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Split Pea Soup

Do you have a leftover meaty ham bone? Don't throw it out, turn it into pea soup. Here's how you do it:

1 Ham bone, meaty
2 16oz packages of dried split peas
2 cups diced potatoes
2 cups diced onions
2 cups diced carrots
2 cups diced celery
1 garlic bulb

Place the ham bone in a large stock pot. Slice and dice the potatoes, onions, carrots, and celery. Peel and crush all the garlic cloves.

Dump everything into the pot. Add just enough water to cover the mixture. Turn on the heat, bring to a boil. Then lower the heat as low as possible and simmer, covered, for an hour. Stir frequently.

Stirring cannot be overemphasized!

If you burn the bottom, the entire batch is ruined, with no hope of saving it.

After an hour, remove the lid and cook for another hour or two, as the soup thickens and the meat starts falling off the ham bone. STIR FREQUENTLY!

Remove the bone and bone fragments, break up the ham pieces by pushing against the side of the pot with a spoon.

Ladle into your favorite bowl. Add croutons if you like.

Enjoy!

2011 Garry Maddox BBQ Challenge

Today will be my fourth appearance at the annual Stephen Starr - Garry Maddox BBQ Challenge, and my second year as "Easy Pickens".

So, will I once again be humbled and reminded of what a rank amateur I am in the world of competitive BBQ, or will I finally get to add "Award Winning" to my resume?

Either way, we know a fun time will be had by all.

Tommy's Coal Fired Pizza, Brick, NJ

Whenever I go to a new pizza place, with out-of-the ordinary selections, the first thing I look for is goat cheese. I love goat cheese on pizza, and with anything else for that matter. No goat cheese to be found, so points off for that.

But points back for this:

Mr. C's Jersey Shore Clam Pie
"Baby Clam, Roasted Leeks, Mozzarella & Provolone Cheese, Creme Fresh, Chopped Italian Parsley & Fresh Black Pepper"


Clams on pizza? Never had that, but it sounds good.

Also:
Black & Blue, Caesar Salad with Blackened Chicken
"Blue Cheese Crumbles & Herb Seasoned Croutons with Classic Caesar Dressing"

If I can't have goat cheese, I'll settle for blue cheese crumbs, which made the Caesar salad better than the average Caesar. I had to search high and low for a crouton, and I'm not sure I found one, because the chicken chunks were cut to the size and shape of croutons.

As for the pizza, the crust was a bit on the soggy side, perhaps due to the clam juice. Otherwise, it was an interesting flavor I hadn't tasted on a pizza before.

The service was pleasant and attentive, but the pizza came too soon while we were still working on the salads.

Note to Tommy: Get a pizza with goat cheese on the menu, and I'll be back.

Tommy's Coal Fired Pizza
515 Rt 70
Brick, NJ 08723
(732) 262-5180
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Easy Pickens BBQ & More is a family operated  barbecue team and catering service, serving South Jersey and the greater Delaware Valley. We specialize in ribs, chicken, and beef, smoked or grilled to perfection according to your tastes. "& More" means we are more than just barbecue; we offer a variety of Italian and Southern comfort foods, as well as desserts.
Are you planning a cook-out? Let us do the work while you relax and entertain.

What's in a word? Are You Barbecuing or Grilling?

With Father's Day approaching, we are hearing and seeing the usual commercials about Dad "barbecuing" in the back yard.

When Dad (or anyone else) stands at the propane grill, and cooks burgers, steaks, hot dogs, or whatever, that is called grilling, not barbecuing. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Grilling is great, and fun, but call it what it is.

And if I have to explain the difference between barbecuing and grilling to you, you'll never understand.

So, there's my (mild) rant for today.

Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there!

Beef Rib Roast on the Weber Kettle

Here's how I made my rib roast on the Weber. It's easy!

First, make your fire. Always use a chimney, not lighter fluid, to light your coals. Place an aluminum pan filled with water (or some other liquid) to one side of the kettle, light the fire on the other side.

Once the coals are red hot, spread them out and place a few, but not too many, small wood chunks on the coals. In this case I used mesquite.

Place the roast, fat side up, over the water-filled pan. Season however you like. I used Grill-Mates Montreal Steak seasoning.

Cook about 20 minutes per pound, then >IMPORTANT< check the internal temperature. With beef, there is very little margin for error if you want it anything other than well-done. A meat thermometer is absolutely essential. Personally, I like my beef medium-rare.

Once the internal temperature approaches 130 degrees, remove, place in a pan, and cover with foil for about 15 minutes. In this case, the roast came out came out just a bit more done than I would have liked, but it was tasty nonetheless.

Keep in mind the meat continues to cook after removal.

Remove the foil, slice and enjoy!

Easy Pickens BBQ & More is a family operated  barbecue team and catering service, serving South Jersey and the greater Delaware Valley. We specialize in ribs, chicken, and beef, smoked or grilled to perfection according to your tastes. "& More" means we are more than just barbecue; we offer a variety of Italian and Southern comfort foods, as well as desserts.

Are you planning a cook-out? Let us do the work while you relax and entertain.

Leg of Lamb on the Weber

So, I'm a few weeks late getting this posted, but you can cook lamb anytime, not just on Easter.

We had a full array of other stuff on our Easter menu but we had good weather and I wanted lamb, so I picked up a small boneless trussed leg of lamb to cook for myself, about four pounds.





Here's how you do it:

On the Weber "kettle", place an aluminum pan, which you can get from a dollar store, on one side. Light the charcoal on the other side. (Always use a chimney, not lighter fluid, to light your coals). Fill the pan with water, or some other liquid. 

Make a paste using olive oil, garlic, and rosemary. Coat the lamb with the paste using a brush.

Once the coals are red hot, place the lamb over the pan. This is the indirect heat cooking method. If you want you can place some wood on the coals to make smoke; just don't put too much.

Cover and cook about 20-25 minutes per pound until internal temperature should be 140 for medium.

Slice and enjoy!

Easy Pickens BBQ & More is a family operated  barbecue team and catering service, serving South Jersey and the greater Delaware Valley. We specialize in ribs, chicken, and beef, smoked or grilled to perfection according to your tastes. "& More" means we are more than just barbecue; we offer a variety of Italian and Southern comfort foods, as well as desserts. 
Are you planning a cook-out? Let us do the work while you relax and entertain.