All righty, DH here filling in for Sherri and as I told her, I have something to say… Do you cook? I mean like really cook? I do! I love to explore the various aspects of cooking, especially on the outside grill which is my safe space, my paradise when the weather is perfect and I have a cold beer or a neat bourbon (I’m not picky). I enjoy slow cooking meat with fire as my ancestors has passed on from generation to generation. Exaggerate much? Why yes, that’s my shtick, my vibe, my thing which some like. I do so, to tell my side of everything as making people smile makes me happy.
So here’s the deal, when I make something that really turns out amazing, Sherri likes to tell me “don’t ever change what you did, this is the best”. Well, the thing is, I seldom write anything down since I watch cooking shows on YouTube and make the rest up as I go. You ever do that? One time about 20+ years ago, I was taught by someone that I would consider my ancestor which only means an old guy (ol’ Guy) we knew – Bill. His shtick was ‘Boston Butts’ and I never heard of those but did enjoy some good BBQ. Being from Texas, Sherri and I, we knew steaks and brisket but not slow cooked pork besides ribs occasionally.
The way this ol’ Guy mastered the fire pit and all the simplicity of smoke and fire, my mind was blown away. What I learned is that you do not need to be fancy in the cooking but the area of taste was to play around and experiment with different rubs or liquids to keep your meat juicy. Since we lived in Tennessee at the time, vinegar was not only used in the sauces but was also mopped on every hour, literally with a mop. I digress. Now in Mid-America, time to get away from the tanginess of vinegar and jump face first into sweet / heat rubs and sauces. *In the write-up review, this paragraph caused a 15 minute discussion on how vinegar is better!
In a time in the not too distant past, I finally reached the pinnacle of my success in cooking my first “very bestest of all times” pull pork from a pork shoulder. And if I do say so, it was pretty good! Not only did I get the char right, but the meat just broke down with such ease, I amazed all those present which was Sherri and the kids (both of them)!
As I already stated, “don’t ever change what you did, this is the best”, well, I am a man and we do not listen very well… but we’ll listen to YouTube. I found a BBQ master that mentioned the use of a binder and I was like “a binder, how professional”, do continue! He said that I, DH, should use a yellow mustard binder to keep your rub on your meat while it slow cooks. Fantastic, Sherri won’t mind one bit, SHE loves to experiment in the kitchen as well. She walked in as my binder was being applied and lovingly whispered “I will NOT be eating that, you ruined it”. Ultimately, she liked it but could still taste the mustard which she hates the sight of but warned to never surprise her again, she wants my recipes to never change, “they’re perfect”.
Has Sherri ever told ya’ll that she “Sherri’fies” her recipes? It means that Sherri will go so far until she gets an idea to make it better. I get most worried when I take my first bite and she is staring at me with a huge grin… “How does it taste?” At that point I turn into Gordon Ramsay and begin searching for a hint of nutmeg, Szechuan peppercorn or even Amchoor Powder (yes, I Googled “weird spices” to find those). Which of course I loved them all! LOL
I guess what I am saying is this, do not be afraid of trying new ways to cook what you love… just be cautious not to get caught, especially by Sherri! I am making chili tomorrow and am already altering my go-to recipe.
Have a great weekend – GO CHIEFS!
DH
Simply Sherri 