Hobo Stew

Hello bloggers!

Here's another good stew. I'm sure you have had something similar to this one. I made up a pot of this stew today and thought I'd share. Hobo or Hamburger Stew is basically a mix of veggies with hamburger. From other recipes I've seen it seems that the veggies are pretty much any thing you have in the cupboard or fridge. For my take on this one I added a pound each of hamburger and ground pork. Not pork sausage but plain ground pork. With rising beef price I found the pork to be much cheaper. The canned tomatoes where chili style diced tomatoes which added a wee bit of a chili flavor which I was hoping for.


Well here we go....


Ingredients
1 pound ground beef (80/20)1 pound ground pork (not sausage)2 medium onions, chopped 2 cloves minced garlic4 cans diced tomatoes (14-1/2oz) undrained1 can sweet corn (14-1/2oz) drained8 medium carrots, thinly sliced4 celery ribs, thinly sliced2 medium potatoes, peeled and cube 2 cups water1/2 cup uncooked med. grain rice1 to 2 tablespoons salt1 to 2 teaspoons black pepper
 Directions
1) In a Dutch oven or large stock pot, cook beef, pork and onions over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and onions are soft. Add the tomatoes, carrots, corn, celery, potatoes, water, rice, garlic, salt and pepper; bring to a boil.
2) Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables and rice are tender. Uncover; simmer 20-30 minutes longer or until thickened.  
3) Invite the family over cause you gotta lot of stew to eat up. LOL

When your done browning the beef and pork and have added the veggies your stew should look something like the picture above. Bring to a boil and cook covered till tender. When all is tender and happy, happy, happy reduce your heat to a low simmer and uncover to thicken the stew. Which means to simmer out the excess moister and your stew will be much thicker. The rice will have cooked and absorbed moister/juices also.
Then the finished stew will look something like this....

 Nice thick stew, with great flavor from the tomatoes, onions, carrots and celery. The beef and pork will be flavorful and tender. Perfect on a cool fall day or a cold winters night! Super simple to make and most likely your will have all the ingredients on hand either in the freezer, fridge, cupboard or pantry.

Well bloggers that's it for today. Thanks for stop`n in and checking out my latest adventure in cook`n!

BBQ Breakfast Sushi

Well Hello Bloggers!
 Sure has been way too long since i have created a new post. The Whyldfire BBQ Crew & I have been so busy over past few months with fairs and festivals... its been forever since i have slowed down and done a little cooking for my family. Postings on social media have been over the top with BBQ recipes so i thought i`d share one that i tried today.
With the literal explosion of bacon recipes everywhere i`m not surprise to have found another one.
So here goes it...

First off we have to make whats called a Bacon Weave.

Lay strips of thick cut bacon on a tray or table, weave every other strip till you have some thing that looks like the above picture. Simple really if you ask your girl friend or in my case my lovely wife Doreen. Face it guys women make this task go real fast and easy... LOL

Next thaw out some Tator Tots... about 20 or so. Or do like i did and defrost in the microwave in a medium sized bowl and mash or break up the Tots. Finely chop a couple of tablespoons of onion & green peppers and add these to the bowl. And add one large egg and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix this concoction all up with a fork.

Next spoon and smooth the Tot mix onto the Bacon Weave evenly... staying away from the edges as shown in the following picture.

Carefully roll up your weave using a spatula or some other such useful kitchen utensil. When you roll it up make sure the end of the weave is on the bottom of the log. This will help hold the weave together while cooking. And you'll end up with something that looks like mine in this next picture.

 I added a handful of shredded cheddar cheese but forgot to snap a picture of this step... sorry. I imagine one can add all different kinds of breakfast like ingredients to this weave. But i thought i`d keep it simple for me and the wife. The egg from the previous step above acts as a binder and the cheese also helps stick this mix together. I cooked this "roll" on my medium sized Big Green Egg and tossed a couple of cups of apple wood chips on the coals for smoke flavor. I set the dampers to maintain 275 degree cooker temp for 2 - 2 1/2 hours or till the bacon was cooked and the internal temp read at least 165 degrees.

I also made a couple three mini rolls with the leftover Bacon and Tot mix. What you`ll end up with is a Jumbo sushi log that will slice and stay together just like the finest Sushi you have seen.

Best thing is....  Its "BBQ"!!!  The smoky bacon, the breakfast flavors of the egg, tator tots and cheese... Awwh man...  its just too good to describe! You have to try it for yourself. I`m sure if you don't have a smoker or grill this can be done in your oven also. Although it wont be as good... give it a try anyway. Who knows it might be better.

  Oh one other thing that goes pretty good with this dish is a big ole cup of some the that there Foo Foo Coffee everyone is drinking these days. My wife made me a mocha-loco-latte something or other. Mmmmm Not bad kinda chocolaty good!
Well folks thanks for checking up on my latest "BBQ Adventure". Till we meet again Happy Q`in to ya!

Whyldfire`s White Chili

Hello Bloggers it`s recipe time!

As you can see i`ve found a Creamy White Chili that i like so i tweaked it a wee bit to my liking. White Chili is well... its "Chili" just different that's all. It has beans, meat, peppers, spices and all love mixed in just like red Chili. Not so different huh? Let me tell y`all its just as good if not better than red chili! 

So enough of this yack`in here`s the ingredients and directions. Lets get to it....

Ingredients:

    1-pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1/2-inch cubes

    1 medium onion, chopped

    1-1/2 tsp garlic powder

    1-tbsp olive oil for frying

    3 cans (15.5 oz each) great northern beans or navy beans, drained

    1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth

    2 cans (4 oz each) chopped green chilies

    1-tsp salt

    1-tsp ground cumin

    1 tsp dried oregano

    1/2-tsp pepper

    1/4-tsp cayenne pepper

    1-cup (8 oz) sour cream

    1/2 cup half and half

    Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

Directions:

    1. In a large sauce pan, sauté the chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is done.  Add the beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

    2. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream and cream.

    3. Optional thickening slurry (2 tsp. flour to 2 tbsp water)

    4. Garnish each serving with a big pinch of the cheese.                                                                                                     

                                                             

        

 Now don't that look good!

Well fellow Bloggers thats it for today. Thanks for checking in on me. Remember if you`r gonna eat food, it might as well be taste good! So try this one and look up some other recipes and share them, that`s what its all about.

Turkey & Rice Soup

 As i sat drinking my morning coffee a question came to mind...
Day after Thanksgiving... "what should i do with some of the leftover turkey"?

SOUP of course!

I looked in the fridge i had all the ingredients celery, carrots, onion. My cupboard and pantry is fully stocked with quite a selection of spices, broths, rice, noodles etc...

Here we go lets get started. The ingredients you will need are as follows...

2 tablespoon real butter

1 medium onion, (1 cup), chopped

2 to 3 ribs (1 cup) celery, chopped

2 to 3 medium (1 cup) carrots, chopped

1 teaspoon finely diced fresh garlic

65 ounces chicken broth

2 nice sized bay leaves

2 cups cooked rice* (no instant rice please)

2 cups chopped Turkey (white & dark mix)

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

Pinch of celery salt

Salt & Pepper to taste

Before you prep the veggies, start the rice cooking as per instruction on the bag. 
Get to peeling and chopping the veggies, try to chop/dice all ingredients into the same size pieces so they will finish cooking at the same.
Melt butter in 4- to 6-quart saucepan over medium heat until sizzling. Add onion, celery, carrots and garlic; season with salt & pepper; continue cooking 5-7 minutes or until vegetables are softened.

 

When working with raw rice a good rule of thumb is 1 cup raw = 2 cups cooked. Rice doubles when cooked. Be carefull not to burn or over cook the rice. Follow the instructions on the bag & you`ll do just fine. For this recipe good rice cooked well is much better than instant rice.

 


When your rice and veggies are finished add chicken broth, bay leaves & celery salt. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, 10-12 minutes or until mixture comes to a boil and carrots, celery & onion are tender. Stir in cooked rice, turkey and parsley. Cook 5-7 minutes or until heated through. Taste, & re-season with salt and pepper, if needed.

 Now don't that look good & it tastes great too! 

There is some thing comforting about home made soup. And this is a great way to use leftover turkey or chicken. Being the "BBQ Nut" that i am i used Smoked Turkey. The added "kiss of smoke" flavor from the turkey is amazing! You can taste the butter in the veggies, a hint of the bay leaves come to taste as you eat the soup. A down home comfort food for sure! 

Well Bloggers that's it for this one.
Thanks for stopping by and checking out my "latest adventure" in cooking!

Whiskey Mapel Glazed Braided Pork Tenderloins

Well Blogger`s...
Today was another nice day here in Nebraska, which i`m afraid is coming to a close. Winter is on it`s way  and i figured i`d better fire up the Big Green Egg smoker before it get`s too cold. I found some tenderloins on sale at my local grocer. After a quick Internet search i decided i`d try my hand at braiding some tenderloins. Looked like a very nice way to present one of my favorite cut`s of meat.

I purchased two nice tenderloins so let`s get to work!

Start by trimming any extra bit`s of fat and silver skin from each loin. I decided to split one loin the long way into two pieces and leave the other whole. On your cutting surface place the loin so as you can slice each piece in three long sections as shown in this picture. Leave an inch uncut to hold the braid together as shown.

Start braiding by placing the left piece over the middle, the right piece in between those two and keep repeating till your at the end of the loin. Secure the ends with a tooth pick so they don't come apart while cooking. Fella`s if you are having trouble figuring this out just ask your wife or girl friend to show you, i`m sure they have braided there own hair. Not that we would need the help but such girl-ish matters are a bit confusing. Hang in there fellas it`s not as hard as it seems besides... it looks real purdy when your done and the ladies will just love the fancy presentation.  

OK... now that we suffered through that difficult task the other whole tenderloin will be easy peasy. Split that loin into three section the same as before and criss cross the three sections into another one of those fancy nancy braids that the ladies love. What you will end up with is some thing like the next picture.
Be sure to grab your bottle of Whyldfire Bar-B-Que All Purpose Original Dry Rub or the next best thing which would be... huh ? cant think of any thing.
Anyway season em up good and place in the fridge covered for a few hours to meld the flavors and let em get... (you guessed it) happy. Remember fella`s... Pork gets real happy when using Whyldfire Bar-B-Que Rub so be careful when removing them from the fridge... they is liable to jump right out at ya when opening the fridge door.

While the loins are marinating... fire up your favorite smoker or grill. When the cooker temp stabilizes at 250 degrees place the tenderloins on the grate for a quick cook of approximately 2 - 2 1/2 hours at that temp. For this cook session i added two nice chunks of Apricot wood for smoke flavor. Check on them at the one hour mark and note your cooker temp, make any adjustments to the dampers if needed to maintain the target cooking temp.
Your finished temp for these loins will be 138-140 degrees. When close to being done "glaze" the loins once or twice with your barbecue sauce. Any more than that and in my opinion its a waste. Barbecue sauce is for serving on the side and dipping your meat in. When one glazes its added for color or presentation. Although it does add flavor... what you want is to add too it not over power the flavor of the meat, dry rub & smoke.

The last barbecue cooking competition my wife & I won she came home with a bottle of Whiskey Maple barbecue sauce so i figured this would be the perfect sauce for such a fancy presentations. Brush on a layer or two of the sauce the last 15-20 minutes of cook time.

When you hit the target temp remove the loins from the smoker and let them rest for 20 minutes or so, tented with foil. The internal temp will rise as it rests to approximately 140-145 internal temp, which is just perfect!
Ain't that just a nice way of presenting one of the most tender and flavorful cuts of pork? For the side dishes i would suggest Mac & Cheese with Seasoned Green Beans and a tall glass of iced tea.

That`s it... Thanks for checking out my latest... "BBQ Adventure".

Barbecued Cheese

Hello Blogger`s!
Came up with a new "must try super easy recipe" for ya all to try. Great for a game time snack, after school or work snack or if your like me a "mid night" snack. The ingredients are only a couple of items that most folks have right in there own fridge and cupboard.

I love Swiss cheese about as much as Mozzarella and be`ins i had Swiss in the fridge and a cupboard full of spices i decided why not make.... Barbecued Cheese. All you need is a block of your favorite cheese, some barbecue dry rub spice mix and a quart zip lock bag. That`s it .... super easy and quite tasty if you have a good dry rub such as Whyldfire Bar-B-Que All Purpose Original Dry Rub (shameless plug), which can be purchased at Lou`s Thrifty Way in Norfolk Ne. (nuther shameless plug). I might add that this seasoning is a sweet mix of BBQ spices specially formulated for all kinds of applications. (yup again)

First off gather up your ingredients.
I used a one pound block of Swiss cheese.
Cut the block into cube sized snack bites.
Place cubes in a quart size zip lock bag.
Shake on the Dry Rub.
Seal the Bag and toss to coat the cheese cubes.

Refrigerate for an hour or so to meld the flavors and let em all get happy!
 

Ain`t that super easy and your family will love it! Make this snack with your kids if you have little one`s. Or next time the grand-kids come over make it with them! Great for the football game or as a holiday treat. One important side note is to use a dry rub that has a sweet BBQ flavor. A savory or spicy rub might be too over powering for this recipe. Unless of course one likes that sort of flavor.

Hey folks that`s it for today.
Thanks for stopping by and checking out my latest.... "BBQ Adventure".

Brisket & Burnt Ends

Hello Bloggers!
It has been a busy summer for Whyldfire Bar-B-Que Catering & Concessions. Fairs, Festivals & Catering has kept us busy...  hardly had any computer time lately. Things are slowing a bit so i thought i`d cook up a brisket and share how i "do it".
First off i decided to fire up my Ugly Drum Smoker because i was cooking brisket, which for this cut of meat i feel that cooking over the coals the way the Drum is set up... just plain makes the best brisket.
I loaded the coal basket with lump charcoal and a few chunks of apricot wood. Fired it up with my trusty weed burner to get it going.
While the drum was coming up to temp. I went inside & took the brisket from the fridge, which was a choice cut of brisket. Trimmed some of the large hunks of the fat cap. I applied a layer of Worcestershire sauce to all sides of the meat. This will act as a "glue" if you will for the seasoning which i will rub into the meat.

Now don't tell no one but here is the secret to great tasting brisket..... season it with Salt, Pepper & Garlic Salt !
That`s it nothing else required! That old saying "some times simple is best" applies to brisket. Although i have had some fine tasting brisket which i`m sure was rubbed with a cupboard full of seasonings. But after years of research, trial & error... simple is best! I use fresh ground Mediterranean sea salt, fresh cracked multicolored peppercorns & a light dusting of garlic salt.

Once this ole hunk of meat was seasoned i went out & checked the temp on the Drum & it was right at 250. Perfect for me. I like to cook in a temperature range of 250-275, not exactly real low temp cooking but fine for this brisket. Cooking tuff cuts of meat at a little bit of a higher temp is just fine. Still cooking at a low temp but just jacked up a bit to cut the long cooking time.

Once the brisket reached 165-170 internal temp i removed the meat from the Drum and separated the point from the flat. Why you ask... Well i want to make some "burnt ends" and wrap the flat in foil. Whats Burnt Ends ? That`s the point section of the brisket removed and cut into one inch square pieces, re-seasoned with a sweet rub and a light glaze of sticky sweet BBQ sauce, placed in a foil pan and back on the smoker to caramelize and get tender. Best thing since sliced bread i tell ya what! Also wrapping the flat in foil makes it super tender and juicy.

Back on the Drum we go for another 2 hours or so. I checked the wrapped flat after an hour & it was at the perfect temp for slicing... 190 degrees. I removed the flat & placed it on a cookie sheet and covered it with a towel to rest and stay warm while the point was finishing up. After another hour i removed the finished Burnt Ends. Sliced the brisket flat & plated it all up with some of them heavenly burnt ends, some smashed tators & sweet corn. Here is the finished product all ready to dig in!

Well that`s about it for this adventure. I could go into a lot more "why`s" and "how comes" but we will save that for a later date. The summer isn't over yet folks... grab the family and cook ya up some BBQ! Spending time with family and friends is what it`s all about! Thanks for stopping by and seeing "whats cooking at home".

Hello Bloggers!
Spring is just around the corner here in Nebraska(finally). Time to fire up those smokers and grills. Yesterday my wife and i competed in the 6th annual Big Green Egg Fest. This year was a banner year for team Whyldfire Bar-B-Que. We won 3rd place in the most unusual thing cooked on a Big Green Egg, Also 2nd place in the Iron Chef category.
Here is turn in for the Most Unusual category...

Our version of Redneck Taco`s

Now most of the cooks at these events just seem to think that they have make items totally from scratch but let me tell ya, it don't have to be that complicated to be good food. The base of your taco is a corn cake topped with pulled pork, beans and coleslaw. Our corn cake was simplified by using a pancake mix and adding cornmeal in a 2-1 ratio. 2 cups of pancake mix and 1 cup of plain ole yellow corn meal adding water to make a nice batter consistency. We cooked the pulled pork the night before the event.
Day of the event we fire up the Egg and fried the corn cakes in a nice hot pan and set aside. Reheated the pork wrapped in foil. For the beans we heated up a can of Bushes Best Grill`n Beans adding a teaspoon or so of our All Purpose Original barbecue dry rub to kick up the flavor of the beans a little.
The Cole Slaw was a home made dressing the we really like it was the only "from scratch" thing in this recipe other than cooking the pork. The dressing recipe is one we found on the internet. Here is the recipe...

 Memphis Style Cole Slaw Dressing
 2 cups mayonnaise
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup Dijon-style mustard
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 Tbsp celery seeds
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp white pepper

Add about half of this dressing recipe to a 1 pound bag of  premixed Cole slaw and mix well. Let the dressing and slaw meld for an hour or so to get the flavors to mingle with each and get friendly. We assembled the taco`s in an open faced fashion for presentation to the four judges turned in our box and waited for the results.

Next...
The Egg Fest organizers handed out the secret ingredient for the Iron Chef category. To our surprise it was five corn tortillas. Awesome... we hand leftover ingredients from the first event still warming on the Egg. We waited till the last five minutes before turn in time and assembled four more Redneck Tacos using the warmed tortilla shells.To our amazement we took 2nd place in the Iron Chef category with little or no effort on our part. Must of been the Cole Slaw Dressing!
Try this award winning recipe at home the next time you want to try some thing a little different. For the pulled pork.... if you don't have a smoker or the time to cook a eight pound pork butt most grocery stores stock cooked pulled pork in their refrigerator isle so you can make this recipe even simpler.

Thanks for stopping by see ya next time......

Hello Bloggers!
Time for another recipe. This one was originally posted on one of the BBQ forums as "Turtle Eggs" but i added some ingredients and changed the name to "Goose Eggs" mostly because i made them a bit larger than the original recipe . I smoke/cooked these on my Medium Big Green Egg in preparation for a BGE fest that we will be competing in. This recipe should be enough for a dozen eggs.
Lets get started shall we....
  
Goose Eggs

Ingredients 
2 lbs - Breakfast Sausage*, divided into 12 egg sized balls*
1/2 cup - softened cream cheese
1/2 cup - shredded Cheddar cheese*
2 tbsp - sour cream*
2 tbsp - jalapenos & bell pepper mix, de-seeded and finely diced
2 tbsp - Whyldfire Bar-B-Que All Purpose Original dry rub available at Smok`n Buddies Grills & Gear or Lou’s Thriftway in Norfolk Ne.

Instructions 
1. Preheat smoker for indirect cooking to 225-250 degrees.
2. Mix the cream cheese; sour cream, cheese & pepper mix together.
3. Place about 1 tsp of the cheese mixture on each flattened piece of sausage. Pull up the edges of the sausage and seal; forming it into a round egg sized ball.
4. Season your eggs with BBQ rub.
5. Add a chunk or two of apple or cherry smoking wood to your cooker, load eggs on the grates.
6. Smoke/cook the eggs for about 90 minutes or to 165 degree internal temp.

* I added sour cream for a twist.
* You can sub any cheese of your liking.
* Use a sausage of fattier content such as jimmy dean brand or egg will not hold together.   Do not to over fill eggs.

               Now don`t these look just yummy!

Great as an appetizer, snack or for breakfast. The other snack i am planning on cooking for this years Egg Fest is called "Chickeroni Bites" but you`ll have to wait for this recipe cause i think it`s a winner. Don't want to give away all my secrets just yet.

Thanks for checking out my latest "BBQ Adventures"

Apple Wood Smoked Rainbow Trout

Hello Bloggers.
Spring is here! Time to clean out the freezer & smoke up some of last years catch!
Nothing better than smoked fish specially Trout. The fine delicate white meat takes the smoke rather well.. let`s get started shall we?

First thing you will want to do is take out your catch from last year (or run to the grocery store and catch some fresh trout) & thaw in the refrigerator for a couple of days. Check your fridge with a temperature gauge to make sure its at least 35-40 degrees but no higher than 40. Trout is great brined & smoked low & slow or even grilled but for this recipe we will smoke them with apple wood.

Here is the recipe and instructions for brining and smoking your catch.

Apple Wood Smoked Rainbow Trout
By; Whyldfire Bar-B-Que Catering & Concessions

Ingredients:
* 6 - 8 Whole Rainbow Trout
(10-12 oz each, cleaned & gutted, skin on, head removed)
* 1 – Qt. Water
* 2 – Tbsp. Kosher Salt
* 2 – Tbsp Lt. Br. Sugar
* 2 – Tbsp Fresh Chopped Onion
* ¼ -Tsp Fresh Minced Garlic
* ½ Tsp Dried Dill
* ½ - Tsp Lemon Pepper (no-salt)
Directions:
Mix brine ingredients together well till salt & sugar is dissolved into the water.
Brine fish for 6-8 hours. Remove fish from brine & lightly rinse with cold water.
Pat fish dry with paper towels. Place fish on elevated drying racks in refrigerator for one hour so the pellicle (a shiny, tacky skin on the surface of the fish) will form.
After pellicle has formed, prior to loading fish on your smoker, lightly re-season with Whyldfire Bar-B-Que Poultry & Fish seasoning.
Mean while, fire up your smoker. Smoke with apple wood (chips or chunks), maintaining an average temp of 200 degrees for 2-3 hours or till done.
Insert the tip of a knife in thickest area of the fish to check for doneness. The meat should be flaky and opaque in appearance. The internal temperature of the fish should be 145°F degrees, preferably 160°F internal temp.

Here they are freshly rinsed, re-seasoned & loaded on my medium sized Big Green Egg smoker. The perfect smoker/grill for this cook knowing it will attain and hold the proper temp for this cook session.


Two hours in... i checked the temps and after a small spike in cooker temps, i believe they are ready. I checked the internal temp & they were sitting right at 160 degrees, perfect for me.



I brought them in for a rest... about 10-15 minutes. Ready for lunch!



Having leftover fish isn't a problem in our house but if there is any left make a nice spread with the leftovers.

Here is the recipe...

Trout Spread
By; Whyldfire Bar-B-Que Catering & Concessions

Ingredients:
* Apple Wood Smoked Rainbow Trout
(Flake meat finely & remove any & all pin bones)
* 1/4-cup Mayo.
* 1/4-cup softened cream cheese
* 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
* 1/3 cup finely chopped onions
* 2 tbsp ranch dressing
* 1 tbsp. lemon juice
* ½ tsp dried dill
* Cracked fresh black pepper
* Dash of Worcestershire sauce
* Dash of Tabasco
Directions:
Mix well. Serve chilled with crackers.



The smokey meat flakes apart very easily so make sure you pull out any & all pin bones.



I serve this appetizer on flat bread wheat crackers. Light apple wood smoke flavor. A creamy spread with a hint of Dill. Thats about it for this time... thanks for stopping by & checking out my latest adventure!

Brat & Cabbage Chowder

This recipe i`m sure is not exactly an authentic version of a Chowder but quite good nun the less. I started my Saturday with purchasing a pound of Tomato Basil Bratwurst from a good friend of mine who owns a small sausage processing shop here in town.
R & M Meats here in Norfolk Ne. makes some of the best Sausages & Brats available locally. Very flavorful & lightly smoked. This is how the Chowder recipe breaks down....

Start with poaching 1 lb of brats in 3 cups water. Set aside when done & save the poaching water. Saute 1 med onion chopped in some butter till clear.

In a large pot add your sauteed onion, 2 chopped carrots, 4 med sized potatoes chopped, 1 small head of cabbage chopped, 1- 15 oz can of whole kernel corn drained of liquid, reserved poaching water & cooked Brats; bring to a boil adding a little more water if needed. You'll need to season the pot with 1 tsp salt & pepper.

Then once veggies etc. are tender slowly pour in 3 cups milk. When hot again, add a slurry of 1/2 cup milk & 1/2 cup flour to thicken. Once this is hot again, stir in 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese till melted & serve!




This Chowder is sure to melt any cold heart on a blustery winter day. The Bratwurst flavor is optional, any flavor will do. Traditional brat, beer brat, onion brat etc the base flavors are endless in that respect. I think the next time i make a batch i`ll omit the carrots, although they add nice color to the dish the brats, cabbage and other ingredients are more predominant & over power any flavor that the carrots might add.
But judge for yourself make a pot of Chowder and see.
Thanks for stopping by.

Whyldfire Bar-B-Que Dry Rubs.

Hello Bloggers its been a while since i`ve updated this page so here we go...
A “Dry Rub” is a spice mixture that is rubbed into meat before cooking. It’s popular in Southern and Cajun cuisines. It’s called "dry rub" as it is used in place of a liquid marinade for meat. For meat that is better without added liquid or moisture, a dry rub is best way to keep the texture at the right level.

With foods of the South, a dry rub is often used on grilled or barbqued meats. Dry rubbed ribs, pulled pork, brisket and chicken are also given flavor through a spice rub. Most typical Southern style spice rubs include chili and cayenne pepper, garlic and onion powder, salt and black pepper, paprika and dry mustard. Although the quantities of hot ingredients can be adjusted, this is an extremely spicy mix and adds a powerful kick to meat.

I like to use dry rub’s that have a sweetness level a bit higher than your typical southern rub. The use of brown sugar or raw sugars will caramelize over a period of time. When the right amount of smoke/heat is applied a bark or crust will form on the meat that is extremely flavorful.

Whyldfire Bar-B-Que has developed our own line of dry rubs that we use on all our meats. The most popular dry rub for pork and beef is our "All Purpose Original" dry rub. It has the sweetness level that gives our barbque the taste that folks really like. Sweet but with a little heat.


Smoked Baby Back Ribs rubbed with our All Purpose Original Dry Rub.

We also have a "Poultry & Fish" seasoning that we use on all our grilled poultry products. This seasoning is also used in side dishes such as baked potatoes & vegetables. Also great on sea food and smoked salmon. Some folks even season there pop corn with this rub! Ingredients used are kosher salt, onion, garlic, lemon pepper, dill weed, parsley & a pinch of oregano. Look for these rubs at select grocer`s & barbecue supply stores here in Norfolk Ne.


Grilled Chicken Legs seasoned with our Poultry & Fish rub.

Well folks i hope this cleared up a few things about Bar-B-Que Seasonings for ya. Our rubs are products that we are very proud of but as of yet are not available for purchase on the internet. Sorry but you will have to drive a spell and come visit us in Norfolk Ne. to purchase our rubs.
Thanks for checking out our latest Bar-B-Que Adventure.

4th Annual Smokn` Buddies Egg Fest

Whats an Egg Fest?



An Egg Fest is a venue for Big Green Egg enthusiasts to showcase their talents on the Big Green Egg barbecue. It is also an opportunity for those who have been contemplating a Big Green Egg to sample the foods and talk to other egg enthusiasts. In other words the Egg Fest is a good excuse to get a bunch of people together and make some great food.

Cooks came from all over the Norfolk area. One group camped next to us came from Missouri and another group from Iowa came to showcase their talents. You may be wondering if you need to own a Big Green Egg to be a cook, and the answer is no. There where demo Eggs available for people who wanted to take an Egg for a test run.

Along with cooking good food with some great people there was a competition for the most unusual thing cook on a Egg. At days end there was also an "Iron Man" competition with a secret ingredient handed out to each Egg cook who wanted to participate in this leg of the competition. This years secret ingredient was a nice pork chop provided by Kuper Farms Country Market.

Here was our set-up with kids & grand kids enjoying a beautiful spring day. The neighbors to the right of us from Missouri won the Iron Man competition with there turn-in of a stuffed pork chop. We were neighbors last year also, nice group of people. Good to see them again.



Agenda for the day.

8:00 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. Arrive & setup
9:00 a.m. Lighting of the Eggs
9:15 a.m. Big Green Egg 101 Class
10:00 a.m. - 3 p.m. Cooking, eating & sharing
1:00 p.m. Rib Class
2:00 p.m. Pork Shoulder Class
2:30 p.m. Most Unusual food off an Egg turn in
3:00 p.m. Hand Out "Secret Ingredient" for Iron Chef Competition
4:00 p.m. Iron Chef Turn In
5:00 p.m. Awards

Our local Egg Representative was on hand to help with the days event and to sample some of our pulled pork sammies.(ha) He also instructed the BGE 101 class that helped the new Egghead owners with any questions or instruction on how to cook on there new Egg.





Our youngest Granddaughter Savanna Grace was there checking up on Grandpa too! "Whats cookin` Paw Paw" ?



I don't know how "unusual" our turn in was for that section of the cook off but i have never heard of "Mini Bar-B-Que Cups". So here we are preparing these for the dead line. What you do is slice a ring of Kielbasa into 1/2 inch thick slices for the base, wrap a half strip of bacon around the Kielbasa. Cook about an hour at 250 degrees to crisp up the bacon & then add 1/2 teaspoon of beans, a drizzle of honey, a pinch of dry rub and cook for an addition 1/2 hour.



Once your cups are cooked and the bacon is some what crispy. Remove from the Egg and allow to cool for a few minutes. Right before serving top with your favorite Cole Slaw. What a nice appetizer these are! Sausage, bacon, beans & cole slaw! All my BBQ favorites.



We sure had a fun day... spent some time with the family, met some new & old friends and ate a bunch of good barbecue too! Even though we didn't win any competition categories i did manage win a nice hat in one of the drawings & we took 2nd place with our entry of Mini Barbque Cups. I guess i`m an official "Egghead" now... I have the hat to prove it!
Big thanks goes out to Doug & Laurel of Smokn` Buddies Grills & Gear for inviting us and for putting on such a great day of barbque, music, friends and more!



Thanks for checking up on my latest Bar-B-Que Adventure! Fire up those smokers and grills Bar-B-Que season is on!

Turkey Junkies

Here`s one for ya....

Whyldfire Bar-B-Que
Holiday Turkey

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp kosher salt
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp raw sugar
1 1/2 gallon water
1/3-cup whole peppercorns
2 tbsp chopped onion (dried)
1 tbsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tsp rosemary (course leaves)
1/2 tsp ground thyme
1/2 tsp rubbed sage

Mix ingredients with water & set in refrigerator over night for spices to meld. Place one 12-14lb thawed turkey in non-reactive plastic container that’s big enough for the turkey to be completely submerged. It’s important that your refrigerator is set at a safe temp to prevent the turkey from spoilage. Place a refrigerator thermometer in lowest area of your refrigerator & adjust thermostat to 35-38 degrees. Brine turkey for 48 hours. On the 2nd day remove the turkey from the brine & rinse thoroughly inside and out. Pat dry with paper towels or a clean hand towel.
Cook as you normally would in your oven, grill or smoker, but plan on the turkey cooking a little faster due to the brining which loosened the fibers of the meat. Ya see… brining causes the proteins in the meat to break down a little allowing the salt, sugar, and other flavoring agents to permeate the meat's flesh.

If you’re a true “Turkey Junkie” like me… try grilling it in a Weber Kettle or similar round charcoal grill… if you have one. What I do is bank the coals on two sides of the grill with a disposable foil pan between the coals adding a little water to the pan. Adjust your grill vents to a temperature of 350-400 degrees and add a small handful of apple wood chips to your hot coals for the first 30-60 minutes of cook time. Grill the turkey for 2-3 hours to an internal temperature of 175 degrees in the deepest part of the thigh. Indirect grilling with the coals on either side of the turkey will keep it far enough from the direct heat so as to not to burn it.

Why brine and grill a turkey???
The results will be a lightly smoked, juicier more flavorful turkey! I guarantee!


Now don`t that look good?

Brunswick Stew

Here is my take on a tradition southern stew flavored with a home made barbque sauce that’s sweet, smoky, & just plain good! The stews origin’s are not completely sure but defiantly has a southern flare to it. Start with the homemade sauce; add spices, other sauces, vegetables and apple wood smoked chicken & pork. Simmer till flavors are blended and ingredients are tender. Although the meat does not have to be smoked it adds a wonderful smoky goodness to the stew. This barbque flavored stew is sure to be a hit with your family & friends at your next party!

First the sauce:
In a large pot over low heat melt ¼ cup of butter then add,
1¾ cups Ketchup
¼ cup Yellow Mustard
¼ cup white vinegar


Stir until smooth then add,

½ tablespoon minced garlic w/red peppers
1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
½ oz. Liquid Smoke
1 oz. Worcestershire Sauce
1 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce
½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice


Stir until smooth then add,

¼ cup dark brown sugar
Stirring constantly, increase heat to simmer (don’t boil it) for approx. 10 -15 minutes to blend the spices. Makes approx. 3½ cups of sauce. Set aside to be added later.



Now The Stew:
In a large pot over low heat, melt ¼ lb of butter then add,
4 cups diced potatoes
1 1/2 cups diced onion
2 14½ oz. cans of chicken broth
1/2 Chicken apple wood smoked
1 ½ lbs pulled pork (Boston butt) apple wood smoked



Bring to a rolling boil, stirring until potatoes are near done then add,

1 8½ oz. can early peas
2 14½ oz cans of stewed Tomatoes (leave tomatoes whole)
The Sauce (set a side)
1 16 oz. can of lima beans
1 cup chopped Okra
¼ cup Liquid Smoke
1-14½ oz. can creamed corn





Slow simmer for 2 hours...



Yields 1 gallon of the best tasting stew ya ever had! A southern favorite that's sure to be one of your best stew`s! I want to wish all my blogger friends a happy holiday season and thank you for checking out my latest & probably my last "Barbque Adventure" till next year.
Till we meet again... remember to add the love to your next cooking adventure!