Big Man, Little Kitchen

Growing up pot roast was a Sunday staple in our house. Slow cooked with veggies and potatoes in the old crock pot. The roast always came out tender and tasty. Well today I decided to do the pot roast with some Traeger flare.
First thing was to fire up the Traeger and set it to smoke. (170 -180 degrees) While the grill is heating  up take the roast out of the fridge and season it up. I used the following spices to rub on – onion, garlic and chili powder, thyme, salt and pepper. Spread over roast and toss on the grill. Smoke for 1.5 hours.When the smoking time is almost up, gather up your other ingredients. I am tossing in potatoes, carrots and pearl onions. Chop it up and toss into a dutch oven.Add some salt and pepper, thyme and a bay leaf. Pour in about 1 cup of red wine and 2 cups of stock ( I used turkey stock since that was all I had in the pantry). Stir to combine.Now grab the roast off the grill and turn the heat up to 275 degrees. Nestle the smoked roast down in the veggies and liquid. Cover and return to grill. Cook another 4-5 hours, until the roast is fork tender.When the roast is done pull it off the grill and transfer to a cutting board. Let rest 10 minutes before carving. Toss the veggies in a bowl and get ready for some good comfort.Slice, serve and enjoy. Cheers!

Ingredients:

• 2 lb chuck roast
• 2 cups baby carrots, halved
• 2 cups baby potatoes, quartered
• 2 cups pearl onions
• 2 cups stock
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• salt
• pepper

Directions:

Take the roast out of the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking. Mix together the onion, garlic and chili powder, thyme, salt and pepper. Rub onto the roast and get the grill ready. Smoke the roast at 180 degrees for 1.5 hours. When the roast is almost done get the veggies ready. Toss the carrots, potatoes and pearl onions in a dutch oven. Add the wine and stock and stir to combine. Add the bay leaf and nestle the roast down in the pan. Bump the grill temp up to 275 degrees. Put a lid on the dutch oven, place on the grill and cook 4-5 hours, until the roast is fork tender. Remove from grill and let meat rest for 10 minutes before carving.

It is a sad time of year – NFL football is almost over. It was a fun season overall and we had a lot of good ‘football food’. I experimented with some new chicken wing flavors and these 3 are my favorites from the season. Sweet and Spicy garlic, mango habanero and dry rub with Famous Dave’s Chikn’ Wing seasoning. Kris’s favorite was the Sweet and spicy garlic. In honor AFC-NFC Championship weekend I whipped up a batch of all 3!!

I fired up the Traeger and set it to 350 degrees. While it was heating up I cut up the wings and placed in 3 separate disposable pans. Season the wings with  salt, pepper and olive oil. For the dry rub batch I dusted the wings with the Famous Dave’s Chikn’ Wing seasoning.  Now it was time to put the wings on the grill and make the sauce while they are cooking. Cook time will be about 45 minutes, tossing the wings halfway through.The 2 sauces are simple to make. Just need a small sauce pan and a few ingredients.

For the Sweet and Spicy garlic – Melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium low heat. When melted toss in 3 cloves of minced garlic and cook for a couple minutes. Now it is time to and the sweet and the heat! For the heat I use Franks Red Hot sauce. Add 1/2 cup to the butter and garlic. Now add 1/4 cup of honey for the sweet. Combine well and cook for about 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and keep warm while the wings cook.

For the Mango Habanero – I love the mango habanero wings from Buffalo Wild Wings so this is what I was trying to recreate. Put 2 cups habanero nectar (you can find this in most Hispanic sections of the grocery store) and some habanero sauce (the amount depends on how hot you want it). I used about 4 tablespoons. Heat and cook over medium heat until reduced to about a 1/4 cup. Now stir in 1/4 cup Franks Red Hot, 4 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of honey. Stir to combine then keep warm over low heat.

After the wings have cooked for 45 minutes, pour the sauce over the wings. Make sure to coat them well. Grill for another 10 minutes to set the sauce. Toss the wings in a serving bowl and eat up! I served them with ranch dressing and celery sticks. Nothing better than football and a big pile of chicken wings. Cheers!

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs chicken wings
• salt
• pepper
• olive oil
• disposable foil pans

For the Sweet and Spicy garlic sauce

• 4 T butter
• 1/2 cup Franks Red Hot
• 1/4 honey
• 3 cloves garlic, minced

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium low heat. When melted toss in 3 cloves of minced garlic and cook for a couple minutes. Now it is time to and the sweet and the heat! For the heat I use Franks Red Hot sauce. Add 1/2 cup to the butter and garlic. Now add 1/4 cup of honey for the sweet. Combine well and cook for about 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and keep warm while the wings cook.

For the Mango Habanero sauce

• 2 cups mango nectar
• Habanero hot sauce – as much as you need:)
• 1/4 cup Franks Red Hot
• 4 T butter
• 2 T honey

Put 2 cups habanero nectar (you can find this in most Hispanic sections of the grocery store) and some habanero sauce (the amount depends on how hot you want it). I used about 4 tablespoons. Heat and cook over medium heat until reduced to about a 1/4 cup. Now stir in 1/4 cup Franks Red Hot, 4 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of honey. Stir to combine then keep warm over low heat.

Pork tenderloin is one of our favorite cuts of meat to cook. Lots of flavor and super easy. Normally I just season with olive oil, salt and pepper and grill.I decided to up this a notch and stuff it with an apple based stuffing. Good decision!! This turned out excellent and was not too difficult.Gather up the goodies and chop away. The dried apricots add great flavor to go along with the apples.To make the stuffing heat the olive oil over medium low heat, toss in the apple and onion. saute for about 5 minutes, until golden. Add the garlic and saute another 1 minute.Stir in dried apricots and thyme, season with salt and pepper. Add the apple cider and bring to boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cider is absorbed by the stuffing. This took about 5 minutes. Let cool.While the stuff is cooling, butterfly the tenderloin. Make a slit down its length but do not cut all the way through. Open it up like a book and pound to about 1/2 inch thickness. I just put a piece of plastic wrap over the pork and pound with a kitchen mallet. Spoon the stuffing evenly on the meat.Close up the pork and tie with kitchen string in even intervals. If any of that tasty stuffing tries to escape just  push it back in. Place on a baking sheet, season with the thyme, salt and pepper. Pour 1/2 cup apple cider over the pork. Time to toss this bad boy on the #traeger, at 350 degrees.Grill for about 30 minutes, basting with the pan sauce. Add another 1/2 cup of cider and cook until the internal temp is 145 degrees. Maybe 15 minutes more. Keep an eye on the temp that is the best way to know when it is done. Transfer to cutting board and let rest 10 minutes.Slice the pork and transfer to warmed platter and enjoy! Once you try this you will make it again. Cheers!

For the stuffing:
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped Golden Delicious
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped dried apricots
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup apple cider

For the pork:
1 pork tenderloin,
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 cup apple cider, plus more as needed

Directions:
To make the stuffing, in a large fry pan over medium-low heat, warm the olive oil. Add the apple and onion and sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the dried apricots, thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Add the apple cider and boil, stirring occasionally, until the cider is absorbed by the stuffing, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Butterfly the pork loin by making a slit down its length, cutting just deep enough so that the loin opens up to lie flat like a book. Do not cut all the way through. Spoon the stuffing evenly onto the meat. Close up the loin and, using the strings, tie at even intervals so it assumes its original shape. Push in any stuffing that escapes from the ends. Sprinkle the surface with the thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Place the loin in a baking pan and add 1/2 cup of the cider to the pan.

Grill for about 30 minutes, basting with the pan sauce. Add another 1/2 cup of cider and cook until the internal temp is 145 degrees. Maybe 15 minutes more. Keep an eye on the temp that is the best way to know when it is done. Transfer to cutting board and let rest 10 minutes. Slice and serve.