What's for dinner? | Page 10 | GTAMotorcycle.com

What's for dinner?

Homemade burgers on calabrese buns, Matt Rain style: diced shallot, Worcestershire sauce and fresh-ground pepper pre-mixed in the patties. Going to experiment with Oka cheese today.
 
Homemade burgers on calabrese buns, Matt Rain style: diced shallot, Worcestershire sauce and fresh-ground pepper pre-mixed in the patties. Going to experiment with Oka cheese today.

Oka tastes OK but the smell reminds me of a garbage dump.
 
Last night, boneless pork loin roast. Dry rub in the morning, injected a little, about 4 hours on the smoker at 220 with applewood, pulled it off at 140F and let rest for 30 minutes....heaven.

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Homemade burgers on calabrese buns, Matt Rain style: diced shallot, Worcestershire sauce and fresh-ground pepper pre-mixed in the patties. Going to experiment with Oka cheese today.

My local bakery does an awesome calabrese bun but they are a heavy bun and I thus only use them when I have a large meat accompaniment.

I did my zero compromise burger yesterday. Amazing. Best burger I've done.

Custom angus chuck beef coarse ground with a request of about 25% fat from the butcher, basic seasoning prep and 1/2 pound size. Cooked on the weber grill with a toasted sesame seed bun, homemade big mac sauce (just like the real thing and very very very good), fresh garden lettuce, fresh garden cold-pickled pickles and a cheddar processed cheese slice.

So tender and juicy, there was a little puddle of oil on the plate after eating over it. A meal in itself in the end.

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Didn't think you were the processed cheese type @kwtoxman
And care to share the mac sauce recipe?

Sent from my custom Purple Joe Bass mobile on Tapatalk
 
Didn't think you were the processed cheese type @kwtoxman
And care to share the mac sauce recipe?

Sent from my custom Purple Joe Bass mobile on Tapatalk

Processed cheese makes baby Jesus cry.

(I'd still eat it! Looks solid.)

This is my homage to the Big Mac, right down to the sesame bun. It kicks butt. A super awesome change of pace from mustard and ketchup or bbq sauce burgers which I've done forever.

I like processed cheese on my burgers when I do cheese; it adds some gooey moisture. Regular cheese makes the burger too dry in my experience. Though I will substitute in regular cheese options if I'm in the mood for something different. Variety is always good. Oka cheese would not be too dry as it's a soft cheese. A good artisanal burger option.

The big mac sauce is a top secret. lol. It's here. Amazing stuff. I've seen no need to tweak the recipe in any way.
http://www.topsecretrecipes.com/McDonalds-Special-Sauce-Big-Mac-Sauce-Copycat-Recipe.html
 
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Cooked a couple of pork tenderloin yesterday. One marinated in a homemade olive oil/balsamic vinaigrette/garlic powder combination and the other in Misty Mountain BBQ sauce (BBQ championship competition award winner). Having both was great variety.

On fresh that day kaiser buns along with a bunch of grilled garden cherry tomatoes.

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I picked up two fresh 5 lb pork shoulders (aka butts, bone-in) from my butcher. :):) They are for a 12+ hr low and slow cook/smoke on fri or sat. It will be pulled pork greatness. I have an epic custom dry rub ready to rumble. And will be using hickory, apple and cherry woods for the smoke. I salted the pork shoulders to dry brine the in preparation for the cook.

I also found out I need to order my custom beef grind one two weeks in advance. Angus chuck isn't available at my butcher day to day. The order is in. More burgers and some amazing chili/meat spaghetti options coming down the line.

In the mean time, here is another salad I had from my garden veg recently. It includes white onion, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, lettuce, fresh ground pepper, salt and olive oil.

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I picked up two fresh 5 lb pork shoulders (aka butts, bone-in) from my butcher. :):) They are for a 12+ hr low and slow cook/smoke on fri or sat. It will be pulled pork greatness.

Funny, I did a pork butt yesterday - had it on at 8AM at 210F, smoked it low and slow until it hit 160 and then picked up the pace. I learned a few years ago that meat only absorbs flavor/smoke up until 160F internal temperature which of course you far surpass with a pork butt. Accordingly, at 160 the butt goes into a foil tray, covered with foil, and I bump up the smoker to about 300 and it finishes much quicker yet still ends up super tender and pulls like butter. I wouldn't do this smoking most cuts of meat (rushing the end of course dries it out), but for a butt...it works well and meant we were eating 9 hours later at 5PM instead of 12 hours later at 8PM. ;)

It tasted heavenly, as always.

This is one of our favorite things to make with pulled pork leftovers.

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We got hooked on these at a local smokehouse...who unfortunately (after we got hooked on them), removed them from the menu. So we started making them ourselves.

It's a pita bread with pulled pork on the bottom, a layer of sauteed green peppers and onions, drizzled BBQ sauce, a layer of cheese, and (it sounds weird, but it's what adds a perfect zing), diced dill pickle on top. About 5-10 minutes back in the smoker on stoneware (or your oven, either or, but we use the pellet smoker for everything, especially when the AC is on) to melt the cheese, congeal everything together, and toast the bottom of the pita, cut in 4...and they are delectable.
 
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Funny, I did a pork butt yesterday - had it on at 8AM at 210F, smoked it low and slow until it hit 160 and then picked up the pace. I learned a few years ago that meat only absorbs flavor/smoke up until 160F internal temperature which of course you far surpass with a pork butt. Accordingly, at 160 the butt goes into a foil tray, covered with foil, and I bump up the smoker to about 300 and it finishes much quicker yet still ends up super tender and pulls like butter. I wouldn't do this smoking most cuts of meat (rushing the end of course dries it out), but for a butt...it works well and meant we were eating 9 hours later at 5PM instead of 12 hours later at 8PM. ;)

It tasted heavenly, as always.

Wrapping a pork butt at the stall temp (160F) and increasing the grill heat is a well known and used technique to speed up the cook with as little sacrifice as possible to the result. But it is also well known that if you have the time to cook at 225-240F (aka low and slow) the best results occur; it simply doesn't affect the meat or bark as much as wrapping. There is no magic way to get around that. But the wrap and higher heat option is the next best thing, and still awesome.

Your leftover pulled pork dish sounds great. There are a ton of great pulled pork leftover options. Some from my favorite bbq/grill website.

Tacos or enchilladas.
Taquitos.
Nachos.
Carnitas.
With scrambled eggs.
Egg muffins.
BBQ Eggs Benedict.
Poppers.
Hash.
Dirty rice.
Load a baked potato.
Bistro salad.
Brunswick stew.
BBQ spaghetti.
Raviolis.
Hash.
Mac & Cheese pie.
Sliders.
Grilled cheese sandwiches.
Potstickers.
Crab rangoons.
Egg rolls.
 
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Wrapping a pork butt at the stall temp (160F) and increasing the grill heat is a well known and used technique to speed up the cook with as little sacrifice as possible to the result. But it is well known that if you have the time to cook at 225-240F (aka low and slow) the best results occur. There is no magic way to get around that. But the wrap and higher heat option is the next best thing, and still awesome.

I agree, but when the "ideal" low and slow method, with a desired 6PM dinner time, would have me getting up at 5AM to get the smoker fired, stabilized, and the cut on in time...well, the speed up after 160 method is a sacrifice I'm happy making, at least with butts. I would never even consider it with many other cuts, or ribs - sacrilege!

FWIW, I usually hit the stall around 140 - it will sometimes sit there for 1.5-2 hours before coming out of it....but then again, I do tend to favor the biggest shoulders I can find. The leftovers never go to waste...and friends, family, and neighbors have a habit of showing up for dinner when they catch wind (literally and figuratively) that I'm smoking something. ;)
 
I agree, but when the "ideal" low and slow method, with a desired 6PM dinner time, would have me getting up at 5AM to get the smoker fired, stabilized, and the cut on in time...well, the speed up after 160 method is a sacrifice I'm happy making, at least with butts. I would never even consider it with many other cuts, or ribs - sacrilege!

FWIW, I usually hit the stall around 140 - it will sometimes sit there for 1.5-2 hours before coming out of it....but then again, I do tend to favor the biggest shoulders I can find. The leftovers never go to waste...and friends, family, and neighbors have a habit of showing up for dinner when they catch wind (literally and figuratively) that I'm smoking something. ;)

A 12-14 hr cook requires some sacrifice for sure but it's worth it for me when I have the time. And it isn't too bad; the weber summit is dead nuts consistent once preheated and stabilized. I've done it even more hard core for timing, starting at 11 pm for a noon meal the next day. This time I expect to be starting starting prep at 2:30 am for a 4 pm meal.

FWIW, experts recommend two smaller butts rather than one bigger butt (lol). Better bark/interior ratio they say. Makes sense to me. That is why I went with two 5 lb'ers this time.

I do love and have some other great pork options. I cook amazing pork ribs with a similar low and slow approach and attention to detail. Four hours for pork back ribs.
 
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I haven't done an overnighter yet since I'm not particularly onboard with the idea of leaving what is effectively a glorified steel can with a fire in it unattended on our back deck all night. ;)

That, and I know my pellet hopper isn't big enough to run 8+ hours without attention, although there's some simple DIY solutions out there to that issue aside from the Louisiana Smoker mega-dollar "hopper extender" kit, but, yeah...perhaps someday. Pulled pork for lunch instead of dinner would work. ;)

As for ribs, I've done them a lot of different ways over the years. I love dry smoking with a baste in the last hour to get a carmelized bark, but I started using the "3-2-1 method" (with Rickards Red) this summer with some pretty awesome results, so I've been going back and forth. I've been having a hankering for ribs recently but am ****** at how expensive they've gotten, especially for backs. I'm almost ready to lower myself to a cook of sides at this point.
 
I love having these big meals earlier in the day. Lot's of time to digest and everyone can have another round in the evening.

Picked up some fresh coleslaw made by my local butcher for the pulled pork, will be adding some apple cider vinegar for a good southern US style sandwich. Also got fresh kaiser and sesame buns and am using two options for bbq saucer, both competition award winners. Pics coming.
 
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I got up for a 3:15 AM start and applied the dry rub, preheated the grill and put the two pork shoulders on by 3:45 am. Then off to sleep. I got up to do another two sessions of smoking each an hour apart after that; with it only taking about 10 minutes to replenish the wood and confirm a good setup, then back to sleep.

For these 5 lb pork shoulders overall cook time to temp ended up at around 9-10 hrs. I did lower the temp a bit so they weren't done overly early. Also used a faux cambro to store one of the pork shoulders for my later company; it worked very well.

Here's a picture of the pork shoulders after about 3.5 hrs. The smoke took beautifully and the rub looked awesome.
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Here they are done just ready to pull off.
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Looks good, nice bark. Do you leave them open like that for the entire cook? I always pan mine when they hit 160, cover with foil, and finish that way - a lot of moisture is lost between the 160 and 225 point I find (often when they're done there's a good few inches in the pan with the cut) and I'm always concerned about the pork coming out too dry if all that moisture is lost to the smoker.

I do love the bark on ribs and such, but I always felt that it wasn't essential for a butt simply because of the fact that the quantity of meat is so great that the bark just gets lost in the jumble anyways.
 

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