Recipe: Pulled Pork Wrap

The BBQ Wrap: wrap up your favorite bbq meat for a delicious twist on the bbq sandwich..

Tired of sandwiches? How about a bbq wrap?

In the mid 90's wraps were everywhere- Caesar salad wrap, Thai noodle wrap, blah blah blah. Just like any food fad, they quickly ran their course.

But the wrap is actually a pretty cool and tasty invention. After all, a burrito is nothing but a wrap.

All you need for a great wrap is an oversized tortilla- use a colored one if you must, and some fillings that naturally go together.

And here's where bbq wraps excel. The plethora of available bbq side dishes that are out there marry themselves naturally to this type of "sandwich" and are one of the more easy bbq recipes around.

For me, a really killer wrap is one made with only 3 ingredients. Here we go:

Recipe: Pulled Pork Wrap

1) 12" or 14" flour tortilla

4- 6 oz. Chipotle cole slaw

4-6 oz. BBQ Beans or better yet Ranch Beans

4- 6 oz. pulled pork

That's it. 3 ingredients. To assemble you must heat the tortilla slightly to make it pliable. If you can steam it, great, otherwise, wrap it in saran wrap and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds or so. Spread the beans on the bottom, followed by the slaw and pork.

Now, fold the two sides in half way and, starting at the end closest to you, roll the wrap up, pinching it as you do to make it a tight cigar.

Grab a cold beer, some hot sauce or bbq sauce to dunk it and enjoy!

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Types of pork chops

Pork Chops

Pork chops originate in the loin of the pig. The loin is located at the top of Mr. piggy and runs along either side of the backbone.

Like any animal meat located in an area that gets little exercise, is tender. For example, on a steer, the rump that gets much use is tough as a shoe, while the ribeye- from the loin of the steer is quite tender.

Why is this important? Well, the location tells you how tender the meat will be, how expensive it is likely to be and suggests a cooking method.

Since pork chops come from the loin, they are some of the more expensive cuts of pork, are very tender and lend themselves to cooking techniques that use dry heat- grilling, pan frying or roasting. Now, for the types of chops pork (I know, it reads annoyingly, but you typed it that way to find this page!)

– The blade chop This is the chop that is cut from closest to the shoulder. This is the most marbled with fat of any of the chops. But, it is also the toughest. Of the chops here, this is the one I would treat most like a country style rib I would smoke or grill it, but cook it longer than other chops at a lower heat to tenderize it.

– The rib chop comes from the center of the loin. It’s a lean chop. When you buy a bone-in pork chop at the store, you’re probably buying this. You can find this chop thin or thick, bone-in or boneless.

– The loin chop is the most tender of any of the chops, because it contains part of the tenderloin. It has a characteristic t-bone shape, bending to one side. This is very similar to a t-bone steak on a steer. Again, you can find this chop thick or thin, and a boneless center-cut loin chop, is probably the Cadillac of pork chops.

– The sirloin chop This chop comes from the part of the loin closest to the hip. These chops are especially lean. But, also because of their leanness can dry out quickly and become tough.

So, there we are. Chops pork. You really can’t go wrong with any. But here are my two recommendations.

• Buy the thickest pork chops you can find. They are more flavorful and juicy and less likely to dry out. Thin pork chops are ok, but I prefer these with eggs for breakfast.

• Don’t over cook! Trichinosis is a thing of the past, you do not need to turn your meat to ash. 155-160 degrees internal temperature will yield juicy flavorful meat.

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Texas Red Chili Recipe

If you typed chili texas red, also known as chili con carne, a bowl of red, you must be looking for a page on real Texas chili.

Well, you found it!

Chili Texas Red, like many dishes can be great, made with quality ingredients, using the right techniques; or, it can be a disaster- a shadow of its intended self, most often canned and ridiculously cheap. In fact, what many of us know as chili, is a far cry from what is what it was at its inception.

I am somewht of a chili purist. Chili Texas Red, quite simply does not have beans. Any beans.

And vegetarian chili is an oxymoron.

But that is not to say that I can’t appreciate a can of chili.

Nope, I can get down and trashy with the best of them, figuratively “waking up the next morning” after a randy night of opening a can of Nalley’s, Hormel, or Wolf Brand from Texas.

In fact, there is really no better chili for chili dogs with squirt cheese than canned chili with beans, but that is another article.Chili con carne, is the Americanized term for chiles con carne- quite literally chile peppers with meat. The modern day king or father of chili, Frank Tolbert, writes in his book A Bowl of Red, that the early recipe for chili was simply chunks of beef stewed together with reconstituted dried chili pods and spices.

In his great book, The Tex Mex cookbook, Robb Walsh traces the explosion of the popularity of chili to the Columbian Exhibition of 1893 in Chicago. There, the Texas exhibit re-created the chili stands of San Antonio where you could buy a bowl of red and crackers for a nickel. A few years later, chili stands and canned chili began popping up across the U.S.Below, I am giving the recipe for Earl’s Chili from my former restaurant. I swore I would never give out this recipe, but I am giving in. And, to help myself sleep at night, I am giving you the amounts for approximately 3 gallons of chili- so it is up to you to break it down to the batch size you’d like. (Or freeze it in portions of 4 or so.)

One tip: do not pass on the masa harina flour. This is a key ingredient for giving the chili earthiness and mouth feel.

Chili Texas red is best served with diced white onions, cheddar cheese and a very cold beer or glass of iced tea.

And, if you really want the authentic feel, make a Frito Pie: dump a bag of Fritos in a bowl, ladle over eight ounces of chili, and top with onions, cheese and mustard. No joke.

Recipe: Texas Red Chili Recipe: aka Earl's Chili

12# Beef stew meat

2 cups masa harina

1# Bacon Ends and Pieces

1/2 cup oil

6 Onions Chopped

½ c chopped garlic

3 cups chili Powder

1 - #10 can tomatoes chopped (a #10 can is approx 1 gallon)

1 can chipotle pureed in Cusisnart

1 gal beef stock

4 oz brown sugar or piloncillo

Salt to taste

Chop bacon in Cuisinart. Put bacon and oil in a very large pot Add onions and garlic. Brown – do not burn!

Add stew meat. Brown well. this will take some time.

Drain excess fat.

Add the rest of the ingredients except masa and salt and cook for 1.5 - 2 hours until meat is fork tender.

Mix masa with water until a runny paste forms.

Add masa to chile and salt to taste. Cook for another 1/2 hour at very low heat, stirring occasionally.

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Chicken Dry Rub recipes

Chicken Dry Rub: A great rub for chicken, plus one more that is pure "KC"

The recipe below for chicken dry rub can be used on any meat, but is really good with chicken. And if you are doing "on the grill chicken" the bird will need even more flavor enhancing than if you were to smoke it, so this rub is ideal.

If you have the time, I highly recommend using a brine and then the seasoning. Be careful, however: since this rub contains sugar, you will need to use indirect or low heat.

Typically, I like to smoke chickens at about 235 degrees- a bit hotter than say brisket or pulled pork. For the grill, gas or charcoal, I have grown to like the heat nice and low to prevent flareups and to help render the fat and make the skin crispy.

Recipe:

2 Tb. Sugar

2 Tb. Salt

2 Tb. Lemon Pepper

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

2 Tb. Chili Powder

2 Tb. Garlic Powder

Mix all ingredients and store in an airtight container.

Next, here is a great Kansas City inspired dry rub. Use it on all of your favorite KC inspired meats- especially brisket, pork shoulder and pork ribs.

Recipe: KC Dry Rub

4 Tb. paprika (smoked even better!)

4 Tb. Brown Sugar

2 Tb. garlic powder

1 Tb. cayenne

4 Tb. salt

4 Tb. medium grind black pepper

Mix all ingredients and store in an airtight container.

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BBQ rub for pork

BBQ rub for pork: the starting point for great bbq pork...

Pulled pork. BBQ pork loin. Spareribs. To make them great, you've got to start with great bbq pork rub.

Pork, being a mild meat, lends itself to many a rub recipe. And since, the humble pig is the 'cue of choice for many parts of the U.S. as well as Mexico and the Caribbean, there are many seasoning mixes to choose from. Carolina style? Jerk-influenced seasoning from Jamaica? Achiote spiked paste from the Yucatan?

Below you will find two American styles, both great.

As with any recipe rub should be made from the freshest ingredients!

Recipe #1

2 Tb. garlic powder

2 Tb. paprika

2 Tb. brown sugar

2 Tb. salt

2 Tb. coarse grind black pepper

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. cayenne

1 tsp. sage

1 tsp. allspice

1 tsp. dry mustard

Mix all ingredients well.

If you are making pork butt, rub a considerable amount of rub into the pork. You really cannot use too much! When the pork is to be pulled the spice will mix in with the meat. Taste. If necessary add more rub.

If you are making bbq pork loin, I would advise that you first brine the pork for at least 24 hours. 

Next, rub the pork loin with the seasoning, prepare your smoker or grill, and go for it!

Recipe #2: Carolina Pork Rub

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup salt

1/4 cup coarse grind black pepper

1/4 cup paprika

1 TB. cayenne

1 Tb. Dry mustard

The ingredients are listed above in cups at it is assumed you will be using this for pork shoulder! As stated above, be generous with the seasoning, and after smoking or grilling, and pulling (!) taste the meat. You can add more rub if you wish.

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How to bbq chicken

How to bbq chicken : some tips and thoughts before you start...

An extremely common question or topic: how to bbq chicken. Part of this I'm sure, is that a well-made bbq chicken recipe is fantastic. But also, chicken, especially breast meat, is prone to drying out, the fat under the skin can cause flare-ups, and often leg and thigh meat can be, or appear to be under done or bloody.

So, many people think it's a mystery how to bbq chicken. It's not.

Another reason for this page, is that since chicken is such a popular menu item in households, it deserves a page on how to cook it properly.

Also, chicken is easy on the budget, but many people unnecessarily make it more expensive by buying the wrong cuts! 

If its polite to say please, I will say it twice in hopes you follow these chicken tips:

Please Please #1 Depending upon what you are using the bird for, please please buy a whole chicken and cut it up.

At the time of this writing, we are in a bit of a financial mess. It is no coincidence that chicken is on more family menus because of this.

If you learn how to cut a chicken, you will save a ton of money.Typically, up to about $1 per pound.

Also, If you cook the whole chicken on the bone, it is much more flavorful and juicy. This is probably the most important reason to buy the whole bird.

But, let's say you only like breast meat. Fine. Save the rest of the chicken for a stock to make soup, beans, or sauces.

Or, save just pieces for later use as well- like buffalo wings. (Have you noticed how expensive those little buggers have gotten? Used to be throw aways until the Anchor restaurant in Buffalo taught us all about addicting wings!)

But an added bonus is that if you cut it, you can actually increase the number of pieces to stretch Mr. chicken for your budget.

Please Please #2: Please please brine your chicken. When asked how to bbq chicken, I tell people this is the most important step for juicy flavorful meat.

Or at least, if you have time, pre-season the chicken. With just kosher salt rubbed on, I let a whole chicken season for 48 hours. With a brine, I brine the whole bird for 24 hours if it is whole. If the chicken is cut up, I typically brine for 10 hours.

Please Please #3: For the most part, please please cook your chicken low and slow.

Sure, if you're doing chicken al mattone (Italian-style, under a brick) or roasting the chicken, you might stray from this.

But, for a great bbq bird I go low and slow on a smoker using hickory, oak, pecan, or other hardwood as a seasoning.

How slow? Typically I like 225 degrees for about 4 hours for a 1/2 chicken. Boneless skinless breasts will only take 2 hours or so.

But if it's a weeknight and you are using your gas grill, I still put all burners on low and put the chicken up above the fire as high as possible.

The backs (I love them, but most don't) which are really fatty, and the thighs and legs go on first.

Then I cover the grill to squelch flareups. After about 20 minutes, turning every 10 minutes or so, I put on the breasts and wings.

Again covered.

Timing depends on how hot your grill is, but gas grills are typically hotter than a slow smoker so cook times are: approximately 45 minutes or so for dark and backs and 25 - 30 for breasts.

This method gives the best chance for crispy skin, lower fat and great flavor.

Please Please #4: Please please don't overcook your birdy.

If you read the health department literature for chicken, (or for pork for that matter,) you will literally torch your meal.

I look for dark meat to be done in the 165 degree range, and 140 ish for white meat.

But, it's your bird, so if you're a bit squeamish, and I know people like this, then go ahead, cremate it.

This leads directly to my next plea:

Please Please #5: Please please don't worry about pink meat if you are using a brine and/or smoker! BBQ chicken recipes often leave the meat pink.

This is the natural reaction to the salt and the smoke. It's cooked. I promise.

Please please #6: Watch kitchen sanitation!

Learning how to bbq chicken, and even before that, how to cut chicken, should start with proper sanitation.

Because, for my money, chicken is one of the "dirtier" meats in the kitchen. A little spilled blood in the fridge will smell bad soon, I assure you.

And, so as not to worry about things like salmonella, do these things:

Use a different cutting board for chicken and other meats. If you do not have this luxury, sanitize your boards with a bleach water solution. Yep, it dries your hands, but it's a great kitchen sanitizer.

Do not mix cooked chicken with raw, and make sure the containers you store food in are covered and don't leak. If you are using a marinade, do not use it to baste cooked meats.

Sure, these are relatively simple. But nothing ruins a good party like food poisoning.

Now you know how to bbq chicken and are ready to tackle your favorite recipe!

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How to cut chicken

How to cut chicken is an easy guide to help you save money by cutting your own bird!

How to cut chicken? Easy Peasy. And the same method can be applied to cooked chicken (duh) for any other bbq chicken recipes..

First, remove the leg.

Cut through the leg joint. To find the joint bend the leg and look to see where the "knee" joint is (for lack of a better term!)

If you miss the joint, no big deal. Just look where you have cut and find the joint. The leg should come right off.

Now, remove the wings. Flip the chicken onto the breast (I find it easier this way) Again, move the wing and zero in on the joint to where it connects to the body. Cut through.

Now, remove the thighs. Move the thigh to find the joint and bend it as far from the body as possible. This will expose the joint more. You can see the knife tip pointing at the joint. Cut through to remove:

Now, you should have the central breast and back piece:

To separate, you can cut through the two with kitchen shears, but I prefer a heavy chef's knife as shown. Hack down between the two pieces separating from the ribs:

Now, separate the back into two pieces. Many people don't like the back: it has a bit of fat. But, if cooked properly, the fat will render and leave a lot of skin with unctuous meat.

Perfect for me. Simply cut through. If you need a bit of help you can use a rubber mallet or shears.

To split the back, again, you can use shears or a knife. I like to cut trough the meat to the "keel bone" first and then cut through the bone. This gives more control and a more uniform piece:

Almost there! Now split the breasts further into quarters. Although optional, this extends the chicken into more pieces, and makes them easier for people if they want a bit of this and a bit of that. You can use a hacking motion to break the bone or shears, or a mallet as in the picture:

Voila! 12 pieces of chicken. And, it's at a cheaper price per pound than cut chicken or specialty packs. Plus, if you buy a few whole birds on special you will be even more thankful you know how to cut chicken!

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Carving Beef Brisket

Carving Beef Brisket

Carving beef brisket is really easy. It may seem daunting because once you complete your beef brisket recipe, you have one big piece of blackened meat with no apparent road map on how to cut it up!

So, how to cut brisket? You just follow the direction of the muscle. Also, when carving brisket, you cut the meat against the grain.(meaning, the finished cut of meat should not appear to have long strands of meat all running the same direction)To carve: you start at the triangular front called "the point" (many bbq restaurant customers will specify the point, or lean, or fat, or cutters choice). Slice on a bias, working your way back.

About mid way, you are going to see a membrane and fat separating a meaty/fatty top portion. This is called "the deckle." You have two choices: you can continue on cutting the way you are. I do not recommend this.

Instead, when carving beef brisket, I run my knife through the fat and remove the deckle. Now, you can clean and trimboth of these chunks up to your liking and start carving again.

Please, don't cut more than you need or it will dry out.

Now, brisket grasshopper, you MUST serve this meat with dill pickle chips and sliced onions. Sounds weird, I know, but once you try it this way, your life will change forever.

On a sandwich- hamburger bun or hoagie roll, it goes something like this: 6 oz. brisket, pickles onions and sauce. For me, I like to get all white trash on it and put mayonnaise on the bun.

OK, party's over. Now what?

If you have some brisket left, I would chill it, then slice it. Trim it if you must but fat is good for you.

Now wrap it in saran and freeze - or better yet, vacuum seal it for your next bbq party or drunken office party where you come home half-in-the-bag and absolutely have to have some bbq beef brisket.

Oh- 1 tip- Restaurants always talk about "yield." This is how much actual servable meat you get after you cook it and it shrinks. Typically a 10-11# brisket yields about 6-7# of meat. So, it is about a 50% shrinkage. If you care, you can see that this effectively raises your cost per pound from $1.86 at the time of this writing, to about $3.60 per pound. FYI.

Oh- 1 more tip- this meat is so damn good, and, in many cases reminds me of Mexican barbacoa.

So, in addition to serving it the traditional way,I like to make FRESH refried beans, guacamole, and rice.

Next, I squeeze a bunch of limes and make real margaritas.

Rolled in flour tortillas, eating the brisket this way is nirvana.

Namaste.

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Beef Brisket Tips for Bovine Bliss

Tip#1 Find the right meat. Of all the beef brisket tips, this is probably the most important. Brisket cooking in a smoker means using a packerbrisket. It should include the deckle- the top piece. Also it should have a large fat cap that covers almost the entire brisket.

Tip#2 Use the right wood. Brisket, which has a lot of mass, and takes quite a bit of time, needs an assertive wood. I prefer a mixture of oak, hickory and pecan. For a big piece of meat like this you could use mesquite, and its very strong smoke.

This is probably one of the only cases where I would use mesquite to smoke, although I use it regularly for grilling.

Generally though, I use what is local if possible- it keeps the cost down.

The only woods I avoid are fruit wood like apple that are brilliant with ribs and bacon, but way too mild for brisket. And, it goes without saying to avoid woods with pitch- right?

Tip#3 Smoke at the right temperature. Unless you have a super-deluxe gas assisted thermostat controlled smoker, making bbq at home is an exercise in controlling the heat and smoke of your fire.

I will go into more depth about controlling the fire in coming pages but ideally you'd like to smoke the brisket at an average temperature of 200 degrees. It can fluctuate but try to keep it in this window.

Tip#4 Use the right rub. The right rub is the rub you like- after all- you are doing the work. I have said it before and I will again, the only rub for brisket that I use is KOSHER SALT and medium grind BLACK PEPPER.

Period.

This is one of the more surprising beef brisket tips that I give out. People just want to use a funky rub concoction.

I use the salt and pepper in a ratio of 1 part pepper for every 2 parts salt. Normally I put it in a Tupperware container, mix it up and apply.

Tip#5 Use enough rub. Don't be chicken. Remember: there is a lot of fat you are going to trim way. Also, there is a lot of area to cover!

If you use enough rub, you will not need to apply any other seasoning after cooking, because as you slice the brisket, you will get a nicely seasoned crust along with the interior of the meat (unless you are making burnt ends and use some of this crust)

Tip#6 Do not turn your brisket. EVER! This is the easiest of the beef brisket tips. You need the fat on top to melt through the meat and keep it moist.

(Once in the early days of my second restaurant one of our less than intelligent workers smoked a whole case (70lbs) of brisket upside down. We had tho toss all of it in the trash- way too dry.

Tip#7 You really don't need to mop the brisket. If you want to, fine. But unless your introducing a whole new flavor why bother? You have more than enough fat to lubricate the meat. And really, what are you basting? The fat cap?

Tip#8 Rub your meat (oh the jokes I could make) up to 24 hours in advance. In the restaurant setting this rarely happens, and it doesn't make a huge difference anyway.

Tip#9 If you are making burnt ends, great. Love 'em. I would encourage you to use the deckle for this and the flat portion underneath for regular sliced plates. There are a lot of folks who just want plain sliced lean beef.

So, I use the deckle and it's ample amount of crust-to-meat ratio and its yes, lovely fatty meat, to do burnt ends.

Tip#10 You must MUST serve your brisket plates with pickles and onions. If you're not from Texas, this will sound weird. But it works. Take a bit of brisket on your fork with a piece of pickle and onion. The acidity in the pickles and sharpness of the white onion temper the fat in the meat.

Tip#11 When making brisket sandwiches, you can use either a hamburger bun or a hoagie roll, or any bread really as long as it's white.(please don't ever think of wheat bread for this.)

I like to spread mine with butter and toast it on the griddle. This adds insult to injury. And for me, I like to "white trash it up a bit" and spread mayo on the toasted bun. Then step back and let the magic happen.

Tip#12 You can reheat brisket! It is great. (one of the beef brisket tips most restaurants never admit to)

Any large leftover pieces, once cold, should be wrapped in saran wrap first and then foil. In a 300 degree oven it takes a whole piece about 3 hours to heat up, so that is about an hour for every 2 pounds or so, I think..

Also, if you have slices left- vacuum seal them. I like to take any big chunks and trim and cut them after they are cold. Then I seal and freeze them for later.

Tip #13 How much to serve? 4 oz. of cooked meat for a sandwich is fine.

8 oz. of cooked meat for a standard bbq plate with 2 sides is plenty.

If you have other meats or sides you will have to re-figure this, especially whether it is lunch or dinner.

I typically allow 8 oz (total) of meat and 2 sides for a hungry person at dinner. If I had ribs as well, It would be 6 oz of meat and 1 rib.

Godspeed my beef brothers and sisters..

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