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Tri tip, and some beef back ribs. Wife made a quick green bean casserole, but forgot to get a photo of that. Ribs were about perfect. Smoked to 100 degrees at 220 with hickory, then seared on open fire. Seared to a medium rare/medium. Pics are sideways.

Beginning of a batch of Sloppy Jose’s.

Bad pic, but this is a batch of red chile beef with sauce from scratch. I used Hatch Reds instead of Guajillos this time and this is the brightest red chile I have ever made. I used 7 bone chuck because I didn’t want to sell a kidney to afford the beef.

A few meals over the past few weeks. The original shrimp/avocado toast…shrimp ceviche with jalapeño, serranno, red onion, cucumber, red pepper and grape tomato.

I did that a month or so ago, but was making pancakes and wanted to add some powdered sugar. Cooking half asleep and playing with child proof packaging, yah, had that crap all over. It does look like coke party minus the service providers aka stippers/hookers

Picked apples from my homies yard in Mesa today. Made a pie store bought crust

No formal training. Been in family business and helped at friends restaurants. I learned very early from my mom and when you can pull off a Thanksgiving feast for 10 to 20 people, its awesome. I was going to go to culinary school, but I knew to make it big, you really have to get lucky and or put in a shiiiit ton of odd hours of work. I really love to cook and yes, I have F'd up plenty. I am lucky that working from home, I can prep a little during lunch so that making dinner is easier. I try to eat well at least 1 solid meal. Meal prep isnt easy, and I cook for myself, making it harder.

Late lunch today. Picanha with homemade chimichuri sauce with roasted potatoes, yams and carrots. Grilled/roasted corn a little street style.

Lunch today: Poke bowl with tuna, shrimp, edamame, cucumbers, red cabbage, avacado, toasted and black sesame seeds, micro greens, various spices on a lite bed of rice. Garnished with limes

Lunch today. My version of shrimp po boy sandwich. Shrimp with a little ghee, garlic and creole spice, finished with a pineapple habenero suace, on top of a hoagie roll with red cabbage and tomatoes. Side if asparagus and spices.

Dinner tonight. Shrimp scampi, about a dozen or so of shrimp, extra garlic, shallots, added asparagus tips, finished with parsley and pecorino romano and parmesan

I like the sidecar of Johnny

After smoking for 14 hours whole, I separated the flat, and wrapped it and the point separate. With 12 plus hour smokes, my cooking time is short, the flat hit temp in around3 hours at 225. That tree trunk took forever, another three to get to 203 after turning up the heat. Turned out excellent. Made a sauce that HuntHarder turned me on to, and it was game on. I donr think I will go for such a biggun again. 17-20 lbs seems to my sweet spot, and much easier to manage at all steps.

Cutting meat for supper tonight.

Lunch today.

So,be careful what you ask for…I strutted up to the meat counter at Fry’s the first day of their last sale on brisket and said” give me your biggest brisket!” Smooth…,when the butcher dropped the slab of meat, I was concerned for his health as he was elderly. There was no backing down at that point. 26.5 lbs going to smoke for 12_14 hours tonite. Was not sure it would fit,on the Traeger.

We went Middle Eastern this Friday evening. I wish this was in memory of my Turkish ibex but I've yet to realize that off my list of things to do. Made some Lebanese style lamb Kofta kebobs and grilled them over pecan. Accompanied by Middle Eastern flatbread and our own tzatziki , was very nice.

Lunch today: Pan seared tuna with a cilantro, chive, black and toasted seasmee seeds crust. Finished with scallions and slightly spicy citrus based sauce. The diced tuna in a quick marinade sesami oil, soy and ponzu. Topped with sesame seeds and micro greens.

I got lucky a few weeks ago and was home for a night. New York strip, Mexican street corn, and white mac n cheese. Gonna try and remember to take pictures of my pizza oven adventures at camp this weekend.

Lunch today. Grilled cheese, 5 cheese (parmesan inside both sides, white and cheddar, fresh mozzarella, and swiss), tomatoe and chives. Looks messy, but very tastey!

We butcher more than 6 pigs a year and do all our own bacon. I can't go back to store bought.

Fish n chips with halibut, Cuttlefish too

Missing the walleye described in another thread but this was a rare feast a few weeks prior to that which was worth documenting.

More pico and avocados here. With salmon this time. I’m hungry for tacos now. Edit: Lest anyone think I’m some sorta keto nerd, I followed dinner up with a big cannoli from DeFalco’s. 😉