MexiJoe Sandwich & Flat Iron Steak

After a day or two of pork and chicken it was time for some beef. I refuse to grill beef that has to be defrosted with a microwave but dont have a problem with nuking it for the skillet so we just made a big ole sammich with onion and garlic chopped fine in with the meat and used the big mexi bread which worked perfect for holding it all in. Kinda like a Made Rite or Sloppy Joe. Last night I had this flat iron that I cut myself and kinda didnt get it the same thickness from one end to the other but since Sue likes DONE DONE beef it worked fine. I was outta lump except for was was left from the last cook and just piled it up on the left side in the steamer pan. I wasnt coming up to temp as fast as a full pan of new lump and I thought the meat was so close to the fire that it wouldnt hurt to go ahead and put it on even though the cooker was only at 350. I was right this steak was about as good as steak gets and I was sure ready for some good steak.">

NUTRITION

1. Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.

2. Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.

3. Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.

4.. Italians drink excessive amounts of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.

5. Germans drink beer and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.

CONCLUSION:

Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

But don't worry; your Government is trying to correct this problem.

Grilled Pot Roast

Sizzlin Fresno Shrimp

Yesterday (Sunday) was a work day and me n Sue planted the entire garden. I do the plowing and setting the rows together and she does the planting. It took a long time and we were both super tired but I can't let a little thing like a garden or being tired interfer with my dinna now can I? I saw this in a magazine and we wanted some kind of fish or shellfish so this Sizzlin Fresno Shrimp it was and I'm dang glag I tried it. My friend from Tn has got us lined up for a non sanctioned contest week after next that has us cooking chicken halves and turning them in without any garnish so I practiced a little on that while preparing the shrimp dish for the grill. Man this shrimp is good and sopping the crusty bread in the pepper and garlic oil is about as good as the shrimp itself. WoooooBoy!

Quarter Lb Cheese Burgers

I'm like most guys and like THICK juicy honkin big ole burgers but Sue likes thin ones and I just thought I'd like to see if I could grill the thin patties so I gave it a whirl. Turned out real good and the best part is you can always do like Wendy's, Burger King, or McDonalds and make yourself a double meat burger.

Chicken Thigh Soup

Yesterday was Sue's day off and as usual she had a good supper waiting (all except the cornbread). When I cook chicken thighs for contest like this past Saturday I trim them till they are about half the size they started out being and this leaves plenty of chicken for other uses. This is one I came up with the last time I did this and Sue knew how good it was and how much we both liked it so she made it for our supper last night. It has all the usual things you find in soups like potatoes, onions, garlic, carrots, but the spices is what really makes it special. We use a lot of mexican oregano in this dish and you can really taste (and even see) the difference. We also spinkle in some curry, turmeric, and cummin.

Winchester, Tn - High On The Hog Contest

Got to the contest without a hitch, just smooth sailing loading up and making the drive. I get there and get set up with ease as well, only to start discovering a long list of items I FORGOT. The big disappointment however was the water in the trailer was not going to work this weekend as the kitchen sink decided to blow washers both at the water line and the sink on off lever, and no cut off to it which meant no bathroom / shower either. If you have ever cooked the Winchester contest you would know it is about the worst place to not have your own bathroom as the busy Carnival patrons use the porto's so much. I had already started getting use to the idea of not having the kitchen and washed my chicken in a pan but my buddy Jose` got there and had brought his portable sink so it wasn't that bad. As far as our results in the contest, it's just more of the same as I just continue to see a pattern of two steps forward and one step back with the chicken results still making me scratch my head in wonder. I was really calm and time was not a problem for me all during turn in and was tasting the chicken about 30 min before turn when a lady from the BBQ World magazine walked up and upon seeing that I wasn't going to eat any more of the thigh on the other side of the bone asked if she could try it. Well, Jose didn't taste it but me and this ladies taste buds said the chicken was wonderful and yet I got LAST PLACE in chicken (no scores below a 7 either). Got a sixth place and 100 bucks in ribs which I would have thought would have finished worst than any of the meats, 36th in pork, 11th in brisket, and 25th overall out of 47 teams. You know I'm really trying my hardest to finish well in these contest but that's not all there is to it. I am enjoying more and more just getting to know my fellow competitors and spending time with them during the weekend. The Grand Champions for this contest John and Kathy or the team Wild Bunch Butt Burners were right next to us and are representative of about any team memebers you will meet with a warm and friendly manner so it was good to see them do so well. Also good to see Wade and his team Scenic City Smokers place 1st in Ribs. Mike and Debbie Davis or Lotta Bull had some commitments that kept them from getting there till the middle of the night friday and still placed right at the top overall and in each category. The highlight for most however was Linda Gould accepting the Hall Of Fame award on behalf of her departed husband Fred. Mike Davis did a masterful job of the presentation and I think everyone there was as emotional as Mike was and there was a standing ovation. So there you have it, another great weekend at a KCBS BBQ contest with wonderful weather and great friends.

Easter

I thought I'd post these few food pics from our family Easter dinner today. I have video of the family with the little ones hunting the eggs, but my schedule for the next several weeks may not allow me to get those posted, especially since my new software is not able to be loaded or unloaded from the computer and the techs from Roxio haven't been a lot of help so far. I'm not a big fan of the precooked hams spiral sliced or not except for sandwiches, I'd lots rather have a fresh ham myself, but the family likes these and it's easier so why not. Golf wasn't that bad today with a good fight or three in the Masters. Kenny Perry seems to be a real nice guy and I sure hated to see him loose that one as he is no spring chicken and may not get that chance again. Phil beat Tigger for a change as they were paired together today and was great match all by itself, kinda a match within a match.

Stuffed Loin Chops

My wife (Sue) likes to surprise me on her day off with a good dinner in the works when I get home. She has cooked on the Jr before but usually leaves that part to me as she did last night. All was ready to go when I got there so I quickly lit just the left side of a full load of lump in Jr and set the right side up for indirect and the left side direct to sear the stuffed loin chops and planned to move them to the other side after the sear. They were done after the sear and no need to continue cooking any longer which was good as the green beans needed a little more roasting time. Pork and sweet potatoes seem to always go together to us and the fresh squeezed orange juice is a nice touch. Lil nutmeg, cinnamon, butter, and the o.j. poured over them in the pan – wooow baby. Speaking of babies, Sue did all this and no telling what all around the house while taking care of the new grand baby all day.

I keep telling everybody that birthdays are not all they are cracked up to be. Today is my birthday and Ole Johnny kinda describes the mood I'm in.

CHORUS:
What have I become
My sweetest friend
Everyone I know goes away
In the end
And you could have it all
My empire of dirt
I will let you down
I will make you hurt
I wear this crown of thorns
Upon my liar's chair
Full of broken thoughts
I cannot repair
Beneath the stains of time
The feelings disappear
You are someone else
I am still right here
CHORUS:
What have I become
My ssweetest friend
Everyone I know goes away
In the end
And you could have it all
My empire of dirt
I will let you down
I will make you hurt
If I could start again
A million miles away
I would keep myself
I would find a way

Lazy Days And Sundays

I'm home alone today which is very rare and only happens when Sue has a shower or some such to go to, so I started it off right with a breakfast that will keep my mid-day nap going for a good while. Right after breakfast I got me a little cigar and took a zero gravity lounge chair out in the sun to soak up some rays and wound up getting a head start on the mid-day nap. There is just not much better than feeling the hot penetrating sun on your face while the crisp cool breeze blows over you and all the while you can hear the song birds singing in the background, heck if you were sick at all this would go a long way toward making you feel a lot better.

"Our" Birthday Party

One of life's simple pleasures for me anyway is to be fortunate enough to make it around to April again each year and celebrate mine and my boys birthday together. They were born on the 3rd and I was born on the 7th so we always get together mostly at a restaurant somewhere but we have done it at home too. This was at a new Italian place at the end of what we call Main St but it's actually Hamilton St and the building use to be Strain's Feed & Seed. They did a really good job with the stucco exterior and decor on the inside but unfortunately not doing so well on the food served. I was excited to find Fried Calamari on the menu but was told the fryer was out of order which really meant they didn't have no stinkin calamari. When he first told me I suggested to use a fry pan. I then ordered Veal Scallopini and I love veal but again the cook was not the cook he should have been because the veal was too salty and way over cooked - what a shame. Everyone had a nice Italian dish and I think my veal and Sue's Ravioli Con Frutta del Mare were the only one's that were not even close and the others were pretty good. Here's some pics...

How To Trim A Whole Beef Tenderloin

I got lucky yesterday and found a Tenderloin sale at our Kroger store. In the same meat cooler they had loads of beef tenderloins on one side and pork on the other at a dang good price (6.99 beef & 1.99 pork). With that nice 6 3/4 lb hunk of goodness in the fridge now getting some age on it, I thought I would bone up (no pun intended) on trimming one.

BBQ Meatballs

I done a little meatball cook yesterday and never did figure out what to call it so I just opted for BBQ Meatballs. They mighta qualified fer Italian seeings how they were meatballs, sauce, n ciabatta. Or Mexi Meatballs seeings how the sauce was leftover from sundays Veracruz Style Talapia (made too much, this sauce is not fish flavored, LOL). Or Mixedup Meatballs since they included bbq sauce and the first two I mentioned. Coulda just called em GOOD cause they was GOOD fer sure.

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