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!

Bargain Hunters, Rejoice! Dub Shack BBQ Presents Grilled Picanha

I like picanha - but do I love it enough to replace tri-tip as the midweek go-to protein of choice? Keep reading to find out if this is the case.

INGREDIENTS 

Beef picanha, around two pounds

AC Barbeque's The MVP rub*

STEP ONE. What is a picanha, dear friendly pitmaster? Our friends from People's Choice Beef Jerky  provide a great answer to this value cut below: 

Picanha (pronounced pee-kahn-yah) is a cut of beef that is popular in Brazil. The cut comes from the top of the rump cap muscle. The closest cut in the United States is a Top Sirloin Cap with the fat cap left on. The Picanha cut is also known as Coulotte.

The Picanha steak packs a lot of flavor and offers a great value. Picanha is less common in the United States, but is growing in popularity with the spread of Brazilian steakhouses.

Picanha is triangular in shape and can range in size from six to fourteen ounces. It’s fairly close in size to a New York steak. The large fat cap brings tremendous flavor and helps keep the steak juicy and flavorful. 

AC BBQ is comedians Anthony Anderson and Cedric the Entertainer's creation. Can't take credit 

The first thing that we should all do after taking the picanha out of its packaging is to blot it dry with paper towels before seasoning it. Most people usually choose salt and pepper for grilling steaks; this time around, I went with AC BBQ's The MVP rub seasoning it on all sides for not only flavor but also color. Remember, we eat with our eyes first. 

STEP TWO. Let the pichana hang out and reach room temperature while we light the grill and its two-zone fire for this cook. Today, the Weber kettle got the assignment because 1) I had just cleaned the PK, and 2) it is what I use for quick cooks. Once the kettle is ready - one can do the wave test over the hot side - place the steak on the indirect side and let it come up to 120 degrees before searing on both sides for one minute each. Once seared to perfection, the picanha should end up at a perfect 130 degrees or your preferred doneness. Give it about fifteen minutes to rest before serving.

STEP THREE. Slice into it, serve, and enjoy!

If that isn't a thing of beauty, then I don't know what is.

In the title, I stated that this is a barbecue item for bargain hunters who desire more than ribs, hamburgers, and hot dogs. In part, the $17 I paid for this picanha and the $2.50 spent on AC BBQ rub in effect feeds a family of three quite easily and makes for leftovers within a day or two. For those who do not feel like doing the math, this recipe comes out to a grand total of $19.50:  Try feeding your family at any drive-through or sit-down restaurant for that price in 2024. I cannot go much further and not salute Walmart for stepping up the meat cuts; to find picanhas, a trip to the specialized meat markets can be cut if you know which of the retail magnates they can be found. [Truth: Sometimes the best meat can be found in places we would avoid. The picanha I cooked came from the Baseline Road WM in Little Rock, so don't be afraid to venture out. I'm also betting someone's next tank of gas that the local supermecados have it as well].

Save money, live better. Right?

Is it incredible? Yes.

Does it cook better than tri-tip? Depending on the day, yes.

Will I do it again? You best believe it!

Rocky gives it the paw of approval 🐶

As always, thanks for reading this post. If the weather holds off or if the newly finished shack/man cave is open for business, 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!

Sunshine Days in the Sunshine State

Dear Florida,

Thank you for the warm days last week and the hospitality that does not always make it to the front pages of our newspapers and media sources. You've got me wanting to throw my hat in the ring and franchise a Pollo Tropical except for the fact that central Arkansas is severely inundated with chicken joints on darn near every corner: the Miami version of the Cuban sandwich is worth every bit of $8.49 that I paid the other night. For my fellow barbecue addicts, I'll make sure to replicate the recipe and compare it to the Tampa one I shared to the blog a few years ago soon. Either way, someone is going home full.

When it comes to the food, I would be remiss if my inner Mikey did not make an appearance. As always, the conch fritters were on point and fried perfectly; I need to find a supplier to ship me a case to batter and fry at home. What surprised me is the barbecue game in the Sunshine State: Next time you find yourselves close to Wildwood, there is a walk-up BBQ joint called M&M Smokehouse Bar-B-Q that absolutely needs your attention! Their rib tips are going to send me back to the lab, their OG sauces is a bit spicier than my own, and the Florida Gator Gold mustard sauce is a whole lot sweeter than my Dub Shack BBQ’s The Ancestors. The hours are short (11-5 most days), so get there quickly!

With all of the sunshine, nonexistent state income taxes, and throngs of visitors clogging both Interstate 75 and Florida's Turnpike plus the women flying into the 305 for BBLs, one would think an encounter with Florida Man was to be a standard part of the trip but...ol' Gertrude tried to put an ice cube in my hot morning coffee by asking us where is a wheelchair every freaking morning like she had suspected every Black adult in our hotel was withholding a mobility device as she pillaged the yogurts, cream cheeses, and items that could be refrigerated. Needless to say, bless her heart. 

The Miami Zoo was nothing but phenomenal even as the bike carts that had a three-hour limit really gave us a workout the final hour!

Parakeets enjoyed feeding time

Caeli also got to feed the giraffes

It's safe to say that skipping leg day is never a good idea. 

Although I didn't take enough varying snapshots for those who find themselves living vicariously through my family - and sometimes living in the moment trumps standing behind a camera as the person capturing the memory is often the one missing out. Big up to the cousins who welcomed us back after five years away, Levar for dropping gems while watching the Heat come from behind to beat Cleveland, the kin we missed this time around, and the new Fortnite teammates Little Miss Sunshine picked up.

Whatcha know about Garcia sausages?

Do I have criticisms? Only a pair: Y'all got to be kidding me with the gentrification of Miami. I know big bank takes little bank,  yet forcefully uprooting residents who have been a part of the neighborhoods' fabric for half a century if not longer is not cool and whitewashes Perrine. My other beef is with the traffic on both the Turnpike and I-75: Where are the exit ramps to avoid sitting still for up to fifteen miles from the original incident? 

From Suwanee where I got my Sun Pass to Miami, Alligator Alley to the missed manatee park and fenced in panther crossings along I-75 in addition to crossing the Apalachicola River to re-enter the Central Time Zone, thanks for the warm days and cool stuff. We'll make it to Key West one day, I promise. Destin and the rest of the Emerald Coast shall possibly be the source of our next adventure depending on cost and climate - literally and politically. 

Til the next time, three Arkansans

I Feel Like Chicken Tonight: Dub Shack BBQ Presents Chicken Parmesan

This is another long-awaited recipe that makes short work of the PK plus serves as another midweek classic: Just don't tell my mom that we're eating chicken more than once a week in Springhill Manor.

INGREDIENTS 

Chicken breasts 

Parmesan cheese

Marinara sauce

Italian bread crumbs, can be toasted*

Fire and Smoke Society's Sweet Peeper rub

Italian seasoning of your choice

STEP ONE. If frozen, thaw out the chicken breasts per packaging instructions. For the rest of us, open the package of chicken from the grocery store and trim off the ugly bits such as excess fat and the jagged pieces that will dry out way before it finishes.  Give it some Sweet Peeper love and set aside while you grate your own Parmesan cheese. [Sidebar: In the quest of cooking dinner, you may bypass shredding a whole block of Parmesan cheese and pick up the already shredded bag from the dairy department. Not many people are going to notice the easy call for a random Tuesday night meal - and to take food to the next level, save the magic for date night.]

STEP TWO. Light the cooking vessel of your choice and do so in a two-zone fire fashion. Once ready, place the chicken on the grill first over the coals for that extra pop of char before moving each breast to the indirect side. Chicken breasts are ready at 160 degrees, but...at 150 degrees, go ahead and add both the marinara sauce and parmesan cheese atop the chicken to continue cooking until the cheese melts. Rest for about fifteen minutes, and in the time it takes for pasta noodles to be al dente, dinner is ready!

This is such a great twist on a comfort food classic that I might not do it any other way! For the vegetarians/vegans among us, substitute the chicken for eggplant and get that special vegan cheese from Whole Foods or wherever the vegan aisles exist in Kroger and other slightly finer grocers than Wally World. Remember the Italian bread crumbs? I forgot them. Next time, I'll toast them and add them along with the other seasoning for an additional pop.

Thanks for reading this post. Although I joked about not telling my mom that we are eating chicken multiple times in one week, she can have this the next time she and Dad come down. As always, 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!

Salmon Bites

For something so easy and so quick, there really is no need for a special title. In the name of brevity, the ingredients and pictures are below. 

INGREDIENTS 

2 lbs salmon filets, cubed into 1"x1" squares*

All Day barbecue rub

Dub Shack BBQ’s Get Honey barbecue sauce 

*Some recipes call for skin-on filets, but like this one, skin-off works as well

STEP ONE. Using your favorite knife, cube each filet into 1"x1" morsels and set aside to shake a liberal heaping of All Day onto them. Once that is finished, place them onto a wire rack for easy transport. Don't forget to spray the rack with something nonstick - I used EVOO  - and bring them outside.

STEP TWO. When I say this is a fast cook, it is just that: fast. This is a direct fire cook on any grill but do not get distracted! At three minutes, temp the bites; if they are around 125 degrees, give them a drizzle of Get Honey and turn the rack for even cooking. Once the salmon bites reach 140 degrees, pull the rack off the grill and bring the bites for a quick rest before serving.

Enjoy!

In five minutes, I just put down something a bit healthier and more unique for dinner or a charcuterie board if a seafood one is in the cards. As a meal, it can be served with rice, asparagus, and a little bit more of Get Honey drizzled on the bites. It also qualifies as a midweek meal that can also work for meal prep.

Thank you for reading this post. Go outside and cook something awesome this week! Grilling is not the same as barbecuing: Grilling doesn't take very long while barbecue requires time, a consistent fire (pellets or gas, if you get down like that), and a reliable citizen who can maintain a smoker at a lower temperature. 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!

Here Come the Lemon Steppers: Dub Shack BBQ Presents Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings

Here come the lemon pepper steppers.

Wanna become the star that kills it for the next cookout? One way to become that legend is by grilling lemon pepper chicken wings. With the way folks have gotten heated over drums and flats (I'm a flat kind of guy myself, but I'm not opposed to the drums), one way to be remembered as a backyard legend is throwing these dudes on a charcuterie board and yelling, "Mamba out!"

INGREDIENTS 

2.5 lbs chicken party wings

AC BBQ's Lemon Stepper rub*

MARINADE

2 cloves of minced garlic

Juice of one lemon

1 tsp avocado or extra virgin olive oil 

AC BBQ's Lemon Stepper rub*

*AC BBQ is a joint project between Anthony Anderson and Cedric the Entertainer that reduces salt in barbecue rubs. For the first usage, I found Lemon Stepper to be pretty dope - and their other rubs are found at Walmart for $2.50 each. Clearly I cannot use my initials to move barbecue, but nevertheless, this is good stuff. -ACedA

STEP ONE. Pluck the feathers and trim the ugly bits of each wing part. We want people to eat chicken, not be chicken. After that, add them to a Ziploc bag along.with the marinade. For larger batches, upsize in proportion always being careful of the amount of lemon in the marinade; the objective is to have balanced wings, not lemon bombs. Place in the refrigerator for 4-8 hours turning halfway to ensure even coverage on all of those wings.

STEP TWO. Once the marinade timeline is up, place each wing on a wire rack and add another shaking of Lemon Stepper to these party starters on all sides. They are on a wire rack not only to drip dry some of the excessive marinade but also make for easier transport to the grill. 

STEP THREE. Peep the important part: lighting the grill. Get it ready with the two-zone fire we have all come to love, and once that happens,  place the wings on the indirect side. If you own a vortex, simply pour the coals in it and allow the grill to come to temperature before laying each piece along the kettle's edges. Turn every four minutes to get the desired color and char, but remember that chicken wings are done at least 175 degrees. I actually took these guys up to 190 before pulling for a quick rest and faster building of the boneyard. 

There you have it, some dang good wings. 

Before I walk off with this flat, let me first thank you for reading this post. As Arkansas winter becomes less psychotic, go outside and cook something awesome for your party of one to one million. 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!

Back To Work: Dub Shack BBQ Presents Chicken Cordon Bleu

The off-season just ended.

Like most everyone else, your friendly pitmaster needed to reset upon the new year and as usual, that reset included cleaning the grills and smoker before covering them for the January break. With the snow and ensuing ice, I wasn't going back outside to stand around in 8 degree weather cooking dinner as the dog whimpered to return inside from his bathroom breaks. Yet, I still needed a break from barbecue: I had cooked weekly since mid-August for not only Tailgating For Everyone but also multiple turkeys for Thanksgiving, the traditional Christmas ribs, pork loins for a catering job or two, rib tips to welcome 2024, a slew of pork butts, shoulders, and briskets, and the sauces.

(Come take some of these sauces off my hands - my wife wants a built pantry for our kitchen).

January was that break.

Once we turned the page to February, the off-season (for however brief it was) ended. It's time to get back to work.

The first official cook of 2024 is an easy one, and potentially a midweek classic for the repertoire: chicken cordon bleu. 

INGREDIENTS 

Chicken breasts

Sliced deli ham

Swiss cheese

Your favorite chicken rub (in this cook, I used Fire and Smoke Society's Sweet Peeper)

STEP ONE. After taking the chicken breasts out of the packaging, pat them dry and set aside. Begin to cut a slit in each piece deep enough to add the ham and Swiss cheese but try not to slice completely through the bird. Butterflying each breast leads to a pretty flat surface; pounding them down into an even state is your prerogative but I wanted to do a quick meal. 

STEP TWO. Roll the ham and Swiss cheese up before stuffing it into the chicken pocket you created with the cut from the previous step. To do this, get one slice of ham and one (or two) slices of cheese atop the ham and roll it up evenly and stuff it into the cavity. Repeat with as many slices and breasts as needed.

STEP THREE. Don't forget to season all sides of the chicken breasts. Following the Sweet Peeper love fest, insert toothpicks or skewers into each piece to hold the stuffing in there.

STEP FOUR. Light your grill. This is a direct over fire cook, so give the cooker time to get ready. My PK and bag of lump charcoal got today's assignment, so here we are - feel free to use whatever outdoor weapon you own. Once it gets to 350 degrees, bring on the chicken and place it directly over the coals turning once at fifteen minutes. Your chicken cordon bleu is ready when its internal temperature reaches 160. Give it about ten minutes to rest before diving in!

Going back to work never tasted so good!

As an obligatory dog pic, Rocky doesnt want anyone to eat the yellow snow

As always, thank you for reading this post. Throughout the year, new recipes will be worked into the rotation as well as a revision or two of the classics plus perhaps even a secret or two of how the neighborhood goes wild for great barbecue. If there is anything unique that you haven't seen, let me know and not only will I try it but also give appropriate credit when the recipe drops. 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!