Outside the dugout: What's cooking?

What was she cooking? I got distracted for some reason.

 

I am having the hardest time getting my KJ started. I knew it would be tough using the remnants of one bag (almost all small stuff) making the airflow problematical, but I "drilled down" to the grate in the lump to open up airflow to help with that and I am still having problems. Usually after 10 minutes I can close it up and set the lower and upper vents, but I am 30 minutes in and it still isn't ready for that.

It is all good as I will get it sorted, but it might delay dinner a bit.

I am using a lump charcoal that I am not that familiar with (B&B versus Royal Oak), but I think that is not the issue. The B&B has been good in my recent cooks.

Damn, my PhD thesis was in combustion so I should be able to figure this out.

 

Now it is raining and the KJ is far from ready.

Maybe it is time to fire up my old Ducane gas grill and just get it done instead of looking for perfection.

Not there yet, but looking at that option.

 

My wife is still late from getting home so I have hope that the KJ will come through as meat coked over lump charcoal is always better that meat cooked over a gas grill.

There are tricks you can use with a gas grill, like smoke boxes, but it is way easier on a lump charcoal smoker.

 

Got the KJ up to a high enough temp to do what I wanted.

But damn, it was close.

 

Not cooking tonight. Florida Ballpark food. Usually pretty bad.

 

The chicken Caesar salad wrap I got at Florida Ballpark was edible. Kind of like OK airport food and probably priced the same. I don't know how much it cost because my wife bought it.

Tomorrow I get another day off from cooking as my MIL wants to buy us Thai take-out.

 

Two days off from cooking. I want to make something great tomorrow. Thinking about making carnitas for proper Mexican tacos. I still have a lot of the "taco shop" tomatillo/avocado guac for that. Alas, all of the pico de gallo is gone. Maybe I should make some more..

And proper Mexican tacos are not served in hard shells. They are usually served in double wrapped soft tortillas. Fillings are all over the map and not just spiced ground beef. That is like the most unimaginative filling ever for a real taco.

I have used pulled pork for tacos and it was amazing.

 

Making carnitas and the house smells amazing.

My carnivore son is very happy.

My wife wanted me to make a side of Spanish rice as well, but we don't have the usual box of Zatarain's stuff so I will need to wing it. I have a tomato, Texmati rice, and lots of pico de gallo (I made a large batch today) so I think that I can make this work and will probably be better.

 

Turns out I had very little Texmati rice but had a lot of Arborio. The Spanish rice is on the creamy side, but still good.

Not what I wanted, but still OK.

 

Smoking two chickens with some apple wood chunks today with a light chipotle and coffee rub. Lime cilantro rice with datil peppers (for most of us) and mashed Yukon golds for my less adventurous son as sides. We also need to finish off some greens from a while ago. There will be lots of leftover chicken for enchiladas, chicken salad, sandwiches, and general grazing.

Also lots of leftover carnitas from yesterday. I made it from a 4+ pound bone-in pork shoulder and only four people to feed. There was a lot of knifework to get the chunks of pork prepped. I usually use boneless pork shoulder, but the selection at Publix yesterday was not good.

The carnitas can easily be warmed up for tacos or used for stuffing enchiladas.

I hate cleaning up after making carnitas. You first braise it uncovered and then when the water is gone you increase the temps (either stovetop or in the oven) and it sits in its rendered fat and is essentially fried in its own fat. It makes a mess. But it is dee-lish.

Tomorrow will be rapini with Italian sausage and red pepper flakes.

 

If you ever get cold water walleye you will use a phrase that is very common in my house: "Too good for dogs."

Farm raised tilapia is OK. I prefer cod.