Baby Backs with J. Wilbur Rub and Sauce

Ok, I lied.  I did not take off the rest of the year from making traditional BBQ.  We had some contractors that were finishing up some repair work to the house after the hot water heater leaked and damaged about half of the house.  Over the time that they were here, they fell in love with our BBQ.  So, for their last day, I made some baby back ribs and took the opportunity to try out some new products from J. Wilbur.

A friend of mine from Seattle, Slow Smoke, sent me the above goodies to try.  He says that these are the preferred BBQ rub and sauce in the Pacific Northwest.  He also said they were a little on the spicy side.  So, with that warning, I tucked them away until after the BBQ season to try in some down time.  Here is our review.

Slow Smoke was right on with the spice level on the rub.  After the finger test, this rub started sweet and ended by grabbing your tongue.  I also liked the salt level: not too salty, just right.

The sauce had a really nice flavor.  It sort of reminded me of the molasses based concoctions that my mother came up with when I was a child.  The apple cider vinegar added depth to the flavor.  Contrary to the rub, this sauce starts with a kick and ends sweet and smooth.

So, I took some baby backs, pulled off the membrane and dusted with a healthy coating of rub.  I then set the ribs aside to come to room temperature while I lit the smoker and brought to 250 F.

No foil for these ribs.  I just smoked them for four hours at 250 F with some hickory in the ash pan.  Here is what they looked like after 3.5 hours, just before I glazed with the sauce.  I like the color and the sheen on these ribs.

Here they are after the sauce and 30 more minutes on the smoker.

Even nicer color with the sauce.

How were they?  Surprisingly, for the level of kick in the rub, they were nice and balanced.  Hope loved them and she does not like any heat on her ribs.  I would not use the rub in competition as there is too much of a kick for judges, but I will definitely be using this rub at home.  The sauce was even better than the rub.  I will definitely be trying this in mid-winter practices to see how it might improve our overall rib scores.

Thanks for the tip Slow Smoke!

Thanks for stopping by,

Bill

Restaurant Review: Eggspectation - Ellicott City, MD

On the way home from Annapolis, I had breakfast on my mind.  Truth be told, I think breakfast on the weekend is one of my favorite meals.  We also had to fuel up for the long road trip home.  So, after consulting the GPS and a quick scan of the on-line reviews, we settled on a place called Eggspectation.  As this was our retreat from Annapolis, this was the Ellicott City location in central Maryland.

When you first walk in, there is a bakery case with sinful looking pastries, cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and cheesecakes.  We were escorted to our table by a friendly hostess and were greeted by our serving team.

After reviewing the menu, Eggspectation serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  But, it is clear from the start, breakfast is their specialty.  They have your standard eggs, bacon, potatoes, etc...  But, my eye drifted to a section Benedict style eggs.  The choices ranged from traditional to Southwestern, those with lobster or crab, and those with avocado.  I love Eggs Benedict, but it is hard to find them done right.  With 12 selections to choose from, I figured that they knew what they were doing.  Since I was in Maryland and the weekend was about the crab, I choose the Crab Benedict.  These perfectly poached eggs were served on sourdough English Muffins topped with Gruyere cheese, Hollandaise Sauce, and sautéed crab with a light dusting of Old Bay seasoning.  The platter also came with a side of perfectly crisp Lyonnaise potatoes.  For good measure, I ordered a side of cheesy grits.

My only issue with this plate were the English Muffins.  The could have been toasted a little longer so that the Gruyere would have been a little more melted. Other than that, this plate was perfect.  The Hollandaise was velvety and complemented the seasoned crab.  Poaching eggs is an art form and the cooks at Eggspectation know their art.  I did not get a picture of the grits, but there were outstanding. Creamy with a nice sharp cheddar taste.

Our one friend ordered one of the breakfast specials, the Pumpkin Spice Pancakes.

I like pumpkin, but I do not understand the pumpkin hype.  Pumpkin mac and cheese?  No thank you.  But, I circled Heather's plate like a vulture, waiting to swoop in for a piece of the leftovers.

These pancakes were topped with perfectly fried granny smith apples, raisins, walnuts, and a dollop of sour cream.  When I finally picked my piece from the leftovers, I fell in love.  The pumpkin was not overwhelming and the buttermilk base was a nice surprise.  The fried apples alone would have been a perfect breakfast side, or a topping for some pork chops.

Hope had the steak and eggs.  The steak was of a higher quality that you would expect for breakfast.  It was also cooked to the medium that was ordered.  The seasoning was good as well.

Eggspectation lived up to our expectations.  We will put a return visit on our to do list the next time we have the opportunity.

Grade = A-.  Would have been higher except for the slightly limp English Muffins.

Thanks for stopping by,

Bill

Adventures in Tailgating: Game Day the Navy Way

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to check a box on my Bucket List.  I have always wanted to go to a college football game at a Service Academy.  So, we followed our Pitt Panthers down to Annapolis, MD to watch them play the Navy Midshipmen.  We were not disappointed.

First, for a 1 pm game, we arrived at the Germantown Elementary School at around 8 am for our tailgate.  A key piece of knowledge for those on the road.  Get there early.  $20 to park and the proceeds go to the local PTA.  It is a five minute walk from Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

We kept things simple for our tailgate since it was a road game.  Subs to order, pasta salad, and munchies.  Oh, and beer.  Our neighbors were grilling up hot sausage and making Primanti style sandwiches with capicola.  For those who don't know, a Primanti's sandwich is one that has cole slaw and fries added to the meat and cheese.  If you care to know more, here is a link to the history of Primanti Brothers.

Everyone was in a festive mood.  Even our four legged friends.

After having our fill of tailgate fare, we cleaned up and made sure to be in the stadium early.  The Midshipmen form up on the academy grounds at Noon and the whole brigade marches into the stadium at 12:30.

One of the great things about being at the academy is all of the history and memorials.  You can't walk 50 feet without running into another memorial.  Ironically, the first memorial I ran into inside the stadium was one commemorating WWII submariners.  My Great-Uncle served on the USS Perch, the fifth sub listed on the left.  A few weeks into the war in the Pacific, his sub was sunk and he became a POW for the rest of the war.  It was nice to see something that honors his crew mates that did not live to come home.

When you first see the main stadium, you notice that the facades list all of the significant engagements in US Naval history.

It is rumored that in the 70's, a Pitt player was taking in the history, turned to Bill Hillgrove (Pitt's play by play announcer) and said, "Damn, they play a tough schedule".  When you read the names, Midway, Leyte Gulf, Philippine Sea, etc..., there could not have been a more accurate statement.  

At 12:30 sharp, the Navy Band marches in, heralding the arrival of the Brigade of Midshipmen.

The Brigade marches in by company and lines up in perfect formation on the field.

The Navy Glee Club sings the National Anthem the way it is supposed to be: respectful and with out craziness.  Then, the whole Brigade does an about face, in perfect unison, to salute the visitors.

How do they all turn perfectly?  There is a Midshipman in the upper deck with two red flags that makes signals telling the Brigade what to do next.

I went for a walk in the third quarter to take in the whole stadium.  In the north end zone is a memorial walk that everyone should take 30 minutes to see.  It covers the whole history of the US Navy and pays tribute to those that have served our country.  

The Brigade in the stands

At the end of the game, the Navy football team comes over to stand in front of the Brigade.  The band then plays the USNA Alma Mater, Blue and Gold.  If this video doesn't give you goose bumps, nothing will.

In the end, the Panthers lost.  But, this was a great day.  The whole day was college football the way is used to be.  Respectful, no entertainment overload, no taunting, etc...  It was the first stadium that I was inside without armed policemen.  Midshipmen in fatigues provided the security.  No need for the security in yellow shirts.  Also, the Midshipmen I talked with were respectful and lots of fun.  It was homecoming weekend, so there were lots of graduates there.  They were very helpful in explaining all that was happening and why.  If you like college football and miss the way it used to be, I highly suggest you plan a weekend at a Service Academy to take in a game.  We will go back.

Thanks for stopping by,

Bill

Simple Roasted Carrots with Olive Oil, S&P

I heard about this recipe while listening to sports talk radio on the way home from work one day.  Of all places to get a recipe.  Josh Miller, the ex-Steelers punter, was talking about this recipe and I decided to give it a try as a side for some BBQ'd chicken.

First, clean and peel some whole carrots, slice thinly lengthwise, then cut in half.  Keep your dog out of the kitchen if they love carrots.

I took some olive oil and added some sea salt and fresh grated black pepper.  Then, I put the carrots in a bag with some olive oil and let sit.

Spread into a single layer on a cookie sheet for roasting.  I did some asparagus at the same time.

I placed on the top rack of our smoker at 350 F.  After 20 minutes, I stirred with a spatula, then let cook for 20 more minutes.  Here is what the final product looked like.

Crispy and sweet with a hint of salt.  They tasted just like sweet potato fries.  Good stuff.  We will be making this again for sure.

They went really well with our BBQ'd chicken.

Thanks for the idea Josh.

Thanks for stopping by,

Bill