On the grill with Memphis rub

I recently acquired an infrared Char-Broil T-22D grill, found on sale for 50% off. Not knowing very much about grilling, I have been in the process of learning a few of the basics, even though they don't completely apply to infrared grilling. One of the intriguing aspects is the use of rubs. So, I watched a video of Memphis rub being used at one of their establishments that featured Bobby Flay. It seems that rubs aren't just for sprinkling on to a piece of meat, but are applied pretty heavily. I usually use the suggested recipes and then modify for my taste from there. So, this is what I started with for a rub: Ingredients 1 tablespoon cumin 1 tablespoon paprika 1 tablespoon granulated garlic 1 tablespoon granulated onion 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 tablespoon brown sugar 2 tablespoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 teaspoons black pepper That's already a deviation from the original recipe that calls for white pepper use and I don't have any white pepper. After the first round, I noted too much cumin and salt, so I cut back on both of those items for some chuck steaks I cut out of a marked down roast.

With 1 teaspoon of cumin, instead of 1 tablespoon and 1 tablespoon of salt, instead of 2 tablespoons, I used about 1 tablespoon of rub per side of the steaks.

Since these steaks were cut pretty thin (I'm not a butcher!), I only cooked these for about 3 minutes per side at 600 degrees F and that produced these results.

Using some chipotle in place of the cayenne makes a little smokier rub and may not be quite as hot, if that's an issue. The format of this post isn't something that I have been able to do anything with, so it'll just have to be that way.

Strange things in the mail

I got an order for a product I make and a nice sized sample of candy was included with the payment! We've made candy for years and it was better than anything I could get else where. However, these samples seem to have been made with better chocolate than I could ever get. So, yes it's better than what we used to make. The company is Winton Candies (http://www.wintonscandies.com/)
Here's what we got to sample:




There's white chocolate fudge, chocolate fudge and three different caramels in the picture. I like caramel, but I don't like it sticking to my teeth (what few I have left). All of the caramels were good and didn't stick!

So, take it from me, the candy is good and it is shippable by contacting the Wintons and ordering some for Christmas. I thought the prices are reasonable too.

Fried Apples!

I had worked up a step by step article on fried apples, and somehow it never got posted anywhere. I think it may have been due to the size of the file, so I'll try again here.

Long years ago, my grandmother would buy apples when the truck came around in late fall. She normally got at least two bushels, one of yellow delicious and one of red delicious and sometimes more. The smoke house was a good storage area and they kept well in the central Missouri environment. Her apple pies were fantastic and my wife learned her technique/method well! Of course, she made crust with lard, so we have had to substitute butter for the fat and it turns out just about as good.

Fried apples went with breakfast, where there was usually thin cut ham (cut off of the ham hanging in the smoke house) fried eggs, biscuits and fried apples for a biscuit topping! She fried her apples in the ham drippings.

My wife, in her usual wisdom, learned the method during one of our visits back to the old home place. Grandma usually peeled her apples, but we tend to like the peeling left on, thinking there may be more vitamins left in the finished product. A cast iron skillet is an asset, but not absolutely essential.

With a healthy amount of butter in the skillet, the frying process is started with the addition of the sliced apples (take the core and the stem out first).




As the apples cook down some, sugar is sprinkled over the top, which will help them cook down more as the juice forms.






The amount of sugar depends on how "candied" you want them and how sweet you want them.

On this occasion, we were having pancakes, so we layered the apples between pancakes.



Then we finished off the layers with a goodly portion of apples on top and they were great!



Pictures make it easier for you to see what I'm attempting to describe with words. The excess liquid from the apples is used as a syrup and it helps moisten the pancakes for eating.

The past two years, we have been able to buy Missouri apples through the Mennonites. So, we had 5 bushels to share with children and friends while eating more than a few. They aren't $2/bushel, like my grandmother bought, but they are still very reasonable compared to produce stands and grocery stores. We store ours in a cooler and they keep for a long time. It really doesn't hurt if they wrinkle a little in storage, because they will still fry up in grand fashion!

The pictures are all over the place, but you should get the idea of what goes where. They will get bigger if you click on them. Enjoy, if you get the opportunity!

Thanksgiving 2011

As usual, we had a crowd for Thanksgiving dinner! I think there were about 19 here, including our great granddaughter and a few visitors. My girls (wife, two daughters and 3 granddaughters) are all pretty good cooks, so we had an abundance of food and tons of leftovers. I didn't even do the desserts justice, since I was so full of real food!

The table tops we had made really helped with seating. With two tables 6 feet by 4 feet butted together, we can seat 13 or 14 before we have to use the table in the sitting room.






As usual, I didn't get enough pictures, so I'll have to see what my granddaughters captured and figure out how to post them here.

It seems like the "news" for the day is expecting another great grandchild in July of 2012! Out of 8 grandchildren only one is married, so great grandchildren in abundance are still in the future.

Whatever happened to common sense?

The community I live in had a big pow wow with the County Sheriff this evening and I was amazed at some of the comments. After being told the number of deputies on duty at any given time, which was very few to cover 900 square miles, one person asked why there hadn't been a follow up on the information he supposedly had on possible suspects for the rash of burglaries we've had recently.

It seems the 16 year old daughter was home alone and a couple of men drove up trying to sell an asphalt driveway. Since the length of the driveway would have supposedly made the cost prohibitive, it was automatically assumed it was just an excuse to case the place and see if anyone was home. Without any laws being broken, except maybe endangerment to a minor that was left alone, the Sheriff was supposed to drop everything and send his understaffed deputies out to check on the report?

Another question was whether the state provides information of recently released prisoners. When told the parolees were reported, he wanted to know if those who had served their time were also reported to the sheriff. I always thought when you served your time, your obligation was fulfilled, you were free to go and do as you pleased and the offense wasn't continuously held against you.

Crime, especially burglary, is on the rise due to the economic situation. It's part of the fall out from a failure of the government's stimulus efforts, where there are many people out of work because of policies and laws passed in the last year or so. The government has taken over industries, which is far removed from the powers invested in them through Constitutional directives. There are unfunded mandates that are passed on to the local communities, which are creating economic hardships at every level of society.

There isn't a sense of propriety in much that is taking place now. The people seem to have lost any sense of what is proper in their quest for more things and have allowed the government to dictate what will or will not be done. The existence of the "nanny state" is evident in meetings, like what was held tonight. "They", the Sheriff's deputies, are supposed to protect property and prevent crime from ever happening, which is a ridiculous concept.

I have a gun that goes with me to meet strange vehicles. I don't leave the premises unoccupied very often and that in itself is a deterrent to crime. My wife is proficient with a shotgun, which is probably the best defensive device to use, especially when it's loaded with buckshot. We have made a living right here on the farm since 1987 and were satisfied with what we had (not having a television probably helped keep the "wants" under control). It would probably be better if everyone would heed these words: Philippians 4:11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

Contentment with what we have would ease a lot of economic burdens and bring over extended credit cards back under control. Taking care of yourself has always been part of being an American, so why would anyone expect the Sheriff to provide protection?

Lunch on the farm!

It seems like politics and such have been the focus of attention too many times, so how about a visit for lunch?

Meals get harder to prepare when there are only two at home, but it can still be done and my wife excels at it. Much of what we eat is still grown here, which gives us good variety and it reduces the food bill tremendously, especially when it's red or yellow bell peppers and tomatoes that are consumed (fresh asparagus could also be included).

It really doesn't take a lot of time or money to grow your own food and particularly if it's more along the specialty food line. As we advance in age, we look for easier methods to allow us to enjoy fresh food, so we have started what we call "tub gardening". The winter molasses feed for cows has provided an abundance of containers that can feed a pretty large plant and also gets it up higher to eliminate much of the stooping and bending to weed and harvest. Here's a portion of this year's garden. The tub garden is to the left of the outdoor luncheon that was prepared.



All sorts of fruits and vegetables can be grown this way, to include strawberries and blackberries.




We still have a traditional garden, but it's mostly for crops that need more production to supply our needs, like green beans and peas.







Lunch today was a combination of vegetables and leftovers that took the form of beef stew.









Of course, no meal is ever complete without some cat head biscuits.










And a cherry shortcake dessert with real whipped cream!



One of the side benefits of affordable food is the ability to share with others. A portion of this meal will go to a neighbor whose wife is in a nursing home. Home cooked meals are a premium for people in a situation like that and are always appreciated!

Marie Antoinette?

There's quite a bit of coverage of the Michelle Obama "vacation" in Spain this week. Some of the comments revolve around the concept presented by Marie Antoinette, of lavish living while the working people are having a hard time making ends meet.


There seems to be a real disconnect between the Obamas and reality for the average American. Most are struggling with fewer available jobs (we lost another 131,000 last month and May/June was 91,000 less than reported), or even keeping the job they had. Times are certainly getting better with the economic recovery we're supposed to be in. In fact, it appears to me the recovery is a figment of someone's imagination!

We have an incompetent administration, from the top down, and their bungling has cost America dearly. To make matters worse, we have Republicans voting with these incompetents on every available occasion. That may explain the reason for their 11% approval poll rating.

Elections are less than 3 months away and hopefully much of the damage can be averted by a change in personnel. There are some who have maintained a consistent appreciation of the Constitution and its dominant position in American politics (Louie Ghomert R-TX is a good example). They are who we need to be retained in the next election cycle. There are many who are demonstrably detriments to our survival as a free nation. They are the ones needing to be in the unemployment lines, looking for a new job.