Close-up of a sliced piece of cooked meat with a visible charred edge, surrounded by other cooked food items.

Come out and !

By Paula Dream (AKA Kale Haygood)

May brings May flowers, mosquitos and cookouts (and, of course, those clothing optional pool parties). I just love warming my buns over a good grill!

In this issue we feature recipes for that cookout. You are going to think Paula has busted the string off her corset with all these recipes. (I bet some of you don’t even know what a corset is.)

Aside from burgers, brisket is always a hit at any gathering. I don’t recall where I got this recipe, but with some modifications I’ll try to repeat it to you. It’s called Better Than Sex Brisket. Whoever came up with that name must have had me in mind, because they always come back for seconds and thirds.

We’ll need a couple of sides to go with that beautiful glazed brisket, right?

And finally, we’ve got to have something for the sweet tooth to cap off the cookout.

As always, thank you for your continued comments and questions — you sure make this old lady feel good. And please remember to support our advertisers who help make this publication possible.

BETTER THAN SEX BRISKET

1 beef brisket (8 to 12 pounds)
2 tablespoons beef base

For the rub:
2 tablespoons garlic salt
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon smoked paprik

For the wrap sauce:
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons shallots, chopped
2 tablespoons apple juice

For the glaze:
3/4 cup bottled barbecue sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoons apple cider vinega

Remove fat cap and any fatty areas from brisket, and then score the meat crosswise on both sides. Coat both sides meat with beef base. Combine all the rub ingredients and rub into the meat. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Heat smoker or grill to 225 degrees. If using a grill, create a direct/indirect heat area. Add your favorite smoking wood that has been soaking in water overnight. Place the brisket in the smoker/grill and let smoke for about five hours. Remove brisket from grill, coat meat with wrap sauce, then wrap in heavy-duty foil, forming the foil into a packet. Place foil packet back on the grill. Let the brisket steam in the packet for another two hours, maintaining the same grill temperature (the internal temp of the meat should be 190 degrees). Remove packet from grill, then place brisket back on grill, and brush the combined glaze ingredients on to the meat. Continue to cook for another 30 minutes.

QUICKIE POTATO SALAD

6 cups unpeeled gold potatoes, boiled, drained, cooled and quartered
6-8 bacon slices, cooked crisp, and crumbled
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
4 to 6 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Combine bacon, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, green onions and parsley in a large bowl. Add potatoes, mixing until potatoes are coated. Refrigerate before serving.

KALE’S BEST BAKED BEANS

2 15-ounce cans pork and beans
2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 small onion, diced
1 small bell pepper, diced
1 or 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard (to taste)
4 slices bacon
1/3 cup molasses
2 tablespoons bottled barbecue sauce (optional)

Mix all ingredients together in an oven-proof baking dish, laying slices of bacon across top of bean mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes until bean mixture thickens and bacon is slightly browned. 

OREO-STUFFED CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

2 sticks butter, softened
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
3-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
10 ounces of chocolate chips
1 bag Oreo cookies
(if you want to live on the wild side, get the double stuff)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and both sugars together. Add eggs and vanilla and mix. Add all dry ingredients and mix. Add chocolate chips, and mix. Using a cookie scoop or a tablespoon, place one scoop of dough on top of an Oreo and one scoop on the bottom of cookie. Press together and seal cookie with dough. Place on parchment paper-lined cookie sheet or a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 9 to 13 minutes until brown.

Paula Dream, AKA Kale Haygood, owns Beyond Service, a Montrose-based, home-cooking catering company. For more information, call 713-805-4106 or email barrykale@yahoo.com.

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