Jul 19 2015
Another hot one today, 91 deg. and 55% humidity! They were saying severe t-storms for this evening but the rain gods were with me, the one strong cell split and went north and south of us. Then another cell behind it dissipated over Indiana.
Our son came down before it got too hot and mowed the back yard for me. I told him what we were having for supper and said sounded good. I said let me know because I will have to get more wings and some macaroni. They decided to eat with us so my wife went for more wings and pasta.
I had three jars of sauce from Blues Hog and their rub to try and for the ladies I had Penzey’s Galena St. rub and some sauce from my butcher that is on the milder side. I tasted all the sauces from Blues hog, Honey Mustard, sweet mustard but not too mustardy and a little heat, Tennessee Red Sauce, a thinner vinegar sauce, hot and a touch of sweet, Blues Hog Original, sweet, spicy and hot.
I checked the last two wing cooks I did and I had done them 1 ½ hours, ½ at 180-200, ½ at 250 add any sauce and ½ at 300-325. I read where sugar burns at 290 deg. so I wanted to stay below that and not burn my sauce. I figured a ½ hour at 220 deg. a ½ hour at 255 deg. add my sauces and last ½ at 275-280 deg. I checked my temps with my grey thermopen at 1 ½ hours and all wings were about 175 deg. they were on another 10 minutes. They were done but not enough for me; they could have stood another 20 – 30 minutes. If any of you do wings to an IT please let me know what it is.
I had 10 wings from my butcher and 8 from the grocery. I seasoned 10 with Blues Hog Rub and 8 with Penzey’s Galena St. Rub. For the sauces I brushed on 3 each with 3 of the Blues Hog sauces. I tossed 4 with a 50-50 mix of butter and Cholula hot sauce. All had the Blues Hog Rub on them. I brushed on some of my butcher’s sauce on the remaining 5 wings.
I got my mac and cheese ready early; cooking the pasta on my Camp Chef burner. I mixed up inside and got ready for the oven at 5:00 to bake for an hour at 350 deg.
Everyone who wanted a salad made it up with some tomatoes and I brought the wings in at 6:10. The mac n cheese was done with a nice crust on top. I told all where the different wings were but forgot to tell the son to remember for a report. He said they were great but didn’t know which were which. My wife had the sweet mild ones. I thought the grandson would try the hot spicy ones since when we ate at the good Mexican place here in town he was putting Habanero red and green sauce on his tortilla chips; but he opted for the sweet ones.
I thought all 3 of the Blues Hog sauce were really good. The Honey Mustard was the best mustard based sauce I have had. I did like the Tennessee Red and the Original best and can’t wait to try them on ribs. For heat I would say the honey mustard was mild and the other two were close to medium. I think their sauces have done well at BBQ comps and one placed first at the American Royal last year. I always do like wings with a good rub and tossed with a 50-50 mix of melted butter and hot sauce. The DIL didn’t have any wings; she ate salad and mac n cheese.
I thought I had a pic of the mac n cheese out of the oven but all you get is on the plate. I thought it was one of my better mac n cheese dishes.
The sauces
Seasoned and sauces ready
An hour in and ready to sauce
Sauces added
About done
My supper
Smokin Don
My Mac n cheese recipe
1 ¾ cups of elbow macaroni, cooked el Dante
½ cup sharp cheddar, I used some Kerrygold
2 pats of butter
4 slices Swiss cheese
3 to 4 Tbs. shredded parmesan
½ cup buttermilk
¼ cup half and half
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Cook the pasta and drain. Place back on the stove on a low burner and stir in the cheese to melt and add in the butter. Pour half into a 8X8 or 9X9 casserole dish, lay in the sliced Swiss cheese then add the rest of the pasta. Mix the dry mustard in the buttermilk and half and half pour over top. Add the parmesan cheese over the top.
If you are going to bake at this point about 45 minutes at 350 deg. or until bubbly and a little brown on top. I held mine in the fridge until later so I put it in the oven cold; set it to 350 deg. and in an hour it was just right.
Note: my Kerrygold cheese was in a block so I sliced thin and cut up, shredded cheese melts better and is fine to use. The parmesan I shaved with a micro plane for on top. I don’t think I ever used buttermilk before bit it gives a pleasant tang to the dish. This came out the way I like it, set up pretty well; if you like wetter add more half and half. A pinch of cayenne pepper may go well.
