Sunday, April 29, 2012

BBQ GRILLING TIPS

Great grilling tips

Slapping meat on the grill along with salt and pepper works, but there are plenty of ways to add excitement to your backyard grilling experience. J.D. Dotzler, owner of Sevenfold Spice and an employee at Brattis Meat Market, both in Casper, shares his tips for safe and tasty grilling below.

Cleaning meat: When you return from the butcher, take a moment -- just before seasoning the meat -- to give it a bath. Gently rinse the meat and pat it dry. This will remove any odor and material that may have been deposited prior. It also sets the meat up to accept the desired seasonings.

Cooking and seasoning steak: Putting a slice of butter on each side of a hot steak is a simple way to grill a tasty steak, but there is more flavor to be had. Blend some salt, pepper, granulated onion and garlic together and sprinkle it on the steak 30 minutes to two hours prior grilling it.
Cooking steak over a hot fire is best. It does two things: It sears the outside of the meat, sealing in the juices, and speeds up the cooking process.
Cook steak to taste and serve it with a baked potato and a glass of wine. Light afew candles and you're sure to impress your guests or loved one.

Using dry rubs: When using dry rubs for grilling, always allow the meat to cook for about one-third to half of the total time before applying any basting sauce. This allows the meat to warm up and absorb the dry rub seasonings. It also lets the dry rub adhere to the meat securely. (Basting too early defeats the process by washing off the dry rub seasonings.) After the first basting, you can baste it frequently, but every 20 minutes is more than enough.


Friday, April 13, 2012

YAM BISCUITS

Try this recipe with some good down home cooking.  Eat warm with honey butter or butter & maple syrup.  Enjoy these delightful biscuits with fried, baked or grilled chicken; even pork chops. Or even with chicken fried steak or sausage gravy....

Ingredients:
  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 (15-oz) can yams, drained and mashed or 1 lbs of fresh baked yams. Bake at 450 degrees until soft.
  • 3/4 fat free milk

Direction:
  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the baking mix and cinnamon. Add the yams and milk, stir until mixed.
  3. Roll the dough on a floured surface to a 3/4 to 1-inch thickness.  Cut with a 2-inch biscuit cutter or glass and place on a non-stick baking sheet.  
  4. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown.


Courtesy of:
Holly Clegg's Trim & Terrific Diabetes Cooking

Thursday, April 12, 2012

HOW TO CHOOSE A NEW BBQ GRILL

Set a Budget.


The first step is to realistically look at your finances. Just like cars, a BBQ Grill can range from 29.99 to $10,000 hugely expensive. Set yourself a limit and stick with it.

How often will you use it?

Daily - If you use your BBQ Grill on a daily basis, your biggest concerns should be fuel and sturdy construction. A Gas BBQ Grill is the easiest to get fuel for. A heavy gauge steel housing or cast iron is best in the durability department. Do not be tempted by the light duty stamped steel models that dominate the dollar stores. They work. But with daily use, especially if you use charcoal or wood, they'll wear out quickly.
Weekly - The major concerns for using your barbecue grill weekly would be ease of maintenance then fuel. Ease of maintenance is a euphemism for cleaning. I am not one of those who believe that leftover burned to a crisp droppings add anything to your food. This concern normally takes care of itself by the daily griller but is often overlooked by those who grill less often. That is why it is in the middle category here. Good quality cleaning tools are a must and if you go with wood or charcoal then be sure that you have an ashcan available that is easy to use and empty.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

SAFETY TIP


Make Sure Your Meats Are Fully Cooked
       
Cook Thoroughly
Cook food to a safe minimum internal temperature to destroy harmful bacteria. Meat and poultry cooked on a grill often browns very fast on the outside. Use a food thermometer to be sure the food has reached a safe minimum internal temperature.

MEATS
Cook all raw beef, pork, lamb and veal steaks, chops, and roasts to a minimum internal temperature of 145 °F as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat from the heat source. For safety and quality, allow meat to rest for at least three minutes before carving or consuming. For reasons of personal preference, consumers may choose to cook meat to higher temperatures.

GROUND MEATS
Cook all raw ground beef, pork, lamb, and veal to an internal temperature of 160 °F as measured with a food thermometer.

POULTRY
Cook all poultry to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F as measured with a food thermometer.

NEVER partially grill meat or poultry and finish cooking later.

Monday, February 13, 2012

SMOKIN JOES DOULBLE BAKED SWEET POTATO PIE

Double Baked Sweet Potato Pie

 When making sweet potato pie the recipe calls for boiling the sweet potatoes or yams.   When this is done the natural sugar and flavor of the sweet potato is poured down the drain.  We suggest baking the sweet potatoes or yams.  Bake the potato of choice until soft in the middle; this can take about 45 minutes to an hour depending on the size of the potato.



Ingredients:

1 Prepared Pie Crust or home made Pie Crust (9" deep or 9" regular)
2 Cups of Sweet Potatoes or Yams
1/2 Cup of Unsalted Butter (soft)
1/2 Cup of packed Light Brown Sugar
3/4 Cup of Granulated Sugar
1/4 Cup of Molasses
1 Cup of Milk
3 Large Eggs
1/8 Teaspoon of Salt
1/2 Tablespoon of Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon of Nutmeg
1 Tablespoon of Vanilla

Directions:

  • Bake Sweet Potatoes or Yams for about 45 minutes to 1 hour at 350.  Do not over bake.  My mom always used the small potatoes.  After sweet potatoes are soft (test by piercing with a fork), remove from oven, pour any syrup from the sweet potatoes into the mixing bowl.  Allow sweet potatoes to cool for better handling when removing the skin.
  • Poke holes in the pie crust and place in the oven at 350 for 7 minutes.  This step will ensure that your pie crust is flaky and done. Remove pie crust from oven and set aside.
  • Leave oven at 350
  • Mix all ingredients until smooth.
  • Pour batter into pie crust(s); bake in oven at 350 for 50 minutes to an hour

Yields: One 9" Deep or Two 9" regular Sweet Potato Pies.











Tuesday, February 7, 2012

SMOKIN JOES TROPICAL PARTY WINGS


Give Smokin Joes Barbecue Sauce a Tropical Twist with Fresh Pineapple.

Ingredients:

3 lb. Party wings (drumettes & flats)
1 garlic clove
1 1/2 cup fresh pineapple
2 Cups of your favorite Smokin Joes Barbecue Sauce
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Directions:

Rinse and drain party wing pieces and set aside. Mince garlic and cut pineapple into 1-inch cubes. Take 2 cups of Smokin Joes Barbecue sauce pour in to a food processor or blender add ½ cup of pineapple and puree.  Add barbecue sauce mixture, vegetable oil and garlic in a bowl and mix well. Place party wings in slow cooker and pour sauce over the wings. Cook covered on low setting for 6 hours.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Smokin Joe’s Barbecue Spaghetti


You can make your or use your own barbecue sauce.  However, we are keeping it simple for you.  This is a simple recipe with flavorful results.  In addition, it is fact to make in less than an hour.  Add meat or go Vegan the choice is yours to enjoy. 

Ingredients
  • 18 ounces Smokin Joes Mild Barbecue Sauce
  • ¼ Teaspoon of Red Pepper flakes (optional heat)
  • ½ each bell pepper (orange and yellow)
  • 1 medium red onion
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 to 2 pounds cooked Italian sausage, ground pork, beef, turkey, chicken or no meat (vegan)
  • 1 pound spaghetti

Directions

Dice bell peppers and onions, then sauté together in extra-virgin olive oil until tender. Add the sautéed bell peppers and onion, red pepper flakes and choice of cooked meat (or not) to the sauce and continue to simmer for up to 1/2 hour. Cook pasta according to package directions and drain. Pour sauce over cooked pasta and serve.

Notes:
  • When adding no meat this recipe is vegan; there are no meat products in Smokin Joe’s Barbecue Sauces. 
  • Cut the carbs and calories use Smokin Joe’s “No Sugar Added” Barbecue Sauce. 
  • When using the barbecue sauce and bell peppers only simmer for 15 minutes.  Pour sauce over cooked pasta and serve.