Hey, hams gotta eat too!!
From time to time when I am on a Youtube livestream, I mention something that I have cooked and get a lot of positive response from sharing my culinary adventures. Many years ago I was a chef in a couple restaurants around the Houston area. After a while it got a bit daunting for me to cook on a commercial basis and I eventually moved onto other things. However, I still enjoy cooking for friends and family. By popular request, this page has been created as a way for me to share some of my favorite recipes with you.
The recipes below are not difficult, but do require a bit of attention sometimes. The main thing is ingredients. Don’t go too cheap or skimp on them. It will make a difference in the quality of the food. Where applicable, I will link to equipment and seasonings I use. Most likely these will be from my Amazon store so I do earn a small commission if you use my link with no extra cost to you., It helps to support the channel and I do appreciate it.
Bon Appetit’
P.S. for best results, I highly recommend that you invest in a good instant read thermometer. Thermoworks are the best, not the cheapest, but they are awesome. Buy once, cry once. Cooking by temperature is the best way to insure that your food is not under cooked or overcooked.
Beef Bourguignon
INGREDIENTS
• 2 to 3 tablespoons Clarified Butter or Extra Virgin Butter Olive Oil
• 8 ounces thick sliced Bacon cut into ¼ inch pieces
• 4 pounds Beef Chuck Roast, well trimmed, cut into approx. 1 ½ inch cubes
• 1 cup Flour sifter
• 2 cups Onions diced or Pearl Onions
• 1 cup Pearl Onion, optional the chef used Aunt Nellie’s
• 2 cups Mushrooms quartered
• 2 cups Carrots sliced into ¼ inch slices
• 2 tablespoons fresh Garlic minced
• 1 bottle 750ML of a good Red Wine (Bordeaux, Shiraz or Burgundy)
• 2 tablespoons fresh Thyme minced
• 2 cups Beef Stock
• 2 to 3 dozen of very small Raw Potatoes, if they are big slice them in half
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• ¼ cup Parsley finely chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
1. In a Dutch oven, heat clarified butter or the olive oil when hot, add the bacon. Cook at low heat for a few minutes to release some of the fat from the bacon. Add as many meat cubes as you can without crowding (if the skillet is too crowded, the meat won’t brown properly) Brown the meat well on all sides, remove each batch as it browns and set them aside. Add the onions and cook them until golden brown. It may be necessary to add a little Clarified butter or Butter olive oil.
2. When all the onions are golden brown add the mushrooms, add salt on top of the mushrooms and cook until they have release most of their water. Add the carrots, reserved beef cubes, garlic and when fragrant, add the wine, bring to boil and let reduce by half. This could take about 3 to 5 minutes depending on your pot and your heat source. Add the potatoes, fresh thyme and salt and pepper to taste.
3. To thicken, use flour or if you have use a roux and thicken to your liking. Add half of the chopped parsley, bring to boil, reduce to VERY LOW heat, cook for about 2 ½ to 3 hours or until the beef is fork tender.
4. When finished, add the Cognac (2-3oz), the rest of the chopped parsley and adjust salt and pepper to your liking.
Key Lime Pie
INGREDIENTS
Crust:
• 8 ounces Graham Crackers
• ½ cup Sweetened Flaked Coconut
• 4 ounces Unsalted Butter melted
• One pinch of Salt
Filling:
• 20 ounces Sweetened Condensed Milk
• Zest of 2 or 3 Limes
• 1 tablespoon 100% Pure Vanilla Extract
• 6 large Egg Yolks
• 6 ounces Fresh squeezed Lime Juice (Key Limes are the best!!)
• One pinch of Salt
INSTRUCTIONS
10 inch Pie Pan
Preheat Oven to 325°F / 162°C
1. To prepare the crust process all ingredients until you reach the consistency of wet sand. Arrange in your pie plate pack the crust and pre-Bake for 10 minutes, take out of the oven and cool at least 15/20 minutes before filling.
Reduce Oven Temperature to 300°F / 150°C
1. Mix the condensed milk, lime zest, vanilla and egg yolks mix well and add the lime juice and quickly incorporate. Pour into the Pre-Bake shell and bake for 30 minutes, or until the filling has set and does not “jiggles” on the middle. Let the pie rest for about 60 minutes at room temp and refrigerate for at least 3 to 4 hours (better overnight).
Cold Brew Coffee
Hardware (See accompanying video for assembly instructions)
2 – 3 liter soda bottles
3- large rubber bands
2 – paint stir sticks
1 – large glass pitcher
1 – regular coffee filter
1 – commercial coffee filter (the larger ones)
1 – cheesecloth
Ingredients
100 grams -or- 3.5 oz ground coffee by weight
125 grams -or- 4.5 oz of boiling water by weight
900 grams -or- 32 oz (8 cups) ice by weight
Directions
Place rubber band around top section of the glass pitcher. Place paint sticks on either side to act as a support system for the 3 liter bottles. Add first 3 liter bottle and secure with the other two rubber bands.
In the first 3 liter bottle that you should have prepped (cap has the cuts in it), insert some cheesecloth into the bottom towards the cap. In the large filter add your ground coffee (grind for about 8 seconds if using whole bean). Add the boiling water slowly to activate the process. Insert your smaller coffee filter on top.
Insert second 3 liter bottle into the top of the first (cap has the single hole it in). Add your ice. Store in your kitchen somewhere out of the way and not near any heat. The process will take about 12 hours to complete. Pour the coffee once done into a quart mason jar and store in the fridge. Sweeten to taste with what ever you like. NOPTE: sugar WILL NOT DISSOLVE in cold easily…a sweetened coffee creamer can add more flavors making this a very nice drink. Enjoy!
Sweet & Spicy Pork Belly Burnt Ends
SEASONINGS USED IN THIS RECIPE:
– Killer Hogs Hot Rub
– Killer Hogs Hot Sauce
Sweet & Spicy Pork Belly Bites Recipe
– 1 pork belly
– 1/4 cup yellow mustard
– 1/4 cup Killer Hogs Hot Rub
– 1 cup brown sugar
– 1/4 cup honey
– 1/4 cup Killer Hogs Hot Sauce
– 1 Tablespoon Frank’s Red Hot Seasoning
Glaze:
– 1/2 cup brown sugar
– 1/2 cup Killer Hogs Hot Sauce
– 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
– 1 teaspoon kosher salt
– 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Combine ingredients in a small bowl and microwave for 1-2 minutes stirring often to melt the sugar.
Directions:
1. Prepare pellet grill for indirect cooking at 275 degrees using hickory pellets.
2. Cut pork belly into cube size portions, coat with mustard, and season on all sides with Killer Hogs Hot Rub
3. Spray a raised cooking rack with vegetable oil and place pork belly pieces on the rack. Cook on the pellet grill for 2 hours.
4. Place each piece of pork belly in a half-size aluminum pan and add brown sugar, honey, hot sauce, and Frank’s Red Hot seasoning.
5. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and place back on the pit for 1 hour.
6. Remove the pan from the grill, carefully remove each pork belly burnt end from the hot liquid in the pan and transfer to a small baking pan.
7. Glaze each piece with the Firecracker Glaze and place back on the pit for 2-3 minutes or until the glaze sets.
8. Remove the pan from the grill and serve with extra glaze for dipping
Easy Cheesecake with Mixed Berry Compote
INGREDIENTS
For the topping
8 digestive biscuits or Graham cracker crumbs
6 tbsps. sugar
3 oz. unsalted butter
For the berries
8oz blueberries fresh
8oz strawberries, sliced fresh
2 tbsps. sugar
Splash of crème de cassis
For the vanilla cream cheese
2 – 8oz pkgs of cream cheese
6 tbsps. icing (powdered) sugar
Juice ½ lemon
1 vanilla pod, split
20oz heavy cream
Icing sugar to dust
Fresh mint to garnish
Instructions
1. For the topping: grind the biscuits in a food processor. Melt the sugar in a heavy-based non-stick pan until it begins to caramelize, then carefully add the butter, shaking the pan to mix the caramel with the butter as it melts. Add the crushed biscuits and toss to coat in the caramel. Tip on to a plate, chill for 5 minutes until firm, then bash into rough crumbs.
2. Put 2 tbsp. of sugar in a pan and tip in the blueberries and strawberries, add a splash of cassis. Cook over medium-high heat for a minute until the blueberries are slightly soft.
3. For the vanilla cream cheese, put the cream cheese in a large bowl. Add the seeds from the vanilla pod and icing sugar and beat until smooth, next add the lemon. In another bowl, lightly whip the cream to soft peaks, then fold into the cream cheese mixture.
4. Spoon the cream cheese mixture into the chef’s ring and carefully remove the ring, using a blowtorch to loosen if necessary. Spoon the crumb mix on top of the cheese cakes and dress the fruit compote around the plate. Garnish with fresh mint.
Ham Radio Ribs
Ingredients:
– 2 slabs St Louis Cut Spare Ribs
– Killer Hogs AP Seasoning
– Killer Hogs The BBQ Rub
– 1 cup Killer Hogs Vinegar Sauce (reserve 1/2 cup for glaze)
– 1/2 cup Killer Hogs The BBQ Sauce
Directions:
1. Remove silver skin and excess fat from each slab of ribs
2. Season each slab with AP Seasoning and rest for 15 minutes
3. Prepare smoker for indirect smoking at 275 degrees. Cover 1/2 of fire basket with aluminum foil. Add 1 chunk each of Hickory and Cherry wood and 1/2
small onion to hot coals before placing ribs on smoker.
4. Season the ribs with The BBQ Rub on all sides and rest for 15 minutes.
5. Place the ribs on the cooking grate and cook for 2 hours. Rotate the cooking rack every 1/2 hour so each slab has equal time over the hot coals. Also spritz each slab with water every rotation for moisture. **For added flavor, spritz with a mixture of water and bourbon!!!
6. After 2 hours when the ribs have a dark, mahogany color; remove them from the smoker.
7. Lay our a piece of aluminum foil on the counter, pour 1/4 cup Vinegar Sauce across the foil and place 1 slab of ribs meat side down on the sauce. Wrap the foil around the slab and fold the ends so you can easily get back into the wrap. Repeat this step for the other slab as well.
8. Stack the ribs back on the pit on the opposite side of the fire. After 30 minutes swap the ribs around.
9. After 1 hour of cooking in the wrap carefully open the ribs and check for doneness. Internal temperature should be around 202 degrees and you should see the bones starting to expose. At this point remove the ribs from the smoker and rest for 10-15 minutes.
10. Combine 1/2 cup The BBQ Sauce and 1/2 cup Vinegar Sauce in a small bowl. Carefully place each slab or ribs on a “foil boat” and brush with the sauce mixture. Season the top of each rack with additional The BBQ Rub and return to the pit to glaze for 15 minutes.
11. Cut the ribs into individual bones and serve.