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?