Today I’m sharing our April Mountain Moments. This is a recap of what happened in the month of April, in and outside, of our mountain kitchen.
So Over This!
I’m sick of everyone being sick! We are beyond over Covid-19 as I am sure you are too. I don’t even want to talk about it or hear about it anymore.
David and I continue to stay healthy despite going into the city for work every day in one of the worst counties in the state of Virginia for Coronavirus cases.
We hope you are staying safe and well also!
To Love, Honor, and… What’s That Smell?!? 🙈🙉🙊
I have known David 21 years this month and we celebrated 7 years of marriage on Monday, April 27th at home together on the mountain.
It was only one year ago that we celebrated in our favorite city where neon glamour meets desert sand.
It’s amazing what can happen in a year’s time.
Supporting Local As Best As We Can
During this awful pandemic, David and I are trying our best to support our local restaurants, vineyards, and breweries. Hopefully, Virginia will let them open back up soon. We’ve missed all of them greatly. We only wish we had more opportunities to support them.
WHAT WE’RE WORKING ON
SMOKED PASTRAMI:
I think we have just about nailed our smoked pastrami technique!
The recipe we shared before was too salty. So we have been working to tweak the brine solution.
We tested out our new brine solution and rub on a chuck roast because it is a cheaper cut of meat. We are very pleased with the results and will be testing this recipe one more time on another brisket flat just to make sure it all comes out the same way.
Be patient y’all, it’s gonna be good!
GARLIC HERB BUTTER ROASTED CHICKEN:
I’ve been making this chicken for years, but I’ve never taken the time to document it and share it here on the blog. The beauty of working from home a few days a week is that I can take time to prepare nice dinner recipes. I just know you will love this recipe!
GRILLED INDIAN LAMB CHOPS:
David and I have fallen in love with Indian cuisine. We recently experimented with some tandoori-style grilled lamb chops. Another test or two and we will probably have a recipe worth sharing with you.
Do you like Indian cuisine? Please let us know by commenting at the end of this post!
I can also share a recipe for homemade garam masala if you are interested…
NEW RECIPE FOR SMOKED DUCK:
We shared a smoked duck recipe with you before. It was a delicious recipe, but it took a lot of time to prep and brine. This new recipe we have been working on is a lot faster without as much brining.
If you like duck meat, you will love this recipe!
GRILLED STEAK TACOS:
When the pandemic started the stores were just about stripped bare. David and I made an impulse by and purchased some thin sirloin steaks because it was the only meat we could find at the time.
We just wanted to make sure we had some meat. The next day, we stopped by a local butcher and we were able to find everything we needed. Well, the steaks ended up in the freezer. We defrosted them for some grilled steak tacos one night a couple of weeks ago. Holy crap! They were so good!
You are gonna love these recipes! Stay tuned for these recipes and more…
TOP RECIPE OF THE MONTH
COMMENTS OF THE MONTH!
“Outstanding! Nothing quite like beef on the bone to set a soul straight. Wow, that looks good. The old boy sure can run a grill, and I tip my hat to him. Heck, you both can cook the pants off a donkey. I just wrote that. Not sure if it works or not, but I’m going with it.”
Patrons of the Pit (Comment on Smoked Beef Short Ribs {A Step-By-Step Guide)
“I accidentally found your website while searching for something different to cook in the smoker. Love the recipes and we are going to try the smoked chuck roast next week. I’ll definitely try more.”
David (Comment on He Calls Me “The Blonde Italian”)
“This looks awesome. By the way, that great up front photo ( a la Space Odyssey 2001) is what drew me into reading the recipe and instructions (plus I really like ribs)… Since we are in “stay at home mode” I plan to try this one as soon as I can get the meat. Thanks for sharing. This rating is for the delicious looking recipe as documented in these outstanding photos… This is possibly the best-written set of instructions I have ever seen for ribs. I’ll rate again after I have sampled the results.”
Ron (5-Star Rating & Comment on Smoked Beef Short Ribs {A Step-By-Step Guide)
‘TIS THE SEASON!
Easy Shrimp Tacos With Red Cabbage Slaw & Chipotle Sour Cream
Warm garlicky shrimp, fresh sweet and tangy red cabbage slaw, with smoky and spicy sour cream, intensely flavor these easy shrimp tacos. You’ll love em!
David’s Big Twin Double Cheeseburger
David’s copycat recipe of Hardee’s Big Twin Double Cheeseburger. Grilled beef patties nestled on a sesame seed bun with cheese, special sauce and lettuce.
AROUND THE MOUNTAIN!!
We are so ready to enjoy time out on our deck and screened porch. Unfortunately, it’s either been too cold, rainy or the wind is blowing a gale to sit outside very much.
Pollen season is just starting in our neck of the woods. However, it has been muted a bit with colder temperatures.
The forecast for Saturday is looking good and we are going to throw a brisket on Charlie-Choo-Choo. I see some burnt ends in our future!
R.I.P. José Jalapeno On Zee Deck 😭
It comes with great sorrow that we say goodbye to our beloved jalapeño plant, José.
For those of you who do not know what the heck I am talking about, José is a jalapeño plant that I have kept alive for the past 5 1/2 years. I am not sure what happened exactly, but I believe some type of mites got into him and he couldn’t survive the winter. I didn’t forget to water him… maybe I should have.
While I am sad that he is gone, I have to be honest and say I’m relieved the challenge of keeping him alive is over. He grew us our fair share of jalapeños and for that, we are forever grateful.
We are sure going to miss him on the deck this summer. Rest in Peace José.
APRIL MOUNTAIN VIEWS
That’s all of the April Mountain Moments. See ya next month with more moments from the mountain.
Stay well, look out for one another and stay healthy!
Join our email list and receive this and even more every month! Our subscribers get all of this PLUS seasonal recipes!
Click HERE to join!
It’s free and we won’t spam you with a bunch of emails you don’t want.
Judy says
I really enjoy all the beautiful photos of both scenery and food. Indian? We love it and have for years. I make several dishes from Madhur Jaffrey’s cookbook and recently purchased her book for cooking Indian in the Instant Pot.. They are great for the home cook.
Keep safe and enjoying your special spot on the mountain.
The Mountain Kitchen says
Hi Judy! Good to hear from you. I’ll definitely have to check out her recipes. Thanks for taking the time to comment! 🙂
Sharon Scott says
today I planted a new jalapeno plant in his honor.
Irene says
Poor Jose jalapeno, RIP! I enjoyed the post greatly, Happy month of May, stay safe!
The Mountain Kitchen says
Thank you for the condolences and well wishes, Irene. We wish you well also. Thanks for reading!