get a little saucy like I did with this Portobello Marsala Strip Steak.

The salty sweet flavor of the sauce and mushrooms pairs excellently with the steak.

Slight confession, we typically split a steak between the two of us for dinner because our appetites have slowed down as we have gotten older. The good news is that means we get to have steaks for dinner two nights in a row. 

The full recipe is at the bottom of the post. Here are a few pictures and tips from the cooks.

Brown Sugar and Bourbon Peaches with Grilled Pound Cake

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This is a cheating dessert because it is so easy. We even used store-bought pound cake. But being easy doesn't make it taste any less delicious. The lightly toasted pound cake adds a bit of texture. The sweetness of the fresh Georgia peaches is complemented by the caramel and vanilla flavor notes of the bourbon and brown sugar. It all comes together for a low-effort, high-reward dessert. 

Oh yeah, we threw some vanilla ice cream in there too, just for good measure.

The full recipe follows the pictures.

BBQ Leftovers: Brisket and Fire Roasted Corn Pizza

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When you smoke a lot of BBQ, you often have freezers full of extra BBQ. We pit hounds get creative with our leftovers. Here is a pizza that Alexis made this weekend that was loaded with smoked brisket and fire-roasted corn. 

Smoked brisket, fire-roasted corn, red pepper, fresh tomato, mozzarella, cheddar, and a creamy salsa verde pizza sauce top this pizza that we cooked at 500°f on the Big Green Egg.

The Dough

This pizza was hilariously thick because I don't listen well.  Alexis used one of the pizza dough recipes that we typically use. But after she made and rested it, I divided it by 2 instead of as written for 3 pies. Oops. Still tasted great.

Smoke Brisket and Pork Butt Cook on the Deep South Smokers GC36

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We smoked a pair of briskets and pork butts on the gravity-fed Deep South Smokers during the 4th of July weekend.

Sliced brisket platter with meat from the point and flat. Loved our fire-roasted jalapeno potato salad. Served with Bush's Mixed Chili beans, Texas toast, and the Texas BBQ sauce from Ray Sheehan's Award-Winning BBQ Sauces and How to Use Them.

I have to be honest and admit that this is the least-good brisket I've made in two years. When I say least-good, it was still edible and better than most I've had at restaurants; it just wouldn't place in the top half at a BBQ competition. It was a little tight (not tough), not as juicy, and a bit underwhelming in flavor.

So why am I posting about it? Because sometimes, there is more to learn in failures than successes. The lesson I reiterated or confirmed this past weekend is this:  When making changes to your brisket (or pork, chicken, ribs) program, change only one thing at a time. I changed way too many variables to get meaningful data.

• Changed the brand of beef due to availability issues.
• I used choice instead of prime beef due to availability issues.
• Changed 1 of my 2 brisket rubs.
• I did not inject the brisket at all.
• I did not give the brisket a 12-hour dry brine.
• Cooked the brisket whole instead of separated into the flat and point.

The pork? Oh, it was fantastic, up to my usual standards - juicy, tender but not mushy, and flavorful.