Struggle Season Still Tastes Good. Dub Shack BBQ Presents Bologna Burnt Ends

Entering Season 4 of the Tailgating For Everyone experience, I decided that this is the last campaign not too long ago. Although the food has been incredible and in some cases, the only reason folks read AD&AD, I simply just don't have the time. Maybe I should've told the meatlist first; they know exactly who they are and how we do it. As I test a hotter version of Get Honey, some sauces will be getting retired at the end of the year.

But we're here for bologna burnt ends, right? See how this moves you.

INGREDIENTS 

One chub of bologna

Fire and Smoke Society's Pork Perfect barbecue rub 

Razorracks BBQ's All Day Sweet barbecue rub 

Mustard as a binder

Your favorite BBQ sauce*

*The sauce is my Dub Shack BBQ’s The O.G. barbecue sauce; make it your own

1/2 stick of butter, cut into pats

STEP ONE. Remove the packaging and make a slit across the top no more than a quarter-inch deep to denote home. Slice into 1" thick as if bologna steaks are on the menu; following that, cube into 1x1" bites and set into an aluminum pan. Slather the mustard and All Day Sweet liberally to ensure all sides are covered. Place onto a wire rack and light up the smoker. 

Layer like a player

STEP TWO. Bring the smoker of choice to 250 degrees, and use whichever wood you prefer (like most DSB pork recipes, I'm using apple wood - cherrywood is more than a suitable option). Once your cooking vessel reaches 250, bring the burnt ends from the wire rack to its smoke bath. Bologna is already been cooked a time or two, so the name of the game is reheating to a consistent color as we aren't reinventing the wheel today.

STEP THREE. In the miracle of time, the burnt ends look good BUT they aren't ready yet. Return them to the original pan along with brown sugar, half a stick of butter, and The O.G. sauce before the second voyage into smoke. Cover the pan with a sheet of aluminum foil and wait until they are super tender around 205 degrees internal. 

STEP FOUR. Let them rest for fifteen minutes and serve as a part of your charcuterie board.

Wanna know my thoughts? As good as it looks, this is for a recurring event my friends do annually - and sadly, I did not try one single bologna burnt end: You'll have to ask Heath how it turned out.

Bologna burnt ends are some really easy and affordable items for the charcuterie board, and in an ongoing theme of making barbecue  cheap again, the chub was only nine bucks at Walmart. I'd personally love to see brisket return to $1.97/lb., but that won't happen anytime soon. As always, thank you for reading this post and trying out something super easy and ridiculously awesome this weekend or whenever the mood to smoke meat strikes you. 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!

Snacks Unlimited: Dub Shack BBQ Presents Smoked Cheez-Its

Want easy snacking anytime? You're going to want to try this.

(Credit to Malcom Reed of How to BBQ Right)

INGREDIENTS 

One box of Cheez-Its

One box of Goldfish crackers

Killer Hogs' The BBQ Rub

AC BBQ's Lemon Pepper rub

One stick of melted butter 

A few drops of Worcestershire sauce

STEP ONE. Load up a fullsize pan with Cheez-Its, Goldfish (or Penguins crackers, as I did) and fold them equally. You can also add Chex-Mix or cashews depending on the crowd - and yes, even M&Ms would be cool because of the hard shell. Because my daughter has a peanut allergy, I omitted the nuts but make this one your own. Shake a generous amount of both The BBQ Rub and Lemon Pepper over the crackers and set aside. 

STEP TWO. Melt a stick of butter and mix in both rubs along with Worcestershire sauce before folding into the mixture.

STEP THREE. If you haven't lit the smoker, go outside and do so NOW. Once your cooking vessel reaches 250 degrees, set the pan inside folding the crackers every fifteen minutes. The smoked Cheez-Its are finished at one hour or when the color is pronounced enough for your satisfaction.  Pull from the cooker, add one more shaking of The BBQ Rub, and set aside for fifteen minutes before serving. 

I bet you can't eat just one.

In the final season of Tailgating For Everyone, let me introduce you to my latest toy: Junior. 

Meet Junior. He cost me four wheels and the first item I smoked. 

Thanks to this week's taste testers - and neighbors - for sampling product and giving the thumbs up to do it again for all of you. Like them, I was surprised as to how well it took to pecan smoke - and it will likely become a neighborhood favorite possibly even supplanting smoked cream cheese as the appetizer of choice. Smoking Cheez-Its can be modified to your party's desires and personal preferences. Throughout this last dance, I will continue to use the following closing lines: 

Be blessed. 

Be safe. 

Be good to each other. 

Tell everyone that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ! 

Frying Up Sticks

From Facebook: Worth trying out one day.

Fried Lemon Pepper Salmon Sticks

Ingredients:

For the Salmon Sticks:

1lb (450g) salmon fillets, skinless

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons lemon pepper seasoning

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, beaten

Vegetable oil, for frying

For the Old Bay Blue Cheese Sauce:

1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:

Cut the salmon fillets into long, thin strips resembling fish sticks.

In a shallow dish, combine the flour, lemon pepper seasoning, and salt.

Dip each salmon strip into the beaten eggs, ensuring it is fully coated.

Roll the egg-coated salmon strip in the seasoned flour mixture, pressing gently to adhere. Repeat with the remaining salmon strips.

Heat vegetable oil in a deep pan or skillet over medium-high heat. The oil should be about 2 inches deep.

Carefully add the coated salmon strips to the hot oil, working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. Fry for about 3-4 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Flip

half..

Classin' Up the Joint: Dub Shack BBQ Presents Filet Mignon

For Father's Day I planned on a nonstop cooking marathon; consequently, that did not happen. As a result, I have been slowly trickling my intended menu for the day I was supposed to grill and smoke meat over the past several days, and today is another one of those occasions.

What did I do?

I hand cut my own filet mignon and served my family the most tender, medium-rare steaks they have had in years for a fraction of the price of one at Ruth's Chris steakhouse. 

INGREDIENTS 

One whole beef tenderloin

Bear and Burton's W sauce

Killer Hogs The A.P. Rub

STEP ONE. Since this is most certainly an exquisite meal for a special day, find the most appealing beef tenderloin your favorite meat market has available. If the preferred big box retailer has one, by all means pick up the cut that fits within your budget; if there are any on sale, snag an extra tenderloin to throw into the deep freezer and save it for the holidays. Remove it from the cryovac packaging and pat the meat dry with paper towels before breaking it down. Of course, cooking the thing whole necessitates paying close attention to prevent the devastating mistake of overcooked steak.

To break down a whole beef tenderloin,  follow these steps:

A. Slice off the head and tail, and trim the silver skin.

B. Save the head, tail, and chain for beef stew this winter: Your significant other will thank you.

C. You have the option to slice the remaining tenderloin into steaks any size you desire. In this case, portion control is your friend. I sliced the meat into seven even filets using the three-finger measurements. [I measured with three of my fingers - my Alpha Phi Omega brothers remember the hand sign - it's the same one Boy Scouts use. Do it for L, F, S]. Your results may vary depending on the size of your beef tenderloin; mine was a little over five pounds. 

STEP TWO. Before you head outside, season the filets with only kosher salt and cracked black pepper (Note: I went KH's The A.P. Rub since it carries the same notes. - Friendly pitmaster's privilege). Since I spent too much money on this piece of protein. I'm putting some respect on the cow that gave up a muscle for our enjoyment by giving it a liberal shaking of salt on all sides for failure means I made a rookie move and became worthy of that other smoke - not the kind from lump charcoals. After that, light your grills and set them up for a two-zone fire.

STEP THREE. Now that the seven filets are on the grill - see, the Weber kettle got the assignment today - place them on the indirect side of the cooker. Let each steak cook in peace until they reach 120 degrees. Following that, sear them for 90 seconds per side; the diamond hash marks one would associate with outdoor cooking do not matter at this price point. Pull at the appropriate doneness - for me, it is 128 degrees or medium rare. Allow them to rest before devouring this incredible piece of protein!

Serve with your favorite style of potatoes baby reds, russet, jumbo, or mashed, shrimp, and something green to keep the cardiologist away for one more day. A few of you may prefer the breadbasket to keep coming to sop up the butter with the shrimp, but do you. 

My take: Damn.

So good, I had to get the nice paper plates 😎

Why has it taken so long to do?

With so many of my friends and family members' wedding anniversaries coming up - ours is August 6 - this would be the showstopper needed to keep those lovebirds in the backyard and free up extra cash for adult beverages, babysitters, etc. That being said, this Angus beef tenderloin owes me nothing at all. 

Thank you for reading this post and taking the opportunity to do some next-level barbecuing beyond the usual hot dogs, hamburgers, baked beans, and ribs. Enjoy the oasis better known as the backyard with each other and 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!

I See You On the Side: Dub Shack BBQ Presents Apple Pie Baked Beans

With peak barbecue season around the corner - and the fact that my off-season lasts only a couple of weeks in January, dusting off recipes is now in order. It also means remixing and sharing a side item that I've taken a liking to lately: apple pie baked beans. It only requires a few ingredients and a little time to put together before the chosen find themselves at the house for Barbecue Sundays.

You're gonna love this.

INGREDIENTS 

Two cans of baked beans (you can soak a bag of pinto beans overnight if you want, I don't always have the time)**

Brown sugar

Bacon

Lane's Apple Pie barbecue rub

Dub Shack BBQ’s Deez Apples barbecue sauce*

*Of course, the cheapest barbecue sauce you have at home will be fine. Let the thickness be of your preference, as Deez Apples is relatively thin. It's also my holiday sauce made in limited batches.-ACedA

**You're going to need at least 36 ounces of canned baked beans to share among the team.

STEP ONE. If you're in a rush, open three cans of baked beans and pour them into a cast-iron pot or a disposable pan. I won't specify the beans as they are your preference, but I like maple. Add the brown sugar, barbecue rub, and bacon and stir together before adding Deez Apples. For an additional pop of apple flavor, feel free to open a can of apple pie filling (not mentioned in the ingredients list, but make it your own). Apple pie baked beans do not have to be hearty to be a showstopper at the next cookout or graduation party; please put a bit of effort into this side.

STEP TWO. Light your grill for a classic two-zone fire around 350 degrees. If your cooking weapon is a pellet grill, pour the appropriate amount of pellets into the hopper and bring up the temperature that way. Once it reaches temperature, set it on the cool side and let the flavors enjoy their play date in the smoke. Pull from the cooker after 1.5 hours or when the beans are cooked to your satisfaction. 

STEP THREE. Grab a bowl or make room on your plates, and enjoy! 

In the miracle of time, apple pie baked beans are the treat you need at your next cookout. Go try them out and share with not only the immediate members of your households but also neighbors, coworkers, family reunions, and yes, even the church's potluck after service. I know it's been a while since I added content, so back to the refrain:

Be safe.

Be blessed.

Be good to each other.

Tell everyone that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ!

Round and Round We Go

Third grade was a sleeping giant awakened. 

While we certainly traveled as much as we were able during the school year, Little Miss Sunshine mastered the art of snark, if you ever wondered if she would inherit my dry sense of humor. But beyond a quick wit and watching our not-so-little gamer grow more into her own independent identity, Caeli has grown by leaps and bounds - and is finding ways to remain my broke BFF. 

How did it go? 

AUGUST 

Thanks to how adult and swim schedules failed to align, there was no faraway summer vacation or science camp that would have doubled as a work trip for me. However, she got a new buddy: Rocky the chihuahua. 

The boy was everyone's spoiled little buddy

In unrelated news, practicing going to bed and waking up at a suitable time was akin to pulling teeth. Instead of trying to beat back academic atrophy so much, maybe I should have worked on Life Skills Summer a bit harder...but at least we finally got tying our shoes down.

SEPTEMBER 

One of the greatest things about dropping off and picking up Caeli is our routines of high-fives, daps, and hugs when she gets into the cars depending on which part of the fleet she rides in. Some mornings, she picks the vehicle to show up in (more in November), and some afternoons she gets ice cream after she gives me the highlights of her day. That Menchies special on Tuesdays started to wreak havoc on my wallet; therefore, the discovery of a rare Baskin Robbins inside Circle K made for a much tastier treat. Maybe I just admitted that I'm the weak link, but she is a daddy's girl. 

I just hope she doesn't outgrow this part of life and the pop-up elementary school lunches yet.

Give me skin. 🖐🏿

Give me dap. 👊🏿

Give me a hug. 🫂 

Go learn a lot - and have fun!

OCTOBER 

Our big girl gave volleyball a second crack, only with Mom as the head coach. Although the team fared a little worse than last year's runner-up squad losing in the first round of the league tournament, the Volley Queens looked good and played better as the weeks progressed. I got to reprise my role as ball man and fan.

Without getting my butt kicked for sharing the picture, each girl had her own pregame routine with both coaches. Volley Queens on 3!

Caeli and her teammate/friend from both volleyball and softball Paisli. Tell KC and Cami not to kill me

Back to school: The ever photogenic one did was expected in the classroom - we'll never be the parents to post our daughter's grades to social media. Picture Day is one of the rare days Caeli showed off her curls before she returned to the beads and braids, both of which call for way less maintenance than picking out her beautiful hair and avoiding what Erykah Badu sung about in an interlude back in the day.

"Pick your afro, daddy/Because it's flat on one side"

Man, her mama fine.

NOVEMBER 

Although volleyball didn't shake out the way we hoped for, the off-season was a welcomed relief. As we read nightly, learned cursive and the basics of multiplication, and played more Minecraft than a little bit, the gamer reminded me of myself at her age - and this included her fandom of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. [No one else comes close. Fight me]. 

Thanksgiving dinner at school: The one time of year when cafeteria food won't gag us. Seriously, the food is pretty good - and something the kid will reliably eat.

In further news, the new-to-us Dub Shack work truck 2.0 aka Big Grey entered our driveway just before Thanksgiving for work days, family adventures, and much, much, more 

Family is everything. Only missing Aunt Kricket and baby EJ

Caeli's Gigi, Big Mama, and most of her great-aunts and uncles

DECEMBER 

We were wrangled at the O.K. Corral. 

As par for the course, each grade level at Collegeville presents a musical play each year. Our cowgirl did not have a speaking part but she sang her little heart out. Thanks to Mrs. Hooper for rounding the third-graders up. 

Yee-Yee! (Oops, that should've been Yee-Haw!)

We made it to Christmas break without a hitch. 

JANUARY 

Happy New Year!

The start of 2024 marks the midpoint of our school year even if the report cards and attendance policies dictate otherwise. Thanks to the Bryant School District Board for having the foresight to build five snow days into the calendar - and that fall break, which our elementary school's retiring principal really appreciated. Another thing I am grateful for is how Ms. Kellam taught Black history - and honestly, the majority of subjects - to an affable group of third-graders. 

FEBRUARY 

Yippee, it's birthday month for Little Miss Sunshine!

Before the birthday party was the father-daughter dance. She wasn't much into the Taylor Swift marathon, and the one or two Michael Jackson songs played weren't quite enough to stay once the severe weather alert expired, so we got ice cream. 

Even Dad cleans up every now and again

Here are BFFs Caeli and Ja'Zelle

Because she had so much fun at Autosave Arcade at a classmate's birthday party, we decided to grant that wish to Caeli. A difference from past festivities is that this one was with mostly her class versus the ones with family and neighbors. Nothing against the latter groups, but kids' birthday parties are too expensive to plan and do only for parents (and other kids) to stiff the invitation. A rule of thumb that I've figured out regarding party time to prevent overspending and having to carry home a whole lot of pizzas, wings, drinks, and cake: Invite fifteen, expect twelve. By doing the 80% rule of satisfaction, it gives a realistic opportunity to either build upon success or improve some of the flops.

Guess who was Character Kid?

MARCH

Those nine weeks seemed like they dragged on and on, but spring break provided a welcome respite from the routine of morning car rides, sit for most of the day, roughly ninety minutes per afternoon of free play and additional help at the Boys and Girls Club (now Bryant Youth Association).

Speaking of spring break, the six days of Florida - five in Miami, and one very long drive to Destin - were the break we all deserved. Please believe leg day (or decades, for those who played basketball with me in the past thirty years can attest), finally paid off by pulling the three of us up and down hills throughout the Miami Zoo! 

I forgot to share the love letter to the Sunshine State from two months ago, so click on the link to read it. 

We scouted out Destin and Oskaloosa Co. for our next adventure. Depending on how many of you happy Arkansans go the week we decide to pop up, see you on the shoreline. That parking situation is all sorts of cusswords you've heard me say!

APRIL

Shout out to everyone who saw the eclipse. For what is supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, those few minutes of complete darkness during the middle of the afternoon confused pets and plants alike. 

With testing back on the horizon, it was time to buckle down and show off what we learned in third grade. 

MAY

We made it to the end! Not only are students, teachers, administrators, and staff tired but also they persevered in the Wildcat Way to the finish line! Whether is be promotion to the next grade or position, a much-needed break of about two or three weeks before returning to thoughtfully planning for the next academic year, a relief from the morning whirlwind of waking up and either getting to the bus stop or the carpool lanes, or an adios to a career in education, the 2023-24 school year has been one for the ages. 

The field trip to the Museum of Discovery, the kickball game between students vs teachers, and Field Day were the perfect ending to the year.

Building a butterfly feeder for Mother's Day

See y'all August 15!

Lifestyles of the '04 Rich

2004 was twenty years ago.

Dang, I'm old: From left: my cousin Kenny, my brother Alan, and the author

I suppose the nostalgia hits differently for some rather than others. For me - and two years after my own graduation from HSU, the year symbolized the first time I felt like I had a little bit of money in my adult life and as a result, I did some grown-up things. Who agrees or disagrees with that statement is fair in his or her assessment; as several of my friends were getting married, starting families, entering peak partying days, or working our asses in the ground (remember 100% Grind? Try to forget it) that particular year rings different bells for different folks.

Exactly, what is '04 rich?

'04 rich refers to the crazy modifications we did to our cars as well as the high-end ones we scraped two nickels together to purchase during the early 2000s that now look gaudy and ridiculous, such as the Pimp My Ride era of throwing spinners on everything; TVs in the headrests playing NC-17 content; and of course, trunk wars of multiple 12" subwoofers sometimes beating harder than the music at house parties. Mannie Fresh said it best in Real Big:

Look at the spinners on the '04 Escalade, he's 04 rich.

You had to be there for it. #LifestylesOfThe04Rich pic.twitter.com/SwzdWe8rHV

— A. Cedric Armstrong (@cedteaches) May 13, 2024

Why did I think about this beyond looking at my obviously bad choices such as investing in Texas rap CDs instead of the stock market or buying land in Friendship before the developers cashed out on my stomping grounds?

When lessons about gentrification finally began to make sense pic.twitter.com/cQo4E6d3sm

— A. Cedric Armstrong (@cedteaches) May 13, 2024

There is a neighborhood in town I sometimes drive through to bypass the normal half-mile morning traffic line on Springhill Road that embodies my post: The house in mind has a Navigator, an Escalade, and a BMW M6 [E60 fans know about that V10, and if it wasn't for the homewrecking reputation for unreliability, I might be brave enough to try one. Rod bearings should not be a part of routine maintenance] in the driveway of the era. All rimmed up, ready to kill 'em cruising up and down Colonel Glenn on MLK weekend yet I periodically glance respectfully at the owner's presumably massive effort in keeping that fleet alive. 

Watch the video to Daft Punk's One More Time

As I worked my ass into the ground and found the time to party in the interim at most LR bars and nightclubs, what was the endgame?

Was I still getting over a breakup that devastated me?

Was it from basically getting fired from my first real job after college? I did give a two-weeks' notice though the sentiments were the same.

Was it having a pair of come to Jesus moments of 1)I better learn how to save some money if I ever wanted to escape my childhood bedroom, and 2)being awakened to be told of my next venture from God versus mere survival?

Even, was it trying to chase a hoop dream via recreation leagues and Sundays at the park that should have been silenced a decade prior in junior high?

Nostalgia makes 2004 seem like a carefree period that in truth was everything but as proven by the Bush tax cuts from the prior year expiring to an unexpected bill Uncle Sam had his outstretched hand out for, the slow return to normalcy for some following September 11 and the tech bust, and the early stages of R&B music's demise. For the dope albums Lyfe Jennings, Kanye West, and Usher dropped [my 2K4 albums of the year] and movies that get more airplay than they should like Hustle & Flow and Soul Plane, my so-called 100% Grind mode caused me to miss much of the year - and for that matter, my twenties - working every day and night trying to make two nickels rub into something tangible beyond a red Hyundai Santa Fe and its 60 monthly payments at an interest rate I would almost love to have today.

In effect, love me when I'm gone like Three Doors Down before the band was overplayed on rock and pop stations everywhere. 

So, here's an Incredible Hulk toast to the illegal club in Rixey, the blazer and jeans combo with or without a striped Polo button down that needed cufflinks as a default party uniform, the orange cooler full of PBR bottles that traveled so well across the state from Jonesboro to Rogers, Arkadelphia to Dumas, and all points in between, traversing the mud bottoms of Faulkner Lake Road for Edgefest '04, childhood friends lost and somehow reacquainted with, and some other stuff I probably forgot. 2004 wasn't just a swimming pool full of fun memories as I was still trying to figure out how to adult properly yet it was not quite the dumpster fire a soliloquy might unintentionally infer. 

At least it was unofficially the last year of life before social media forever skewed our perceptions of each other and the world at large.

2004: What a time to be alive!