Blowin' Smoke

Mind Your Own Biscuits!

(Scroll down to "The Playlist" and hit play before reading... works better that way!)

Talking about this one and that one... what he said or she said. It's all just "blowin' smoke". Truth is we all just need to mind our own biscuits. 

Let's forget about all of the political chit chat for a while and try to focus on something a little more positive. Here's an idea... how about a hot Texas twist on some chicken salad, a smoky cocktail and some smokin' tunes? 

Here's to good living, positive thinking and healthy eating... The pots are on!

The Plate... 

Smoked Chicken Salad

Trying to do something a little healthy for you this week. Just hold on... don't go crazy. We said "a little healthy". Everybody loves a good chicken salad. And, the only thing better than good ole chicken salad is "Smoked Chicken Salad". 

Thanks to our fellow Texan and Grillmaster, Tommy Humphries, we're gonna show you how to make the best chicken salad you've ever had. Smokin'!

What you need...

1 whole chicken (3-4lbs)/ spatchcock 

1 lb Applewood chips 
Olive oil and dry rub (see below)

3 Granny Smith apples / diced
1 red onion
4-6 celery stalks / diced
1 8oz jar of sweet relish
1 cup dried cranberries / chopped
1 cup grapes / halved
6 oz slivered almonds
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 quart jar of Mayonnaise (Tommy recommends "Dukes")
1 8 oz cream cheese / softened
1 tbsp sugar, Old Bay, fresh ground pepper, salt and dry rub used on chicken

The dry rub-

1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp chili powder
   salt and pepper

(Tommy uses a secret blend of Julio's seasoning and Weber's Kickin' Chicken... but don't tell anybody!)

Get cooking...

Get the chicken out of the fridge and let it sit out on the counter to get the chill off.

Combine the dry rub ingredients together.

Heat your grill to medium 350-400 degrees. Add the Applewood after soaking in water for 30 minutes. 

Place the chicken "breast-side" down on a cutting board. Using a heavy-duty knife, cut out the backbone by cutting from the neck all the way down to the tail on each side of the bone.

Remove and discard the backbone. 

Now press down on the chicken to flatten it our completely. 

Brush with the olive oil the sprinkle on dry rub.

Put the chicken on the grill and cook indirect for about 45 minutes until the the internal temp reaches 150 degrees in the breast and 170 in the thigh.

Take the chicken off the grill and let cool. 

Remove the meat from the bones.

Place the white meat in a food processor, add the mayo and cream cheese and process until smooth.

Chop up the dark meat into small bite-sized pieces and add to the white meat mixture and set aside.

Combine apples, onions, celery, relish, cranberries, almonds, grapes and lemon juice... toss to mix well.

Now combine with the meat mixture, adding the "sugar, Old Bay, salt, pepper and a little dry rub.

Refrigerate until you're ready to dig in. 

Serve on croissants (a little butter couldn't hurt). 

Well, it's kinda healthy... you know you want it!

Grillmaster Tommy Humphries

The Playlist... 

Blowin' Smoke

Turn on the TV and that's all you're gonna hear. So turn it off and crank up the tunes. Grab a little cider and pull up a chair. There's a lot to take in here so just sit back and relax. 

          The "Playlist" runs on Spotify- Click on the link to listen to Blowing' Smoke

The Bar... 

Smoky Apple Cider Margarita

What you need...

2 oz silver tequila 

4 oz apple cider

1 oz fresh lime juice

2 tsp agave nectar

cinnamon, sugar, salt for the rim

apple slice

cinnamon sticks

Get drinking... 

Mix equal parts cinnamon, sugar and salt in a small dish.

Run lime wedge around the top of cocktail glass then rim with mixture.

Combine tequila, apple cider, lime juice and agave nectar in cocktail shaker with ice.

Shake and strain into your prepared glass.

Garnish with apple slice and cinnamon sticks. 

Mind Your Own Biscuits...

And Life Will Be Gravy!

Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

& 

Keep On Cookin'!

This Is Hip

You Don't Get Old Being No Fool

(Scroll down to "The Playlist" and hit play before reading... works better that way!)

Ain't nothin' new under the sun. And I ain't got time for such newfangled nonsense. Let's just get on back to the basics. I was just sitting' here thinking about some good ole comfort food, some whiskey and some Blues... now that's hip!

So with all of that in mind, we're cooking up some Braised Pork, sipping on an Old Fashioned and listening to some Blues. 

Cause the best thing for the blues is the Blues... The Pots Are On!

The Plate... 

Milk-Braised Pork

Nothing new here. This is actually an old Italian classic. In Italy, cooks like to braise pork in milk because it creates a rich savory sauce. Not the best looking dish when it's done, but man it is good. 

What you need... 

1 3-4lb pork shoulder
olive oil
2 1/5 tbsp salt
1 tbsp pepper
1 tsp cinnamon
4 tbsp butter
1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced
1/4 lb pancetta / chopped
6 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
1 bunch of sage
4 cups whole milk
1 cup white wine
1 lemon peeled and juiced

To finish the sauce-
3 tbsp butter / softened
3 tbsp flour
2 tbsp sage
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

Get Cooking...

Season Pork by rubbing with olive oil, salt, pepper and cinnamon. Cover and put in the fridge over night.

Next day, Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a Dutch oven, sear the pork over high heat on all sides then remove from the pan. 

Add butter, onion, and the pancetta to the pan. When the pancetta starts to brown add the garlic.

Stir in one cup of white wine to deglaze the pot.

Add the seared pork back to the pot and add the milk and lemon juice. 

Bring to a gentle simmer then cover and place in the oven. 

Cook for 4-5 hours until fork tender. 

Remove the pork and let cool. 

Strain the sauce and return to heat to reduce by half. 

Whisk in the softened butter and flour along with the sage and Dijon mustard. 

Season with salt and pepper.

Slice pork or pull apart with forks. 

Pour sauce over pork and enjoy.

The Playlist... 

This Is Hip

The best for thing for the blues is the Blues! Ain't nothing new here... well maybe some new covers, but all paying homage to the legends. If you think people like Led Zeppelin wrote songs like "Whole Lotta Love" and "Bring It On Home" you would be mistaken. Today we pay homage to the legends that started it all. 

So give a listen and tap a toe to some of the legends as they show you what the Blue is all about Baby... Cause this is hip!

         The "Playlist" runs on Spotify- Click on the link to listen to   This Is Hip




The Bar... 
Old Fashioned
The classic Old Fashioned is made by muddling sugar and bitters and adding some whiskey.

What you need... 

2 oz Bourbon or Rye Whiskey

2 dashes of Angostura bitters

1 sugar cube

1 orange slice

1 maraschino cherry

Get To Drinking...

Muddle the bitters and sugar in an old fashioned glass

add one large piece of ice 

garnish with orange slice and cherry 

Turn up the Blues!

My New Year's Resolution...

Give Up Drinkin' Unless I'm Alone or With Somebody.

Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

& 

Keep On Cookin'!