SMOKESTACK CULINARY SEASONING SMOKE

We have another Christmas stocking stuffer from my sister 'Thepresidentofcookies'. The Smokestack company has created a culinary seasoning smoke that is delivered in an easy convenient to use product. They offer different flavored smokes such as: hickory, mesquite, alder and applewood. These different woods have different meat flavor applications. What really differentiates this product is the addition of herbs and spices to the smoking woods. The wood and spices come in a resealable plastic container that is good for approximately 6 uses. This tube also contains a metal cannister with a hole in the top that holds the smoking material that is put on the fire to produce smoke. This product should be easy and convenient to use. We are going to try the Hickory flavor today on some chicken and sausage on the grill. Pull up a chair and watch the Smokestack works its magic.

This hickory wood also has the addition of vintage (?) oak, oregano and celery seed. The company recommends using this flavor with beef, chicken, lamb and vegetables. We built a charcoal fire using approximately 40 lit charcoals. They were placed on one side of our covered kettle grill. We then placed the Smokestack on the lit charcoals. Almost immediately smoke billowed out of this small container. The grill was put into position. The bottom vents were opened half way. The food was placed on the grill on the side away from the fire. The lid was put into positioned to create a indirect fire smoking chamber. Houston we have smoke-off. The aroma was of hickory. One hour later our smoked meal was ready.

Our chicken and sausage had a very nice smoke flavor. It did have the signature strong flavor of hickory. It was not overpowering possibly because the addition of oak, oregano and celery seed. Did I taste the oregano and celery seed? No, but it probably did add to the overall profile of the smoke flavor. Smokestack is a fun, convenient way to add smoke to your cook. Thankyou, Presidentofcookies for this bbq gift. We now have another excuse to fir up the grill this winter. (That was an attempt at humor. Our grill is going every weekend: "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these cookers from the swift completion of their appointed cooking duties.')

The Smokestack Company

JALAPENO BACON JERKY

My sister, 'Thepresidentofcookies", knows  my passion of all things bacon. This Christmas she gave me a package of 'Jalapeno Bacon Jerky'. Not only do I get bacon but the added bonus of jalapenos another favorite food group of mine. The company of 'Oberto' claims that this is an all natural 100 percent bacon product. I tend to be a little skeptical of such loud boasts because of past experiences. I have heard 'The proof is in the pudding'.It is an old saying that basically means you have to try it for yourself. If you want to know more than necessary about the origins of this saying. HERE Let's give it a try.

Ingredients:

Pork, water, salt sugar, natural flavors, dehydrated garlic, dehydrated onion, chipotle pepper, jalapeno pepper, citric acid and tomato paste are the listed ingredients.

I listed the ingredients because I was impressed of the simplicity. No chemicals, binders, msg, or ingredients of mass destruction. The package is opened to reveal actual strips of bacon. The aroma is of onion and pepper. The texture is soft and a little limp. I bite into this so called jerky and am pleasantly surprised of its layered flavor sensation. I taste bacon because it is actual bacon. The tomato paste, onion and garlic adds a nice flavor component. The jalapeno comes at you in the end. The flavor and a slight mild heat leaves you clapping with flavor contentment. I liked the salt level but Ms. Goofy said it was too salty for her fancy. This is some good tasting jerky (?). The downside of this product is the texture. I think of jerky as a chewy food that gives your jaw a little work out. The texture is soft. I am not sure this is a bad thing. I liked this product. It would be great for bringing bacon on a camping trip or in my case a trip to my favorite couch. So long.

CHRISTMAS TRADITION

We all have our traditions at this Christmas time. Tradition can be in many forms: worship, festivities,decorations and of course food. A Mad Meat Genius tradition is to feast on prime rib Christmas day. We like to find the best beef available and spare no expense. We have been to many local butchers, big discount warehouses and even Wally World. They all have decent products. None compare to the aged prime rib roast at Willowside Meat market in Santa Rosa. They hang the roast in their meat locker and dry age the beef. The results are a beef experience that is religious.Deep rich beef flavor with that Umami sensation. (I used the term Umami for the hipster readers).Oh, did I mention honest to goodness corn-fed beef. This is our 'Gold Standard' for prime rib.

We plan for the Christmas meal months in advance. This involves calling Willowside and placing our order. We ordered a three bone roast that weighed seven pounds. The butcher cuts the roast away from the bone and then re-ties it together. This works perfect for ease of carving after the cook. The strings are cut and the roast falls away from the hot and slippery bones. Ask your butcher to cut and tie the roast and usually they are happy to oblige. Pre-ordering our roast insures delivery because Willowside becomes very crowded at this Holiday time. Availability is limited.

We unwrapped our roast. This is a 'Choice' grade hunk of meat. The fat marbling is spectacular. We have tried the 'Prime' graded roast and found it to be to fatty for our taste. This roast will be seasoned with only coarse salt and freshly ground pepper. We do not want to mask any of the luscious beef flavor with seasoning rubs. We have tried several cooking methods and this one works for us. There is no wrong way to cook but it would be a sin to overcook this special meat. The seasoned roast is put in a roasting rack and placed in a hot 450 degree oven for 1/2 hour. After the 1/2 hour the heat is lowered to 325 degrees for the duration of the cook. Our roast cooked for almost 2 hours until the internal temperature reached 122 degrees. This next step is crucial and difficult to  carry out. Let the foil tented roast rest for 1/2 hour. This is a torturous procedure because the aroma is intoxicating. This allows the roast to settle and the juices to redistribute throughout.

This was one of the best Prime Rib roasts ever. This is our Christmas tradition that we are proud to share with you. We are going to have some of the best sandwiches ever today. We hope you had a wonderful Christmas and thanks for coming into our kitchen.

CHRISTMAS ANGELO

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, we were dreaming about Angelo’s focaccia bread. I am not sure if focaccia bread has any ties to the Holliday season but if you ever get the chance to sample this magical treat you will understand its festive power. Angelo Ibieto is a butcher by trade. He is a good friend. He is a man with a gift of making people happy. We have always enjoyed visiting with Angelo on our meat excursions. In the last several years we have discovered a baking talent Angelo possesses. In particular, is his focaccia bread making skills. This focaccia has an olive oil rich crust with a slight chew. The interior is soft and fluffy. There is a hint of garlic. The top is lightly dusted with salt to make you crave and anticipate the next bite. This is the best focaccia ever.

We were on a ‘Meat Adventure’ to pick up a Holiday ham. ‘Angelo’s Meats’ smokes a wonderful ham that we enjoy. The Racing Honda flew faster than Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve to arrive at our destination. Rudolph has nothing on Ms. Goofy’s red toed foot. We arrived and tore open the shutter, and threw up the sash. St. Angelo was no where to be found. Kristi, in her Christmas ‘Forty Whiner Niner” costume, told us to go back in the kitchen to find Angelo. To our pleasant surprise Angelo was in the kitchen baking his infamous focaccia bread.

Have you ever smelled bread baking? This was the aroma we inhaled when we stepped into Angelo’s magic kitchen workshop. Angelo greeted us with enthusiastic joy. We then witnessed the magi at work. Angelo will not reveal all of his secrets. He did tell us to use the best olive oil and do not be stingy. He also hinted that he lets his focaccia rise twice to achieve the pillow like soft texture. He danced with ninja like skill maneuvering the five sheet pans in the commercial convection oven. He rotated and sorted the pans to achieve perfect browning of the bread. What a treat to the senses when he pulled the bread from the oven. We experienced a focaccia facial steam bath in Angelo’s small kitchen.

It is hard to leave and say goodbye to Angelo. We left with a ham and still hot focaccia bread. Once again Angelo has made us happy. It is always a great Meat Adventure to Angelo’s Meats. You too can experience this wonderful focaccia. You will have to call first because this is a very special item. Be sure to tell Angelo that the Mad Meat Genius sent you.

“Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night”

BBQ HUT

Sometimes what makes a great bbq restaurant is the sum of the whole package. We travel to Oakland, Ca. to sample the barbeque at the BBQ Hut. The BBQ Hut is located in a once gritty neighborhood at the Berkeley/Oakland borderline. It is housed in a remodeled old liquor store. I actually remember this liquor store from my long past youth. You could not help but remember it because it was like a fortress in its surroundings. The store was surrounded by iron gates. You would go into the store which only consisted of a window situated in very thick Plexiglas. Your liquor or sundry items were ordered through this window only. Times have changes as the neighborhood. The iron gates remain but now the BBQ Hut is a bright addition to this new evolving, part of town.

The outside is colorful with an outdoor table that was occupied by a local couple. They greeted me and told me to be prepared for some good ‘Q’. We talked about the  neighborhood and the they then recommended the ribs. I went inside to a bright clean order area. It was not dark and formidable as it past. One thing that made this place so welcoming was the owner Earl. He greeted me at the counter with a smile and warmth that made me want to like this place. He asked me if this was my first visit. I told him only when it was a liquor store. We started talking about the neighborhood and eventually got to the all important subject of bbq. Earl was very proud of his product. He gave me a rib to sample his house made sauces. I ordered ribs and brisket, my standard test dish of unfamiliar bbq joints.

Earl does not skimp on the meat proportions. The meats are served on the traditional slices of white bread. Baby back ribs are the ribs of choice at the bbq hut. They had a nice color produced by the seasoning rub. There was a faint aroma of smoke. These ribs were cooked to perfection. A bite was taken and a gentle tug pulled them away from the bone leaving my bite impression. Earl had two house made tomato based sauces. They were sweet with sugar and given a liquid smoke kiss. One had a hint of pepper but was in no way hot in my book. I wanted to love the brisket. It was chopped. It had smoke and beef flavor. Unfortunately it was tough and chewy. Oh my! The beans were very sweet. The potato salad had big chunks of potato in a creamy sauce.

I asked Earl if I could take a photo. He said; “Sure, but wait, I want my son to be in the picture too”. There is a lot of pride and love at this establishment. I felt welcome and want to return. They sell several beers on tap. It would be nice to sit on the patio, eat, imbibe and watch the neighborhood walk by. There were some hits and misses in the food department. I would return for the ribs. The BBQ Hut is a local neighborhood gem.

BBQ Hut
6400 Shattuck Avenue,
Oakland, CA 94609
(510) 285-6628

DE-CONSTRUCTED BACON JALAPENO POPPERS

Here is a fun and easy appetizer. It is a take on a ‘Jalapeno Popper’ with bacon of course. Cheese, jalapenos, and bacon are baked with refrigerator bisquits in a muffin pan. Simple, but with a ton of rich, ooey goodness is this appetizer. I call it deconstructed because it sounds fancy. The jalapenos with its mild to medium heat are the perfect compliment to rich cream cheese. We throw in some Jack cheese to make it over the top decadent. Wait a minute. Did I mention bacon? Salty, meaty bacon is the star as far as I am concerned. Let’s make some de-constructed bacon jalapeno poppers.

Ingredients:

I can of refrigerator flaky bisquits
1 8 ounce block of cream cheese (softened)
1 cup of shredded cheese of your choice (We used Jack)
Salt & pepper to taste
3 jalapenos chopped fine
4 slices of bacon cooked crisp (reserve bacon fat)

Cook your bacon until crisp and let cool. You can use the bacon fat to grease your muffin pan. (Non-stick spray could be used but why would you want to waste bacon love). Combine the cheeses, jalapenos, salt & pepper and chopped bacon. Pop open your refrigerator rolls and separate rolls in half. They will peal apart fairly easy. Line each muffin tin with dough. Place cheese and bacon mixture into center of dough. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bisquits are browned. See I told you it was easy.

This mixture of ingredients will meld together to form a wonderful appetizer for any party application. These even taste great the next day. I ate them cold and really enjoyed them. Ms. Goofy would have no part of that and reheated them to even greater glory. Once again bacon saves the day.

JALAPENO BACON CHEESE ROLL

Tis the season for 'Jalapeno Bacon Cheese Roll'. Is there not a season for these fabulous ingredients. To be honest I had nothing to do with this festive dish. I only got to see the picture. Ms. Goofy and her sister Shastina had a get together and served this Christmas festive log of great ingredients. Ms. Goofy has promised to make it for me in a couple of days. Here is the recipe so you can make it too.    RECIPE