Big John

The Road Goes On Forever... 

And The Party Never Ends!

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

Today we celebrate "another trip around the sun" for my good friend, the "lost Texan", 
John McDonald. Yep, time to kick back, put on some tunes, grab a good bottle and wait till the steaks come off the grill. 

There seems to be a theme running through today's PnP. We think you'll be able to figure it out. The road goes on forever... just watch your speed. E-I-E-I-O... Here we go!

I hold the bottle, you hold the wheel... the pots are on!

The Plate... 

Whiskey Glazed Flat Iron Steak/Grilled Potatoes

What you need... 

Four 8oz Flat Iron steaks

1/2 cup whiskey

kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

4 cloves of garlic / smashed

1/4 cup olive oil

1 1/2 lbs of Yukon gold potatoes

2 tbsp chopped fresh chives

1 tsp white wine vinegar

Get Cookin...

• 
  
  Preheat a grill on medium-high heat. Whisk together the whiskey, brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the oil and the garlic. Add the steaks, turn a few times to coat with the marinade and let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. 
  Meanwhile, quarter each potato lengthwise to form wedges and put in a medium pot. Cover with cold water to cover by 1-inch and add salt until the water tastes like sea water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to medium and simmer until tender (but not falling apart), about 15 minutes. Drain well. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil. 
  Remove the steaks from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Pour the marinade into a small pot and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes until slightly reduced, making sure the sugar does not burn, to make a glaze and sauce for the steak. 
  Grill the steaks until an internal temperature on an instant-read thermometer reads about 130 degrees F, 3 to 4 minutes per side, brushing with the boiled marinade several times in the last few minutes of grilling time. (If you are cooking the filet mignon steaks, you will need to increase this time to 8 to 10 minutes per side to account for the thicker cut). Transfer to a large plate to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. While the steaks grill, add the potatoes to the grill and grill until well-marked and crispy, turning to grill all sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer the potato wedges to a bowl. 
  Toss the grilled potatoes with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, chives, vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Remove the garlic cloves from the remaining glaze and serve drizzled over the steaks with the potatoes on the side.

The Playlist... 

Big John

Nothing better than a little "Whiskey Drinking" music. Just like we always do... there's some old, some new, some used and some abused. But it's all good. Here... hold the bottle and watch this!

     The "Playlist" runs on Spotify- Click on the link to listen to Big John

The Bar... 

Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve

The "Granddaddy" of all bourbons. And, like all bourbons, Van Winkle is made primarily from corn and aged in charred oak barrels. The one main difference is their use of wheat instead of the usual rye. They also add barley malt. The result is an award winning bourbon. 

What you need... 

A great friend to give you a bottle!

What you do...

Nothing... no ice, no water... just a nice glass. To be consumed "neat".

Happy Birthday... 

Party On!

Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

& 

Keep On Cookin'!

Too Much BBQ

Slow, Hot and Smokin'!

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

Too much BBQ?... Never! It's Springtime which means it's Barbecue time! It's all about the sauce, rubbing, resting and braising.  

Today we're gonna show you how to make a rack of the smoky goodness the easy way. Braised Baby Back Ribs, a BBQ cocktail and some smoking' tunes!

Gimme some cornbread with some extra sauce on the side.

Crank up that music... The Pots Are On!

The Plate... 

Braised Baby Back Ribs

You know you want it, but you just don't want to go to all the hassle of firing up the grill and basting and waiting and guessing if they're going to come out right. Right? 

We chose Baby Back ribs because they are the most tender and don't take as much time to cook. 

We've taken the guess work out and all you have to do is turn on the oven. Of course there is a little prep, rubbing and resting that's gotta happen first. Don't worry, it's worth it!

What you need...   

2 racks of baby back ribs

Dry rub- 

8 tbsp brown sugar

3 tbsp Kosher salt

1 tbsp Chili powder

1 tsp each- black pepper, cayenne, smoked paprika, old bay, dried thyme and onion powder

Braising liquid-

1 cup white wine

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp honey 

2 cloves garlic / crushed

some foil

 

Get Cookin'...

Mix all dry ingredients together then rub all over the ribs.

Wrap in foil around the ribs with a fold down the middle, then fold up the ends so you can open them later to add braising liquid.

Put ribs in fridge for at least 2 hours... overnight would be better. 

Preheat oven to 225 degrees.

Mix braising liquid together and microwave for 1 minute to mix all ingredients.

Open one side of foil and pour in braising liquid to the ribs. 

Place the ribs on pan in the oven and cook for 2 1/2 hours. 

After the ribs are done. Take them out of the oven and lay across a pan to drain the braising liquid. 

Leave ribs in foil and set aside.

You want to drain all of the liquid into a pan then turn on high heat for 5 minutes. 

Reduce the the liquid down to a thick sauce. 

Open foil and brush the ribs with a thin layer of the sauce.

Place under the broiler for 1 minute. 

Cut ribs about 2 per serving and cover with extra sauce. 

Now your ready to chow down!

The Playlist... 

Too Much BBQ

       The "Playlist" runs on Spotify- Click on the link to listen to  Too Much BBQ

The Bar... 

Smokey Mary

What you need...

1 oz Irish Whiskey

4 oz V8 Juice

1 tsp Smokey Barbecue sauce

1 tsp lemon juice

Beer

Get drinkin'...

Stir whiskey, V8 juice, BBQ sauce and lemon juice in a highball glass. 

Fill with beer. 

I'd Rather Die From Too Much BBQ

 Than Not Enough Veggies

Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

& 

Keep On Cookin'!