Category: Holiday

Smoked Beef Rib Roast

Smoked Beef Rib Roast weighing about 9 lbs.

The Best Beef Ribs

Surprisingly, Beef Ribs like these aren’t readily available at most grocery stores but, when they are, you should snatch them up. I picked up this 9+ pound Beef Rib Roast for about $42 USD, with tax, $4.58 per lbs. Beef Short Ribs are more common but usually expensive. A rack this size, rarely has much meat on the bones because Prime Rib and Ribeye steaks are cut from the bones so, the only meat that’s ever left is in-between. I show you how to prepare and cook delicious Beef Ribs like that, here. Another great option is Country Style Boneless Beef Ribs and I’ve got a great recipe for those as well. But, if you ask me, this is the way to go. Just a solid piece of meat still connected to the rib bones.

9.12 lbs Raw Beef Rib Roast on a white cutting board upon a butcher block counter top.

Preparing the Beef

Much like a Beef Brisket, there is a lot of trimming that needs to be done before a Beef Rib Roast is cooked. All the fat can be left on the roast if it’s preferred but, everyone should be concerned with the removal of the silver skin. It can be very unpleasant chewing on piece of meat that hasn’t had this removed because it doesn’t break down when it’s being eaten. The silver skin, on a portion of beef this size, runs the entire length of the beef and is approximately 4″ inches wide. I show you how to trim and remove it in the video tutorial. The membrane on the ribs can also be peeled off.

Beef Rib Roast after Smoking on the grill for only 3 hours.

Seasoning and Smoking

It’s fairly common practice to lube up the meat before seasoning with some sort of oil, mustard or hot sauce. I don’t use any of those. I just hit it, on all sides, with Kosher Salt & pepper, then place in the corner of my grill over indirect heat. I have a 3 burner gas grill and I only turn on the front burner with the heat set on low. With the lid down my heat levels out around 275° Fahrenheit throughout the duration of the cook(approximately 9 hours). I use a smoke tube filled with pellets to provide the smoke and it works great. The flavor it adds to the meat is amazing.

Fully Smoked Beef Ribs with 7 bones and a black bark.

Something you might want to consider, however, is wrapping the meat once the internal temperature reaches 165° F. My ribs were good but I think they would have been even better if I had done that. I think next time, just for fun, I might even pull the rack off the heat, once I hit 125° F internal temp, and slice up some medium rare ribs.

Smoked Beef Rib Roast video tutorial by PoorMansGourmet.

Smoked Beef Rib Roast Ingredients:

10 lbs Beef Rib Roast, bone in
Olive oil or Louisiana Hot Sauce, optional
Kosher Salt and Pepper

5 cups Wood Pellets for smoking

Just follow the instructions in the video tutorial and I’ll show you exactly how to make this Smoked Beef Rib Roast.

Chili Rellenos

5 Poblano Chili Peppers stacked on a butcher block counter top.

The Best Chili Rellenos

One of my favorite recipes to prepare, serve and eat has got to be stuffed peppers. They come in all shapes and sizes, prepared differently all around the world including Asian, Indian and European cultures. The Germans have great stuffed Bell Pepper recipes and so do the Cajun’s, here in the United States.

I’ve seen and tried recipes stuffed with meats varying from ground pork, veal, beef, lamb, chicken and even shrimp. Also rice, legumes, potatoes and quite often the addition of cheese. One of the most famous stuffed pepper recipes in the world, however, is the Chili Relleno made with Poblano Chili Peppers and, if you don’t know already, it comes from Pueblo Mexico.

2 Roasted Poblano Chili Peppers, sitting on a paper towel with black blistered skins, ready to be peeled.

Why this Recipe intimidates People

Making Chili Rellenos can be quite tedious, especially if you’re making them for the first time it can be difficult and seem intimidating. That’s why I waited so long to share this recipe with you. I spent a lot of time over the years trying to come up with a fool proof method that will make anyone feel comfortable making this dish and it all starts with roasting the Chili’s until the skin blisters up, evenly around the whole body of the pepper.

One roasted and peeled Poblano Chili Pepper, with a table knife, on a white flower printed plate.

Once the Chili Peppers have been roasted they’re placed in a bag or bowl where they can be covered and steamed with their own heat. This helps the flesh of the pepper lift and blister, for easy removal, as the pepper continues to cook and soften a bit more.

After 10 minutes or so, the skin is removed. this can be done by peeling with your fingers, rubbing or pulling with a paper towel but I find that it works best using the small serrated edges of a table knife by gently scraping the scorched skin off. Realize these peppers are getting soft so, if you don’t want to rip and tear your Chili Rellenos before they’re even made, be careful.

Grated Monterey Jack, Colby Jack and Queso Fresca Cheese.

The next step to making perfect Chili Rellenos is creating a small incision down the side of each roasted and skinned Poblano Pepper. You can, at this point, choose to remove the seeds, if you so desire, but it really isn’t necessary. Besides, it’s just another opportunity to rip and tear a perfectly good pepper so, why risk it. Now, just stuff the Pepper with grated Monterey Jack cheese, seal the incision back together, temporarily, with tooth picks and roll each one in flower.

2 stuffed, roasted, skinned Poblano Peppers, sealed with tooth picks and rolled in all purpose flour.

Rolling the Poblanos in flour is a very crucial step. In fact it’s one of the reasons why the skin is removed; it helps the flour stick and adhere to the pepper better which in turn, like most frying, grasps the egg wash batter for deep frying.

What’s the other reason the skin is removed, you say? I believe that it gives the peppers an unpleasing texture like trying to eat the outside layers of a cooked unpeeled onion. I’ve tried it this way before, out of pure laziness, and it left one to be desired so, roast, peel and flour your stuffed Chili Relleno Peppers.

One smothered Chili Rellenos Pepper, with Colby Jack Cheese, Chili Sauce and Pico De Gallo.

My Chili Rellenos

As far as I’m concerned, you can do what ever you want with this dish as far as the filling goes. It doesn’t have to be stuffed with just cheese. You can fill these Poblanos with meat or any of the other ingredients I mentioned above. I’ve seen sautéed onions and mushrooms and even tomatoes on the inside of these peppers with cheese.

According to the history of the original recipe, that dates back to the 1850’s, Nun’s were absolutely stuffing their Chili’s with meat so, go crazy if you want to. In it’s simplest form, however, I cook my Chili Rellenos stuffed with Monterey Jack, then bake under a broiler in a Red Chili Sauce with Colby Jack, then I top it off with cold Pico De Gallo and crumbled Queso Fresca.

YouTube video tutorial on How to make Chili Rellenos by PoorMansGourmet.
Chili Rellenos Ingredients: Makes 8 to 12

Chili Relleno’s Ingredients:

8 to 12 Poblano Chili’s, roasted
1 lbs Monterey Jack Cheese, grated
1 lbs Colby Jack Cheese, grated
1/2 lbs Queso Fresca Cheese, crumbled
2 cups Pico De Gallo
2 cups Red Chili Sauce

6 to 8 eggs
3 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt

Oil for frying

Just follow the instructions in the short video tutorial and I’ll show you exactly how to make these wonderful Chili Rellenos.

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

One bowl of Chicken Sausage Gumbo served with a scoop of white rice.

The Best Gumbo

If you love Gumbo and you’ve been looking for an authentic recipe that’s easy and turns out perfect, every time, this is the recipe for you. If you’ve never tried Chicken and Sausage Gumbo before, this is the recipe for you. It’s got everything you need and starts with the most basic ingredients, the “Holy Trinity”; onion, celery and bell pepper.

1 package of smoked Andouille sausage and 1 package of 8 raw boneless chicken thighs.

Chicken, Sausage or Shrimp

This is a Chicken and Sausage Gumbo which consists of smoked Andouille sausage, a classic Cajun delight. But this recipe can be easily converted to a shrimp gumbo recipe if you simply swap the proteins out, pound for pound and season the shrimp the exact same way I recommend you season the chicken.

One pot of cooked Cajun style Chicken and Sausage Gumbo.

The Love for cooking Gumbo

It’s important to note that any gumbo starts with making a roux, which is slowly cooked equal parts of oil and flour. This is the base of the flavor in any gumbo, and it takes a lot of patience to make because it’s constant stirring over medium heat for, approximately, 20 to 30 minutes.

In the south, or online, roux can be purchased pre-made in mayonnaise size jars just like the one I show you in the video tutorial. If you can get your hands on some, it saves a ton of time cooking this recipe and you can focus on the other ingredients, instead, that make this Chicken and Sausage Gumbo so amazing.

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo Ingredients: 4-6 servings

1 Onion, chopped
1 Bell Pepper, chopped
1 Jalapeno, chopped (optional for spicy tastes)
2 Celery sticks, chopped
4 Garlic Cloves, chopped
4 tbsp Roux, (4 tbsp vegetable oil 4 tbsp all purpose flour, cooked)
1/2 can Beer

Kosher Salt & Pepper to taste

1 tbsp Blackened Seasoning, on chicken
1 tsp Kosher Salt & Pepper mixed, on chicken
4 Boneless Chicken Thighs, sliced
1 lbs Andouille Sausage, sliced
1 qt Beef Broth
4 Bay Leaves
4 Green Onions, chopped
1 Bunch Fresh Parsley, chopped

6 cups Long Grain Rice, steamed
Louisiana File Powder, a few dash’s for topping each serving

I designed this recipe to easily be doubled or tripled, if need be. Just follow the instructions in the video tutorial and I’ll show you exactly how to make this Chicken and Sausage Gumbo.