The Barefoot Kitchen Witch

Living with the Competition

Yesterday morning I put a turkey quarter in some brine for Bill to cook later for dinner.  It was a breast quarter, which is why I brined it. 

Homemade Pastrami

You have to make this!

I started out brining two briskets on March 6th, both intended for corned beef.  But.  We didn’t really need all that corned beef – it was just going to be the four of us eating it, and Alex doesn’t really like corned beef all that much…so…why not turn one brisket into pastrami?

So that’s what I did.

Making Bacon – Part 4 – Salt Pork

Sick of pork yet? 

In case you aren’t, here are the first three posts in this little series…

Making Bacon - Step 1 - Curing

Making Bacon - Step 2 - Smoking

Making Bacon - Part 3 - Fried Pork Rinds

And now…something to do with portions of fat and meat that aren’t really bacon or ribs….

Making Bacon – Part 3 – Fried Pork Rinds

In case you missed the first two parts of my bacon-making series, here they are:

 Part One – Curing

Part Two – Smoking

So, now that the bacon’s made, what else is there to do?

The Fog is Lifting

Most of yesterday is a blur.

I’d had great plans to continue posting about the whole overnight pulled pork adventure, but it got harder for me to form coherent thoughts after a while, and so I gave up.

Bill got up around five thirty and made coffee, and I went downstairs to sit on the couch – just to get off my feet for a little bit – he brought me a big mug of coffee, and I fell asleep without even taking a sip.

The Pork Butt Smokes at Midnight

Well, it smokes at one a.m., anyway.

Yep,  it’s the middle of the night, and I’ve just put a 9+ pound pork butt in the smoker.  It should be done around twelve hours from now.  Lunchtime tomorrow.  Or, actually, lunchtime much later today.

My husband thinks I’m nuts.

Homemade Smoked Mozzarella

When my husband got home from work yesterday I told him “I am SO cool!”  And to prove it, I showed him what I’d done.

Actually, I wasn’t quite this far along when he got home – the cheese was still in the smoker.

But wait, I’m getting ahead of myself.

Making Bacon – Step Two - Smoking

If you missed part one, head over here to see what’s going on…Making Bacon – Step One – Curing

Just like we experimented with two cures – one with maple syrup added, one without – we also experimented with two smoking methods – hot and cold.

Hot smoke is faster, cold smoke…isn’t.  But cold smoke seems more authentic, somehow.  You know, like people would have done it back in the olden days.

Making Bacon – Step One – Curing

I cooked jonnycakes and bacon for breakfast for Bill yesterday (Father’s Day) and I think that triggered the need to write about our experiences in making bacon.  We made bacon twice last year, and we’ll definitely be making more this summer. 

Why?  Because it’s cool.

The Bacon Posts are Long Overdue

It’s about time I wrote about making bacon.

We’ve done it twice now, and we’ll do it again this summer, because it’s yummy, and it’s cool to be able to make your own stuff.

That’s why we make lots of our own stuff – bread, cheese (well, working on expanding that, but still…), beer, we grow lots of plants, we can things and pickle things and make sauerkraut and kimchee…there’s probably more, but you get the idea. 

So yes, last year, two times, we made bacon.

And I took pictures, and meant to write about it, but the giant Painting The House Ourselves project took over, and then other things came up, and I just kept not doing it.

That has to stop.  And stop now.

So stay tuned…the Makin Bacon Saga will begin shortly….

7 Hour Ribs

“It’s an awesome pork bone with smoked meat and a little sprinkle of Heaven.” – Alex Maker, age 9

Alex’s top two favorite meals are sushi and ribs.  I’m not sure which is #1 – I think it changes periodically.  Right now, I’d bet it’s the ribs.

Ribs – Part Two

Two racks gone. 

One’s left.

It’s in the fridge.

But I should pick up where I left off, right?

Ribs – Part One

Busy day today!  First thing this morning I baked some yummy Banana Sweet Potato Muffins.

And then I started the ribs.

Smoked Pork Butt – Of Bark and Smoke Rings and Shreddy Goodness

Yesterday, starting early, early, early in the morning, I fired up the smoker and placed a lovingly rubbed and injected hunk of pork on the rack.

You can read the first three posts about this day-long project here:

Smoked Pork Butt – Rising Before Dawn

Smoked Pork Butt - Charcoal Couture

Smoked Pork Butt - I've Got a Hot Butt (clearly the smoke was getting to me here)

Now, for the final chapter of yesterday’s labor of love….

Smoked Pork Butt – I’ve Got a Hot Butt

And yes, I’m suddenly an eight year old boy.

Or a twelve year old boy.

Or an eighteen year old boy.

Or a 26 year old boy.

Or a 40 year old boy….

Hm.  Well okay, you get the idea.

Moving on…

Smoked Pork Butt – Charcoal Couture

Early this morning when I started the coals and injected the pig, I put this hat on.

And I have kept it on all day so far.

Somehow it seems I MUST keep this hat on for the duration of the smoking process.

Perhaps it will keep my head on straight.

Smoked Pork Butt – Rising Before Dawn

Sorry it’s blurry – I blame the darkness of 4:37 A.M. in the morning for that.

I got up this morning at 4:29 to start coals and inject a pork but with…well, part of me keeps wanting to say “moisturizer” but no, I didn’t inject it with a skin care product. 

Let me try this again.

Mushrooms Stuffed with Chevre and Smoked Trout

I made a batch of chèvre recently.  Have I mentioned how much I love cheeses made with goats' milk?  Something about that tang...yum.  I wish we had more land.  I'd raise goats.

Beef Jerky

 

So what did you do over the weekend?

On Sunday, we made jerky.

We Like Big Butts

Especially when they're about ten pounds...of the pork variety...rubbed and injected and then slow-cooked (12 hours of indirect heat) on the grill/smoker, with plenty of hickory and cherry smoke.

Why, what kind of butt did you think I meant?

Smoked Bluefish

  

There are few foods that bring me as much joy as smoked bluefish.  Specifically, smoked bluefish on a Ritz cracker with a little dollop of sour cream in between.