Beef Jerky - Carne Asada

This is my crack at making beef jerky - Carne Asada style.  The recipe is a standard home style Carne Asada without the oil.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs of center cut top sirloin.  1/4" thick.
• 1/3 cup white distilled vinegar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce, not low sodium.
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1.5 teaspoons oregano
• 2 limes juiced, 4 limes if using key limes
• 4 cloves garlic minced

Cut the steak into 1 1/4" - 1 1/2" strips.  Place them into a 1 gallon freezer bag.  Mix all the above ingredients and put in the bag.  Mix well then place in the fridge over night.  Every hour or two flip the bag and mix the contents.  Keep doing this until your ready to smoke.

Bring up the smoker to about 150 degrees.  Place on a single layer and then cover.

After about an hour.

6-7 hours later I have this.  Fully dehydrated Carne Asada steak jerky.

Came out good but need to work on the seasoning.  Have not been smoking meat for a while and may need to goto back to the basics.  Peppered beef jerky next.  Give it a try and tell me what I did wrong.

:)

My crack at a Smokey Joe Smoker - part 3

I decided to that my smokey joe smoker needed a couple more inches in height. It is far easier to get a 5lb boston butt than a 2-3lb one and I do not have to bring a tape measure into the grocery store. So I picked up 8' of 2"x 1/8" aluminum bar. It was cut in half and bent to a ring using my knee and a jeep frame I have in the garage. I made 2 rings one for the inside and one to sit on the lip. It is pop riveted together and gives me about 2".


With the lid closed.

Pulled pork

 This is really what I wanted to do when I built a smoker out of my little Smokey Joe.  This is about a three pound Boston Butt.  For the rub I just used salt, fresh ground black pepper and minced onion.  Just the basics for the first butt.


The smoke took 6.2 hours to be fully done.  Butt was put into an aluminum tent to rest for about 20 minutes.


It pulled apart real nice and had a well defined smoke ring.

Vinegar Sauce  (make at least 24 hours ahead of time.)
    2 cups apple cider vinegar
    3 tablespoons crushed red pepper
    1 teaspoon pepper
    2 teaspoons salt

Vinegar Coleslaw (make dressing 24 hours ahead.)
    dressing:
        1 cup apple cider vinegar
        3/4 cup vegetable oil
        1 cup sugar
        2 teaspoons dry mustard powder
        1 teaspoon salt
    slaw: (make and add dressing 3 hours before)
        cabbage
        onion
        celery finely chopped

Bacon wrapped meatloaf

So this is the first time I have smoked a meatloaf, also the first time bacon weaving. I made a bacon weave then placed 1 lb of ground beef and pork on it. It was seasoned with dried oregano, garlic salt, black pepper, minced onions, cumin, paprika, kosher salt, allspice, one egg and some water. I placed feta cheese, sliced onion and green olives on the meat.


Roll the meat to a loaf shape with the bacon wrap on the outside.


Wrapped her up and put on the smoker for about 2.5-3 hours at 220.   Yes that is a multimeter I am using for monitoring temperature.


Fully cooked and ready to be sliced open.


Came out pretty good except next time I am going to use less smoke.

Side dish - Pasta salad

Here is a recipe I have been fooling around with for about 15-20 years now.  I really like it and everyone I have served it to compliments me on it.  Sorry no pictures on this one, but trust me it is good.


Pasta salad ingredients:
1 box tricolor pasta
6 ounces hard salami
6 ounces provolone cheese, cubed
2 1/4 ounces ripe olives
1 small red onion
1 small zucchini, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 cup green bell pepper
1/2 cup red bell pepper
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 clove garlic minced
1.5 teaspoons ground mustard
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
dash pepper
2 medium tomatoes cut into wedges

Cook the pasta according to the package, rinse in cold water and drain.  Place in large bowl and add the salami, cheese, olives, onion, zucchini, peppers, parsley and Parmesan cheese.  In a jar mix the dressing.  Stir well.  Pour over salad.  Cover and chill for 8 hours or overnight.  Toss before serving.  Garnish with tomatoes if you want to.

My crack at a Smokey Joe Smoker - part 2

Today we are going to make something to block the ash from covering the bottom vents.  This is just a strip of aluminum of 1" wide cut from the cookie sheet.


Then a temperature gauge was fitted.  I did not want to put the gauge directly on the hood as the probe would hit the meat.  Thus limiting the size of the food I could smoke.  So going through the home improvement store in the plumbing section I found a copper pipe hanger.  It is a drip bell.  The hanger was drilled out and the gauge fit nicely.


A step drill bit was used to drill a hole in the lid. Masking tape was used to minimize chipping in the porcelain finish.


Then four more holes were drilled to hold the gauge.


And painted with BBQ black spray paint on the outside only.


This is the view from inside the lid.


Next I will show you what it can smoke.

Side dish - Refrigerator pickle recipes

This is a dual post it also on my SW Florida Home Garden blog.  Here are a couple of my refrigerator pickle recipes:

Lazy Jalapeno Pickles

Cucumbers
Jalapenos
Garlic
kosher salt
white vinegar
pickling spice
hot tap water
pint (16 oz) sized mason jars (Ball mason or similar)

1.    Cut cucumbers into chip.
2.    Slice up garlic about 1 large per jar.
3.    Fill with cucumber wedges make it packed.
4.    Put 1/8" slices of jalapeno into jar.  I used 2 large per 3 jars.
6.    Add 1 tsp kosher salt to each jar
7.    Add 1 tsp pickling spice to each jar
8.    Fill each jar 1/2 way with white vinegar.
9.    Fill the rest of the jar to the collar with hot tap water.
10.  Put lid on and put in fridge for a couple weeks at least.

Garlic Dill fridge pickles

Cucumbers
kosher salt
white vinegar
pickling spice
garlic
hot tap water
pint (16 oz) sized mason jars (Ball mason or simular)

1.    Cut cucumbers to 1/4 slices enough to fill the amount of mason jars you want.
2.    Add one and a half cloves of garlic sliced to each jar
3.    Fill with cucumber slices 1/2 way
4.    Add dill, I used alot
5.    Add cucumbers to collar of jar, if not enough use some carrots or cauliflower.
6.    Add 1 tsp kosher salt to each jar
7.    Add 1 pinch pickling spice to each jar
8.    Fill each jar 1/2 way with white vinegar.
9.    Fill the rest of the jar to the collar with hot tap water.
10.  Put lid on and put in fridge for a couple weeks at least.

My crack at a Smokey Joe Smoker - part 1

So a few years ago my friend sent me a link to a website called the The Virtual Weber Bulletin Board.  On the site was a smoker made from a Weber Smokey Joe made by a someone named D.L. Whitehead.  This looked like a neat idea so I replicated it with a few improvements.  First I made it from a single piece of aluminum, a cookie sheet to be exact.  Then a template was made.  I used the charcoal grate to draw the circle then made a the rest as pictured below.


Then it was cut out and bent.


Holes were grilled in the charcoal area to pass heat.  A couple holes were drilled in the bottom so that it could be attached to the charcoal grate.


Next I had to cut the grate out.  I used a pair of bolt cutters as it is what I had convenient.  A Dremel tool, angle grinder or hacksaw would have worked as well.


Here it is assembled all nice and clean.  Next time I will show the lid thermometer. 

Sirloin tip roast

Here is a little more substantial of a meal.   This will be a sirloin tip roast.  The roast I have selected is 2.3 pounds and around 2" thick.   There will be three steps.   First make a rub and let sit.  Second a high heat sear.   I will be doing it on top of the charcoal chimney.  Lastly we will cook it indirect with a little smoke.

Rub ingredients:

• 2 tbsp Kosher salt
• 2 tbsp fresh rosemary or 1 tbsp dried rosemary
• 2 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 3/4 tbsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tbsp ground white pepper

Mix all ingredients well then apply to the outside of the sirloin tip roast.




Let this sit for an hour to overnight in the refrigerator.  About an hour before putting on the grill take out of the fridge and place on the counter to allow it come up to room temp.

Sear it on the grill.  Here I am using my CI insert on top of my charcoal chimney.  I let it go about 2-3 minutes then flip for a total of 4 times.  This makes a nice "X" pattern on the steak.




Then it is moved to indirect as well as a potato.  I let it sit for 20 minutes then flipped it.  Waited another 20 minutes and stuck a digital thermometer in it.  It was at 120° so I let it go another 20 minutes.  When I pulled it, it was about 134°.  That was a little higher than I wanted it but it was ok.




The steak was put inside under a foil tent to rest.  It will need to rest 15-30 minutes.  While the meat is resting I grilled some asparagus and cooked some rice.  When the veggies and rice were done I plated it.




A little butter on the rice and potato and it is a meal well done.  Check out the color on that cut. It is somewhere inbetween med-rare and medium.

STOK CI grate not so great...

So I have had this thing about 8 months now.   I really like the fact the charcoal chimney fits inside the insert hole.   But when I cleaned out my grill yesterday after the ash catcher locked up on me, I found rust. This thing is porcelain coated but apparently that does not protect against rust.



From what I have been told it that moisture must have gotten on it.  Must have been dew in the month or two the grill was sitting.  On the positive side a good scrubbing with a metal scrubber then a good oiling followed by a low heat on the grill seemed to have worked.  Will now have to watch this grate and keep it oiled.

Shawarma

So here is something a little different.  Made a beef shawarma which is basically a middle eastern soft taco.  It has 3 parts to it a marinade, toppings and a sauce.

Marinade:

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tspn salt
• 1 tspn ground cardamom
• 1 tspn allspice
• juice of one lemon

Mix together put in a freezer bag with your steak and place in a freezer bag overnight.



Toppings:

• thinly sliced cuccumber
• onion
• parsley
• tomato
• sumac (spice)

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and add the sumac.  Set aside until needed.

Tahini sauce:

• 1 cup tahini
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tspn plain yogurt

Mix together until it is runny like a sauce.  If it comes out like peanut butter add more water.

Place your piece of marinaded steak on the grill over indirect heat.  Cook until well done, you don't really want a rare steak.



Slice steak into thin strips.  Add some to a piece of flat bread or pita with the toppings and some tahini sauce.



Plate it with a little tabbouleh and you have a nice Middle-Eastern treat.

Porterhouse Steak

This is a 2 pound porterhouse steak picked up from Publix.  I marinaded it is olive oil, Everglades seasoning, white pepper, oregano, minced garlic and crushed red pepper.  Let it sit for 2 hours in the fridge. 



Started the charcoal chimney then placed the STOK CI on top of the chimney.  The grate pegged itself at 700°.  The porterhouse was then place on for 2 minutes a side.



Finished the steak off on indirect a few minutes a side.



Plated with potatoes and corn on the cob.

Filet steaks and veggies

The steaks featured in this cook come from Omaha Steaks.  Very tender beef and cooks real nice.  They were paired up with a cheater potato, asparagus, onion and brown rice.

Ingredients:

• filet steaks
• potato
• white onion
• asparagus
• brown rice
• olive oil
• spices of choice

Set up your grill for indirect cooking.  I am using the CI STOK grate so my direct zone is in the center and indirect the outer rim.   First up make the cheater potatoes.  Cut your potato in half and stick in the microwave for 3 minutes.  Remove then oil and place on grill direct heat and let go for about 5 minutes then flip.  At this time add olive oil to the onions and place over direct heat to get a little bit of brown on the onion.  Don't let them catch on fire, flip often. 




Move the onions and potatoes to indirect. Put olive oil on your asparagus and place on indirect heat. Flip them every 2 minutes. Then place your filets on direct heat. Cook them to rare - medium whatever you like.




Plate it up with some brown rice and it is time to eat!

Potato Grenade

So this is my take on the BBQ Pit Boys potato bomb.  But instead of using an apple coring tool we carve out the inside of the potato to fit more fillings.  In a potato bomb you fill the hole left by the apple corer, in a potato grenade you carve out the insides to leave a 1/4-3/8" shell.  See the CAD drawing below.


You will need to split the potato in half then carve it as the picture above.  For this I used a knife and cheap spoon I sharpened.  You could also use a melon baller.  Also the bottom of a beer can will need to be cut out for a stand.


I stuffed mine with shredded mozzarella cheese, hot sausage and onion.   They were compacted as they were added.   Then I used a skewer to hold the two halves together as I placed it on the grill on indirect.


I let it go 20 minutes with the lid on then turned it 180° and let go another 20 minutes. At that time I put on the onions, cooked them and then on with some hot sausage.


Here it is opened up. It was a taste explosion!

NY Strip and veggies

So I picked up a NY Strip steak at the local grocery store.  It was 2 inches thick and 1.5 pounds in weight.  I coated the steak in Kosher salt and let it sit at room temperature.  This will draw some of the blood out as well as tenderize the meat. 



At this time I fired up the charcoal and set up the grill for indirect cooking.  First on the grill were a couple of baking potatoes sliced in half and olive oiled.  They were placed on the edge of the coals.  I let them go for 15 minutes with the lid on then flipped and let sit for another 15 minutes.  After the second 15 minutes the potatoes were put on the indirect side.  A couple skewers of mushrooms and onions were put over indirect and flipped every couple minutes.  Then they were put over by the potatoes.  After that the asparagus went on direct.  Flipped every couple minutes.  The onions, mushrooms and asparagus were all soaked in oil.



Once the asparagus was cooked they were moved to indirect.  The salt was rinsed off the strip and then patted dry.  Everglades seasoning was sprinkled on then on the grill on direct for 5 minutes a side.  Then it was moved to indirect for another 5 minutes a side.



Pulled off the grill and plated with white rice and the vegetables.



Perfectly cooked, look at that color.

Pizza take 2

This is attempt #2 at pizza on the grill.  This time I used my STOK cast iron grill grate.  This way of making pizza without a stone or pan in my humble opinion is my favorite.

Ingredients:

• pizza dough
• flour
• cooked hot sausage
• pizza sauce
• Mexican shredded cheese
• sliced plum tomatoes
• sliced onion

Spread out the pizza dough to make as thin as possible.  But not less than 1/4".  Use flour on the counter so that the dough does not stick.  Mine did not come out as thin as I wanted but that is ok.  Oiled both sides and threw on the grill on indirect heat.  Let it cook long enough so it had a solid crust and could be flipped.



After the second side is firmed up remove the crust from the grill.  Add the sauce and then topping to the dough.  Through it back on the grill and put the lid on.  When the cheese is melted it is ready to be pulled.



Off the grill.



Came out good but the dough was a little too thick and not quite done all the way. But I will have to experiment further.