SECRET INGREDIENT

SMOKING AND GRILLNG

Staci Jett female Pittmaster and television personality has won numerous barbeque competitions. She won ‘American Grilled’ and has been a finalist on ‘Chopped’. She now has cookbook author to add to her colorful and smoky resume. Her Southern and country roots with a swirl of pittmaster smoke have inspired her to pen “Secret Ingredient, Smoking and Grilling” “Incredible recipes from a competitive chef to take your bbq to the next level”. We at Mad Meat Genius have received a complimentary copy to read and try out a couple of recipes. We are going to make some Southwestern stuffed peppers and cornbread using Staci Jett’s recipes. Pull up a comfortable chair and let’s fire up the grill.

 The cover was adorned with an image of mouthwatering ribs inviting us to come in and join the bbq party. We strolled though the book page by page soaking in the beautiful, enticing and wonderfully food porn images getting inspiration along the way. I bookmarked several recipes along my barbeque sightseeing journey. Our second go through of the book we scanned several recipes. The recipes are written with easy and simple instructions. The author does assume the reader does have some grilling and smoking knowledge. This should be no problem because we live for the bbq. The book covers main dishes to sides and ends with cocktails. There should be something for everyone. Let’s try a couple of her recipes.


SOUTHWESTER STUFFED PEPPERS

1 1lb (454g) bag frozen sweet corn1 jalapeno diced
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp chipotle powder
2 cups (244g) shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
1 1lb (454g) bag mixed mini sweet peppers1 tsp (6g) Montreal Chicken Seasoning
1 tsp (15ml) olive oil
3 boneless chicken breasts
1 15-oz (454g) can black beans, drained and rinsed

Prepare your grill for two-zone cooking. If you are using a charcoal grill, burn the charcoal on only one side of your grill. If you have a gas grill, only light one side of your burners. Preheat the grill to 275 (135C)

Combine the chicken seasoning and olive oil in a small bowl and rub over the chicken breasts. Grill the breast over indirect heat for 10 minutes., then move the chicken to direct heat and grill for another 10 minutes, turn a couple of times. Remove the chicken and allow resting for 5 minute before chopping it into a fine dice.

In a large bowl combine the beans, corn, jalapeno, cumin, chipotle powder and cheese. Carefully stir in the chopped chicken. Cut each pepper in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Fill the pepper with the chicken mixture, place them in a baking dish and return to the grill over indirect heat. Cook for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and tops start to turn golden.

This was a combination that worked. The Montreal seasoning with a kiss from the grill really made the chicken element stand out. The sweet peppers with the slight jalapeno sting were comforting flavors for this Chilehead. This would be great as an appetizer or a main course. I might stuff it into larger sweet peppers next time because we did have filling left over. This was a winner, winner sweet pepper dinner.

Sweet Corn Bread

1 cup (140g) cornmeal
2 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour
 1 1/3 cups (270g) sugar
2 tbsp. (16g) baking powder
1 tsp (6g) salt
1/3 cup (160ml) vegetable oil
1/3 cup (75g) butter, melted
2 tbsp. (40 g) honey
4 eggs, beaten
2 ½ cups (590 ml) whole milk

 Prepare your grill for two -zone cooking. If you are using a charcoal grill, burn the charcoal on only one side of your rill. If you have a gas grill, only light one side of your burners. Preheat the grill to 350 degrees (180 C and grease a 9 by 13-inch (23 by 33-cm) baking dish.

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and stir just to moisten. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish, place on the grill over indirect heat and cook for 45 minutes, or until it starts to brown and show cracks. This recipe can also be prepared in muffin pans. Grease or line the pans and adjust the cooking time to 20 to 25 minutes.

The cornbread smelled fantastic as it baked in our covered kettle. We followed the easy instructions with stellar results. This recipe produces a cake like cornbread with corn flavor and texture. My wife, Ms. Goofy loved the sweet cake like cornbread. She made some honey butter to go with it but it was not needed because this bread stands on its own. This method of preparation is perfect for a hot summer day when you do not want to heat up the kitchen with your oven.

This is a fun book that would be nice for coffee table browsing. The images are mouthwatering and most likely will inspire you to re-create. The recipes are simple and easy to follow. The author does assume the reader has some knowledge around the barbeque and smoker. We loved the simplicity of preparation of our two dishes. The cornbread was cake like and sweet with corn goodness. This recipe will go with any barbequed meat. Our stuffed pepper took a little preparation but was well worth the effort. The combination of seasoned grilled chicken, corn, cheese and topped with a little pepper bite from the jalapeno was a Southwestern treat. There are a lot more recipes that we want to try. This book is an inspiration.

Secret Ingredients
Page Street Publishing
ISBN 978-1-62414-389-2

PANIZERRA TRI-TIP

California is known for its grilled tri-tip. Tri-tip is a triangle shape roast from the bottom sirloin. It is easy to cook and delicious. Ms. Goofy and I went on a Meat Adventure to Panizerra Meat Company in Occidental California. Panizerra is a wonderful meat destination to buy aged beef and sausage. Ms. Goofy loves the wine infused hot Italian sausage. The proprietors of Panizerra are fans of Mad Meat Genius and asked us to give their tri-tip a try. It did not take much twisting of the arm to say; Of course!. Let's give it a try.

This locally sourced USDA Choice roast weighed in at 2.5 pounds. It had been aged in a secret Panizera wet/dry method for 28 days. We seasoned it with a bbq rub and brought it to room temperature. We cooked it on a direct medium fire until the internal temperature reached 125 degrees. After a 15 minute rest we sliced the roast into slices against the grain. Ms. Goofy proclaimed this the best tri-tip ever. It did have a deep beefy flavor that we crave. It was tender beyond belief. How can I put into words the savory joy of each and every bite of beef bliss. I had not even finished my meal and I was dreaming of sandwiches for the next day. Panizerra Meat Company has combined great beef with their secret aging process to provide tri-tip that made a memorable meal. Bravo!

Panizerra Meat Company

3905 Main St.

Occidental Ca.

(707) 874-9770

SQUEEZE INN HAMBURGERS

Napa is famous for World Class wines but they also have a great place for burgers. Today we stop by "Squeeze In Hamburgers. We were on a Meat Adventure and needed to stop for nourishment. The original Squeeze In Hamburgers is located in Sacramento but the Napa destination is a lot closer. We also saw an article on "Check Please" on the video below. It was time to experience the cheese skirt.

The inside is fairly small with several tables and counter service. You place your order at the counter and then grab a seat. One thing we first noticed was all the toothpicks in the ceiling. It was not the most appetizing component of this establishment. Apparently it is a tradition to take the toothpick that holds your burger together and put it into a straw and shoot it into the ceiling. The menu is on the wall which has your standard burger joint faire. When you are at the Squeeze Inn one must order the Squeezeburger with cheese to experience the cheese skirt.

We sat at the counter and watched the fry cook do his magic. At least a quarter pound of cheese is put on the burger. A cover is put over the burger and cheese to steam and form the cheese skirt. The burger with cheese skirt is delivered to your table molten hot. Be careful because it is hot. There is no rigth way to eat the cheese skirt. Some people (Ms. Goofy) fold the cheese skirt back into the bun and others tear the cheese skirt and eat it separately. Which ever way you choose this is a fun/tasty burger. We can now cross the cheese skirt at the Squeeze Inn Hamburger of of our bucket list. Yum.

Fast forward to the 10:20 mark to see actual footage of the Squeeze Inn.



Squeeze In Hamburgers
3383 Solano Av.
Napa, Ca. 94588

CAJOHN’S 20 YEARS AFTER HOT SAUCE

John & Sue Hard, Godfather and Godmother of hot sauces, who also run CaJohn’s Fiery Foods, are celebrating a twenty year anniversary of their hot sauce company. The Hard family are heralded as pioneers in the hot sauce community and are much respected. To celebrate this 20 year milestone they have created a special hot sauce comprised of habanero, chipotle peppers and spices that were aged in a Jim Beam bourbon barrel for a year. This recipe is one of CaJohn’s favorites and the signature ingredients of bourbon, black cherries and vanilla have been doubled. This promises to be a very special sauce.  Let’s take a look.

Ingredients:

Brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, red habanero chiles, tomato paste, infused bourbon (bourbon whiskey, black cherries, vanilla beans), chipotle chiles, salt spices, natural applewood smoke flavoring are the listed ingredients.

Aroma & Texture:

This is a fluid sauce which pours easily from the bottle.  This elixir is dark adobe red in color. No seeds or pulp are present. I open the top to smell fine smoky bourbon. There is a faint fresh smell of apple cider vinegar. (As a personal aside; Thankyou for not using an annoying flow restrictor. Flow restrictors are a Chilebrown pet peeve.)

Taste:

Bourbon, cherries and smoke are my initial flavor hits. Tomatoes with habanero nuances join in this party. The last flavor component to join in the festivities is a subtle sweetness from the sugars and maybe the bourbon. This is an interesting sauce. It is not a scorching hot barn burner grab a carton of milk hot sauce. Heat is present but plays a supporting role in this celebration. I dig this sauce already. It has a lot of flavors going on here. Every time I take another taste I get another level of enjoyment.

Heat: 

Surprisingly this sauce is medium in the heat department. The habaneros and chipotle were used in restraint. This sauce is more about flavors. I would give it a click over the mild mark to two stars out of five.

Food:

I could not wait to try this and the only thing in the refrigerator was a homemade lemon cheesecake my wife Ms. Goofy had made. Why not? This may come as a shock but it worked. The rich cream cheese added a calming comforting effect to this complex elixir. The bourbon and cherry flavors with the hint of vanilla complemented while the smoky chipotle added a component which intrigued. You know I am a bonafide Chilehead when I have hot sauce with dessert. I think putting hot sauce on your dessert may be a little extreme for most people. This sauce would pair well with any grilled meat. Because this sauce is not scorching hot I believe it would be popular with any food and for any person that is not a seasoned Chilehead or hot sauce lover.

Overall:

This was one special sauce. I have tasted, reviewed and enjoyed so many sauces over the years and this one will go down in the memory hot sauce scrap book as being very special. We would like to wish the CaJohn's  Fiery Foods family another 20 years of success. I know this sauce will not last long but what a fun & tasty celebration. In conclusion I would like to paraphrase some words stated on the label; “I urge you to celebrate with us this passion that has become our legacy” Amen.

TREASURE ISLAND JOB CORPS CENTER

Have you ever heard of an all-inclusive three course meal for 13.00 tax included with  world class scenery right outside the doorway? The “Treasure Island Job Corps Center” runs a “Fine Dining Restaurant’ on Treasure Island right smack in the middle of the San Francisco Bay. We recently discovered this gem from some friends. This is a working restaurant that showcases the efforts of different job training classes of the Job Corps. The Baking Class, Fine Dining Class, Food & Beverage Class and the Pastry Class all collaborate to put together a three course meal all for the small sum of thirteen dollars. We would like to share a couple of images with you.

The Job Corps is located on the old Naval base and the location of the World’s Fair of 1939. Several of the Art Deco buildings from the World’s Fair still stand with also a lot of remnants of old naval buildings. The Job Corps has a campus with our destination of the “Fine Dining” room. We did have to go through security and show I.D. to enter this campus. Once inside we found the building with many students roaming the grounds in chef uniforms. Once inside we were greeted by a host and directed to our table.

The actual dining area is fairly plain. This is a working classroom and the emphasis is on the food and service. We were seated and handed a pre-fixed menu with several dining options. We also were asked what beverages we would like. (non-alcoholic) I had a delicious fruit smoothie. A basket of freshly made french and tomato & basil bread arrived too. Our first choice was of an appetizer: Duck Kofta, Goat Cheese and Grape Salad and Assorted Mushroom Soup. My salad was fantastic as Ms. Goofy enjoyed her soup which was made of portabella, shitake, cremini, cauliflower, served with white truffle croutons and pancetta.

We got to meet the head instructor Chef Ron Shoenburg. He was very friendly and told us a little about the restaurant and program. Our main course arrived and they both looked like they had just jumped out of a food magazine cover. My roasted leg of lamb was tender and flavorful. Ms. Goofy’s Harissa Glazed Half Chicken had a grilled lemon on the side that put this dish over the top delicious. We still had a dessert course to go.

Before our desserts even arrived we received a plate of candied almonds, white chocolate covered strawberry and house made chocolate truffles. My ‘Gatuau Crème au Buerre was decadent and might pretty to look if I do say so myself. Ms. Goofy had ‘Crepes aux Chocolate Noisettes. Oh my,  was this a fun lunch. The students of the Treasure Island Job Corps Center are heading for a bright future. We were happy to experience this working classroom.

JALLELUJAH BACON JALAPENO RUB

Our friend Scott and fellow Certified Kansas City Barbecue Society Master Judge knows I love bacon and chile peppers. He gifted me a bbq rub that combines both of my favorite ingredients; Jallelujah. This is a bacon jalapeno rub made and sold by the competition barbeque team “Big Poppa Smokers”. Big Poppa has a reputation of producing award winning barbeque. This gluten and MSG free rub is an all-purpose rub that we are going to test on a pork roast tonight. Against my better judgement I will be listing the ingredients stated on the label. Have a seat and let’s shout “Jallelujah”

Ingredients
Sugar, coarse salt dehydrated garlic, jalapenos, onions and bell pepper, spices, natural bacon and maple flavors, jalapeno powder, corn starch, extractives of celery, natural hickory smoke flavor are the listed ingredients. The ingredient list seems simple enough. I am wondering about natural bacon flavor?

The top is opened to unleash a fragrant avalanche of fresh spices and a touch of smoke. I dip my clean finger into the spices and give it a taste. This salty sweet and jalapeno flavors actually tastes pretty good straight out of the bottle. The jalapeno flavor is mild but does leave a warming sensation. There is a smoke component and I will assume this is supposed to mimic bacon. The ultimate test will be when we try it on our pork roast.

I rubbed our roast an hour before the cook. I let the seasoned roast sit covered to bring to room temperature.We cooked the roast in a smoker/bbq till the internal temperature was 145. The roast caramelized from the rubs sugars to a beautiful color.  After a brief rest we sliced into the roast. The crust of the roast was delicious. The sugar, salt and spices really complimented the pork. The jalapeno flavor was present but the heat was absent. The actual bacon flavor was a little lost possibly because of all  the smoke from the cooker.

This rub gets thumbs up from the Chilebrown household. It is a good all-purpose rub. The well balanced combination of sugar, salt and jalapeno peppers shined as it caramelized and flavored the roast. I am a little hesitant to say you will taste bacon but there is a smoke component that is present. I cannot wait to try this with some chicken. There is a reason Big Poppa Smokers is a championship bbq team and this rub is a testament.

DRONE BBQ TURN-IN

Technology can be a wonderful thing. Our friend Dana thinks outside the box; the bbq turn-in box that is. A critical part of bbq competition is the turn-in. The meat entry is pleasingly arranged in a Styrofoam box and turned into a KCBS representative to be judged and scored. This box must be turned in at a specific time frame which is of 10 minute duration. Making to this turn-in point, on time is critical. One second after the deadline and you will encounter the dreaded DQ (Disqualification). Sometimes the logistics of reaching the turn-in delivery point can cover a lot of walking time and distance not to mention dodging bbq festival attendees. Dana is experimenting with turning in his entry with a drone.

Like it or not drones are here and will become part of our lives. Let’s embrace the technology and give it a try. Please take a look at the video below and see the Styrofoam bbq entry  box attached to the Dana’s drone for delivery. Think of the possibilities of a faster more efficient delivery method. There is no chance of running into obstacles, tripping and ultimate quickness to get your entry in on time. As of now there are still a couple of bumps, kinks and several hiccups to overcome but maybe Dana is on to something.

4th ANNUAL ELK GROVE BBQ CHAMPIONSHIP

Saturdays were just made for another fun day of barbeque celebration and competition at the 4th Annual Elk Grove BBQ Championship this weekend. This was another opportunity to sample and score some of the best barbeque in the nation. The organizer pictured above told us originally this Elk Grove event showcased a rodeo but they determined a barbeque competition was a lot safer and just as popular.  I will buy that. Hold on to your cowboy hat because we would like to share a couple of images with you.

The 9-11 shot is a tradition carried on by the cooks of the event. At exactly eleven minutes after nine the glasses are raised. We as judges are not allowed to participate because of a no alcohol policy. We judges need all our senses and taste buds to score fair & just. I did take this photo shot though. The weather today was a tiny bit overcast with mild temperatures reaching the low 70's. The cooks dealed with a slight breeze the night before. The cooks are professionals and dealt with the conditions accordingly.

The Father and Son team Brandini were serving up some home cured bacon today. They sure do know my Achilles heal. This was some mighty fine perfectly balanced bacon. I was promised the recipe and hope to share with you at a later date.

I love to roam the grounds to check out everybody's cooking devices. Fancy high dollar rigs to custom UDS (Ugly Drum Smokers) can do the job. It is the skill and maybe a little luck thrown in to produce a Grand Champion cook. I also like to point out to Ms. Goofy possible Christmas and Birthday bbq gifts.

Congratulations to our friends Bill & Yvonne Sousa from the competition team "Big B's Down & Dirty" for winning the Reserve Grand Championship trophy. Their good friends who were parked right next door "Son of Smoke" took Grand Champions. Zack Galiste "The Kid" is back in Championship form. What a fun filled day of bbq. We cannot wait till the next one.

CANYON RIDER HABANERO WINGS

Our good friend Joe Z from Canyon Rider competition barbeque team is a bonafied Chilehead. He grows exotic peppers and makes his own fiery hot sauce. He recently gifted me a jar of his famous roasted green habanero hot sauce. My eyes lit up with fire receiving this special home made gift. He not only grows all his own peppers he roasted these green habaneros. This was a labor of love. This sauce is not for the chile challenged because it is knock your socks off hot. This is just the way I love it. I had to find a way to ease Ms. Goofy into this tasty journey of pain.

I did bring this sauce to our monthly Galileo Club dinner. This is an Italian social club whose dinner tonight included raviolis. My fellow Chilehead friends Dana and Alden both agreed this sauce may have not paired well with raviolis but was fantastic with flavor. The sauce immediately hits your tongue with heat. Once the heat subsided a fruity habanero flavor with roasty toasty finish was enjoyed. The sauce also had a perfect balance with sweetness mellowing the intense habanero sting. This sauce was the real deal.

I wanted Ms. Goofy to try this sauce. Ms. Goofy loves chicken wings. I cooked some wings on the kettle bbq. When they were done I tossed the wings in the roasted green habanero sauce. Ms. Goofy did try the green chicken wing devil but the verdict was too hot for her. At least she tried one. It is a good thing I had some mild wings for back up.

OFFICIAL S.A.G. WAGON DRIVER

Not every weekend is devoted to my beloved barbeque. As some of you may know I am a passionate cyclist. This weekend I had the opportunity to be an Official S.A.G Wagon driver for the CampoVelo Gran Fondo bicycle event. This was a three day event celebrating food, wine and bicycle riding located in the heart of Napa Valley. This is a beautiful wine growing destination that is world famous. Celebrity Chefs would be preparing food to fuel the riders of this fantastic event. The proceeds of CampoVelo would be distributed to different charities. My job would be to drive a support vehicle to help any drivers with mechanical or any other difficulties along the ride. S.A.G is the acronym for support and gear. This S.A.G. driver drove a luxurious brand spanking new SUV provided by Lexus. Come along for a bike ride with us and experience a wonderful weekend.

I drove both days with a 50 mile ride scheduled Sunday. My S.A.G partner and I would roam the coarse looking for any riders who have stopped. We were prepared to fix flat tires, give out water, snacks and even provide a ride back to the start if needed. Along this 50 mile course we had the opportunity to stop at three rest stops that provided celebrity chef made gourmet foods and refreshment to fuel the bike riders. This was one bike ride that I did not even work up a sweat.

Chris Cosentino was one of the celebrity chefs. He is one of my personal favorite cooks who specializes in chacuterie and offal preparation at his San Francisco restaurant; Cockscomb. He brought several dishes that I experienced. One was a Musette sandwich of baquete, prosciutto, sun dried tomatoes, arugula, butter, salt and pepper which was served at the first rest stop. This first rest stop was held at an olive oil producing ranch. At the end of the ride and party wild fennel pig served with salsa verde and salsa piquante was served. Chris Cosentino is a mighty fine cook who also is an avid cyclist.

We had a rest stop at Cliff Family farm of ‘Cliff Bar’ fame. What a beautiful farm on sunny hill with spectacular views of the Napa Valley. Here we experienced some freshly made Cheddar biscuits with pepper jam, sliced La Quercia, Speck, Bellweather Farms ricotta and rucolla sponsored by Chef John Mc Connel. These biscuits melted in your mouth and were very addicting. I had to be careful because I had a lot more food to experience.

The end of the ride was one big party held at the Krug winery. Music, wine, craft beer and celebrity created food was the perfect way to end the day. A huge pan of paella was to impress. Freshly made pizza out of wood fired oven was yummy. Desserts with the CampoVelo logo in the icing satisfied this sweet tooth. I saw a lot of happy and content riders today. This was an event to experience and I was proud to be a participant.