In honor of World MOINK Ball Day 2010 (June 5th), I decided to whip up a batch along side some baby back ribs in the new UDS.

MONIK = MO (Beef) + OINK (Pork).

Here my recipe,

Homemade meatballs (frozen store bought ones work just fine)
Bacon slices
“Sweet Heat” (light brown sugar mixed with cayenne pepper)
Skewers or toothpicks

The process is simple, wrap one meatball with one slice of bacon, use a toothpick or skewer to hold it together. Dust them with “Sweet Heat” or you favorite BBQ rub and place in the smoker till the bacon is crisp.

Made it out to the annual Pork and Brew state BBQ championship in Rio Rancho, NM. The BBQ contest in the only KCBS event in the state. Here are some pictures, my camera died just shortly after I arived at the event.

Here are some pictures of my first attempt at a Reuben sandwich made with some of my homemade pastrami. My version includes homemade pastrami, fresh pumpernickel breed, Thousand Islands dressing, jack cheese (not a big fan of Swiss) and some organic sauerkraut.

Spicy Sweet Sriracha wings, the recipe is simple,

Chicken wings, either deep fried or baked.

Sriracha wing sauce

1 part Sriracha sauce (commonly available in you local grocers Asian section)
1 part butter or margarine
1 part honey

Mix together in a sauce pan over low heat. Toss the wings in the sauce and serve.

I was planning on making Sriracha wings for dinner tonight, but I didn’t have any wings, so I substituted some baked chicken drumsticks instead, turned out great.

Beware: Sriracha might be one of the most addicting substances on the earth. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Found a great local butcher (Keller Meats) in town and decided to grill up some porterhouse steaks for dinner on Sunday night. Menu included steaks medium rare, seasoned with salt and pepper, grilled asparagus spears, some garlic bread and a baked potato. The wife and I were very please with the special dinner.

Brining has been a longtime method used by some of the worlds top chefs to inject flavor and add moisture to meat. In a brine, the salt actually opens up the cells in the meat, allowing them to hold more water.

Unlike a marinade, which only imparts flavor to the outermost meat, a actually brine draws in the salt and other added flavorings all the way to the bone.

Here is the basic brine recipe:

1 gallon of water
1 cup of salt
1/2 cup of sugar

Make sure brine is cold before placing the meat in it. Brine for 3-36 hrs. in the refrigerator depending on the thickness of meat, keeping the meat fully submerged in the solution.

• Boneless Chicken Breasts, Pork Chops: 2 hrs.
• 2 lbs: 4-6 hrs.
• 3-4 lbs: 6-8 hrs.
• Whole Chicken: 12 hrs.
• Small Whole Turkey: 12-24 hrs.
• Large Whole Turkey: 24-36 hrs.

You can add flavors like herbs, chile, citrus and additional sugar to the basic brine recipe to achieve different results.

TIP: To adjust the salty flavor in the meat, change the brine time instead of altering the salt content in the recipe.

Here are some chicken drumsticks I brined and smoked last weekend. I added chile flake and garlic at some lemon to the basic brine recipe.

Unfortunately I missed the final product photos, but the drums turned out great and had plenty of moisture.

Longtime restaurant entrepreneur and host of No Reservation, Anthony Bourdain talks about vegans.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMdSgj-AUQ4

Pig Candy aka Candied Bacon is a wonderful treat popular among Barbecue enthusiasts. They can be easy prepared in the oven, but a quick one hour dip in you smoker will yield the best results. These hot and sweet treats won’t last long, so be sure to make a bunch.

What You’ll Need:

• 12 slices of bacon (preferably thick cut)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp. cayenne chile powder [optional]

Instructions:

1. Mix the Cayenne and brown sugar together
2. Sprinkle half the mixture on top of the beacon. Don’t worry about being perfect, the mixture will quickly liquefy and even out
3. Place the uncooked pig candy on a rack or a thick sheet of tin foil and place in the smoker. (~250F)
4. Cook for approximately half an hour then flip and coat the backside with the remaining mixture
5. After a total of one hour in the smoker, remove and keep warm till served.

Atomic Buffalo Turds (ABT) are a favorite among BBQ buffs. This simple to prepare appetizer will sure be a hit with guests at you next get together.

What You’ll Need:

• One dozen whole jalapenos
• One 8oz container of cream cheese
• Two dozen slices of thick cut bacon
• BBQ rub [optional]
• Toothpicks [optional]
• Roasted diced New Mexico green chiles [optional]

Instructions:

1. Put out the cream cheese to soften.
2. Mash/mix the cream cheese in a bowl to add air and make it easier to stuff.
3. Half the jalapenos leaving the stem.
4. With a spoon scrape out the seeds and veins, then rinse with water.
5. Fill each jalapeno half with cream cheese, making sure to not overfill past the rim.
6. Starting at the bottom, wrap each stuffed jalapeno with bacon, add a toothpick to hold it together.
7. Lightly dust with you favorite BBQ rub.
8. Place ABT’s in the smoker till bacon is crisp (~250F). They can easily be done over indirect heat on a charcoal grill or in a oven. (Not recommended: you will lose that wonderful smokey flavor)

New Mexico ABT Variation

Simply add some diced roasted New Mexico green chiles into the cream cheese before stuffing.