HAPPY THANKSGIVING

 

HORMEL GHOST REAPER CHILI

 

Exotic hot chilepepper products have been the latest internet buzz. Hormel has cashed in on a Ghost Reaper chili. These are two of the hottest peppers grown. I can personally attest that these peppers need respect and should be approached cautiously. Hormel announced this offering on social media. They set up a time that this product would be available for sale and sold out within the hour. I did procure one can. Within minutes Ebay had this product at 10 times the actual price. I am not sure what to say about that. Let's give it a try.

I did read the ingredient list. Chile peppers are listed six times and they are all different types of dried and fresh chile. Ghost and Reaper pepper powder is listed towards the end of this list. I opened the can to unleash a barrage of familiar chile pepper aromas. My nose started to twitch which is a good sign meaning it was reacting to chile presence. Tonight we are serving this over a hot dog to celebrate a spicy Halloweenie. Ms. Goofy originally was going to partake in this tasting. She stuck her finger in the pot and tasted. Her reactions was; 'Oh no! This is too hot"

It was hot. I tasted fresh chile and it also had an after burn from the dried chiles. It was very decent in a Hormel Chili kind of way. With six different chile in this mix, I am not sure if I could identify ghost or reaper chile. Your senses were assaulted by fresh and dried all in a chilehead splendor kind of way. How hot was it? For most normal people I would say this concoction was very hot and you might not enjoy it. I eat some sort of chile everyday. I thought is was hot but not as hot as ghost and reaper chile can be. It was tame in this sense. Regardless of the downsizing of potential heat this mixture left my mouth on fire for quit awhile. I actually enjoyed this chili with chile. Good job Hormel.

GHOST PEPPER DOUGHNUT

 

Dunkin Doughnuts is selling a limited run of Ghost Pepper Doughnuts. I am not sure if it is for Halloween or just the novelty of using a Ghost Pepper. The Ghost pepper is an exotic chile pepper that needs to be respected for the level of heat it can generate. Since I am a bonafied chilehead, I thought it was my duty to give this a try. Plus I do like doughnuts. 

   I arrived to Dunkin and stood in line with a dozen other doughnut enthusiasts. We were all masked and keeping our distance. I bought my one doughnut and went to the parking lot to give it a try. The first impression was; this is sickly sweet. Oh my! The pepper than kicked in. It was a gentle warmth and nothing like any Ghost Pepper I have ever tried. It was warm but not anything that you could call hot. To me this doughnut was a fail. It could of been sprinkled with any variety chile and this novelty offering was unremarkable.  I still like doughnuts but not this one.

LUCY YOU ARE A GOOD GIRL

 

R.I.P.

Lucy you are a good girl. Why did you have to leave us? You have broken our hearts but have filled our hearts with all the love and affection that only you can bring. Lucy you are a brave girl. Look out Mr. Squirrel because you wanted to chase him. You greeted the postman with your faux ferocious barks and let the neighbor kids know this was your house. You were so brave when Uncle Johnny chased you with the remote car and jumped in my lap. Rocky wants to know where his sister has gone. He has some all-star wrestling moves he wants to try out on you. Rocky needs your collar to drag and pull on the morning walks. I am crying. Nobody wanted to watch Huel Howser with me but you. I did not even mind when you sat all 80 pounds in my lap. Your mommy misses you the most. You did not mind when she dressed you up in the silly costumes to go to A’s dog day at the ballpark. She loved to show you and win awards at the dog classes. You may have stayed out in the rain and got all muddy but she really did like to rinse and towel you. Oh Lucy you were so brave that you did not even want to tell us you were sick. Lucy we love you. Lucy you are a good girl.

BURNT END HOT DOGS

Burnt end hot dogs are so simple but so tasty. They are an alternative to the beef brisket burnt ends that bbq aficionados crave. They also do not take 15 hours to cook and require a bank loan to purchase. Hot dogs are slathered in mustard and then coated with your favorite bbq rub. They are smoked for an hour using you smoking wood of choice. Remove, slice and put in a hotel pan. Add butter, bbq sauce, a little brown sugar and a dash more of seasoning. Return your dogs, in pan, to a direct hot heat and cook for an additional 15 minutes stirring frequently. They will become hot, sticky and oh so decadent. This is a comfort food suitable for cocktail parties, kids parties and just plain snacking on the couch while watching your favorite television show. I was a little skeptical about this dish at first. After seeing how easy and what a comforting flavor this dish will bring. Your inner child tastebuds will reemerge to bring out happy smiles . This will be put in the recipe rotation.

 

TRI-TIP

Tri-tip is a triangular  roast from the bottom subprimal cut of sirloin. It is a staple meat in California and we may take it for granted. It is easy to cook and a little forgiving on the grill. It is cooked over a medium direct heat, turning frequently. I like to pull it at 120 degrees internal temperature which when rested will make a perfect medium well doneness. One of the nicest thing about tri-tip, if there are any leftovers, is sandwiches the next day. We love tri-tip

RORY RICHMOND R.I.P.

The barbeque community mourns the passing of Rory Richmond. Rory wore many hats in our BBQ world. He was a judge, promoter, and most of all an ambassador spreading bbq love to all. He was the main man to host Kansas City Barbecue Society certification classes and promote the Clayton BBQ Festival. He was a fixture at many competitions promoting these great events. We all sat next to him at the judges table one time or another. His knowledge and dedication was an inspiration to us all. Rory left us way to early and it is a sad day to say goodbye.