Roast Turkey

I’ve done our Thanksgiving and Christmas turkeys on the grill for the past ten years or so. All of them have been tasty, but I don’t think I’ve ever done it the same way twice. This year’s variation was to try and add more juiciness to the breast meat by larding it with a compound butter.

Compound Butter

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 shallot, minced fine
1 teaspoon parsley, dried
1 tablespoon thyme, dried Continue reading “Roast Turkey”

Smoked Salmon

We usually make up a batch of this recipe for the holidays. The cured salmon makes a great appetizer served on crusty bread spread with a little cream cheese and topped with capers.

1 cup Kosher salt
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
Several grinds of fresh black pepper
2 Salmon fillets (about 4-5 pounds) Continue reading “Smoked Salmon”

Citrus Barbecue Sauce

A tangy, Caribbean-ish sauce that goes particularly well on shrimp and chicken.

1 small onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbs chile powder
1 Tbs Smoked Spanish paprika, or 1/2Tbs Hungarian half-sharp paprika
1 bay leaf
1 tsp mustard powder, Coleman’s if you can get it
1/2 tsp ginger, powdered
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp black ground pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup mojo criollo
2 Tbs lemon juice – fresh
2 Tbs molasses
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbs soy sauce
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs brown sugar
1 tsp lemon peel, minced
1 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp hot sauce, a habanero-based one like Marie Sharp’s

In small sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sweat until soft. Add remaining ingredients and bring to simmer. Cook covered over low heat for 30 minutes. Store, and chill overnight. Makes about 2 cups.

Dave’s Thick & Tangy BBQ Sauce – v1.0

8 ounces tomato sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup tamarind concentrate (not paste)
2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 molasses, mild un-sulphured
2 tablespoons secret seasonings (flake salt, sugar, black pepper, paprika, ground nutmeg, sage, cayenne and red pepper)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic, granulated

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and cook until mixture is reduced by a third (20 minutes or so). Makes just shy of 2 cups.

Dave’s notes – good dark, sweet, tangy, spicy. Needs more nutmeg/allspice. Sauce is too dark, maybe try a syrup instead or molasses.

Product Review – FoodSaver V3825

After pulling one too many packages of barbecue out of the freezer only to find it ruined by freezer burn, my dear wife and I decided to invest in a vacuum sealer.

Vacuum sealers extend the storage life of food by removing the air and sealing the food for storage. Food can stay fresher up to five times longer with this method, and since there’s almost no oxygen in the packaging, there’s much less risk of mold or spoilage.

We did a bit of research and settled on a FoodSaver V3825 that Costco was selling for $159.99 (this looks like the same unit as the V3840 that FoodSaver sells directly for $173.97, just with a different accessory set).

One of the big reasons we picked this model is that it sits upright and has a spiffy silver and black finish so we can leave it out on the counter top all the time.

Continue reading “Product Review – FoodSaver V3825”

Puerco Adobada (Red Chile Pork)

This is a traditional Mexican recipe of pork slow cooked in chile sauce (adobo). Yes, this recipe takes some time to make. Yes, it has LOTS of chilies in it.  But it is well worth the effort as much of the heat cooks out and you end up with these chunks of amazingly tender pork bathed in a warm, earthly sauce. Continue reading “Puerco Adobada (Red Chile Pork)”

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