Pit Boss: Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork

It was time to to try pulled pork.  I had 4 pounds of pork butt that unfortunately came delivered to me in two pieces, like 2 fat steaks!  I have never seen that before and was expecting a small roast.  I had to tie it with twine to keep the steaks together too as I wanted them to cook equally.  I was so close to switching to making pork butt burnt ends instead, but I stuck to the original plan...

Instant Pot: Cuban Inspired Picadillo

Well I looked at Cuban Picadillo recipes until I found no more to peer at.  Each one was a little different from the other, raisins, no raisins, potatoes, no potatoes, etc.  I guessed the recipe varied from what part of Cuba you were from and likely that families have made it their own over the generations?  All recipes I perused stated this dish was served with rice... I took what I liked out of all of them and created my own, which was pretty much everything but the kitchen sink.  I was looking to make it sweet, spicy & salty:

Pit Boss: Reverse Sear Boneless Rib-Eye Steak

First steak on my pellet grill!  I seasoned them with Kinder's "Buttery Steakhouse" seasoning, kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper.  I brought them to room temperature for a half hour while the grill smoked and then set to 225°F.

Bacon Fried Buckwheat Groats

This was my first time using groats.  I found this recipe and followed it exactly on how to make it like brown rice.  It was real simple; 2 cups groats, 3 cups boiling water and 5 minutes manual on high in the instant pot.  Natural release and let sit on warm for 2 hours.  I decided to stir-fry it for a side with smoked pork butt for dinner.  

Raisin Scones

I saw this recipe and used it as a guideline.  I thought I'd make my son some scones as he really likes them.  I was going to add cinnamon and vanilla but I forgot until after they were in the oven...

Pit Boss: Smoked Meatloaf

I've dreamed of getting a pellet grill since they first came out.  When my neighbors recently bought a Traeger, I just couldn't stand it anymore.  I couldn't go one more day smelling that wonderful smoke wafting over the fence!  So I got my Pit Boss. It's brand new and I'm just learning it.  Meatloaf would be my first attempt at smoking after it rained when trying to do a roast a couple days ago and I had to move that to the oven for fear of wet pellets and auger problems...Pit Boss "Competition Blend" is what I have in the hopper.  I've done a regular grill of burgers and pork chops, but I really wanted to "smoke"... my "Pit Boss FB Group" said it should take about 3 hours total for 2 pounds, though, it's not the time it's the temperature, and each meat is different...

Stuffed Yorkshire Puddings with Roast Beef

My friend's belated birthday lunch.  I made the beef yesterday and heated it up at 200°F today, trying not to cook it, just warm it but it wasn't rare any longer when I took it out.  At least it was tender!  Below is the recipe I used for the Yorkies.

Curry Noodle Soup with Popcorn Chicken & Wontons

I love looking at recipes on this site but haven't attempted any of her recipes until tonight as I find them overly complicated.  This one inspired me for dinner because of the curry and my son loves popcorn chicken.  Also, it's been depressingly rainy here, so soup is always appealing in those times.  I edited her recipe for ease and added pork/shrimp wontons to it.  What I used:

Salty Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I can't remember the last time I made cookies!  It's been a loooong while...  I saw Ina Garten making them on food t.v. and decided the salt looked so good, I had to make them too.  What I used:

Coquilles St. Jacques Casserole

I made this on-the-fly tonight.  I had a bag of frozen scallops and thought maybe some sort of "Coquilles St. Jacques" spin on them would be nice.  I was inspired to do so after we ordered the classic dish as an appetizer in a restaurant ($20 each!).  It had a delicious sounding spin on it made with mushroom duxelles and Béarnaise sauce, however it was served cold and the scallops were raw.  Below is the picture of the Coquilles St. Jacques we were served...we returned both and ordered something else.  I wanted to show my son what the classic dish tasted like though I had to do my own take on it as well, fingers crossed...  🤞