Ain't No Substitute Fo' Your Rub. . .

 

Supper, Friday May 14, 2021: smoked ribs; fried cauliflower; fresh bread.

I've done ribs before, so I will stick to only the latest development. I ran out of rub. Ribs can be smoked without rub. A mop sauce is probably more common anyhow. I typically use a mop, but I also put a rub on then start the smoking only introducing the mop about 2 or 3 hours in. 

I didn't have any mop sauce either.

Basic mop is easy to make, just Google it, but I wasn't feelin' it. Mopping requires a level of attention to the smoker/grill that I was not ready to commit to. I didn't want to put the rack in the Weber naked. The surface dries out too much and becomes stringy and chewy. This is OK in small doses but over the whole surface it's a bit much. How does a dry rub prevent this? After all isn't the name "dry" rub?

As I have stated before, I am no food scientist, but I have a theory. Brown sugar. I think the sugar dissolves in the "juices" which are also hydrating the dried, ground components. Then the magic happens. The heat dries the wet paste out and into a crust. The crust protects the meat surface from drying too much.

The real problem was not that I was out of rub. I make my own. I was out of paprika, almost. Paprika is often the first ingredient in a rub blend, and mine is no exception. What's a fella to do? On my spice shelf sits a jar of chili powder. It's kinda rub-like. The spice blend is a little different and it is missing the sugar, but it is in the ballpark. 

I started with a healthy portion of my chili blend. I added what paprika I had to thin the heat. Spicy ribs is OK but too spicy is a distraction. My chili blend has no salt so I added that too. Finally I tossed in a heap of that so important brown sugar. 

The ribs are good. Srsly good. So good I am going to modify my rub recipe to make it more chili-ish. 

I guess there is a substitute. Rub the one you're with.

Nice Buns

 

Supper Sunday April 19, 2020: cheeseburger (with all the stuff); sweet potato chips; italian green beans. 

I'm beginning to get much better at the bun thing. Ya gotta make the loop in the knot really big, bigger than you think it needs to be. That also means that the dough rope needs to be a lot longer than you think it should.

I have got to get my raised beds put together soon. We are beginnning to get low on some of the canned goods that we regularly eat. This might be the last jar of Romas. I have to create some garden space for next season.

The Mayo Has Not Spoiled

 

Supper, Friday March 26, 2020: burger; fruit; fries.

I like homemade fries, for about 30 seconds. After that they go soft and rubbery and greasy. Boo. 

I finally solved the problem, at least for us. I suppose this works also for julienne fries but we like disks. I slice them a quarter inch on a mandolin. I usually leave the peels on unless they have gotten too much light. The trick is temperature and timing.

Get the oil to 325f, cook the fries to done. When you pull them they will immediately go soggy. Let them rest at least a good five minutes while you bring the oil to 375f. Now drop them again and cook to desired color. They will last a lot longer.

The green stuff is not turned mayo. Avocado, mushed and spread.

I Don't Feel Petite

 Christmas dinner: petite filet, roasted roots,

broccoli casserole.

We're not big on Christmas. Not judgey just not our thing. However, I hate to miss the opportunity to make a special meal. Particularly when the most expensive part is free. 

We have a young man who rents the apartment in the upstairs of our house. We cut him a sweet deal in trade for help with maintenance. He helps cuts the grass, helps with projects, . . . He just graduated from college. That is where I met him from my former life. 

What's this got to do with anything? I think his parents are appreciative of our offer (and maybe the fact that he didn't have to move back as many Millenials have). They were very sweet and sent us a small kit from one of those frozen cryovac steak companies. They were PFG.