AU JUS FOR STANDING RIB ROAST (PRIME RIB)

Smoked Prime Rib Roast

I always use a bone in roast.  Cook to Medium Rare (about 130-135F internal degrees)

Why?  Because I like to make Au Jus and you need the bone for that.

After cooking your meat to medium rare, cut the bones off (leaving a small amount of meat on the bones).  These bones are what they sell in the store (beef ribs).  Usually reasonably priced.\\

Place your bones in a large sauce pan or cast-iron skillet and cover with water about 2 quarts.

Add

2 Medium Onions (Cut in half and then in half again = quartered)

3 Carrots - Wash, cut off the top; but, do not peel.

3 Stalks of Celery (leaves and all)

3 Large Bay Leaves

2 Cloves of Garlic - Minced

1/4 Cup Beef Bouillon

Let simmer for two hours - adding water as it evaporates.

Cooking your meat to medium rare will serve the purposes for those who like their meat from medium rare to well-done.

This AuJus can be used to slice off your medium rare meat and simmer your slice for less than one minute to take the red off of the meat and serve immediately to the "well-done" eater.   The AuJus will remove the red and yet, it will remain tender and juicy because it isn't over cooked to well-done - it just looks that way.

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Do you know how to smoke meat?  I can teach you.  Do you want to learn?  I have a smoked meat DVD that I sell for $7 (includes shipping). 

Mardi Gras Gumbo

Mardi Gras Gumbo

This isn't smoked or grilled foods; but it is Mardi Gras time with a lot of wonderful Cajun food and good music yet to be heard this weekend.  One of my absolute favorite dishes to make this time of year is Gumbo.  There are many variations of this Cajun delight.  I usually make it ahead of time and have it ready for when I get home.  I really hope you enjoy this recipe; I enjoy sharing it with you - Pure comfort food!! :) 

Listed in the order of use - Ingredients:

1    Large roasting chicken

6    Quarts water

1/4 Cup chicken bouillon

4    Bay leaves

3    Tablespoons of Olive Oil

1/2 Stick of butter

1    Stalk coarsely chopped celery

2    Large onions, coarsely chopped

1    Large green bell pepper, coarsely chopped

2    Cloves garlic, minced

1    Teaspoon of Salt

1/2 Teaspoon of pepper

1/2 Teaspoon dried thyme leaves

2    Tablespoons of Cajun seasonings (of your choice)

2    Cans stewed tomatoes

2    Pounds andouille sausage, sliced

2-3 Pounds medium/large shrimp - peeled and d-veined

1    Pound lump crab meat

2    Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 Stick of butter

2    (10 ounce) Packages frozen cut okra, thawed

2    Tablespoons distilled white vinegar

1/2 Stick of butter

1/2 Cup all purpose flour

2    Teaspoons gumbo file powder

Rinse your chicken and remove gizzard bag from inside (you won't need the gizzards - unless you want to add to your gumbo).  Put your chick into a large soup/stock pot with the water, chicken bouillon and bay leaves to a boil in a large.  Once it begins to boil - bring to a simmer for 1.5 hours.  Remove the chicken and set aside.  

During the 1.5 hour wait time while the chicken is cooking. Take your vegetables (celery, onion, garlic, green pepper - not the okra) and saute' in 3 T. of  olive oil and 1/2 stick of butter with salt and pepper until tender and add all to your water along with the thyme, stewed tomatoes, cajun seasonings, crabmeat, shrimp, andouille sausage and worchestershire sauce and simmer the soup over low heat for about 30-45 minutes.

While this is cooking - d-bone your chicken and set the meat aside.

Meanwhile, melt 1/2 stick of butter in a skillet, and cook the okra with vinegar over medium heat for 15 minutes; remove okra with slotted spoon, and stir into the simmering gumbo - simmer another 30 minutes. 

Lastly, in the same pan as you cooked the okra, add the second 1/2 stick of butter and melt...Add the 1/2 cup of flour and mix well to make a Roux - keep on low heat and whisking constantly until it turns a rich brown color (don't burn it).  Once it is a rich color, take a cup of broth from your Gumbo and add to the roux whisking - as it thickens, add another cup of broth until you get a nice creamy consistency - add the contents of this pan to your stock pot.  Add your chicken and mix well.

Just before serving, stir in 2 teaspoons of file gumbo powder.

Approximate cooking time:  3 hours

I hope you enjoy this Gumbo.  I know I will be making mine.  Serve with your favorite hot sauce for extra zing!!

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Bursting Baked Beans

 

These beans are bursting with flavor.

I was making fancy baked beans 15 years ago; before you could buy them in a can that way.  Experimenting with flavors is something I want to teach you; not to be afraid to try it. I've had enough bad food in my day that if you actually mess up (just don't claim the dish at a party).

In a 2 Quart Saucepan:

1/2 Medium Onion - chopped fine (not minced)

1/2  Green Onion - minced (or even put in a food processor so people can't see it) *

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

Saute' on low heat until soft

In a frying pan:

Fry four pieces of pork bacon or turkey bacon

If you are frying turkey bacon, I always use a little olive oil in the pan to help it along (I like mine extra crispy)

After crispy - set aside

Back to the beans....

In the saucepan that you just cooked the onions and green peppers, add:

1 - 30 Ounce Can Pinto Beans

1 Small Can Black Beans (Rinsed)

1 Small Can Dark Red Kidney Beans (Rinsed)

1 Cup of your Favorite BBQ Sauce

1 Tablespoon of Prepared Mustard 

1/3 Cup Ketchup

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

1 Tablespoon of Cumin

2 Tablespoons of Chili Powder

1/2 Teaspoon of Black Pepper

1 Teaspoon of Salt

1/2 Teaspoon of Seasoned Salt

1/2 Teaspoon of Granulated Garlic

Crumble the bacon into the pot - stir well and cook for one hour.  If you want to, you can spray a small casserole dish with cooking spray - pour in the beans and bake in the oven on 350 degrees for one hour. 

*Whenever I use green peppers and I know that my guests say they don't like green peppers, I put them in a food processor and pulverize them.  Then, you can't see them.  Out of sight, out of mind.

My mom and dad used to entertain a couple that the wife despised onions.  Well, we put onions into just about everything.  This is the trick he taught me.  Nope....she never knew !!

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Food Ice Cubes - Might be a new idea for you !

For the person that has never seen this done before, I thought I would share my most recent cube idea.

In my family, we don't use any dressing on our salads except for oil and vinegar; however, our grandson loves ranch dressing.  Since I never know when he will be eating dinner with us, I know that he likes ranch dressing on just about everything.  Personally, I prefer the homemade ranch dressing and since it does not have a lot of preservatives in it (like bottled dressing does) I was making it from scratch and throwing it away every couple of weeks.

I then remembered my dad, Bob.  He used to make food cubes back in the 1970's.  I know for a fact, that if he would have known what we all know today from the +foodnetwork, he would have owned a food network himself.  He was so ahead of his time;  I mean on a lot of things.  I love sharing these things with you on my blog and I am very proud to give him the credit.

He used to make Au Jus and only thicken some of it for the dinner we were having and whatever he didn't thicken, he would pour into ice cube trays and freeze.  Then when he needed a little beef flavor for something, he would pull a cube out. 

So, getting back to my ranch dressing, I poured it into ice cube trays and froze it.  Now, when he comes to visit I can just thaw a cube out and put on his food.

I hope you like this idea and share my blog with your friends.  Please come to my Facebook page so you can get videos and other photos of my food during the preparation.

  

Brainy Bean Dip

Yes, black beans are BRAIN FOOD.  This black bean "base" tastes amazing and can be used for so many things.  You can turn it into soup, heat it up, add a few chopped onions, some cheese and a dollop of sour cream, maybe some hot sauce and wow.  Take a cup of the bean mixture, add to a cup of munchie cheese, add a little hot salsa, heat to melt and serve with chips. Or, how about putting it into a wrap adding whatever vegetables you like.  Here is another idea, put some rice with it and some hot sauce and you have a meatless black beans and rice dish.   You can even make into patties and fry in a skillet and make yourself a black bean burger.  Countless ideas.  I can come up with more if you like....just COMMENT below.

I hope by now you are following me and staying in touch.  You can always go to my Facebook page and see more pictures of the dishes under pictures.  I will have a video on my Facebook page in the next few days on how to make a Roux. 

Here is the recipe:

2 Cans of Black Beans Drained

1 Can of Dark Red Kidney Beans Drained

Put into a food processor until you have a paste.  If it is too thick, you may add a little water.

Put into a bowl and stir in a 1/2 of a packet of taco seasoning - mix well.

Set aside.

2 Avocado's Peeled & Mashed

1/4 Cup of Red Onion Minced

Little bit of salt

Mix well 

You can use a plate, cookie sheet, plastic container (as I did for travel) etc.

Spread about 2 cups of the bean mixture onto the item you are using.

1 Cup of Sour Cream - Spread on top of that

All of the Avocado mixture - spread on top of that

1 Cup of grated cheese - Cheddar, Mozzerella, etc. - sprinkle about evenly

Take about 1/2 cup of your favorite CHUNKY salsa and drain the juice until you just have the tomato pieces and sprinkle on top of the cheese

1/8th Head of Lettuce - finely chopped - put on top

1 Small Tomato - finely chopped - put on top

1 Hand Full of Pickled Jalapeno's  - minced (put the minced peppers into your hand and squeeze the excess juice out) sprinkle on top of half or all of the dip (I usually put on top of half of the dish in case there are people that do not like spicy hot foods)

1 Hand Full of Black Olives - Minced and juice squeezed out and sprinkled on top

Serve with pita chips, or taco chips or put into a tortilla and eat for dinner.

I hope you enjoy this dish.  Please share my blog with your friends.

Thanks,

Pat