Spatched Chicken on the Mini-WSM Smoker

Of all my smokers the Mini-WSM's are my goto smokers for the most part. If I'm cooking for a crowd I'll fire up one of the larger ones. I had strayed away from charcoal and wood for a while but have returned over the last couple years. The main reason was inferior smokers that even with mods never performed. I live in a cold, sometimes wet, snowy place in the winter and I don't like to stop bbq'ing or smoking. So I used GOSM exclusively for over eight years. Then I built my first Mini-WSM, them my UDS, then the second mini, all charcoal now year round! Stick burner is on the wish list.

Anyhow on to the smoke simple Spatched Chicken. SPOG plus paprika. Smoker running KB with Pecan and cherry 50/50 mix. Rab the smoker around 325° most the time.

ENJOY!!!!

Zucchini Crust pizza

That's right!

Throw out dough we're making Zucchini  crust pizza. Here's the recipe for the crust

4 cups zucchini, shredded
1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded
1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated
1 egg
1 teaspoon oregano or Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon basil

Place shredded Zucchini in a colander and lightly coat with a tablespoon of salt. Mix and let sit for 15 minutes. Press zucchini with a paper towel to drain of as much water a possibles or ring out in cheese cloth.



Mix all together. Spray stone or pan with non-stickspread out on pizza stone or pan. Bake in 450* oven for 12-15 minutes to set. Remove and top with pizza sauce more cheese and whatever toppings you like. Put back in oven. Cook until cheese is bubbly gooey good!

Prepped and ready for the Oven to set.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get you helpers to chop up toppings while the crust is setting up.

Fresh Maters and Basil

Crust set and ready for the toppings

Spread some homemade sauce and get those helpers spreading toppings!

Ready for the oven

Looks Tasty!

Under the broiler

Time to Enjoy!

ENJOY!!!!

Dirtsailor's 6 pack Beeff Carbonnade

I'm sure that some of you have already seen this on the other Smoking meat place, but for those friends who recently vanished into thin air here is my take on beef Carbonnade. In true Dirtsailor fashion, more photo's less talk.



It was a fine fall day for some stew. Fired up mini #1 for phase one of this cook.



My local grocer had this fine Bottom round begging to be taken home.



Simple SPOG



After a few hours bathing away in Cherry and pecan this is what came out 125° IT.



Sliced into 1 1/2" thick cuts (I could've eaten it just like that)!!!



Cubed and seasoned, ready for phase two.



A sampling of the rest of the ingredients. (put in 3 Jalapenos, 6 taters, lost count on the carrots, 6 cloves of garlic and that whole onion).



The rest of the ingredients (note to self buy a half rack next time, so I don't have to drink cheap beer!).



Brown the meat, make sure to pour in all the juices from slicing too. Remove the meat.



Sautee the onion, garlic, and carrots



Return the meat to the DO, add all six beers (any good smokey, porter or stout will do)



Add this stuff, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 hours.



Make some of these (seasoned drop biscuits, had a bit too much liquid, turned into cow pies!)



Still turned out tasty, even if they were a bit flat!



ENJOY!!!!

Fish Cakes!

I made up a batch of fish cakes last night. Normally I would smoke the fish prior to making the cakes, but this time I didn't have the time so I just grilled it up. I use a pretty simple recipe and go by feel on the amounts that I use. I used four nice sized Sebastes Melanops, aka Black Bass, Black Rock Cod, Sea Bass, Black Snapper, and Pacific Ocean Perch, fillets. Probably a total of a pound or there about.

You'll need several taters, I usually figure 2-3 per pound of fish. Peeled, boiled and mashed. I season the taters while they are cooking. I used several mashed garlic cloves, parsley, onion, red pepper corns, and dill. Wish I'd had some tarragon but didn't.

These were really small taters so I used 5. Boiling away with all the good spices. While the taters are cooking its time to get the fish on the grill. If you are smoking the fish you'd reverse the operation and get the fish going first. Note that you want the taters cold when forming the cakes. Because of my time crunch I mashed the taters spread them in a 9x13 pan and into the fridge to cool.

Whether smoked or grilled take the fish till it just turns an nice opaque white and flakes easily. Or for the IT freaks 145º I seasoned the fish the same as the taters, but I added Old Bay to the fish too.

Flake all the fish, watch for bones, no one likes to get those in their fish cake!

Mix the fish and the taters together. Best method is by hand and try not to over mix. Here I like to taste again to see if any additional seasonings are needed. I added a quarter of an onion, finely chopped. I also added more Old bay and parsley, salt and pepper. This also the time to check and see if a cake will hold together. In my case they were a bit dry. One could add buttermilk, cream, or eggs if needed to create a binder.

I added eggs, two. I recommend that you add one at a time. but I knew from the past what the texture should be. Same goes for buttermilk or cream add small amounts check to see if a patty will hold, then add more if needed.

There is the final mix with a formed cake on top

Bread crumbs and old bay for a dredge. I coat the cakes with the bread crumbs then dust with Old Bay.

Ready for the grill or the pan. I did mine on the grill, medium high heat until golden brown, flip once.

I test fried one in butter to see how it was going to hold

The rest went onto the grill until golden brown!

Enjoy!!!!