Traditional Creole Rubs are a mixture of salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, chili powder, cayenne pepper, dried oregano, and dried thyme.  I like using a combination of all these ingredients, but there is never a specific ratio for me.  I am a big salt freak, so I always make sure to cover the pork butt liberally with salt.  I like to use Kosher Salt, as the flakes give you a better visual of how much you are using, and tends to be less strong than sea salt or regular iodized salt.  I am also a huge fan of Tony Chachere’s Orginal Creole Seasoning, which is a combination of salt, crushed red pepper, garlic, and other spices.  You can always use this as a base for your rub, and then add salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

1. Season the pork liberally on all sides and set aside.

2. In a dutch oven (I prefer cast iron), brown the pork on all sides and set aside.  Make sure the brown the pork in batches.  Too much meat in the dutch oven at once will create steam, and not allow the meat to sear properly.

3. Once all pieces of pork are browned, deglaze the dutch oven with Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey and scrape all of the fond off the bottom of the pot.  Once the pot has been completely deglazed, return the pork to the dutch oven, and fill the pot halfway up the meat with a mixture of milk, whiskey, soy sauce, and honey.  It is very important not to have too much liquid in the pot.  A proper braise will have the braising liquid covering half of the meat, while the other half will be exposed to the air.

4. Add trimmed leeks (whites and pale green parts only), onions, carrots, celery, shallots, and garlic to the pot.  Cover with lid or aluminum foil and put in oven at 275-300 degrees.  Proper braising temperatures are between 275 to 325 degrees.  Once the dish has been in the oven for about 30 minutes, take it out and check it.  Make sure the dish is at a low simmer.  If it is boiling, reduce the heat accordingly.

5. The dish will take about 3 hours to cook completely.  Every hour, turn the meat so the side that was submerged under the braising liquid will be exposed to the air.  Repeat this step every hour until pork is falling apart when touched.

6. Remove pork from dutch oven and reduce braising liquid by half.  Pull pork apart into think shreds and set aside.  Once liquid has reduced, pour braising liquid in top of pork.  Taste and add seasoning if needed.

For the BBQ Sauce

1. Roast two bulbs of garlic in oven at 350 degrees in foil with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

2. Take one pineapple, core, and cut into small pieces.  Saute pineapple chunks in 2 TBSP of butter for a few minutes.  Add apple cider vinegar and reduce.  Once reduced, add roasted garlic and your favorite bbq sauce to pan, reduce heat and simmer. Simmer for about 5-10 minutes until all falvors have had chance to incorporate with each other.  Mash together or puree to desired consistency.  Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.

** Find your favorite roll, pile on some pork, add some sauce, and grub your face off!!! **

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook 6 strips bacon (diced) just until the edges start to crisp. Remove to a paper-towel-lined plate. Reserve the fat. • Wipe skillet clean and return to medium-high heat. Melt 1 tbsp butter. Add a chopped shallot and cook until translucent, about three minutes. Coarsely chop 1 leek (white and light-green parts only) and 1 lb brussels sprouts,* and slice 1 scallion (white part only). Add to skillet and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about ten minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add half a bottle of Jamaican lager, so that half of the hash is in liquid. Bring to a simmer and reduce until almost all the liquid is gone. Add the bacon, another tbsp butter, and reduce heat to low, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.

Stir in another tbsp butter, up to 2 tbsp of the reserved bacon fat, 1 tbsp whole-grain mustard, and 1 tsp Dijon mustard, and sauté a few minutes more. Total cooking time for the hash is about 30 minutes. · Divide hash onto two plates. Place steaks on top and spoon on some chutney. Serve with more lager. Serves two.

* You can use a food processor to quickly chop the brussels sprouts and leeks. Just don’t pulverize them — a few pulses and they’re good. Otherwise they’ll get mushy.

1.5 – 2 lbs of ground beef (preferably 80/20)

4 Slices Pepper Jack Cheese & 4 Slices Vermont White Cheddar

12 oz of Applewood Smoked Bacon

Baby Arugala

2 Shallots

White Wine Vinegar

Dry Mustard

3 TBSP Butter

Worcestershire Sauce

Salt & Pepper

4 Thomas’ English Muffins (Sandwich Size)

1. Put ground beef in bowl and mix together.  Add 2 TBSP dry mustard, a few splashes of Worcestershire sauce, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Make 4 equal size patties and set aside.

2. Cook bacon in saute pan on low until about 70% cooked and set aside.  Reserve bacon fat.  Once bacon has dried, dice bacon into small pieces.

3. Melt 1-2 TBSP of butter in saute pan and sweat shallots in butter until translucent.  Once shallots are translucent, add 1/4 cup of white wine vinegar.  Reduce.  Add diced bacon to pan with 1 additional TBSP of butter and continue to cook down.  Once bacon has cook through and is crispy, and all liquid has reduced, set aside.

4. On a hot grill, put burgers on hot grates and close lid.  Cook for 4 minutes on each side for medium rare, or until desired internal temperature.  With 2 minutes of cooking time left, put one slice of pepper jack and one slice of vermont white cheddar on burgers and MELT THE CHEESE COMPLETELY!

5. Once cheese has melted, remove burgers from the grill and set aside.

6. Take burger and put in on the bottom half of the english muffin.  Scoop bacon compote on top of cheese.  Take a handful of baby arugala and top the burger.  Cover with other half of english muffin and stuff your face!

Yes! SPAM had 4 legs… once

1 Can Spam (Cut into small dices)
2 Avocados (Sliced)
1 Yellow Pepper (Julienned or Diced)
1 Red Pepper (Julienned or Diced)
1 C White Rice
1 C Water
1 T Rice Vinegar
6 Dried Onigiri Nori Sheets (Dried Seaweed)
1 T Unsalted Butter
4 T Brown Sugar
Bamboo Sushi Roller

1.    In saucepan, soak and rinse rice in cold water to remove excess starch.  Drain rice and add fresh 1 cup of water and rice to saucepan.  Bring to simmer and cook for about 30-40 minutes, or until all water is absorbed. Pull off heat, transfer to bowl, and stir in rice vinegar.

2.    Heat sauté pan over medium-high heat.  Add spam and brown sugar.  Cook spam until it has caramelized.  Remove from heat and set aside.

3.    Take nori/seaweed and lay on flat surface.  Take a small handful of rice and lay a thin layer on the seaweed.  Add peppers, avocado, and spam and lay on top of rice.  Take a sushi roller and roll seaweed (with ingredients) and fold over to hold in place.  Continue rolling seaweed like a giant cigar until about ¼ inch of seaweed is left.  Wet the remaining seaweed with water and seal the seaweed (like an envelope).

4.    Cut sushi roll into pieces and serve.

3 Full Slabs of Baby Back Ribs, membrane removed (about 2 pounds each)
2½ C Peach Preserves
6 T Packed Brown Sugar
¼ C Apple Juice
¼ C Turbinado Sugar

Rub

¼ C Salt
¼ C Brown Sugar
½ T Ground Mace
½ T Ground Coffee
1 T Chile Powder
½ T Lemon Pepper

1.    Mix the rub and the turbinado sugar together and massage it into the ribs, two thirds of the rub on the meaty side, and the remainder on the bony side.

2.    Prepare the grill for cooking over indirect heat (300 degrees), using peachwood, or a combination of hickory and cherry for smoke. (If you don’t have a metal smoke box, a simple foil packet will do)

3.    Cook the ribs until they are nicely caramelized, about two hours, then remove and lay each slab on a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil.  Spread the preserves over each slab and sprinkle each with 2 TBSP of brown sugar.  Fold the ribs into individual packets, and carefully pour the apple juice under the ribs.  Seal the packets snugly, being careful not to puncture the packets with the rib bones.

4.    Return the packets of ribs to the grill for 45 minutes.

5.    Remove ribs from packets and place on the grill over direct medium heat.  Cook and flip until ribs are caramelized.