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.

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).