Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Brisket Sandwiches

At the Herring house we are big fans of turning leftovers into sandwiches.  The leftover brisket from Sunday made one of the best.

Ingredients:
Leftover brisket
Mustard, BBQ Sauce, Horseradish Sauce, etc
Your cheese of choice
Good quality sub rolls from the deli

Cut the sub rolls in half and add your condiments of choice (I used mustard and BBQ sauce and Lisa used horseradish).  Add a layer of brisket, cheese (we used swiss) and another layer of brisket.  Preheat the panini maker over medium heat.  Cook each side of the sanchwich for 2 minutes.

You now have a simple yet delicious dinner.


Sunday, December 9, 2012

Smoked Brisket

This was a very good meal for a Sunday afternoon sitting around watching football.

Ingredients:
Brisket (I used a 6 pound brisket flat for this cook)
Marinade:
1 1/2 cups red wine
1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon wine vinegar
1 tablespoon horseradish
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Rub: (This is one of our favorite rubs and it is always in the pantry)

3/4 cup paprika
1/4 cup ground black pepper
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 teaspoons cayenne


Mix all the marinade incredients together. Place the brisket in a large container or an extra large ziploc bag. Marinate all night.

Remove the brisket from the marinade, rinse well and pat dry. Cover the entire brisket generously with the rub.




Preaheat the BGE at 250 indirect.  Place the brisket on the BGE for 4 hours.  After 4 hours wrap the brisket in foil and cook 3 more hours.  After 3 hours remove the foil and cook the brisket until the internal temperature reaches 195 (the last hour unwrapped gives the brisket a nice char).





Remove the brisket from the BGE, wrap in foil and let sit for 30 minutes before carving.


 

Cowpoke Pintos

This recipe came from the Smoke & Spice cookbook.  This is a really good bean recipe that went great with the brisket.

Ingredients:
1 lb dried pinto bean, soaked overnight
8 cups water (plus more as needed)
12 ounces Coca-Cola
14 1/2 ounces whole tomatoes, canned, undrained
2 onions, chopped (medium sized)
3 slices bacon, preferably a smoky slab variety, chopped
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon ground cumin
3 -4 serranos (fresh) or 3 -4 jalapenos, chopped
1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
1 cup sausage, grilled and sliced (optional)




Soak the beans overnight in water to cover. Drain.
In a Dutch oven or stockpot, combine all the ingredients except the salt and sausage. Bring the beans to a boil over high heat and then reduce to a simmer. Cook slowly, stirring up from the bottom occasionally, for at least 2 to 3 hours, depending on your batch of beans. Add more water if the beans begin to seem dry. Stir in the salt and meat, if desired, in the last 30 minutes of cooking. The beans should still hold their shape but be soft and just a little soupy.

 
Serve the beans in bowls with a bit of the cooking liquid. The beans reheat especially well.

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Barbecued Chicken

This is a really good chicken recipe.  The sauce is fantastic with just the right amount of kick.

Ingredients:
8 pieces chicken, bone-in, skin-on (thighs are our favorite)
2-3 tablespoons of your favorite barbecue rub
1/2 cup Sticky Hog barbecue sauce

At least 2 hours before cooking, dust the chicken with the rub, lay them out in a single layer on a sheet pan, and let them sit uncovered in the fridge. This step seasons the chicken and also helps to dry out the skin a bit to keep it crispy.

Set the BGE up for a raised direct cook at 250° with a raised grid.  So the chicken will smoke and not get too
crispy fill the firebox about 1/2 of the way up.  Add chunk of apple wood for smoke.

Put the chicken on the BGE skin side down, close the lid, and let them cook for 30 minutes. Flip them and let
them go another 30 minutes.

Check to make sure that there aren’t any hot spots and that the chicken is not cooking too fast. Rearrange
them on the grid if needed. Leave them on skin side up for another 30 minutes.

Check for doneness – when the juices run clear and the internal temperature in the largest piece hits 180°F
(after 2 hours total in this case), brush the chicken on both sides with the barbecue sauce. Let them cook 10
minutes more and brush them again. Let them cook  5 more minutes, brush one last time, remove them to a
warm plate, and let sit 10 minutes before serving.

Sticky Hog BBQ Sauce:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1/4 cup gluten-free Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon granulated onion
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until all the sugar has dissolved and the sauce starts to thicken a little bit (about five minutes).

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Venison and Mushroom Kabobs

This recipe is a tastey way to use venison loin.  Not being an expert at cooking venison I cooked it a little long.  Next time I will have it down.

Ingredients:
For the marinade:
·         1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
·         2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
·         1 tablespoon minced garlic
·         1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
·         2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
·         1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
·         1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

·         1 1/4 pounds venison loin, cut into 1-inch chunks
·         2 medium Portabello caps mushrooms , cut into 1-inch pieces
·         2 medium red bell peppers , stems and seeds removed, cut into 1-inch pieces        

To make the marinade:  In a large bowl whisk together the marinade ingredients.

Place the venison chunks, mushrooms, and peppers in a large, resealable plastic bag and pour in the marinade. Press the air out of the bag and seal tightly. Turn the bag to distribute the marinade, place in a bowl, and refrigerate 6 to 8 hours, turning occasionally.

Remove the venison and vegetables from the bag and discard the marinade. Thread the meat and the vegetables alternately onto skewers. Grill the kabobs over Direct Medium heat until the venison is medium rare, about 8 minutes, turning once halfway through grilling time.