Shelter-in-place cooking

[Little Canyon Creek]

Unfortunately it is difficult to impossible to work from home when you are a chemist. Sure, you can read the literature and do some writing, but there is only so much you can do. So I am going to have to turn to cooking to get that lab work fix.

Today I made some of Hank Shaw's chili using diced antelope steak from a doe I shot last year. It turned out really well, and now I am sold on pureeing your own chile peppers instead of using chili powder. It was satisfying knowing that it was simmering in the oven when I was sitting in a Zoom meeting.



Yesterday I also made a sourdough melt using steak, bacon and mushrooms. The steak was from a tasty mule deer I got in 2018. Frying up the sandwiches in the applewood smoked bacon fat in the pan instead of butter was a really good audible.



If you have some similar shelter-in-place cooking pics, throw them up there. If we are going to be kept home, might as well enjoy what we are eating.

 

[PAGOAT]

I made old bay crab alfredo this morning... 2 jars of alfredo sauce with old bay to taste, 1lb of crab meat and a box of penne noodles.



Now I am cooking up a raccoon, I trapped him a few weeks ago. I had always though of trying one so I saved this one. I cut him into quarters and parboiled it for 15 minutes. Rinsed it off boiled another 15 minutes.


Chopped up onion, celery, peppers and mushrooms. Used a can of cream of mushroom soup and French onion soup with 2 cups of water. Now we are waiting 8 or 10 hours to see how it is.



Worst case I throw it over the bank like normal but I had to try it

 

[ignorethefringes]

Hard to beat $2.88/lb USDA prime brisket on the smoker.

 

[timberman56]

pass the brisket please. Don't have enough whiskey on hand to hold down that coon!

 

[JohnCushman]

Raccoon is good with BBQ sauce and shredded made into little sliders with a dill pickle slice on it on a hawaiian roll.

 

[LuketheDog]

Raccoon is good with BBQ sauce and shredded made into little sliders with a dill pickle slice on it on a hawaiian roll.

Did any of you listen to the MeatEater podcast with Bo Jackson? That guy is REALLY into raccoon...

 

[noharleyyet]

Hard to beat $2.88/lb USDA prime brisket on the smoker.

View attachment 131693
View attachment 131694
View attachment 131695
View attachment 131696
View attachment 131697

Nice rind on the brisket...

 

[Jape]

Did any of you listen to the MeatEater podcast with Bo Jackson? That guy is REALLY into raccoon...

I thought the same thing, even being a big fan of Bo!

 

[Jape]

Hard to beat $2.88/lb USDA prime brisket on the smoker.

View attachment 131693
View attachment 131694
View attachment 131695
View attachment 131696
View attachment 131697

Um, I’m not looking for your honey hole, I mean secret recipe, but wondering what your general approach to brisket is? You know, your preferred rub, size of brisket, time and temperature on the smoker, post-cooking preparations. Just the basics.

 

[noharleyyet]

Stouffer's Meat Lovers Lasagna last evening...leftovers sound ok w/me tonite.

 

[ignorethefringes]

Nice rind on the brisket...

Thanks! I bought a new, cheap pellet smoker and that was the first brisket through it. Took about 14 hours at +/- 230. I'm pretty happy with it. It wasn't as smoky as I would have liked (since I'm used to a Weber Smoky Mountain), but still really good.

 

[noharleyyet]

Thanks! I bought a new, cheap pellet smoker and that was the first brisket through it. Took about 14 hours at +/- 230. I'm pretty happy with it. It wasn't as smoky as I would have liked (since I'm used to a Weber Smoky Mountain), but still really good.

I'm also underwhelmed with the 'smoke' flavor from my Pit Bull, even using a smoke cylinder. Love the convenience tho. Used a big ol nasty offset too long...still the best taste.

 

[TOGIE]

finally got around to grinding up the frozen grind pile from my mule deer on tuesday

i'm rather embarrassed that it took a pandemic for me to get to it

made some burgers right away, smoked for 30 minutes then seared on a piping hot cast iron

 

[ignorethefringes]

I'm also underwhelmed with the 'smoke' flavor from my Pit Bull, even using a smoke cylinder. Love the convenience tho. Used a big ol nasty offset too long...still the best taste.

One thing I'm going to try is placing a big hickory chunk right on top of the heat diffuser (sp?) right above the pellet pot. I did that with something else and it seemed to smolder and help a lot. But this time I put the chunk too far to the side of the diffuser and it didn't really smolder or kick of much smoke. I'll tell you this much, it was nice to set the temperature and go to bed for 8 hours without worrying about it lol.

 

[ignorethefringes]

Um, I’m not looking for your honey hole, I mean secret recipe, but wondering what your general approach to brisket is? You know, your preferred rub, size of brisket, time and temperature on the smoker, post-cooking preparations. Just the basics.

In terms of picking the brisket, I'm looking for a thick flat so it doesn't overcook before the point is done. After that, just a lot of fat throughout. The last couple I did were prime which was much more forgiving that choice. Also, I've grown to like smoking a whole brisket as opposed to just the flat. It's cheaper and more forgiving in my opinion.

This one was USDA prime so pretty good fat throughout. I trimmed almost all of the fat off the point and took out the big chunk of hard fat that runs along the side. I trimmed the fat cap on the flat down to about 1/4 inch. I then sliced a cross hatch pattern into the fat cap to help get the rub and smoke down to the meat.

I smothered one side with yellow mustard and applied a heavy layer of rub. I use a rub that I mix up that is about 40% Johnny's seasoning salt, 40% chili powder, and 20% Badia Complete Seasoning. Let it set until it gets wet, then flip it over and do the same to the other side. I start on the non-fat side since I want to finish fat cap up and then go straight on the smoker. I smoked it fat side up and didn't want to flip it again. Once all seasoning is applied I start to get the smoker ready.

No matter which smoker I use, I'm looking to run it about 230-250 degrees for as long as it takes. Time is 1.25 - 1.50 hours per pound of brisket and I'm looking for a final internal temp of 190+ as measured in the thickest part of the point. If you can go to 200 degrees even better. Once you hit 190+ start testing tenderness with a skewer/toothpick/whatever. It should go through really easy, like butter they say lol. If it's tender all around, pull it.

Rather than wrapping the whole thing in foil, I like to place it in a foil pan and cover the top tightly with foil. Let it rest somewhere that will retain heat (over that is off, empty cooler, etc.) for 1 hour or more. I've held them in a cooler, wrapped in layers of towels, for upwards of 7-8 hours and they were still very, very warm.

When ready to eat, gather everyone around and start slicing across the grain, usually perpendicular to one of the small points of the flat, and hand out samples from the first half dozen slices. Bask in the adoration and praise from your peers who are unable to measure up to meat smoking prowess, and then slice the rest of the brisket.

Lastly, either slice all the way through, including the point, or consider whether you want to try to make burnt ends from the point. But be cautioned, that's a pro move.

 

[JohnCushman]

Don't forget about stalling.... The last brisket I did stalled at about 135 and then again at around 155.

 

[ignorethefringes]

Don't forget about stalling.... The last brisket I did stalled at about 135 and then again at around 155.

100%. I usually see a several hour stall around the 155 mark. You have to be sold out on 230-250, as long as it takes. I always plan on 2 hours per pound to be safe (and I mean pre-trimmed weight) I know that I can keep it warm for a long time if I need to. But there few things worse than a bunch of people waiting on your food to be done cooking. Especially when you say, "Now it has to rest for an hour . . . "

 

[PAGOAT]

Raccoon is good with BBQ sauce and shredded made into little sliders with a dill pickle slice on it on a hawaiian roll.

I just pulled the bones out like shredded meat. Poured over noodles and it was great. I can't believe I've tossed so many over the years.

 

[Nameless Range]

Day 5 today, and my kids have eaten mac n cheese and elk burger twice.

 

[EYJONAS!]

I made old bay crab alfredo this morning... 2 jars of alfredo sauce with old bay to taste, 1lb of crab meat and a box of penne noodles.

View attachment 131682

Now I am cooking up a raccoon, I trapped him a few weeks ago. I had always though of trying one so I saved this one. I cut him into quarters and parboiled it for 15 minutes. Rinsed it off boiled another 15 minutes.
View attachment 131684

Chopped up onion, celery, peppers and mushrooms. Used a can of cream of mushroom soup and French onion soup with 2 cups of water. Now we are waiting 8 or 10 hours to see how it is.

View attachment 131685

Worst case I throw it over the bank like normal but I had to try it

I commend you for trying and know these are trying times but there's not a chance in hell I'm crock potting a raccoon.......