Technique / Good Riddance

**Writers Note:  Since publishing this article it has gained an enormous amount of views and, given that some people have altered the way they are presenting themselves, they have read it as well.  I will say that in everyday life, people make mistakes without thinking.  The problem that enters the equation is when people make mistakes AFTER thinking.  However, forgiveness is a quality that lies within all of us and I prefer to forgive people for actions they knowingly engaged in as opposed to holding grudges.  Having said that, everyone that does make these decisions, even after having thought them over first, must live with their own choices.  I said I can forgive.  I will not forget...nor offer aid and comfort to those that clearly know they missed the boat.  RAD** 

I just spent ten minutes holding a salmon filet on its edge to make sure that the crust was perfect.  When it was done, the salmon was crusty on the outsides and still running with juices on the inside.  Do you know why?  Because that's what it took to make sure the food was fucking perfect, that's why.  It's called Passion.

I haven't written in a while and I understand the point of a Blog is to have followers.  I get that.  But I have been working my ass off to try to help someone else's business in the hopes that I could finally create a situation where I was working in or close to the food industry, which is the goal, it's what I love, and it's where I would love to be.  Needless to say, because the title of this post pretty much says "Fuck Off", it didn't quite work out.  But that's fine.  I really don't want to come back to my readers with foul language and a nasty, pissed off attitude, but I have a point to make and I will, By God, make my fucking point.

It's fine because the people that come to my house ask me how in the name of God I came up with the things I have.  At my table, I hear things like "Holy Shit" and "Oh, My God" and so on and there is no other reason for it than the fact that I love what I do in my kitchen and I want people leaving thinking they're heading to the electric chair because the meal was that good.  That's me, it's what I do, it's why I'm here.  If you live to work on cars, that's cool.  It's not my bag but I can seriously respect your motivation because I have my own.

Now, why am I so pissed?  It comes back to that point of motivation and why we do what we do.  I suggested numerous ideas.  They were rejected out of hand.  I suggested numerous changes and those that were rejected again were immediately enacted, with a case of the Screaming Thigh Sweats no less, when someone else suggested them.  Fine. That's cool and I can live with that. I mean, after all, what the Hell do I know about food?  I only have an online spice company, I only do four of five cooking demos a year, I only get called on to come up with unique and creative foods every fucking week during Farmers Market Season. The winner, in this case, came up with a tired-ass egg recipe which, in the end, was shameless self promotion to the point of pandering.

In this case I am the loser and I, unlike Mr. Originality, sat down and thought about what to do with the things in my fridge and came up with deep frying green beans wrapped in Smoked Speck (a prosciutto style cured pork).  Seriously, who does that?  I got a duck on sale when a supermarket nearby went out of business.  Did I roast it?  No.  As a matter of fact, I de-boned it, trimmed and cut it up, rendered the fat from it and used that to make a brick roux (very dark brown roux), with which I made gumbo...and it rocked.  Since making brick roux is a long, drawn out, pain in the ass of a process, I took the opportunity to make a LOT of it and now I have enough duck fat brick roux to last me for some time.  That's called giving a damn about what and how you cook, I wouldn't have it any other way and I don't give a rat's furry ass what people think of it.  I have a crowd that loves what I do and they are what matters.

Angry?  Maybe.  Passionate about what I do and how I do it?  You bet your ass I am and the people that eat my food, watch me cook, and talk to me about what I do, bloody well know it.  Being passionate about what I do makes sure that everything that leaves my kitchen in a close to perfect as I can get it.  I may fall short of that goal, and sometimes I do, but at least I know that I gave it my all, I wasn't kissing anyone's ass or blowing sunshine up someones skirt, or even worse, just pandering to people who couldn't recognize it dripping from the ceiling.

I cook.  It's what I do.

That's my rant.  I'm back to writing about food and having a few cocktails while we're at it.

Party Well, Eat Better.
Rob

A New Direction

Blog Readers:  Back Porch Spice: The Blog! will be shifting gears in the near future.  Every so often, I will post recipes and stories regarding the good times and great food we have here.

However, most of the writing will now be dedicated to Locally Grown Foods, Locally Owned Farms and Restaurants that produce these foods, and their economic benefits to the Community.  Hopefully, you'll stay tuned.  I promise, it will be worthwhile.

Party Well, Eat Better,
Rob

Happy Thanksgiving

From My Family to Yours.

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's the Little Things

I have to start on a bit of an unusual note.  I have a lot of readers and tons of traffic to this blog but I only have a few followers so I notice when I get new followers.  I would like to take a moment to welcome my latest follower, Quay Po Cooks.  I haven't had time to fully explore her blog yet but she travels, is a great writer, and has some very interesting recipes.  Check her out if you have a chance.

So....................

After launching the Online Store (www.bpspice.com) and three weeks of back problems, the LSU-Bama is tonight and I haven't posted in a while, sooooooo.... I guess it's time to feed the Herds, tinker in the kitchen, and write a little.  Also, a very good friend of ours has just learned that her Father is very, very ill.  As it is our habit to cook for those that are in need of a break, I decided to put a few things together to help out.  No one wants to be saddled with cooking for themselves, let alone, cooking for a family.  In my usual fashion, I went straight for the comfort food.

Pig and Potato Soup
Bacon Pate
Asparagus.

Pig and Potato Soup

This recipe is quite large as I was making it for our friends Father.  It was dinner for us but I needed to make sure it was dinner for a few others as well.

Potato Soup goes so far back for me that its hard to find it's roots in my culinary digest.  My Father made it for us kids, my Step Dad made it for my Mom and I, and it has always been a staple of Northern Folks since time immemorial.  The best thing about Potato Soup is that it is simple, to be sure, but it offers the serious chef and the most basic cook the chance to sign their work.  Potato Soup is a blank canvas that allows for the addition of simple, complex, tasty, and odd combinations that express a persons culinary desires as well as being so simple as to be nearly impossible to screw up.  This is simply my version of it.  As always, my version does NOT define the recipe.  Take, add, alter, and arrange this to be yours and yours alone.

Pig and Potato Soup

1 large Shallot, very finely diced
5 cloves Garlic, chopped fine or pressed
6 tbsp bacon drippings or butter
1/2 cup (give or take) Potato Flour
1/2 gallon Whole Milk
1/2 Vegetable Stock
4-6 cups diced Potatoes
1 lb ground Breakfast Sausage
1 1/2 lbs. diced Ham
Green Onions and Bacon crumbles for garnish
Salt and Pepper to taste

Quite the list, right?  Let's get to work.  In a large, heavy bottom pot sweat the shallot and garlic until translucent.  At the last minute, turn the heat up and caramelize the edges just slightly.  Add potato flour and whisk to combine.  If it's a little thick, add just a touch more fat (see the "Roux" post).to loosen it up.  Let this cook for just a minute and slowly add the milk to thicken, whisking as you go.  As always with these things, you may need a little more flour or you may need a little more liquid to get it to your desired level of thickness.  The texture of expanded potato flour does, admittedly, look a little grainy compared to the same product with wheat flour.  To defeat this, I like to puree the soup (before adding the meat, of course) with a stick blender.  It also eliminates the texture of the shallots and garlic, leaving behind a thick, smooth soup base.

While the saute was going on was the perfect time to brown the sausage and crumble it up fine.  When done, drain off most of the grease leaving about 3 tbsp behind to brown the cubed ham.  Make sure all sides are browned.  Add sausage and ham to the pot.  The sugars from the ham will have caramelized on the bottom of the frying pan.  Deglaze this with the vegetable stock, scrape all the tasty bits up, let reduce by half, and add to the soup.  This step isn't critical but I can promise that it takes a creamy, milk based soup and launches the flavor.  You don't have to do this step, but you definitely WANT to.

When it comes to adding the potatoes, I take a bit of a different path than most.  I like to fry the diced potatoes like french fries.  This accomplishes a couple of things:  1) The potatoes are cooked when they go into the pot so there is no waiting. 2)  I've always had trouble with the potatoes sticking to the bottom and this defeats that.  Fry the potatoes and drain on paper towel and when lightly cooled, add them to the pot.  The fried potatoes will float on top for a bit but after about 15 minutes of simmering, they will begin to settle in.

Finish by sprinkling crispy bacon crumbles and fresh chopped green onion on top.

Bacon Pate

In getting ready for any good football game, one must make sure to have quality snacks.  Just so happens that I am a Cheese and Crackers kinda guy and I had a small rasher of bacon left over.  Time to get creative.....

10 strips crispy fried Bacon (get the good stuff for this)
1/2 Shallot, finely diced
1 clove Garlic, finely diced
6 tbsp Bacon drippings
1/4 cup Heavy Cream
1 pack quality Cream Cheese, soften to room temperature
1/4 cup crushed Pineapple, well drained on paper towel to remove all extra moisture
1/4 cup finely chopped Green Onions (green ends only)
Salt and a heavy pinch of course ground Black Pepper to taste

Saute the shallots and garlic until translucent in bacon drippings.  Add bacon, shallots and garlic (including the bacon fat), and cream to a food processor.  Pulse a few times to break up the large bits then turn on high and puree.  Add the cream cheese and continue to puree until there are no detectable chunks left.  Remove from food processor and add green onions and pineapple and mix in well.

This mixture is going to be quite loose and will need to spend some time in the fridge.  You can put it in a form or, do as I do, place the mixture on a sheet of cling wrap, make a ball, and place it in the fridge.  After a couple hours, the flavors will have come together and the ball will have solidified to a spreadable consistency.  The bacon fat may seem a bit over the top but it lends to the stiffness when cold.

Asparagus

The friend I spoke of earlier asked her Father "What do you want to eat that you never get?"  Given that we live in the South, we were both surprised to learn Asparagus was the answer.  There really isn't much to making good Asparagus as long as things are done in a particular order.

1 bunch Asparagus
3 Tbsp Quality Olive Oil
1 clove Garlic, thinly sliced
Heavy pinch course ground Black Pepper
Heavy pinch course Sea Salt

Saute the garlic for just a few minutes to flavor the oil, then remove.  Turn heat up to medium high, add pepper, and toss asparagus in the oil.  Let sit for a minute or two so that some scorch marks develop, then cover with a lid and let steam, tossing occasionally.  When the asparagus has softened just a bit, remove from the pan, plate, and sprinkle with course sea salt to finish.

Ok, sounds really simple, right?  There are a couple of reasons I posted this in all of its simplistic splendor.  One reason is that I have told people how to do this and everyone comes back to me claiming they just can't get it right.  The trick is to add the salt as the absolute last step as it does soften the asparagus.  To me, it should be somewhat soft yet remain crisp and somewhat crunchy.  Mushy asparagus has all the personality of an under cooked french fry.  The salt also lends to the crunchy texture.  If I can, I like to finish it with a course Himalayan Pink salt or even Black Hawaiian sea salt.

LSU won last night.  I'm told this because after a day of cleaning, cooking, and more than one bottle of wine, I was off to bed.  The funny thing is that I did a great deal of cooking for our friend and her Father but her husband is a Die-Hard Bama Fan.  It was good to see her, tell some stories, and laugh a bit...because her husband probably won't allow her to come back to our house until the pain wears off.  Oh well, that just gives me time to come up with new stuff and get my wine act together for when they do return.  Oh, and I'm told the soup was a hit with her Father...and the nurses...and our friend since she snuck some out of the bowl before delivering it.

Party Well, Eat Better
Rob

Roux

I've had it in my head for years that I'm going to write a cookbook.  Over the years, I have collected, written, and/or commented on recipes for people and it never seems to fail that I come back to a few solid points and a few base ingredients.  For this reason I always intended, and will still, make one of the first chapters "Roux: The Base of Good Things to Come" just because it is so true.

For those of us that each rich, unhealthy foods and for those that grew up in the Deep South, gravies are a part of life and any good gravy will start as a Roux.  There are many ways to make a gravy or sauce but fat, flour, and some form of liquid to "Fluff" it out will never fail you as long as you do it right.  For today, I want to feature a few favorites that could not happen without the God Given Gift from Heaven:  Roux.

Today's sampling are as follows:

Simple Gravy
Tomato Bisque
Alfredo

Simple Gravy

The rules for a basic roux gravy are very simple:  1 tbsp fat, 1 tbsp flour, 1 cup of liquid.  Melt fat, add flour and whisk to break up lumps, cook flour for just a minute or two and, if desired, brown flour to color needed, and liquid and quickly whisk and bring to a boil.  Salt and pepper to taste.  This will be called the "Cup Method" from here on out.  If the recipe requires 2 cups, it is the "2 Cup Method".  Ok?  Good.

Now, there are a few things to keep in mind when applying this methodology.

• The fat is a base requirement and if you use a little more, it doesn't effect much other then floating to the top when it sits for a few moments.  However, additional flour will mean additional liquid.  Too much liquid means additional flour is needed, etc.
• The flour has to be cooked for at least a short time.  If flour is added directly to a sauce or gravy, it will have a certain "Raw" flavor to it.  Taste a pinch of flour right out of the bag and you will see what I mean.  Keep in mind that browning the flour to varying degrees of brown will lessen the thickening power, which somewhat throws the above rules out the window.  
• If you're going to make roux, you may as well make a stash of it.  I always make more than I need and after the excess has cooled, I have a little jar in the fridge where I keep it.  This will keep for a very longtime in the fridge and it can always be added back to the pan to be darkened to suit your needs
• If you live in the South, you might even be able to find Roux base in a quart jar on the Grocery Shelf.
• As with any recipe, there is nothing definitive.  The will always be some need for adjustment.  A little extra liquid, maybe a bit more base, etc.  I heard a great quote recently:  To follow a recipe exactly is a guaranteed failure.  

This recipe is truly the base of very good things and, once you have it down, it's very easy to see why this is a staple is so many cultures and their foods.  Very simple things, such as:

• Use a 4 cup formula, use bacon grease as the fat, and use milk as the liquid.  Salt, Pepper, a pinch of Cayenne, and 1 lb. browned sausage and you have Sausage Gravy.
• Use a 4 cup formula, use butter as the fat, and use 3 cups milk and 1 cup vegetable broth and use as a Chowder Base
• Use a 4 cup method, use butter as the fat, and use 3 cups milk and 1 cup cream and you have a base for "Cream of Whatever" soup.

I realize this may be horribly simplistic to an experienced cook.  For me, learning about roux was something I wish I had learned early on as the applications are nearly endless.  Gumbo, Chowder, Holiday Gravies, etc. all would not exist in the absence of roux.  Last nights quick cheater dinner is a great example.......

Tomato Bisque

By the time we got home Saturday night, it had already been a full weekend.  Tired and not wanting to spend too much time over the stove I did a quick Tomato Bisque.

3 Cup Method using Butter, 2 cups Milk and 1 cup Heavy Cream

1 16 oz can Del Monte Garlic and Onion Pasta Sauce

Salt & Pepper to taste

Make the roux and boil to thicken, add the tomato sauce, bring to a simmer, salt and pepper to taste, and in the case of what I made last night, fry about 1/3 to 1/2 pack quality bacon and whiz into the bisque with a stick blender.  You might want to save some for garnish as well.  Chopped green onions adds a great fresh taste and adds texture as well.

So, you see where this is going.  The French, for as much of a pain in the ass as they have been over history, invented modern cooking and use roux as the base for 3 of the 5 "Mother Sauces", which makes it quite important in the annals of Cooking History.  The Italians figured this out as well and, in typical Italian fashion, took very simple ingredients and created one of the best known sauces in the World.

Alfredo

Often regarded as "Heart Attack on a Plate", Alfredo is the quintessential Italian sauce that stands alone with its base ingredients or can be modified with simple additions to take it to another level.

One Cup Method using butter and Heavy Cream

1 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese

Dash of Lemon Juice

Make roux and bring to a simmer.  Add lemon juice and add Parm sheds until the the desired consistency is reached.  You might have to make some adjustments with cream, cheese, etc.  The reason this recipe is so short is because it is just that simple.  Seeming complex, the real difference in Alfredo sauces is ingredients...Pure and Simple.  The best organic, farm fresh creams and butters should be used if possible.  If you follow the food scene you'll here this a lot: "Taking good ingredients and not screwing them up".  That's all your trying to accomplish.  Now, if you're not he Alfredo Purist, you might try adding the following:

• Saute some sweet onions and garlic until just slightly browned and whizzing this is with a stick blender (I usually do this in my Alfredo).
• Drop in 2-3 Portabella Mushrooms and let them simmer in the sauce for a while to extract the mushroom flavors.  Leave them in for appearance.
• If making Alfredo for seafood, gently fold in Lump Backfin Crab Meat for incredible flavor and texture.

As I sit here on a windy, Fall, Sunday afternoon, happily typing away, I try to think of how I want to close this out and I realize that there really isn't a need.  So many good things start with a little flour and butter in the bottom of a sauce pan and end up becoming someones signature.  Gina and the kids are constantly after me to make Chicken and Rice...it starts with Roux.  A stand out that is always on my catering menus is Smoked Chicken Chowder...it starts with a Roux.  So on and so forth.  Get creative and figure out a sauce that has a roux base and make it your "John Hancock".

Now, as always, I had a few glasses of wine and a shot or two while I was cooking last night which always makes for a slightly lazy Sunday.  Since I have already done something productive today and given that I have wings to do later (I already did a Blog Post on those...check it out), I think I will finish my tea and get into the leftover Tomato Bisque, which will surely be better since it is the day after.

Party Well, Eat Better

Rob

Things That You Go "Mmmm"

You know you've done it.  I know I've done it a thousand times.  You walk into the kitchen, trying to find something to do or thinking you want to make something but you just don't know what.  For me, its usually the day after a huge Cook-a-Thon and there are enough leftovers that I really don't need to cook anything more to eat.  What usually happens at this point is for me to start looking over the inventory of what I used the night before and taking the time and the ambition (depending on what else I had the night before) to restock my arsenal of homemade extras...which brings me to my next point.

Whenever I cook something simple, such as chicken breast, I tend to use Olive Oil.  However, knowing that I rarely do anything without touching it up a bit, I like to use a nice Garlic Olive Oil.  Buy it?  Oh, no, no, no.  What follows is a short list of things I like to keep on hand to punch things up a bit, how to make them, and a few uses are sure to get peoples attention.

Garlic Olive Oil
Roasted Garlic Butter
Clarified Butter

Garlic Olive Oil
As simple as it is and as simple as it sounds, Garlic Olive Oil definitely lifts an average dish up a bit.

1 1/2 cups Extra Virgin Olive Oil (good quality)
Cleaned cloves of 1-2 heads of Garlic (depending on your level of Garlic Tolerance)
Heavy bottom sauce pan

Very simply, place the heads in the sauce pan with oil, place over low heat, cover the pan and watch.  This is one thing you cannot walk away from.  We all know how easily garlic burns and what it tastes like when it does.  Although this process takes about 20 minutes or longer the condition of the garlic needs to be watched.  The garlic can be cooked to the point where it gets crispy without ruining the flavor, however, I'll be using the leftover garlic for other things so my goal is to extract the flavor while having a stash of nice, mushy roasted garlic cloves for other things.

Cooking with the Garlic Oil is the obvious use but wherever you might use oil, use this to really get attention.  A vinegrette for salads, bruschetta dipping oil, you name it.  Or.....

Basic Aioli
Aioli is really just a fancy term for Garlic Infused Mayo.  Thats all.
2 Whole Eggs
2/3 cup Garlic Olive Oil
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice
1 tsp White Wine Vinegar
Pinch of Fresh Ground Pepper
Salt to taste

Place eggs, mustard, lemon juice, vinegar, and pepper in a food processor and pulse until blended.  Turn processor on full and SLOWLY drizzle in the Garlic Olive Oil.  You're looking for an emulsion, which means if you add the oil too fast, the emulsion will "break" (the oil will separate for the water based ingredients).
Salt to taste and thats it.  Wherever you use Mayo, use this instead.  If you want a really interesting Aioli, look up the Komodo Sauce recipe from an earlier post.

Ok, thats done.  You've now created one Hell of an Aioli...and now you're staring at a dish full of mushy garlic cloves.  Doesn't take much of an imagination to figure out what to do next.

Garlic Butter
1 stick (1/2 cup) Quality Organic Butter, room temperature.
2-10 cloves Roasted Garlic (depending on your tastes.  I go for about 6)
Optional Additions:
1/2 tsp. Oregano
1/2 tsp Thyme
1/2 tsp Fresh Cracked Pepper

Simply, put it all in a bowl and combine with a fork making sure to mash the garlic in thoroughly.  Leave in the fridge at least a few hours for the flavors to come together.  You may have noticed the calling for Organic Butter.  You can use whatever you like but you will certainly notice the difference in the butter flavor.  It took me by surprise and now, I'm hooked.

There are so many uses for this butter.  Start with using it in the pan for cooking, garlic bread, and one of my favorites......

Garlic Herb Grilled Potatoes
Although I rarely recommend a microwave, in this case, its a very useful tool.

2-4 Russet Potatoes
1/4 cup Garlic Butter (with additional herbs), melted

Poke some holes in the potatoes with a fork, place them in a gallon zip-top bag and microwave for about 5 minutes.  If they're not completely cooked, thats fine.  Cut potatoes into quarters and pour melter garlic butter in the same zip-top bag (if it survived the microwave.  If not, just get a new one).  Leaving a little air in the bag, toss potatoes in butter until completely coated and let sit for about 30 minutes to an hour.  I realize this sounds like a lot of butter but keep in mind that as the potatoes cool, a good deal of the butter be soaked up...and there really is no such thing as "Too Much Butter".

Place potatoes on a hot grill, turning until all sides have grill marks and are light, golden brown.  Move to a cooler part of the grill leave them until they are cooked through.  About 15-20 minutes.

Clarified Butter

Why in the Name of God would I think I could get away with posting how to clarify butter?  Its less about how to clarify the butter and more about what you can do with it.  Depending on where you use oils for cooking, you can easily replace them with Clarified Butter.  The trick about cooking with butter is trying not to scorch it and its the milk solids in the butter that scorch...so, eliminate the solids.  Simply cook the butter over low heat until the water evaporates (this is the foaming that will occur) and the solids turn to a golden brown.  When done, strain out the toasted solids and let cool.  Much like the Garlic Oil from above, this is a process that you cannot walk away from.  Although the process takes a while, it can burn quickly if not monitored.

Pan Roasted Game Hen/Quail

This recipe is less about what is being cooked and more about how it's being cooked.  Pan Roasting is a technique that requires diligence, attention to detail, and the commitment to stand over a hot stove until the process is complete.  This is where Chefs are separated from Cooks.

1 small Game Hen or Quail
1 1/2 cups clarified butter
1 tbsp salted butter (non-clarified)
1 tsp Herbs D' Provence
Salt and Pepper

Rub the bird, inside and out, with salted butter.  Lightly salt and pepper the outside and dust the inside with Herbs D'Provence and pepper. Truss the bird with butchers twine so that the wings and legs are securely bound.

Melt the clarified butter in a large skillet with high sides over medium high heat.  Lightly brown the bird on all sides until the skin has developed a golden color.  Move the bird, breast side up, to the edge of the skillet and tilt so the butter forms a pool under the bird.  With a large metal spoon, begin to bath the bird with butter over a medium heat.  Every so often, turn the bird so that the inside can be basted as well.  After about 15-20 minutes, depending in the size of the bird, insert a meat thermometer in between the thigh and breast.  You're looking for an internal temp of 170 degrees.  It will finish cooking to 175 degrees on the plates.

Again, if you are committed to this process, try a few other foods before you decide to fill your kitchen with guests to show them the latest trick you're learned, and be vigilant.  If I can do this, I know anyone can.

Something so Utterly, Stupidly, I Don't Care if I Die of a Heart Attack Right Now, Over the Top, Rich.......

Ok, if you want a peek into the very depths of my soul, this is it.  Now is your chance to see what drives me and it is simply the pursuit of the most incredible food I can get my hands on.  As always, this cannot be accomplished without some work and attention to detail, and in this case, it is a process.

Smoked Clarified Butter

I would highly suggest making a large portion of this for two reasons.  This is a process that takes a bit of time and this stuff has a million uses and is just over the top good.

1 pound Clarified Butter
10" cast iron skillet
10-15 natural charcoal briquettes
4 cups soaked Apple or Cherry wood chips

Let the clarified butter cool to room temperature so that it is stiff but still can be worked.  Place on a long strip of plastic wrap and form a round (almost like a sausage) about 2 inches thick and about 6-7 inches long.  Place in the freezer over night or until rock solid.

On one end of the grill the grill, build a small coal bed with the charcoal and burn until all the black is gone from the briquettes.  Cut off one end of the butter brick so that it stands up in the skillet, and place as far away from the coals as possible, add wood chips and quickly close the lid.  As the butter smokes and melts, more surface area is created to collect more smoke, which is why you want to place it as far away from the heat as possible and have it take as long as possible.  If you like, you can refreeze and repeat the process to get more flavor.

At this point, you're asking yourself (and me) "What in the name of all that is Holy am I going to do with Smoked Clarified Butter"?  Well, this is no more or less than a Shout Out to my Michigan Contingent.

Butter Poached Walleye

2 cups Smoked Clarified Butter
1-2 small Walleye or Perch Fillets
Cracked Pepper

In a small sauce pan, bring the butter to a temp of around 180 degrees (you're poaching, not deep frying).  Poach fish until done and flaky (about 10 minutes), finish with cracked pepper.  It's just that simple.

I know this was a long post and hopefully it made for some entertaining reading but I also hope that this lends some inspiration.  I really don't do anything simple and I MUST do everything needed to result in taste, not saving time.  The good news is, taking this time out before hand and keeping a stock of things that have "Lagniappe" (A Little Extra) makes the end result of everything just a little better.

Party Well, Eat Better,
Rob

Beef Bomb of the Best Kind

Pit Beef (right) and Pit Turkey (Left)

Dedicated to Paul the Vegetarian who is currently struggling with his love of Dead Animal Parts.

I got bored and had people to feed.

I have done so many steaks, chicken parts, pork chops and so on that I had to do something different...anything different.  I usually have a few things in the back of my mind and wait for an occasion of some sort to try one out.  In this case, Good, Old Fashioned Maryland Pit Beef  really stood out and it is as different as one can get.  I spent some time in Baltimore a few years back and remember the food almost as much as I remember the people.  That was a tumultuous time and I'm not going to say everything went right but I met some outstanding people and ate like a king the whole time I was there.  Hell, even the Chinese food was a little better there than most.

Of the many times that there was a party, and that was most of the time, there was one that stood out and really grabbed my attention.  Every region of the Country has Fraternal Lodges of some form and those always have dinners as fundraisers.  In Michigan, I remember a lot of pork loin with gravy and the once a year Lions Club BBQ in Linden.  However, Baltimore being the town that it is, the Elks Lodge had the Bull and Oyster Roast.  For the cost of a $50 ticket, you get as many oysters as you can eat done a dozen ways, free keg beer all night, free sodas and juices for mixers (for hard liquor it was BYOB).....and all the Pit Beef you could eat.  The last time I went to one, my long time Partner in Crime Paul came to MD and we drank and fished and had a freakin' blast.  Not only did we drink until the music ran together, laughed until we literally hurt, but we ate until we couldn't drink anymore...and that took aaaaallllllllllllll night!

Pardon my coarse approach, but Pit Beef is just Bad Ass Beef Pleasure on a bun.  The funny part is the simplicity of it while being nearly impossible to perfect, all at the same time.  It is a beef roast that is rubbed with spices, grilled to a medium rare then sliced paper thin and served on a Kaiser Roll with Tiger Sauce.

Pit Beef

Fair Warning:  To get this right it's going to take at least two days.  You can short the process a bit if you want but it will take away from the end result.

4-6 lb. Top Round Roast
2 tbsp Granulated Garlic
2 tbsp Granulated Onion
1 tbsp ground Oregano
3 tbsp Smoked Paprika
1 tbsp fine Sea Salt
1 tbsp fresh ground Pepper

Blend all dry ingredients in a one gallon zip top bag for a rub.  Place roast in the bag and coat thoroughly.  Please in roast in another zip top bag and let sit in the fridge for an hour or so.  Take the roast out and repeatedly jab it with a fork to drive some of the spices into the meat.  These hols will sear closed when it hits the grill.  Coat again with the rub, place back in the bag, and let stand in the fridge for at least a day, two if possible.

Take roast out of the fridge at least 3-4 hours before your ready for the grill and let stand at room temperature.  This is important as you don't want the core of the roast to be too cool.  On the grill, over a medium bed of coals, begin to sear the roast on all sides, constantly turning and rotating to make sure it is cooked evenly on all sides. Move the roast just off the coals and continue to rotate until you reach on internal temp of about 120 degrees.  You can go a little longer for a more well done but this is best at a medium rare. Take of the grill, wrap in heavy foil, and let stand for at least 15 minutes.

For Pit Turkey, add 2 tbsp Organic Cane Juice Sugar to the rub, let rubbed turkey breast stand in the fridge for no more than one day, and grill until an internal temp of 170 degrees is reached.  Wrap in foil as with the beef roast, let stand 15 minutes, and proceed to the instructions below.

If you are lucky enough to know someone with a meat slicer (and I am), slice paper thin, if not, use the sharpest knife and slice as thin as possible.  Save the juice that runs off for finishing.  Stack the Beef high on a warm, toasted Kaiser Roll, drip about 1 tsp juices over it, and finally, top with Tiger Sauce.  If done properly, you'll end up with juicy, thinly sliced beef that has a well done exterior for those people that insist on killing their beef, some that is slightly less done for others, and the medium rare center which is for those that can seriously appreciate what good beef can be. With the above explanation on the table, our conversation now brings us to......

Tiger Sauce

On the morning of the Big Grill, make your Tiger Sauce. Its best to let this sit for a few hours, at least, to combine the flavors.

1 cup Quality Mayo
1/2 cup course Horseradish
1 tsp fresh ground Pepper
1 tbsp fresh Lemon Juice

Whisk to combine and top your Pit Beef Sandwich with a generous portion.

I can't imagine having as much of an interest in cooking as I do without the travels I've had.  There were great times, hard times, dangerous times, and times that I would rather not recount as to protect those that are still going on with their lives but no matter where, when, or what was going on around me, there was the food.  Fresh pizza in Naples, Italy, Falafel fresh out of the fryer in Alexadria, Egypt...and Pit beef in Baltimore.  I realize the other locations are difficult to get to but for anyone who is going to create a Food Bucket List for the U.S.A., you can populate the list with whatever you want, but if you seriously eat like I do, your list MUST have....

Street Food in New York City
Cajun/Creole creations of New Orleans
Koegel Hot Dogs from Flint, Michigan
and a trip to Rt. 40 in White Marsh, MD to go to Chap's or farther down Pulaski Hwy for one of the many places that serves Baltimore Pit Beef.

Party Well, Eat Better
Rob