Anytime, Anyplace: Dub Shack BBQ Presents Shrimp and Grits

I've been wanting to create this recipe for a while and I'm amazed how quickly this came together. Unlike most of the DSB recipes - and thanks to the weather, this one was put together in the kitchen. Could I have walked out to the shack and lit either the PK or Weber? Yeah. This is also one of the times my brother Heath would have gladly sold me a pellet grill to make shrimp and grits happen, but my backyard is still a disaster area and will continue to be throughout the rainy season so no GMG in my future.  

Time to get down on it! #shrimpandgrits #DubShackBBQ🏚️ #everydayisaGREATdayforbbq #pitmasterlife #igotthesauces pic.twitter.com/fpjrmQVE5T

— A. Cedric Armstrong (@cedteaches) May 1, 2022

So...how did your friendly pitmaster bring a Low Country staple to the Natural State and turn it into a recommended recipe? Keep reading - but first a quick history lesson. As some of you know, my paternal family originated from northwestern South Carolina and they migrated to central Arkansas with 5,000 other Black people from Edgefield as a result of the Edgefield Exile of 1881. We didn't just bring the Word of God and ridiculous work ethic with us; we brought stories, memories, skills, verve, and flavors that cannot be beaten such as the tomato-based The O.G. barbecue sauce. Shrimp and grits are synonymous with Charleston throughout the Low Country along the coastline while pork reigns supreme in the Pee Dee region [Florence, Marion, Hemingway, Conway, Myrtle Beach, etc.]; to discover that pulled pork and grits was a legitimate breakfast item at a Hardee's off I-95 was a bit of a pleasant surprise. Like almost everything else in America, as the culture is sampled to no end and the originators were pushed along to the extreme margins they kept one of the great creations and capitulated as a fully assimilated product, shrimp and grits became one of those examples of authentic Southern dining.

Enough of the lesson: Gotta stop before someone says I'm teaching CRT through food.

INGREDIENTS

1 c quick grits

16 oz chicken broth

6 strips of turkey bacon

1 smoked sausage

1 package of jumbo or colossal shrimp

Old Bay seasoning

1/2 stick of butter

1 tbsp minced garlic

Parsley flakes 

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp lemon juice

4 oz grated Parmesan cheese

8 oz sharp cheddar cheese

4 oz cream cheese

*Of course, make it your own. I chose chicken broth so I wouldn't have to add salt to the grits, cilantro can be a substitute for parsley, and the style of bacon (pork, beef, turkey) used is immaterial as long as the grease is saved as part of the sauce. I just had a lot of turkey bacon around and once it was diced, it happened to work this time.

STEP ONE. Dice up the bacon into bite-size pieces and do the same to the sausage. Since I used turkey bacon, I added an additional two pats of butter to create extra flavor and alongside the sausage, sauteed to a crispy tender state and set aside. Using the same skillet pan, add the thawed seasoned shrimp to the bacon grease and cook to the letter C before putting away in a separate container. If the shrimp curls up, then it is overcooked.  

STEP TWO. Cook grits as the package suggests. Pro tip: To minimize the risk of oversalting, use chicken broth instead of water. You'll thank me later. As the broth and grits boil, turn down the heat and add the cheeses and stir to your preferred consistency.

STEP THREE. Remember the skillet pan and all of the flavor left behind? Hopefully, it has been simmering along. This is the time to continue building flavors by adding minced garlic, cilantro, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice before returning the meat and seafood to the pan for it all to come together. 

STEP FOUR. In the miracle of time (30 minutes in this case), shrimp and grits are done. Plate it up with the grits on bottom, the shrimp, sausage, and bacon next, and an extra pop of parsley on top for we indeed eat with our eyes. Serve immediately and enjoy! 

Now that I finally got around to making shrimp and grits, I realize the importance of getting it right as well as having another weapon in the arsenal for anytime - breakfast, lunch, dinner, or brunch. Allow me to throw my hat in the salt vs sugar debate on grits: In this application, salt is the ticket although I prefer sugar with my breakfast grits.

Y'know, country is as country does, cuz

It's finna be on and popping pic.twitter.com/1vgNzEInpO

— A. Cedric Armstrong (@cedteaches) May 1, 2022

Thanks for reading this post! Feel free to try it out if you've never made this recipe, and yes, the grits here are cheesy. Be blessed, be safe, be good to each other, and tell everyone that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ! 

Bringing Sushi to the Backyard: Dub Shack BBQ Presents Blackened Tuna Steaks

As you can tell from the thumbnail, I didn't blacken the tuna steaks all that much but it's still good. 

I reckon I should show how we got to this point, so keep reading. Yes, I cooked them to a rare temperature of 120 degrees; don't gripe because you can make hibachi at a fraction of the price you pay Samurai, Tokyo Steakhouse, Sakura, or the sushi bar of your choice. I don't like the idea of paying $90 for dinner in Benton of all places, so here we are. This could also be the star of a bougie charcuterie board if we want to get down like that. It just means everything else has to be perfect especially the rolls we all like and enjoy.

Off to doing some R&D: What do you eat with sushi? A saucemaker's gotta have a bit more than a set of rolls... #DubShackBBQ🏚️ #everydayisaGREATdayforbbq #pitmasterlife #igotthesauces #sushi #ComingSoon pic.twitter.com/oPdFbMC2iW

— A. Cedric Armstrong (@cedteaches) April 26, 2022

INGREDIENTS

Ahi tuna steaks

Fire and Smoke Society's Fish Monger and Holy Garlic rubs

Olive oil

STEP ONE. If necessary, allow the tuna steaks to thaw slowly in the refrigerator and pat them dry. Otherwise, coat each steak with olive oil with an equal parts mix of Fish Monger and Holy Garlic on all sides and set them aside to light the grill.

STEP TWO. Once the grill is lit - and I forgot to take pictures, set the steaks up for direct heat. They won't take long to cook as the ideal internal temperature is 120 degrees to keep them moist. As a recommendation, flip every 2-2.5 minutes and sear off the sides until each tuna steak reaches 120 degrees but not much further past that - dry fish is a special kind of punishment. In defense of the well-done camp, tuna steaks can be taken all the way to medium around 145 degrees; just do that if it is a featured product such a tuna nicoise wiith the Hollandaise sauce and fancy accoutrements. Sear the sides (stand them up) for 30 seconds and pull them off the grill.

STEP THREE. Let them rest for five to ten minutes, slice against the grain, and serve to hungry guests! 

In the miracle of time, dinner is served. 

I would likely do this again with a different crowd since a midweek charcuterie simply did not work out as well as intended; nevertheless, this was some good stuff! Next time, I'll probably grill some shrimp and stick it in the empty corner to ensure everyone eats to their hearts' content, and in lieu of the round steaks from the top right corner, some sushi rolls would be in order. As always, thanks for reading this post and sometime soon, go outside and cook something awesome. Be blessed, be safe, be good to each other, and tell everyone that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ! 

Dilly, Dilly! Dub Shack BBQ Smokes a Whole Turkey

Because more and more people are eschewing pork but still have that burning desire to eat barbecue, turkey has become a more viable option throughout the year than simply what Grandma does on Thanksgiving Day: oven roasted and exceedingly dry with jellied cranberry sauce barely able to salvage the featured presentation. Once you have pulled turkey like this one, you’ll never want to go back to any other way and although the appearance doesn't matter as much as it would late November, a pretty bird is nevertheless a delectable bird.

INGREDIENTS

One whole turkey* (mine is 14 lbs.)

Fire and Smoke Society’s Sweet Peeper barbecue rub

Tony Chachere’s Cajun butter injection

*Any whole turkey is good enough. If yours is closer to the 20+ lbs. range, it simply means a longer thaw period. As a good rule of thumb, remember to factor 3 lbs. per day before cooking turkey to thaw from frozen; no one wants to eat icicles at the next cookout.

I figured I would keep the ingredients list short due to the fact I’ve smoked turkeys in a myriad of ways and styles. Also, a big thank you to Jessica for donating the feller for today’s cook. Whether or not it makes it to the plant is in the air – and the stomachs – around me but I certainly appreciate the offer.

STEP ONE. You definitely want to thaw the turkey hence plan ahead. If your whole turkey is ready after one day, you might have something to worry about so please take your time, reserve some space in the refrigerator, and almost forget about it. For example, if you pull your 14 lb. turkey out of the freezer on Saturday, it should be ready to go on Thursday if the 3 lbs./day logic is employed. This could be a really long week, but patience is awarded by a lifechanging experience and taste out of this world. 

STEP TWO. In the first miracle of time, those five days have passed, and the turkey has safely thawed in the refrigerator. At this point you can go one of two ways:

1)    Give it a wet brine and wait one more day; or

2)    Dress it by washing off the phosphates and cleaning it up as much as possible. That means get rid of the turkey neck and the giblet package, and since this one is being cooked whole, take out the kidneys and any other parts that reasonable people won’t eat.

Anyone following Option 1 can do the prep work from #2 the next day. I have a documented history of getting turkeys as moist as possible before smoking them; therefore, my direction is the former.

Using the Cajun butter, inject every inch or so to ensure a moist bite from every single piece of turkey – and don’t forget the wings and legs. They need love, too. Following that, spread that Sweet Peeper affection all over without missing a spot and set aside in the refrigerator to light the smoker. As a member of the poultry family, turkeys do not need to sit outside for too long since salmonella is not on the menu.

STEP THREE. Go light the smoker! Although smoking whole turkeys is not like pork butts and shoulders or briskets where low and slow is the ticket, a consistent temperature of 275-300 degrees guarantees an even cook over an unspecified period of time. We cook to temperature, not time. Place the bird with the legs and wings toward the firebox and chill out for a bit with a bottle of water, beer, or beverage of choice and watch the kids play outside. Every so often, feed the offset smoker with a pecan split and preheat the next one; as the turkey gets the desired color, tent it with aluminum foil to prevent getting any darker. One way to continue keeping it moist and desirable is to mop it hourly with a preferred liquid. Regardless of how the finished product ends up, our friends, family members, neighbors, and the people on the coveted meat list still eat with their eyes.

BBQ TURKEY MOP SAUCE

1 c white vinegar

1 c lemon juice

1 tsp Sweet Peeper rub

Yes, the meat list is a real thing: Only a select few land on it.

STEP FOUR. In the real miracle of time, the turkey is done. The breast is fully cooked at 165 degrees, and the legs and wings are finished a few degrees warmer at 175. Remove from the smoker and let it rest for at least half an hour before pulling it – we don’t need knives and meat claws and forks for this part only what God gave us in these two hands. Be careful to get all of the bones separated from the meat and throw away the carcass. If the turkey neck was smoked alongside the whole bird, share it with a fine citizen who knows good eatin’. Serve and enjoy with any of the Dub Shack 6-pack of barbecue sauces, brisket baked beans, Woo Pig mac and cheese, and other side items from the cookout – or eventual block party.

These days we want to eat healthier for not only ourselves but also our loved ones and for some, that includes to an extent ending what had previously been a lifelong affair with the swine in favor of turkey. As the Pork Patrol becomes an increasingly vocal group with its battle cry of “no pork on my fork”, keep in mind that as backyard (and for some, commercial) cooks are adjusting to a world which requires not only our best but also breaking out of the norms of only ribs, pork shoulder, briskets, and chicken every time we light up the grills and smokers. Everything is enjoyed best in moderation, and before I share my closing tagline, this is a reminder to reach out to people whom we haven’t seen or talked to face-to-face or even on Duo and FaceTime as sometimes the ones with the most even demeanors find ourselves becoming real tools.

Be blessed, be safe, be good to each other, and tell anyone out there that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ!   

Bambi Meets the Far East: Dub Shack BBQ Presents Deer Stir Fry

 I have been sitting on a pair of venison (deer) steaks for a while and figured it would be time to try out something different. Before you ask why I am not using either of the grills or the smoker for this cook, I have an answer: I just don’t feel like it. This is also one of those quickie meals that can go either way and since I haven’t invested in an outdoor griddle top, I can keep my feet clean to have dinner ready in a little time. In addition, the way the deer is prepared does not exactly justify the time in lighting a fire and all of the normal dog-and-pony show theatrics of choosing wood, which type of charcoal, and for the King of the Hill fans, turning on the propane tanks.

Thanks to Kevin for blessing your friendly pitmaster with both steaks and a roll of ground deer that you don’t see. Now…let’s go to work.

INGREDIENTS

Deer steaks

Soy sauce

Rice vinegar

Lime juice

Olive oil

Stir fry vegetable mix because I’m lazy and really value my time*

Cilantro

Udon noodles

*If you’re feeling yourself, slice up whatever veggies suit your desire and enjoy.

STEP ONE. Slice the steak into ¼” slivers and put them in a Ziploc bag. Add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, lime juice, and olive oil to the steaks and set them in the refrigerator as the marinade for anywhere from four hours or overnight. Since I work nights, this qualifies as meal prep. The longer the deer sits in this mixture, the greater the flavors manifest themselves – and it even eliminates the gamey taste!

STEP TWO. In the miracle of time, the deer is marinated and ready to be cooked. Add enough oil to cover the bottom of the wok but not so much that you in effect are frying tonight’s dinner and empty the bag of stir-fry vegetables. Cook them until they are crisp-tender meaning don’t make the peppers, onions, broccoli, and other veggies taste like mush but be certain to thoroughly cook them. If you aren’t sure, simply follow the package’s instructions. During this time it would be ideal to cook the noodles to its directions and set aside. Inside of the oily pan, add the steak strips and only take them to rare.

STEP THREE. Combine all of the ingredients and serve with egg rolls, wontons, or hot mushroom or egg drop soup.

Venison is somewhat of a delicacy as hunting season is limited to a few months and getting our hands on processed ground meat, jerky, hind quarters, backstrap, or in this case, steak sometimes means we have to cast our culinary nets wider to locales which we otherwise would have overlooked. It is very easy to overcook, and no one truly deserves to gnaw on shoe leather. Be blessed, be safe, be good to each other, and tell everyone out there that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ!

 

 

 

Remaking a Holiday Favorite: Dub Shack BBQ Presents Honey Smoked Pork Loin

Times are hard.

Money is tight.

The lamb is too damn high and the three of us aren’t going to spend the week eating spiral cut ham leftovers. 

The lamb is too damn high. This is why we're eating honey baked pork loin #Easter pic.twitter.com/dUlNGDSMYw

— A. Cedric Armstrong (@cedteaches) April 17, 2022

I might save the prime rib for Mother’s Day depending on my wife’s wishes but I may reprise Christmas dinner with another box of snow crabs in a surf-and-turf take because even your friendly pitmaster has to play bougie every now and then and wow the socks off my way better half.

Truth be told, I was planning to do something different this year; after so long and so many cooks, the creativity wanes and ebbs before cresting into a meal that can be requested for this date in the upcoming years as well as any random Sunday afternoon potluck pending on family’s desires following softball season.

Back to the cook: This is what we are all here for.

INGREDIENTS

One half pork loin (mine was about 3 lbs.); for a larger crowd, feel free to use a whole loin

Fire & Smoke Society’s Sweet Preacher barbecue rub

Dub Shack BBQ’s Get Honey barbecue sauce

Honey mustard as a binder

Apple juice (optional; it’s in my water pan today)

STEP ONE. Open the package that the pork loin came in, pat it dry, and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight on a raised rack. In a pinch, you could do this in as little as two hours prior to the actual cook but in this context, time is your friend. Don’t forget to trim the inedible silver skin from the loin.

STEP TWO. Take the loin our of the refrigerator and apply both the honey mustard binder and Sweet Preacher before setting it aside to rise to room temperature. After laying in the icebox all night long, the clenched protein needs to be able to relax and warm up to room temperature. Remember, happy meat is tasty meat.

STEP THREE. Light your fire. This time around, I’m using my Weber kettle and as always, the weapon is immaterial as long as the end result is great food. Establish the two-zone fire and add the all-important water pan and fill it with apple juice. This is going to be relatively quick but not hot dogs and hamburgers fast yet allow the grill to come up to 250-300 degrees before cooking. One chimney of charcoal should get the job done, and as an additional buffer, I added one split of apple wood because smoke also adds flavor and we all know that the best barbecue flavors come from the best wood near you – or the local hardware store, Academy, or even Walmart.

STEP FOUR. As I learned from the FDA, pork can be eaten at 145 degrees; to those who still are leery of a medium piece of pig, feel free to take your loin to 160: Just don’t dry it out. Around 130 degrees, move the loin over to the hot side and sear it for a few minutes on each side. The plan here is not to make those Chili’s style of cross hatches as much as it is to lock in the hard work of fire management; it is also a perfect time to glaze the pork loin with Get Honey on both sides to crisp up the skin. As the center of the loin reaches 145, remove it from the grill and bring it inside to rest for about fifteen minutes so the juices can redistribute from all sides; no one deserves dry meat least of all the people who share the space we call home.

STEP FIVE. After the fifteen minutes’ rest, slice and serve to your party with tantalizing side items!

Honey smoked pork loin is a slightly different take of the hams too many of you spend too much money on during certain holiday seasons and hopefully it also results in no leftovers – but if it does, make sandwiches, hash, or whichever direction your heart desires to take the white meat sometime this week.

Be blessed, be safe, be good to each other, and tell anyone within earshot that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ!

 

 

 

Great Wolf, Muss Bus Ridership, and the Rest of Spring Break

It's been a week indeed.

Spring break for Little Miss Sunshine began the other Friday - mine started Monday morning at 7 am which of course was a pleasant relief from Rineco - and with the blessing of a a niece getting to ride along, one more of everything across four hours of Interstates 30 and 635. I'm hoping we don't get stiffed by TxDOT for not having their transponder to drive through parts of Dallas and Tarrant counties; a nationalized toll road system would be the move which allows the states to keep its own collected revenue as well as me being able to keep my Florida's Turnpike toll pass. I had EZ-Pass back in the day, so there is no need for the big white box to remain on my windshield.

Once we made it to the Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, did I eat barbecue? Not exactly; I had something that resembles 'cue but nothing to write home about or recommend to my fellow addicts of the smoke. I saw a couple of joints but I would've been staring at a triple digit bill for four people two of which are seven years old.

My family had a great time and all I got was this bottle of barbecue rub. I'm joking: I enjoyed myself, too.

Back to the Great Wolf Lodge.

The best part of having an indoor water park beyond quiet hours is the ability to wear out two kids with a myriad of activities such as the Magiquest, Build-a-Bear, a mining booth, yoga for kids, and their own nightclub called Hustle and Howl. It meant that I could keep the car in its great parking spot for multiple days except for when we ventured into the city for slightly cheaper chow albeit a more mass market approach. They did pick up a new friend along the way, and what has become par for the course with Caeli, she was welcomed into our little group as if we had planned for her and her mom all along. That trip will likely happen; we shall wait and see. 

As a writer living in the moment, I'd be remiss if I failed to confess to calling the Hogs in line as I waited for pizza and wings after the Gonzaga game. For the guy standing in front of me from Lubbock, it would've been really cool if Texas Tech had won primarily so we can get the old Southwest Conference back together for the Elite 8. Count me in as a passenger on the Muss Bus; I haven't been this proud of the Arkansas men's basketball team since the GOAT Nolan Richardson was patrolling the sidelines at Bud Walton Arena. 

In Muss we trust

Gonzaga, zig zag, papa's got a brand new bag, it don't matter: Hogs by 6. #WPS #MussBus #NCAATournament #ARKvsGONZ pic.twitter.com/uBn3BbjJI7

— A. Cedric Armstrong (@cedteaches) March 25, 2022

The water wasn't that deep and hey, even married folks need time away from the babies for each other. That being said, chlorine and locs don't mix well. Going for a beer was also prohibitive especially if I had to climb a slew of steps to go down the slides; when it came to the water slides, going down was the thrill I needed. However, these 43 year-old-knees aren't as malleable as they once were - anyone got Ben-Gay?

Just minding our own business playing in the wave pool 

 Meet us in the club, it's going down...

As for the rest of spring break, we caught up with a lot of people from Caeli's softball and basketball teams, a couple of cousins, and even my homie Torre and his family! From our time in water, it looked like the Williams familia (his words, not mine) had as much fun as Caeli and Faith. Did I bring a large percentage of Saline County with me? It seemed like it. Getting to link up in a fun setting apart of how we recognize people from a normal position or station is a definite change of pace. 

Now back to the grind until the next time I am able to take off, likely sometime after spring ball is finished. With a little over eight weeks remaining in the 2021-22 school year, I'm doing all I can to not push too hard for May 25 to get here (Caeli might, but I need her focused on the moment) since that implies that summer break is here. Could we return for a quick three-day jaunt? Possibly. There are so many other sights to see, and as I told Chastity, one privilege we are affording Caeli is the opportunity to travel and visit as much of God's creation as time and finances align.

The African Roman Emperor

Only a few people have ever heard of the African Roman Emperor who influenced Britain in the first century. His name is Lucius Septimius Severus, born on 11 April 145 and died on 4 February 211. He was a black Roman Emperor born in Leptis Magna, present-day Al-Khums in Libya. Severus was born into a family of great wealth and they were distinguished and of equestrian rank. His mother was of Italian descent and his father was from North Africa. He was the first emperor born into a regional family of non-Italian origin.

His mother’s ancestors came from Italy to North Africa. They belonged to the gens Fulvia, an Italian aristocratic family that had its origins in Tusculum.

His father was an unknown provincial with no political status. He had two cousins who served as consuls under emperor Antoninus Pius between 138 and 161. They were named Publius Septimius Severus and Gaius Septimius Severus.

The Influence Of Septimius Severus on the British.

He responded to the cry for help by the British governor. He needed protection from brigands who were attacking British citizens.

In response to the danger, he built the walls of Roman London, about a square mile to help protect London. These walls are defined by what Septimius Severus did for Britain.

He set up camp in York and fought alongside garrisons to help protect London from the dangers. After killing the incoming emperor, Didius Julianus, he fought other claimants to the throne and defeated them.

The claimants were Pescennius Niger and Clodius Albinus. Niger was defeated at the Battle of Issus in Cilicia, while Albinus was defeated three years later at the Battle of Lugdunum in Gaul. A short punitive campaign beyond the eastern frontier won him the Kingdom of Osroene as a new province.

He waged wars in the east against the Parthian Empire and sacked the capital in 197. This helped to expand his territory on the eastern frontier to Tigris. His territory increased and was fortified at Limes Arabicus in Arabia Petraea.

He campaigned in Africa and Mauretania against the Garamantes in 202. He captured their capital Garama and expanded the Limes Tripolitanus close to the southern desert frontier.