The wife and I decided to try something new yesterday. We made crappie California rolls and they were really good. This was our first time doing so and now she is looking for a class to teach us how to make sushi and rolls correctly. Our rice wasn't sticking well enough. We got the idea from fishnmore on youtube. 

Made cottage pie tonight 

Looks just like the Shepard’s Pie we had tonight, good stuff.

I've been in disbelief since we moved to NC that there's no BBQ place within 40 miles.  I guess everyone does their own...or hopes the occasional food truck comes through.   So, I decided to try my own.  I'm not much of a cook, but since I retired late last year, I've started dabbling.  First attempt at pulled pork, and I'm not too modest to say it was pretty darned good.  So easy, I can't believe I haven't been doing it for years.

   8# pork shoulder butt.  Trimmed fat cap to 1/4", dry rub (salt, pepper, brown sugar, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder) and refrigerate overnight.  Put it on rack in roasting pan with water beneath the rack.  Tossed it in the oven @ 240 for 11 hours until meat was 200°.  Let it sit for an hour, shred and eat.  I used a little Sweet Baby Ray's, but honestly, it didn't really need sauce.

  Why didn't I try this before

 

Looks good from here but you need a smoker.

 

48 minutes ago, padlin said:

Looks good from here but you need a smoker.

 

I've been kicking around the idea for a long time.   I really don't have the palate to appreciate it.  Nor the patience.  I got a smoker box for the grills and that is fine for now.

Smoker is fun but does take patience the way I like to do it. Which is stand outside and chop wood as the fire needs it and drink beer 

 

a lot of friends have electric smoker, set it and forget it. They have smoked food when they get home from work 

 

I have a buddy with a big deep grill you can toss wood into, he just gathers hickory sticks laying around the yard and grills with it , makes delicious hamburgers and hot dogs and doesn’t take long 

@Choporoz You should try a eastern NC sauce. Coming from NY I always thought BBQ should have a ketchup based sauce but I feel like the Eastern NC you can have a wider variety of flavor profiles. The vinegar with the pork is, in my, opinion a nicer blend of flavors. Here is one I've been making that's been a hit with nearly everyone I've made it for.

 

JJ's Finishing Sauce

 

2C Apple Cider Vinegar

2T Worcestershire Sauce (or more to taste)

1/4C Brown Sugar

1T Smoked Paprika

2tsp Granulated Garlic

2tsp Granulated Onion

2tsp Fine Grind Black Pepper

1tsp Celery Salt

1tsp Cayenne Pepper (more if you like spice)
1/2tsp Ground Allspice

 

Optional: I've added Red Pepper flake, some have subbed cayenne for Red Pepper too if you dont want the double heat. 

 

I do the same rub as you though half the time. Other half is just straight SPG mix. Scoring the fat on fat cap made a difference for me too. 
 

Filet mignon last night. Tried a coffee dry rub from a local spice joint. It was excellent. 

Fixed this up today for Easter. My wife invited over a new friend and her Cop husband. With a move and trying to get through the academy they weren't able to get any deer so I broke out some backstrap for them. First time making venison bruschetta but it turned out extremely well.

 

Caramelized onion

Minced and cooked mushroom

Blue cheese crumble

Thinly sliced backstrap

Blackberry preserve (any dark fruit)

3/4" sliced baguette

 

Made it all in cast iron pans and tasted amazing. Going to be a staple for special events.

 

-Caramelized the onions slowly in oil with a splash of whiskey.

-browned the mushrooms in oil and againa splash of whiskey

-seared the backstrap and finished it to 130 degrees in the oven and sliced thin.

-cut the baguette and drizzled oil on it and toasted briefly.

- assembled: baguette, venison, onion, mushroom, blue cheese, dab of blackberry preserves.

 

 

 

Forgot to post my all day smoke of a brisket when we were in Florida. Trim fat and silver skin.  Separate point. Marinate overnight with a secret recipe rub.  Smoker at 225 until around 190 internal.  Very good! 

@TOXICthat's a nice smoke ring!

14 hours ago, Functional said:

@TOXICthat's a nice smoke ring!

Thanks.  Wasn’t my smoker so it was a little drier than I personally like it but it had to stay on the heat a little longer than I wanted waiting for the wives to get home from shopping. 😂

I cook way better than I bass fish.  I actually belong to a fairly robust cooking forum.   Most of those are major dictatorships where they edit posts.  No thanks. 
 

it would be interesting to see how you all eat. 
 

 

@Darth-Baiter, it’s not terribly interesting to see how I eat. I’m a glutton, if it’s not nailed to the floor, I eat it 

Made some eggplant parm recently. 

 

 

@Darth-Baiter that's some really nice presentation! I used to do a bunch of overnight oats and got creative with it but I havent done that in a while. Might need to pick it back up.

 

@Jar11591 I havent had eggplant parm in a long time but thats making want to make some now. 

36 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

if it’s not nailed to the floor, I eat it 

 

Reminds me of my dog.  Also known as the 4 legged garbage disposal. 😂

^ive been called a two legged garbage disposal my entire life 😂 

my auntie said my first words were, "let's eat!"

On 2/25/2025 at 4:12 PM, Choporoz said:

I've been in disbelief since we moved to NC that there's no BBQ place within 40 miles. 

 

you all are going to think I am a mutant.  but here it goes.  I LOVE BBQ.  but every time I order it, or go to a bbq joint, I leave with regret.  it is so rich, all of it.  after a few bites I am over it.   I cant eat it anymore.  my needle for bbq overload is like very sensitive.  

 

some dude moved from the south and opened up a place nearby.  food is like bbq from angels.  so good smelling, moist, juicy.. even the smallest portions wipe me out.   I havent been back since the first 4 tries.  hahaha..

@Darth-Baiter depends on the BBQ region. Eastern NC is vinegar based and I enjoy it much more than the ketchup based BBQ sauce smothered stuff from NY. I'm not a huge fan of mustard so I've stayed away from that.

 

@Choporoz I can't throw a stick out here without hitting a BBQ joint 😂. Gotta come a little more south east in the state  

Grilled steak, cheddar and bacon stuffed mushrooms, and a warm bun.  It was excellent.

 

 

My brother made gumbo Friday night. He was nervous because he’s from East TN and lives in Philly, yet a gal from mobile, AL was dining with us and is of course a gumbo expert (naturally). Turned out pretty delicious! 

You guys are good cooks!