Tastefully Simple Barbecue Dip Raspberry Jalapeno Sauce

Barbecue Grilled Country Ribs with Tastefully Simple Raspberry Jalapeno Sauce

I've been a fan of Tastefully Simple for quite a while now. I made some really terrific white barbecue chicken with their luau dip mix (which was also a great chip and veggie dip as well).

Tastefully Simple checked to see if I'd like to try out some of their new products for this grilling season. I'm usually game to do so and give an honest opinion.

I've always loved raspberries. When we visited the relatives when I was a kid, they would take me picking berries (mostly eating for me) and would keep getting me to say what they were. I called them RAUS-berries. So, the relatives all thought I sounded very city-fied, and I cracked them up with my mini foodie self.

Of course, I had to break open the Tastefully Simple Raspberry Sauce which does have jalapenos but not enough to run off many. You get just a hint of heat but not really any hot which works for me on this flavor combo.

Raspberry Jalapeno sauce is billed as a barbecue sauce or a table dipping sauce. I'd have to agree that it works both ways, so even if you don't barbecue grill, you can still get some great flavor here.

Grilling Country Ribs

Of course, I was going to grill with the Raspberry barbecue sauce, because . . . hey . . . that's what I do. And, that's really the only way I know how to tell you how a barbecue sauce really tastes. Fire up the grill and use it.

I had some country ribs which are an odd cut and inexpensive but with a lot of meat for the money. The flavor is close to pork chops. Also, these are not true ribs, so they don't have to grill or smoke for near as long. These were on maybe 45 minutes to an hour on low heat.

First I smoked the ribs until close done. This can be done with charcoal or gas (just low on the temperature). The last fifteen minutes or so I added the Tastefully Simple Raspberry BBQ sauce.  Sauces with sugar will burn if you put them on for the entire grilling time.

Having smelled and taken a little bite of the barbecue sauce beforehand, I sauced only one side of the country ribs. This is a sweet sauce, and one side was just perfect for us. If you have a real sweet tooth, you could go heavier and sauce up both sides. I'll stick with one side as the balance was just right here.

What Did We Think of the Raspberry Barbecue Sauce?

First, I must say that this is a beautiful barbecue sauce. I rarely go there on the blog. But, if you look at the photo at the top, you'll see what I mean. Wow. That's just a point and shoot camera on my front porch and no PhotoShop. The ribs looked just like that (or better).

The flavor was as good as how the country ribs look. Although I do suggest going light on the amount with the sweetness, the overall flavor was something to write home (or on FaceBook) about. The rich raspberry flavor with the hint of heat was spot on. 

I love a lot of grilling seasoning, spices, rubs, oils and sauces. There are just a very few that I count top picks. This is one, so you know I loved it. Then again, I do go way back as a raspberry fan, but I do think it would be hard not to love this special barbecue or dipping sauce.



Here is the bottle for those looking for Tastefully Simple Raspberry. I know it helps me when I know what to look for on the shelf.

How to Grill a Bone In Ham on the Barbecue Grill

Grilled Smoked Ham - Bone In

Eli won a ham at the turkey shoot. If you're not Southern - not to worry. They do not shoot turkeys. The guys shoot paper targets. The one who gets closest to the center gets a prize. In this case, Eli won the ham turkey shoot prize.

Of course, I'm thinking grilling when Eli comes home proud with his haul. Actually it's smoking with a larger cut of meat that is not pre-cooked as this ham butt as it's called. Don't stress if you don't have a smoker though. You can also do this on a grill with a few tips.

Now if you want a super easy grilled ham, then get you a pre-cooked ham and just grill smoke it up to temperature. I've already written about super easy grilled ham. An uncooked one is not so hard though, so stick with me here. If you can bake a ham, you can grill one.

Getting the Ham Ready to Grill

First I got the ham out of the package. They have a flavor package in there, but I've had those . . . and well no thanks. That packaged stuff is not very good. You can find much better flavors right in your refrigerator or cabinets.

As you can see, I used a toss away pan to have moisture going in the grill. Some people wrap the ham in aluminum or tin foil (as we say in the South), but then how does the smoke flavor get in there? So, I'm open grilling but with moisture under, so I know I'm getting some smoke flavor.

I put the ham in meat side down and then added half and half water and apple cider up to around one inch around the meat (which is why I put the meat in first). You can use water only. I just happened to have some cider going begging and a chance to use it rather than waste it (plus apple juice or cider gives a nice flavor kick to ham).

Then, I had a bag of oranges, and we often don't finish a whole bag, so I decided to slice one up and float it in the water. Well, now that was smelling yummy.

Next up, I stuck cloves in the ham. You can score the ham (little criss-crosses with a knife). My Mom always did that. I was running a little behind so just randomly placed whole cloves around on top.

Sometimes I rub the ham with mustard (which you can't taste - just acts like glue on grilled meats) and add various seasoning or rubs. That always works out well, but we had this bottle of Bacardi Peach that I could not pawn off on anyone. The Bacardi Razz is good in a drink, but the Bacardi Peach is way too sweet. Hum . . .

I poured the Bacardi Peach rum over the top of the ham.

And, then I was ready to grill my bone in ham.

Grilling the Ham

What you want on a ham is a low temperature - say 250 to maybe 325. Ham is kind of forgiving, but try to keep it low on the grill or smoker temp.

I was using a Traeger pellet grill here which is super easy. Just turn it on and let it do its thing. Check now and then. But, a Traeger is about like using an oven except you've got burning wood pellets and that kiss of smoke flavor.

For other smokers, just work on the vents to get your low temperature.

With a grill, offset. Put the heat to one side (charcoal only on one side of the Weber for instance). Or, if you have a big gas grill turn the side burners on but not the middle one. Keep the heat low and the meat over the area without direct coals or burner flames.

How Long to Grill an Uncooked Ham?

With various grills, outdoor temperatures, and grillers, you get variations on times when grilling a ham or any large cut of meat. I always suggest allowing an hour more than you expect. If you do get done early, then just wrap the meat in foil and let it rest until meal time.

In this case, the ham was small. I was switching between smoke setting and medium on the Traeger which is a little low on smoke and a little high on medium (which is why I switched around). It took about three hours to hit the magic mark of 145 degrees F which is the suggested time for uncooked ham by the USDA. Actually I think I pulled it at 147 F.

I did use a thermometer, because you really can't eyeball a big cut of meat and tell. Steaks, burgers, pork chops - those I can tell by looking. Something like a ham, I check with a thermometer. My favorite outdoor thermometer is the Thermopen, but it's expensive. I have a Taylor that works fine (but takes longer) that was only $10 or so.

So, How'd the Grilled Ham Turn Out?

Yum. I think this is the best ham I've made. Everything just came together for a great taste, and that Bacardi Peach rum gave a nice glaze on the outside while holding in the moisture.

How to Grill Smoke Cabbage on the Barbecue Grill

Grilled Smoked Cabbage on the PK Grill

I sent the boys to get a head of lettuce for a salad, and they found a great price on a big old heavy head of . . . cabbage which they have never liked for some strange reason. I assured them that they were not going to like a tossed salad made with cabbage, but I can make lemonade if brought lemons (and again I do like cabbage).

Cabbage does take quite a while to cook no matter how you slice or dice it, unless you want to make slaw, and that's what the boys have never much liked.

Grilling caggage is not hard, and it keeps the cabbage smell out of the kitchen. It does take a little time, but I just put slower grilling foods like cabbage on the grill and then do other things while the meal is smoking along.

How to Get Cabbage Ready for the Barbecue Grill

There are a number of ways to grill cabbage. You can cut it up and do chunks or wedges. You can wrap cabbage in aluminum foil (a little quicker method - but losing a lot of the smoke flavor).

In this case, I decided to grill the whole cabbage head but add some meat for my meat eating guys. They are BIG on meat around here.

First, I cored the cabbage. Just use a knife and cut around the hard core from the bottom. Kind of bump the cabbage head with your hand or on the counter, and the core comes out.

At this point you sort of have a bowl (but a quicker grilling cabbage with the hard core out).

With the empty space where you cored the cabbage, you can do all kinds of things. Some people put in onions and butter. Very easy. Nice low cost dish that tastes great.

I got some cooked smoked sausage IGA brand (which is a family favorite and quite inexpensive) and rubbed sauage slices with Dizzy Pig seasoning which is a barbecue seasoning or rub and one of our favorites. There are many brands on the market, so play around. Just don't go too heavy on any barbecue product until you know it's a flavor that you really enjoy.

I put the sausages in the hole of the cabbage where the core had been.

I had a little bacon left from breakfast (uncooked), so I wrapped a couple of slices around the top of the cabbage (which I guess is really the bottom, but I had it sitting up that direction). I just drapped the bacon and pressed it down to make a pretty circle.

I also had some onion slices, so I put a couple of rings at the top to cap off the cabbage - for eye appeal and flavor.

Setting up the BBQ Grill to Barbecue Cabbage

I decided to use charcoal on the cabbage to give it a solid grilled and smoked flavor. In this case, I offset the charcoal. In other words, I had coals on one side of the grill going but not the other. This is indirect heat grilling and good for things you want to grill low and slow (foods that don't cook or grill real fast). You can do this over gas by only using the burners on one side - one side on and one side off.

I let the charcoal burn down with no flames and then put the cabbage on the cool side (the side without charcoal). It still has heat but not direct and real hot. The heat just circulates inside the BBQ grill.

To keep the cabbage in place, I took aluminum foil and just made a ring as you can see. That just keeps the cabbage standing up.

Grilling the Cabbage

I put the cabbage on the grill on the foil ring on the cool side, put the lid down on the barbecue grill, and opened the vents on the PK grill to allow the air to flow and keep the heat going to grill the cabbage but at a lower and slower temperature.

Then, I just checked the cabbage every 15 to 20 minutes to make sure it was still grilling (coals still going) and that things were not getting too hot and scorching the grilled cabbage. The PK (portable kitchen outdoor cooker) grill is great at holding temperatures, so this was super easy.

It took around 45 minutes to slow grill or smoke the cabbage. I just tapped the sides of the grilling cabbage with the tongs. If you have eaten cabbage, you can tell if it's soft enough or not (or you could cut a little chunk and taste to be sure). Your temperatures can vary in grilling, so do watch, because you could be done quicker, or it could take a little longer. The 45 minutes is a pretty good ballpark point.

If the cabbage is grilling faster, cut down the heat. You can also lay a little tin foil around the cabbage kind of like a tent to protect the outer leaves from getting too dark if it's grilling quite fast (but can also peel off those very outside leaves too).

Is Grilled Cabbage Good?

If I had to pick the best of all the ways I've had cabbage, I'd say grilled ranks first. The cabbage is not quite as strong on the cabbage taste, and that grilling smoke gives it a wonderful boost.

In this case with the sausages in the cabbage, then it's a full meal on the grill which is nice. We had meat, cabbage, a few bits of bacon all round and some onion. All these flavors came together and melded for a really great cabbage dish.

You can, of course, go veggie on the cabbage and have that on the side. Just change up the stuffing. But, you may want to add some butter or marinade if you don't have meat drippings from the sausage and bacon. Some type of moisture does help.

Don't be afraid to play around when you grill. You just want to go low and slow on cabbage and make sure it's soft in the end. The ideas for stuffing or seasonings is unlimited.

Farm Fresh Market Place in Salisbury, North Carolina - Must Check It

Farm Fresh Market Place - Salisbury, North Carolina

Added Note: One of my BBQ sauce friends provided a case of sauce to Jon Barber. Jon asked for a second and said to invoice. He did not pay up. Run him in Google and beware. 

 

Farm Fresh Marketplace has been on my "to visit" list since it opened. I just wasn't quite sure where it was located, and this has been a super busy few months. I want to buy better and fresher food, but when I'm exhausted, I just stop at the grocery store on the way home from work. I know. No excuses. But, life does have a way of getting in the way.

Farm Fresh really is not hard to find. You just get on South Main Street in Salisbury, NC and drive (toward Kannapolis) up close to Airport Road. You can, of course, GPS is at 3204 South Main St, Salisbury, NC (but I just got my GPS finally). For out-of-towners, then you get to Farm Fresh MarketPlace off I85 between Greensboro, NC and Charlotte, NC. It's a few miles off the highway, but it's worth the stop.

I was telling my younger son that I was going out there and explaining where I thought it was. He knew just where it was. This summer he had an internship, and he said he stopped at Farm Fresh to pick up lunch. He loves fruits, so he'd get a healthy and inexpensive lunch with local fruits. Why is the mother the last to know? Well, I never asked I guess.

My Son Loved Getting Fresh Fruit at the MarketPlace for Lunch Instead of Fatty Fast Food

I knew about Farm Fresh MarketPlace, because I'm FaceBook friends with Jon Barber who got this project started. We go a LONG way back. I kept the score for wrestling in high school, and he and his twin brother, Jim, were on the team.

Jon and Jim were older, athletes, and both quite stunningly cute (but fraternal - so each in his own unique way). This can be a recipe for being jerky (in just a few cases at my old high school). The main thing I remember is that both brothers were always super nice - to everyone. I've seen Jon a few times since graduation, and he always has been the same very nice and caring guy I remembered all these years.

I told Jon by Facebook PM about this wonderful North Carolina barbecue sauce from J. Paul Abrams with his Nephew's line of barbecue sauces. I bought a jar at Southern Seasons in Chapel Hill and was hooked. My son was a student at UNC-Chapel Hill and would pick it up for me, but he graduated. I was hoping Jon could carry the sauce, because Chapel Hill is a long drive, and shipping is expensive (but worth it for this sauce). Having it local - a dream come true.

Paul and Jon got to talking, and the next thing you know . . . yes . . . Nephew's barbecue sauce was at Farm Fresh Market Place. I love when things work out, and I encourage everyone to try out Nephew's if you get to Farm Fresh (which I really recommend). The Cherry Polte on slow smoked ribs is my favorite, but the rub and all the Nephew's BBQ sauces are top shelf. The pumpkin on pork loin is just fabulous too. Heck, all the Nephew's products are wonderful.

Yay! I Can Now Get Nephew's BBQ Rub and Sauce in Salisbury, NC

After Jon and Paul took the time to make this happen - my favorite sauce here local . . . you know I had to get myself out to Farm Fresh MarketPlace. Otherwise, I'm the one who looks like (and really is) a jerk.

I had no problem finding my way. I just don't go down South Main (old 29) often. It's an easy drive, and Farm Fresh was easy to find. I posted a photo at the top, so you will know just what you're looking for.

I thanked Jon for getting Nephew's barbecue sauce in. It really will be great to have it close my house. It's still about a half hour but way better than 2.5 to 3 (when I get lost in Chapel Hill for some reason even after four years).

Local Zip Lock Bags of NC Pecans at Fram Fresh

I looked at the local pecans at Farm Fresh. We still have a few left, but my Mom had to have the old trees cut this year. Our pecan supply is gone after these last are gone. I know where to get some now though. I'm going to miss our pecan trees and free pecans, but you don't want old trees falling over and crunching the house. 

This is not really garden season in North Carolina, so the main totally local (right here in town) produce was turnips. God bless everyone who loves turnips, but I've not developed a taste for them. The turnips were beautiful though.

 Local Grown Turnips - Not My Thing - But Very Pretty

I had my Nephew's cherry barbecue sauce, and Jon showed me his sample table which had Nephew's. I don't need to check Nephew's BBQ sauce, because I know and love it well. I did try some wonderful canned sweet potato butter. I've never had that, and it was really great. I am trying to watch my sweets though I'd loved to have bought a jar of that and eaten it with a spoon or on homemade biscuits. Jon also thought I might like the canned asparagus. OK. Yes. I love asparagus.

 

Ward Farms Pickled Asparagus - Boy That's Good Stuff

Next thing you know, I have the Ward Farm pickled asparagus up on the counter to buy. It's very early asparagus and super tender. There are hot peppers in there, so this is a HOT asparagus. Not like - kill you hot. But, you don't want this if you do not like a lot of zip. I do. I had to have a jar.

Keeping the selection small, local, and quality with some samples is right on target. I doubt I would have picked up pickled asparagus, because I don't like pickles. Then again, I'm not a cucumber fan. This pickled asparagus. Oh my goodness. My mouth is watering now thinking about it.

Yes. This Happy Chicken Lives at Farm Fresh.

I got my bag and headed out and said good-bye to the chicken out front. There will be an Eagle Scout garden going in beside the chicken soon. That will be cool, and a good way for people to see where their food comes from. Also, both my boys are Eagle Scouts. I'm glad Jon supports local kids on projects like this. It takes a lot of work to reach Eagle Scout, and they must have a big final project in the community. I can't wait to see this one.

I know this is a long blog post, but it is a complex story as are many in life. My Mom was our Brownie leader and always told use about friends: "Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold." I've know Jon most of my life, and I'm glad he has started Farm Fresh MarketPlace to feature local and North Carolina products. Paul is up near Raleigh, and I met him by way of his Nephew's Barbecue sauce and became FaceBook friends (so we're new buddies - and I've not met him in person yet). This all came together online, so . . .

1. If you're in Salisbury, NC, be sure to check out Farm Fresh MarketPlace, and if you're on I85, take the extra time to stop by a real locally owned and focused place to get real food.

2. If you're at FarmFresh or see Nephew's barbecue rubs or sauces, try them out. You know they are great, or I would not have lobbied to get them right here in town. If you can't find Nephew's near you, then the shipping price is worth it. I was in a crunch and ordered online for Christmas gifts, because this sauce is just that GREAT.

Cowboy Joe's Pit and Grilling Sauce - Vinegar Sauce Review

Cowboy Joe's Pit & Grilling Sauce on Pork Chops

Leslie got in touch. She'd found Barbecue Master and thought I'd like to try out Cowboy Joe's Pit & Grilling Sauce. They have just taken first place in the Austin, Texas "Man-Up" annual competition and then 4th in the National Barbecue Association competition with 600 entries.

Life has been crazy around here as some of you know with a kid out of the country and an airline take-over with some questions about when I'd get him back. I still had to eat, and this sauce interesting, since it's a vinegar, and North Carolina is the vinegar capital of sauces.

Leslie sent out samples of the mild and spicy, and made my quick and easy boneless pork chops. I also tried the sauce (or really a mop) on some chopped pork as well that I had from our last low and slow smoke.

Here's What Cowboy Joe's Barbecue Sauce Looks Like in the Jar
 

When I first opened the box, I thought I had what I'd call a sauce - thick like Kansas City sauce. In North Carolina, Bone Suckin' Sauce is a thick sauce billed as a vinegar sauce, but it's certainly not a classic North Carolina BBQ sauce. It's more like Kansas with a hint of vinegar.

The darker color was throwing me off, but when I opened the jar, this was what I call a mop. It's thin like a classic North Carolina vinegar sauce but with a sweeter smell. What this means is that you can use it as a marinade, and you can brush it on while grilling where on thick sauces you need to wait until the meat is almost done, or the sugars will burn, and your barbecue meat will be charred on the outside.

I did marinate the pork chops for about 20 minutes in Cowboy Joe's Pit & Grilling barbecue sauce. And, then I sauced a little. It does not take long to grill boneless pork chops, so I didn't need to mop much. Just on each flip.

On the chopped pork, I just heated the sauce and poured it over as we do here in North Carolina on pork butt or shoulder sandwiches.

This was a really robust and tasty sauce. Cowboy Joe's was sweet just as it smelled. So, it's not a North Carolina knock off which is almost totally vinegar in flavor with some heat (hot pepper seeds) and in the western area (piedmont) a little red (some form of tomato).

I love a wide range of styles of barbecue sauces, but I do associate vinegar with NC. Our sauce does seem to be an acquired taste though, and many kind of freak out on the big hit of vinegar.

You get a little vinegar flavor in Cowboy Joe's but more sweet than tang, so I'd have to say that it would be more mainstream and appeal to a wider audience. You get the mop style which is great for moisture as you can see in my pork chop photo.

I go thumbs up, unless you are looking for NC style vinegar sauce. Then I'd say go with Ralph's (very small batch) or Scott's (easier to find). If you're looking for your first vinegar mop sauce, Cowboy Joe's is much less tart so a great bet if you're not used to vinegar sauces.

I love our NC vinegar sauces, but I have to call things the way I see them. Our barbecue sauce here can be kind of a shock. You get something similar here with Cowboy Joe's Pit & Grilling Sauce but with more balance and less bite. Someone may come by and revoke my North Carolina citizenship card. But, I adore out sauce style. I just know it's a niche product. Cowboy Joe's would be broader in appeal.

On a side note, I did get my son back. Now, I need to make him some smoked pork with Cowboy Joe's.

 

How to Make Grilled Tex-Mex Meat Muffins

 

Grilled Mini Meatballs with Tex-Mex Filling and Cheese Toppings

I was in the mood for something sinfully delicious this weekend and decided to make some grilled meat muffins. As I thought about how I'd do them, I decided I wanted kind of a taco flare and also cheese (since my youngest son is a huge cheese fan).

I picked up a couple of the toss away mini muffin pans at IGA. I need to keep a look out at Good Will for the mini size. That's a good place to get inexpensive pans to use on the grill. They get smoked up, so I don't want to use my kitchen pans (other than old fashioned cast iron) on the grill, because I have already made quite a mess of one baking dish.

To make the base, I used between 1 and 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef (ground turkey would also work fine) mixed with 3 tablespoons of taco seasoning. You can use any brand, but I used Lucky A by Lucky's Smoke House. It's a premium mix and excellent.

Next, I rolled the meat into 24 balls about quarter sized and used my thumb to press each in a muffin tin hole as you see here.

Mini Meat Muffins Ready to Fill

After I got the ground beef in the pans, I mixed up the filling. Here is what goes in the filling for the meat muffins.

Ingredients for Tex-Mex Grilled Meat Muffins:

1 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons taco sauce (I used medium - just go with the heat level you like.)
8 nacho chips crumbled up (Mine were the Scoops by Tostitos.)

After I got everything in the bowl, I stirred the stuffing mixture so that it was smooth, and then I put the sour cream mixture in the meat muffins which you see behind my bowl.

Here is what my meat muffins looked like as I was filling them with the sour cream mixture.

I topped off the Tex-Mex meat muffins with shredded cheese. I used around 3 ounces which I shredded myself from a bulk block. You can also buy the cheese shreaded. Although this doesn't sound or look like a lot of cheese, on mini muffins, these were actually quite cheesy I must say.

I put the meat muffins on the grill on medium heat (around 350 degrees) with the lid down so that the grill acts basically as an oven but holds in the smoke. At this temperature, it took around a half hour to grill the meatballs. You can check but using a spoon and tilting one to see if the meat is done as you like it. You also can still see some pink above which told me that I needed to grill them a bit longer.

Once the mini meat muffins were done, I used a grill glove and brought the pans in the house. I used a slotted spoon to take them out. Ground beef does have fat, so I did that to get the fat drained out.

These were quite delicious I must say. They had some zip with the taco powder and taco sauce. The chips gave the filling a little more body and texture, although you don't taste taco chip chunks. The inside is smooth in the end but with body.

There were only three of us eating, and we did not have a single meat muffin left. So, I'm sure we'll be grilling these again.

Giveaway Contest - Apron, Timer, and Alexia Bread (your choice) - Ends 3-9-2013

Win Alexia Bread Plus an Apron and Kitchen Timer

Elizabeth contacted me and asked if I'd like to try out Alexia bread and then host a contest if I liked the all natural bread. I was game, and she sent out sweet potato bread which I'd never had. I fell in love with this bread which is yummy enough to be dessert.

Although I grilled my Alexia rolls, they were not specifically designed for grilling. So, if you don't grill, don't click out on me. You can do these delicious rolls in your oven. That's what you'll see on the directions. Just a few minutes and nice hot bread. Got to love that.

Since the rolls were a thumbs up here, I'm rolling with the contest. I did get a bag of rolls to check out, but that's all. The contest is just a bonus for readers.

The Alexia Contest Prize Is:

· One free Alexia apron
· One coupon for a free Alexia product - so you get to pick
· One free Alexia kitchen timer


How Do You Enter?

I keep my contests simple, and I don't track your information or spam you.

Just leave a comment and some way to get in contact if you win. I just get in touch to get your snail mail, so Alexia can send you the prize. Easy as that.

Some people like extra entries on contests giveaways, so if you FaceBook or Twitter this post so others can have a chance at some great rolls, then do that and then post that you did either or both. Do a new post for each entry please, so I make sure to get them all. I'm still low tech and put your names on slips of paper and have a family member pull a name.

The contest ends 3-9-2013 with the winner contacted 3-10 (my last day of break), so be sure to get entered quick!

Free Rolls or Your Choice of Alexia All Natural Foods

With your coupon, you get to pick your Alexia natural food product. I loved the sweet potato rolls. They are sweet, so I'd call them right at dessert. Yum! But, you can pick what you want, since you get a free coupon and decide for yourself.

Follow Up: Jan is the winner of the contest. Congratulations Jan and enjoy your goodies from Alexia!

Yes. You Can Grill Bread. Alexia Sweet Potato Rolls. Yum.

Alexia Sweet Potato Rolls

A lot of people don't know you can do bread on the barbecue grill. As you can see, our Alexia sweet potato rolls turned out great this weekend.

I can't take credit for actually making these rolls. Katherine contacted me and asked if I'd like to try a free sample of these frozen all natural rolls and then host a contest for readers if I liked the rolls. It's spring break, so the timing was great. I said that I'd give them a try and see.

I had to take a look at the rolls to know what I'd do on the grill. You can do a range of breads in various ways. These turned out to be the super simple type of bread for grilling. They had been baked and lightly browned. They'd really just need heating.

You may wonder why you'd put bread on the grill. Well, if you're grilling and have the fuel going, then you save energy and don't heat up the kitchen if you do as much of the meal as possible right on the grill.

You can see here that I did our whole meal on the grill (a Traeger pellet grill in this case).

Forget the Kitchen. We Took it ALL Outside.

I made some garlic Greek potatoes (but added onions this time) along with some Tex-Mex sour cream meatballs with cheese and the Alexia rolls there at the end for the last 10 minutes.

All I had to do was heat the rolls as the other foods were close done. I flipped them once at 5 minutes. You do have to watch especially if you've not done bread before and don't know the temperatures on your unit. The key is to close the lid so the grill is like an oven for the last few minutes.

Rolls on the Grill - Yes - You Bet

Here is a close up. You can see that I just put the bread right on the grates. It was frozen. I think the directions called for a couple of more minutes, but I watched close to pull them when they were hot but not burned.

That's really the only way you can wreck pre-cooked breads on the grill. You have the heat too high and you burn them before they get hot. It does not take much practice to figure out the right temperature and times on your grill whether it be charcoal, gas, or pellet (as here).

There are lots of breads and types and ways to grill bread. This is your very easiest bread grilling. Ready in minutes and with a little smoke hint. Very nice.

As far as the Alexia sweet potato rolls, I was blown away. I'm a bread-aholic. OK. I confess. I am. I'm going to like most any bread, but I just loved these Alexia sweet potato rolls. The texture was great - outside kind of crisp and inside nice and soft. The flavor . . . Well, let's just say I had a roll for dessert. The sweet potato kick made them so yummy that I felt like I'd had a dessert although I buttered them like rolls. That would be the only warning I'd give. This is not a classic bread (but they do sell some). The sweet potato makes them . . . sweet.

I will look for these rolls at Food Lion and IGA. I hope they have them. These were some of the best grilled rolls I've made. I can't take the credit, since these grilled rolls were easy and just heat and eat. But, it's nice to have something yummy like this to impress your family and friends even when you did not have to do much work.

The Digest Diet Cookbook - Good Diet for a Griller

The Digest Diet Cookbook

Jennifer emailed to see if I'd like to try out The Digest Diet Cookbook. Ironically I had been thinking that I should lighten up a bit, so the timing was good especially since I'm not the dieting type. My Granny went on every fad diet that ever came out, and I remember seeing meal plans with things like soft boiled eggs and beets. Ugh. I've just always done the "cut back here and there" route.

Having always loved Reader's Digest magazine which was always beside the toilet at Poppaw's house and then a staple in my parent's home, I thought it was worth a shot to check out the book.

When The Digest Diet Cookbook arrived, I sat down and read it. Yes. I actually do sit down and read cookbooks. I suppose you could call me a food nerd.

First I'll say that this diet cookbook is very well written and organized so easy to follow and understand. I do suggest actually reading it (maybe not word for word on recipes until you're ready to make them), but read over the first part where Liz Vaccariello goes over her approach and how the diet comes together to work for most anyone - even barbecue masters.

Shake Things Up and Lose Weight and Inches

The Digest Diet Cookbook builds around (at the start especially) healthy shakes or smoothies (whatever you'd like to call them). They provide that "treat" factor with some sweetness and energy as well as ingredients that help release fat (per the research of the author).

I'm not a real shake type of person, but it is easier and quicker to start the day off with a healthy shake than to make a meal. And, I'm the type to skip breakfast. Yes. I know that's a bad habit. I'm working on it.

The first few days are shake and soup focused which kind of scared me to start with. Where's my meat? The theory though is that this kind of jump starts your body to lose weight and you get some quick results which is encouraging. I suspect it is a real downer to go on a diet and not lose but a pound or two in a month. So, the idea here is to start off successful with some quick results which would incline one to keep on a diet rather than quit after a day or two as I suspect many people are prone to do.

Now don't worry. You aren't drinking shakes the rest of the month or your life, although the author is big on these for starting off the day with adjustments to them across phases as you move toward a healthy and sustainable diet that fits most lifestyles.

A Griller Friendly Diet - Yay!

I was happy to see that grilling was specifically mentioned when talking about healthy cooking styles. You can do lean meats on a grill and have a low fat and calorie meal packed with flavor. I already knew this, but I don't recall anyone putting that in a book about dieting.

As far as the recipes, you can see above that there is a grilled lamb recipe which looks wonderful. Most of the recipes are designed and tested in the kitchen; however, most things that can be made inside can be made outside. You just need a few grilling accessories like a grill dedicated baking pan and a wok - inexpensive grilling items like that.

The way this diet works out (after the first few jump start days) would be that you have mix and match foods for burning fat. It's a broad list and not just some boiled beats like back in Granny's days of dieting. There were plenty of things that I could pick from and then combine as I liked just picking off the lists. Then, there were the recipes to help bump things up beyond just picking a lean meat and vegetable and so on.

The program is set up with three somewhat intense weeks and then you can follow the main guidelines and use the recipes and maintain the weight you dropped. They had several people featured in the book who lost weight and inches including one guy who dropped 26 pounds in 21 days. My barbecue apron is off to him.

My results were not as amazing, but I don't stay on track as well. (Those rib eye steaks and grilled butter tators get to calling my name now and then.) I can't give you an exact number, because I threw out my scales around 15 years ago. I can tell by my clothes when I'm up or down. By following The Digest Diet I was able to get back in a size smaller on my pants that had been sitting for a few months.

I must go thumbs up on The Digest Diet Cookbook and say that it's a good program for those of us who love to grill. I'd love to see Liz Vaccariello come out with another book focused on recipes just for the grill. Maybe some day . . .

This is the second book for The Digest Diet, and they also have a Digest Diet FaceBook page with ideas and support. I'll have to check out the first book, and I have been enjoying the FB page.

Lucky Smoke House has a Barbecue Rub or Seasoning for You

 

Lucky Smoke House Rubs and Seasonings - Something to Impress any Griller

First I'm sure everyone is impressed that I was able to stack so many barbecue rubs and seasonings without toppling them over. When I say Lucky Smoke House has something for everyone, I'm not just kidding as you can see.

Troy is my Facebook friend, and he and his wife, Elizabeth, are BBQ rub folks but also sell smoked foods like cold smoked salmon which I wrote about earlier and which is one of my new passions. Really great food does me like that, and that west coast salmon was heaven.

Troy was trying to explain that cold smoked salmon which is complex, so he said he'd just call and he did. We chatted about barbecue and smoking and about rubs/seasonings. He said he'd send me out some of his seasoning, because he knows I love to check out new ones and blog about them (the good, the bad, and the ugh - well I hate to tell you about the bad and ugh but fair is fair).

I did not realize that Troy had such a broad collecion of rubs and seasonings. Wow. He and Elizabeth have been busy as you can tell.

I decided to do some pork chops first, since I had some thawed out. I asked Troy what he'd suggest to season. He laughed and said: "Lucky Pig."

Of course.

But, his collection is NOT that simple. So, I pointed out that he had Panda, and I am pretty sure it's not legal to eat Panda. Correct me if I'm wrong. Either way, they don't sell Panda meat here.

"Oh," said Troy. "That's an Asian inspired seasoning."

It was not really intended for grilling panda. Whew. I do not have to go hunting or break any laws.

I decided to do Lucky Pig and Lucky Mad Panda (and the "mad" part in the collection just means spicy - but spicy here is a kick but not burn your tongue).

Pork Chops Resting with Lucky Smoke House Pig and Mad Panda

I put a little olive oil on the boneless pork chops which are a "go to" grill meal here, because they are quick and easy. They are also on sale quite often. I paid less than $4 for the meat here.

Both barbeque seasonings smelled quite fabulous but very different (you can even see the difference just in looking at the colors in the photo). In some large collections, I have a hard time telling one from the next. Every Lucky Smoke House flavor I've tried has really had its own unique smell and flavor.

Lucky Pig was a very classic pork type rub with a little sweet and heat and some extra umph which only comes with really balanced special rubs. I went light, because this could be a rub for a pork butt. So, something small like a pork chop does not need a thick coating - just enough to give some pop.

The Lucky Mad Panda had more bite. It worked across the table here, so I'll call it all purpose except for those who can't stand any heat. There was some kick, but it was the pleasant kind that you feel but don't cry about.

I loved both seasonings but especially the Lucky Mad Panda, since it was so unique. It did have some Asian notes (and I lived in Japan) and a nip of heat (which I love). I would not call this one classic for grilling, but it's one of my favorites in a long time. Very nice taste and really jazzed up plain, inexpensive grilled pork chops. We were eating large and feeling uptown.

Yes. These Pork Chops Were as Yummy as They Look!

It was fun picking out and playing with the Lucky Smoke House barbecue rubs. I'm still checking out these, since this is a big collecion. We had some Lucky Azz (changed the spelling so as not to upset the Google gods) on chicken. That one is billed for tacos and such versus donkey (do people grill donkey?), and it's great for stir fry in a grill wok and then served in soft taco shells or burrito wraps.

Troy has created a really interesting and broad range of BBQ seasonings and rubs. The collection is cohesive with clear balance or inspiraton but does not leave you wondering if you have the same rub with just a little change or two. No. They are all unique and each we've had tastes great.

Lucky Smoke House is a barbecue chef collection. I find a few great seasoning mixers but few who can pull off a big collection with each having a personality. Each bottle you open - you do get lucky just as the name of the barbecue rub line.

What does Shania Twain Do with Her Bag Balm - and grillers and smoker can use it too!

Hand Boo Boo - What Do I Turn To? - Bag Balm - Yep - It's the Best.

Bag Balm has been selling like hot cakes (not to be confused with cow patties). At one point, the entire year supply of 30,000 tins sold out in one month. You can imagine that this came as quite a surprise to the Bag Balm makers in Quebec Canada though the product says “Vermont’s Original."

What the Heck is Bag Balm?

If you haven’t heard of bag balm, then it’s a veternary product. It’s sold for use on animals and particularly on cows. And, it says so on the side of the green can with pink flowers and lettering. “After each milking, apply thoroughly and allow coating to remain on surface . . .”

If you have a cow, and your cow has teat problems, then you go buy some Bag and Balm. Cow owners have been treating dry and cracked cow udder and teats with Bag Balm since 1889. Bull owners might use Bag and Balm for barbwire cuts and such, but bulls do not have teats. And I won’t even explain that one.

If you are a little confused on the cow terminology, the udder is the big bag and the teats are the milkers hanging down. Those are between the back legs and come as set. My city cousin drew his cow with the apparatus between the front legs which is still a family laugh after 25 years.

Bag Balm is Not Just for Country People

When you live on a farm, you often "make do." It’s not unusual for farm folk to try out the animal meds. Although I grew up in the city (if you can call a town of 800 with pig pastures behind houses on Main Street a city), my grandparents on both sides were small time farmers with day jobs.

Bag Balm was in the bathroom cabinet at Grandma’s along with iodine, Pepto Bismal, and Bayer aspirin. It was considered a staple item and certainly more pleasant than the iodine.

Bag Balm is pretty much like Petroleum jelly but with a mild analgesic and protects your chapped hands or whatever might be chapped when you're grilling. It helps block the pain after application and then stays on and protects the cut, burn, sunburn. We used it like Neosporin, and it is much cheaper than Neosporin. Another alternative was aloe plant which Grandma grew in the window.

About Time People Found Out About Bag Balm

Bag Balm is not a NEWS FLASH for most rural families, but it is unusual to begin seeing Bag Balm in department stores and at the drugstore. I wondered what was up with all that. Then I read that Shania Twain mentioned that she used Bag Balm as a moisturizer on her face and hair. She probably didn’t even think much about that off-the-cuff remark, but it sure did run the sales up for Bag and Balm.

Personally, I would not rub Bag and Balm on my face or in my hair. I have somewhat oily skin on my face, and I am sure that this thick jelly stuff would hold all that in and give me breakouts. Zits were bad enough in high school, and I don’t want to revisit pimples. As far as my hair . . . again I have a good supply of oil. I would imagine that Bag and Balm would be one more mess rubbed in my hair. Now, I might spot clean one of the boys to get bubblegum out of a section of hair though I tend toward peanut butter and ice for those days. If I need moisture, I’ll stick with garden-variety conditioner.

Is Bag Balm Safe? You Decide. I'm Fine with it for 50 Plus Years.

If you’re thinking about trying Bag and Balm, then you should know that it is not FDA (Food and Drug Administration) tested or approved for human use. The product is marketed for animals and does not need to be checked out for human use. With humans being humans, many people have tried Bag and Balm. Since Shania shared her beauty tip, even more human folks have headed to the local feed and seed store to find the green can which comes in a pocket 1 oz, a regular 10 oz for the cabinet and the bucket size.

The official word is that you shouldn’t use animal products on people parts. Since creative people have been using Bag and Balm for over 100 years, I wouldn’t worry much about it. I find that it works for small boo-boos and also helped tremendously when I got a case of mastitis. Mastitis is when you try to breast-feed your baby and get clogged up. You feel like a truck parked on your chest, and you will try most anything. I do draw the line on my face and hair. This is gooey smelly stuff that seems better suited to more discrete areas of the human body. You should also know that you should not take Bag Balm internally. I would think the texture and smell would tell you that though.

For my griller friends, if you get chapped up hands, the Bag Ball is soothing and heals well. I swear by it, and you know I don't really swear. It's good healing ointment.

One bonus with Bag Balm is that you have a nice tin when you are done. It does take a heap of scrubbing to get the last of the balm out. Once clean, you can use it for your screws and nails or other small items.

Tatonka Dust Barbecue Beef Rub - Now You Can Get Some Too

Tatonka Dust Rubbed Rib Eye Grilled Steaks

I tried out Tatonka Dust barbecue rub a couple of weeks back. I used the rub on sausages that first time, but the rub is designed for beef and especially for steaks.

My son was headed off to Bolivia for a month, so his Dad bought steaks. I usually go with a marinade, but the Tatonka Dust had been so yummy on the sausages that I went dry on this run. You know I had to be pretty sure on the rub, or I would not have chanced it on a "going off to another country" party.

With a marinade, you can go lower and slower - kind of a steam with the lid down to finish off. With dry rub on steaks, you want hot and fast and finish off to the sides. You can't really see here, but I offset the coals, so I could hit medium and medium rare.

Tatonka Dust

First, I rubbed on Tatonka Dust. If you're not a big time griller, that means that I just literally sprinkled it on an rubbed it in the meat by hand. I rubbed on a little olive oil first though, so it would stick on well.

I let the steaks sit out for around 20 minutes. That gives the rub time to kind of season up on the steaks and also lets the meat warm up a bit. A cold steak on a grill is likely to stick, although the olive oil helps a bit. It's always best to let the meat rest and come closer to room temperature when grilling.

Tatonka Dust does not look like any other rubs I use. It's much darker. It literally looks kind of like rich potting soil. Don't let this scare you. Beef grills up darker, so the dark color of the rub just gives it a rich color.

Don't let the darker cooler fool you on done-ness though. If you like medium, press the tongs lightly on the meat. It should feel like the webbed part between your thumb and pointer finger. I found it a little harder to eyeball with the darker rub, but I could "feel" it with my tongs.

When we sat down to eat, we kind of had an idea as to what Tatonka Dust would taste like due to the test run on the sausages. It was even better on the steaks which is what the rub was designed to enhance.

These were some of our favorite steaks. The Tatonka Dust has a rich flavor that goes just right with the steak. I can't really give you a comparison to something else, because this is really a unique grilling rub that does not taste like any of the run-of-the-mill rubs. It's robust but not overpowering and not hot.

I always hesitate to use a new product or in a new way for a special occasion, but Tatonka Dust met the challenge. It drew thumbs up around the table. I always check with my crew (although I give my own thoughts as well). I consider better than half decent, but a full round of thumbs up is an excellent product.

When I first posted about Tatonka Dust, it was not on the market - but very close. Folks are in luck now. Tatonka Dust has rolled out, and you can get it online. If you are looking to jazz up your beef on the grill or in the smoker, then this is a rub that stands out. It does not taste like any of the other rubs I've tried out, and I've tried a ton I think. The flavor is unique and really nice.

Lucky Smoke House - Barbecue Master Got Lucky with this Fabulous Smoked Salmon

 

Cold Smoked Salmon by Lucky Smoke House

 

 

Troy and Elizabeth Fitzpatrick are my FaceBook friends. Troy was talking about his smoked salmon. Now, I have grilled some salmon but not smoked it. So, Troy asked if I'd like to try out his salmon. He's send out a sample.

 

Now, I like salmon, but I've never really loved salmon (even though I know it's a very healthy fish). Around here, it is usually kind of fishy tasting. It's not awful, but I don't go out looking for it.

 

Troy said this was wild caught salmon and that he cold smoked it. I had visions of fish jerky floating in my head. "Oh no," said Troy. "If that salmon arrives dried out, you let me know. I promise it will be moist."

 

Rather than try to explain cold smoking (which I understand for cheese), Troy called to explain the process and to tell me the differences between the fishy tasting salmon I buy here in central North Carolina and the salmon he gets on the west coast.

 

By this point, I was quite curious to try this special salmon cold smoked.

 

The package arrived, and the salmon looked beautiful and was calling my name. Since I was home alone, I decided to wait until the the next night, so the guys could try it too.

 

Wow. That's just all I can say. It was love at first bite.

 

If you've never had really great salmon, then you are missing out. This salmon did not taste one bit fishy. It was just melt-in-your-mouth fabulous with such a great smoky kick.

 

I posted about Troy's salmon on FaceBook, and everyone was asking what I ate it with.

 

Haha - "A fork!" Seriously. The guys and I shared it as an appetizer. I didn't want to miss any of the flavor. It was just shear salmon heaven.

 

The salmon is all gone. That didn't take long I must say. We were pigs (especially me). And, I've thought a little about cold smoking. That is cost, labor, and time intensive though. I'd need a dedicated set up for cold smoking and would really need to make large batches to make this a good home project. With both boys in college and only in and out, this doesn't seem the best time to take on a new outdoor smoking project and carve out space and time.

 

But . . . Lucky Smoke House has cold smoked salmon which they ship. Troy (or perhaps Stephanie) are world class packers too. They sent their new rubs/seasonings (reviews coming soon) as well as the salmon, and the box was just photo perfect. The salmon was on ice packs and was nicely chilled on arrival and then went in the refrigerator overnight.

 

Please feel free to share your cold smoking techniques, tips, and encouragment. I may bite the bullet on this and go for cold smoking one of these days but not during spring semester. I'd have trouble getting west coast salmon though, and I suspect I'd be disappointed in anything less than Troy's salmon.

 

I must apologize for thinking Troy was sending out some kind of fish jerky (though I do love jerky). This was nothing at all like jerky. It was tender, flaky, and moist, and . . . I'm still dreaming about this salmon (and you guys know I don't usually get all mushy on you). If you've never tried cold smoked salmon, I'd definately recommend it - especially Troy's (as I don't konw if other people would make it so great).



Jack Daniels Tour - Yes - Fun for the Whole Family - REALLY

Jack Daniels Statue at the Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee

Jack Daniel knew his whiskey. He grew up in the Tennessee mountains where moonshining was an honored profession. In fact, seven-year-old Daniel learned to make whiskey from a lay preacher who made spirits on the side. When the preacher decided to hang up his copper coils, thirteen-year-old Daniel bought out the business.

Daniel set up shop in Lynchburg, Tennessee, because the small town had clear spring water. The cold, clean water coming out of the side of the mountain is part of what sets Jack Daniels apart from other whiskeys. Jack Daniels does not have trace irons that can alter the taste.

Charcoal Filtering if One Thing That Makes Jack Daniels Whiskey Special

Charcoal filtering is the other critical part of the Jack Daniels process. Hardwood maple trees are slow burned to create charcoal. Then the whiskey is filtered through the homemade charcoal for seven days. In fact, this process is what sets whiskey apart from bourbon. The base recipes are pretty much the same, but the filtering gives whiskey a fuller, richer flavor. The US government agreed about the taste difference, and classifies Tennessee whiskey as a separate class of spirits.

If you’ve ever had homemade whiskey, then you’ll know that corn squeezings are clear. Mountain moonshine looks like Everclear, which tastes a bit like lighter fluid and burns about the same. Jack Daniels is stored in barrels where it perks or expands and contracts and then picks up the dark color from the wooden barrels.

 Moonshine for Those Who Have Never Seen The Real Thing

The extra care Daniel put into his whiskey making meant that he had the best moonshine for miles. He knew he had a good thing going, so when the government required registration, Daniel was the first to become an official whiskey maker. That’s where the 1866 date comes from.

The label on the bottle carries Jack Daniel’s picture. He was known for dressing like a country gentleman. This helped him look more credible, since he was so young when he started and also because he stood only 5 foot 2 inches.

Jack Daniels - Words to Live By

Daniel kept his business small during his years at the helm. The government issued a barrel count of 100 after which a revenuer would have to be on hand to keep an eye on things. Daniel didn’t want a lawman standing over his shoulder, so Jack Daniels remained fairly local during the early years producing only 8 barrels per day.

Over the years, the recipe and process of making Jack Daniels has never changed though the output has increased considerably. It’s still a slow and tedious process, but the result is a great whiskey. Master brewers hand down the secrets word-of-mouth and continue the tradition started so long ago by Daniel. In fact, only 6 men have run the business over the years with Jimmy Bedford in charge since 1988. He still test tastes the whiskey, but he can’t swallow.

Today, Jack Daniels is considered the best whiskey in the world and is sold in 130 countries. The rich, full taste is enjoyed straight up or mixed with dark sodas. Jack Daniels is also great in baking (pecan pie) and for grilling (BBQ sauce).

Jack Daniels Distillery - Free Tour is Fun for All

If you’re ever in Lynchburg, then be sure to visit the distillery. The tour is fabulous. The guys who walk you around and explain the history and process are funny as can be. Be sure to ask about the mop suckers. After the tour you get a jar of tea or lemonade. They can’t serve you up any whiskey, because Lynchburg is in a dry county (go figure).

You Can Get a Sandwich - But Not Really Barbecue in the Tennessee Tradition

Do note that Lynchburg is a very small town, mostly a farming area. They do have a small town square and when I say small, I do mean very small. It is a few miles beyond the distillery.

There are only a couple of places to eat. We hit the Bar-b-que Caboose, but the barbecue did not look like barbecue, so I had a chicken sandwich which arrived really fast (so I think it was likely nuked) with the side being regular potato chips (ours appeared to be from the bottom of the bag). The girls working at the restaurant were quite nice. I think our other option was a deli in a general store type place. Lynchburg definately isn't a dining destination.

Other than the couple of spots to eat, there were a few stores with mostly tourist type items featuring, of course, Jack Daniels logos and then cute country-style knick-knacks. You could also get t-shirts.

The Jack Daniels Distillery is the highlight of a visit to Lynchburg along with pretty farm scenery and friendly people.  

Grilled Pork Chops with Chef of the Future Seasoning

Boneless Pork Chops Grilled/Smoked on the Traeger Pellet Grill

I fired up the Traeger pellet grill last night for some boneless grilled pork chops. It had been a couple of weeks since I'd grilled, since classes just started, and I came down with the flu (even after having had the shot).

I'd been itching to grill for a few days, since I had some new seasonings from Robert Simon. I've mentioned him before. His line is called Chef of the Future with his first product being Not Your Average Cajun Seasoning. I've been using that delicious seasoning on both grilled foods and in the kitchen. It's just a really wonderful all round seasoning mixture.

In addition to his original seasoning mix, Robert had added a SouthWestern and Floribbean which both sounded and smelled very interesting.

Last night I wanted something quick and easy, and grilled pork chops fit the bill. I consider them our fast food out here in the country.

The Floribbean mix had a sweet smell. My immediate thought was luau. That seemed a good match for pork, so I sprinkled down the pork chops before I put them on the Traeger.

I'd say I made a great call for last night. The Chef of the Future Floribbean mix was pleasantly sweet (without being overpowering) and had a little coffee flavor and a back kick of heat. Robert has a real knack for flavor combinations that pop without drowning out the flavors of the food or leaving your tastebuds fried. His products are hand mixed and do not contain preseratives, MSG, or gluten.

I wasn't up to a big grilled meal last night, but we had a nice pork chop sandwich evening with the pork chops on and off the grill in less than 10 minutes and quite moist and bursting with flavor from the seasonings.

Below you'll see the Chef of the Future line up. The Cajun Rub is a fabuous all round mixture that works with basically anything. I'd recommend Floribbean for pork or chicken and also for vegetables and grilled pineapple. Next up, I'll check out the SouthWestern.