Archive for August, 2009
Nevada BBQ Wrap Up
Aug 30th
With a rainy week the weekend shaped up to be beautiful in Nevada for the last contest of the year in Iowa. We dropped the trailer off Thursday night so we could work on Friday. When we showed up there were lots of teams set and ready. Last year they had us setup around a community building. While it provided ample shade, it was hilly and I thought I was going to lose the trailer. This year they expanded the area and let us use some old tennis courts. It was nice and flat, but there was no power. Power was to be provided by a big generator. I was thinking some big diesel generator but it was some guys 1o,ooo watt 4 million decibel generator. Luckily I brought mine along since it is pretty quiet. I ended up having a couple teams hook into ours. We got lucky again as the weather was perfect and we didnt need to run the air. Only problem was the oil ran down in the generator and it shut off at 5am. Lucky I had Harlan from Dry 2 Da Bone next to us. He happened to have some oil in his truck. I have to have power to run the big smoker.
So anyway, back to the contest. Everything seemed to go as we had anticipate with the cook, although my smoker wasn’t cooking as hot as I wanted it to. the food tasted pretty good when we went to turn in. I was worried about the chicken because Smart Chicken just seems to be going down hill fast on the quality. The package looked good but you just can’t tell what’s underneath. Only reason I am still using is because it is what I am used to and don’t want to change mid-season. We only had two racks of ribs to chose from. My middle rack in the cryovac had such short bones I couldn’t really turn them in. The brisket I thought was ok. The burnt ends were some of the best I made and even Sherry from Smokey D’s said they were really good.
At the awards we got a call for 7th place chicken and 3rd place pork. Pork was actually tied for 2nd but lost the tie breaker. I was hoping for a brisket call but didn’t get it. So as they were running down the overall top 10, I was a little disappointed when we didn’t get called. But I was very pleased when they called us for 4th. even though some teams got more top 10’s then we did, our points were consistent enough to stay towards the top. We just missed third place by 1.2 points which would have been a free entry next year. We are pretty pleased with our finish in Iowa, finishing 8, 3rd and 4th over the last three. Next up – South Dakota in September.
Nevada, IA BBQ Contest – Last in Iowa
Aug 26th
With all the cancellations in the state, this is the last sanctioned contest in Iowa for the year. We will be in Nevada, IA. Since finishing 3rd overall in LaPorte, we haven’t had another chance to compete. On the line this weekend is the last chance to get into this year’s Jack Daniels’s draw. We are also looking to lock up a place in the top 10 in chicken and brisket for the Iowa Team of the Year standings.
Blackened Mahi Mahi with Mango
Aug 25th
Trying to eat a little healthier. This is two Mahi Mahi fillets (the kind Hy Vee sells in frozen foods). I heated the egg up to 500 for about 25 minutes and had my small cast iron griddle on there. It was hot. I poured a little butter on it and it nearly evaporated. The Mahi Mahi was brushed in butter and seasoned in Zatarins blackening spice. On the egg about 8 minutes then I put some fresh cubed mango’s on it to finish off. Pretty tasty combination. A salad, broccoli and strawberries to finish it off. Second photo is a little blurry. Sorry.
Prime Grade Ribeyes
Aug 25th
Costco had Prime Grade Ribeye steaks on Sunday so I had to get a package to try out. Not grilled such a fine cut of meat at home. Prime is the highest grade meat can get. It is based on the marbling and fat content in the meat.
The steaks were about 1 1/2″ thick. Two of them were plenty for us. At $9.99/lb I didn’t think the price was too bad as it was only maybe $5 more than a package of non prime. Costco had a regular sign out, so maybe they will carry this more often. They also had t-bones and boneless prime rib roast.
Spicy Green Beans
Aug 18th
Pretty good green beans. And let me tell you. They were spicy. It was a good spice but something you want to wash down with a beer. I will also add, I put two strips of bacon on the cast iron when these hit the egg.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 3 cups green beans, ends cut
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
Directions
In a medium sauce pot, bring water to a boil and add 1 teaspoon salt. Add green beans and blanch for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from water and immediately place in an ice water bath.
In a medium bowl, mix all dry ingredients, including the 2 teaspoons sea salt, thoroughly. Toss green beans in mixture. In a large saute pan, add oil and heat to almost smoking. Add green beans and cook until spices begin to blacken, approximately 2 minutes. When done, add butter, toss, place on plate, and garnish with Parmesan.
Spaghettie Pie
Aug 17th
We saw this made on an episode of Diners, Drive-In’s and Dives. Basically you cook a package of spaghetti, then mix in mozerella, parmesean, and any other cheese you want. Add some oregano, garlice, and any other spices. Mix that all together and put in a pan, then into an oven.
Dawn made this at probably 350 for about 20-25 min until the cheese browned on top. It was our first try. Next time I would prefer some more sauce and some hamburger/sausage/pepperoni in as well.
Stubs BBQ Sauce Wicked Chicken
Aug 15th
Smoked some wings for the Chiefs game. About 10 min before done I dipped them in Stubbs BBQ Sauce Wicked Chicken sauce then back to the egg for 10 min then a second dip. I liked the color of the sauce. Taste wise it was a little spicy but a decent flavor. Not quite as hot as Franks.