31 Mar 2016

Have Tailgate Wood Pellet Smoker-Grill will Travel

by | posted in: Miscellaneous | 2
MINI-MAK tailgate Unit
MINI-MAK tailgate Unit

Should you deprive yourself of all those delectably scrumptious smoked/roasted/baked meals when you're on the road camping in your tent, trailer, 5th wheel, or RV? Not me! My quest for a tailgate unit that met my needs, expectations, weight, and budget started years ago. I only have experience with 2 tailgate units so I will limit my Have Tailgate Wood Pellet Smoker-Grill will Travel post to those units.

Traeger Tailgate Unit
Traeger Tailgate Unit
GMG Tailgate Grill
GMG Tailgate Grill

Note ... There are many great wood pellet smoker-grill tailgate units on the market but being on a fixed budget I will discuss my migration from an entry level unit (Traeger PTG) to a mid-range unit (Green Mountain Grill Davy Crockett) and to the upcoming cream of the crop/top of the line unit (MAK Grills MINI-MAK).

All wood pellet smoker-grills can produce great results so long as you take the time to learn your grill. Be aware, however, that not all controllers are remotely equal and that in my humble opinion the heart of any smoker-grill is the controller!

Traeger Portable Tabletop Grill (PTG)

PTG Smoked Brisket
PTG Smoked Brisket
PTG Half Chicken
PTG Half Chicken
PTG Pork Butt
PTG Pork Butt

I bought my Traeger PTG (Portable Tabletop Grill) in December of 2012 for the primary purpose of using it on the road with our RV. While getting to know my PTG I found large temperature swings with the unit and issues with flame-outs at lower temps. I decided to modify my PTG with a PID Controller - click to see my PTG modification posting. My PID modified PTG gave me infinitely more control of the unit but required a hands on approach for the cooks.

As you can see from the images above, I was able to produce wonderful results using my modified PTG. But the constant monitoring requirements to maintain desired temperatures drove me to find another tailgate unit.

Warning ... Any and all modifications that I made on the PTG are not authorized by Traeger or anyone else and nullified my warranty. Perform any modifications at your own risk.

Green Mountain Grill Davy Crockett

GMG 6 lb Chicken
GMG 6 lb Chicken
GMG Smoked Tri-Tip
GMG Smoked Tri-Tip
GMG 10 lb Turkey
GMG 10 lb Turkey

After doing extensive research I bought my GMG Davy Crockett grill in December of 2013. This pellet grill is a great product and now comes with a WiFi controller, open flame technology grease tray, a meat probe, and a peaked lid allowing for larger cuts of meat and poultry. It can run on 12 VDC or 120 VAC so it's perfect for home, camping, tailgating, and/or hunting just to name a few. Note some of the stunning results in the images above - all cooked to perfection!

Initially my Davy Crockett's left side of the grill ran noticeably hotter than the right side. After contacting Green Mountain Grill's outstanding customer support they immediately sent me a new heat deflector that helped greatly to minimize my heat issues. I have produced a vast array of wonderful meals on the road and home with this unit. Just like needing 2 ovens now and then for a meal I've often used used my Davy Crockett in conjunction with my MAK 2 Star grill to produce out of this world gourmet meals.

MAK Grills MINI-MAK

MINI-MAK tailgater
MINI-MAK tailgater

Am I happy with my Davy Crockett smoker-grill? For the most part the answer is yes - then why am I anxiously awaiting the release of the new MAK Grills MINI-MAK tailgate unit? The answer is simple ... I'm spoiled!! I have owned a MAK 2 Star General Wood Pellet BBQ Smoker-Grill since March 2011 and truth be told, I've always wanted to be able to take the technology of the 2 Star on the road with me! To date, MAK is the most awarded pellet grill in the barbecue industry. They just won their 4th Vesta Award - peer reviewed awards given each year during the Hearth-Patio-Barbecue Association’s annual trade show and convention. The last award is for their MINI-MAK prototype. I for one can't wait till the unit comes out so that I can put it through it's paces.

30 Mar 2016

Instant Pot Pinto Beans

by | posted in: Recipes | 1
Instant Pot Pinto Beans & Rice
Instant Pot Pinto Beans & Rice

To prepare pinto beans with smoked pork hocks in less than an hour I suggest using an [easyazon_link keywords="Instant Pot" locale="US" tag="ftd-20"]Instant Pot[/easyazon_link] Buetooth Programmable Smartcooker.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups dry pinto beans
  • 4 cups chicken stock/broth
  • chopped celery (3 to 4 stalks)
  • 1 medium white onion, diced
  • 2 to 3 smoked pork hocks
  • 1 can Italian stewed tomatoes (14.5 ounces)
  • 2 teaspoons crushed garlic
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon seasoned salt

Directions:

  • In a large pot cover the beans with at least 2 inches of water
  • Bring the beans to a boil for 3 minutes
  • Cover the beans and set aside for 2 to 5 hours
  • Drain and rinse the beans
  • Combine all ingredients in the Instant Pot
  • Select the 'Manual' mode for 50 minutes
  • When complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes before quickly releasing the remaining pressure
  • Remove pork hocks and discard (I use the hocks for flavor only)

Serve pinto beans and liquid over steamed rice

Pinto Beans & Pork Hocks
Pinto Beans & Pork Hocks
Instant Pot Smartcooker
Instant Pot Smartcooker
Pressure cooked Beans
Pressure cooked Beans
28 Mar 2016

Easter Smoked Ham

by | posted in: Pork | 6
Smoked Master Carve Ham
Smoked Master Carve Ham

Served another Costco Kirkland Signature Master Carve Ham for Easter this year. I said another because this boneless fully cooked ready-to-eat Applewood smoked ham has become my go to ham for any occasion and/or season. Since it's boneless, it's easy to carve end-to-end - there is no waste. At $2.49/lb it's pricier than most hams but not as pricey as most spiral cut hams. My Easter Smoked Ham was the center piece of our dinner table.

Costco Master Carve Ham
Costco Master Carve Ham
Hazelnut Blend Smoked Ham
Hazelnut Blend Smoked Ham

Preheated my MAK 2 Star General wood pellet smoker-grill to 225ºF using MAK's All-Star Hazelnut Blend BBQ Pellets. You can use any wood pellet smoker-grill, electric smoker, or charcoal smoker as long as you can maintain proper temperatures and setup your unit for indirect cooking.

Smoke the ham for 1 hour at 225ºF for an hour before increasing the pit temperature to 350ºF. Bake the ham at 350ºF until the internal temperature reaches 130ºF (~ 3 hours total). Rest the ham loosely under a foil tent for 15 minutes before carving against the grain and serving with your favorite sides and trimmings. My favorite side with ham has to be scalloped potatoes!

27 Mar 2016

Wood Pellet Grill Pizza

by | posted in: Miscellaneous | 2
Wood Pellet Grill Baked Pizza
Wood Pellet Grill Baked Pizza

Quick and delicious Wood Pellet Grill Pizza for lunch!!  Costco Take-and-Bake large combination pizza on my MAK 2 Star wood pellet smoker-grill. I can guarantee that you'll not find a better pie for the price - a $9 lunch for 4!! Decided to throw some shredded cheddar and monterey cheese on half the pie just for grins. Next time I'll add some olives, green peppers, and red onions.

Preheated my MAK 2 Star to 400ºF and baked the pie for about 12 minutes rotating the pizza with a pizza paddle every 4 minutes by a third to ensure the crust bakes evenly. Placing the pizza directly on the grill grates produces a wonderful crisp crust.

Costco Take-and-Bake Pizza
Costco Take-and-Bake Pizza
MAK grill at 400ºF
MAK grill at 400ºF
12 Mar 2016

Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs with Vegetables

by | posted in: Chicken, Recipes | 1
Slow Cooker Chicken and Vegetables
Slow Cooker Chicken and Vegetables

The beauty of using a Slow Cooker is that you can spend a few minutes in the mornings putting a few items together only to enjoy a succulent one-pot meal 8 hours later for dinner. Not to mention that succulent aroma that permeates your house through out the day wetting your taste buds.

While looking for a slow cooker chicken thigh recipe on the internet I kept seeing the same chicken thighs with carrots and potatoes recipe. Since I had some fresh Foster Farms Chicken Thighs in the fridge I chose to add a few personal touches to it. Here are the results and may I say - it met all my expectations and best of all it was extremely simple.

1st Layer of Vegetables
1st Layer of Vegetables
2nd Layer of Vegetables
2nd Layer of Vegetables
Seasoned Chicken Thighs
Seasoned Chicken Thighs

Ingredients

4 fresh chicken thighs, bone-in, skinned
1 medium red onion, thickly sliced
6 medium red potatoes, quartered
1 medium red pepper, diced
1 large yellow squash, diced
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup baby carrots
2 celery stalks, diced - 2 inch pieces
2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
½ teaspoon thyme
2 teaspoons Jan's Original Dry Rub
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Directions

  • Remove chicken thigh skin and trim excess fat
  • In a 6-quart slow cooker layer the bottom of the pot with the sliced onions, quartered red potatoes, baby carrots, and celery
  • Layer the diced red pepper, frozen peas, and diced squash over the first layer of vegetables
  • Mix the crushed garlic and thyme with the chicken broth
  • Pour the seasoned chicken broth over the vegetables
  • Arrange the chicken thighs on top of the vegetables

I recommend using an Instant Pot Bluetooth enable multi functional cooker for all your pressure and slow cooker needs. Set your cooker to 'Slow Cooker' and make sure the pressure release valve is set for 'Venting'. Use the default setting of 'Normal' and slow cook the chicken thighs with vegetables for 8 hours. You'll love the fall off the bone tender chicken, vegetables, and broth.

1 … 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 … 107