Category Archives: Uncategorized

“Salami Tacos on the Mystique Grill”

June 5, 2015 Kings Reyes Chapa

“Salami Tacos on the Mystique Grill”

“Salami-Tacos-on-the-Mystique-Grill”

“Have you ever lit up that grill and just throw anything on it that normally you would not?”

After having cooked some chicken and fajitas (flank steak) for our dinner, I set up the prepared plate in the warmer while I waited for the girls to come home so that we could eat as a family. They were running late, which is something that I have gotten used to.

Nevertheless, as I was getting ready to close the lid on my grill, I noticed the coals were to good to pass by. I quickly cleaned the cooking grates and threw in some salami and tortillas for a snack while I waited on the girls to come home.

Almost ready

"Salami-tacos-on-the-mystique-grill" — “Salami-tacos-on-the-mystique-grill”

A quick five minutes and my snack was ready in no time! I would recommend you have a plate for any prepared dish, even for the simple ones. Anything coming off the grill would be hot enough to cause discomfort when holding it.

“Voila”

Serve with your favorite beverage and enjoy!

Memoirs

Eating simple things cooked over an open fire or grill reminds me of my childhood when my brothers and I would cook stuff on a small cast iron pan outdoors directly over mystique coals and at times directly over a mystique fire.

I talking about the preteen age years when kids were kids and would go out on their little adventures to have plain good old fun. I recall we had an old small ax with a wooden handle that we would use to chop pieces of old mystique branches for the fire. I was very fortunate to have grown up out in the country where the area had mystique trees all over and where we could start fires directly on the ground and not have to worry about neighbors and the like complaining about the smoke.

Needless to say, we would go around gathering fallen mystique branches and chop them up to build a small fire big enough for the job at hand.

I have always wondered what happened to that old ax.

“Salami Tacos on the Mystique Grill”

Makes a good snack mainly meant before the main course or just because.

Ingredients

salami
torillas

Instructions

When coals ash over add salami and tortillas, flip over after 30-60 seconds, cook an additional 30-60 seconds.
Serve on a plate with your favorite beverage.

http://www.smokefirespice.com/salami-tacos-mystique-grill/

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“Short-ribs on the mesquite grill”

December 14, 2014 Kings Reyes Chapa

“Short-ribs on the mesquite grill”

A beautiful day for a BBQ here in The Rio Grande Valley! We ended up buying chicken, some funny looking ultra-thin beef, fajitas, and short-ribs. Normally, I know what I’m getting, but today I went to one of those local meat markets and ordered a package deal. Not to smart on my part, especially on those thin beef “what-cha-we-call-it!?” Don’t know. They were ultra thin beef strips with bone and resembled bacon (didn’t taste much like bacon though). Needless to say, I learned! Next time I am hand picking the goods.

At times when I cook ribs, I like to season them before they hit the grill with a multi-spice mix. For today, I used paprika, coarse salt, freshly ground pepper, a dash of Cheyenne pepper, and garlic salt.

Normally I grill them over indirect medium heat for one hour or until I am satisfied with how well they are cooked. Today I grilled them over low heat. My personal preference for ribs is well done, but juicy. I do not cover them with aluminum foil, but instead let them get as much smoky flavor during the cooking process.

Do close the lid to prevent flare ups which could ruin your meal; should the ribs catch on fire. If there is too much unwarranted smoke, check out the meal; it might be on fire. Be at the ready to dose flames with H2O (water) just in case there is a fire or with a plate to pull them out until the flames die down.

WHEN THE GRILL IS SMOKING TOO MUCH, AND IT IS NOT SUPPOSE TO.

This grill was smoking and it was suppose too! Unfortunately, it was also on fire… I was smoking brisket for the next day and had placed our dinner there to keep it warm until the ladies got home. The excessive grease on the ribs and sausage caught the attention of the fire.

THE RESULT

Everything burned to a crisp! Ouch! At the very least, the top two briskets survived and the bottom one had to get leaned up a bit (I sliced off the burned area after it had cooled off the next day). More on how I prepare my mouth watering briskets later. That day we ended ordering out. Well, at least I learned a bit. If you are keeping stuff warm on the grill; wrap it in aluminum foil and put it away from the heat source, its already cooked and just needs to keep warm.

Til later. Go grill something will ya!

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“DAVID LETTERMAN’S; 10 SINS YOU SHOULD NOT IMPOSE ON A RIB-EYE STEAK!”

March 26, 2014 Kings Reyes Chapa

“DAVID LETTERMAN’S; THE 10 SINS YOU SHOULD NOT IMPOSE ON A RIB-EYE STEAK!”

“What!? You did what to the rib-eye steaks!? ” and the violins play in that oh so sad heart broken tune of…? “You get the picture though.”

This was a scene a year ago. I had saved enough money to buy four 14 ounce rib-eye steaks for our after Church Sunday BBQ. They were chilling in the fridge doing fine until the “wifey” decided to put a knife into two of them for some beef stew she wanted to create.

By the time I found out it was like…too late. The irreversible had been done. I had to say; any dish served with rib-eye steaks does taste good, but we were now a rib-eye short for Sunday’s BBQ. “CRY BABY!” To the list…

Number 10. Thou shall not take someone else’s rib-eye steak to do God knows what to it!? “Like slathering it with ketchup, it is just not the right thing to do.

Number 9. Thou shall not deep freeze thy rib-eye steak. What’s the point of buying a juicy steak if you gonna throw it in the freezer!? “You risk getting your tongue stuck to it while trying to eat it…or worse; your tongue might suffer frostbite! “OUCH!” Buy it and grill it instead!

Number 8. Thou shall not forget thy rib-eye steaks in the fridge…they will spoil and foul up the place; “YIKES! The pain…the pain!”

NUMBER 7. Thou shall not gulp down your rib-eye steak at the dinner table! “For Heavens Sake; chew it son before it goes down the pipe!”

NUMBER 6. Thou shall protect thy rib-eye steak from man’s best friend. “THAT MUTT of a DOG!”

NUMBER 5 of 10 SINS YOU SHOULD NOT IMPOSE ON A RIB-EYE STEAK. Thou shall not grill your rib-eye steak over unashed coals! It will taste damn awful!

NUMBER 4. Thou shall not drop your rib-eye steak on the grass and feed it to the in-laws expecting them to believe those funky looking grassblades are seasonings! “IT DOES NOT WORK!!!”

NUMBER 3. Thou shall not forget about the rib-eye steaks are still on the GRILL after the hour has passed! You dumb-dumb!!

NUMBER 2. Thou shall not entrust your rib-eye steaks to a guy who has no idea what a grill is! “This GUY is not only gonna char the steaks; but is likely to burn down the HOUSE!!”

NUMERO UNO of “THE 10 SINS YOU SHOULD NOT IMPOSE ON A RIB-EYE STEAK”…

“Who gives a *%#^!!!” Eat YOUR rib-eye steak anyway you want to!!! You bought it!, Your the cook!, Who cares what other people think!, etc…etc…

JUST BECAUSE;

KINGS REYES CHAPA JR.

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2 weeks gone by.

March 9, 2014 Kings Reyes Chapa

It has been two weeks since I last had the opportunity to post a recipe. I had been under the weather for a while, which means; I neither cooked or grilled. Ouch! Thank God I feel better and nothing was really serious. Other than the fact that I have diabetes M., I feel good about myself and have already posted a recipe under the chicken category, which I hope you will enjoy. I already am starting to receive likes through my facebook account.

So, without no further adieu… the grilling show must go on.

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“DEATH OF THE FAMOUS RIB-EYE STEAK!”

February 9, 2014 Kings Reyes Chapa

“DEATH BY RIB-EYE STEAK…OR DEATH OF THE FAMOUS RIB-EYE STEAK?”

I think we all like the latter instead of the first statement. “Death of the famous rib-eye steak.” On January 27, 2014 after suffering high fevers through the night, I decided to go see my Doctor who I hadn’t seen in the past four or so years. I had been having on and off fevers for close to a month now, so seeing my doctor was in order. To my dismay I had an infection… and a high level of sugar in my blood system, which tests had revealed had been going on for years. While it was not my intentions to post any of this, I thought what better place to share recipes and plans to combat this growing World-Wide problem then this post. Diabetes Mellitus not only affects my FAMILY, my COUNTRY, but many DIFFERENT FAMILIES from DIFFERENT COUNTRIES as well.

RUNS IN THE FAMILY

It was a matter of time for me; my days were numbered, you see Diabetes Mellitus runs high in the family. Of my four brothers two of them have it; one is older and the other is younger than me. My father had it too when he was alive. I had suspected I had it too, but I always felt great; I still do. The doctor put me in a strict diet which included no juicy red meats (rib-eyes, New York Steaks, and the like). So, in the following posts you will see recipes in chicken, fish, and lots of boring vegetables, which with the aid of the magic of grilling and cooking; I will make them more appealing to the stomach. Lot’s of them (recipes) as I strive to succeed in my restricted diet and upcoming battles with DM (Diabetes Mellitus). Besides the diet, I am supposed to exercise for 30 minutes each day, watch what I eat (the diet), and lose weight. Those are my three instructions from my doctor; plus a revisit in one month. I didn’t get any medications this time, which I consider to be a good sign.

WHAT IS DIABETES MELLITUS?

There is tons of information out there on the net; here is a link to the American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/ . The ADA has vast information about what Diabetes Mellitus is and how to get help if you need it. In a nutshell I have Type 2 diabetes which means I have too much blood sugar or sugar in my blood. Through exercise, the amount of foods I eat and when I eat them and by losing weight I should be able to better control it.

WHAT NOW?

It is estimated that a staggering 23.6 million Americans have some form of DM, because of this and the fact that now I and some of my family members have DM, I intend to start a separate category in my food blogs. This category will inform people about what recipes they can use and in general; what they can do to help themselves or their loved ones when dealing with Diabetes Mellitus . YOU or WE are not alone as I have mentioned earlier. I look forward to starting this project and from hearing from anyone who has Diabetes and how they are dealing with it. If you have any favorite recipes you would like to share, by all means. While I am still very new to this blogging thing, I am sure to pick up fairly quickly over time or with help.

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“BBQ PIT CLEANING”

February 8, 2014 Kings Reyes Chapa

“BBQ PIT CLEANING”

My little girl suggested I should show what I would normally do before and during my grilling time to show people how I create my master piece dinners, so here it is.

Getting-ready-to-clean-the-barbecue-pit.

I first start of by cleaning the barbecue pit. Normally I would remove the ashes right after a barbecue after it has cooled off. Doing this prevents rust from forming.

Here I removed the grill section to have an easier access to the base of the pit.

I start by removing all loose ashes first and then remove the stubborn ones with a stiff wire brush.

Here I finish off the scrubbing with a finer wire brush that’s shaped better for this type of surface. I then remove the ash container to empty it out and clean it as well.

I have added the grill back and I have crumbled parts of the charcoal bag and put them in the ash holder to serve as a way to light the charcoal instead of using lighter fluid. This process of starting the fire works out very well and only adds 5 minutes to the time as opposed to using charcoal fluid.

Here we are about as ready as ever for take off as we are ever going to be.

We have a fire! The small stick on the top is a broken match stick. Notice how I didn’t clean the grill the last time I barbecued. I leave it dirty on purpose to prevent rust from forming on the grill. I clean it every time I barbecue after the coals have ashed over and the grill is hot with a wire brush and half an onion.

All ashed over and ready for the final stages of prep work. The white circular object on the lower right side of the grill is a hole in the space time continuum….”Oops! Wrong blog!” It is the onion that I will use to wipe down the grill.

Using-an-onion-for-the-final-cleaning-of-the-grill.

Here I am using the half onion for the final cleaning. This also gives a rich aroma to the meats as well and the surrounding air.

Put-the-lid-on.

Here I am ready to bring out the goodies. I will replace the lid and the fire will die down and once the temperature riches 350-450 degrees, its ready. During the time the charcoal was ashing over I have been preparing for our dinner feast.

Here it is. Two chicken breasts, a slab of beef ribs, several sausages, and several winners. I had warmed up corn and Bush’s maple beans as sides…oh yes; and tortillas as well.

These are store bought uncooked tortillas which come out perfect on the grill and it allows me to taste test the goodies to give the dinner the Chef’s stamp of approval. “This final crucial step is the most important in the whole cooking business.” “I love been the cook of the house!”

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A Word on Time…

January 19, 2014 Kings Reyes Chapa

A Word on Time…

“All that really belongs to us is time; even he who has nothing else has that.”

Abraham Lincoln.

“Time and timing is everything. Some things happen in a spur of a moment; like love at first sight or…grilling! Others take planning like a wedding or…planning for that next big barbecue during the Super Bowl!”

Kings Reyes C. JR.

I am not sure where I have heard that or who ever said something like that, but I think it must have been ME or someone like me.

Time and timing goes together with grilling…you can barbecue anytime and anywhere.

Let me tell a short story of the time I was located in the Middle East during Operation Desert Shield in preparation for Desert Storm back in 1990. We were given a free pass to see the Capital of Saudi Arabia (Riyadh) and I took the opportunity to stop at a place to buy a small bag of goodies in which I bought four small tenderloin steaks frozen solid. Later that evening I set up my small little grill, which I normally use to warm up water for coffee or tea in my foxhole (fighting position) and I grilled all four steaks. I had added only salt and pepper from my MRE’s (meals ready to eat) and they tasted like a piece of heaven. Of course I shared them with my military buddy. I still have that little grill stored in my man cave or shed “for those that do know what that means”.

So… at a moments notice you can light up that grill and enjoy your favorite treat or you can plan it all out and create a feast to amaze your friends. So stop what you are doing, print or write down your chosen recipe, and light them up. The grills that is; lets us barbecue and feast like no other day! “To barbecue!”

Just go ahead…and leave a comment or two about the subject.

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Smoking Hazards You Better Follow

January 18, 2014 Kings Reyes Chapa

A Word on Safety

safety-hazards-danger — Hazards of burning charcoal indoors.

While you can grill indoors using approved appliances, most grilling are best done outdoors …especially when dealing with smoke. All grills using charcoal, wood, or propane are meant for outdoor or well ventilated areas. By that I mean having an approved chimney or powered ventilator to exhume the carbon monoxide smoke that is produced as a byproduct of charcoal or propane use. Of course, there are many stoves with grill inserts that use propane and are very safe to use and I have seen indoor fireplaces outfitted with cooking grills etc… Just be sure they are in good working conditions and I would definitely install carbon monoxide detectors to be on the safe side.

This past December I gave away my big I door propane heater to my mom. I stayed with two small electric heaters and bought a third. It was a small propane heater meant for indoor use … or so the box stated. After having used it for an hour I started to feel a slight headache and I decided to turn it off and open some windows. I carefully took the time to read the full small instructions it came with and sure enough there it was in small fine print; safe to use indoors with a ventilated window, “Who the hell would want to turn on a heater when you need to open windows!?” Needless to say, my smoke/carbon monoxide detectors needed new batteries, luckily everything turned out fine and I didn’t ignore the awkward headache. We only live once in this lifetime, play it safe. Know the symptoms, have operating detectors and test them often.

Where there’s smoke…there exists an opportunity for fire.

island-bbq-fire — South Padre Island BBQ

A bomb fire at South Padre Island two years ago where we had set up a different area for barbecue. It was an awesome evening where my brother Joe and sister (Josie) and their families had gathered for a relaxing time.

In this other picture I started a fire in my Stok barbecue grill for some well deserved Rib eye steaks during a Saturday. What I love about this grill is that of the many inserts it has, it has one for arranging charcoal in a neat manner that makes starting fires a breeze. You do not even need lighter fluid, you can use newspapers underneath the insert where ashes normally gather and light it up. I used lighter fluid on this one though and you can tell by how high the flames are in the picture.

As a wise word of caution, do not leave a fire unattended because it will only take a few moments to get out of control. If you look closely enough to the upper part of the picture you will see I have a solar screen to keep the hot sun out of my work out area. That can easily go up in flames in a matter of seconds. Since this last barbecue I ended up moving the grill I use away from this area to prevent mishaps and later move it back to its place after the grills cool of enough. I also keep a water hose handy just in case. One last thing; do not put anymore lighter fluid to a burning fire, remember that some clothes catch on fire quicker than others or might even start to melt (wind breakers), and do dress appropriately.

As far as food preparation goes; wash your hands often before and after handling raw food with warm soapy water. Follow the recommended cooking times set forth by the USDA or seller of food product. Life is simple; let’s keep that way.

Kings R. C.

Please feel free to share any photos or stories you might have or to leave your comments. Thanks.

This site is about creating flavorful-mouthwatering dishes with smoke, fire, and spice that anyone can create to impress that special someone in your life…or just for yourself!