Stacks Image 62

My father used to say, “Chuck doesn’t do anything in halves.” He was right: sometimes its a virtue and sometimes a curse. He and my mother taught me to cook, sometimes using cookbooks, like Julia Child's, but more frequently just winging it. This site is a roller coaster ride of recipes, articles, ingredients and anything else that involves cooking and presenting food. There is something here for everybody from beginners to experts.


Cooking Temps

Chicken breast 165, Chicken thigh 170 or more. Pork med well 145, Pork med 140, Rack of lamb med rare 131, Beef very rare 125, Beef rare 130,Beef med rare 135, Duck Breast 126, Salmon med 118, Disclaimer: USDA stds dictate much higher temps. To be super safe, cook everything until it is dry and crunchy, then toss it in the trash

Incredible Smoked Meat

One of our residents at work, Zach Frabitore, is a member of Pappy and Roley's Appalachian BBQ team. They recently won best Ribs in a national BBQ Competition in NC. The guy knows BBQ to an astounding level. To put it mildly, competition BBQ requires a depth of understanding and attention to detail that is difficult to fathom. I had no idea what a deep dive this can be. Every meat is treated very differently. You don't just throw it in the smoker and expect a good result. Endless experimentation, a bit of science, and luck produce the formula for a winning presentation.

Zach has shared many of the ideas and recipes with me. I have begun to post these under the Articles section. This weekend I gave Brisket a try.


I have never been that fond of brisket; It is frequently dry, a bit chewy, and desperately in need of sauce. So I followed Zach's basic brisket method. I bought a Prime grade brisket at Strip District Meats. This was basically half a brisket called the Point, and did not include the leaner part called the Flat. The night before I injected it with a broth made of beef broth and Kosmos injectate. The next day I smoked it for a few hours and then baked it.

The result was the best brisket I have ever had with the exception of Zach's. This was a BBQ Home Run, Hat Trick, TKO, and Smack Down rolled into one. Flavorful, tender, and not dry!!!