The past couple of weeks I’ve been seeing these commercials advertising the new indoor electric Turkey fryer by Masterbuilt. I’m always for trying something new, so we purchased one of these this last weekend and this is how we’re going to cook our turkey this year.

I have deep fried turkeys in the past, with the old propane, burn your deck down, Turkey fryer. The taste is awesome and they retain their juiciness perfectly! Last year I cooked two Turkeys, one deep fried and one smoked. The smoked one I actually smoked  in the house, with my smoker of course! Ask me about that sometime!             

The nice thing about this indoor fryer is that, you can do it indoors, which is very convenient when the temp outside is below freezing, it takes half the amount of oil, and super easy cleanup! According to all the videos I’ve watched on this new fryer, it should be a breeze! We will soon find out.

Remember,,, I have not used this fryer yet so this recipe is HOW I’m going to do it, not how I did it. With that being said, on to the recipe.

I’m starting with a 14lb. Turkey that I will soak in a Brine for at least 12 hrs. If you’re not sure about how to do this, it’s really easy. Basically we’re just soaking the Turkey in a bucket of water, for 12 hrs. or so to let the spices penetrate the meat. This will make for a super moist and tender Turkey. Here’s a quick and easy brine solution recipe that I have used many times.

I’m starting with a clean bucket large enough to hold 2+ gallons of water and the Turkey I’m frying. Here are the ingredients I’m mixing into the bucket of water:

             2+ Gallons water, enough to cover Turkey completely.
             2 cups Kosher salt
             3 cups Sugar
             4 TBS Black pepper
             ¼ cup Worcestershire
             1 TBS Thyme
             1 TBS Poultry seasoning
Of course you can toss in any seasoning that you think will work best for you. Whatever you use, It will penetrate the meat and add great flavor. Just remember to keep the brine solution cold! You can even put the Turkey in the solution before it’s completely thawed, and that will help keep the brine cold. The nice thing about brining a Turkey, it doesn’t matter how you cook it, the flavor it adds is worth the extra step!

The next step is firing up the fryer and set the temp at 375 degrees, slowly lower the Turkey into the preheated oil, and cook for 45 minutes or until the internal temp reaches 165 at the thickest part of the breast. Keep in mind that I haven’t used this fryer yet so I have no pictures of the finished product, but I will update everyone on how it turns out,,,with pictures!!    

Im attaching this short video of the fryer and how it’s supposed to work. It looks great and like I said, I WILL follow up with pictures! Good luck and have a great Thanksgiving!!!

Ok,, so the guy I met may not be the Legend or fan favorite everyone is thinking, but he was awesome!!!

I recently took a trip to southern Nebraska, for the 4th ,  with my wife to visit her folks in Alma, Ne. Small town on the banks of the Harlan County Reservoir. We took the bikes so we could ride with her family and get away from the Black Hills. My wife just got her motorcycle license, and is doing great,,, so we hauled the bikes 8 hrs. to her folks place to do some country riding. Thats the side note.

While I was hanging out in the yard after riding, my in laws neighbor called me over and struck up a conversation. He asked if I was A Husker fan,,,Are you kidding me??!!!! He told me of his brother, who lived next to him. He says,,,John was on the 1971 National Championship team that kicked Alabama's ass!

So now i'm fired up and want to meet him!! He comes out and is this mild mannered easy going guy that just wants to have a beer with me. I'm excited to just meet a guy who played on a Nat. Champ. team. !!!!

I called my son,Riley, over so we can get a picture with him, and he says come on over to my house and I'll show you my memorabilia. Im just fired up at this point!!!!

He actually invited us into his house to see his NC pics, letter from Devaney, Lettermans jacket, and Ring!!! WOW!!!! Riley was just as excited as me!!!!

Check out the pictures, i know he wasn't a Huge star, but it was awesome to meet him!!!!!

In my opinion, being able to share the moment with my son, and meet someone on a championship team, and he let Riley wear his letterman jacket, was the best weekend!!!!

And this guy goes through life without anyone even knowing what he has been a part of!!!! We are good friends now and i was proud to meet him!!!

Just wanted to share this with everyone!!!!

Oh yea,,,His name is John Peterson,#66!

     Farewell Dandy Don! I will never forget watching You, Frank, and Howard!!! My very first and fondest memories of Monday Night Football! You will never know what you started and how many people you got hooked on the game, and made so many wives so unhappy!!!! MNF will live strong with you as a pioneer in getting it all started. 40 years later, and we are Hooked!!! Thank you! RIP my Friend!

via rootzoo.com

Because I really feel good about A WIN in this one. All the games that I was worried about, we won. We need a Mizzou like start to this one and it all depends on how well the Offense starts. Although a defensive slugfest, in my opinion, goes in our favor also. Not sure who is gonna start at QB, but I don't think Bo knows either, But Green did do well against CU. The waiting is the hardest part!!! And just for the heck of it,,,,here's a Cat!

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Ok, here's the deal,,,Many of you know that I have done A few Recipes here on CN, and this is what I'm looking for. It's our LAST game, for the foreseeable future with CU, and I would like to send them, and us out in style with an awesome recipe to post. I'm looking for any suggestions, preferably involving Buffalo, to cook in the smoker for the game. Yes, I do realize that you will not be able to partake in the final taste explosion that is involved but I still want your input and the most requested suggestion,,,,I will smoke, grill, poach, puree, blend, ect,  and pictures of the final product will be posted! I'll throw out the first suggestion being smoked Buffalo Rump Roast,,,,,,as in "We Smoked that Ass"!!! I know that's cheesy,,, so bring on the suggestions!

I've been reading a LOT of predictions for the up coming aTm game and noticed they range anywhere from a 41-10 NU win to a 34-17 aTm win. So much analysis to this game it's mind boggling! If the NU team that has stepped up for UW,Mizzou,OSU,and KSU,,,we will win,,,,but if the team that struggled against SDSU and ISU shows up, NU WILL lose! It's very hard to figure out this team, except that they seem to play down to their opponents. I have bad feelings about this game but I will still take the Huskers. This team is just so inconsistent it's hard to figure it out! Many Beers will be consumed during this one!!! Your thoughts and predictions??

Well the off season has been long but at least I got some great food cooked and was able to share it with you. This recipe is a week late but I have a good excuse! It’s Sturgis Rally week and I have had 7 people staying with us since late last week and it has been BUSY!!! We rode over 800 miles in 4 days!  I saved the 14lb. Brisket for the last recipe of the off season so I could spoil my guests. Bring on Football, and , sorry to say,the last recipe for the off season!

I started with a 14lb Brisket with a good layer of fat on it. Since it was my first Brisket, I didn’t trim any fat off of it, just to be safe and not let it dry out during the long smoke. I started with a good layer of yellow mustard coating the entire Brisket. The mustard will help the rub to stick to the meat and will NOT affect the flavor at all! I made my own rub and thoroughly coated the Brisket, rubbing it in every little crack and crevice. I also cut a criss cross pattern in the fat, not the meat, to allow the rub to seep into the Brisket as much as possible. As always, I smoked mine with Mesquite.

I place the brisket in an aluminum pan fat side up and bring the temp in the smoker to 220 degrees. Smoke for 2 hrs then flip to fat side down for another 2 hrs. then flip the Brisket to fat side up again. After you return the Brisket to fat side up, cover the entire Brisket with aluminum foil and continue smoking.  I made a mop sauce consisting of 1 bottle of Famous Dave’s Texas Pit BBQ and a 12oz. can of beer, use whatever beer you like. I covered the Brisket with this sauce every hour for the rest of the smoke time after the first 4 hrs. I smoked mine for 12hrs. @220 degrees, with an internal temp of 195 degrees when finished. After removing, cover with foil and let rest for 30 min.,then cut against the grain and serve.

It takes a long time to smoke a Brisket because it’s a very tough cut of meat, but the end result, with mine, was absolutely perfect and everyone loved it! I couldn’t even have any leftovers because all my guests from AZ and MN took them home with them!! Good friends are hard to find!

The preseason has begun and I’ll look forward to chatting with everyone online when NCAA football starts in a few short weeks!! Thanks for all the comments in the past and keep them coming. GBR!!!

I’m sure some people out there are wondering just what  Boudin (boo-dan) is. I’ts a Cajun sausage, like a Brat, stuffed with pork, rice, and other seasonings. I tried some of this when I lived in Louisiana and have been hooked since then. It’s really easy to cook and I honestly think smoking it is the best way, but it can be microwaved, grilled, or cooked in a frying pan.

If you’ve never tried Boudin and would really like to, check your local Walmart grocery and see if they sell it in your area. I,m fortunate enough that our Walmart here stocks it at all times.

There’s not a whole lot of preparation for this recipe. Just take it out of the package and place it on the smoker rack. Bring the temp in the smoker to 200 degrees and smoke for about 3 hrs.  and it will be golden brown.  I use Mesquite to smoke mine and it always turns out great. If you haven’t got the time or a smoker, these are great on the grill. Good luck and GBR!

I’ve done a few of these hens before and they are a great way to feed the family with very little time into the preparation, except for the brining process.  Brining the hens are going to add a lot of flavor to them. I’ve done this with chicken before and was surprised at the difference it made in the flavor.

The first thing I did was mix up a brining solution to soak the hens.  I started with a clean bucket large enough to hold 2 gallons of water and the 4 hens I’m smoking. Here are the ingredients I mixed into the bucket: 

             2 Gallons water
             2 cups Kosher salt
             3 cups Sugar
             4 TBS Black pepper
             ¼ cup Worcestershire
             1 TBS Thyme
             1 TBS Poultry seasoning
             1 12 oz. bottle Corona
Mix all the ingredients together in the water then place the hens into the water and use a plate weighted down to keep the hens completely submerged. You will need to keep the brine mixture between 33 and 40 degrees so I would suggest placing the bucket in the fridge. Let the hens brine for about 4 hrs. The great thing about this process is that you can add other spices, herbs, flavorings, etc. in to the bucket with the salt water solution and it will get drawn into the meat as well, and thereby flavor the meat even more.

After removing the hens from the brine solution, dry them off and season the outside with whatever seasoning you like most. You should place all 4 hens on the same rack to ensure they get equal heat and smoke. You will want to maintain a temp of 225 degrees for about 3 hrs, or until the internal temp in the breast reaches 165 degrees. Any higher temp than that could dry out the meat.

I used a combination of Mesquite and Cherry to smoke mine and the results were awesome!!! I pulled them from the smoker at 165, let them cool for 15 min. and tore into them!!! I served them with a side of baked beans to complete the meal.  These cook so well in the smoker that it has become a favorite of mine. I think I'll do some Pheasant this fall, another recipe for the future. Gook luck and let's hear some comments! Thanks Kim. GBR!!

Iv'e been doing the Off Season Recipes for about 24 weeks now and it's been a lot of fun. I just want to get a feel of how you, the people of Corn Nation, are leaning towards recipes. Is the smoked recipes the way to go or is there something different you would like to see done? I love cooking in the smoker and trying different things. If there is a recipe you would like to see, or a certain food you would like to see smoked, or grilled, just  let me know. If you have a suggestion, post it and the most suggested one, is the one I'll do! Just trying something new here, so let's hear it!!

Ok, I tried to think of something great to send off CU, but with Nebraska leaving the Big 12 also, It’s just not the same . Are we gonna miss CU?,,, I don’t think so,,,but I will miss the Thanksgiving day game! My wife’s family is CU crazy and I’m going to miss rubbing in the beatdowns delivered by the Big Red!!

I wanted to do something like stomped, crushed, or even a stuffed Buffalo recipe. I couldn’t make up my mind and couldn’t get a tenderloin so I decided on a Buffalo Tri Tip. So I’m calling this my "See You" Buffalo Tri Tip Recipe.

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(A Now for Something Completely Different)

With all the expansion talk flying around, I hope this takes it off your mind, just for a little while anyway!! Colorado is GONE!, and I'm not sure what is going to happen when I gather with my wife's family on Thanksgiving,,,,they, I think I just puked a little, like CU!! The holidays will be interesting anyway! Sorry, I got sidetracked there.

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This is the first time I’ve tried grilling short ribs, normally I would toss them into the smoker and let them smoke for a good long time.  I picked up 2lbs of ribs at the local meat market and just had to try them on the grill.

When it comes to cooking short ribs the low and slow method is the best. They have a lot of connective tissue so the slow cooking turns them tender and renders the fat and leaves them tender and juicy.

To get my ribs ready I used my favorite seasoning and rib rub. The ribs can be marinated in the refrigerator for a few hours if that’s the way you like them. As always, prepare them and season them the way you like. I used some Corky’s and Famous Dave’s rib rub mixed together and a light dusting of black pepper.

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A friend of mine, after tasting my smoked Baby Back Ribs, asked me to smoke a chicken she had gotten from the local Hutterites . For those of you who don’t know about Hutterites, they’re kinda like the Amish, but believe in electricity and raise some of the best chicken, beef, etc. that you can get in this part of the country. It’s all natural.

The first thing I did was mix up a brining solution to soak the chicken. The brining process is something I just recently discovered.  What is Brining you ask? Brining comes from the root word "brine" meaning salt. Basically, when you put salt into a bucket of water and add a piece of meat... chicken for example, a scientific process called osmosis begins to take effect. This process seeks to equalize the amount of salt on the outside of the chicken with the amount on the inside. As you very well know there is little if any salt inside the chicken, therefore the salt and water is drawn deep into the meat fibers of the chicken creating the process called meat brining. The great thing about this process is that you can add other spices, herbs, flavorings, etc. in to the bucket with the salt water solution and it will get drawn in as well, and thereby flavor the meat.

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I was going to title this one "Smoked Wild Game Roast" but I have only done an Antelope roast so far and I would like to think Venison, Elk, or any other wild game roast would be just as good.  I think this recipe will work just fine for all of them.  We have a LOT of Antelope around here, they’re tasty, and they’re very challenging to hunt in western S.D.

I started with a 3lb roast. I marinated mine for about 6 hrs. with some McCormick’s marinade, I would suggest using whatever  flavor you like most, or whatever marinade you like most. McCormick has a wide selection of marinade. After it’s done marinating, I apply a light coat of my favorite rib rub and cut some small slits in it and insert some garlic cloves into the slits. Wild game is very lean and can dry out during the smoke process. The meat will need to be basted often as it smokes to keep the outside from drying out. You can do this manually with a basting brush and some marinade, beer, apple juice, butter, or whatever you like, or you can drape lots of fatty bacon over the meat (toothpicks will work fine for keeping the bacon in place) and as the fat from the bacon melts it will keep the meat basted during the smoke process.

I smoked my roast for 4 hrs @ 180 with a mesquite and a little cherry wood. Remove it from the smoker about 5 degrees before it reaches its internal target temperature (145). The internal temp will rise for 10 minutes or so, bringing it to the desired temp.  One thing I noticed is that the smoke process seemed to take that "wild" taste out of the meat and it turned out super moist and tender.

As I stated before, wild game is very lean so be sure to keep the meat moist and try not to overcook it. After 4 hrs in my smoker, the meat was very tender and had great flavor. Even my wife, who dislikes wild game, enjoyed it. I hope yours turns out as good as mine, so good luck and any comments or suggestions on this recipe will be appreciated. GBR!!!

I’ve never been a fan of meatloaf, always have these bad memories of the meatloaf from my childhood! It was never good!! I read a few articles on smoking meatloaf and all the reviews were great. How can this be? This surely can’t be the same bland chunk of ground meat my mom forced me to eat in my youth!! Alas it is, BUT, with a new twist and the right cooking method, this is an awesome recipe and it was GREAT!!

Here’s the ingredients to get things rolling.

     2 lbs. Ground beef

     2 eggs lightly beaten

     1 small onion, finely chopped

     1 green bell pepper finely chopped

     2 tbsp. Minced garlic or 2 cloves garlic minced. You can buy the garlic already minced.

     ¼  cup milk

     1 cup fresh bread crumbs or saltine crackers

Now that we have all these ingredients, toss them into a large bowl and mix them together. I found using my hands to mix is the best. Just pretend you’re choking a CU fan repeatedly who bad mouthed you at the tailgate party.  As far as my own seasoning, I used a cup of  Weber’s Chicago Steak seasoning, but as always, use what you like best.

Once all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, mold into your best loaf shape and place on a SOLID cooking surface, it is a bit too fragile to place directly on the grate. This will keep the meat from falling through the cracks. I just put aluminum foil on the cooking rack and it worked fine.

I smoked this at 230F for 4 hours, or until the internal temp. reached 160, with Mesquite and just a little Cherry wood, for a sweet flavor. When there was about ½ hour left of smoke time, I poured some Famous Dave’s Sweet and Zesty BBQ sauce over the top and let it cook in and the results were amazing!!!

I’ve never been a fan of meatloaf but this recipe has changed my mind! Even my 8 yr. old loved it, and I remember meatloaf when I was 8, YUK!  Try it out and let us know how yours turns out. We always welcome your comments and suggestions. GBR!!!

I was bored one day, and hungry, so I figured why not try some smoked hamburgers. The only difference is I used Buffalo instead of beef. Buffalo in this neck of the woods is more popular than beef and just as easy to get. The taste is great no matter how you cook it and it's a very lean and healthy alternative to beef.

I start with six 1/2 lb patties and season them with my favorite burger seasoning. As always, use what you like to use on your burgers. Everyone has different tastes so make them yours! Keep in mind this works just as well with beef.

I fire up the smoker and maintain a 200 degree temperature. Place the burgers on the rack and smoke, with Mesquite, for 1.5-2 hrs  or until the internal temp reaches 155 degrees. When the burgers are done and you pull them from the smoker, they may look like a bland piece of meat. To get that grilled look, fire up the grill and toss them on just long enough to get that grilled look on both sides. I know some people use their grill to smoke food, so the grilled appearance is already achieved this way.  If you're not concerned with looks, after pulling them from the smoker, immediately top them with pepper jack cheese and serve.

This takes longer to cook but the taste is well worth the effort and wait! Good luck and let us know how yours turn out or give us your ideas. GBR!!!

Yep, smoked wings!, Mmmm good!  My wife and I were invited to a get-together with a few other friends and they asked if I could bring some hot wings. Sure, no problem, everyone likes wings. This is where I had the idea of cooking them the smoker. Never had smoked wings before so why not?!

This is a real easy recipe and only takes 2.5 hrs. to cook. I picked up a couple bags of frozen wing sections at the local grocery store. Maybe fresh would be better, not sure, but I’ll try them next. As far as seasoning, I dipped the wings in Franks wing sauce, then added Cabela’s Hot & Spicy seasoning. I fired up the smoker and set the temp at 200 degrees. Popped the wings in and smoked for 2.5 hrs. with Mesquite. When I pulled the wings out they looked great and the flavor was better than I could have hoped for!

The big test was having our friends try them. Everyone that ate them loved them. Someone else brought regular hot wings so I was curious to see which plate emptied first. Yep, the smoked wings won hands down! I’ll definitely be cooking these again.

This is one of the easiest recipes I’ve done in the smoker with great results.  I’m not sure if anyone else has cooked wings like this before but it was something different to try for me. Let us know how yours turn out and as always, comments and suggestions are always welcomed. GBR!!!

This is an awesome and tasty way to feed a lot of people, and not go broke doing it. I was going to smoke a pork butt for our Super Bowl party but ran out of space in the smoker. I decided last Sunday the time was right and I needed to practice before my wife’s family comes next week.

  I picked up a bone-in pork butt, or another name for it is a picnic roast, that weighed 7.5lbs for about $12 at the local grocery store. I like to find a piece of meat that has lots of good fat marbling, this keeps the meat moist in the smoker and guarantees some excellent flavor as the fat will render during the long smoke. They say the meat is sweeter when it cooks with the bone in so that’s what I bought and they weren’t lying!!

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This is one of my most favorite foods to cook in the smoker. Who doesn’t love to dig in to a rack of ribs smothered in BBQ sauce cooked in a smoker with Mesquite?? I grew up in southern Arizona and Mesquite was the only thing to use to cookout and I didn’t even know about gas grills until I moved to South Dakota in 84’. So it’s always Mesquite for me, but you can try a variety of wood for different flavors.

To prepare my ribs, I like to try different flavors of dry rubs, and like always, you can use whatever seasoning that suits your tastes. One thing that is highly recommended is removing the membrane or fell that surrounds the meat. When smoking ribs, the objective is to achieve the best  flavor, as well as to cook the meat. Removing this membrane allows the smoke to penetrate the meat and give the meat more flavor. I usually prepare the ribs the night before and let them marinate in the rub. When you season the ribs, be sure to rub the seasoning all over so you get a total covering.  NEVER pre boil the ribs!! Yea, it makes them tender but you will lose a lot of the flavor.

I put my ribs in the smoker for 6 hrs at about 220 degrees or less. Cooked low and slow is the key!! No need to rush them and end up with not so good results. The ribs must be allowed to reach around 170 degrees if they are to be tender.  I’ve always waited to put the BBQ sauce on during the last hour in the smoker. Too soon and the BBQ sauce will burn.  You may not even want to put sauce on them, rather just serve as a side dipping sauce. It’s all up to you and your preference. After removing the ribs, let stand for 10 minutes before serving. 

I’ve always had good luck cooking these ribs and everyone that eats them just love them. I know there are some people that don’t care for them but the people who like ribs will surely enjoy these.

Good luck and let us know how they turn out. GBR!!

 Well, it’s the end of the football season! One more game. The "Big One".  I’m planning on having 15 or 20 people over for the game, and trying to get the menu ready. One thing for sure, it’s all going to be  cooked in the smoker. Some of the things that are being smoked are Tri Tips, Salmon, Baby back ribs, Boudin, Wings, of course, and Pork butt. My mind is going crazy just thinking about the explosion of flavor awaiting!

It’s easy to figure out what main course to cook for the game, but what about the side dishes? One of my favorites is baked beans. This recipe isn’t just a "dump a can of pork and beans in a pan and heat it up" recipe. This is so much better!  Of course keep in mind this is a recipe that my family and friends just love. It may not be your favorite but try it and see how others like it.

To begin, I start out with 2- 22oz. cans of Bush’s Grillin’ beans, Steak House Recipe. There’s a lot of different flavors and they all taste great. Then I use 2-15oz.  cans of Ranch Style beans with Jalapenos. Mix these together in a crock pot and add 1lb. cooked Jimmy Deans hot pork sausage.   The last ingredient is the brown sugar. I usually use about 2 cups but add to what you think taste good. Simmer for about an hour and they’re ready to serve.  That’s the great thing about these recipes. You can change it and make it yours. We all have different tastes. My family likes spicy foods, yours may not. You can substitute the Ranch Style beans with Jalapenos with the beans without Jalapenos or the hot sausage with mild. If you like a little kick in your food, stick with the original recipe. Even my 8yr old loves these beans. This recipe will feed about 6 people so you can adjust accordingly.

I just wanted to throw something different out there for your Super Bowl party. Try it out and let us know how it turns out. GBR!!!

I  discovered this cut of meat shortly after I started experimenting with my new smoker. This is a very easy and delicious cut of meat to smoke or even grill. I have smoked a half dozen of these and they always turn out perfect and never any leftovers!! But then again I have a 17 year old that is eating me out of house and home one bite at a time!!!

The tri tip is not a common cut here in the Heartland. It is more common on the West Coast and goes by other names such as “triangle roast” or “bottom sirloin tip”.  A normal grocery store tri tip is going to be around 2.5 to 3 lbs and maybe even larger. Look for good marbling within the meat. I have always heard that not every grocery store carries this cut, especially if they don’t cut their own meat. Wal-mart is not going to have this. Our locally owned grocer carries these, and if you don’t see it at your local grocery store, ask, they may have it.

As far as seasoning, I always believe that you should go with what you like. Everyone has their own tastes, so make it your own when it comes to seasoning.  I’ve smoked one with just pepper and some garlic powder and it turned out great. You can always serve it with a side of your favorite BBQ sauce.

Now, my smoker is a Masterbuilt from Cabela’s. Nothing fancy, but has served me well for just starting out. Place the tri tip marble side up on the rack. This way the fat melts as the meat smokes and just adds more flavor!!  Smoke your tri tips at 180 to 200ºF for about 2.5 to 3 hours, or until the meat reaches medium rare, or to your desired level of doneness. Because of its leanness, it's best if not cooked more than medium done, 140 to 145F internal temp.

Remove the tri tip and let it set for 15 to 20 min. to allow the juices to flow back into the meat. Slice across the grain and serve. Great for sandwiches!!  I’ve had very good luck smoking these and the whole family loves them. Maybe the next one I cook will be on the grill, but I am getting to the point where I love the smoked meat because it’s more of a challenge.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out. We look forward to your comments and suggestions! GBR!!!

Ok everyone, we’re going to try something new here. This idea was conceived during the open thread for the New Years Game Day.  The big question was, what are we going to do on Saturday nights now that football is over??  Well, this is what we came up with.  Corn Nation Off Season Recipe Post. Catchy isn’t it!?   So what I’m trying to do is post some "Tailgating" recipes.

I’m guessing that the majority of us have grilled some sort of tailgating food before.  I just want to share some of my personal recipes.  My wife, thank GOD for her, bought me a smoker for my birthday and the experiments with it have been a lot of fun.  I love grilling and now with the smoker, it has become more fun to cook outside, even in the cold and snow.   If you folks prefer grilling to smoking, or vice versa, let me know and we’ll focus on that aspect. Remember, this is a new thing and your comments and suggestions are welcome and wanted.  Now off to the first recipe.

One of my favorite things to cook is Salmon. On the grill, or in the smoker. Personally, I like it more on the grill. I start with a nice slab of Salmon. You can usually buy these at Wal-Mart, but I have a good friend that fishes in Alaska every year and brings back the really fresh stuff, but the Wal-Mart Salmon is great also. I season the salmon with my favorite seasoning, 4 slabs of butter, layered along the slab, and some garlic. I like to use the minced garlic because it’s less hassle and you still get the great flavor. Never salt the salmon before you cook it, all this does is draw out the juices that you want to keep in.

After you’re done with seasoning, wrap it in aluminum foil and Preheat  the  grill to medium-high. Grilling salmon on a gas grill is ideal, but other grills will be fine.  Place it skin down on the grill. It should only take about 20 min. until opaque or until meat flakes easily.  The recommended doneness for fish is 140 degrees internal temp.  To test for doneness, touch the fish: if it's "squishy," it's not done, but if it's firm with some give, it is medium rare, the recommended doneness for salmon.  

The reason I wrap it in foil instead of grilling on the rack is to keep all the juices and flavor sealed in.  Also, when it comes off the grill and you open the foil, the meat pulls right off the skin, leaving the skin on the foil. This is a great and easy food to cook. Luckily, my wife hates any kind of fish so that leaves more for myself and my sons!!

Please keep in mind that these are my personal recipes! They may not work for you and you may not like them. This is a new thing here on CornNation and we’re just trying to have some fun with it. Feel free to comment with your suggestions because it will make this more fun and delicious!!!!  Any suggestions and comments will be appreciated and will not be held against you. We'll have another recipe in two weeks. Thanks again, and let us know how it turns out!! GBR!!!!

Is it because of his personal life, his religious convictions, or he needs to regroup??? Or maybe because there will be some NFL jobs coming available soon?? He's been a very effective coach, and a great leader, but the timing is very questionable. Wish him the best of luck, and the Gators too. Will they fall into mediocrity like so many other teams do after loosing a great coach.  We know how that feels!!  I'm thinking an NFL Job! Any thoughts???