Southern Comfort on the Memphis Pro

I am waiting for the weather to cooperate so I can try that Hasty Bake out again...

meanwhile, this is a smoke I did a couple of days ago.

I ran across some nice collard greens...

made a batch of sausage using a blend of pork and beef. I started out making a brat type sausage but then started adding a bit of this and a pinch of that.. lol It came out tasty though. :)

I trimmed the thick stem from the leaves...


washed the leaves and filled with the pork mixture...

Rolled and ready...


I filled the skillet 1/2 way with chicken stock, then gave the stuffed collards a quick splash of crown ( I didn't have southern comfort).

The splash of booze is definately optional. :)

Into the Memphis Pro with a side dish of mac and cheese.

I covered both dishes and let them cook for 30 minutes, then removed the foil and let them smoke for about 30 more minutes. (at 325F). I checked the internal temp of the pork before pulling from the smoker.

Made a batch of baking powder biscuits...

Brushed them with bacon drippings ....

into the Pro... I love that frog mat. :)






The smoked mac and cheese, baking powder biscuit, pork stuffed collards drizzled with a hot bacon dressing....





I loved it and actually felt comforted after the meal. lol

Any pork mixture will work and any greens (if you're not fond of collards). :)

My First Cook on the Hasty Bake Gourmet

I finally had the chance to try out the new Hasty Bake Gourmet Grill manufactured by the Hasty Bake Company in Tulsa Oklahoma.

This is a charcoal unit that gives you the option to smoke at low temperatures, bake .. or sear with high heat by lowering or raising the heat source. (hot coal rack)

I decided to try out both the smoke and grilling features for my first attempt by cooking some reverse seared ribeyes.

I seasoned two thick ribeyes with olive oil, kosher salt and cracked black pepper....









Soaked my dried morel mushrooms (from last spring)...




The Hasty Bake came with a bag of their lump charcoal and starter matches, which was great!

I covered the lower ash rack with foil for easy clean up.....

Pulled the hot coal rack out and filled it about half way full, then used the starter stick.

The coals need to be placed on top of the fire.. I just wanted to take a picture before burying it. :)

The hot coal and ash racks slide back inside... so easy!








I made sure that the drip pan was in place under the shelf on the left side.




Then I lowered the hot coal rack down to smoke...





Placed my seasoned steaks on the grill... also a skillet of morels, portabellas and button mushrooms with olive oil, butter and garlic.



I let these smoke at 200F for 45 minutes..
For this smoke I used some of my hickory wood pellets on top of the coals.

After low smoking for 45 minutes, I moved the steaks and mushrooms to the top rack while I raised the hot coal rack up to the highest setting.

I wanted to bring the hot coals up close to the cooking grate to heat it for searing the steaks.

Thanks to a tip from Smoking Pal Big Poppa , I probably could have smoked the steaks on the upper rack in the first place. I will try that next time.. see how it goes. :)

Another feature of the Hasty Bake....the hood is not vented. The heat and smoke circulate around the food.
I love the fact that I can keep an eye on things through the window without opening the hood... Keeping the smoke and heat inside.




I gave the steaks a quick sear on each side. These were thick so I went for 7 minutes per side.

I also grilled a few spears of asparagus drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with kosher salt and cracked black pepper...



I made a sauce with the smoked mushrooms, the morel infused water, some of my wild grape wine and herbs....

I was very happy with the outcome. The steaks carried a mild smoke flavor along with the fire kissed charcoal flavor that I love.

The Hasty Bake performed so well... Being able to low smoke and high heat sear on one unit in a matter of minutes is amazing.

I'm very happy with my first experiment. :)

Looking forward to seeing what else the unit will do!

The Hasty Bake Charcoal Smoker and Grill

I have purchased a new toy... The Hasty Bake Gourmet Charcoal Smoker and Grill.

The Hasty Bake arrived Friday evening and I didn't get to open the box until the next day.
The wait was not easy!

The Hasty Bake Company, located in Tulsa Oklahoma, has been in business since 1948.
That's amazing to me and it says a lot for the company.
To be in business for this long AND to have a long line of happy customers.... they must be doing something right. :)
I have a feeling they know what they're doing when it comes to these charcoal ovens.

This one is the Gourmet model...they have a wide variety to choose from.

The set up process was a breeze.

The top of the cardboard package lifts right off....the whole unit is wrapped in protective foam and plastic..

The two tools required for assembly....a crescent wrench and a phillips screwdriver.

The only thing to assemble is to attach the side table and attach the handle to the hood. Very easy....




The shelving, grates and handles are contained in a box in the bottom storage area of the unit. Hasty Bake even includes a package of their lump charcoal and fire starter.

The hot coal rack slides out for easy loading....

The shelves, grates and handles....

A drip cup for grease attaches beneath the shelf on the left side...

The handle for raising or lowering the hot coal rack....




You can lower the hot coal rack to smoke at lower temperatures or raise the rack for a high-heat sear.






The lower grates are V shaped, allowing any drippings to be channeled to the center, then out to the drip cup.

Another great feature on the Hasty Bake... the window. No need to open the lid while cooking, you can keep an eye on things with a quick glance. Keeping heat and smoke inside.

The hood is also ventless... circulating heat and smoke around the food.


















Now for the test run... :)




For more info on these and other Hasty Bake models, check out my smoking Pals site... Big Poppa Smokers. I'm sure he would be happy to set you up with one and his service can not be beat! (Thank you BP!)

I'm looking forward to seeing what this unit will do!

My First Cook on the Hasty Bake

Game Hens and Tatoes in the Drum

I like Rooster Booster on poultry..... I even sprinkle it on popcorn. :)

I slathered some cornish game hens in butter then sprinkled them with the Rooster Booster..




Then I sliced some potatoes, filled with bacon, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with kosher salt and cracked black pepper.

I got this recipe from Chris in Austria
(Thank you again!)

Smoked in my drum with some hickory. I used a temperature of 300 and they cooked for about 2 hours. I tested the potatoes for tenderness and removed the hens when they reached an internal temperature of 170.
Honestly.. I was busy doing something else and let the drum do the work. lol












The tatoes were sooooo good! Loved the bacon flavor...









The hens were moist and tender.. It was a nice meal after a half way busy day. :)