Just Having a Little Fundido

What's up, Manchego?? Now that barbeque season is in full swing, are you in a need of a quick and easy appetizer to feed your hungry guests?  Is the processed cheese food sauce nacho thing?  Then have I got a gouda little dip recipe for you this week.  I'm running out of cheese puns so I'd chedder stop and get on with it.

Queso Fundido

Queso Fundido

1/2 cup of onions

1/4 cup of green chile, chopped

2 cups of Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded

1 tablespoon of olive or cooking oil

Generous Sprinkling AlbuKirky Green Chile Rub

Adding a little smoke to the Queso Fundido

In a small cast iron skillet sauté the onions in the cooking oil.  Once the onions are translucent add chile and sauté for a few minutes.  Then add the cheese and sprinkling of Green Chile Rub.  Now place the whole thing on your hot grill until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 10 minutes.   Serve with tostada chips and or tortillas and enjoy!

Well that's it for this week.  I thought i would keep it brie for a change. 

Saving the Best for Last!

I hate to say it, but I’m glad burger month is over.  Earlier this month I was eating 2-3 burgers a week.  I would eat 1-2 burgers during the week for “research” then cook another burger on the weekend; it was just too much.  Not only did I get burned out on burgers, I also gained 7 pounds.  Maybe if I didn’t sit around on my fat ass all the time I might have been able to minimize the effects of burger month, but I’m old and lazy.  So without further ado, I give you the final burger of the month...the Fried Burger.

The Final Burger of the Month, the Fried Burger

There’s a new player in the local burger game and they are doing something that is better than the average fried burger and in my humble opinion, it’s really delicious. That place is Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburger.  Freddy’s serves up a super thin patty that is held together by not much more than the char between the pieces of beef.  It may be a thin patty, but the flavor is thick.  Check out the pic below, that fried skirt is pure flavor.

Freddy's Steakburger

The AlbuKirky Disc-It

In my attempt to recreate this thin fried burger, I started with the freshest ground chuck I could get.  I actually went to my local butcher, picked out a good chuck roast and had them grind it fresh.  I have to say, the fresh ground chuck was excellent and I may just start buying my ground beef like this every time. I also purchased a new heavy-duty spatula so I could press the patties flat without bending it.  Oh, and I also got a brand new Disc-It to fry my burger on.

I formed my patties by weighing out a quarter pound of the fresh ground chuck, rolled it into a ball, seasoned it with my BBQ Rub, then laid down a sheet of parchment paper and pressed out the patty with the back side of the spatula.  I pressed the patties pretty thin, but not quite as thin as Freddy’s.  I was afraid if I got them too thin, they wouldn’t hold together and all I would be left with is a disc full ground chuck pieces.  Good for burritos, but after all, this is NOT burrito month.

To maximize the browning, I wanted to cook these burgers hot and fast so my Disc-It was the perfect tool for the job.  I fired up the Disc-It and sprayed it down with a light coating of oil.  Just when the oil started to smoke I dropped the patties on the disc and all I could hear was sizzling beef!  After about 3-4 minutes, I checked them to be sure they were well browned then flipped them and let them cook for another 3-4 minutes.  After a minute or two I topped the burger with a slice of American cheese and let it melt while the burgers finished cooking.  I stacked the patties up to create a mini-tower of beef and cheese and let them rest while I prepped the rest of my burger.

Frying Burgers in the Disc-It

This time I didn’t do anything fancy for the bun, just a regular Sarah Lee hamburger bun, I just made sure it was fresh.  As for the topping I kept it simple too, mayo on the bottom bun, ketchup, mustard and pickle on the top.  It may have been simple but damn was it good; it was the prefect ratio of beef, to cheese to bun without too many toppings to get in the way.

Adding Cheese!

After an entire month of burgers I have to say each one has gotten better.  If I had to pick a favorite it would have to be the fried burger. I hate to admit it, but a well browned patty fried in it's own fat tastes better than a thick patty smoked over mesquite charcoal.   I’m going to keep working on the super thin patty and by next year I should have it figured out.  Maybe, I can figure out how to cook it over charcoal and get the best of both worlds?

National Brisket Day is on a Tuesday??

Taking a little break from the burgers this week to celebrate National Brisket Day.  Actually Brisket Day is the 28^th, which is a Tuesday.  I guess I will not be cooking a brisket for the big celebration, since I will be at work.  Jeeze, who’s in charge of scheduling these things??  I’m sure my boss would understand if I decided to “work from home” so that I could tend to the cooking of my brisket. As much as my boss loves my BBQ, that would go over like a fart in church.

Brisket Dinner

I have been working on some brisket since my last brisket recipe,   But upon reviewing the brisket recipe I posted 2 years ago I realize I’ve come full circle and have pretty much returned to my original recipe My Secrets to a Perfect Brisket Every Time with a few tweaks.

Sliced Brisket

1.    Always start with a Choice Grade Brisket.

2.    Trim the fat from the meat side and trim the really thick fat from the cap.  Should have about ¼” of fat cap.

3.    The first change I used a mix of SPG and Red Chile BBQ Rub.  The extra garlic and pepper really bring out more of the beef flavors

4.    2^nd Change cook at 300º for a cook time of 45 minutes per pound.

5.    During the cook spray the brisket down with beef broth every 20-30 minutes.

6.    Smoke the brisket for 3-4 hours, when it the internal temp is at least 150º, double wrap with foil, before closing the foil add 1-2 cups of beef broth. Cook for another 2 hours to an internal temp of 185-190º.

7.    Remove the brisket from the foil wrap.  My 3^rd tweak is to brush with a the meat side with a light coating of BBQ sauce before placing it back on the smoker for 30-45 minutes to bark up.

8.    Remove the brisket from the smoker and allow it to rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing

9.    Trim off the fat cap and slice the meat across the grain.

10.  Serve and Enjoy!

Sausage, Brisket & Burnt Ends

I could have saved myself a lot of time and heartbreak over the last two years if I would have just stuck to my original recipe, but my ego is constantly writing checks my cooking skills can’t cash. The only thing I’m going to try now is working with some injections; I’ll keep you posted how they work out. Oh, and if you decide to call in “sick” to work so that you can prep for the National Brisket Day Celebration, don’t post your pics on Facebook for your boss to see.

The Big Mouth BBQ Burger

As burger month rolls on this week’s inspiration does not come from a local burger joint but my new sweet BBQ sauce. Besides, what’s the point of having a blog if I can’t shamelessly self promote my new products, I’ve got to create some hype.  The new sauce will be available soon but for now it’s back to the burgers.

BBQ Burger with Onion Straws

The BBQ Burger

8 – Quarter pound organic beef patties

8 - Slices of sharp cheddar cheese

4 - Fresh Kaiser rolls

8 – Slices of bacon

2 – Large Onions- thinly sliced

½ - Cup of Cornstarch

AlbuKirky Seasonings BBQ Rub & Sauce

I started by weighing out the beef in quarter pounds in balls and formed them into patties.  On one side of each patty I made an indentation to help keep the patties flat during cooking.  Then seasoned the patties with my BBQ rub and set them aside while I started the charcoal.

Cooking Burgers on the Big Green Egg 

For a real BBQ flavor I cooked these burger over mesquite charcoal in the Big Green Egg.  I cooked the patties at 450-500 for about 10 minutes, to an internal temp of 130º.  When I flipped the patties I poured some BBQ sauce over the top and allowed it to cook into the meat.  A few minutes before the patties were done I topped them with the cheddar cheese and cooked for a few more minutes until the cheese has melted.

Frying Onion Staws

Now for the onion straws, I sliced to onions into very thin strips and dredged with cornstarch and added some BBQ Rub. The onions were then fried in 375º oil for 2-3 min until golden brown. These straws were so tasty right out of the fryer I almost didn’t have enough for the burgers. Since I had disc full of hot oil I dropped my bacon in the oil and fried it up.

With everything cooked it was time to assemble these beefy behemoth burgers.  I started with the fresh Kaiser bun and added the beef patties that were just dripping with cheese, the added the bacon and then topped with a big pile of onion straws.  After all that I drizzled the entire burger with the sweet BBQ sauce.  Then I capped with the other half of the bun. 

BBQ Burger

Now for the hard part, getting this tasty tower of a sandwich into my mouth.  Actually, I have a double-jointed jaw that I can dislocate to fit large bites of food into my mouth.  Once I did get my first bite of this burger it was just spectacular. The smoky beef patties, the sweet bbq sauce, the crunch of the bacon and crispy straws this burger was just a mountain of flavors.  Man was it good.  I’ve got a few more burgers to do this month, but I think this one is going to be tough to beat.

Holy Cow!

May is National Hamburger Month and I couldn't be more excited.  I love burgers, they are one of my all time favorite foods.   To celebrate America's beefy sandwich I'm going eat and cook burgers all month long.  I will probably need to start taking cholesterol medication as a result, but that's the lengths I'm willing to go to for quality blog content.
As part of the burger celebration I will be visiting some of favorite local burger joints for for some inspiration and then recreating my version of the burger at home.  Sounds like fun, huh? 

The Holy Cow Burger with Bacon Wings!

The first burger joint on my list is Holy Cow. If there is one word to describe the Holy Cow burgers it would be, FRESH!  From the buns to the toppings everything is fresh. But what really sets their burgers apart is the thick patty of grass feed beef. It has a rich beef flavor that has a slightly sweet taste that is just fantastic!  Add a couple of long thick strips of apple wood smoked bacon and a fried egg and you've got yourself a burger to die for.

Cooking Burgers on the BGE over Mesquite Charcoal

After devouring my Holy Cow burger I went out shopping for my burger ingredients with one thought in mind, FRESH.  I picked up a package of bakery buns the ripest, best looking produce I could find. Yet, finding the grass feed beef was a bit of challenge so I settled for organic, hormone free, ground beef, fortunately it had the 85-15 lean to fat ratio I was looking for.  Now I don't normally buy organic beef, but this stuff was really good. It cooked up really well and had a rich beef flavor that I was looking for.

Topping the Burgers with Blue Cheese

What I really love about the Holy Cow Burgers is the big thick patty that showcases the quality beef.  I also wanted the quality beef to be the star of this show so I formed it into thick 1/2 lbs patties and seasoned them with my Red Chile BBQ Rub.  As for cooking the behemoths, I loaded up the Big Green Egg with mesquite charcoal and fired it up to about 500º.  I cooked the patties for about 15 minutes to an internal temp of 130º. They cooked up perfecty with a nice brown crust on the outside with a pink and juicy middle.

My version of the Holy Cow

I pulled the burgers of the egg and topped them with heaping spoon full of blue cheese and allowed the cheese to melt and the meat to rest for a few minutes.   I assembled my burger and topped it with a couple of strips of my homemade bacon.  And don't think for a minute I was skimping on my bacon, after that photo was taken I added two more strips.  My lovely wife Cheryl was kind enough to cook up a batch of hand cut fries to accompany our fresh burgers.  After a few more photos it was time to sink my teeth into this beefy creation.  Oh man, was is good, the fresh bun, the homemade bacon, and that big thick patty of quality beef cooked over mesquite charcoal made it one of the best burgers I have ever grilled.  So when your grilling up some burgers this summer, remember "Fresh is best".

Coming Soon....A New Sauce!

Summer is coming...and we have been getting ready for it.  Since the Fiery Foods & BBQ Show I have been working with a distributor to get my products into a couple of high end grocery store chains.  I'm really exciting about taking my business to the next level.  There is one little problem, my sauce contains the dreaded high fructose corn syrup.  I have been wanting to do a sweeter, more traditional BBQ sauce for a while and this was the perfect opportunity to make it work.

New AlbuKirky Sweet & Spicy Sauce!!

I have been playing around with a recipe in my head for a couple of years but it was time to make it a reality.  I waited for Cheryl to go to work, I didn't need anyone, even my lovely wife, distracting me from my mission.  To be honest, I'm a very messy cook and I didn't want Cheryl to see the disaster I was about to unleash in the kitchen.  So after several hours of measuring, weighing and tasting, my new sauce recipe was ready.  The new sauce is sweeter and less tangy than my original sauce, but the star of the show is still the Red Chile BBQ Rub.

My mise en place needs work

Actually coming up with the recipe was the easy part, now the hard work begins.  We'll be cooking up a 30 gallon test batch next week with our co-packer to finalize the recipe.  If all goes well, I expect to have bottles for sale by Memorial Day weekend.  I'll keep you all posted on our progress, just visit my Facebook page for updates.

Fun With Video

I know you have all been waiting with baited breath this, my first cooking video.  I decided to keep it simple and cook something basic and get used to the camera. I have to say it was a lot of fun and you will be seeing more videos from me.  Below is the wonderful salad my lovely wife/camera woman Cheryl made with our grilled chicken.

Salad with Grilled Chicken

Summer is coming so stock up on Green Chile Rub and our other great seasonings and sauce!  Click on the pic to visit our online store.  Use the promo code "SPRING" and save 10% on your order.

I Had An Eat-Piphany!

I've been AWOL again but I'm back.  I don't want to bore you with details of my failed leg of "lame" Easter Dinner.  Or drone on about replacing the gasket and hinge assembly on my Big Green Egg.  Nope, I'm just going to share with you my latest plan to get this blog back on track.

The Eat-Piphany Jar

For months, I have been keeping a list of all my great cooking ideas on my iPhone.  If I see a great recipe on TV, eat something that I really like, or have an honest to god epiphany,  I add it to the ever growing list.  The problem is all of my great ideas are just binary code sitting on a memory chip.  They have yet to make it to my plate and ultimately my belly.  To help my ideas see the light of day, I have printed my list and cut it into small strips and placed them in the Eat-piphany jar.  So when Thursday rolls around and I don't have anything planned for Sunday dinner, I will pull out an eat-piphany and that's what I'll cook.

Here's the best part, you can submit your own eat-piphanies and if I use them I will give you a free bottle of rub, any flavor you would like.   Just leave it in the comments or on my Facebook page and I will add it to the jar.  This is a total win-win, I get content and you get a free bottle of AlbuKirky Seasoning's Rub!

Kirby's Krunchy Potatoes

I made another batch of bacon this week; I admit I’m totally obsessed.  But I think I’ve made and eaten enough to somewhat satiate my appetite for the porky treat.  I could bore you with another bacon post but I have decide to spare you the agony and share one of my favorite potato recipes that my mom used to make for me.  I loved this dish as a kid and I think I love it even more as an adult.  It’s simple, delicious and it reminds me of my mom.  I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do.

Steak & Kirby's Krunchy Potatoes

Kirby’s Krunchy Potatoes

3-4 potatoes, peeled and sliced thin

1 ½  - 2 cups of Cornflakes

1 -1 ½ cups of grated Cheddar Cheese

½ Stick of Melted Butter

AlbuKirky Seasonings SPG

Pour the melted butter in a cookie sheet, spread evenly, then layer the potatoes across the bottom of the pan.  For little extra flavor I drizzled a little jalapeno olive oil over the potatoes before seasoning with my SPG.

Spread the cornflakes over the potatoes

Add the final layer of cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes in a 400º oven. 

Cut, serve and enjoy!