Author: Dave Tappan

It’s Super Wild Card Weekend. No Niners till next weekend, but good games. Saturday…doubleheader, Sunday…tripleheader, Monday Night Football. Time to plan your game day menu. This is a smoker to fryer recipe. If you fry them only, fry in batches and increase the frying time to 10-12 minutes. Bang Bang Chicken Wings Bang Bang Sauce:1 cup mayo1/4 cup sweet chili sauce2 tablespoons hot sauce4 cloves garlic minced2 teaspoons red pepper flakesZest of 1 lemonJuice of 1/2 lemon1 tablespoon honey Smoked Chicken Wings:3-4 lbs. chicken wings (drums and flats)Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste2 teaspoons garlic powder2 teaspoons onion powder2 teaspoons smoked paprika2 teaspoons chili powderMustard, as a binder Fried Chicken Wings:Canola oil for fryingChopped chives for garnishLime wedges, for squeezingCilantro, for serving Making The Bang Bang Sauce:In a mixing bowl, combine mayo, sweet chili sauce, hot sauce, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice, and honey.Whisk the ingredients together until smooth and set aside. Smoking the Chicken Wings:Pat the chicken wings dry using paper towels.Apply a thin layer of mustard over each wing to act as a binder.In a separate bowl, mix together salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and chili powder.Generously season the wings with the spice mixture.Allow the wings to marinate for 15-20 minutes.Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees.Place the wings in the smoker and let them smoke for 60-90 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees.Once smoked, transfer the wings to a baking sheet. Frying the Chicken Wings:In a skillet, pour canola oil to a depth of at least 2 inches and heat it to 350 degrees.Carefully add the smoked wings to the hot oil, frying them for 60-90 seconds on each side until golden brown. If frying only, fry in batches 10-12 minutes.Remove the wings from the skillet and drain any excess oil on paper towels.In a large mixing bowl or saucepan, add the wings.Pour the prepared Bang Bang Sauce over the wings, tossing them gently to ensure they’re well-coated.Transfer the sauced wings to a serving plate.Garnish with fresh-chopped chives, cilantro and lime wedges.

“Show ’em that little move I taught ya there pork chop” Garlic Butter Baked Pork Chops 2 thick, bone-in pork chopsKosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste4 tbsp butter, softened1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped4 cloves garlic, minced1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 1. Preheat oven to 375°.2. Season pork chops with salt and pepper and set aside.3. In a small bowl mix together butter, thyme, and garlic. Set aside.4. In a cast iron skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.5. When the skillet is hot, add the pork chops. Sear until golden, about 4 minutes each side.6. Baste the pork chops with the garlic butter.7. Place skillet in the oven and cook until cooked through, about 10-12 minutes, or until the pork chops’ internal temp is 145F.8. Remove from the oven. Baste the pork chops again before serving.

Baby backs in the oven is one of my favorites. Baked BBQ Baby Back Ribs ½ cup ancho Chile powder¼ cup white sugar¼ cup brown sugar¼ cup Kosher salt2 tablespoons fresh-ground pepper1 tablespoon ground cumin1 teaspoon dry mustard1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper½ teaspoon ground dried chipotle pepper1 rack baby back pork ribs1 cup barbeque sauce Preheat oven to 250 degrees.Mix the rub in a bowl until combined.Place ribs meat-side down on aluminum foil. Remove the silver skin, or you can score the skin with a sharp knife.Generously apply the dry rub to both sides of the ribs.With rib rack meat-side down, fold foil around it to create a tight seal. Transfer to sheet pan.Bake in preheated oven until tender and cooked through, about 2 hours. Remove and cool 15 minutes.Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees.Open foil, drain and discard any accumulated juices and fat. Brush barbeque sauce on the meat side of the ribs.Place the ribs meat-side up and return to oven, leaving foil open. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven, and brush another layer of barbeque sauce on the meat side. Repeat baking and brushing with sauce 4 more times, for a total of 50 minutes baking time.Cut rack into individual rib segments and serve with more barbeque sauce.Enjoy !

Marinated Flank Steak With Blue Cheese Schmear 1 1/2-2 lbs. flank steaksMarinade1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce2 teaspoons kosher salt1 teaspoon fresh coarse ground black pepper2 tablespoons minced garlic1/4 cup olive oil Schmear1/3 cup blue cheese, crumbled3 tablespoons salted butter, room temp1 tablespoon prepared horseradish1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil1 tablespoon chopped fresh thymesalt & pepper 1.Trim steak of any excess fat or silver skin.2.Place steak in large zip lock bag.3.Combine marinade ingredients and pour over steak.4.Close bag& press out any air.5.Move steak around in the bag to marinate.6.Refrigerate over night, or at least six hours.7.Mix schmear ingredients in a small bowl until smooth.8.Refrigerate schmear.9.Bring schmear to room temperature one hour before serving.10.Prior to cooking, remove steak from marinade& drain well.11.Grill steak over HOT fire, about 6 minutes a side for medium rare.12.Place steak on a platter with the side just off the grill up and IMMEDIATELY top with the schmear.13.Spread schmear over steak.14.Let rest 10 minutes before serving.15.Thinly slice on the bias across the grain.16.Spoon sauce& juices back over meat when serving.

Happy New Year and all the best to you and yours in ’24! Cheers!   Creamy Tri-Tip Tips with Egg Noodles   2 pounds trimmed tri-tip, sliced and cut into bite size pieces 1 yellow onion, chopped 2 (10.75 ounces) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup 1 cup milk 1/2 cup red wine 1 package onion soup mix 2 (16 ounce) packages egg noodles   Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat (or slow cooker). Sauté beef tips with onion in the hot skillet until beef is browned, about 5 minutes. Stir cream of mushroom soup, milk, red wine, and onion soup mix together in a bowl, pour into the skillet, and stir to coat beef in the soup mixture; bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, place a cover on the skillet, and cook until the beef tips are tender about 2 hours. Reduce heat to the lowest setting and continue cooking until the beef pulls apart easily with a fork, at least 4 hours more. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook egg noodles in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 5 minutes. Drain, but don’t rinse. Ladle beef tips over egg noodles.