buckboard bacon

Buckboard or Pioneer Bacon

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Use a very sharp boning knife and remove the T-shaped bone from the pork shoulder and any extraneous fat (or ask your butcher to do it for you). For this shoulder the trim weight came to about three pounds. Butterfly the shoulder to a three-inch thickness. Apply the cure on all the surfaces of the butterflied pork using 4 1/4 teaspoons per pound of trimmed meat.

Ingredients

1 4 3/4-pound Boston Butt

Curing mixture:
1/2 cup pure Grade B maple syrup
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup (2.5 ounces or 70 grams) coarse kosher salt
2 tablespoons cracked black peppercorns
2 level teaspoons pink salt

Instructions

Place the meat in a non-reactive container or resealable food bag and cure the pork, refrigerated, for eight to 10 days turning the meat every day.

Remove the cured pork and rinse with cold water. Place the meat in a large container and cover with cold water. Refrigerate for one hour. Drain and refill the container with fresh water. Refrigerate for another hour. Drain and pat dry. Place the pork on a cooling rack over a half sheet pan and refrigerate for one day allowing a pellicle to form.

Roll the shoulder into a tight log and secure with butcher’s twine. Rub with coarsely ground black pepper.

Prepare the smoker for 225 degrees F. cooking with apple and hickory wood. Smoke the butt to an internal temperature of 150 degrees F., about three to four hours. Remove the butt from the smoker and let it cool to room temperature. Wrap the bacon with food film and refrigerate overnight.

Slice the bacon to the desired thickness (thinly sliced it will taste like bacon while thicker slices have a ham-like taste). Using a vacuum sealer or several layers of plastic wrap, package the bacon in serving sizes. The bacon will keep, refrigerated, for a week; frozen it will be good for three to four months.

Cooking the bacon is best done in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Because it is very lean, Buckboard bacon will cook faster than traditional bacon.

roasted root vegetables

Roasted Root Vegetables

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This recipe appears in Mike Stine’s article “Outdoor Cooking: Not Just a Summer Pastime.”

Ingredients

2 large turnips, peeled and cut into one-inch cubes
1 pound beets, peeled and cut into one-inch cubes
2 large (chef’s) carrots, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped
Six small red bliss potatoes, cubed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh thyme (or two teaspoons dried)
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
Coarse kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Combine the vegetables in a medium mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and season with thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. Toss well to coat.

Make a packet of heavy duty aluminum foil large enough to hold the vegetables and seal tightly. Place the packet on an indirect grill and cook for one to 1 1/2 hours or until the vegetables are fork-tender.

smoked scallops

Smoked Scallops

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In the Western Hemisphere “scallops” are the adductor muscle from the bivalve, while in Europe and the Far East the scallop is served complete, similar to an oyster or clam. Sea scallop adductor muscles can be two inches in size, while the smaller, tenderer bay scallop is much smaller. Sea scallops yield between 10 and 40 scallops per pound. Purchase scallops that are “dry packed” —meaning they haven’t been treated with a phosphate solution to absorb moisture and increase the cost per pound. From Mike Stine’s article “How to Smoke Succulent Shellfish” here.

Ingredients

2 pounds sea scallops (about 20 scallops)
Juice of one lemon (about two tablespoons)
1 tablespoon coarsely ground peppercorns
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
Lemon and lime zest, for garnish

Instructions

Rinse the scallops under cold water and remove the “catch,” a small muscle running vertically on the side of the scallop; pat dry. Place the scallops in a mixing bowl and season with the lemon juice, pepper and salt.

Prepare the smoker for a 200 degrees F. cook using your favorite wood for flavor. Place the scallops on a cooking grate and smoke for 30 to 40 minutes or until the scallops are just translucent and slightly firm. If you overcook the scallops they will be rubbery and tasteless.

Transfer the scallops to a warmed serving plate. Garnish the scallops with the zest and serve. (Or place a small amount of spring mix salad in a scallop shell and plate two or three scallops per shell.)

Turkish Beef kebab

Turkish Beef Kebab – Adana Kebap

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There are over 30 varieties of Turkish kebabs which locals call “siskebabi,” “sis kebaps,” or “kebabi. Fish, vegetables, pork, beef, fruit, or fowl, are all put on wood or metal skewers and grilled over open flame or coals. Note: If you want to grill vegetables along with fish, chicken or small cubes of meat it’s best to parboil vegetables such as bell peppers, zucchini, carrots and other dense foods before skewering. Baby new potatoes can be scrubbed and par-boiled in skins or use canned whole potatoes. This recipe is courtesy of Rick Browne. Read more about favorite Superbowl Party dishes from chefs on the Burn! Blog here.

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef, or lamb
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon oregano
4 large tomatoes, cut in half from top to bottom
4 green bell peppers, seeded, cut in half lengthwise
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped, fresh parsley
Turkish type pita bread
Olive oil

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl combine the beef, onion, pepper flakes, ground pepper, cumin, and oregano, and mix well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator overnight.
Preheat charcoal or gas barbecue to 375˚F.
Shape the meat mixture into 8 to10 sausage-shaped pieces, about an inch thick and 4-inches long, then let cool in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
Place the meat lengthwise on the pre-greased skewers. Cook until you reach your desired degree of doneness, 4 to 5 minutes a side for medium rare.
Place the skewers on the grill. Cut both the tomatoes and the green peppers in half, brush with olive oil, season, and line the vegetables up next to the meat on the grill. Grill until both the peppers and tomatoes start to get char marks and are bubbling, turning once.
Warm the pitas by placing them on a cooler side of the grill and turning them frequently, do not burn them.
Remove the grilled meat from the skewers, sprinkle with parsley, and serve with the warmed pita bread as an appetizer.

Mesquite-Grilled Turkey Legs with Jalapeño-Cilantro Lime Basting Sauce

Mesquite-Grilled Turkey Legs with Jalapeño-Cilantro Lime Basting Sauce

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This is one of the simpler and quicker ways to prepare turkey. You can add mesquite chips soaked in water to the fire to add a little smoke flavor to the turkey legs. And go ahead, be daring and add a couple of tablespoons of tequila to the sauce. Grill over a fire with soaked mesquite chips added. Serve with hot German potato salad and ranch-style baked beans.

You can read Mark Masker’s article on smoking turkey on the Burn! Blog here.

Ingredients

Jalapeño-Cilantro Lime Basting Sauce:
1/4 cup lime juice
6 jalapeño chiles, stems and seeds removed, chopped
2 fresh tomatillos
1 ½ teaspoon sugar
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

4 small turkey legs

Instructions

Place all the ingredients for the sauce in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth, adding some water, if necessary, to make a smooth sauce.

Bring the turkey to room temperature and, gently loosen the skin without tearing, brush the sauce over the legs and under the skin, reserving any remaining sauce. Allow the turkey to sit at room temperature for an hour.

Grill the turkey legs over a medium fire, basting regularly with the sauce. Cook for 30 minutes, turning often, or until the internal temperature of the legs reaches 160 degrees F. for medium.