WORLD's BEST Black Eyed Peas Sausage Soup

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 OH BOY SOUP!!!

But not just any soup, this is that traditional New Year's Day "Good Luck" Soup.  For million's, it would be unthinkable not to celebrate the New Year without Black Eyed Peas in some form.  This is without a doubt, the world's best way to have good luck throughout the year.

But, it is also good enough to have anytime of the year.  This is good, not just a gimmick good, I mean really, "Talk about Good" good.

Plenty of sausage for the meat lovers, plenty of vegetables for the health conscious, plenty of color (traditional Collared Greens (can use spinach or even Kale) and the high protein of a full pound of Black Eyed Peas.  Delieicous in so many ways.

You can see in the photos, I added a pan of Mississippi Corn Bread as a side.  See yesterday's post for that easy to follow recipe.  This specialty Corn Bread is indeed the perfect side dish for this soup.  Sturdy enough to pour the soup over without disintegrating into corn dust and with plenty of flavors to compete with the loaded flavors of this BEST EVER BLACK EYED PEAS SOUP!

Keep scrolling down for this easy to follow recipe.

This does call for a couple of specialty items to pull this off with style.  You can certainly make do with any old soup pot, but if you make a lot of soups and stews you will grow to love a Dutch Oven.  Look for one that is Ceramic lined for easy cleaning, HEAVY for even heating and stylish, able to go from oven to table with flair.

And I finally splurged this year for a presentation Crock Pot that travels well... Like these...

 

IK... Good Luck to all and Happy New Year... Keep scrolling down, the recipe follows.

 OK... Here's what I did...

Black Eyed Peas
Sausage Soup

Ingredients

• 1 Pound Black Eyed Peas Soup
• 4 quarts Salted Water to soak the peas overnight
• 1 Pound Italian Sausage, Browned...  bulk sausage.  If you have links, remove casing
• 2 Medium Onions, diced
• 6 Stalks Celery, cut into dime size 1/4 inch slices
• 1 Head of Fennel, sliced thin then chopped into 1 imch pieces
• 4 Cloves Garlic, Minced
• 2 TBS Herbes de Provance
• 1 TBS each Salt and Pepper
• 2 TBS Cajun Spices
• 1 Gallon Chicken Stock
• 1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese
• 1 Bunch Collared Greens, cut into ribbons
• 1 stick Butter (8 TBS)
• 8 TBS Flour

Cooking Directions

1. Place beans in a large bowl and cover with 3 quarts of water. Add 2 tablespoons kosher salt and set aside at room temperature overnight. (See note above)
2. In a large heavy Dutch Oven Add sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon or potato masher until starting to brown, about 8 minutes total. Add onion, Fennel and celery and Saute, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, and Seasonings (Savory, Herbes de Provence), Spicy (Cajun Spice), Salt and pepper, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chicken stock and heat to simmer.
3. Drain and rinse beans, then add to simmering pot.  Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until beans are fully softened, about 1 hour. 
4. Make a thickening Roux.  In a heavy bottomed Saute pan, Melt the butter over medium low heat.  Add the flour and stir to mix.  Continue stirring non stop for about 5 minutes until the roux just starts to darken and there is a hint of a nutty aroma.  Be careful to not burn the roux.  It is important to stir this constantly.
5. Add the roux to the pot, as well as the Parmesan cheese, stir to mix.  
6. Add the slivered Collared greens.
7. Transfer to a Crock Pot Slow cooler and provide a delicious hot soup throughout the day...
   Good Luck to all
   Happy New Year and of course... ENJOY!

Pan Seared T-Bone Steak with a Whiskey Sauce and Parmesan Roasted Potatoes

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 OH BOY STEAK!  and I do mean oh Boy!

But not just any steak, these are 2 inch thick T-Bones!  Part Filet Mignon, part Sirloin Strip and all manly delicious (but she likes it too)!

I really do not eat much red meat.  More for economic reasons than for health concerns, prices have zoomed over the years.  But on those rare occasions when something special is in demand, go ahead and splurge and enjoy that special cut of meat that is guaranteed to impress.

And the best thing... It is about the easiest big chunk of meat to cook.  Simple seasoning and simple heat and you have the fantastic center piece for something special!

Pan Searing a steak is about the most popular way to order a steak at a high end steak house.  Popular for two reasons... First, there is no doubt that this method insures meat that is tender, juicy and easily monitored for proper temperature.  That intimidating Rare,medium Rare, Medium or Medium Well.  Those terms measure the internal temperature.  ALWAYS cook with an internal meat thermometer.  If you are a master griller that cooks steak every day you could measure doneness by touch.  But for the novice or occasional steak cooker (like me), better to be safe accurate and ALWAYS PERFECT.  After all, that is your goal is to serve a consistent product.  Right every time. Probe thermometers that measure the temperature of the meat while cooking are easy to find, cheap (about $20) and is the single most important tool a steak cook has.

Medium Rare, the industry standard for the best temperature to serve meat is 135 degrees.  5 degrees more and you have Medium, 5 less and you have rare.

Finally,  VERY VERY IMPORTANT Tip is to rest your meat.  Once out of the oven, your steak on a cutting board and let it relax, cool a bit, evenly distribute the temperature into the meat and allow the juices to be reabsorbed.  If you have ever cut into a steak and pools of blood grows and grows on the plate, your steak was not allowed to rest.  The meat shown is medium rare, yet very very little blood seeps out.  It stays in the meat, keeping it moist tender and juicy.  Really, that's all you need to know... Proper temperature, Resting the meat and Simple Seasonings...

I also included recipes for the wonderful whiskey sauce and simple roasted seasoned potatoes... What a meal!

Keep scrolling down, recipes to follow...

You do have a special "need" for this recipe... An oven safe HEAVY Cast Iron Skillet.  If you don;t have one, always look for something pre-seasoned so it is non-stick.  Heavy guarantees even heating.  Once you get a cast iron skillet, you will be amazed how often you use one.  Cooks fantastic and can also be used to make a dramatic presentation table side.  Here's one of the most popular, at a very good price with FREE shipping (Amazon does free shipping with any orders over $25).



And like I said... Keep scrolling down, recipes to follow...

 OK... Here's what I did...

Pan Seared T-Bone Steak with a Whiskey Sauce and Parmesan Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients

• FOR THE T-BONES
  Simple Seasonings...
  Salt
  Pepper
  Olive Oil
• On a Simple Luxurious Cut of Meat
  2 - One and a half inch thick T-Bone Steaks (Look for even thin marbling of fat  throughout the meat.  If in doubt, ask your butcher to pick out the best ones.  They want you to succeed and are ALWAYS very helpful).

Cooking Directions

2. One hour before you plan to cook, remove thawed steaks from  the refrigerator.  Generously sprinkle about 1 TBS each of Salt and Pepper on the steaks.  Rub each with a tBS of Olive Oil.  Wrap each steak in Cling Wrap and set aside.  This allows the meat to slowly come to room temperature which allows the meat to cook more evenly, even when it is this thick.
3. And that hour is just the right amount of time to bake the side dishes (Baked potatoes and spaghetti squash)
4. OK... Time to "Grill".  Set your oven to BROIL.  Position a rack in the middle.   It is best to use a slotted grill pan.  If you do not have one you can use a jelly roll pan as long as it has sides to prevent the rendering fat from dripping into the oven.  
5. There is a MUST HAVE piece of technology... a remote probe digital thermometer,  One with a cord that you can measure the temperature with while the oven door is baking.  
6. BUT FIRST, before you "Grill" in the oven, you need to pan sear the steak.  PREHEAT for 5 minutes a cast iron or heavy bottomed frying pan.  Set the burner on HIGH and the pan with nothing in it on the burner.  HOT HOT HOT.  WARNING, this will SMOKE once you add the meat.. Smoke alot.  Part of the charm.  Have a window open and a fan to suck the smoke out as much as possible.  Just think of it as a way to test your smoke detector (I am only allowed to cook steaks this way once a year... This is why).
7. OK.  Unwrap the steaks and put them down into the HOT HOT HOT Frying Pan.   have a timer ready.  One minute per side.  This will get a nice beautiful charred outside as the pepper blackens.  The Olive Oil you rubbed on the steak earlier will keep the meat from sticking.  After one minute, flip the meat and sear the other side.  If the pan holds both steaks, great, once both sides are seared, just move the pan to the oven under the broiler.  In this case, the steaks were too big for a single pan.  I did them in stages.
8. Once in the oven, hook up the remote temperature probe.  Your goal is 130 to 140 degrees internal temperature.  These came out of the oven a beautiful medium rare... pink in color, warm and cooked throughout.  The steaks need to be turned every 2 minutes as they cook.  Each steak cooks differently, based on how thick they are, how much fat content and how well the cow lived his life.  COOK BY TEMPERATURE to be sure.
9. When the steaks reach temperature, remove from oven and allow to rest on a cutting board for 15-20 minutes (very thick cuts like these, leave for 20 minutes).  This allows the steaks to relax, allowing the steaks to reabsorb the juices.  If you cut into them right from the oven, the steaks will bleed out all those juices making them tough and dry.
10. A T-Bone steak is actually two different cuts of meat.  One is a Filet Mignon cut and the longer larger side is a KC (OK, some say New York) strip.  You can serve them caveman style, just plop a big steak on a big plate and serve.  OR, cut the meat from the bones and serve as strips and/or filets.  OR, as I did here, cut the steaks from the bone and then slice the steaks... Always against the grain.
11. And if you slice them before serving you can plate them up on a platter along with the sides for a presentation tableside.  Either way, served warm and ENJOY!

Whiskey PAN SAUCE

1/4 cup Whiskey (I used I used good old Jack (we are on a first name basis, you may know him as Jack Daniels))

1 ounce Blue Cheese

2 Tablespoons Butter

Allow the skillet to cool for 1 minute (took at least that long to wrap the meat).  Pour in the cognac and whisk to dissolve all the little bits stuck to the skillet (deglaze the pan).

Reduce the cognac for 30 seconds (If you are using a heavy bottom cast iron skillet, no need to return the pan to the heat.  It is still plenty hot).

Add the cheese and whisk another 30 seconds

Add the butter and continue to whisk until it is incorporated and the sauce begins to thicken slightly.

Serve in Ramekins for dipping, or pour over the top of your steaks!

Grilled Mustard Aioli Potato Salad

2 Pounds Red Potatoes, Halved and Sliced to bite Size

1/4 Cup Salt

1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese

2 TBS Garlic Powder

Sprinkle of Smoked Paprika for Garnish

Boil the potato slices in a pot with 1/4 Cup Salt and enough water to cover by a couple of inches. Cook until a fork can easily pierce a slice, about 12 minutes Drain.

While the Potatoes cook, mix the spices with the Parmesan.

When the potatoes are cooked through and drained, generously dust each piece with the spice/Parmedan mix.

In the oven, use your broiler setting, place the potatoes on a rimmed cookie sheet pan in a single layer and allow to cook until the potatoes just start to charstarts to char, about 3 minutes

Turn the potatoes over and repeat

Serve WARM, But is also delicious as a room temperature potato salad for a PotLuck and ENJOY!!!

Ham - The Basics - EASY DIY - NEVER FAILS

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 Oh Boy... HAM!!!

But not just any ham, this is a delicious holiday ham worthy of any Martha Stewart want to be's table.  yet it is also just about the easiest of any spectacular Holiday Main Course.  Roast and forget, add a glaze for the last few minutes of cooking and you get the Oohs and Aahs from your doubting delighted family!

Almost all hams come pre-cooked these days.  Many even come pre-smoked, adding an extra layer of deliciousness before you even unwrap the ham.  All you are really doing is warming the meat.  No need to worry about poisoning the entire family with under cooked poultry.

You only have one worry.  And that is to NOT overcook the ham.  Once the temperature inside the ham reaches 140 degrees, any additional heating will only dry the ham out,  Sweet moist and tender is the goal... Internal temperature inside the ham of 140 degrees is the goal!

The glaze will make your ham glow!  a Beautiful color, a delicious coating that will add just a tiny bit of carmelization (the crispy parts) to the texture!  It is very easy to make and again... Thrilled guests!

There are lots of ways to measure internal temperature for meat.  Go ahead and pop for a thermometer.  You will be amazed how often you use one once you pick one up.  That beautiful medium rare look for steaks.  Best way to insure that is with a remote probe.  More to point, best way to get a sweet juicy beautiful ham... Use that probe!

Here's a pretty good one to get you started... It is wireless so you can watch the parades,  and is relatively inexpensive.  As I am writing this, has 100% positive rating and Amazon ships free orders over $25...



Proper temperature of your hamis the single most important aspect to cooking a turkey.  Far more important than organic or free range or any of the expensive key words.  Buy a remote probe, not an expensive ham... More bang for your bucks.

Keep scrolling down, easy to follow recipe to follow.

 Ok, Here's what I did...

HAM

The Basics - Easy DIY

Ingredients

• 1 Ham (precooked)
• FOR THE GLAZE
  1 Cup Cherry Preserves
• 2 TBS Red Wine Vinegar
• 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1/2 Cup dried Bing Cherries

Cooking Directions

1. Buy an 8-10 pound Ham (no bigger).  Note: Double check the label, most hams are sold pre-cooked
2. "Score the Ham" Meaning take a sharp knife, cut diagonal into the ham about 1/2 inch deep.  Turn ham and repeat, making diamond pattern.  Do your best to cut equal size cuts apart.
3. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F.
4. Set a flat wire rack in a large roasting pan (preferably with a domed lid) and pour 1-1/2 cups water into the pan. Put the ham cut side down on the rack.
5.  Cover with the pan’s lid or put a small piece of parchment on top of the ham and then tent with heavy-duty aluminum foil, pinching it over the lip of the roasting pan for a good seal. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the meat registers 130°F, 2 to 2-1/2 hours.
6. While the ham is cooking, make the glaze...
   In a small sauce pan, combine all of the "for the Glaze" ingredients.  Heat over medium low heat stirring to combine.  Continue to cook, stirring every few minutes to a low simmer.
7. Remove the pan from the oven; turn the oven temperature up to 375°F. Transfer the ham to a cutting board; remove the rack from the pan. Drain the liquid from the pan and discard, or save it for another use. Set the ham cut side down in the pan. Using a brush, slather the glaze all over the exposed parts of the ham.
8. Cook, basting twice, with the glaze until caramelized at the edges and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the meat without touching bone registers 140°F, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the ham to a carving board and let rest for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours before carving.
9. Serve Warm and ENJOY,
   NOTE: Be humble and gracious but do bask in the glow of your doubting family members!

Turkey - The Basics - EASY DIY - NEVER FAILS

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 Oh Boy Turkey!!!

But not just any turkey, this is the MOST IMPORTANT single item on your Holiday table.  Serve a "rare" under-cooked bird and you risk poisoning your entire family.  Serve a bird that has been overcooked and you have something dry and painful to swallow.  Either way, you will become the talk of generations to come.

OK, that's the bad news.  the good news, a turkey may be the easiest item to cook on that holiday table.  It's all in the timing, all in finding the correct temperature.  You may see dozens of recipes with complicated Brines, loading the bird with "aromatics" (Onions, fennel, Apples, etc) and then spend only one sentence about serving a bird at the right temperature.  Well my brothers and sisters of the order of the oven mitt, I am here to tell you that a bird cooked this way (simple and easy), cooked to the right temperature is FAR FAR better than that fancy brined bird cooked with those aromatics.

There are lots of ways to measure internal temperature for meat.  Go ahead and pop for a thermometer.  You will be amazed how often you use one once you pick one up.  That beautiful medium rare look for steaks.  Best way to insure that is with a remote probe.  More to point, best way to get a sweet juicy beautiful turkey... Use that probe!

Here's a pretty good one to get you started... It is wireless so you can watch the parades,  and is relatively inexpensive.  As I am writing this, has 100% positive rating and Amazon ships free orders over $25...



Proper temperature of your bird is the single most important aspect to cooking a turkey.  Far more important than organic or free range or any of the expensive key words.  Buy a remote probe, not an expensive bird... More bang for your bucks.

Keep scrolling down, easy to follow recipe to follow.

Turkey

The Basics - Easy DIY

Ingredients

• 1 Frozen Turkey
• 2 TBS Salt
• 2 TBS Pepper
• 1 Stick (1/2 Cup) Butter
• Optional - 1 Cup your favorite BBQ Sauce
• Optional - 2 Whole Lemons, each sliced into quarters
• You will also need
  Instant Read Meat Thermometer, preferable with a remote probe
• Twine to tie legs together

Cooking Directions

1. Buy a 12-15 pound turkey (no bigger).  Note: Butterball is fine, but just a plain basic turkey works just as well.
2. Thaw the turkey according to the chart shown above.  Note: prefer the Refrigerator method, buy a few days ahead of time)
3. Remove the neck and giblets from your turkey.  Note: Some are in the hole in the neck, more are in the big hole in the back
4.  pat dry with paper towels, then let stand at room temperature, 30 minutes. 
5. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.  Meanwhile, Season the turkey inside and out with salt and pepper.
   Optional, slice the lemons into quarters and put them inside the bird(The big hole)
6. Tie the legs together with twine. Place breast-side up in a roasting pan and brush with melted butter. Tent with foil and roast 2 hours for a 10-to-12-pound turkey; add an extra 15 minutes per pound for larger birds.  Note: to tent the bird, pull out a sheet of aluminum foil a little longer than the length of the roasting pan.  Make a fold lengthwise (so it looks like an old fashioned Boy Scout tent).  Put this loosely over the bird, touching the actual bird as little as possible.  This tenting will hold the moisture in so the bird will steam itself from the inside out, insuring a moist and tender bird.
7. Measure the temperature of the bird.  NOTE: Measure in several spots, the best spot is the thickest part of the thigh, where the thigh meets the breast, deep so you are measuring the center of the bird.  You will need an instant read meat thermometer for this.    Prefer one with a remote probe so you can monitor the temperature from the outside.  When the bird reaches 155 degrees measured at the thickest part of the breast, as well as the thickest part of the thigh (continue to cook tented if temp is below 155, checking every 20 minutes),
   When the tempis reached, Pull Bird out of the oven for a few minutes so you can brush on a coating of butter or BBQ Sauce.  Brush coating the entire bird evenly.  This is the part that turns that beautiful golden brown and delicious look.  Work quickly, you do not want the bird out of the oven long.
8. Increase the heat to 400 degrees F; roast until the thigh meat registers 165 degrees, about 30 minutes.
   VERY IMPORTANT: Once the bird reaches 165 in the thickest part, the bird is done.  If you have one of those pop out things, ignore it.  Those are designed to pop out at 180 degrees, or once your bird is dried out.
9. Let rest 30 minutes before carving.  Note: Leave on the roasting rack, loosely tented.  This gives the bird time to relax, allowing the juices to be reabsorbed into the bird, insuring a moist and tender bird.  If you carve too early, most of the juices run out and the meat dries out quickly.
10. Serve Warm and ENJOY,
    NOTE: Be humble and gracious but do bask in the glow of your doubting family members!

Balsamic Glazed London Broil - Grilled or Broiled Top Round Steak Roast

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 OH BOY... A nice thick juicy steak!!!

But not just any nice big juicy steak.  This is a London Broil.  Oddly enough, Although American butchers may label a cut of meat "London broil", the term does not refer to a specific cut of meat but to a method of preparation and cookery. Butchers may label top round steak or roast as London broil.

So, I was wandering through my local grocery store and spied a sale on Top Round Roasts... And I was hooked!  Technique for a classic London Broil is to have the steak marinate over night.  ME, I prefer plain old salt and pepper.

The glaze is filled with flavor, the steaks come out juicy and tender and with the meat on sale this is the least expensive way to serve a...

NICE THICK JUICY STEAK!

Enjoy!

 OK... Here's what I did...

Balsamic Glazed
London Broil
Grilled or Broiled Thick
Top Round Steak

Ingredients

• 3 Pound London Broil (Thick cut of Beef Steak, Top Round or Tri-Tip)
• 1 TBS Fresh Ground Pepper
• 1 TBS Sea Salt
• FOR THE GLAZE
  1/2 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 TBS Brown Sugar
• 2 Cloves Garlic, smashed, minced and flattened into a paste.

Cooking Directions

1. TO BROIL (COOK IN THE OVEN) - Preheat the broiler and the pan for 10 minutes. 
2. Slide the broiler pan out of the oven and put the steak on the pan. Put the pan in the oven in the middle rack slot. Your broiler pan should sit about four inches away from the flame.
3. Generously salt and pepper all sides of the roast.
4. London broil only needs four to five minutes of cooking time on each side. Set a timer to help you remember when to flip it. Overcooking renders this cut very tough.  8 Minutes (4 minutes each side) will get a Rare steak.  10 Minutes (5 minutes each side) will get a Medium Rare Steak. 12 Minutes (6 and 6) will get a Medium
5. While the steak is cooking, Prepare the Glaze.  In a small pot, over medium heat, heat the Balsamic, add the Brown Sugar and garlic.  Stir to mix and heat to a low simmer.
6. OK... Back to the meat.  Once the meat has cooked the appropriate amount of time, check the internal temperature with an instant read meat thermometer.  The thickest part of the steak/roast should read 125 degrees for rare, 135 for medium rare, 145 for medium.  Return to oven if additional cooking time is needed.
7. Once the meat is the correct internal temperature, brush the glaze on all sides.  Return to the oven for ONLY 1 MINUTE PER SIDE.  You are only heating the glaze, not cooking the meat.
   Once the glaze has heated and begins to lightly char (Cook too long, the sugar will burn... be careful), wrap the steak in a couple of layers of heavy aluminum foil.  Allow to rest wrapped in the foil for 30 minutes to even out the temperature and help to tenderize the meat.
8. Just as you are ready to serve, remove from foil and slice against the grain for maximum tenderness.  HINT... taste,  if the steak is still a little tough, slice thin.  If the steak is butter soft and tender, slice thick.
9. Serve while still warm and... ENJOY! 
10. To GRILL ( Outdoor, open fire (Coals))
    Prepare the Glaze in advance.  In a small pot, over medium heat, heat the Balsamic, add the Brown Sugar and garlic.  Stir to mix and heat to a low simmer.
    Prepare your grill. Make a HOT spot, with the coals under half of the grate.
11. With the coals HOT, unwrap the steaks, Generously salt and pepper all sides of the roast and grill about 2 minutes per side. Take the internal temperature of the beef. Continue cooking 2 minutes per side, checking internal temp with each flip. Transfer meat from the HOT side to the cooler side with no coals under the steak when internal temp reaches 125 degrees. Cooking time over the hot coals will vary depending on how hot the fire is, how thick the steak is and the fat content of the steak. 
12. Once the meat reaches 125 degrees, brush the Glaze on the meat (all sides).  Cover the grill and allow to cook over the cool side (indirect heat) for an additional 5 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 135 degrees, remove from heat.
13.  Wrap the steak in a couple of layers of heavy aluminum foil.  Allow to rest wrapped in the foil for 30 minutes to even out the temperature and help to tenderize the meat.
14. Just as you are ready to serve, remove from foil and slice against the grain.  HINT... taste,  if the steak is still a little tough, slice thin.  If the steak is butter soft and tender, slice thick.
15. Serve while still warm and... ENJOY! 

Holiday Ham - Bourbon Pistachio Crusted - 52 Holiday Church PotLuck Main DIshes

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HAPPY HOLIDAYS (but really I mean Merry Christmas!)

I do so LOVE this ham.  The crusty coating is loaded with Earthy savory mustard, Sweet brown sugar, just a little sinful Bourbon flavor and the crunchy texture of roasted Pistachio nuts throughout.

This year, hams went on sale just before Christmas.  Never one to miss a bargain, I pondered this late minute addition to my menu.

Hams are generally sold unfrozen so it is easy to make a last minute addition.  The sale price of less than a dollar a pound makes this an incredible bargain.

And honestly, ham leftovers are better than turkey leftovers (I will post a couple of those ideas in a few daysO.  SO I grabbed a big one and viola...

VERY EASY to make (much easier than a turkey).  Memorable and drool worthy flavors (Sweet, Earthy, Savory and a little sinful), a dramatic presentation ...

Such a winner... Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

And keep scrolling down for the easy to follow recipe.

OK... Here's what I did...

Pistachio Crusted Ham

Ingredients

• 1 Boneless Ham (about 15 pounds)
• 1/2 Cup Brown Mustard, Country style with seeds
• 2 Cups Dark Brown Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Kentucky Bourbon
• 2 Cups Crushed Pistachio nut chips

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees
2. Rinse ham, hand rub the outer coating off the ham. Using a SHARP small paring knife, score the ham in a diamond pattern. Rotate the ham after each cut so that the scores are no more than 1/2 -inch deep.  The aim is to create a diamond pattern all over the ham. 
3. In a mixing bowl, mix the Mustard, Brown Sugar, Bourbon and nuts to form a paste.  Spread only about 1/4 of the paste on the bottom of the ham, then turn the ham over and spread the remaining majority of the paste on the top of the ham.
4. insert a remote probe thermometer, and cook for 3 to 4 hours or until the internal temperature at the deepest part of the meat registers 130 degrees.
5. Raise the temperature to 350 degrees.
6. Bake uncovered until internal temperature reaches 140 degrees (about another hour).
7. Allow to rest for a half an hour before carving
8. Serve warm and ENJOY!

******************************************************

This recipe has been added to my growing list of "52 Church PotLuck Dishes"!

A list of something NEW worthy of being shown off at a neighborhood BYODish (Bring Your Own Dish) Party, a Family special occasion dinner, Any Big Holiday Gathering or of course that glorious day when you bring a dish to share with your Church family...

Ages ago, literally almost a half century ago I was listening to our pastor talking about a PotLuck Dinner. It happened to be scheduled around a church work day when we were expected to weed, polish and do general cleaning and maintenance around the church (you know, back in the day when there were no no-wax floors and church pews smelled of Old English furniture polish). I am of course paraphrasing, but as I recall the pastor said,

"A potluck, like a church requires work. At a potluck everyone is expected to contribute.. At a church no one should come empty handed and no one should leave unfed".

I will confess that in my youth I brought more store bought plastic spoons and forks than I ever brought covered dishes and crock pots of fresh made love and caring delights. But now that I have become a hobbyist cook, I occasionally am reminded of those days and people from my youth. I reminded and I do wish that I could drop a dish of some new creation on those old tables at my fondly remembered Liberty Baptist Church.  Tables covered with newspapers and loaded with God's bounty prepared with love and caring... Enjoy

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And BTW, if you are not yet part of a group board, drop me an email at Contact@eRecipeCards.com and request to be added to my group board... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! (be sure to include your pinterest ID when you write)  Once you are added, any pins you add will be seen by 10s of THOUSANDS of followers of the board (and growing daily).

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World's BEST (and Easiest never Fail) TURKEY - 52 Holiday Dishes

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Pretty much, the headline says it all, this is by far the BEST way to make a Holiday Bird.

It is also a never fail version that i have been doing for awhile.  Mostly I borrowed from Michael Symon (Co-Host of the Chew TV Show).  But I did add a few changes of my own.  I added Onions and herbs to the cavity for extra seasoning from the  inside out (and an extra onion and herb taste added to the gravy from the drippings).

I also lowered the temperature for most of the cooking.  I like slow roasting to bring out the moistness and tenderness (think smoking meat mantra,  low and slow).  I also find that the birds I use (OK... Butterballs are injected with a brine that DOES insure a moist tender bird... If you ruin the bird, you will be talked about for generations of Holidays to come)... Take the advantage).

I believe that the birds that most of us by (if you are paying less than $2.50 a pound, you are buying a mass market turkey farmed bird) are raised for fast growth, dense meat and low fat... Meaning the bird will cook faster than those expensive grain fed, farm raised, free range, organic, etc etc etc birds that few of us actually buy.  It does help to read that last paragraph from a high horse or standing on a soup box.  I just do not ever see myself buying a $75 plus bird for a single meal... But I digress.

A few notes... Be sure to hunt down actual cheesecloth to cover the bird.  Air circulates easily yet still protect the bird fro charring.  You WILL get that beautiful golden brown and delicious look.  Almost all grocery stores stock this, just ask.  By soaking this in the melted seasoned butter before draping the bird, you add that butter to the skin that helps get the look as well as the crispy crunch everyone looks for.

Follow the temperature guidelines.  Cooking the first 30 minutes at over 400 plus degrees, you toughen up the outside thin layer of meat that helps to hold the juices inside (making moist tender and delicious).

Be sure to watch your temperature.  Now would be a great time to invest in a remote probe instant read thermometer.  For every degree above 160, you are making your bird less moist tender and delicious.  I added a couple of ways to hold the temperature if your bird is done ahead of schedule.

Use the drippings to make gravy (Double click the blue lettering for my WORLD's BEST Never Fail Turkey GRAVY Recipe))

And use the bones to make stock... FREE!  Once you strip the carcass of the meat, just transfer to a crock pot (Fennel, Onion, Lemons, Garlic and all) to a crock pot, top with water, set on low and allow to simmer overnight...  Nothing more needs to be done.  No extra veggies, no extra nothing... Just the bones and water and overnight low simmer.  And then you will be dreaming of the soups that you will make in January.  The stock freezes just fine in ZipLock brand freezer bags (I like to freeze in 2 cup amounts... easy for thawing for soup and almost as good when you make your rice for those turkey leftovers (Sweet and sour turkey... yum).  And you will get GREAT bragging rights for Fat Tuesday to use Turkey stock to make Jambalaya... But again I digress

This is a winner... ENJOY and Merry Christmas!

 OK... Here's what I did

World's BEST (and Easiest never Fail) TURKEY

Ingredients

• 1 (14-16 Pound) Turkey, I do like Butterball brand injected turkeys (Makes great Gravy from drippings))
• 1/4 Cup Sea Salt
• 2 Whole Heads of Garlic, Cut in half
• An assortment of fresh herbs, Sprigs of Rosemary, Thyme, Sage if available (do a kitchen flowerpot garden in November)... Can use Dried herbs if needed.
• 1 Medium Lemon, cut in half
• 1 Fennel Bulb, Cut in half, prongs removed
• 1 Onion, Cut in half, skins removed
• 2 Sticks (1 Cup) Salted Butter
• 1 (4 Foot long) Section of Cheesecloth (Long enough to double cover the bird)

Cooking Directions

1. Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water, set on a clean kitchen towel, and pat dry. Season the turkey inside and out with the salt. Set on your roasting pan (with a rack to hold the turkey out of the juices).
2. Insert Half of the "Bulbs", Lemon, Onion, Fennel, Garlic, into the cavity of the bird, along with the aromatic Herbs.
3. In a medium large Saucepan, melt 2 sticks of butter. Dice the remaining onion half, separate the remaining cloves of garlic halves remove paper and outer skin wrapping of each piece. Rough chop. and cut the remaining fennel bulb into slivers. Add this to the butter and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. When cool enough to handle, soak a double layer of cheesecloth big enough to cover the bird in the butter mixture and drape over the breast and legs of the turkey. Pour the remaining contents of the pan over the bird, pushing the pieces of vegetable and herbs into the bottom of the roasting pan.
5. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees,
6. Place the turkey in the oven and roast for 30 minutes (there will be the distinct possibility of smoke depending on how clean your oven is). Turn the oven temperature down to 300 degrees F, and continue to roast for another 15 to 20 minutes per pound (removing the cheesecloth for the final 10 minutes to brown, if needed), or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a thigh (measure in four places, making sure each thick part of the bird registers) - 160 degrees F (about 3 hours). Remove the turkey from the oven and allow to rest for 20 minutes before carving. If needed, tent with aluminum foil and keep warm in a 180 degree oven OR... Wrap pan tightly with aluminum foil, sealing in the heat and transfer the pan and all to a large ice chest (No ice). The heat will keep for a couple of hours this way freeing up your oven for side dishes.
7. Just before serving, Make gravy from the strained Juices.
8. For serving, carve half the bird (remove the leg whole and cut dark and light meat into serve-able size. Then flip the un-carved side facing the front with the carved pieces in front. Carve additional as needed.
9. Serve warm and ENJOY!

Grilled Pepper Parmesan Leg of Lamb - 52 Church Potluck Main Course

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The distinctive taste, with a crispy outer coating of a nutty Parmesan cheese-Garlic herbal paste.  Grilled Medium rare, and flavored with Grilled lemons and hints of Pears!

Too often a leg of Lamb is traditional.  Garlic and Mediterranean herbs, slow roasted to perfection.  A classic indeed, and deservedly so.  BUT sometimes you want a little different.

Side by side, this one measures up to the classic as different but still DELICIOUS!

Recently our Church hosted a Seder Dinner as a sign of Interfaith Unity.  Sadly, my beloved Kansas City was in the news recently with a senseless shooting outside of a Jewish Community Center.  Just a small effort for a small church to out voice the voices that make the news.  While Seder dinners are moving any year, this evening was especially moving for me.

But I digress...

The call went out for 3 Legs of Lamb to be cooked.  I knew that the other two would be "Traditional", so I wanted to stretch a bit.  This has that crispy crunchy texture of a grilled roast.  It also has bit of extra flavors from the crusted nutty cheese grilled into the meat.

But the extra layer of grilled lemons and pears that are added to the "resting" meat gives that distinctive traditional taste a notch up.

Highly recommend giving the traditional something new!

And do know that for every loud voice that makes the news there are hundreds of thousands of gentle souls wishing our friends and neighbors Shalom.

According to Strong's Concordance Shalom means completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord. Shalom comes from the root verb shalom meaning to be complete, perfect and full.

In other words, the word shalom is a mighty blessing on several levels!

OK... Here's what I did...

Grilled Pepper Parmesan Leg of Lamb

Ingredients

• 4 Pound Boneless Butt section of a Leg of Lamb, Butterflied
• 3 Cloves Garlic, Minced
• 3 TBS Basil, Chopped
• 3 TBS Oregano, Chopped
• 3 TBS Rosemary, Chopped
• 3 TBS Freshly Cracked Peppercorns
• 9 TBS Olive Oil
• 1 TBS Coarse Sea Salt
• 1 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
• FOR THE GARNISHES
• 4 Medium Lemons, Cut in Half
• 4 Medium Pears, Quartered lengthwise and seed center pod removed
• Drizzle of Olive Oil For the Pears

Cooking Directions

1. First, assemble the Marinade... Mix Garlic, Basil, Oregano, Cracked Peppercorns with the Olive Oil. Add the Sea Salt and Parmesan Cheese to form a paste.
2. Evenly Coat the Leg of lamb with the paste, Wrap the leg in Cling Wrap and allow to marinade for 2 Hours in the refrigerator.
3. After 2 hours, remove from fridge and allow to come to room temperature for 1 hour.
4. During the hour, Prepare your grill for direct grilling, Hot Coals on half, Cooler area on the other side.
5. Remove Cling Wrap and Grill Fat side down over HOT side coals.
6. Grill for about 15 minutes per side. Watch the grill. If flare ups occur, move the lamb to the cooler section of the grill until fires calm. But you do want a crispy outer coating.
7. IMPORTANT, cook by temperature. The Lamb is a perfect Medium rare 145 degrees in the thickest part of the lamb. Be sure to take several temperature measurements.
8. While the lamb is cooking, prepare the Lemons and Pears. Rub the sliced Pears with Olive Oil. Grill for about 10 minutes until you get the pretty grill marks.
9. When the lamb is done, Wrap (along with the pears and lemons (adding those flavors to the lamb as well as adding the flavors of the lamb to the pears)) in aluminum foil. Store this in an ice chest (no ice) for 30 minutes, allowing it to slowly rest and have the juices be reabsorbed into the meat. ACTUALLY, for this lamb I needed to transport and enjoy almost an hour of the Seder Dinner before we opened the foil and sliced. By wrapping and storing in the ice chest (no ice), the meat stayed warm. After almost 2 hours, the meat was still 125 degrees when I sliced. Plenty warm enough).
10. Slice about 1/3 inch thick, garnish with Lemons and grilled Pears, serve warm and ENJOY!

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This recipe has been added to my growing list of "52 Church PotLuck Dishes"!

A list of something NEW worthy of being shown off at a neighborhood BYODish (Bring Your Own Dish) Party, a Family special occasion dinner, Any Big Holiday Gathering or of course that glorious day when you bring a dish to share with your Church family...

Ages ago, literally almost a half century ago I was listening to our pastor talking about a PotLuck Dinner. It happened to be scheduled around a church work day when we were expected to weed, polish and do general cleaning and maintenance around the church (you know, back in the day when there were no no-wax floors and church pews smelled of Old English furniture polish). I am of course paraphrasing, but as I recall the pastor said,

"A potluck, like a church requires work. At a potluck everyone is expected to contribute.. At a church no one should come empty handed and no one should leave unfed".

I will confess that in my youth I brought more store bought plastic spoons and forks than I ever brought covered dishes and crock pots of fresh made love and caring delights. But now that I have become a hobbyist cook, I occasionally am reminded of those days and people from my youth. I reminded and I do wish that I could drop a dish of some new creation on those old tables at my fondly remembered Liberty Baptist Church.  Tables covered with newspapers and loaded with God's bounty prepared with love and caring... Enjoy

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So,  I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of  "52 Grilling Time Secret Extras" or "52 Ways to Cook BBQ and Grilling Recipes"!!!

Well over 52 recipes actually as I just can't stop... Over 100 in one grilling season (I love to grill!). But not just leat... Drinks, Condiments (LOTS of different BBQ sauces), Drinks, Desserts... even specialty items like GRILLED Pizza, and fun shaped Watermelons.  Easy and these ideas will make you the MASTER of your Backyard Domain!

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