Big Fat Daddy's Zesty Marinade Recipe Ribs Chicken Steak

These boneless ribs come out tender and pack a punch with my Big Fat Daddy's zesty marinade. See how to do this Boneless Country Ribs meal here. 

I get asked a lot about basting meats, using marinades or using injections.  This is something I do quite frequently and I'm old school, so I believe when doing them "less is more."  In my opinion, twenty crappy ingredients won't yield you the same results a few fresh ingredients.  I am a firm believer that less ingredients extracted at a higher quality, can produce a better result.  Much along the same lines of my dry rub, I feel that marinades really bring out the flavor of your meats.

Juicing your marinades pull out the ingredients in the spices that you would not normally expect.

In this case, I have my original zesty marinade recipe that you can make in small batch quantities at home, but you will need a juicer.  This marinade can be applied days ahead of time on you steak, chicken or ribs to marinate in the fridge, or can be used immediately when cooking to produce a zesty flavor full of heat.  My wife loves this on her wings.

Ingredients for My Zesty Rib Marinade:  REGULAR   (7 ingredients)

This will yield enough for one large rack of ribs, or two small racks, a family pack of chicken, one rump roast, a small brisket, or six nice steaks. 

2 teaspoons whole mustard seed  (Sauer's)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire
1 teaspoon Whole Peppercorn melange' or Peppercorn Medley (Sauer's)
1 slice of a small red onion (fresh)
1 pinch of White Pepper
1 small fresh clove of garlic  (Peeled)
1/3 Cup Lite Italian Dressing

or (Use Gluten Free Recipe Here) for Less Zesty Alternative)

2 teaspoons whole mustard seed  (Sauer's)
1 tablespoons Sea Salt
1 teaspoon Whole Peppercorn melange' or Peppercorn Medley (Sauer's)
1 slice of a small red onion (fresh)
1 pinch of White Pepper
1 small fresh clove of garlic  (Peeled)
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
1 teaspoon fresh dill
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil


Blend the ingredients in a juicer.   Not using a juicer will yield you unsavory results. I cannot stress enough how a juicer can take a small piece of food and pull out the flavors you never expected.   These ingredients must be juiced until they create a liquid.  You will still see small chunks of peppercorns which should now resemble large bits of pepper but no trace of the onion.  (see photo above).

You can either: 

A) Marinate your meat with this product up to 24 hours in the fridge.  The longer you marinade the more overpowering the peppers and garlic will become. I usually do not go over 24 hours but my wife marinades wings up to 48 hours in this, and they are good.

B)  Pour over your meat when baking  using 3/4 of the product up front, and 1/4 of the product nearing the end of your cook time as a brush on baste, or dribble baste.

For grilled products, you will want to use 3/4 of the marinade  as in step A, but save 1/4 of the product as a last minute baste. You must remember the oil in the dressing will speed up the browning process so using A. 

YOU MAY LIKE:
You can see this marinade on Boneless Country Ribs with Pumpkin Butter Ten Minute Prep here

also did you know that shopping with CF Sauer online gives you free shipping over $25 in spices?   They are my sponsor and you should enjoy theirYou can also nab some of the great Sauers recipes here.

Hey, we're working on some new icons, do you like them?

              

Big Fat Daddy's is celebrating over three decades of catering, fairs and festivals therefore, we thought it only right to vintage up our blog a little. Here is an old child's learning game!

Welcome to the fair! Made of wood is always good!

This post last updated 12.15.14

Eating Gluten Free At the Fair

There are plenty of gluten free offers at fairs or festivals!

In today's world there are so many allergies  health issues relating to gluten , so what is one to do when going to a fair or festival?  Here are a few tips.

Yummy Yummy Big Fat Daddy's Bread Boules full of Crab Dip

Sometimes,  Sourdough Bread is a good alternative to Gluten breads!

1. Nix the Specialty Items.

First off, stay away from specialty items if you can't decipher what could possibly be in them. Case in point, these are French Bread Boules full of crab dip  Even though the manufacturer (Pillsbury) says they are Sourdough bread, we aren't exactly sure what Pillsbury's exact process is in making them. Therefore, you should avoid these type specialty foods in case you are sensitive to Gluten.

2. Nix the Fried Foods that are Breaded.

Since you can't be certain exactly what type batter is used on fried foods, and most are commercially prepared (such as Chicken tenders which come pre-breaded) it may be a good idea to nix the fried foods in case you have a Gluten Allergy.

Stick to meats, nix the breads. Big Fat Daddy's Angus Burgers and Nick Ferrante's original recipe Sausage.

3. Stick to Meats but Nix the Buns!

Since food vendors are using commercially produced bread, the labels may not tell you exactly the "gluten" scientific ingredients on them. Therefore, it's a great idea to avoid the bun and ask for the meat on the side instead of on a bun.  This is where you may find that food vendors won't have a plastic fork so walk tall and carry a fork with you!

Poultry is a safe choice if you have gluten allergies.

4. Poultry is Safe!

Eating some grilled turkey or grilled chicken at the fair is a safe idea. Just steer away from battered or deep fried!

Find Out More About Gluten Free Cooking: 

Visit Food & Fire blog which has great recipes. This is the carnivorous ramblings of a gluten-free grill geek!  Might we suggest a great recipe on their blog--> Slashed Chicken Thighs !

Prime Rib Recipe and Prime Rib Roasts

This illustration of Prime Rib Roast is by Jenny Mathews, who does a lot of illustrating for ZombieLogic.

I get asked a lot about Prime Rib Recipes.  Truth be told there is an inside joke that stems from a Prime Rib Tragedy in our family about Prime Rib and we won't ever eat it again.  One Christmas I took the largest prime rib I could find (a very large bone in portion to feed about 20 people)  to my wife's Aunt's house for Christmas. She didn't know exactly how to cook it, but she never asked, so we assumed she did. 

By the time we arrived on Christmas, and she put it on the table, it was a pile of charred remains.  I wept that very day.  I will never forget her husband asking, "What is that?"  As it seemed she left it in the oven, broiling  for about nine hours, only to remove all the "ribs" and throw them away because it looked too large for the oven. She had cut it into small pieces which of course, disintegrated onto the cooking platter. 



Cooking Prime Rib is a lengthy process, but one that takes care and basting, and proper removal (and keeping) of the rib portions, as these are yummy in themselves or can go to make soup stock or another dish later.

Ever since this horrible tragedy, my wife makes us eat Filet or Ribeye.   So here is my answer to the Prime Rib Recipe: Elise over at  Simply Recipes dot com has the absolute best Prime Rib Recipe.  There are illustrations to tell the how and the why and well, we wish Aunt Linda (see her here) would have read that way back when.

Good luck!

Turkey Leg and Poultry Seasoning Recipe Gluten-Free

We take our legs seriously at Big Fat Daddy's

In my previous post I talked about how to grill your turkey legs on your barbecue pit or smoker. I received some questions about what types of seasonings to use. I am happy to share two gluten-free recipes we have tried and enjoyed.  In fact you could use these for chicken or poultry of any type.  I have been known to use this on chicken kabobs also. These are two recipes you can make at home that are super tasty!

Note: these are only for unsalted turkey legs-if you are buying presmoked legs they are most likely salted and we suggest omitting the salt out of each recipe if you are using those!

Turkey Day Dry Rub
The first is a dry rub seasoning that you can either sprinkle on your legs the night before or sprinkle on during cooking. This should be enough to sparingly sprinkle onto the shanks of 6 average sized turkey legs.

2 tbsp Sage
1 tsp fine sea salt  (Or you may omit this if paleo diet)
1 tsp fine black pepper
1 tsp dill
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
***You may wish to omit the garlic powder and sage in exchange for 2 tbsp Bells Powder.

Tip: If you are sprinkling during cooking sprinkle only on the large parts and use half prior to flipping, then sprinkle the other half. We recommend apple wood on an open pit for optimum flavor.

Hickory Brown Sugar Liquid Basting Seasoning

(Covers 4 to 6 legs) This should be mixed and brushed on as soon as legs go on the grill.

1 tbsp Sea Salt
1/4 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Ground Black Pepper
1/4 tsp Dry Mustard
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup sweet hickory bbq sauce- we like Sweet Baby Ray's for home use.
1/8 cup water

Tip: Sometimes we make two batches, so we can brush on another batch at 3/4 done.  Make sure if you are doing this that you use a new cup to mix in and a new brush, or thoroughly wash your brush from the first application so as not to cross contaminate.

Optional Method: We have mixed the dry ingredients first and marinated them overnight. Then brushed on the liquid part when 3/4 done.

I hope you'll send me some pictures of you grilling with this so I can post them up. When we sell our legs at fairs we use our special secret dry rub, so make sure to look for us at your county fair.  Read all my gluten-free recipes here.

Sun Dried Tomato Aussie Steak Wrap Recipe from Big Fat Daddy's

This is our healthy take on lean beef and salad, in a wrap!  We have our great Aussie beef wrap recipe made with sun dried tomato dressing posted on Tom Corson Knowles' health food site here.  Make sure to read it.

GLUTEN FREE VERSION: Use our recipe to a "T"and nix the wheat wrap. Just have the steak upon salad form and it will be scrumptious!

Either way, it's delicious and we thank Tom for having us on.

You may also wish to check out:

Dear Steve Chili Sauce Recipe for Hot Dogs and More

Dear Steve,

I got a letter from your mother who isn't happy that you have been reading my blog and calling everyone and everything (including your sister) "BIG AZZ".   I checked in the official "rule book" and your mom is indeed right on this one!  In fact the Big Fat Daddy's official rule book specifies:

a) The only time you can use this word is when you are at least 13 or with the consent of your parents.
and
b) When you 13 you can then use it only when referring to BigAzz Texas Burgers, and not people, places , or things (unless you're talking about the size of Texas.)


So in the meantime I think you owe your sister and everyone in your class a big 'ol apology.  In the meantime Mom says you enjoy cooking with Dad on the grill so here is a Chili Sauce recipe that you can help your Dad make. Have Dad cut the veggies and you can help mix up the sauces. It's a bit spicy so use sparingly!

Chili Sauce recipe - Topping for Hot Dogs and More 
For Gluten Free: Eat Your Dog Without the Bun!

1/4c  cup Ketchup
1/2 c Chili Sauce (your favorite)
1 tablespoon Hot Sauce
1/8 c white Diced Onion
1/8 c Diced Green Pepper

Mix and let sit in fridge 4 hours before using.  Great for hot dogs, hamburgers and more!

A step further:
Make your own Chili Sauce here , there's lots of steps but this guy has it going on.

 updated 3.14.15

Australian Beef Recipes: Aussie Meat and Video

Could you tell the difference?

Folks looked at me like I was crazy when, a few years, back, I boycotted the big chain American beef industry due to unnecessary growth hormones. I'm American just like the next guy, and I do love a big fat cow, but I don't want to be passing unhealthy hormones onto my customers. I understand the farmer has to make a living and he wants the biggest, baddest cows, but someone has to say enough is enough. I used to not have a choice and they had my b*lls to a wall as I told them here, in the Baltimore Sun paper. 


I believe in supporting the American farmers and local economy and sure I love a juicy cow just like the next guy. Sometimes these hormones interfere with our kids and how they grow and that I don't like. Even when they aren't dumping them into the cow food you have to be careful if they are using harmful chemicals on the grains or grass they are feeding them. So, I turned to organic farmers. Locally they couldn't keep up with the demand I needed to do my county fairs. I could get it from four to six sources per week, but truth be told they like selling in small quantities to local stores, markets and small butches as specialized meats --for them this is the best profit on it, and rightfully so.  Can't say I blame them.  I was ready to give up until my food guy tipped me off to Australian beef.

First of all, it's not kangaroo; it's real succulent beef from cows! Now mind you, this was before Australian beef prices skyrocketed mind you, before it was hip and in style. Fast forward to now, it's in DC restaurants for $50 per tiny fillet. I guess they caught on. This was when no one wanted anything to do with it but me. I was getting this stuff shipped into my food guy, for 3/4 of the price I paid for American growth hormone infested bottom round and it was healthier and better quality.

I put it to the grill and taste test before serving it to my customers. I have to say the texture was different but I felt the taste a bit different. Even though I used my same dry rub seasoning blend and grilled it, it almost melted in my mouth. Why? Australia has about 800 beef farms, that do nothing but let cattle roam in green pastures . Most cattle are normally green pasture-fed. Not grain fed like here. Therefore they are eating natural green grass. The end result is a fat ass cow whose beef is leaner, less in saturated fat content, and better for you. They say it contains better fats including Omega 3. Did you know that the Australian Health Council tells their country to eat this yummy stuff at least four times a week? No worries of heart disease from beef there.

This is thinly sliced bottom round, even after grilling to death there are some fatty pocket remaining.

Now, I primarily use bottom round, so I can't speak on other cuts but I can only imagine since the rest of the world is in love with this at five star restaurants that it's following the same pattern. Immediately I noticed a difference from American cow.

The fat that lies inside the Australian meat itself is so nill that it almost disintegrates when grilled.

Australian beef has tiny spider like veins of white lines which may be tiny vessels of fat that melt away when you grill it at high temperatures. It appeared to be almost fat-free when I was done searing it on my open bbq pit with hickory wood. American beef his large pockets of fat that sometimes I must trim off, and even if I try to grill it some of it becomes chewy and you can see it on some of the beef when sliced thin.  Maybe I just got lucky, but according to the Aussie website, I think this is the way it is!

Now I'm happy to say more American farmers are jumping on the hormone free bandwagon, some using less growth hormones and some more mindful of the chemicals used in treating grass and pastures. I still suggest you try to get your hands on some Aussie beef and grill it if you haven't tried it yet.  

Special thanks to one of our Aussie fans for wishing us a Happy 30th Birthday (Aussie Style):





Here's a  few of my favorites ways to eat it --based on using a bottom round roast that may weigh about 12 lbs average, and sectioning it into three hunks that average around 4 lbs each. Slightly larger or slightly smaller is okay too.

GLUTEN FREE - The Aussie American Get it On Roast

Marinate with dry rub seasoning of choice for 48 hours. Set into a casserole dish with 3/4" water in bottom
Add 1cup each of diced celery, and diced carrots spread around the roast.
Add 2 cups of diced red potatoes skin on spread around the roast.
Add 1/2c of diced yellow onion spread around the roast.
Pour 1/4 cup of lite Italian dressing on top the roast, and 1/4 cup spread around the veggies.  (*must be Lite!)
Make sure the water just covers the veggies, if not add a smidge. Bake one in oven on 325 low and slow until veggies are done, temping meat to safe temperature.
Once done, slice with carving knife and eat as roast and veggie dinner.
Tell me what you think.


The two below are not gluten free, but you can make them gluten free by omitting the bread!

The Sweet and Hickory Craky Aussie Sandwich

Marinate a small roast with dry rub seasoning of choice for 48 hours.
Grill on hickory wood reaching safe temperature.
Slice thin and add paper thin slices of lightly grilled white onions and sweet peppers.
Try some hickory sweet bbq sauce and one dash of mayo and horsey sauce on a fresh roll .
Tell me what you think.

The Aussie Au Jus' Big Dipper

Marinate with dry rub seasoning of choice for 48 hours. Bake one in oven casserole putting 1/2" water in bottom of pan and thinly sliced onions (yellow or white).
Cook on slow at 325 degrees until it's at safe temperature internally.
Remove to rest on a tray while you harvest the au' jus. If the au' jus is too think add a bit of water but not much.
Slice thinly and place on a fresh sub roll, top with the onions from the pan and have your au' jus to dip.
Tell me what you think.
 
Buy our top secret dry rub here.

Recipe Beef Tips on the Griddler Round or Rump Roast Oh My

You can tailor this recipe to eat it gluten free, or in a wrap with dressing. Depending on your diet, there are two ways to do it. It's low prep time and super easy. I suggest using a grilling surface whether it be a griddler or outside barbecue. I found this tasty recipe by accident.   My mother got me a Cuisinart Griddler for Christmas to do quick meals for lunch on at my warehouse.  Now I want to say this was a stretch for me, as I heard mostly they are for Panini's. It's just in my blood to grab a small pit and throw some wood in and toke it up. After looking at the Griddler for a week I tried to make friends. First I did a few things on it, first hot dogs (the buns and dogs came out perfectly grilled), then grilled cheese on Pita Bread (again I was impressed) then I graduated to real meals.  I have to say as a BBQ Guy this was a stretch for me to even try to use this thing, but I found it to be great for beef tips so I thought I'd share how I made them.  

MEAT:
I trimmed and cut up a rump roast, but for more tender lovin' use an eye round roast. For optimum low-fat, buy a hunk of Aussie beef or Organic beef which is usually grass fed resulting in less fat.

MARINATION: 
I marinated the cubes for two days in :

• A small bit of Worcestershire

• You may opt to use some fresh garlic at this step. I used some of my dry spice rub--which is a bit saltier and combines a lot of ingredients including garlic spice. Not if you are on a low salt diet, stick with garlic and move on, as the Worcestershire does have a salty base in it.  I do sell it occasionally but you can really make your own here from this NY Times Article it was in since my brother blabbed our recipe.

• Small Onion - white NOT yellow or red!

• Pinch of Cracked Pepper

You can use any grill but my Griddler was on medium and I slow grilled them until they were a nice medium rare. They will be full of flavor as the white onions are strong.

GLUTEN FREE OPTION : 
Eat cubes by themselves when done, or throw on top of a salad.  They will be delicious and a great way to get protein in your diet.

Gluten Free : eat it as it is!

RANCH PITA STYLE:
At the last minute I threw some pita bread on top to steam it up a bit--the pita became soft and flavorful from the onions.  I then served the onions and beef cubes in a pita with some low fat ranch dressing.  Add lettuce and tomato if you want it to resemble a GYRO. Wifey ate it minus onions and she said the meat had a strong onion flavor. from all the grilling and onion vapors So, I have to say, it was darn yummy and very low prep and cook time.

TIP: 
Now I want to be clear that I used the bottom round cubes but a lot of people say they are more on the tough side. The key is to grill them just right and not too much but let them marinade at least 48 hours marination.

Recipe: Chicken Soup Tribute to Ray Rice Keep Warm on Game Day

With our without rice, our chicken soup is nice!

Since our beloved Ravens are off to the AFC championship game, we decided to break out our Chicken Soup w/ Rice recipe. Using this with or without Rice is nice...but for the Baltimore Ravens  Rice is a must.  This chicken soup will yield you approximately 12 - 6 oz servings, more or less depending on how much water you add.  This should keep you warm on game day!

You will need:
Five frozen skinless chicken breasts
**1 Cup of Chicken Stock (Use 1.5 to 2 times this if you use the optional rice to this recipe)
1 tablespoon of butter
1/2 teaspoon of basil (you can substitute Italian Seasoning)
1/2 teaspoon dill
5 medium to large carrots
1/4 yellow onion
6 stalks of celery
Sea Salt and Pepper to taste


Optional: For Non-Gluten Free recipe add 1 cup Rice cooked in another pot while you are doing the rest of this: 


Begin:
In a 6 qt stock pot with lid simmer your frozen chicken breasts on medium-high covered with 6 to 8 cups or water (more if needed - only to the top of the breasts.) Cook covered while you chop and dice your veggies.

Veggie Prep: 
Slice your carrots thin. Dice your onions small.  Cut your celery into 1/4" to 1/2" slices, and chop the leaves, we recommend you use the leaves also.  Place in a bowl awaiting transfer into stock pot.

When your chicken reaches internal temperature of 165 degrees, remove breasts to cutting board area, with caution as they are hot. Leave existing broth to simmer down to one inch of water in your stock pot. When existing broth hits one inch, remove lid and turn heat down to medium. 

Now it's time for love... Add your Basil, dill cut celery leaves, butter, salt, pepper, and cut vegetables.  Veggies will start to simmer and existing one inch of water will start to evaporate, if that happens too quick, add enough water only high enough to cover the veggies. Note the veggies are now meshing with the leftover chicken breast stock and love is happening. This should only take a few minutes to get your veggies to half cooked while you are cubing your chicken breasts on the cutting board.

See our tip , we did not use any high sodium chicken stock, but our own frozen leftovers!

Once your cubed breasts are finished, add them back in with chicken stock** and fill to desired level in pot with water (if you use a six quart pot, we suggest filling to at least 4.5 quarts, adding 12 more more cups of water.)  Simmer on low for fifteen minutes, which should yield you a bit under 4 quarts of soup.   Once your soup looks like ours, it's time to serve and enjoy, unless...

OPTIONAL Adding Rice (optional for non-Gluten Free Users): You may wish to add rice. Many chefs add it during the last few minutes of cooking, but due to absorption factor we enjoy cooking our rice cooked in another pan, and adding in once we turn the soup off.  We also suggest using up to two cups of chicken stock and some extra water, as rice tends to absorb this.

**Chicken Stock Tip: My wife swears that you can achieve more by saving and freezing your own chicken stock. Once we are done with our butt chicken carcass, our cooked chicken carcass, or if we have pieces we haven't touched such as wings, legs, thighs, or skin,  she often boils the remains and skin down for at least two hours in five quarts of water. I never used to believe her, but I' starting to. After two hours the remnants are reduced to about a quart of concentrated golden yummy chickeny  stock. Oh yeah, we love that stuff. 

Read all our FREE recipes here.

GO RAVENS!

GO RAY RICE!

LOVE US SOME RAY RAY LEWIS!

Citrus Marinade Rump Roast or Bison Roast Recipe

Here's a citrus marinade secret recipe for your beef, steaks, bison, rump roasts, top rounds, and even game meats !

Citrus Fruit Marination Recipe:

This recipe is for a perfectly grilled:
Rump Roast
Bison Roast
Top Round Roast
Eye Round Roast
Deer Roast

 

Apply this recipe during and prior to grilling: (enough for a jumbo sized brisket, or for 6 steaks)

First you need to make an equivalent of  "1 Bottle Light Italian Dressing"

So here you go: MAKE YOUR OWN DRESSING:

         Make Your Own: 2c Vinegar, 1c Olive Oil, tablespoon fresh chopped Basil, teaspoon fresh chopped Dill, half teaspoon fresh chopped Oregano, fresh chopped garlic (2 cloves, we crush in mortar and pestle or try to grate in cheese grater) sea salt, two to four teaspoons all natural sugar (give it the taste test).  Some may choose to add more or less Italian ingredients to taste.
add this to:
1/4 cup Spring or purified Water
2 small Onions Sliced paper thin (we like red or white)
2 Oranges Sliced Thin (lemons and limes are optional but don't overdo the limes)
1 tsp fresh dill 
1 tbsp fine Sea Salt

For a Citrus Fruit with a Hot Dang Kick 

Add : 1/4 Cup HOT SAUCE, 1 tbsp coarse black pepper


Mix together and let hunk o' beef sit in this mixture overnight. Best to turn once every 12 hours so both sides get coated.  It's proved to be better if you let it soak for two days, but grill on wood charcoal and use all the marinate early on as the marinade may contain beef blood and or juices that will need to cook off.   Discard any leftovers.  You will taste a sweet but savory taste, unlike no other.  This is a gluten free recipe!

See our related post grilling with fruits here.