Barb's Bucket List Emerald Isle Trip

 

      The last, and most important item on my wife's bucket list has always been a trip to Ireland.  We have planned this for nearly a decade now, but recently I thought it might a very nice gift to her to invite a friend along (instead of me) for the trip.  A 'girl's trip' if you will.  After some coordination with a close friend of ours who had planned and executed her own trip, Barb decided to follow her lead.  She spent the past year planning this; coordinating with her friend, Nancy:  passports, IDs, immunizations, etc.   Ireland, Scotland, UK All Inclusive Vacations & Tours | CIE Tours  She has always been way ahead of the curve planning this.  

      Her trip was for September 4-11.  The trip included air fare, a day of independent touring in Dublin, a guided day tour, Blarney/Killarney, Ring of Kerry, Skellig, Cliffs of Moher, and a tour of Galway before returning to Dublin and the trip home.  Total cost for this trip was $7800 for the two of them.  This included the tour, air fare, and travel insurance.  Barb took over 440 shots and it took me several hours to sort thru, collate, and post process these on the laptop.  The rest of this blog post consists of some of the best of Barb's Bucket List Trip.

DUBLIN

     

           

Irish Stew

BUNRATTY CASTLE

Medieval Feast Chicken etc.   

Asssorted Pics

Busses in Dublin

The Merry Ploughboy, Dublin

Dublin Castle

Dublin Castle

Blarney Castle

Killarney Buggy

Countryside

Blarney Castle

Countryside

Countryside

Skellig Village

Skellig Village

Skellig

Coastline

Sheep dog demonstration

Irish traffic jam

Cliffs of Moher

Village Lane

Galway Cathedral

 Fresh Hake and Mixed Salad

      Unfortunately, they experienced 2 cancellations on their trip:  the wait for the Blarney Stone was 2+ hours and the ferry to Skellig Island was cancelled due to weather.  Regardless, Barb and Nancy had the time of their lives.  The enormous smiles on their faces at the airport are proof.  It warmed my heart that she could experience that.  

"Love is never defeated, and I could add, the history of Ireland proves it"

 Pope John Paul II

Smoked Stuffed Pork Loin with Bacon and Gouda

 

      We love pork loin but rarely smoke it.  It is such a versatile piece of pork, from roasted to fried to smoked.  This recipe was recommended to me by BBQ friend online, so we tried it.  It doesn't require much prep other than butterflying the loin and pounding it a bit so you can stuff it easily.  You won't find shredded Gouda cheese so be prepared to do it yourself.  

      Of course I cook these on my wood pit offset smoker, but you can easily do it on a Traeger, Weber Style Grill or Brinkman Portable.  I do suggest a milder smoke wood, such as apple, cherry, or pecan.  Oak is good too, but stay away from Mesquite.....too strong.  

1 pork loin, butterflied

3 Tbs Spicy brown mustard

Kosmos Dirty Bird Rub

¾ cup Gouda cheese shredded 

½ lb. Bacon 

Butcher’s twine

      Cook bacon until it is crispy.  Let it cool then crumble into small to medium sized pieces.

      Buy already shredded cheese or you can buy a block of cheese and shred it yourself.

      First, add a little spicy brown mustard to help the rub stick and then season the butterflied loin with the Dirty Bird Rub.   Evenly spread the cheese and bacon throughout the butterflied loin. 

      Fold the butterflied pork loin over on top of itself.  Apply some spicy brown mustard to the outside of the stuffed pork loin.  Rub the mustard all over the top and bottom of the loin then sprinkle rub on both sides generously.      

      Cut (3) 24 inch pieces of butchers twine for each pork chop to tie it up.  Lay the pieces of twine parallel and at about 2 inch intervals.  Lay the loin on top of the twine.  

      Loop each piece of twine over the loin, pull it tight and tie a knot that will hold.  Trim the extra string with scissors or a sharp knife.

    Set up your smoker for cooking indirectly at about 225°F using cherry or your favorite smoking wood.  Once the smoker is ready, place the loin directly on the grate.

      You can expect the pork loin to take from about 2-3 hours depending on actual thickness, how often you open the lid, weather conditions, and how cold the meat was when it went into the smoker.

      Ultimately, the pork is done and ready to eat when they reach 145°F.  Be sure to measure pork and not the filling temps. In the end this cook took 4 hours.  Do not forget to cut and remove the butcher's twine.  Honestly the bacon and gouda meld throughout the loin which results in a divine taste.  

      Serve with potatoes and choice of roasted vegetables, including collard greens.  THIS IS THE BEST TASTING PORK LOIN I HAVE EVER TASTED. 

"If I had to narrow my choice of meats down to one for the rest of my life, I'm quite certain that meat would be pork"

James Beard 

Ron's Tybee Island Sausage Pie

 

      Tybee Island, Georgia, is a popular beach destination known for its laid-back atmosphere and coastal charm, located about 20 minutes from downtown Savannah.  Tybee Island offers a variety of cuisines, with a strong emphasis on fresh seafood and Southern flavors, particularly Lowcountry boils. This recipe is merely a part of our small collection of 'low country' cooking.  Deep dish, meaty, creamy, hearty, and very filling; this one is a keeper; Southern comfort cooking. 

1 pound ground pork sausage

1/3 cup chopped onion

1 Tbsp butter

¾ cup milk

1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese

3 eggs

1 cup shredded cheddar

½ tsp Worcestershire sauce

½ tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

1 (9-inch) deep-dish pie crust, partially baked and cooled

      Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

      In a heavy skillet over medium heat, crumble the sausage with a fork.  Sauté the sausage until completely cooked.  Drain off the fat, remove the sausage, and set aside.  Melt the butter in the same skillet over medium heat.  Sauté the onions in the butter until tender.  Add the milk and heat until steam rises, but do not boil the milk.  Cut the cream cheese into small pieces, add it to the onion mixture, and remove the pan from the heat.  In a large bowl, beat the eggs, then add the cheddar, the onion mixture, the Worcestershire, salt, and pepper.  Mix thoroughly and pour this into the piecrust.  Top with cooked sausage, and bake for 30 minutes, or until set.

"Lowcountry cuisine, celebrated for its unique blend of African, European, and Caribbean influences, is often described with quotes that highlight its deep connection to the land and its people. These quotes emphasize the importance of fresh, seasonal ingredients, the influence of Gullah culture, and the joy of sharing meals with loved ones"

Charleston Daily

Pearls New Orleans Kitchen Elk Rapids, MI

 

            We have dined here several times since we first moved here.  We have also been fortunate enough to dine at several very Cajun/Creole restaurants throughout Louisiana since our retirement.  It is one of our favorite cuisines.  Located in Elk Rapids about 25 miles NW of our home it is not a long commute, filled with pleasant country scenery if we go the back route along the county road from Rapid City to Torch Lake to Elk Rapids and around Elk Lake. 

      Authentic Cajun/Creole cuisine is hard to duplicate, and we haven't found much locally.  Remember Soul Hole in Traverse City?  There is one very good restaurant in the Upper Peninsula in Marquette.  Lagniappe | A Cajun Creole Eatery  This is our first visit in probably 20 years.  Many NW Michigan eateries have been bought out by larger consortiums.  The addition of Magnum Hospitality as owners did not lead to major changes in the restaurant's concept or menu.  

      Pearl's offers a wide variety of both authentic and local favorite adaptations.  This can be difficult to do.  They have an extensive offering of appetizers, salads, and entrees for both the lunch and dinner menu.  This includes frog legs, gumbo, gator, catfish, shrimp, fresh oysters, fried green tomatoes, andouille, crawfish cakes, and red beans and rice.  The soup and salad recipes are also quite thorough.  They also have a very nice selection of Po' Boys and Muffulettas.  Pearls New Orleans Kitchen | Elk Rapids, MI.  Additionally on the night we dined here they offered other specials such as salmon, oysters, and Crawfish Mac n Cheese.

        We visited Pearl's midweek hoping to avoid the summer crowds.  Still quite popular with the locals, it is often full.  We got our seats quite quickly and after getting drinks and perusing the menus Barb selected a Shrimp Po Boy while I went with the Pork Grillades with gravy, cheese grits, and maque choux.  

Shrimp Po Boy w/Remoulade

Pork Grillades w/Gravy, Cheese Grits, & Maque Choux

      We loved our meals.  The service was very good.  Price for our dinner was $47.  Cajun/Creole food is one of the most duplicated cuisines in America.  We are not experts but have eaten it throughout Louisiana for years now.  Pearl's New Orleans Kitchen comes pretty close.  On a scale of 1-5......easily delicious! 

"Cajun is country food by farmers and fisherman that arrived in Louisiana from Acadiana, Canada" 

Paul Prudhomme

 

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