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I have been really lame about coming on here and contributing lately, and for that I apologize. Work has been busy, I'm knee deep into writing my cookbook, the kids are out school....hey, sounds like life, huh?! We made this dish for Father's Day breakfast and it turned out to be a homerun! Feel free to get creative with the stuffing ingredients. What you'll need: 2 Large bell peppers, cored and seeded (or one large bell pepper per adult) Southwestern style hashbrown potatoes (for this recipe I used Simply Potatoes Frozen Hasbrowns) Breakfast Sausage 4 eggs (or 2 per bell pepper) Shredded cheddar cheese Shredded mozarella cheese Sliced Vidalia onion or sweet onion Olive oil BBQ Rub (I used Old WoodFire Grill KK's 10 BBQ Rub) Start out by building a medium heat fire in your grill or smoker, around 350 degrees. I used the Weber Kettle for this cook, so for me that meant 1 large chimney full of lump charcoal, about half lit when dumped into the grill. Bank the charcoal on one one side to create a hot and cool zone. Back in the kitchen, cut the top out of the bell peppers and remove the core and seeds. In a pan, brown the hasbrowns in olive oil. When they are about halfway done, start another pan on medium heat with the crumbled breakfast sausage and sliced onion. When the sausage has browned and the onions have softened, strain the mixture and add to the hashbrowns. Continue to stir on medium heat until the hashbrowns are cooked. You can figure on about 1/4-1/2 cup of hashbrowns, onions and sausage mixture per bell pepper. When the mixture is ready, spoon some into each bell pepper. Add a layer of shredded cheese, then beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl and pour the beaten eggs into each pepper. The egg will seep into every nook and cranny in the hasbrown mixture. Season with the BBQ rub. Place the peppers on the grill on the "cool" side of the grate, opposite the coals. Let them cook on medium heat, around 350°, for about 25 minutes, or until the egg becomes solid and fluffy and starts to rise out of the top of the pepper. Using an oven mitt and a spatula, spin the peppers periodically to minimize blistering of the skin and to help the egg cook evenly. When the egg starts to rise out of the pepper, top them off with a little more of the shredded cheeses and another shake of BBQ rub.

I recently had a taste for a little wood flavored venison, so I could sit back here in the spring and reminisce about my success from last November (hate to brag but here's a little picture, just in case you haven't seen my buck!) Okay, enough showing off! Sorry, now back to the recipe. Anyway, I wanted to do something unique, so I decided to get some woodsy flavored mushrooms, a little greenery to add to the scenery, a dash of color and some bacon, cheese and onion thrown in. And WOW! Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner! What you'll need: Venison backstrap, cleaned and all fat removed Fresh spinach leaves Sliced portobello mushrooms Sliced Monterrey Jack cheese Sliced Vidalia onion, or sweet onion Sliced bell pepper Chopped cilantro Bacon Olive oil BBQ Rub, such as Old WoodFire Grill KK's 10 BBQ Rub Toothpicks Hickory, pecan, apple, oak, or mesquite wood or chunks Start out by getting the fire going in your grill or cooker. You can go two ways with this stuffed backstrap, and both ways are great. You can either go for a low and slow smoked backstrap, or you can crank the heat up just a touch and cook it on a medium fire, which is faster. Personally, I prefer to go with a medium fire, about 300 degrees, it cooks a little faster and still gets a nice smoke flavor. I did this cook on the Weber Kettle, so that meant a full chimney of lump charcoal, about half lit when dumped into the grill, banked on one side. Toss a chunk or two of wood (I used pecan) onto the coals to get a little smoke going. Use a sharp knife (a fillet knife works well) to butterfly the backstrap, cutting right through the middle but not all the way through. Next, layer your ingredients on the inside, starting with the sliced cheese. You notice in the ingredients section of this recipe, I didn't list the particular amount of each ingredient to use, because the variation in size of backstraps could be great. A moose backstrap is gonna hold a lot more than a Coues deer backstrap! But in this case I was using a whitetail deer backstrap, so I stuffed it with as much of the ingredients as I could and still be able to fold it over. Folding can be a little tricky, and having an extra hand around can be a big help. But a little trick that I figured out is to fold it over, and starting at one end, start toothpicking the top and bottom sides together along the edge, stuffing the ingredients in and pinching the sides together as you work from one end to the other. Then when you get ready to wrap in bacon, the bacon can conveniently be hooked onto the toothpicks. Once you have it all stuffed and toothpicked, give the backstrap a light coat of olive oil and season with the BBQ rub. then wrap a few pieces of bacon around the stuffed backstrap, hooking the ends on the toothpicks as mentioned. It doesn't need to be completely covered in bacon, just enough pieces to cover it for the most part. Put a light coat of olive oil on the cooking grate and place the stuffed backstrap on the grate on the opposite side from the coals. If you're using a Weber Kettle as I did, close the lid and position the vent so that it is directly over the meat, to draw the smoke over the backstrap. Whether you are slow smoking or grill cooking, cook to an internal temp of around 135 degrees for medium doneness, which is my preference. You can adjust the internal temperature to your tastes and the level of doneness that you prefer, but remember, you can always cook it more, but you can never take it backwards! When done, slice it and serve it hot!

I took the girls to the hunting land recently to hopefully catch a stringer full of crappie for a big fish fry. So we loaded up the rods and reels, a cooler of snacks and a bucket full of minnows and headed out! But after about 2 solid hours of floating live minnows under a bobber with no luck, I decided to try my luck at bass. So I picked up a baitcaster with a jerk bait and started making casts. About the 4th cast into it, bam! But not a bass, but a big ole' slab side crappie! So I'm thinking, "ok, they'll hit an artificial lure, but not live bait?! What gives!!" I also figured that I had found them, so I relocated the girls over to that spot with the minnows. 1 hour and no fish later, I decided to try the bass again. This time I ws chunking a rattletrap. 1st cast, BAM!! Another big ole' slab!! So at the end of the day, we only had 2 big slabs, but had had a good time and headed for home with new plans for our catch, seeing as how 2 does not make a fish fry! What you'll need: Crappie filets, or can substitute almost any fish filets that you like Melted butter Cajun seasoning 1 cup of black beans, cooked 1/4 cup chopped bell pepper 1/4 cup chopped tomatoes 1/4 cup grilled corn, kernals cut off the cob Balsamic vinegar Fresh cracked black pepper Start out by building a medium fire in your cooker. For this cook I used the Weber Kettle, so for me that means 3/4 chimney of lump charcoal, fully lit when dumped into the grill, banked on one side. Start with clean crappie filets, skin removed, dipped in melted butter. Remove the filets from the butter and season with cajun seasoning. Carefully put a light coat of olive oil or other cooking oil on the grate and place the filets on the grate right over the hot coals. Let the filets cook for about 3-5 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fish, obviously the thicker they are the longer you want to let them go. Flip the filets, and let them cook for another 3-5 minutes, or until the flesh is opaque and flakes easily. Combine the black beans, grilled corn, tomatoes and bell peppers in a bowl. Crumble the blackened crappie filets and add to the bowl. Mix the salad thoroughly. Pour a little balsamic vinegar over the salad for a dressing, and top it off with fresh cracked black pepper.

For all the recipes that I do that are maybe not so good for you, here is one that is a little more friendly to the waistline and the arteries! These turkey burgers are a great alternative to the classic red meat burger, they're a breeze to make, and they taste incredible! What you'll need: 1/2 to 1 pound ground turkey - 1/2 pound will make approximately 4 burgers BBQ seasoning, such as Old WoodFire Grill KK's 10 BBQ Rub, or Cajun seasoning 1 raw egg Oatmeal Diced pickled jalapenos (optional) Wood chunks, such as hickory, pecan or apple Put the ground turkey in a large bowl and add the raw egg, mixing thoroughly. Add a little oatmeal and mix it in, continuing to add oatmeal as needed to get a sticky consistency. This will help make the burger patties stick together. If you want to spice them up a bit, add a tablespoon or so of diced pickled jalapenos. Season the patties with the BBQ rub or Cajun seasoning and place them in the refrigerator for an hour or so prior to cooking. This will also help them "set up" and not fall apart. Start your grill by building a medium to hot fire, around 350 degrees. I did this cook on the Weber Kettle, so for me that meant a full chimney of lump charcoal, fully lit when dumped and banked on one side, to create a hot side and a "cool" side. Throw a couple chunks of wood on the coals, such as hickory, pecan or apple, to get a nice smoky flavor on the turkey burgers. Carefully coat the grate with a light coat of olive oil or other cooking oil, and place the turkey burgers on the cool side of the grate. I normally would put red meat type burgers right over the coals to sear them and bring them off fairly quick, as I like them medium rare, but you will want to make sure the turkey gets thoroughly cooked. Trying to sear them could end up getting them too done and cause them to be dry. Let the turkey burgers cook for about 10 minutes on each side, or until the middle of the burger is white and no pink can be found internally. Serve them up on wheat buns with Creole mustard and a slice of tomato and lettuce.

I recently wanted cook cook something really unique to put on my website, and so after a lot of debate, I consulted my Louisiana Cajun cooking connection, and she suggested Cajun style stuffed pork chops. And she has never been wrong before, so I was all ears to hear her methods and suggestions. The only thing I did different from her original recipe was to smoke cook the pork chops on the Weber Kettle, as opposed to pan frying or oven cooking. I'm here to tell you, as the Cajuns would say, it was "ca c'est beaucoups bien!" What you'll need: Thick cut pork chops, about 1 1/4" to 1 1/2" thick (I used boneless pork chops for this cook, but pork chops with bones would do fine) 1/4 cup finely chopped onion 1/4 cup finely chopped bell pepper 1/4 cup finely chopped celery About 1/2 of a link of Andouille sausage Crusty bread, cubed Chicken broth, approximately 1/2 cup 1/4 cup crab meat, chopped finely (I cheated with imitation crab for this cook) Cajun Seasoning Olive oil Pecan or hickory wood or chunks Start out by building a medium fire in your cooker, around 300 degrees. For this cook I used the Weber Kettle, so for me, that means a full chimney of lump charcoal, about half lit when dumped into the grill. Bank the charcoal on one side, creating a hot side and a cool side. Toss a couple of chunks of wood on the coals to get a little smoke going while the coals are burning to cooking temp. Remove the casings from the Andouille sausage and brown in a skillet with a little olive oil until it crumbles easily. Once the sausage has browned, strain it and reserve some of the drippings. In the same pan, add the chopped celery, onions and bell pepper and lightly saute. Once they have softened a little, add the browned sausage back to the pan, season with Cajun seasoning and stir to mix thoroughly. Pour the mixture into a bowl and add the cubed bread. Stir in chicken broth a little at a time, until you reach a nice sticky consistency. Add the chopped crab and stir to mix. Cut a slit in each pork chop to create a "pocket". Spoon the mixture into the pocket. Once the pork chops have been stuffed, put a light coat of olive oil on the outside and season with Cajun seasoning. Put the stuffed pork chops on the grate on the opposite side from the coals. Close the lid, situating so that the vent is directly over the pork chops, so as to draw the smoke over them. Cook them for about 45 minutes at 300 degrees, flipping half way through, or until a toothpick inserted into one yields juice that runs clear. When done, plate them up and serve hot! Bon appetite!

As I have made mention before on this website, I have a huge craving for Cajun cooking and a tremendous desire to learn more about the deep roots of the food and the culture known as Acadian. I can and do read about it from time to time, watch "Swamp People" of course, but being from Georgia, it can be hard to get the real scoop. So luckily for me, I have a good friend that is 100% pure Cajun, transplanted here to Georgia several years ago. She is a walking Cajun cookbook, and every chance I get, I try to pry a good Cajun recipe out of her and try to put a BBQ twist on it. This is her latest recipe that she gave me, and I'm here to tell you, it will not disappoint! What you'll need: Fresh eggplants, halved (one half will easily feed a hungry adult) Pulled smoked chicken, about 1/2 cup per meduim sized eggplant (My method for smoked chicken can be found Here) Smoked sausage, chopped or chunked, about 1/4 cup per medium sized eggplant 1 cup onions, finely chopped 1/2 cup bell pepper, finely chopped 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 3 tablespoons butter 1 cup bread crumbs (for this recipe we used panko) 1 cup whole grain rice, cooked Cajun Seasoning Lemon juice Water Spray cooking oil, such as olive oil or canola Chopped scallions Hickory or pecan wood or chunks Start out by buiding a medium heat fire in the grill or smoker, around 350 degrees. For this cook I used the Weber Kettle, and used a full chimney of lump charcoal, half lit when dumped in, banked on wood side. Toss a chunk of wood on the coals to get a nice smoke going. I used hickory for this cook, but pecan would be a good choice as well. Prep the eggplant by washing it and cutting it in half, lengthwise. Using a small spoon or an ice cream scoop, remove the inner portion of the eggplant, leaving about 1/4 inch all the way around, so that you are left with a carved out shell, similar to how you would if you were making twice baked potatoes. Place the eggplant shells in a large pan or bowl and cover with cold water, adding a teaspoon of lemon juice to the water. This will keep them from starting to turn brown. Let them sit in the water and lemon juice for about 15 minutes. Place the carved out eggplant in a large pan and cover with water and a teaspoon of lemon juice. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes or until the eggplant has softened. Remove from the heat and strain the eggplant to remove the water. In the same pan, lightly saute the bell pepper, onion and celery with the butter, just until they start to soften. Add the eggplant carving, the pulled chicken, the sausage, the garlic, about 3/4 cup of the bread crumbs and the rice to the pan. Season to taste with the Cajun seasoning. Stir to mix it up well. Spray a large aluminum pan or other baking type dish with cooking oil and place the eggplant shells in the pan. Fill the shells with the mixture and top with the remaining bread crumbs. Place the pan with the stuffed eggplant shells on the grill on the "cool" side of the grate, opposite the coals. Close the lid and let them cook for about 15 minutes, or until the stuffing starts to get a nice crust. Garnish with the chopped scallions and serve hot with a nice crusty garlic bread.

Hey man, don't feel bad, it's about the same here, and I'm in the deep south!!

Sure you could use the whole egg. I just do that to cut back a little cholesterol, but it wouldn't make that much difference, and would probably make them stick even better.

Venison burgers are a favorite around my house, especially in the summer on Sunday afternoons around the pool. We like to use pure venison, no added fat. This recipe is the same as I would use for big full size deer burgers, but for this cook we cut them down to slider burger size. What you'll need: Ground vension ( a 1 pound package will make about 6 sliders) Egg whites, about 3 per 1 pound of ground venison Plain oatmeal Old WoodFire Grill's KK's 10 BBQ Rub Montreal steak seasoning Olive Oil or grill spray Hickory, pecan or mesquite wood or chunks In a large bowl, combine the ground venison and the egg whites and fold until thoroughly mixed. Add oatmeal, a little at a time, and continue to fold until the mixture has a sticky consistency. This will make them hold together well without using added fat. Pat the meat out into small burgers and place on a cookie sheet. Season with Old WoodFire Grill's KK's 10 BBQ Rub and Montreal steak seasoning. Place in the refrigerator for about an hour prior to cooking. This will also help to soildify the burgers and prevent them from coming apart. Start your grill by buiding a medium to hot fire, around 350-400 degrees. For this cook I used the Weber Kettle, and I used a large chimney full of lump charcoal, fully lit. Bank the charcoal on one side, to create a hot side and a cool side. Throw a chunk of wood on the coals to give it a little smoke flavor. I really like mesquite for my burgers, but in my opinion hickory and pecan are good choices also. When the coals are burning good and the flames have died down, carefully coat the cooking grate with olive oil and place the burgers on the grate, directly over the coals. Let them cook for about 2-3 minutes, then flip and repeat. Once they have finished on the hot side, move them to the cool side and place a half slice of cheese on each one, close the lid and let it melt. Once the cheese has melted, remove the slider burgers from the grill and place a few buns on the cool side to toast. Serve them up with Old WoodFire Grill's Beer Battered Fries.

One more last minute idea for Super Bowl Parties!! These need no introduction...just need to be eaten!!! What you'll need: Baking size potatoes Olive Oil Fresh cracked black pepper Shredded cheddar cheese Shredded mozzarella cheese Bacon, crumbled Chopped scallions Chopped chives Sour cream Old WoodFire Grill KK's 10 BBQ Rub or Big Green Egg Seasoning Aluminum foil Start by baking the potatoes, getting the grill or smoker going with a cooking fire at around 350 to 400 degrees. Or, if you are already smoking something, such as ribs as I was in this particular cook, you can go with a 250 degree fire, it will just take longer to get the potatoes baked. Wash the potatoes, stab them a couple of times with a knife or fork, coat in olive oil and cover with a light coating of fresh cracked black pepper. Wrap the potato up in aluminum foil and place on the grill. You want cook them indirect, not over the coals or flame. If you are cooking at 350-400 degrees they will take about 1 hour. At 250, it will take about 1 3/4 - 2 hours to get them done. Once the potatoes have finished baking, bring them in and slice them in half. Using a spoon, or even better, a kitchen utensil such as an ice cream scoop, carefully scoop out the middle, leaving about a 1/8 inch remaining around the edges and the bottom. Save the middle portion to be used as mashed potatoes or a variety of other applications that call for baked or mashed potatoes. Fill the center with the shredded cheeses, and sprinkle with the bbq rub. I used Big Green Egg seasoning for this cook, as it is a little more salty tasting than my rub, which I like on potatoes. But use what you like. The idea is to get a little flavor on the tater skins. Place the loaded potatoes in an aluminum pan or on a cookie sheet and put them back on the grill or smoker. Let them cook until the cheese has melted and the crust around the edges is starting to brown up and get firm. The amount of time that this takes will depend on the temperature that you are running, so just keep an eye on them. When they are done on the grill or smoker, bring them in and top off with one more sprinkle of bbq rub, the crumbled bacon, chopped scallions and chopped chives. Serve with fresh sour cream and enjoy!

Great!! I am glad you guys enjoyed them

On a hunting trip to Saskatchewan a few years ago, we stopped at a convenience store for gas and some snacks, and they had some riblets that were fried. They were really good, and my buddy Walt Rabern and I deducted we could put a southern twist on it by smoking them and then frying them! Turns out, we were not wrong! These things turned out so good, it is MUST for my Superbowl Party menu! What you'll need: For the batter 1 cup flour 1 cup corn starch 12 ounce can of beer 1 tablespoon Old WoodFire Grill KK's 10 BBQ Rub© 1 tablespoon granulated garlic For the ribs Boneless country style ribs Old WoodFire Grill KK's 10 BBQ Rub© Hickory or pecan wood or chunks Start out by seasoning the boneless country style ribs with a liberal coating of Old WoodFire Grill KK's 10 BBQ Rub. After seasoning, place them back in the refrigerator for a couple of hours prior to cooking, up to overnight. For the smoking of the ribs, you want to put them on your cooker long enough to get a nice smoky flavor, but not cooked all the way through. You can do them on your choice of cookers, such as the Weber Kettle, Big Green Egg, or any other type smoker you may have. You could also use a gas grill using an indirect method with some wood chips or chunks. The idea is to maintain a low smoking temp of around 225 degrees. I used my offset smoker for this cook, burning hickory, but pecan would do nicely as well. Smoke the ribs for about 45 minutes to an hour, or until the outside starts to take on some color, to get a nice smokering. In the meantime, mix up the batter for the ribs by mixing the flour and corn starch in a large bowl. Pour in the beer, stirring with a whisk until you get a nice consistency, about like pancake batter. Only use enough beer to get the consistency that you want. Add 1 tablespoon of Old WoodFire Grill KK's 10 BBQ Rub and 1 tablespoon of granulated garlic. When the ribs are ready to come in, cut them into chunks and place them in the batter, mixing well so as to completely coat each chunk. Once battered, deep fry the riblets at 350 degrees until the coating is crisp and the riblets are floating. Smother them with your favorite BBQ sauce and serve with Old WoodFire Grill's Beer Battered Fries http://www.oldwoodfiregrill.com/?p=1143

With SuperBowl Sunday right around the corner, we are kicking up some great football party foods here at www.OldWoodFireGrill.com to get ready for the big game. Smoky Hot Tater Tots is an idea that we came up with based on simple principles: bacon is good, jalapenos are good and tater tots are good! But putting them all together - on a smoker - that's gotta be a match made in heaven! I'm here to tell you, they didn't disappoint! Here's what you'll need: Fresh large size jalapenos, seeds and membranes removed Thick sliced bacon Frozen tater tots, Old WoodFire Grill's KK's 10 BBQ Rub© Toothpicks Start out by removing the seeds and membranes of the jalapeno peppers. It is a good idea to wear latex gloves while doing this, as the juices from the peppers can get on your fingers and be spread to your eyes, nose and other places where it may not be enjoyable. Cut the top out of the jalapeno, then use a kitchen utensil such as a vegetable peeler or small spoon to core out the inside of the pepper, discarding the seeds and membrane. Slice the peppers into pieces just slightly smaller than a tater tot. Rinse them with cold water and pat them dry. Insert a frozen tater tot into each jalapeno slice, and wrap with bacon. You can slice the ends in half and place the tater tot between them. The key to the bacon wrap is to go around the pepper/tater tot horizontally and vertically. Secure the bacon with a toothpick. Dust the tater tots with a coat of Old WoodFire Grill's KK's 10 BBQ Rub© and you are set for the smoker. Place them on your cooker and smoke at 250-300 degrees for about 45 minutes, or until the bacon crisps up. Serve them hot with a variety of other finger foods and enjoy!

My Granny Louise makes the best chicken and dumplings to be had in the USA. Hands down, no contest, don't even start. And I'm not trying to compete with her. But I've never known her to make VENISON and dumplings. So, maybe I can start a new traditon here with a little recipe I dreamed up and have my grand kids some day (long way off, I have kids in elementary school!) start off a post on their website, "My Pops makes the best venison and dumpling stew to be had..." , you get the idea. Here's what you'll need: For the stew- Chunks of stew quality venison Old WoodFire Grill's KK's 10 BBQ Rub 4 cups of water 1 cup of beef broth or chicken broth 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning 1 teaspoon black pepper Hot sauce, to taste 1/2 cup sliced carrots 1/2 cup chopped celery 1/2 cup sliced onions Chopped green onions for garnish For the dumplings- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoon baking powder 3/4 teaspoon salt 3 tablespoon butter 3/4 cup milk Start out by seasoning the venison chunks with Old WoodFire Grill's KK's 10 BBQ Rub and lightly smoking them. For this cook I used the Weber Kettle and started with a half chimney of lump charcoal, banked on one side, along with a chunk of hickory. Place the chunks of venison on the "cool" side of the grate and close the lid, positioning the vent so that it is over the meat in order to draw the smoke across the meat. Cook them at around 200-220 degrees for about 30 minutes, just to get a nice smoky flavor. You could also lightly brown the seasoned venison in a pan with olive oil if you don't want to fire up the BBQ pit, but you would miss out on the smoky flavor. Cut the smoked chunks into bite size cubes. In a crockpot, combine the water, beef or chicken broth, Cajun seasoning, black pepper, hot sauce and smoked venison chunks. Cover and cook on high for around 5 hours, or until the venison is fall apart tender. Next, add the sliced carrots, onions and chopped celery and let it cook for another 2 to 3 hours, or until the vegetables have started to soften up. To make the dumplings, combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Using a pastry blender or fork, cut in small "crumbles" of butter to the dry mixture. Add the milk and stir until well blended. Using a large spoon, drop heaping lumps onto the top of the stew and let simmer for 10 minutes with the lid off, then cover and let simmer for additional 10 minutes. Serve it up piping hot with chopped green onions for garnish.

Gotta die of something