Kung Pao Venison

 

Venison Round Steaks chopped lean 

      We're only a week away from departure south for this winter.  We are also whittling away at our freezer so as to create room for this winter's bounty.  This recipe is one we enjoy so I decided to try it with our lean, rich Axis venison round steak.  Of course wok times will be shortened as the Axis cooks quickly.  I served this with Egg Drop Soup.  

1 pound boneless venison steak cut into 1 inch pieces

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons light sesame oil

3 tablespoons green onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

2 teaspoons sugar

1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts, crushed into halves

Dredge venison strips in corn starch

      Combine venison and cornstarch in small bowl.  Toss to coat.  Yep, that's corn starch.  At times I have found it to be a great breading agent by itself or in addition to flour for stickiness when frying.  Heat olive oil in large non-stick skillet or wok on medium heat.  Stir fry 5-7 minutes or until no longer pink in center.  Remove from heat.  When in the RV I use our much smaller Teflon wok, but at home I have a large cast iron wok that I love; it cooks evenly.  

Stir frying the venison strips

      Add onions, garlic, red pepper and ginger to skillet.  Stir fry 15 seconds. Remove from heat.  Combine vinegar, soy sauce and sugar in small bowl.  Stir well and add to skillet.

      Return venison to wok and stir until meat is well coated. Stir in peanuts.

Stir Fried Venison w/veg and peanuts

 Heat thoroughly, stirring occasionally. Serve over hot rice.  I love brown rice.  I used Texmati Rice this time; found it to be more earthy and a bit chewy, but not bad.  

EGG DROP SOUP

3 cups chicken broth

1 tsp. sesame oil

2 eggs

1/2 tsp. white pepper

      Bring chicken broth to boil in sauce pan.  Add sesame oil, white pepper, and whisk.  Crack and add 2 egg; whisk vigorously for 30 seconds.  Set aside as low simmer.  Of course this is our final plated dish with our best china........lol 

Plated with Egg Drop Soup

"Governing a great nation is like cooking a small fish-too much handling will spoil it"  

Lao Tzu

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Embracing Fall; Crawfish Stew & Dumplings

 

      Fall is my favorite time of year, the weather is cooling, leaves are changing, and the anticipation of impending comfort cuisine.  We are entering the season of "It never really dries out now."  Gumbo, Jambalaya, Stew, Red Beans with Rice, and Chili......oh my!  This is my first time with this recipe.  No recipe is perfect.  I did modify/tweak this as I went along.  I know what we like.  After all this is Cajun, how bad can it be?  It is my favorite cuisine to prepare.

3 lbs. crawfish (of course in lieu of fresh I get tails in the freezer section of Walmart)

1 cup Roux

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 onion chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

2-3 cups chicken broth

Salt and red pepper

1 tbsp. chives

1 tsp file powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

 

NOTE:  You can make homemade Roux and I would if I had fresh mudbugs with all the tail fat.  This time I used Tony Chachere's Roux mix.  I'm lazy. 

Stirring the roux 

     I'm in Michigan.  For lack of fresh, 3 packages of crawfish tails will do.  Make roux and heat on bottom of pot, stirring at low heat until mixture is a golden brown.  Add the Holy Trinity (onions, celery, and bell pepper);  cook until vegetables are tender.  Lower fire and add crawfish, stirring.  Add 2-3 cups chicken broth.  Cook 20 to 25 minutes on low, stirring occasionally and add more broth if needed for desired consistency. 

The Holy Trinity of Cajun Cuisine:  onions, celery, and bell pepper

Simmerin'

      Again for easy prep I used Bisquick dumplings, but if you have your won recipe, go for it.  I added File powder, garlic powder, and chives to the dumping recipe.  Spoon dumplings into the pot.  Put cover on, continuing to cook on low for 12 minutes.  Ladle into bowl and add dumplings.       

Dumplings in the pot

Finis' plated 

"Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall"

F. Scott Fitzgerald

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Rolling Smoke; 2021's Last Q

 

       Every year when we return home to NW Michigan there is always a certain amount of dragging stuff out that was stored in the barn for the winter.  One of these is our 'big ass wood pit smoker'.  An original Oklahoma Joes well built with heavy steel, I've been cooking on this for 27 years.  Even on wheels at 900 pounds it just doesn't move itself and the power provided by two aging homeowners is dwindling.  Once outside we move it to a place by a large poplar tree, but still close to the barn.  We still have to drag it's ass back into the barn each fall before departure.  Insert love here. 

     We usually fire up the pit about once a month during our summer stay with anything from brisket to pork butt to pork belly to chicken and ribs (both beef and pork).  I did not do brisket this year due to the much higher beef prices here than at our winter place in Texas.  This will be our last 'Q' for the summer and Barb has been jonesin' for some ribs.  Pork ribs are one of those dishes, much like women, sex, and rock n roll that everyone has strong feelings about.  I have my technique for brisket, beef ribs, pork butt, and chicken perfected, but my pork spare ribs are sometimes a hit and miss deal.  We both prefer Baby Back Ribs.  I have tried several methods, including wrapped or not, 3-2-1 cooking, and sauce on or off.  By the way the 3-2-1 method is 3 hours cooking, 2 hours wrapped and cooking, and 1 hour rest time.  This is the method I used today.  We both prefer our BBQ sauce on the side or just brushed on lightly an hour before finish.  I have used KC Sweet n Smokey Rub, but was yearning for something a bit different so I tried a blend this time.  

      This summer I bought 2 racks of BB ribs when they were on sale.  Barb never complains when I make too much Q so I cooked them both.  After Barb removed the rib membrane I rubbed them out with my KC Sweet n Smokey and a new addition, KOSMOS Killer Bee Honey Rub https://kosmosq.com/ about an hour before putting them on the fire.  I also keep both racks on the same side of the chamber to keep temps uniform.  One of the best things about BB ribs is the cooking time is much shorter so I don't have to fire up the pit till about 11 a.m. 

 Start with lump charcoal then spike with cherry

When coals settle down, place ribs in pit

      I used a bed of kindling and Oak Lump Charcoal to start the fire then spiked it with cherry wood all day for my smoke, keeping temp at 250-275.  After the first hour I spritz it with some apple juice/cider vinegar once each hour.  After 3 hours the meat should be nicely colored and if so then I wrap it.  I use foil for ribs cause it keeps the moisture in and I don't  care about a crispy bark on ribs.  

Ribs @ 3 hours; 160 degrees; more apple juice and wrapped for the last two hours

      After 2 more hours I partially unwrap one of the ribs to check and see if the meat is starting to recede from the bone.  This is my indication that we're close.  Target rib temp here is about 190-205 degrees with my Thermopen probe.  If not satisfied then I replace the wrap and cook an additional hour.  If you like your ribs sauced then lightly brush BBQ sauce on the ribs and rewrap them.  

After resting at 195 degrees

      At this point I remove the ribs from the pit and take into the house, letting them rest for an hour still wrapped on the counter.  Prepare your side dishes about this time.  When ready unwrap the ribs and you can slice all the individual ribs or in sections of 3-4.   

Slicing them up 

      I must admit that even with finishing temps the ribs did not recede from the bone much at all.  Unlike those shows with competition BBQ we like our ribs just about falling off the bone.  Serve with additional BBQ sauce on the side.  Barb also included some of her baked beans and PA Dutch Warm Potato Salad.  They were delicious.  

Cherry Smoked Ribs, PA Dutch Sloppy Tater Salad, and Barb's Baked Beans

"Is this heaven?  It's NW Michigan with summer's last really good BBQ and family"

Roux and the Outlaw Josey Wales Hilts

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Hessel, a respite for the retired

 

      Taking care of the farm each summer provides many projects as well as the need for a break.  This year, however, we are only home 3 months so a single mini vacation works just as well.  This is Barb's birthday week and she loves a casino get away and I am happy just about anywhere to stretch out and relax.  Hessel, MI offers such a place.  We have been here several times in the past, but not lately.  This will be the first trip for the newest member of our tribe, Josey Wales.  We made this trip the last week of September to avoid the summer crowds and have a little cooler weather.   

A modest, but nice casino

      The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is a jewel with opportunities for anything anyone may want to experience.  Hessel lies in the southeastern half of the UP about 30 miles east of the junction of the Mackinac Bridge on highway 134.  Traffic here is light unless you are in the depths of summer and traveling to DeTour Village and Drummond Island.  The casino itself is a small concern with basic gambling slot machines only.  They do have a bar and snack counter with decent food.  Service is very good.  The RV park is located about 100 yards away across the road with 40 sites, including some with electricity.  Septic hookups are now available at the 10 largest sites as well as a central dump and water on the exit road.  They also have very nice/clean vault toilets.  RV Parks – Kewadin Casinos  $22 a night buys you a spot with electric.  It is first come first served for spots.  Of course we water up before we arrive.  That usually buys us about 5-6 days.  We discovered that now in Michigan, regardless if you have the recreation passport on your plates or not you still get the privilege of paying $10 to either water up or dump.  Live and learn.  The campground has several 'vault type' toilets which are kept very clean.   

On station and beer is cold

      After camp setup I assumed my role as 'camp bitch' and let Barb relax and play with Josey Wales and Roux.  I am, after all, at my happiest just chillin', building a campfire, and preparing meals for my family.  On an adventurous evening I'll follow Barb to the casino and drink a beer watching the big screen sports.  I had some initial difficulty setting up the satellite system as the power supply was not providing the dish with power allowing it to search for signals.  Once I resolved this I could not find a satellite.  The next day I discovered that I could reset the receiver and with directions from DirecTV able to refresh my receiver.  Apparently if your receiver is powered off for more than 60 days you have to do this.  I have made a new checklist to remind me of all the necessary steps.  Live and learn, part 2.  

His and Her Majesty on a Wilderness Break

Barb may kill me for this pic, but it's her birthday...she's allowed to spend it as she pleases

The Village

      We stayed a week; some of the meals I prepared included: Venison Poutine, Spinach Lasagna Rollups, Boudin Pasties, Chorizo Burritos, and Campfire Ribeye Steaks (for Barb's birthday) among a few.    

Venison Poutine

Fire pit grilled ribeye  

Cajun/Yooper Fusion....Boudin Pasty

      For us this is a very nice location to camp even though they don't have full hookups or facilities.  It is scenic, quiet, within walking distance of the casino and 3 miles of town.  If you don't need all the frills of a big campground or park this is your place.  It did rain on us most of the week with temps in the 40s and low 50s, but that's part of camping sometimes.  It lessens nothing from the experience, just modifies plans.  I refilled my spare propane tank.  In fact we stayed an extra day so as not to pack up in the rain.       

      A very nice get away for the week. Time to relax and recreate.  Barb hit the BIG JACKPOT our last day here.  How big?  She filled out the paperwork and had the taxes taken out in advance.  What a birthday week for my girl.  Roux, Josey Wales and I took walks, played pine cone soccer, gathered firewood, and just vegged.  With all the rainy weather we didn't get any beach time.  I also picked up 5 pounds of fresh lake perch and walleye to freeze for the winter pantry.  In the end we once again settled in and recharged the core of our family.  Back to Kalkaska now and within a month on the road again for the winter.  4 out of 5 stars.

"How beautiful it is to do nothing and then to rest afterwards"

Spanish proverb

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Spinach Lasagna Rollups

 

      Another innovative dish I recently discovered.  The best of Italian spinach, pasta, and cheese.  They taste like lasagna, but take a fraction of the time to prepare.  My wife's lasagna is the best I've ever eaten, but the prep time is an entire day ahead of time.  A savory mixture of creamy three cheese filling, this is a filling treat whether as a snack, appetizer, or meal.  I added a bit of ground chuck for flavor, but you can use pork sausage as well.  This is the entire recipe; you may reduce it accordingly.

12 uncooked lasagna noodles

2 eggs

1/2 pound ground chuck or pork, seasoned and browned

1 package of frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

2 1/2 cups part skim ricotta cheese

2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 jar marinara (we like vodka sauce) 

      Preheat oven to 375.  Meanwhile cook pasta to package directions; drain.  Brown and drain meat.  Pre-mix eggs, spinach, cheeses, and seasonings.  Combine meat with cheese mixture.  

Mix all the cheeses, meat, spinach, and spices

Thoroughly mixed; ready to assemble

Building the roll ups

      Pour 1 cup of marinara into bottom of baking dish.  Spread 1/3 cup of cheese/meat mixture over each noodle; roll over and place seam down.  Top with remaining sauce.  Bake, covered for 20 minutes.  Uncover and bake till heated through, about 5-10 minutes longer. 

Ready to go in the oven 

Plated, finis' with Deviled Muffuletta Eggs

      Easy to make and totally delicious.  You use this as an entrée or even snack food or hors d'oeuvres.   Serve with garlic bread, salad, or other finger food.  It's all good. 

"Life is a combination of magic and pasta"

Frederico Fellini

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Warm Apple Pistachio Spinach Salad

 

      Again, depending on the time of year with the heat I have a real aversion to heating up the kitchen as well as the rest of house or RV with a big meal unless I'm using the wood pit.  "Salad Night" is a staple in our house at least once every 10 days.  Of course I'm always looking for new ideas.  I recently had another recipe that left me with nearly a tub of extra Ricotta Cheese so I was looking for ways to use, rather than waste it.  This recipe lends itself well to the early parts of fall as a celebration of fruits and produce harvest throughout the summer.  This could make a wonderful addition as a holiday side dish.  

3 Tbsps. butter

2 cups crisp, sweet apples, chopped with skins intact

1/2 tsp ginger

1 cup shelled, roasted pistachios

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 package of Baby Spinach

1 cup Ricotta Cheese

2 Tbsps. honey

Coarse ground black pepper to taste

You can add sliced cukes and even radishes to this if you like. 

      In a large skillet melt butter over medium heat and add apples and ginger until they begin to caramelize, 3-5 minutes.  Stir in pistachios and Dijon mustard.  Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. 

Simmerin' dressing

        Place spinach on plate.  Add sliced cukes and radishes.  Pour 2/3 of apple mixture over this.  Add small dobs of Ricotta Cheese;  top with remaining apple mixture.  Drizzle with honey.  Garnish with black pepper.  Dressing is not necessary, but 1000 Island or Pear Gorgonzola is nice.  Always good to serve with fresh bread, i.e. baguette, ciabatta, or focaccia.      

Finis' plated

"One of the benefits of salad is that you can eat tons of it and never be satisfied"

Jim Gaffigan

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Smoked Pork Butt

 

      I haven't smoked pork butt but twice in my life so I thought (with Barb's hankering) that I should give it a go again.  Pork butt is actually the pork shoulder and is cut several different ways.  I prefer boneless.  The reason is a bone can affect temperature readings when cooking.  I found a beautiful boneless 6 pounder at Wally World.  I did not inject this, but rubbed it all over the night before with KC Sweet n Smokey Rub and then refrigerated it overnight.  KC Sweet & Smokey Rub (richhilts.blogspot.com)

      I got up early on 'Judgement Day' and fired up the wood pit about 5 a.m. with some hickory lump charcoal and a bit of cherry.  This is the mix I used all day. 

      It takes about 30-45 minutes to stabilize the fire pit and temps.   I woke at 4:30 to rain, but the Pork Butt went on the pit about 6 a.m. at 275 degrees.  

In @ 6 a.m.

      Cooking time depends on pit temp and size of meat.  This size of butt can take 9-12 hours.  You should only open the pit to check on meat and wood when needed.  Take your cues from the temp gauge.  Use these to judge, but spritz meat once an hour for the first 4-5  hours with a mix of cider vinegar/apple juice or water.  

2 hours

6 hours 135 degrees

      When the internal temp reaches 145-150 wrap butt in foil or peach butcher paper and return.  Lower pit temp to 250 and cook for another 4 (plus or minus) hours till internal temp is 190-200 degrees.  Total cook time today was 11 hours before resting. 

7.5 hours, 145 degrees, wrapped and return

      Remove butt from pit and rest for an hour.  Serve as you like.  We sliced some, chunked some, and pulled the rest for leftovers and future OTR meals.  Interestingly enough, at about the 9 hour mark a large thunderstorm went through knocking a limb down on the wood pit.  It trashed the temp gauge and bent the forward left outer shelf.  Damn thing is made of steel though, no major damage.   

After 1 hour rest, unwrap and slice, chunk, or pull

Hickory/Cherry Smoked Pork Butt w/Charro Beans and Corn o' cob.  You can chop or pull this as well

"May you always be surrounded by good friends and better BBQ"

unknown

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