Lonestar Grillz 24x36 offset smoker, grill, w/ main chamber charcoal grate and 3 tel-tru thermometers - left, right and center
Yoke Up custom charcoal basket and a Grill Wraps cover.
22.5 copper kettle w/ SnS, DnG, BBQ vortex, gasket and stainless steel hinge kit.
Napoleon gas grill (soon to go bye bye) rotting out.
1 maverick et-733 digital thermometer - black
1 maverick et-733 - gray
1 new standard grilling remote digital thermometer
1 thermoworks thermopen mk4 - red
1 thermoworks thermopop - red
Pre Miala flavor injector
taylor digital scale
TSM meat grinder
chefs choice food slicer
cuisinhart food processor
food saver vacuum sealer
TSM harvest food dehydrator
Christmas Eve, when my family celebrates, CreekStone Farms Strip lion, mashed taters, marinated shrooms, green beans w/ red pearl onions in a garlic olive oil sauté and a boat load of appy's. And of course deserts including a
chocolate peanut butter cheesecake and lots of Christmas cookies.
Christman Day, just my wife and I, Beef Wellington, mashed taters and gravy. Keeping it simple.
STEbbq and DaveD Hahaha. I didn’t say I was making the Wellington. That is being prepared for us. Everything I am making. Well except for the cookies. My sister and her kids make those.
Grill/Smoke/Roast = SnS Grills Kettle + SnS Deluxe Insert & Drip n' Griddle
Grill/Smoke/Roast = Hasty-Bake Gourmet Dual Finish with HB rotisserie and Grill Grates
Smoke = Weber Smokey Mountain 22.5"
Pizza = Blackstone Propane Pizza Oven (Stacy's, but she let's me use it sometimes)
Indoor Cooking = LG Studio 30" gas range
Camp Cooking = Coleman 2 burner white gas stove
Thermometer = FireBoard FBX2 with 2 ambient and 6 meat probes
Thermapen Mk IV = Light blue
Thermapen Mk IV = Black
PID Controller = Fireboard Drive + Auber 20 CFM Fan (FB gen 1 fan)
PID Controller = Fireboard Drive + Fireboard 20 CFM Fan (FB gen 2 fan)
Knives
Wusthof Classic Ikon set: 9" carving knive, 2X 8" Chef's Knife, 7" Santoku and three utility knives
Kamikoto Kuro set: 7" Santoku, 6.5" Nakiri, 5" Utility
Amazing Ribs Brazilian Steak knife set
Favorite wine = whatever is currently in the wine rack
Favorite beer = Sam Adams Boston Lager or Shiner Bock
Favorite whisky = Lagavulin Distiller's Edition 16 year old single malt
Best Cookbooks - Meathead's "The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling", Chris Lilly's "Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book", Aaron Franklin's "Franklin BBQ", Raichlen’s “Brisket Chronicles”
Current MCBS - Momofuku
Current fanboy cookbook - "Chasing Smoke: Cooking Over Fire Around the Levant"
So many houses that I wish I could go to . The Feast of Seven Fishes sounds sooooo good, but it will never happen in my family. Wife allergic to shellfish and none of the kids like calamari.
This year very simple:
Dec. 23rd - Chicken Florentine, rice, salad and bread.
Dec. 24th - Making Buffalo wings for a Christmas Eve party pot luck.
Dec. 25th - Grilled Tri-tip. Other family members bringing heart of palm dip, caprese salad, scallop potatoes and grilling some salmon. Pumpkin pie of dessert.
Just two of us so we are having a repeat of our Thanksgiving meal because it was so delicious.
Shrimp cocktail (Gulf shrimp), Smoked Prime Rib from Siegi's Butcher shop, twice baked potatoes, ambrosia salad, and wife's delicious peanut butter pie.
I've already made 2 of these since last Christmas. Here's a picture of last Sunday's cake. There wasn't but a slice left!
Recipe:
Buche de Noel (Yule Log Cake)
Cake ingredients:
6 large eggs – separated
½ cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp espresso powder (optional)
3/4 cup granulated sugar (divided ½ and 1/4 cups)
1/4 tsp salt
Filling ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 T granulated sugar
3/4 cup cream cheese or marscapone (1/3 less fat cream cheese is fine)
½ packet of unflavored gelatin dissolved in 2 T water
1 serving can of chocolate frosting
Oven at 350. Line jelly roll pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
Mix flour, cocoa powder, salt and espresso powder if using. Set asside.
Beat egg yolks with ½ cup sugar with hand mixer until they turn pale yellow. Then add flour mixture and mix with hand mixer.
In stand mixer, beat egg whites to soft peaks. Add 1/4 cup sugar a little at a time. Beat until stiff peak stage. Gently fold egg whites into yolk mix. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 12 minutes until top springs back when pressed (doesn’t hurt to rotate pan halfway thru).
Flip warm cake onto clean kitchen towel dusted with powdered sugar. Roll up starting at the short side and let cool.
Make filling by whipping cream in stand mixer to soft peak. Add 1 T sugar, beat more, then add 1 more T of sugar and 2 tsp vanilla extract. Add gelatin (turn mixer off for this). Beat until stiff peaks form. Soften cream cheese, add some of whipped cream mix and beat with hand mixer. When smooth, add to stand mixer and incorporate into filling.
Unroll cake, spread whipped cream mix over the cake. Roll up starting where you started rolling before. If desired, cut one end off at an angle to make a “branch.” Position on serving tray with seam side down. Position the branch where you want it. Stir up commercial chocolate frosting. Spread over cake. Use a fork to make lines in the frosting to look like bark. Garnish with cherries and mint leaves. Make snow with powdered sugar. Put in frig to set up. Store in the frig too.
Not cooking Christmas this year! Brother is getting Prime Rib dinner with all fixings from a fancy Little Rock restaurant! May make a cake, just because.
We’re invited to our sons house for an early celebration on Saturday. He’s doing a prime grade rib roast apparently. Not sure how he’ll cook it but who cares? It will be awesome I’m sure. He’s a great cook. Otherwise it’s just me and wifey on Christmas Eve and Day. Nothing special planned. Some traditional fresh polish sausage and eggs for Christmas breakfast though. It’s a midwestern thing for those who don’t know. Very yummy.
I thought I was doing duck....but then TJ picked up a really nice Rack of Pork. Seriously thinking about a side of homemade garlic pasta with a simple basil pesto.....
We may have a couple of folks visit but it is very likely that it will be just my son Jacob , TJ & me. I like Christmas to be low & slow. Turkey day is the big event at our house.
It has been just the two of us for many years so we like to keep it a low key and simple day while watching movies/football...
Start with an english muffin/sausage/egg/cheese casserole and champagne; mid morning the giant shrimp ring from Costco with extra spicy cocktail sauce, stuffed mushrooms, and champagne; afternoon snacks of a cheese tray with crackers, veggie tray with various dips, homemade tamales with queso, various chips and dips, peanut m&m's, mixed nuts, and champagne; for dinner a prime rib, Lawry's creamed spinach, loaded baked potato, and champagne; for dessert a mincemeat pie, a german chocolate pie with coconut pecan icing, and spiked eggnog; a night cap champagne before we fall into a food coma...
LSG Adjustable Grill/Smoker, MAK Pellet Grill, Large BGE with Several Attachments from the Ceramic Grill Store, Weber Genesis E335 Gasser, Cast Iron Pans & Griddle, Grill Grates, Mostly Thermoworks Thermometers, Anova SV Stick, BBQ Guru Controller and Fan
Tri Tip, Pork Chops, Swiss Steak, Brunch Stuff, Meatballs, Lots of Snacks and Charcuterie Type Fixins, Lots of Vegetables and Fruits to go with the already mentioned, Probably Nachos & Popcorn for the Cotton Bowl as our OHS Family will be here. Our entire Family will be here for Christmas Week and so everything I mentioned will be served throughout the week.
We always have beef stew for Christmas dinner. Homemade beef stock plus a good amount of red wine in the broth make it decadent. Other than tomato paste I don’t use a thickener. It’s served over polenta or cheesy fried grits (once chilled they solidify and are cut into squares, dusted with seasoned flour and fried until golden brown).
. The Feast of Seven Fishes sounds sooooo good, but it will never happen in my family. Wife allergic to shellfish and none of the kids like calamari. 
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