BACON AVOCADO

Yes you heard correctly; 'Bacon Avocado". We have come across this special fruit several times at local farmers market. Is this some Monsanto freak fruit? It does sound intriguing. Is it possible we will not have to cook bacon for our guacamole? There is one way to find out. We purchased several rock hard bacon avocados from the market. I asked the farmer:'Does it taste like bacon?'.She replied, No, It is a strain of avocado that was developed by James Bacon. That pretty much burst my bubble. Let's give them a try anywhoo.

It took 5 days in a paper bag to soften these green globes. When ripened the outer skin is still green not like the Hass variety which turns black. The inner flesh is a light green with a larger pit than  the Hass. We keep referring to the Hass because everybody is familiar with them. The flavor is buttery and creamy. I would say the flavor is slightly sweeter than the Haas. Overall this is a very tasty avocado. I am a little relieved it does not taste like bacon. It was fun and tasty to give them a try.

FAT CAT PURRY PURRY SAUCE

It's purr-fectly good"

Caramelized onions is the star of this show. Pequin peppers adds a gentle heat to warm your soul. This savory hot sauce is perfect match for chicken dishes. Ms. Goofy claims to have made chicken wings for the "Wing Hall of Fame'. Read all about 'Fat Cat Purry Purry' sauce by clicking the link below.

Purry Purry Sauce

CARROLL SHELBY’S CHILI KIT

Carroll Shelby of “A.C. Cobra and Ford Mustang’, fame had another passion besides racing. He was a world class chili competitor. He is one of the original founders of the “Texas Terlingua World Chili Championship” competition. In 1972 he cashed in on his fame and created “Original Texas Brand Chili Mix”. This recipe was based on his award winning chili. In 1986 Carroll Shelby sold his brand to Reily Foods. It has been rumored that the recipe has changed since. This chili mix has been around for a long time and I have never tried it. Lately there has been a buzz surrounding this mix and it was time to give it a try.

A trip to our local Wally-Mart found our chili kit.. The packaging of this chili kit blended in with the multitude of other chili mixes on the shelf. It was kind of embarrassing and I probably will have to burn my “Man Card” but I had to ask a clerk for directions. I took a glance at the box labeling and instructions.. The expiration date on this box was dated January 22, 2015. This raised a flag because I believe all chili spices should be as fresh as possible.How old was this box? The kit also claimed it was ‘All Natural’ and gluten free. The chili making process seemed very simple and fast. Thirty five minutes will be the fastest chili I have ever made.Other ingredients that are needed were water, tomato sauce and two pounds of meat. The cost of this mix was unbelievably cheap; $2.99.
    I am the first to admit that following instructions can be a challenge. We wanted to experience this chili the way it was meant to taste so we will comply with all directions. The mix does give options of salt, corn flour and cayenne pepper each wrapped in separate pouches. The amount of cayenne is barely  ¼ teaspoon. This is an amount that Ms. Goofy puts on her corn flake in the morning.. The salt package is approximately two teaspoons. This is not an excessive amount but if you are watching your salt intake it is nice to have that option. The corn flour is to be used as a thickener and will add a flavor component. We used about half of the masa (corn flour) to change the chili texture from soupy to thick and hearty. The meat was browned and the main spice package, salt, and cayenne were added. I tasted the main spice package. It was sweet. I also tasted cumin, salt, and chili powder. Water and tomato sauce were added for a 15 minute simmer. Cooked black beans were added for 5 more minutes. A slurry of the masa flour and water was added to finish.

Our chili was served over rice. “Drum roll please!” This was a good looking bowl of red. Ms. Goofy loved it. She said it was well balanced and had a lot of chili flavor. I thought if was very decent and enjoyed it. Was it award winning chili? No, but it made for a hearty satisfying dinner. In my opinion the actual chili flavor was lacking. I want to taste chile and all of its glorious flavor and heat. The mix of chili, cumin and sugar was on the sweet side. The spice packets use no preservatives (good thing) and I am wondering about freshness and shelf life. The optional cayenne heat was barely noticeable. This was the fastest chili I have ever made. Overall Carroll Shelby’s Chili Kit is a convenient, quick, decent tasting way to make chili.

BACON, SPAM, BEER FUDGE

“Candystrike Emporium” candy shop in ‘Hangtown’ California sells fudge called:’The Chuckwagon Surprise”. This is one of their 44 different and unique flavored fudges. The ingredients are bacon, Spam and beer. Ms. Goofy was shopping in the Candystrike and thought I might enjoy this unique flavored chocolate treat. As some of you may know, I love bacon. Is this the Motherlode of bacon flavored fudge? Grab a spoon and let’s give it a try.

Chocolaty delight with a bacon crunch is the short story. Ms. Goofy claims she can taste the beer flavor. I am wondering about the Spam. If I did not know beer and Spam were two ingredients I would have never guessed. This is high quality, rich, creamy, dark chocolate; melt in your mouth and hand, sweet confection that bring a smile to your face. The bacon dispersed through this treat is just a bonus. Yummy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Candystike Emporium

NOT N.Y. CITY

We are sampling and reviewing a salsa that is not from N.Y. City. Pyropete's Ultimate Salsa is from the area of St. Lois. This is a mild all-purpose sauce that can be used for many food applications. If you would like to learn more about Pyropete please click the link below.

"Pyropete's Ultimate Salsa"

T-BONEASAURUS REX

 We were on a mini Meat Adventure to Willowsde Meats when this behemoth T-bone steak called my name. It is three pounds large and is dry aged. Normally the rib-eye is our steak of choice but the beauty of this steak won our hearts.. The T-bone is basically two steaks in one. You get a nice size sirloin cut of meat with a bonus filet attached. The filet on this steak was of mammoth proportions. Willowside Meats has always delivered great meats and this was a no-brainer purchase. A steak this large can be a little tricky to cook and today we are going to guide you through its journey on the grill.

An hour before cooking we unwrapped the steak and wiped off any excess moisture with a paper towel. The seasoning will be a simple dusting of kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper. It is time to prep the grill. We are using a Weber kettle grill that has a cast iron grate for its cooking surface. We filled a chimney starter full of mesquite charcoal to lite. Once the fire was sparking and lit it was poured over 1/2 of the kettle bottom. The hot coals were placed on one side only to create two different heat zones. The grate was scrapped clean of crud and oiled with a rag dipped in vegetable oil. The grate was heated to a sizzling hot temperature. The steak was place directly on the side of the grate with the lit coals. The steak was cooked for 8 minutes on the first side, turning steak a quarter turn (to create grill marks) , and then flipped over on the other side for an additional 8 minutes. If there are any flair ups place kettle lid to on to damper flames. After the 16 minutes the steak was moved to the side of the grate without the lit charcoals. It was cooked for 10 more minutes with the kettle lid on. The steak was checked for desired doneness. We pulled our steak when the thermometer had reached 120-125 degrees. It was brought into the house and allowed to rest for 10 very long minutes.

It is very important to be attentive while cooking a steak this large. Not paying attention can be the difference between success and beef jerky. Your cooking times will vary depending on size of steak, type of barbeque and heat of fire. This hunk of meat was an investment of time and money. The returns are stellar. If you could only see the smiles on our faces enjoying this steak. This was one beefy treat.

BACON FLAVORED SPREAD

“Epicmealtime’ and ‘J&D Foods’ have collaborated to create the ultimate bacon flavored spread. ‘J&D Foods’ are no strangers to bacon products and are the creators of bacon salt and Baconnaise. We here at the Mad Meat Genius camp are fans of Baconnaise. We felt obligated and curious to give this new product a try. Epicmeatime has a philosophy that is refreshing and honest. This statement by Epicmeatime may shock some of the correctness police: “In a time when society has put an emphasis on health and diet, we are the ones that have chosen to rebel. We cook the greasiest of grease, the sloppiest of slop and always leave room for more bacon.”

The top of the jar is removed and a pleasant mayonnaise odor greets your sinus receptors. I smell a faint odor of smoke. A finger (clean) is dipped into the test jar and placed into my awaiting open kisser. The texture is smooth and melts with flavored mayonnaise comfort. Here is the million dollar question. Does it taste like bacon? The answer is; Yes. It is a subtle flavor that does not overpower. The slight smoky component is a treat to the tongue. This is quality mayonnaise that has been kissed with glorious bacon flavor.  I can think of endless food applications for this spread.

A Chilebrown favorite, bacon avocado sandwich will be our test vehicle for our spread. Some bacon from Freedom Meat Lockers will take a trip to the black iron for our sandwich. The bacon flavored spread was mixed with mashed avocado. A jalapeno roll will cradle our bacon flavored filling. This sandwich was a creamy, bacon crunchy, satisfying treat. Was it overkill using so many bacon flavors? I say, absolutely not. I may not agree entirely with Epicmeatime’s statement but this is some darn tootin good bacon flavored spread.