Smoke and Politics

Ok, not what readers might be thinking... I fired up the 'ol smoker today.. Actually its a new smoker. I was using a vertical smoker run on propane, and I finally decided to graduate to a charcoal and wood style. I picked up a Chargriller with a side firebox recently, and I must say, I'm impressed! Its a lot more work, but well worth it at the end of the night when we ate. Overcooked the ribs a bit, but I'll remember not to place them on that spot of the smoker again. Otherwise, great fun!

Started about 8 this morning with a pork butt. I used some Kingston charcoal to get a good fire going, then added in natural wood lump charcoal and hickory chunks. I think I would like to use hickory logs next time, they'll last longer and won't require me checking on them every few minutes.

Added a chicken and ribs around noon. Everything came off the smoker at 4:30, and it was delicious!

I used that vinegar sauce from an earlier post for a marinade and mop, as well as a bit of it over all the meat once I pulled it (oh yes.. it fell apart when touched with the fork). Then, I came up with a variant on the Coke BBQ Sauce - I'll call it my "Ass-Kicken Coke BBQ Sauce." Check it out:

Ass-Kicken Coke BBQ Sauce

¼ cup of coca cola
10 oz of tomato paste
1/3 cup of ketchup
2 cups water
1 cup brown sugar – packed
1/3 cup of lemon juice
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1 Tbsp onion powder
2 tsp of minced garlic
1 tsp allspice
2 tsp cajun spice
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp coarse ground black pepper
1/2 tsp liquid smoke or bacon drippings
2 tsp crushed red pepper, or more if you are brave
¼ tsp powdered ginger

Bring to boil, then simmer 1 hours, allow to cool. You can experiment with more lemon juice, pineaple juice, a bit more brown sugar (makes it thicker in its final state), or add some more red pepper. A bit of cayenne pepper might really turn things up for ya :)

So, why "Smoke and Politics?" I had plenty of time to think on some earlier posts, and more things today regarding the upcoming election. I don't know about you all, but I am already sick of it. Every day polls come out that tie the candidates, give one a huge edge, another gives someone else and edge, every question imaginable is asked to the point of annoyance, ack! Sick of it already.

That said, this is an important election. I am not that happy about any of the candidates at the moment, but I certainly know I will not vote for Obama. Definitely not a fan boy, I think we don't KNOW who he is yet. His voting record is very liberal, his rhetoric appeals to emotion quite well (a classic fallacy in logic), but we still haven't really heard him say anything. I hope the man actually develops a message rather than trying to inspire "hope." Hope in what? I have NO idea at this point.

As for McCain, I at LEAST think he would be a good commander in chief. His voting record is a little sketchy, but as a former soldier I appreciate the hell out of a commander in chief that understands what it means to fight and die for your country, and doesn't make that decision lightly. I also think McCain has proven himself to be a formidable statesman, and he seems to be well respected around the world. At this point, he has my vote. But, things can, and do, change...

While in many ways I am sure I have made my decision, I would at least like to think I have given a fair weight to both candidates once its time to write an X on the line for one or the others. Oh, stay the hell out of the race you vote stealing independents, third parties, and "altruistic" glory seekers. This election ought to be about a solid and CLEAR choice of a leader. Spoilers in the last several elections have made it REALLY tough for a candidate to truly call a mandate from the American people. Get stuffed, find another venue for your message. Yes, I'm talking to you, Nader, Bloomberg, possibly Hillary, Perot, and whomever else is thinking about it. Not time for you to make a stage here, wait until the next election and run an actual campaign! We don't need an independent candidate!

Some of my Favorite Recipes

There was a call for recipes on a few blogs my wife reads, so I posted some there for her. These are they, for those that read this one instead:

Here's two of my fav BBQ sauces I've put together:


Vinegar Based Sauce

1 ½ Cups Cider Vinegar
1 cup ketchup
½ cup of brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. crushed red pepper
¼ teaspoon of liquid smoke
1 tsp of Cajun
1 bay leaf

mix in a container thoroughly and let sit overnight to fuse the flavors together. Shake/mix before serving.

Coke BBQ Sauce

¼ cup of coca cola
6 oz of tomato paste
1/4 cup of ketchup
2 cups water
¾ cup brown sugar – packed
¼ cup of lemon juice
1 Tbsp pineapple juice
¼ cup cider vinegar
1 Tbsp onion powder
2 tsp of minced garlic
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cajun spice
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp coarse ground black pepper
¼ tsp liquid smoke or bacon drippings


Bring to boil, then simmer 1 hours, allow to cool.

Great BBQ Pork Rib Recipe

What can you do with these? Try this recipe for a good 'ol Southern Style rib recipe, blended with a few deep south influences.

1 x rack of Baby Back pork Ribs

Turn the rack over an peel off the backstrap (the white film that cover the back).

Make a wet rub w/ 1Tbsp of minced garlic, a few dashes of liquid smoke, 1-2 Tbsp of the Coke sauce (or vinegar sauce, this recipe uses both but you can just use vinegar).

Rub in coarse ground black pepper and a dash or two of salt, the above wet rub, then wrap up in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil, let sit overnight in the fridge.

Get your smoker going, about 225 degrees and a good hickory smoke is perfect. Unwrap and add the ribs, cook about 3-3.5 hours, and baste with the vinegar sauce at about 2 hours. I recommend hickory, but you can also use Mesquite. For a little added flavor put in some applewood smoke pellets, and in a water pan, pour half a can of your favorite beer, 1 cup apple juice, and about 2-3 cups water, replenish as necessary.

Remove ribs and wrap up inside aluminum foil with a light covering of vinegar sauce, and return to the smoker. This is the key step to really lock in the flavor and the juices. In about two hours your ribs should be really done. You can check by looking at the ribs in the aluminum foil, if they are starting to pull back from the bone , you are golden.

Wrap them back up, if you unwrapped, and let sit for about 15-20 minutes, unwrap and serve. You can pull the meat from the bone or serve it lip smacking good.

Should work well with beef ribs as well.



Ah yes, and then here is another favorite for Spinach and Artichoke dip:

1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp of canned spinach, drained.
12 oz of light sour cream
2 cans of Artichoke Hearts, Drained
2 cans of green chili
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1-2 tsp of salt
2 tsp of black pepper
1 package of shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together, but leave out spinach and 1/2 of the package of cheese. Blend all ingredients (with a blender or a food processor) until smooth. You can add a touch of water if you want. Now I just go ahead and add in the spinach now, because its easier, but it comes out looking like baby food and people tend to avoid the dip until someone tries it... others wait until its poured into an oven safe dish and then stir in some of the canned spinach to make it look at little more appealing.

Cover the rest of the dish with the remaining cheese. Cook covered for 25 minutes, then uncovered for 10-15 more. This gives the top a nice light brown color without scorching the cheese.

Less healthy, but tasty options:

1- Use two packs of shredded Parmesan cheese
2- Add a bit more salt to taste
3- Use melted butter instead of olive oil, or a little of both.
4- Use full fat sour cream