CLOSED FOR VACATION

MAD MEAT GENIUS will be on Vacation for the next week. We are heading to Arizona to explore the Salsa Trail. We will return with plenty of Adventures to share with you! See you soon.

COWBOY WOK

Is it possible to have to many barbeque tools? I do not think so. There is a new kid on the block. It is a Cowboy Wok. It is made out of recycled plow discs. It consists of three parts. There is a base to build and hold the fire. It has some nice horse shoe handles. This base will have other uses. It can be used as a base for Dutch Oven Cooking. The Wok is another plough disc that has been polished to a smooth surface. The third piece is a metal trivet to keep the Wok above the charcoals. These units were made in Texas by Cowboy Campfire Grills. To give these new beauties a test ride, We will be making some steak sandwiches and some corn fritters.

Corn Fritters

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter
1 1/2 cups frozen, thawed or fresh

2 strips bacon fried and chopped

Mix all ingredients except corn. Do not over mix. This should be the consistency of a thick pancake batter. Add corn and fold into mixture. Take a hot fry pan and add a little vegetable oil. Drop 1/4 cup of mixture and fry for four minutes or until bottom is golden brown. Flip over and brown other side.

Fry your steaks to desired temperatures and serve on roll or buns. Serve the Corn Fritters with Maple Syrup. The Cowboy Wok is a welcome addition to our stable.

HOOTERS

Ms. Goofy and I were passing through Rancho Cordova Califronia today. It was close to lunch time and Ms. Goofy and I were parched and a little hungry. We passed by a Hooters. Hooters is a nation wide chain that just so happens to have famous chicken wings. I asked Ms. Goofy if she would like to sample some of these tasty delights. She was game. Oh boy!, I love good chicken wings.

We walked into the establishment and were immediately greeted by a very, very cheerful staff. What a breath of fresh air to have employees that are happy and upbeat. We bellied up to the bar and were greeted by a very healthy and cheerful bartendress. She went out of her way to make our lunch and visit enjoyable. We ordered a couple of beverages and some wings that were called "911 wings". These were not the hottest wings on the menu. Ms. Goofy and I wanted a little rest since our Bhut Jolokia experience.

These wings definately had a little punch. We enjoyed them. On the way home our lips were burning so good. I would recomend Hooters and their famous wings to everyone.

HOOTERS

10750 Olson Dr.

Rancho Cordova, Ca. 95670

916 635=2449

PULLED BEEF

My dog Oscar has his own idea how to make Pulled Beef. I turned my back for an instant and look what happend. Luckily for both of us he only got a taste. Today I am smoking a Monster 7 bone roast. This is a very flavorful cut of meat. It has a lot of fat marbled through out the cut. This is the cut of beef that is usually used for Pot Roast.

I got the idea to smoke this roast from a fellow writer Larry Gaian. Sometimes one needs a little inspiration. Our local supermarket had this cut of beef on sale. I talked to the Mark the butcher. He was very helpful. He brought me in the back and showed me the whole cut. It weighed over 30 pounds. That was a little much. Mark cut a 12 pound hunk right out of the center. It is a beauty.

I started my Weber Rocky Mountain Smoker at 9pm. It came to temperature (225-250 degrees) and apple wood chunks were added. The roast was rubbed with salt, pepper and a few secret spices. This monster of beef stayed in the smoker till 2 pm the next day. It took 15 hours to reach an internal temperature of 190 degrees. I tell you it was worth the wait. The beef fell apart taking it off of the grill.

The roast rested for a while. A large chunk was put in a bowl and shredded with two forks. I got a Little impatient and used my fingers. This shredded beef was put in a hot frying pan with a cup of barbeque sauce. I seasoned the mixture with a little salt and pepper. You are only reheating the beef and coating it with sauce.

Ms. Goofy, Dr. Biggles and Dagny were in the kitchen drooling while the beef was prepared. This mixture was served over hamburger buns with a side of cole slaw. The long process to make this pulled beef sandwich was well worth it. It turned out to be a success. Dr. Biggles went back for more and everybody took a little home. OH YEAH!

Photo by Dr. Biggles

Sandwich Photo taken and eaten by Dr. Biggles

BHUT JOLOKIA

The Finale has happened. We have survived. We had four tasters and everybody is still kicken. Chilebrown, Ms. Goofy, Dagny and Dr. Biggles were present. Cookiecrumb said 'NO'. Zoomie passed! We had a panel of professional pepper tasters. Their courage was outstanding. This was a taste test that had no boundaries. This was a naked test. It was the Bhut Jolokia at its finest. This pepper is supposed to be Five times hotter than the Habanero Pepper. I have been a Little frightened to take this test. Habanero's have always kicked my butt. "Let's Get It On".

We had a dish of Ice Cream standing by. I cut a pepper into a 1/8 inch slice. I took that slice and cut into pieces. We all took a piece at the same time.

This pepper has a lot of flavor. (Would somebody ask Ms.Goofy what is wrong). We chewed and discussed our taste thoughts. (Can somebody move Ms. Goofy). This pepper is supposed to be 5 times hotter than the Habanero. (Please clear the aisle). We all thought the pepper had a kick. ( I hope Ms.

Goofy is Okay).

Ms. Goofy is Okay! We all survived the tasting. Our pepper was very Hot. I am not sure if it was 5 tmes hotter then the Habernero. What Pepper Fun!!

MEAT ADVENTURE (FREEDOM MEAT LOCKERS)

It was time for a Meat Adventure. We fueled up the Mad Meat Genius Bus and pointed it in the direction of Freedom California. We were on a mission to visit the Freedom Meat Lockers. This was not our first visit. It is located about 15 minutes south of Santa Cruz. Freedom Meat Lockers is a huge facility. They process all meat on the premise. This includes sausage, bacon, hams and every cut of meat imaginable. It is a bustling hub of meat activity. The hardest part of visiting Freedom Meat Lockers is choosing what to buy. We limited ourselves to only one ice chest. We also had orders from the Great White Hunter to pick up a 50 dollars sausage sampler. It was fun walking down the sausage case and just ordering one of everything. Once our order was filled the clerk comped us some ice to insure a safe journey home.

Driving to and from Freedom is a lovely drive. If you come from highway 152 you will see a lot of commercial flower growers. When you leave, take Freedom Blvd and you will pass through beautiful apple orchards. There will be plenty of roadside fruit stands to stop and fuel up.

Freedom Meat Lockers

160 Hi Grade Ln Freedom, CA 95019-3142

831-724-4355

CHOCOLATE BACON

We had deep fried 'White Castle Burgers' at the State Fair. It is only fitting that Ms. Goofy and I found Chocolate Covered Bacon at the Santa Cruz Beach and Boardwalk. The Mad Meat Genius Bus took a road trip to Santa Cruz, California. Our goal was to have a 'Meat Adventure' and to ride the roller coaster.
We had our Meat Adventure at the Freedom Meat Lockers. (Stay tuned). We rolled out of Freedom, California to the Boardwalk. The Boardwalk was closed. The 'BIG DIPPER' was duped. The brass ring on the Carasol was rusted. The Corn Dogs were Carnies. The Carnies were Corny. We were Topsy Turvy until we found a concessionaire selling chocolate covered bacon. We bought as much as Ms. Goofy could carry and headed to a safe place. This stuff is great. It is salty and chocolaty and just plain decadent. Who could ask for more.

Laffing Sal

PEPPER GUARDS

I have two of a highly specialized breed of dog. They are Golden Retriever Lap Dogs. They are also trained to guard the Peppers. They are standing post guarding the Bhut Jolokia peppers. If you approach they will pounce forward , surround you and proceed to lick you into submission. They love their job. They are paid in room and board and all the cookies they can eat.

Take a look at the plant and you will see some ripe peppers. I am just trying to get the nerve to pick them. This weekend will be the finale. The tasting cannot be delayed any longer. I still am looking for any tasters that would like to participate in my folly.

CZECHOSLOVAKIAN BLACK

This plant is one of the reasons I love to grow peppers. It is a beautiful plant. The leaves are purple and green. The flowers are a purple and white. The peppers start out purple and morph to black ultimately ending in a red color. It looks good throughout its growing cycle. I am going to make some coffee and have my morning pepper taste.

The Czechoslovakian Black is a little weak in the taste department. I did not really detect much sweetness. There is no heat at all. It has a nice crunchy pepper texture. This is the only positive attribute I could find in the taste department. This pepper is basically an Ornamental plant. It is a welcome addition to my pepper patch.

Pepper Plant Photo by Dr. Biggles

THE MEATMAN

Every blog should have a theme song. After considerable thought and contemplation We have come to a conclusion. Mad Meat Genius has adopted "The Meat Man" by Lee 'Shot' Williams. Click the highlighted "The Meat Man" to give a listen.

The Bhut Jolokia's are starting to get a little color. I am getting a little scared.

AMMAZZO PEPPERS

On the chopping block today is a pepper from Italy. Ammazzo translates as "nosegay'. A nosegay is a small bunch of flowers. This is a real eye catcher of a plant. It is considered a small cherry pepper. They look like little tiny red marbles. The peppers grow in small clusters. Let's cut to the chase. How does it taste.?

I will brave these peppers naked. No, not me, the peppers will be tasted alone. Here goes. The first taste is a sweet flavor. It is like a sweetened bell pepper taste. The heat is starting to kick in. It is a medium heat. It is very tolerable. It does not really go with my morning coffee. It will go great in tonight's black bean and corn salsa.

BENHI HIGHLANDS

It is time to move on. We have more peppers to harvest. Today is the Benhi Highlands pepper from Bolivia. We made a salsa with these beauties. They were not super hot. They were a little hotter than a Serrano. They had a very fruity taste like a Habanero, but with out the heat. They are a pale to bright yellow color. When you cut in to them they have white seeds. The smell has faint familiar habanero smell. They are a cousin from the Habanero (chinese) family. We liked these a lot. Sometimes you want the Habanero taste without the burn. These peppers suit this purpose.

Ripe Ammazzo Peppers

Pepper Guardian

There will be more pepper reviews to follow. I am looking forward to the Bhut Jolokia. It is five times hotter than the Habanero. We shall see. I am sending out an invite for all takers. Please join me in this monumental tasting event. I need somebody to hold my hand on the way to emergency.

SECOND PLACE

We gave it our best shot. The tri-tip was smokin. The beans were gassin. The chile was on fire. We did not get the brass ring. We did get second place and a check for 200 dollars. We had high hopes and lofty expectations. We left with our heads held high. We lost to a higher authority. It was the local Catholic Church who had the victorious brew. Good times were had by all. There was a great car show The weather was smoking hot. We will return next year to reclaim our crown!

LIMEY

'

Ms. Goofy wanted some limes for her Margaritas. She went to our local Lime Tree store 3 years ago. It was planted and we kept our fingers crossed. We now have limes up the Kazoo. 'We are going to bring some limes to the "Rodeo Chili Cook Off" to make some Margarita's. If you come down and participate We will definitely shares our limes.

CHICKEN CACCIATORE

Chicken cacciatore is a great way to use some of the produce that is bursting with ripeness in the backyard. What is cacciatore? It is a Italian term for hunter. Some how this has morphed into a term referring to food prepared 'hunter style'. Hunter style is usually a stew with tomatoes, vegetables, wine and some type of meat. I have some colorful bell peppers, juicy ripe tomatoes and a handful of herbs. They are thrown into a pot with some browned chicken and a little wine. A little cooking time and, Bamm!, one delicious comfort food masterpiece is created. I like to serve it over a bed of rice. Let's start with the chicken.

Take one medium size chicken and cut into 8 pieces. Dredge this chicken in 1 cup of flour spiked with some salt and pepper and a little rub. Fire up a large frying pan on the stove. When the pan gets spanking hot add 1/2 of oil. Fry your flour and spice coated chicken in the oil when it gets hot. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. You are trying to add a little color to the chicken. Remove and reserve.

Sauce

1. 4 peeled, chopped tomatoes
2. 1/2 pound mushrooms chopped
3. 1 cup white wine
4. 2 or 3 bell peppers chopped (Red, Green, Purple)
5. 1 small onion chopped
6. 4 cloves garlic chopped
7. salt & pepper
8. 4 tablespoons fresh chopped Herbs
9. 2 slices of home made bacon chopped
10. 2 carrots chopped

Use the same skillet that you browned the chicken. Pour out all but 1 tablespoons of oil. Fry bacon for 2 minutes Add onion and garlic and saute for 4 minutes. Add your bell peppers and mushrooms saute for 3 more minutes. Add wine and tomatoes. Bring to simmer. Add salt & pepper. Now is the time to add your reserved chicken. Stir and coat chicken with sauce well. Cover pan and let simmer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes add your herbs and let rest for 10 minutes. Serve over rice or pasta.

Yesterday I took First Place at the Pragmatic Chef's "Frugal Food Fight". Unfortunately I was the only contestant. Tomorrow is the Rodeo Chili Cook Off. We will be there defending our First Place title from last year. I hope to see some of you!