Wazzup?!! Dub Shack BBQ Presents Smoked White Queso

I know, there is a smoked queso recipe that I could have easily subbed in the place of this recipe but hear me out: Sometimes you need a lighter dip without the weight of ground beef or sausage, chopped brisket or pulled pork or a strong vegetable such as mushrooms at a tailgating event. Even then, this dip surely has a few star performers around it that can handle the cheapest quality tortilla chips.

Wanna see another one of Da Dips? Here ya go!

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs white Velveeta cheese, block

8 oz pepper jack cheese 

1 lb white cheddar cheese 

8 oz softened cream cheese 

16 oz diced tomatoes, drained

3/4 cup milk  

Meat Church's Holy Cow barbecue rub 

STEP ONE. Like the other smoked queso recipe from June 2020, this is a dump and go. Cube all of the cheeses and add to a disposable pan (or cast iron pot) and add the tomatoes. Pour in the milk and give the cheeses a nice eyeballing of Holy Cow before mixing it enough to all of the ingredients to play together. In the meantime, light your grill to 350 and bank the coals off to one side as this is a two-zone fire. 

STEP TWO. Once lit, place the cheese away from the coals and let 'er rip stirring every thirty minutes. Smoked white queso dip doesn't need a specific temperature as much as it needs to be thoroughly melted. Grab a beer or a couple bottles of water and post up; this cook won't take too long. 

STEP THREE.  In the miracle of time, the smoked white queso is ready. Bring it in and let it cool down before getting into this tailgating staple so you don't burn your mouth. Enjoy! 

All I can say is man! Smoked queso is generally good for four or five days if it makes it that far at home and is something all of us can gladly endorse - except those who don't like cheese. Of course, I empathize with the lactose intolerant of us and as we move along through the season, I'll post more of Da Dips to get into as something for everyone. As always, be safe, be blessed, be good to each other, and tell everyone that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ! 

Chick Magnet: Dub Shack BBQ Presents Chicken Bacon Grinders

Years ago when I worked for a certain environmental science program in New England, I would find myself at a pizza restaurant that made the best grinder sandwiches fairly frequently; no comment of the dive bar a mile further west. It also doubled as a nice date night spot when my pockets were light before payday. In tribute to Kent Pizza of Winsted and the eggplant grinders I used to order with pizza and draft beer from Berkshire Brewery, this is my version of a Connecticut classic.

Yeah, I said eggplant grinders. Once upon a time, I briefly embraced vegetarianism - and may try it again one of these days - just not today because I'm making chicken bacon grinders instead. I'll share another story of how I was labeled the world's worst vegetarian one day.

What exactly is a grinder? See what Wikipedia tells us below.

A common term in New England is grinder, but its origin has several possibilities. One theory has the name coming from Italian-American slang for a dock worker, among whom the sandwich was popular. Others say that it was called a grinder because the bread's hard crust required much chewing. In addition, grinders are served hot unlike sub sandwiches which are often cold.

But really, here are the basic ingredients.

Just a big ole hot sub sandwich loaded with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, olive oil, vinegar, and roasted peppers.

For the purpose of this cook, we're doing the TikTok phenomenon only 1)better and the )DSB way. 

INGREDIENTS

French bread

Chicken breast 

Lettuce

Tomatoes

Onion

Bacon (because, why not?)

Olive oil

Basalmic vinegar

Provolone cheese 

Red pepper, if desired

Minced garlic

1/2 stick butter 

Fire and Smoke Society's The Usual barbecue rub

STEP ONE. In the pursuit of making it better, season the chicken! There is a special place in hell for people who don't season the meat before cooking it, and doubly for passing off anything less than safely cooked bird as rare - we don't like salmonella around these parts. Apply The Usual on both sides of the chicken and light the grill. During this time of waiting for 325-350 degrees on the PK, begin sandwich prep by melting the butter and mixing in the minced garlic since the bread is going to be toasted. Once the grill comes up to temperature, cook your chicken breasts to 165 and set aside. Bacon cooks really well in the grill; just keep an eye on flare-ups and turn to satisfaction. 

Grilled bacon is a treat, lemme tell ya.

Remember the French bread? Don't forget to split it, slather it with the aforementioned garlic butter on the inside, and grill it to the crispiness desired. As the remaining homies in the 860 and 203 reminded me, grinders aren't the easiest thing to eat due to how the hot ones are made so please do not burn the bread! The balance here is crunchy outside, soft inside. Once it is finished, let's go inside to put it all together.

STEP TWO. In the miracle of time, the chicken bacon grinder is ready except... it's time to build it. In the traditional Dub Shack BBQ way, building sandwiches - and evangelizing the gospel of great barbecue -  better is how we do things. This monstrosity gets provolone cheese, the chopped up chicken and bacon (so every bite makes you want to slap your mama or hug the chef), more provolone cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, red peppers, olive oil, and basalmic vinegar.

Say ahh and enjoy!

I should have taken a picture before I sliced up the sandwich but I got hungry. Sorry. 

Grinders are a part of what makes America in a culinary sense: Man working hard toting only a sandwich and something to drink for his lunch at work. Yeah, I did it better than Subway but I would stop short of calling it a sub sandwich courtesy of the bread itself. One of the ways you can make this recipe your own is combining all of the vegetables with mayonnaise and setting that mixture in the refrigerator for an hour or however long it takes for everything else to come together for a uniquely balanced taste; I would recommend my Dat White barbecue sauce (local only - I don't trust shipping that one nationwide yet) as a bottom layer on the toasted bits.

As always, thank you for reading this post. If and when you get the chance, go outside and cook something awesome for your family! Y'all be blessed, be safe, be good to each other, and tell everyone that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ! 

I Need You To Survive

He did this to make all parts of the body work together smoothly, with each part caring about the others. If one part of our body hurts, we hurt all over. If one part of our body is honored, the whole body will be happy. Together you are the body of Christ. Each one of you is part of his body.

1 Corinthians 12:25‭-‬27 CEVDCI

https://bible.com/bible/303/1co.12.25-27.CEVDCI

Spiritual Free Agency

For the first time in at least a decade, I am a spiritual free agent.

Before I continue, allow me to define the aforementioned phrase and simultaneous title: A spiritual free agent is an individual who has left the physical four walls of a church as a result of a myriad of events and still maintains the core tenets of what affects his or her walk albeit in a solitary state. Some examples are the following: the church he once formerly attended lost the plot, and as a leader, he found the rot too deep to recover from without blowing up the foundation to reestablish the direction and mission; a situation so egregious that removal is the best option; simply existing in the rote and routine portions of openly pious doctrine without examining the relationship with the higher being of choice and truly following it; a congregation wed to country club groupthink; and so forth. The pain of leaving cuts deeply yet necessary and as I try to follow God without a known community of likeminded souls to find a physical house of worship we can grow, lead effectively, and be relevant in a changing yet still sin sick world, I had to lay out both a timeline and parameters that would benefit my family. 

If you want to know what happened, this is neither the time nor the place to share those circumstances as I have reiterated that my season at the Mount came to an end October 2021. In other words, I'm not talking.

Folks would be wise to know this

Treating spiritual free agency in a similar vein as pro athletes looking to make the best decisions for championships, financial security, the familiarity of home, and advancing in the walk - remember, this one is unlike academia where one can aspire to becoming a professor, department chair, provost, dean, or institution president. The difference is that having a physical location to call home in worship is prayerfully one that allows for spiritual growth for all of us without being a number or overwhelmed by a group more than amenable toward sitting on the sidelines instead of getting out in the field, to paraphrase Matthew 9:37. 

Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;
Matthew 9:37 KJVhttps://t.co/MnK2i8JN8V

— A. Cedric Armstrong (@cedteaches) June 3, 2022

What am I looking for?

As much as I prefer local, I require a Black congregation to worship and serve together with progressive growth in both Christian education and practice. Having a 8 am Sunday morning service is certainly a bonus - staying awake for 11 am after working all night is a nonstarter for my health. Every church has its own issues and as my uncle reminded me recently, there is no such thing as a perfect church: What can you live with and what are the red flags? In spite of the whooping and hollering and heavy breathing through the microphone and choir singing until the sopranos faint or the director hits the high note, there has to be sound doctrine taught. Otherwise, we're just meeting for a good time not a meaningful time and perpetuating a spiritual babyhood.

Ain't nobody got time for that 👆🏿

Where have we been? I'm not posting a scorecard but I'll share where we have been. If anyone can tell me where the Black Baptist church in Bryant is (not Sharon BC of Alexander), I would greatly appreciate it.

In Person

New Jerusalem MBC, Little Rock

St. Paul MBC of Benton

St. Paul MBC of Little Rock

Greater Galilee MBC, Little Rock

Mt. Zion MBC of Benton

Saint Mark BC, Little Rock 

Virtual

Eastern Star BC, Gurdon

Greater Friendship MBC, Conway (my childhood church home)

Mount Olive MBC, Arkadelphia

Labannah MBC, Little Rock

Miller St. BC, Pittsburgh, PA

Bethany MBC, McNeil 

Spring of Hope COGIC, Springfield, MA

Plan to visit

Eudora MBC, Pine Bluff

Union Baptist Church, Pocola, OK

Thanks to all of the houses of worship which have welcomed us either in person or virtually during our reset as we prayerfully attempt to cut through the fluff and unite with like-minded Christian brothers and sisters in our next phase of our spiritual lives. 

You'll find out our decision soon. 

Take a Look Around Yourselves

My dear friends, pay attention. God has given a lot of faith to the poor people in this world. God has also promised them a share in his kingdom that he will give to everyone who loves him. You mistreat the poor. But isn't it the rich who boss you around and drag you off to court? Aren't they the ones who make fun of your Lord? You will do all right, if you obey the most important law in the Scriptures. It is the law that commands us to love others as much as we love ourselves.

James 2:5‭-‬8 CEVDCI

The Beef You Need: Dub Shack BBQ Presents Brisket-Style Tri-Tip

I accidentally did this a year ago when my wife was still working from home and she sent me out to run errands for her, so this time is a bit more intentional.

Wanna see how I did it? Keep reading.

INGREDIENTS

One beef tri-tip, approximately 2-3 lbs

Worcestershire sauce

Brisket rub

Fire and Smoke Society's Thundering Longhorn rub

STEP ONE. First things first: Remove the meat from its packaging and pat it dry. Once done, give it a few tablespoons on Worcestershire sauce and spread it all around before applying first the Buc-ees brisket rub and then Fire and Smoke Society's Thundering Longhorn. Allow it to come up to room temperature and as that happens, go outside to light the smoker.

STEP TWO. The smoker is ready for the tri-tip at 250 degrees. Unlike Still Tippin' For Tri-Tip from a couple of years ago where we seared the steak on all sides before cooking indirectly on the grill to an awesome 130 degrees, this tri-tip is going all-in on the brisket-style cook. Don't think much of the time only cook to a temperature of approximately 160 degrees before wrapping it up in butcher paper and returning to the smoke.

STEP THREE. In the miracle of time, the tri-tip is finished at a temperature of 205 degrees. Give it a two-hour rest before slicing and serve alongside some of these other goodies from the past weekend's cook; if this happens to be leftovers, the slices can become taco meat, the base for hash, sandwiches, or anything else that comes to mind. Just don't disrespect your efforts and drown your beef in A-1 or Heinz 57.

Is it as good as regular brisket? Close, but nothing truly replaces that taste.

For a great midweek meal or if it is just too darn hot to babysit a fire or inflation priced you out of brisket - thanks, Moneybagg Joe - brisket-style tri-tip is the ticket. With a little planning ahead, your family will love outdoor cooking a little more. Thanks for reading this post and if you like what you see, try it out and tag me on either blue social media platform or in this blog's comments section. As always, be blessed, be safe, be good to each other, and tell everyone that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ! 

Stepping Up: Dub Shack BBQ Presents Beef Tenderloin

I scored a wicked awesome good deal on beef tenderloin at the grocery store nearest my job the other day. This is probably one of the few mainstream cuts of beef I had never cooked and considering its normal prices, it would have to be a really special occasion such as Juneteenth or Father's Day.

Here is the story of how it went down and how good it tastes.

INGREDIENTS

One beef tenderloin*

Worcestershire sauce

Fire and Smoke Society's Holy Garlic rub

Fire and Society's Thundering Longhorn rub

*With this cut, some barbecuers prefer the center cut such as this one. If you're blessed to get a whole tenderloin, congratulations; the ends can be used for stir fry, amongst other things if the need to square them off arises. 

STEP ONE. Remove the beef tenderloin from its packaging and trim off the silver skin. Slather on the Worcestershire sauce all over it after which apply the Holy Garlic and Thundering Longhorn rubs liberally. Once completed, go outside and light the grill to 250 degrees.

STEP TWO. Once the grill reaches optimal cooking temperature, set the tenderloin indirectly from the coals and let it work. Since this is a premium cut (to me), it is critically important that I don't mess this up by overcooking it. I know there are some of you who like eating well-done steaks and you deserve chicken and cheeseburgers instead but this is neither the time nor the place for mistakes with my hard-earned money. The way your tenderloin is placed on the grill is how it cooks so be aware of that factoid.

STEP THREE. Beef tenderloin is finished at 130 degrees (medium rare). I know stopping at 122 (rare) is ideal and I'm not that brave to do blue rare anything; once this one hit 130, I pulled it off the grill and let it rest for about twenty minutes before slicing. For my small family, I could have given them 1/2 lb steaks but for this exercise, I chose to make them a bit thinner to enjoy with side items or the eventual sandwich. Steakums ain't got nothing on Dub Shack BBQ!

When I say do this, DO. THIS. It took about 90 minutes on my PK from start to finish and since I was also smoking cream cheese, I tended to keep a bit of an eagle eye on this protein during that process. Enjoy the holiday weekend and although we dads have to cook our own dinner (Mom got feted last month), it is another day to eat great barbecue. Be blessed, be safe, and be good to each other and most of all, tell everyone that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ! 

IYKYK