A Mug of Corn Chowder

With cooler weather here, I've been in the mood for something to keep me warm in the evening.
A warm mug of corn chowder will have to do. lol


I crisp up about 6 pieces of bacon....

saute some onions and garlic in the bacon drippings.....




Add a bit of flour to the onions and cook stirring constantly for a few minutes...



Then I add 3 cups of milk, one can of creamed corn....2 cups of cut corn. (grilled corn is great)



In a separate pot I cook some cubed potatoes until tender.... then drain and add them to the pot.

Put about 3 TBS of butter into the chowder and let it simmer on low until thick and bubbly...

Add salt and pepper to taste...

In a skillet I saute some garlic in butter....

I toast some bread strips in the garlic butter....the sprinkle them with basil, kosher salt and oregano.




Crumble the crispy bacon on top and add a few chopped green onions....




The chunky corn, potato, bacon chowder.....




It's a nice way to warm up in the evening. :)

Cooking the Cowboy Way by Grady Spears

I have to admit, when I hear about a cookbook that touts country or cowboy cooking, I tend to shy away from it. I've had my fill of cookbooks with cobblers, sourdough biscuits, stews and chicken fried steaks in dutch ovens. There's so much more to ranch/country cooking than that.


By living right and watching my P's and Q's.. (that's the only reason I can think of :)).. the very nice lady from the Andrews McNeel Publishing Company in Kansas City sent another cookbook for me to check out.
This is a book by cowboy chef Grady Spears titled Cooking the Cowboy Way.
(with June Naylor)
In MY eyes Grady had a big strike against him from the get go by living and cooking in a city. Ft Worth to be exact. What could a city boy know about cowboy cooking?

I was wrong....

I'm an avid outdoor cook... so I spent several days pouring over Grady's book looking for a reason to dislike it. lol I couldn't fine one....not one.

It's a great book! Grady knows his stuff.

Grady IS a cowboy, has worked in the saddle. Also knows that there is such a thing as a "Cowboy code".

From his book...

"The cowboy's world has been idealized in film and books, but the real cowboy's life is far from glamorous. "

"Few folks understand that a real cowboy lives by a code defined by respect for hard work and an understanding of the rhythms of nature."

That caught my attention. Grady knows and understands what it takes to live the cowboy/cowgirl life and he knows that it takes more than cobblers, biscuits and beans to keep a ranch hand happy. :)

His book "Cooking the Cowboy Way" is a collection of recipes from across the U.S. and Canada. Ranch cooks, cowgirls and cowboys who live the life and know how to tend a fire are creating dishes such as Grilled Oysters with Pico, Ranchero Grilled Quail and Blackened Grouper with Orange Remoulade.

It's a great collection of what's cookin' in the back yards and pastures across the ranching community. More than biscuits and beans.... actual stick to your ribs, hearty feasts fit for hard working cowgirls like me. :)

I'm looking forward to giving these recipes a try!

Hat's off to you Grady Spears. You've earned this cowgirl's respect......now I'm off to look for more of your books. :) lol

Smoked Chipotle Pork Rellanos

Still using up some of that Zaaschilla chipotle cremosa smoked pork butt. lol






I blistered my chilies....




Let them steam in a baggie for easy peeling....



Mixed some smoked chipotle pork, onions and campesino.....







Rinsed, seeded and stuffed the chilies with the pork mixture....





Dusted with a bit of flour to make the batter stick....



The batter I used for this many rellanos was 3 beaten egg whites mixed with 3 TBS of flour and three beaten yolks added...







Dip and fry......








With the suggestions of a few smoking friends, I gathered up some mexican beer to try....







The chipotle smoked pork chili rellanos....




I was able to eat one and drink one frosty mug of beer....

Looks like I will be set with leftovers for a few days. :)

Smoked Chipotle Pork Tamales

I used part of the Zaaschila chipotle cremosa smoked pork to make a batch of tamales for the weekend..

http://cowgirlscountry.blogspot.com/2009/10/chipotle-cremosa-smoked-pork-butt.html


I let my corn husks soak in water overnight.....










Sauteed some onion, minced jalapeno and garlic til tender, then added some of the smoked pork and a small amount of chili sauce.



Mixed my masa with warm water and salt, beat in enough lard to make the masa light enough to float..










Then started building my tamales......








I used a basket to steam them. It works fine.




I place a couple of balls of foil in the bottom of a large pot, to keep the rack of tamales out of the water.





I place the rack of tamales in the pot, cover and steam for about 45 minutes. Until the masa easily pulls away from the husk.




They were sooooo goooood. :)













I ate tamales all weekend and still had plenty to stash away in the freezer for later.

Checking the cows

It was cold and rainy here this weekend.
Looks like winter is on it's way.

































All's well in my little world. :)

Chipotle Cremosa Smoked Pork Butt

I know this is boring.... just another smoked hunka pork. I've got plans for this baby. :)





I've made these before,
Injected the butt with a mixture of beef broth, cayenne, onion and garlic powders.....

Rubbed the outside of the butt with Zaaschila chipotle cremosa....

then sprinkled with cracked black pepper.

Into my drum at about 225 for 10 hours.......








It smells so wonderful!



and tastes wonderful too. :)

I pull the pork and bag it up to use later..... ok, I did have a few bites and a sandwich before bagging. :)

Now I have a nice stash of smoked pork for other dishes!