Dutch Oven Enchilada Pie

This post will feature a few guest bloggers, doing a bit of the heavy lifting as it were...they stepped in to help assemble this next dinner post, so I will let them do the describing and I'll take a backseat, okay?

First up is "Skeeter" or some may know him as "The Toad"...no one knows what his real name is. He's a river rafting guide on Oregon's Rogue River...a little weird (and wired) at first...but all around a good guy. He has some blog..."Skeeter's Epic Adventures" or something.

Me: SKEETER!...hey, nice to see you, thanks for doing this.

Skeeter: No problamo man, happy to, ya know...just got back from an EPIC trip, man...not intense ya know...just chillin with by buds, kickin' back...a real way out time floatin' down Butte Creek in Nor Cal...ever heard of it?

Me: Oh ya!...been down it several times...back in the 70's...there was certainly, well, let's say interesting sights to see along the river, especially as a teenager....people "hanging out" as it were.

Skeeter: 70's???...dude, how old are you?

Me: So anyway, I understand you are going to slip us a recipe you use on your raft trips...Dutch Oven Enchilada Pie.

Skeeter: Fer sure...here...it's all written down, have at it...dude, gotta go...my girl and I are goin' to some super secret EPIC hot springs...gotta grab some burritos and, oh! granola for the morning...later dude!

To help out at some of the prep work is Agador...he's from Guatemala...he has a blog featuring, umm, well...wigs for men...not that there anything wrong with that.

Agador: Chop, chop, chop...that's all I do. Ugh, peppers...I hate peppers, what kind are they?

Me: Hi Agador...those are poblano peppers...not very hot at all but good pepper flavor.

Agador: Whatever...there I did all YOUR work for you, I opened the can of black beans, about a cup of frozen corn, chopped onion, that stupid pepper and 2 cloves of garlic. Where can I wash my hands?

Me: It's been a real event having you over, Agador.

I took out some pre-cooked tri-tip beef roast I had left-over which I also had Agador chop up. Of course pre-cooked chicken could be used or pre-cooked ground beef or even let it be meatless.

Skeeters recipe calls for corn bread mix 

I have asked a fellow food blogger Uncle Big Tex Billy Hubba Bubba Bob Pig Daddy, but we'll just call him "Mor"....he's here to do the assembly...

Me: Yo Moe...I see you're ready to get at it.

Moe: WOO HOO!!!...YOU'RE DARN TOOTIN' I AM!!!...I GOT A LITTLE OLIVE OIL IN DA POT AND STARTED OFF WITH THE ONIONS AND PEPPERS!!!

Me: Say Moe, why are ya yelling?

Moe: WHAT?...SPEAK UP, I CAN'T HEAR YA!!! I DECIDED TO USE THE SAME POT WE WILL COOK THAT WHOLE MESS IN TO RETAIN ALL THE FLAVORS!!!

Moe: THEN I ADDED IN THE CORN AND PEPPERS AND GARLIC!!!

Moe: ONCE THE VGGIES ARE JUST SOFT I THREW IN THE CHOPPED BEEF AND THE BEANS!!! OH, AND SOME GREEN ENCHILADA SAUCE!!!

Moe: THEN I BUMBED UP THE FLAVOR WITH SOME SALT, PEPPER, CUMIN AND CHILI POWDER.

Me: Ow! Moe...really.

Moe: WHAT???

I can't stand it...I'm takin' over. I removed the veggie-sauce mixture to a side bowl.

So the final assembly is like lasagna. Start with a bit of the veggie sauce mix, then layer it with a tortilla...

...tortilla, sauce...tortilla, sauce...I threw in some corn chips for the heck of it...

...next pour the pre-mixed corn bread mix over the whole thing and top with shredded cheese...

...got about 40 briquets going...

I have about 15 under the dutch oven and 25 on top. Remember the meat and everything is cooked, we just need to bake the corn bread topping. This should go for about 30 minutes depending on the heat of the coals.

...and dinner is served!

I would like to thank Skeeter for the recipe and my guest bloggers for their help.

4th of July Brisket

Ah, the Fourth...Independence Day in America...where we collectively stood tall and raised our middle finger to those selfish Brits some 237 years ago.

Pomp and parades, fireworks and music, Old Glory and patriotism, your uncle Jeb fallen down drunk in the horse trough...and backyard barbecues.

Mrs. Blogger Man and I are lucky enough to get either 1/4 or 1/2 beef from her Father each year. When the butcher asked on how I like my meat, I slapped him right across the face...only to realize he meant the beef and how to portion it. I specifically asked for a brisket...at this butcher, if you don't ask, it's hamburger. Tragedy.

The beef is organic, grass fed Black Angus. We get plenty of hamburger in 1 pound bags, or "chubs" as they are called. Steaks, two to a package please...this year I asked for rib steaks instead of a rib eye roast (prime rib) etc, etc. I highly recommend to both of my blog viewers to seek out a way to buy beef this way, much more economical, custom cuts and you know here it comes from (hint, it doesn't come from a grocery store).

Because we received 1/4 beef this last year, the brisket is of course 1/2 the size, 1/2 of the brisket. There are 2 briskets, one on each side. Think of them as chest muscles. One point to note is that this cut is very lean, it gets a lot of work...and some would say, "Great! low in fat!"...what this really means is you need to cook the $#!% out of it to get it tender.

Another point I should mention is that if you cook it too long...it turns to mush. Usually cuts like these are cooked like pot roast...cooked long and slow in some sort of broth.

Because this was my first attempt at a brisket...I was a bit nervous. This would be a long process, some six plus hours...but I was comfortable enough with my abilities at the smoker to give it a go...I thought my pork butt turned out good, ribs are a go, chicken, no prob...even a 28 pound turkey for God's sake!

Even though the Traeger is relatively simple to use, a "set it and forget it" type of smoker, I was still twitching about like some 15 year old teen age boy...wondering if I would make to second base with Betty Krunckle after the Halloween dance. Borrow Mom's car (no gear shift knob), check!...money for fries and a shake at Fosters Freeze, check!...my cassette tape with Stairway to Heaven queued up, check!

Well, if I screw this up there's always hot dogs in the freezer.

Disclaimer: I am in no way suggesting I am any sort of a know-it-all...make that know-anything on barbecuing a brisket. This is just my first attempt and because this is my blog, I get to write about whatever gibberish I feel like writing.

I do however suggest smoking other cuts of proteins to learn your smoker, temps, methods, etc...then do a brisket...and read about it. One good site is amazing ribs (a link is at the left), although this guy might be a bit mad...he really gets into it.

THE WOOD (PELLETS)

I did want to get the right pellets for this go around. Nearly all pellets are a blend even though they state them as cherry or apple wood. From my research it seems on the west coast, pellets are a base of alder and your flavor wood, such as 70% alder, 30% apple. East coast is oak based...even though they are the same brand. The alder based is perfect for chicken, fish...but I wanted oak or at least oak as a base. You can get 100% flavor wood, it's available...just make sure. I found a good blend I could buy locally, Green Mountain Premium Gold Blend, which is a blend of oak, hickory and maple. Oak for long lasting heat, hickory for good smoke flavor and maple for a bit of sweetness.

THE MEAT

So, here it is. I don't know where they get those giant 15 to 20 pound briskets (called a "packer) I see in BBQ competitions, but this one was only about 3-1/2 pounds.

Flipped over, this side is where the "fat cap" is, although removed on my piece. It would normally cover this side of the brisket completely.

Some corners say leave the fat cap on and let the fat melt and self baste the brisket...but a lot of competitors cut all this fat off. Mine came without the fat cap and I would tend to believe this is the correct way to go. This will allow your rub and smoke to get into the meat, otherwise it goes on the fat which will be hacked off before serving...bye, bye flavor!

Above you can see I have taken a black felt tipped marker and drawn right on the brisket itself...a perfectly drawn dotted line to show my vast audience where the two parts of a brisket are (later, I'll spray on "Meatoleum" to hide and mask my drawn line).

The portion on the right, on top is called the "point muscle" and left and below is the "flat muscle". The point is where corned beef and pastrami are from (and you thought it came from a deli).

THE RUB

I used a Traeger rub called Blacken Saskatchewan...why?...because I already owned it and thought what the hell. At this point I wondered (like you probably are)...what the hell does a Saskatchewanian (Saskatchewanite?) let alone your basic, run of the mill Canadian know about barbecuing? 

The answer?...absolutely nothing. "Blackened" I get... Saskatchewan?...???

The rub consisted of salt, black pepper, garlic...I mixed that with a bit more garlic powder, some onion powder, a bit of cayenne and very small amount of white sugar for balance.

The rub went on the night before.

BBQ pundits say about 90 minutes per pound...estimate 3-1/2 pounds = 5-1/2 hours. I threw it on at 12:30 which will allow enough time to add more cooking time if needed and resting time when done.

Smoke, smoke, smoke that brisket up.

After 2 hours at 225º F, I placed a pan of water and apple juice next to it to ensure (more like hoping) it won't dry out.

There are some Texas (where brisket is that "nation's" national pet) BBQ restaurants where they simply throw a naked brisket on the smoker and let her go...and they've been doing it perfectly for decades...nothing I intend to attempt. Like most recipes and tips I have read, plus BBQ TV shows, the brisket is placed in a pan and wrapped in foil 2/3 or 3/4 of the way through.

I dumped the water/apple juice from the pan into my brisket pan and added a chunk of the demi glace I made.

All wrapped up...a couple more hours to go.

Beef is considered "well done" at 160º F...brisket needs to get higher to make sure the connective tissues, fat, etc break down and basically give up the battle...just a hair over 200º...time to pull it.

I kept it wrapped and placed in a cold oven in the kitchen. Competitors place it a fake (faux) Cambro (a cabinet restauranteurs use to hold food hot or cold) by using an ice chest. You have to let this rest...like an hour before slicing. Again, read up on it.

So here it is...nice bark (no it's not burnt), rested and ready...the time has come to see what we have....

...scalpel please...

...Hmmm...first off I see it remained juicy...my worst nightmare avoided...

...slicing it thin would help ease away any toughness that might be there as opposed to a big slab...

...and a decent smoke ring to boot...

...served up with homemade potato salad and corn on the cob.

So how was it?...quite nice, good flavor, tender...how does it compare to others, competitors, restaurants?...I haven't a clue...and don't really care...but I enjoyed making and eating it!

Salmon-chanted Evening...

...you may see a stranger...you may see a strangerrrrrrrr....across a crowded room...and some...

Oh!...hello there...welcome to by humble blog!

It's so nice to have visitors. Do you like to have visitors?

I bet you do. Visitors are nice.

Since you are here...why don't you stay for dinner? I'm having salmon.

Do you like salmon? Me too. Salmon is nice.

And I bet that salmon are nice. If I were a fish, I would like to have a salmon as a visitor like you!

So let's start cooking, shall we? OK.

Here I have a few simple ingredients to enhance the salon. Oops!...I wrote "salon", silly me...of course I meant SALMON!

Clockwise, I have fresh thyme. I wonder why "thyme" is spelled with a "H". Seems rather silly doesn't it?

Then a little freshly cracked black pepper, some dill and finally some salt. 

Yep! That's salt It looks different, huh? Kind of a pink color isn't it? That's because it is "Alaea" Hawaiian salt...all the way from the islands of Hawaii. The color comes from the red volcanic clay found in Hawaii. It doesn't change the flavor, but it is a bit less salty than regular table salt.

Have you been to Hawaii? I bet you have. Hawaii is nice.

So, here's my salmon (notice I didn't write "salon" this time?).

This is Alaskan King salmon...all the way from...that's right!...Alaska!

Have you been to Alaska? I have. Alaska is nice.

Because this salmon is so fresh, I did not want to do much to it..and you know what? I don't NEED to do much to it. I tastes wonderful with just a bit of flavoring, no need to cover up and hide the fresh taste of it. So I lightly sprinkled on the salt, pepper, dill and thyme and added a few slices of lemon.

I am sad for some people. Some people spend a lot of time to catch a fish, and it is so fresh...or some people spend a lot of money for good quality fish, only to hide it with sticky sauces or pastes or whatever and they cover up the fresh flavor of the fish.

I am sad in another way. Some people buy farmed salmon. Can you believe it? They have salmon farms! And they feed them pellets of food of who knows what. Then those ingredients get into the meat, then we eat those pellet ingredients. It's terrible.

Don't buy farmed fish. Farmed fish is not nice.

The salmon went onto (into?) my Traeger smoker grill at about 350º F. Check it often to make sure you don't over cook it.

Do you like over cooked fish? I don't. Over cooked fish is not nice.

To go with my salmon, I cut up some red potatoes and did little fancy thing. Can you see what I did?

That's right! I peeled some skin off. Just for fun.

For the potatoes, I have some salt, also from Hawaii but it is regular sea salt. Also, some fresh rosemary and black peppercorns.

I wanted a very course grind on the pepper, so I crushed them under a small pan until I got the size I wanted.

Like this.

I tossed the potatoes with some olive oil and the spices and baked them for 25 minutes or so at around 350º F. They were small in size, so they didn't take too long.

Now for the veggies...grenn beens. Oh, for heaven's sake! "Grenn Beens"???...that's crazy!

GREEN BEANS! 

I blanched the beans is salted boiling water for about 1 minute until tender and shocked them in an ice bath. Sautéed a few strips of red and yellow bell peppers in a pan with butter..

...then added in the drained beans and tossed them around to heat them through. 

Doesn't it look yummy? Did you know we eat with our eyes?...so if it looks appealing to eat, we will want it more...that's why I added the colorful bell peppers so it wasn't just a bowl of green veggies!

And here it is all plated up. Dig in...won't you!?

Thanks for visiting! I hope you come back another day and we can cook something else!

Bye now!

A Trip To Asia...

Off to the Far East today folks...Asia...the Orient...Indochina...

Ah, the food...complex yet simple...noodles, rice, sauces...and batteries???

First up...potstickers.

These pan fried dumplings can hold a wide range of fillings...the sky is the limit. Veggie, meat...whatever.

For mine, I had some left over smoked pork.

Here's the pork which has been chopped fine. 

It already has plenty of flavor from what was used when it was smoked, so I felt nothing else is needed. 

They are typically dipped in a sauce when served...so that can be used as the additional extra flavor.

Here's the wraps...store bought "gyoza" wraps

A small portion of the meat in the center...and with an egg wash, coat the edges...that's the glue...

...fold in half...and press to seal...

...and crimp the edges. I won't show you this technique...because I can't do it well, but you get the idea.

For a detailed look on how...see this video:

...place them in a pan with hot oil and fry until golden...add about 1/2 cup of water to the pan...cover to steam 1 or 2 minutes and that's it. Depending on your fillings, you may need to steam longer to cook the ingredients as my pork was already cooked through.

The dipping sauce is of course whatever you like, just soy sauce or soy sauce with a bit of wasabi or sriracha or sweet chili sauce.

Okay, next up...fried rice. As with most cooking, having your "mis en place" ready is very important when cooking Asian food as things happen fast due to the high heat with the wok.

You will need:

cooking oil, I suggest peanut

3 cups cooked rice

2 eggs

Soy sauce

1 tablespoon of grated ginger (or 1 teaspoon powdered ginger)

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup diced carrot (same size as a pea)

1/2 cup chopped ham (same size as a pea)

green part of 2 spring onions, cut on the bias (for garnish)

chopped cilantro (for garnish)

Toasted sesame seeds (for garnish)

The cilantro is in the small bowl on the left in cold water to help keep it fresh.

This happens fast which is why you need everything set up...so be ready.

First lightly beat the eggs and cook on high heat in 1 tbl oil to a soft scramble and transfer to a bowl 

(I forgot to take a picture of that, but I trust we all know how!)...

...add 1 tbl oil and add the grated ginger, cook 30 seconds (if using powdered ginger, add it later)...add the carrots...cook another 30 seconds...add the ham and cook about 1 minute...each ingredient you add you ned to be constantly stirring and flipping...

...now simply toss in the peas, rice and white pepper. Add the powdered ginger at this step if using. Add 1 or 2 tbl soy sauce...toss and heat....finish with a drizzle of sesame oil...

 ...plate it and sprinkle on the green onions, cilantro and sesame seeds.

For the main course, we have Kalbi (or galbi) ribs, also known as flanken beef ribs or simply beef short ribs. These are beef ribs cut across the bones, usually 3 to 4 bones per piece and about 1'2 inch thick.

 Here I have a rub for some of my ribs, consisting of salt, pepper, onion and garlic powders, chinese five spice and a bit of powdered rosemary.

For the rest of my ribs, I used a combination of bottled teriyaki sauce and some szechuan peppercorns, which I toasted to bring up their flavor more and then crushed in a pestle.

Szechuan peppercorns is not a pepper at all...the reddish-brown berries come from the prickly ash tree. Besides being peppery, it has the unique aspect of a numbing sensation or tingling. Some say it reminds them a 9-volt battery on your tongue! Hey kids...let's cook with batteries today!

The ribs were simply grilled up and served.