bbq

Thanks to all of my readers for sticking with me during the breaks in between blog posts. It’s been a very busy year with a lot of amazing changes and accomplishments! One of which is that I’ve been trying to find more of a balance between cooking at home and eating out. The boyfriend is an amazing cook, and makes facilitating this balance a heck of a lot easier! When FARMER JOHN® reached out to me about doing a collaboration with their products, it was a no-brainer! It took awhile to figure out what dish we wanted to highlight, but once football season came around, we knew exactly what we wanted to do! If you don’t eat pork, I would advise you to stop reading right about now.

Their Premium Classic Bacon is naturally hardwood smoked for full flavor. While great on its own, it’s also the perfect addition to any dish…which is why we decided to make bacon wrapped pork loins!

First, form the bacon strips into a bacon weave. There’s a ton of tutorials on how to do it if you are hesitant, or impatient, like myself. Once you have the bacon weave, roll the pork tenderloins up, cutting off any excess strips.

These are some pretty badass bacon weaves! Once the tenderloins are wrapped, season them. We use a homemade seasoning containing sugar, pepper, garlic powder, paprika and cayenne pepper, among other secret ingredients.

Once coated, it’s time for the…

Yoder Smokers

Probing the meat with digital meat thermometers allows you to keep a pulse on the temperature, so your meat is always perfectly cooked! The tenderloins were on the smoker for around 2 hours at a temperature of 225 degrees fahrenheit. Once the meat hit 145 degrees, we took it off of the smoker, turned up the heat and crisped it up just a bit more. Keep in mind, the internal temperature of the meat is going to continue to rise after you take the meat off of the heat. It will reach the safe temperature when it’s thrown back on to crisp up the bacon.

Who’s hungry? We cut ours into slices and served it over our favorite coleslaw. The pork was perfectly cooked, and the bacon was perfectly crispy.

While, tri tips have been our Sunday BBQ go to when we don’t want to take up too much time prepping and cooking, this is a great alternative. It wasn’t time-consuming and the results were outstanding! If pork tenderloins aren’t your thing, FARMER JOHN® has an array of products and recipes perfect for the holiday season!

For more information, visit https://www.farmerjohn.com/

It is officially summer, and when I think of summer, I think of BBQ. When I think of BBQ, I think of Bludso’s. I have been to both the original location in Compton and the newer location on La Brea in Los Angeles. They are very different from one another. I don’t necessarily have a preference, but there is an occasion for both.

My first trip to the Compton location was a fun one. Not knowing what to expect, we pulled up at 7PM quickly realizing there wasn’t a place to sit, so we quickly arranged the back of the 4Runner to accommodate the feast we were about to embark on. We ordered the Rib Dinner with Baked Beans and Coleslaw, Beef Brisket, and the Pulled Pork on a Bun with a side of Mac & Cheese and extra Cornbread. They ran out of a couple of menu items that we wanted, so that is something to remember the later you go. The Mac & Cheese didn’t really do it for me, but everything else was exceptional. The quality and preparation of the meat was unlike any other BBQ I have had.

Now on to the La Brea location. If you are looking for the same great food, but completely opposite atmosphere, this is the location for you. The interior is full of long tables and booths made for big groups, televisions lining the walls, and a beautiful bar boasting specialty cocktails. The menu is much more condensed in comparison to the other location, and in reality, is more expensive for the portion sizes. However, this doesn’t deter me. Why? Simple. People dining on this trendy stretch of La Brea will pay the asking price to enjoy the atmosphere and the top-notch BBQ. Once again, we enjoyed the Pulled Pork, Pork Ribs, and Brisket with Mac & Cheese and Baked Beans. The ribs were just as delicious as the other location. The meat just falls off of the bone and the rub is superb. The Pulled Pork is more chunky than stringy, but more delicious than any other pulled pork I have had of recent. The best, though, is the Brisket. The meat is so tasty and tender without becoming chewy. Also, I am very particular about my cornbread, and this is definitely in my Top 3.

I will definitely go back with friends to try the signature cocktails and The Tray. For $95, you get 1/2 lb: Brisket – Pulled Pork – Rib Tips – Half Chicken – Full Rack of Pork Ribs – 2 Hot Links – All medium sides plus pickles and cornbread. That sounds like a party to me.

Tag: bbq

In the Kitchen: FARMER JOHN®

Bludso’s: BBQ Heaven