Outside the dugout: What's cooking?

Ms. Jan drove one of her friends to a doctor’s appointment yesterday over to Tallahassee. While she was over there she went by Honey Baked Hams and picked up a ham and a couple of their Ham Bone Bean Soup packets.

Tonight we’re going to have their ham (to us it’s a lighter, sweeter ham than the ones I smoke and pretty dang good in the summertime).

Our sides will be freshly stewed yellow squash and onions and leftover green beans and new potatoes from last night.

The back porch is open, the Yeti is restocked, and Ms. Jan’s wine is chilled.

Life is good in Gator Nation!

 

For what we have to pick from here the large majority of the time I pick up an already cured Smithfield whole ham at Thanksgiving and Christmas (18-20 lb range) the rest of the year I’ll generally go with a Smithfield shank portion ham in the 10 lb range.

Yeah, for me the raw green ham’s a little too time consuming considering the results of my other option.

 

We enjoyed our PF Chang’s Mongolian Beef with mixed vegetables over stir fried rice so much last week we’ve decided to make it again for our supper tonight.

Pretty warm here today-88* for our high/ feels like 96*-no rain today.

The longnecks are ice cold and Ms. Jan’s wine is chilled.

Life is good in Gator Nation!

 

We just went with theirs again-Ms. Jan does make a lil’more sauce for it and we take an extra small tray of beef stew meat, cut it up some and add that in also.

 

Tonight we’re going to have our second supper off of the Honey Baked Ham that Ms. Jan picked up Friday.

Our sides will be a pot of fresh pink eye peas with snaps with pod okra and a fresh pot of stewed yellow squash and onions.

Sunny all day today with our high being 87*

The back porch is open and ready for your leisure. Adult libations are available as desired.

Life is good in Gator Nation!

 

It's a crime to me how the price of chicken wings had risen.

I checked at this Chinese restaurant how much a side order of wings would be. "4 wings for $8.50" they said. What?? I passed.

Normally at Publix they are around $4.39 a pound

While at my local Publix I noticed a display selling 2/1 wings six pounds overall for $15.00. $2.50 a pound.

So I took them up on the deal.

Now, I have a very deep respect for the well demonstrated "Foodies and Epicures" we have on our site here starting with 74 and Lurker, etc.

So I ask: how would you fix the wings?

What say you?

 

5220–

I hardly ever do wings inside so I’ll leave that for someone else. I have found that prior to putting them on the grill if when you wash’em go ahead and cut the “flappers” off of them and let them soak in a sink of cold water for an hour—it gives those fresh cut ends a chance to draw some water and thus lessen your chances of them cooking out dry.

Season to your taste—I use coarse black pepper and Everglades Cactus Dust on all of my grilled chicken. I don’t sauce’em because that’s the way we prefer them. If you’re going to want BBQ sauce or a hot sauce on them my recommendation will be add it on your last two turns—that way it just candies on them instead of being burnt on.

If you want heat without sauce there are plenty of options using crushed red peppers—I’ll defer to @GatorLurker on that.

I do have one combo option (inside and outside) but it’s a little time consuming for wings—picked it up from one of Alan’s BBQ buddies in north Georgia—it’s called “flash-frying” them. You do just that-flash fry to create two crispy sides (no more) and then take’em outside and finish them up on your smoker. Time consuming but mighty good.

 

Tonight we decided on an inside supper with the heat index back up.

We are going to have Ms. Jan’s homemade chicken’n’dumplings and I’ll fry us up some cornbread to go with them. (Right here my Dad-JK- would be saying “I wonder what the po’folks are doing tonight”) he can still make me laugh….

The longnecks are ice cold and Ms. Jan’s wine is chilled.

Life is good in Gator Nation!

 

Blue loctite and permanent go extremely well together!

 

I dry brine my wings usually the night before with kosher salt (I prefer crispy skin). Set the BGE for indirect grilling and 2 chunks of hickory. Use a little dry rub right before putting them on. About 45-50 minutes @325 degrees gets them about right. I baste, like 74 says, on the final 2 turns with a Southern Tang sauce. Then serve them up with Carolina Gold and/or Alabama White dipping sauce. Always with corn on the cob and fresh tossed salad.

 

Tonight I’ll be grilling bone-in country cut ribs indirect over cherry wood smoke. I’ll season them with coarse black pepper and Everglades seasoning. Pat’s Homade on the last two turns. Baked potatoes will be on the top rack.

Inside we will have a pot of fresh zipper peas. We will also have Five Cheese Texas toast on the side.

First of September with summer time weather-92*/feels like 102*

The back porch is open and ready for your enjoyment. Adult libations are available for your choosing.

Life is good in Gator Nation!