Steak and Veggie Skewers

Hey "Q" fans! It's springtime and I'm really feeling the grilling bug. I grill year round, but spring and summer I'm out there several times a week. This time, I decided to do some skewers for dinner. I'm sure you're gonna love this one.

I got a pack of chuck steak that had been cut already (for stews and such). I pulled out the best cut pieces and placed them in a storage bag. I then added about 1/2 cup of Original Doomer's "Q" Sauce, tossed it a bit to coat the meat and then set it in the fridge to marinate.

While the meat was marinating, I grabbed some veggies. I used a yellow onion, a few white potatoes, a red bell pepper and a couple pieces of pineapple.

Wash and dry the potatoes and cut them into quarters. You can prep these well ahead of time. I put some water into a pot and brought it to a boil. I added the potatoes and let them cook about ten minutes. Once they began to soften, I drained them, set them aside to let them cool.

Meanwhile I cut the other veggies up. I used about 1/2 the onion and cut it into quarters. The pepper I cut into a few chunks.

The wife won't eat the peppers or onions, so I didn't need as many. Also, the pineapple was canned and small pieces, so I used them sparingly. I would recommend you get a whole pineapple and cut it into 1 1/2 inch pieces.

After the meat was through marinating I got my skewers and pulled the meat out of the fridge. I alternated onions, peppers, potatoes, pineapple and meat on the skewers. Since there was only so much room on the skewer I had some extra meat and potatoes. I shook the remaining potatoes in with some more Original "Q" Sauce and went to start up the grill.

Once the grill was up to temperature I threw the skewers, potatoes and extra pieces of meat on to cook. Next I wen inside to begin on the sides. I prepared some rice, carrots and a little cous cous. I used a garlic & olive oil cous cous and added a little tomato and small diced red pepper (using the cap).

After a few minutes I went out and turned everything over. The color on the meat and potatoes was great. I put a little more Original Doomer's over the skewers and let them cook another few minutes.

Once everything was done, I removed the skewers and such from the grill and brought them inside for plating. I put down a some rice and cous cous, removed everything from the skewer and placed it on the plate. Add to that a side of carrots and you've got yourself a wonderful meal.

I thoroughly enjoyed making these and enjoyed eating them even more. If you get the chance, I recommend you try them out. Use whatever veggies you like best. I've got some more beef coming soon...I'm really thinking about some nice roast beef. Stay tuned and remember...Just "Q" it. 

My first ribs on the smoker...

I know what you're thinking "Q" fans...first time doing ribs? Well, yes, sorta. I've done ribs on my grill, but this weekend was the first time I did some using the smoker I recently was given. Anywho, I started out with a rack of loin back ribs, St Louis style.

You want to rinse the rack under cold water and pat dry...then it's on to prep.
There's a membrane on the back that you will want to remove. If cooked, it will be tough and not taste good...not to mention it keeps flavors from getting to the meat.

I placed my rack of ribs on a sheet pan and turned them so the membrane was facing up. Slide a knife just under the membrane by the end of the last rib. Once loosened, you can pretty much just pull it off.

 
Now if you're doing this, you're going to want to get your favorite rub. This time, I used a blend I've been working on. Take some oil and give the ribs a light coating, just to get the surface tacky and give the rub something to hold on to. Generously coat the rub all over both sides of the ribs.

I put the rack in the fridge for about an hour or so. You can keep them in longer if you'd like, but an hour is sufficient. Remove the rack from the fridge and let them sit.

While the ribs sit out, I got the smoker up to temp, added my wood (hickory this time) and waited. Once it started smoking, I placed the rack on the top shelf. (I had to cut mine in half in order for them to fit.)

After an hour, I checked the temp and color and everything was looking good. I closed the smoker and checked back another hour later. The ribs were almost at 170 so I grabbed some Original Doomer's "Q" Sauce and gave the ribs a good coating.


While the sauce imparted it's flavor into the ribs, I began to prep the rest of dinner. I started my grill up and grabbed some boneless chicken breasts and hot dogs.


I used some Pirate Johnny's Original Rub for the chicken breasts and finished them with Original Doomer's "Q" Sauce. I served up sides of baked beans, green beans, a summer slaw and broccoli mac & cheese. The family thoroughly enjoyed it and I hope you do too!

As a side note, Pork in the Park 2012 is quickly approaching. It will be our first event of 2012 and we're really excited. If you can make it, the fest is great, BBQ Pitmasters will be there filming season 3 along with lots of great bbq teams, vendors bands and so many fun things to do. It's at Winterplace Park in Salisbury, MD, April 20-22. Hope to see you there.

Just "Q" it!

Chicken Pot Pie

Oh yes everyone, I got a great, hearty meal for you here. I had some smoked chicken breast left from my last post and wasn't sure how to use it. Then I saw the commercials for a national chicken chain's version of this and knew what I was going to make.

I pulled the chicken breast out of the fridge, and starting gathering the other ingredients. Here's what you need:

1 lb chicken breast, cubed
1 small onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1 1/4 cups water
1/2 t parsley
1/4 t black pepper
1 bay leaf
-
2 T corn starch
2 T water
-
1 egg yolk beaten
1 T milk

1 can cream soup (I used cream of celery)
1 cup shredded cheese (I used cheddar)
1/4 cup sour cream
2 pie crusts (I am not fond of making this so I buy pre-made, but if you're better at making them than I am, a double crust recipe is what you need)

To start out, put the chicken and the onion in a pot and cook on medium heat until the onion begins to soften. The smokey flavor from the chicken breast I used created a great aroma! The kids started coming in the kitchen asking what smelled so good.

Add the celery, carrots, water, parsley, black pepper & bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine the corn starch and 2 T of water, then add this to the chicken mixture. Bring the mixture to a boil again, stirring often. Once it begins to boil, remove it from the heat. At this point, add the canned soup, cheese and sour cream and mix thoroughly.

Grab a 2 qt casserole dish and line it with the first pie crust and spoon or pour in the chicken mixture. Top with the remaining crust, then crimp and seal the edges. Cut several slits in the top to allow steam to escape.

Add the milk to the beaten egg yolk and brush the top of the crust. Bake at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes. You can line the edges of the crust with foil for the last 10 minutes of cooking to prevent over-browning.

After you take it out of the oven, let it sit a few minutes, then serve. Now, while I was preparing it, I kept thinking I should add a potato, which I had originally intended to be in the pie, but realized I didn't have any. After sitting down and eating though, it was plenty filling without the potato, and the smokey flavor the chicken added was awesome. I love a hearty recipe and this one hits the mark. I hope you get a chance to try it out.