It was a nice and quiet New Year’s Eve that started out with a pound of raw Jumbo Shrimp that were prepared in shrimp stock and then served cold (as shrimp cocktail) [before I could get a pic, they were gone in mid afternoon]. Then, onto the 5 lb prime cut ribeye roast I obtained from a local butcher I frequent when in a northern Atlanta suburb. Seasoned it with Excalibur steak and roast rub. Then, reverse seared it to 129 in the oven at 225 degrees. Seared it in a CI pan. Yep, it was a good and quiet dinner. [BTW: I will be purchasing more of the Excalibur Steak and Roast rub and the Garlic/Butter seasoning used for the fresh broccoli. As both were secretly stolen from me. ]

I have now jumped on the Tex_77 train of cooking chicken marinated with and breaded with Chicken On The Run directly on the grill. I know this is heresy to my statement that the same chicken being the best when I fried them. Grilling is way better. Yes, I used some smoke during the cooking. But, that’s only an enhancement.

Found 6 lbs of filet scraps I vacuum packed in the freezer. Added 1.3 lbs of ribeye fat. Ground it with a 3/8th and mixed in a light combo of Pa’s/Better Burger/Garlic Butter seasonings with a sprinkling of Worcester sauce. Made up 18 six ounce patties and a sample patty. The result was “why didn’t I do this before?” A neighbor came over with a dram of Weller Antique 107 to share and after the test burger tasting, made 2 more. Hope all of you also had a good day.

Jonathon The shirt is top notch and is true to size. Thank you.

Since it’s overcast today, not too hot and the last of my cheeses were consumed over the weekend, I’m smoking 5 diff cheeses. Mozz, Swiss, Asiago, Pepper Jack and Sharp Cheddar. Yes, it’s over an iced filled aluminum tray.

Well, I have now verified that the Chicken on the run Marinade and Coating/Mix are legit. Did a test if 6 boneless chicken thighs and both items allowed them to be juicy, crunchy and tasty.

Well, decided to see if grinding the garlic (rather than boiling it whole), placing it in cheese cloth and dipping in warm water before squeezing out the juice is better. So, made Slovenian klobase with salt/pepper/garlic juice in a small 5 lb batch. The sausages are resting in the fridge until the temp drops outside to cold smoke them(Friday). Thinking this option is good because those sausages are permeating every crevice in the living area after I open the fridge.

Homemade French Onion Soup from scratch ( except for the gruyere, parmigiano reggiano and French Bread). Designed a new recipe that is pretty darn good. The cast iron dutch oven was 3/4 full before people starting requesting refills. Happy that I took a pic before it was all gone.

What to do when a dreary day that included snow flakes to fly. Cold smoked a pork tenderloin for 4 hrs. Then, sous vide it at 130 for 2.5 hours. Came out tasty.

Well, I tested out a new injector and the apple-cinnamon soluble on a 2 lb pork loin. Let the injection sit overnight, dried it off, applied plain mustard, homemade rub, wrapped it in bacon and put it in the smoker. Injecting the pork loin did not disappoint. It was totally juicy even after going over the 145 by 12 degrees. Normally, it would’ve been a bit dry. Nice small test. Have 3 more available for more testing.

John Belvedere Definitely like the thickness of your Jerry. Too many cut it way too thin. Way to go. Also liked that you did the math to figure out yield for future batches.

GWG8541 Just about the correct sizing. Yes please.

HerbcoFood Yea, everyone has lobsta on the banks of a river. The crunch you got when biting into that beast would satisfy anyone’s palate.

RafterW Your methods to enjoy the “outside” world is enviable. Too many use “electronics” strictly as a “baby sitter”. Love that both of you support this type of life. Also, wish both of you the best with your future family member. Note: I’m way past building that environment. But, do very much support it.

Ridley Acres Jonathan Sounds like you have another video option for “buckboard bacon”.

Deepwoodsbutcher Totally agree with your warning. Knowing the butcher or buying the raw product yourself (prior to butchering) is the only way to know what you’re getting.

RafterW Have fun while supporting your habit. Go for it.

Jonathon and the waiting begins! That’s the real difficult part

Surg Yes please. The light crunch while the garlic sqeezes into your mouth.

mac21st Lobsta at $8.99/lb. Wow!! It sucks living in the midwest. You go get 'em.