K.I.S.S.: Dub Shack BBQ Presents Honey Lime Wings

The best barbecue is often the meats kept simple such as salt and pepper beef briskets. If you need another example, keep reading below for the best party wings you'll eat this week and another superb sauce flavor from your friendly pitmaster. 

INGREDIENTS

Chicken wings

Avocado oil 

Big Poppa's Jallelujah Lime rub

Dub Shack BBQ’s Get Hot Honey sauce 

STEP ONE. We are using the K.I.S.S. philosophy; if you never knew what the acronym stands for, it is Keep It Simple Stupid. Trust me when I say I am guilty of violating that basic credo of life and cooking outdoors. Start by removing the chicken from the package and pat them dry; if any of the flats or drummettes have feathers, pluck them off and place in a medium-sized bowl. Add both the avocado oil and Jallelujah Lime to the pieces and mix thoroughly until all sides are coated in the rub. 

STEP TWO.  Light the grill. Today, I'm back to my beloved PK and really, there is no need for two-zone cooking as I am centering the charcoal briquettes (look, I'm using what is already in my shed. Be cool - when I'm up, I'll bring back lump charcoal instead for a quick cook. Once the grill reaches 350-400 degrees, place each flat or drum on the grill flipping at twenty minutes. Depending on the temperature, you might want to turn sooner than later. As chicken wings can easily handle 175 degree temperatures for doneness without sending anyone to the ER for undercooked bird, one would heed Bobby McFerrin and "don't worry, be happy". The trick to superb chicken wings is getting a good char without burning them. Pull around 185-190 degrees and serve after a five-minute rest.

STEP THREE. Remember the bottle of Get Hot Honey? You can go in either direction of serving it from a 2 oz cup and dry wings, or toss them in the newest DSB sauce. 

Enjoy!

In the course of thirty minutes, we have some bomb wings. Go outside and do some quick grilling before frying up some onion rings and fries as complimentary side items. Beyond the weekend, this can be a midweek dinner for some households - unfortunately, my own daughter is too picky and set on Ramen to know what she is missing. 

I'll keep trying. At least Caeli loves my pork chops.

Thank you all for reading this post and sharing great food among friends, family, coworkers, and people who simply like getting together for barbecue and more. Y'all be safe, be blessed, be good to each other, and tell everyone that every day is a GREAT day for Dub Shack BBQ!

Bacon Makes the World Go 'Round: Dub Shack BBQ Presents Bacon Wrapped Ravioli

Bacon makes the world go 'round.

Bacon makes the ravioli go down.

What is your friendly pitmaster smoking this time around?

If you guessed bacon, you're absolutely right. 

If you guessed ravioli, you're also right. Here's how bacon makes the world go 'round, and wrapping it around ravioli makes it not only a good snack to consume before the featured presentation is ready. I know enough of you who show up for the pulled pork and briskets only, so give me a fighting chance to let both meats rest before you eat us out of house and home.

Before I get into the rest of this recipe, thanks to Heath Riles (this year's ribs grand champion at Memphis in May and the dude who keeps my inner fat boy coming out for some dope combinations) for creating this recipe.

INGREDIENTS 

Regular, thin-cut bacon

Frozen cheese ravioli 

Fire and Smoke Society's Pork Perfect barbecue rub

Marinara sauce, for dipping

STEP ONE. Open the package of raviolis and set them out on a wire rack. [Oh, snap! Spray the rack with avocado or olive oil]. Next to that same rack, find that regular cut bacon and cut each strip in half: As much as we like bacon, be certain that you have enough pork to wrap around the pasta; otherwise, someone is making a trip back to the grocery store. Wrap each half-strip of bacon around each ravioli and feel free to season with Pork Perfect.

Why do we not use thick-cut bacon when we are smoking or grilling wrapped items? Because by the time thick-cut bacon is ready, the product wrapped around is is overcooked - if it is a lean protein such as turkey or deer, it will be drier than the last training class you went to at work. 

STEP TWO. Go outside and light your smoker to 325 degrees. Once there, leave the prepared food on the same wire rack and place it on the weapon. In my case, Junior gets the assignment since it did so well on the initial burn and seasoning session. In about an hour, the bacon should be cooked to doneness; bonus points if the cheese oozes out of the ravioli.

Say hello to Junior 

Thanks, Jason and Michelle

STEP THREE. Wait about ten minutes, serve with marinara sauce, and enjoy!

This is easily a Tailgating For Everyone recipe since it presents itself as party food for those block parties (Summer on Stivers '24 isn't happening, sorry), baby and wedding showers, family reunions, graduations, etc. that will empty a bowl and have guests asking for more. Go outside and cook something awesome this week! Thanks for reading this post: Show us what you're doing outside and enjoy the sunlight or smokehouse in the backyard! 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!

Mercy, Mercy, Me! Dub Shack BBQ Presents Prime Rib Sliders

Get ready to class up the tailgate even more than normal!

Our thirteenth wedding anniversary was recent, and since I had the prime rib I had smoked and put away in the refrigerator largely to be forgotten or eaten that weekend, I figured it was high time to repurpose one of those premier cuts of beef into something edible for the three of us to enjoy as a midweek meal. [Y'all are seeing this as a T4E recipe due to the time. -ACedA] 

INGREDIENTS 

One beef prime rib, sliced (this one was 5.5 lbs)

Swine Life BBQ's Mississippi Grit and Grind rubs 

Half an onion, sliced thinly

Two sticks of butter

Provolone cheese

Beef broth (au jus works as well)

Slider buns

Everything Bagel rub

STEP ONE. Using the leftover prime rib - and bonus points if it is boneless for this one time only, slice it as thinly as possible without going full paper thin as a slice of roast beef from a lowly eye of round can be. Next, slice the onion in half and further into the slimmer rings and set them aside briefly; in the meantime, melt one-half of a stick of butter before adding the onion to the hot skillet. Some people like using peppers or mushrooms and feel free to make it your own as these sliders are for the tailgate party; in this application, only the onions are needed at the moment. 

STEP TWO. As the onions are being sautéed, warm up the sliced beef in beef broth for no more than 30 minutes in the oven at 250 degrees because it will catch a blasting of heat in the very end. To reinforce the flavor, add a moderate shaking of both bottles of Swine Life BBQ's Mississippi Grit and Grind runs and allow them to play together in the oven.

Set aside for the build.

STEP THREE. Spilt the rolls in half and butter the bottom half following which add the Provolone cheese, the prime rib slices, those sautéed onions, and its crown. [Strictly optional: When you melt the second stick of butter to add to the top half of the slider buns, add a nice amount of Everything Bagel to the party and slather accordingly. Your attendees will thank you later. -Friendly Pitmaster] 

While we pretty up the sliders, return to the oven and set it to broil for approximately 30 seconds. Any longer, the top buns might burn and otherwise ruin the look of the best spread in the parking lot.

Serve warm after a fifteen minute resting period.

My thoughts: Man!

As we embark on the final Tailgating For Everyone season together, let us head outside to make good food and better memories. Barbecue does not have to be a great ordeal, and with a bit of effort, legends can be created. 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!

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!