Vietnamese-Inspired Marinade

Vietnamese-Inspired Marinade

This is an intensified version of the traditional Vietnamese soup called Pho. My favorite soup in the world. I intensified the spices so it would impart a lot of flavors into the beef. I use this recipe on beef short ribs. Enjoy!

Pho Bo (Beef Soup) Inspired Marinade

Ingredients:

4 c. hot water

2 tbsp. beef base

1/3 c. white onion

3 tbsp. fresh minced ginger

2 tbsp. cinnamon

4 tbsp. fish sauce

2 star anise

8 cloves of minced garlic

2 tsp. ground black pepper

2 tsp. chili powder

2 tbsp. lime juice

2 tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

Directions:

Add all ingredients into a pot (I used a large one). Simmer on low heat for 20 min. Cover with lid. Marinade will thicken slightly as it simmers, stir occasionally. Let marinade cool completely before adding to the meat. I actually let the meat marinate in this marinade for about 20-24 hours prior to smoking.

Middle Eastern-Inspired Chicken Rub

This is a rub I love for the aggressive spice flavors. I use this rub strictly on chicken.

Middle Eastern-Inspired Chicken Rub

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. Turmeric

2 tbsp. Cumin

2 tbsp. Dried Coriander

2 tbsp. Cinnamon

2 tsp. Nutmeg

¼ tsp. Cayenne Pepper

1 tbsp. Sea Salt

1-2 tbsp. strong flavored mustard (I either use a yellow mustard or Irish mustard)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together and place on chicken. Marinate in a tight container for a minimum of 8 hours in the refrigerator. Use any extra rub with melted butter or olive oil and baste chicken while it is in the smoker. Discard any leftover rub after use. Safety warning: do not dip a hand that has already touched raw meat back into container. It will contaminate the rub. Always season with one hand, and keep another hand dry and untainted.

Japanese-inspired Marinade

I love Asian food. Whether it is Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Korean.. I love it all! I wanted to test a Japanese-style marinade on some chicken thighs. I absolutely love this marinade on chicken thighs. It is by far my favorite seasoning for smoked chicken. Enjoy!

Japanese-Inspired Marinade:

Ingredients:

½ c. of Rice Vinegar

½ c. of Soy Sauce

2 tbsp. Brown Sugar

Approx. 3 Tbsp. (or more) of Onion Powder

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together. Place chicken in a 9" x 13" pan (one that has a lid). Pour 1/2- 3/4 of the marinade on chicken and marinate in the refrigerator for a minimum of 8 hrs. Approx. 20 min. before smoking, remove chicken from refrigerator and pour out the marinade. Pat the chicken dry and place on smoker. Use the extra reserved marinade to baste the chicken throughout the smoking process.

Chicken or Pork Dry Rub

I use this chicken dry rub on wings, thighs, drumsticks, and even pork shoulder. I like the unique flavor of this rub because it contains cocoa. The cocoa adds a deep flavor to the chicken or pork.

Chicken or Pork Dry Rub:

Ingredients:

1/8 c. Cocoa Powder

1 tbsp. Sea Salt

1 tbsp. Black Pepper

3 tbsp. Garlic Powder

3 tbsp. Onion Powder

1 tsp. Chili Powder

2 tsp. Seasoned Salt

2 tsp. Celery Salt

1 tbsp. Paprika

Directions:
Mix ingredients together. Sprinkle the rub generously on your meat. Let the flavors absorb the meat for a minimum of 30 min. prior to smoking. I typically season the meat with the dry rub and let it marinate in the refrigerator for about 8-12 hrs. Store the remaining dry rub in a tight container and store in a cool place. Safety warning: do not dip a hand that has already touched raw meat back into container. It will contaminate the rub. Always season with one hand, and keep another hand dry and untainted.

Chicken Wing Dry Rub

Smoked Wings

Smofried Wings (smoked, then deep fried)

Chicken Wing Dry Rub:

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. Onion Powder

2 tbsp. Garlic Powder

¼ tsp. Black Pepper

2 tsp. Sea Salt

1 tbsp. Paprika

2 tbsp. Taco Seasoning

2 tbsp. Cajun Seasoning

Pinch of Cayenne Pepper

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together. Use 1/2 of mixture on wings, and place in an airtight container. Place in refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hrs. (preferably longer..I like marinating meat for a minimum of 8 hrs.). Before you place on smoker, leave wings out for about 15 min. prior to smoking and sprinkle more of the dry rub on. I even like to mix some dry rub in with chicken broth, beer, or butter and mop the wings while in the smoker. Safety warning: do not dip a hand that has already touched raw meat back into container. It will contaminate the rub. Always season with one hand, and keep another hand dry and untainted. Enjoy!

Maple Mustard Rib Glaze

This rib glaze was created to compliment my Rosemary Thyme Ribs. I love the hint of sweetness from the maple syrup! It is not overwhelmingly sweet like many rib glazes out there, which is a nice change. Enjoy!

Maple Mustard Rib Glaze:

Ingredients:

3/4 c. high quality maple syrup

2 tbsp. packed brown sugar

2 tbsp. ketchup

¼ c. apple juice

¼ c. Jack Daniel’s whiskey

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. Vanilla Sea Salt (I actually ordered this from Wales, UK..but you can add vanilla bean or pure vanilla extract to the mix in lieu of specialized Vanilla Sea Salt)

2 tbsp. Dijon mustard

Directions:

In a small saucepan, stir together the maple syrup, brown sugar, ketchup, apple juice, Jack Daniel’s, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and mustard. Bring to a low boil, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Rosemary Thyme Rib Marinade

This is a recipe I came up with to just get a different flavor for smoked ribs, versus a traditional bbq rib that you would get in places like Memphis or KC. I'm typically not a rib fan, so I wanted to experiment with different flavors. Here is one of my rib marinade recipes. Enjoy!

Rosemary Thyme Rib Marinade:

Ingredients:

6 c. water

1 can of beef broth

1 c. orange juice

3 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tbsp. Sea Salt

¼ c. White Sugar

½ tsp. Ground Black Pepper

3 tbsp. Dried Thyme

3 tbsp. Dried Rosemary

3 tbsp. Dried Coriander

5 tbsp. Garlic Powder

5 tbsp. of Onion Powder

3 tbsp. salted butter

Directions:
Place your ribs in 9" x 13" container (which comes with an airtight lid). Mix all the ingredients together and pour in your container. Let it marinate for at least 12 hours. Before you are ready to put on a dry rub or place on smoker, pat the ribs dry. I let them sit out at room temp. for about 20-30 min.

Pulled Pork Barbeque Sauce

This is a barbeque sauce I created to go with my pulled pork recipe. It has a nice tang to it, but does not overwhelm or outshine the pork at all. Enjoy!

Pulled Pork Barbeque Sauce:

Ingredients:

4 tbsp. butter

¼ c. white onion

4 cloves of garlic

½ c. ketchup

½ c. Coke

¼ c. Worchestershire Sauce

½ tsp. Irish Mustard or a strong mustard

1 tsp. sea salt

¼ tsp. black pepper

Pinch of Cayenne

Directions:

Melt butter in sauce pan, add onions. Saute for about 5-6 min until lightly golden. Add rest of ingredients. Heat on med.-low for approx. 30-40 min. until sauce is thickened.

Pulled Pork Mop Sauce

This is the mop sauce I use to keep my pork nice and moist during the smoking process (I also use a foil pan to keep my pork in while it's cooking). Enjoy!

Pulled Pork Mop Sauce:

Ingredients:

1 c. hot or warm water

2 tsp. curry powder

1 tsp. beef base

1.5 tsp. chicken base

½ c. apple juice

1 whole garlic

Directions:

Puree everything together. Use this sauce when meat is just about to be foiled at 170 degree F. temp.

Pulled Pork Dry Rub

This is my new go-to pulled pork dry rub. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Pulled Pork Dry Rub:

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. Black Pepper

2 tbsp. Paprika (I use Hungarian Paprika..because I'm part Hungarian and enjoy the flavor)

1 tbsp. Curry Powder

2 tbsp.Sea Salt

2 tbsp.Brown Sugar

1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients together well. Use about half of your mixture to rub onto the pork. Wrap the pork tightly in a container and place in your refrigerator overnight (I let mine marinade for a minimum of 10-12 hours).

When you are ready to smoke the pork, remove the pork from the refrigerator 45 minutes prior to smoking. Add the remaining dry rub to the pork and let it rest until it is ready for the smoker. Enjoy!

Pulled Pork Marinade

I tried to make pulled pork once before in the smoker (our first ever thing we smoked in fact!). The flavors were good, but we didn't smoke it long enough (we only smoked it to 170 deg. F). Well after much research I learned the proper real way to do pulled pork. I bought a 7 lb. pork picnic and got to work!

I like to inject my meats with a brine or marinade to keep them extra moist. This is the recipe I used for newest and best pulled pork. I hope you like it!

Pulled Pork Injectable Marinade:

Ingredients:

1 c. of hot or warm water

2 heaping tsp. of chicken base

2 heaping tsp. of beef base

1 tsp. of mustard

1 tsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. iodized salt

2 tsp. curry powder

1 tbsp. onion powder

3 tbsp. garlic powder

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients together, and let it cool. Use an injector and inject the pork thoroughly. I used almost all of the marinade to inject into the meat. Once the meat is injected, pour the rest of the marinade on top of the pork to use as an adhesive for your dry rub.

Smoked Blueberries Recipe

This is a smoked blueberry recipe I came up with to use as a topping on a 4th of July cake I made. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures while they were in the smoker. Sorry!

Smoked Blueberries:

Ingredients:

1 pint of blueberries

¼ of a lemon (squeezed)

zest of ¼ of a lemon

1 c. light brown sugar

Approx. 1 tbsp. of lemon-infused olive oil

Directions:

Soak cherry wood chips for 1 hr. prior to smoking. Heat smoker to 200 degrees (F). While your smoker is heating up, wash the blueberries, and pat them dry on a paper towel. Place the blueberries in a 8” x 10” heavy duty foil pan. Add all the ingredients together. Mix.

Put blueberry mix in smoker and check 20 min. into smoking. Check every 10 min. after that. Smoke for 40 min. The blueberries should be tender to the touch, but not too mushy or too hard.

After the blueberries were removed from the smoker, I let them cool down for about 20 minutes.

I ended up making a Smoked Blueberry Sauce to accompany my lemon olive oil cake.

Smoked Blueberry Sauce:

Ingredients:

Smoked blueberries

1 tbsp. of lemon zest

½ c. of white granulated sugar

½ tsp. of cinnamon //or cardamom // or ginger //or ALL :)

¼ c. of blueberry flavored water

Directions:

I placed all of the ingredients in a heated saucepan on the stove top (at medium heat). Simmer for approx. 30 minutes until the sauce has thickened considerably. Let it cool completely and enjoy!

Intro

So my name is Kristen. I am currently a stay-at-home mom to a 3 year old boy and a 12 year old black Labrador Retriever. I have been married for almost 5 years to my husband Tom. I love hockey (Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche, Philadelphia Flyers), Red Sox baseball, and the Tennessee Volunteers. I also like to do cakes and cupcakes for friends and family too. My husband and I started getting into true low-n-slow barbeque about a year and a half ago.

We are members of the Kansas City Barbeque Society, and have our own competitive BBQ team, "We're Gonna Make Ya Squeal Like A Pig".

The goal of this blog is to document my adventures in barbequing. I have a passion for cooking, and I love to experiment with different styles of barbeque. I don't like doing things by the book, and come up with my own BBQ recipes. Some work, some don't...but I always have a great time doing it!