A full Pork-a-thon review is included below, but I'll start this post by noting the end of the summer! This was in all likelihood my last Pulled Pork smoke fest of summer 2010, which is always a sad realization. I combined this pulled pork with a beef chuck roast smoke for some more beef chili (more on that later), and it was a long, sunny, smoke-filled day. This pork shoulder smoked for a good 14 hours and coming in at just under 10 lbs that was the right amount of time. I did almost zero preparation aside from my typical brine and rub, which was refreshing but proved significant when it came to the end product. Just H20 in the water container, and weak apple wood chips combined to give this pork a subtle flavor, which was a disappointment. Though the cole slaw was amazing, the sauce is always a favorite, and the hot dog roll were all a huge success. Still a great event, just not my best yet. 

A few shots of the prep and smoking results:

A few shots of the final pulled pork: And of course the assembly: I think the cole slaw on the bottom of the roll is absolutely key to the total package here. A solid sandwich (or do i need to call it a "roll" now?) that's insanely easy to eat. I threw back two, and easily could have done three. Mmmm... OK, onto the Pork-a-thon review: 

Price: Homemade again, but likely a $4 single / $8 double considering the hot dog bun "roll" approach. 

Appearance: This shoulder was huge (10lbs) so proportionality there wasn't as much crust to interior as I typically like. that said, the smoke color penetration was solid, and the whole thing was super moist. 

Pork solo: Crust was great as in recent renditions, though overall this pork had a noticeably more subtle smoke flavor. I was using apple wood "chips" this time as opposed to chunks, and I think it made a big difference in a lack of substantial smoke. I also had the water pan filled with, uh, water this time, instead of my usual cider/beer/vingar combo and I think there was some definite missing of flavor. It still had some solid flavor, but not my usual richness.  

Sauce: Still loving that carolina red! 

Bun: Ah yes, the pulled pork roll! I loved the top-split hot dog roll as the vehicle here. Its a perfect vessel for a layer of slaw, a heap of pork, and a good splashing of sauce. This is the future pf pulled pork for me. 

Cole Slaw: Lori's slaw kills it every time. 

Total package: I'm officially a fan of the hot dog roll for a pulled pork sandwich. Its soft, not too bready, can fit in a single hand, and is generally just easier to eat, and better yet, easier to actually taste the contents. Its sort of like that old Ortega taco shell commercial where the actor (same guy who use to say "Corinthian Leather" i think.... Fantasy Island maybe? I digress), anyway that guy used to ask a kid how his taco shell tasted. Then the kid would try to take a bite, and the whole thing would fall apart. So he couldn't actually taste it. This is how i feel about many pulled pork sandwiches... though no longer for BBQ Billys! Hot dog buns all the way from now on.  The pork itself was a bit more subtle than I've done recently, and I think it ended up lacking some key flavor. A good dousing of that sauce helped a ton, and if you packed a roll with a bunch of the crust you were good to go. I'm giving presentation a 10 of 10, but pork flavor a 7 of 10. 

My wife Lori (aka Pulling Weeds) has been making cole slaw for my pulled pork for the past five years, and while I do think my pulled pork is pretty great on its own, there is no doubt this cole slaw completes the sandwich tremendously well. Its wonderfully crisp, appropriately tangy, very fresh, and not overloaded with mayo or other binders. One of the things I love about my wife's cooking is she always claims to simply follow a recipe in a book. And then when I try to make it, halfway through she says oh yea, change this, add a little more of that, and "I like to include this thing too." So in the end its an entirely tweaked recipe that is purely her own! I think most cooks adjust to their tastes (i know i certainly do), but most cooks also take credit for their adjustments as their own (again, me too)! So in this post I'm officially titling this "Lori's Cole Slaw" becuase it is without a doubt hers, and there is not a slaw I'd rather put on top of my pork bbq.

First thing to do is thinly slice up 2 cups green cabbage, 2 cups red cabbage, and shred 1 cup peeled carrots. Lori will also often add about a half cup of thinly sliced red bell pepper which is delicious, though I don't usually like it on pulled pork so its omitted in this recipe. Here's a shot of the raw veggies sliced and shredded:

Then its just a matter of making the dressing. The original recipe Lori worked from calls purely for yogurt, but the addition of the tang of just a little mayo is what really brings this slaw to another level. Ingredients are below, but here's a shot of the final dressing: Then you simply mix it all together. Here's a shot of it before mixing: And the final result: 

The final recipe:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
• 2 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
• 1 cup shredded peeled carrots
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper (optional)
• 1/2 cup strained plain nonfat yogurt (strain yogurt through a coffee filter for at least an hour, and don't try to use greek yogurt as a substitute!)
• 2 Tablespoons mayo
• 1 + 1/2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• 2 teaspoons horseradish (OK, Lori's is just one teaspoon, but all cooks make their own adjustments, right?)
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
• Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste (1/2 teaspoon of each is where I ended up)

Process:

• To make the dressing: Mix the strained yogurt, mayo, cider vinegar, sugar, dill, horseradish, and dry mustard in a small bowl. 
• Put the cabbage, carrot, and red pepper (if using) in a large bowl, then mix in the dressing (i found bare hands to yield the best result)
• Add salt and fresh ground pepper to taste, adding a bit at a time and stirring around to taste. Add a little less than you think is right because you'll let this sit for at least an hour, and preferably 4 hrs or even overnight... so it does get a little "saltier" as it sits. I ended up with a 1/2 teaspoon of each. 
• Again, let this sit refrigerated for at least an hour, but really 4, and really overnight. This slaw just gets better the more it soaks. 
• One final note: this is not an overly creamy or saucy slaw. So it may seem like there isn't enough dressing on here to some. i suppose you could make more of the dressing if you really are crazy about those creamy style slaws but I'd urge you to give this one a shot as-is first. It truly is the best slaw I've ever had. 

I've been bbq'ing and smoking for maybe 10 years now, and anytime I pulled out the smoker its always been for a traditional "bbq." Meaning spicy/sweet rubs with vinegar/tomato sauces all for ribs, shoulders, briskets, wings, etc... we're talkin' B. B. Q. But after making some korean bbq earlier this summer, I figured it was time to venture out of the american south, and into a new territory of soy marinaded ribs.

I started with a similar marinade as i used on that beef, but this time substituted "Bragg's" for the soy sauce, and I actually found Mirin at Hawthorne Valley this time. Recipe follows, but i made the marinade, and the tossed it in a ziploock with a rack of ribs. They sat for about 6 hours in the fridge before I got the coals going the smoker. Here are a few shots of the marinade: 

I fired up the smoker, and opted out of any additional wood flavor for this one. Just kept it a straight hardwood charcoal event. I tossed the ribs on (meat side down), and smoked for about 2.5 hours before opening up to flip the ribs to bone side down. I then continued smoking for another hour, and took 'em inside. No mopping for these guys, and no finishing sauce. I simply cut 'em up, and tossed on a few scallions for garnish. I served them with soba noodles and some steamed peas with a light bragg's/mirin/scallion sauce. Here are a few shots of the meal: 

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Bragg's 3 Tablespoons sugar 
• 1 Tablespoon canola oil 
• 1 Tablespoon Mirin 
• 4 garlic cloves, minced 
• 3 scallions, minced, plus 1 tablespoon sliced for garnish
• 1 slab pork spare ribs

Process:

• Mix everything but the ribs in a bowl until the sugar dissolves entirely. 
• Pour it into a zip lock bag, and toss in the ribs (I had to cut my slab in half to fit in my zip lock)
• Shake it all up, then squeeze out as much air as possible and reseal. 
• Marinate these for at least 4 hrs, or overnight. 
• Get your smoker or kettle grill going for a low and slow 220-250 degree smoke-fest
• Smoke the ribs for 2.5 hrs meat side down, flip, and smoke for an hour more. 
• Slice into individual ribs and garnish with sliced scallions. 
• Devour. 

Perhaps inspired by a few chilly nights in August (what happened to my summer?), I began thinking last week that a smoked beef chili might be a good idea. While I traditionally smoke pork bbq, I've been loving the smoked beef I've been making in recent years for summertime bbq's... and the more I thought about it I figured that flavor inside a big ole pot of chili was worth a shot. So I did, and the result was kinda bad ass. Very meaty, not overwhelmingly smokey, and definitely rich. I will refine my spice selection and the balance of beans to meat in the future, but here's a quick rundown of this first attempt:

First decision to make was what cut of beef to use? I normally make my stovetop chili with "stew meat" and I quickly learned I had no idea what that actually was (which is eye opening). The more I read up on it, "stew meat" doesn't really mean anything other than its cut into smallish pieces. Which also explains why the taste and texture of my chili in meals past varied so much. But as I thought more about it, a chuck roast seemed to make sense. After all, its ground chuck that makes a damn fine burger, and the fat to meat ratio seemed appropriate for a low and slow smoking event. So I found a 3 lb roast at Guido's in Great Barrington, and also picked up 3 lbs of ground chuck for variety in texture.

As for seasoning, my normal bbq rubs seemed out of place for a chili so I opted for a simple chili powder and kosher salt rub on the roast, and I coated the ground meat "loaf" in the sauce from chipotle's in adobo, and then dusted it with the chili powder combo. I wrapped them up (loved the candy wrapper look on that roast), and set them in the fridge overnight. Here are a few shots of that process:

I couldn't resist tearing into that chuck roast immediately, and I found a wonderfully moist, shreddable interior with a super beefy flavor:

Mostly because of laziness I decided to make the actual chili the next day, so I plopped the meat "loaf" and the roast in the fridge and instead enjoyed a smoked burger for dinner that night. The next day I sauteed up an onion, a bunch of poblano peppers, and some garlic in a dutch oven. I then sliced the meat "loaf" and the chuck roast into largish cubes, and tossed them in the pot. After letting that heat through I added a bottle of beer, a can of basic tomato sauce, a few chopped chipotle's and a few tablespoons of the adobo sauce. I let that simmer covered for a good half hour and when I returned, it looked so good I really questioned adding any beans to it. But I figured I could always try this again and I might as well follow through with the plan. So I added two cans of dark red kidney beans, and simmered covered for another hour or so. After tasting the result I simply added kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste, and that's it. Here are some shots of the above process:

I'm glad to report my intuition of smoked beef in a chili was right on. Here are a few shots of the final bowl:

I was surprised by how little seasoning it needed other than the chipotle and of course the chili powder rub. I think it could have used a little more kick up front (as later advised by MP), so maybe some cayenne pepper, or perhaps a couple serrano peppers in the mix as well. And then I might increase the kidney bean levels too (as later advised by PW)... I loved the meatiness of this chili, but it would benefit from a few more bites of beans to differentiate. And I'd like to try it without the ground beef entirely - i think it might be a more "natural" experience. There's something about ground beef that will always feel a bit too processed. Overall though I was very pleased with this first attempt at a smoked chili, and with Fall on the horizon I'm bound to attempt this a few more times... after all, chili competition season is just around the corner! 

We stopped by Kinderhook Farm a few weeks ago to stock up our new garage freezer with some local meat. I had received a call from Georgia a few days earlier with word that her 80-day Freedom Ranger Chickens were processed (by Georgia herself!), and while that was the reason for our visit of course I can't walk away without some beef in hand. We nabbed a flat iron steak, ground beef, that 5 lb freedom ranger chicken, and the most beautiful 1.7 lb porterhouse steak. Everything else went into the freezer for another day, but that night the porterhouse would be consumed! 

Continuing with my quest to learn from Bobby Flay, I had read a recipe for a rib eye steak done the "Bar American" way in his "Grill It" cookbook, and while I had a huge porterhouse in hand now I thought I'd give that preparation a shot. Flay is big on flavor, and remembering how insanely good the last porterhouse I had grilled up from Kinderhook I figured this steak could handle the rub and sauce. 

It starts with a rub heavy on ancho chili powder. In my younger days I only thought a pepper was a pepper if it packed some serious heat. But as I mature I'm realizing the less hot peppers have some really amazing flavors, and the ancho pepper falls right in line here. Quick gallery of the rub's ingredients and the final result: 

Flay marries this chili-heavy rub with a a surprisingly sweet steak sauce featuring a mustard and molasses base. It has a bit of a "cocktail sauce" vibe thanks to some ketchup and horseradish, but there is a ton of sweet added with the molasses. Another quick gallery of key ingredients and the final result:
While the sauce is chilling in the fridge, I got a charcoal fire going. I decided to break out the bag of Stubb's Charcoal i picked up a few weeks ago. I've been using hardwood for about 3 years straight, so i wasn't sure about going back to a briquette. But it was some decent stuff. It was on sale for 5 bucks a bag... marked at its usual 8 bucks and I'll pass but at $5 its not a bad bag of coal to have around. 

Anyway, while the coals are getting hot I rubbed the steak all over with a little canola oil and a few pinches of kosher salt. Flay then instructs to rub just one side of the steak with the rub.... something I've never considered doing but I'll follow along for now:

Meanwhile I got the dutch oven going with some oil to make up a batch of french fries: Once the coals were ashed over, I tossed the steak rub-side down onto a cleaned and oiled kettle grill. I opted to keep the steak on the edge of the heat as burning this $40 steak would be insanely frustrating. I grilled this for a total of 17 minutes, split pretty evenly per side. Here's a few shots of the grilling progress: After sitting under a foil tent for 5 minutes or so I was left with this beauty: I then sliced up the strip and tenderloin separately:  I served the strip and tenderloin on the plate separately, along with fries and a simple side of balsamic glazed green beans with a bowl of the Bar American steak sauce on the side: The table setting also included three dipping options for the fries: straight ketchup, a chipotle/ketchup combo, and a chipotle mayo combo. I opted for the chipotle mayo, and lori picked the straight ketchup... neither of us wanted the chipotle/ketchup combo:

As expected, this Kinderhook steak did not disappoint. Their beef has such a wonderfully rich beefy taste to it. The tenderloin was again very flavorful, and the strip was just about perfect. When I tasted the BA sauce straight up I was really surprised how sweet it was and I thought I might not even use it. But combined with a sugar-free rub that is heavy on ancho chili... well its a really amazing pairing. The two items really become a separate taste when combined. 

Again, I pulled this entirely from Bobby Flay's "Grill It" cookbook, so I can't take any credit here but its definitely worth a shot if you're jonesin for a great steakhouse meal:

For the steak sauce:

• 1/4 cup dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup whole-grain mustard
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 Tablespoons ketchup
• 2 Tablespoons honey (this is Bobby Flay after all!)
• 1 Tablespoon prepared horseradish
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• Mix everything together in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to a day in advance. Bring to room temperature before serving. 

For the Rub:

• 1/4 cup Ancho chili powder (i couldn't find any, so i found some dried ancho's and ground them in a coffee grinder)
• 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 Tablespoon kosher salt 
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
• Mix this all in a bowl, you won't use it all but it should keep for a few months in an airtight container

For the steak:

• 1 1.5-2 lb porterhouse steak (mine was 1.7 lbs)
• 1 Tablespoon canloa oil
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• Rub the steak with the oil, and then the salt on all sides
• Rub about 2-3 Tablespoons of the rub on one side of the steak
• Grill on the edge of medium-hot coals (rub side down first) for 15-20 minutes splitting time evenly on both sides until the steak is done to your liking. I did mine for 17 minutes, and it was on the rare side of medium-rare. 
• Let the steak sit on a plate tented with aluminum foil for 5 minutes
• Cut the meat from the bone, slice, and serve immediately with the steak sauce on the side

 

OK, so we're halfway through August (egads, even more than half!), and if you haven't had your summertime fix of lobster and steamers yet, I ask you to do so immediately. Lobster and steamers is hands-down my favorite summertime meal. Of course I love a good bbq with ribs, pulled pork, and all the trimmings, but in July and August its hard to beat steamers and lobster. While in Maine a few weeks ago I was lucky enough to pick up incredibly fresh seafood at the Beach Plum, which made for a perfect vacation-home-cooked dinner. A few shots of the process, with a recipe following:  Here's my approach, which i think was the best version I've ever made:

Ingredients:

• 1 lb steamers
• 1 & 3/4 lb Lobster
• 2 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
• 3 Tablespoons melted, unsalted butter

Process:

• Soak the steamers in cold water for 5 minutes, and drain. Do this 3-4 times until you no longer see sand in the water. 
• In a large pot, bring 2 inches of water (with the salt) to a boil and reduce the heat to medium. 
• Drop in your lobster, cover and cook for 8 minutes
• Add the steamers, cover and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes until the steamers open
• Remove the steamers as they open to a serving bowl
• After a total of 12 minutes, remove the lobster and set in a plastic bowl for 5-10 minutes
• Meanwhile, ladle out some of the broth from the pot (hopefully without any sand) into a clean serving bowl
• While the lobster is resting, eat your steamers! Dip each removed clam into the broth, then the bowl of melted butter, then drop into your mouth. Amazing!
• After you've eaten your steamers, come back to your lobster, set it on a cutting board and give it a good whack with the back of a chef's knife along the side of each claw to help you cracking at the table, and also drain any excess water. Hold the lobster up by its tail with the claws down and drain any water over the sink. 
• Serve on a plate, break open as you desire and and eat away with more of that melted butter

And if you're lucky enough to have a wife like mine who enjoys baking (and is insanely good at it), end the meal with some homemade blueberry pie with wild maine blueberries: