Common Sense Evaluation II

As promised, here is the final fact sheet showing at least some of the products made from pigs and where they come from. (This compliments the posts from the last two weeks on "Everything but the Baaa..." and "Everything but the Moo....") It is a great visual for students to start learning about just how much agriculture impacts their daily lives through more than just the food on their plates and illustrates how we really do use everything but the oink! Source...

Rotisserie Onions Ingredients 1 or more medium (8 ounce) onions, about the size of your fist. Root and stem end trimmed but skin left on. 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt Instructions 1 Skewer the onion through the root end; if you have an extra spit fork, use it to secure the onion to the spit. Then spit and secure the main course. 2 Be sure to test that your food freely fits and spins on the rotisserie. It is crucial to test this out before you preheat the grill. 3 Set the grill up for indirect high heat (450° to 550°F) with the drip pan in the middle of the grill. 4 Put the spit on the grill, start the motor spinning, and make sure the drip pan is centered beneath the main course. Close the lid and cook until the onion is blackened on the outside and tender all the way through, about 1 hour. 5 Remove the onion from the rotisserie spit. Be careful - the spit and forks are blazing hot. Cut the blackened skin away from the onion and discard. Dice the cooked onion, sprinkle with salt, and serve

Pulled pork... An American classic, the meat is slow-cooked then shredded or ‘pulled’ and layered with BBQ sauce and topped with slaw on a hamburger bun. Get the recipe...

When comparing apples to apples, it’s important to know what to look for. Although many go to the grocery store and decide between red, green or yellow, there is more to picking apples than by the color. You may even favor one apple color over another, but do you really know the characteristics that make certain apples appealing? Are you picking the right apples when baking a dessert or making a salad? Here is a breakdown on some of the various types of apples.

Pork ribs are not hard to master and getting them cooked perfectly is something that anyone can do. They happen to be my absolute favorite thing to cook on the Weber Smokey Mountain Smoker. Over the past few years I have learned a few tips and tricks that have helped me to turn out great smoked ribs almost every time that I would like to share. Cooking time: 4 to 5 hours (At 275 degrees) Ingredients: Pork ribs (Spare Ribs or Baby Backs) All-Purpose Rub Apple Cider Vinegar Mopping Sauce 1/2 cup Dijon Mustard 1/2 cup Honey 1/2 cup Sriracha Directions: The Prep In a small bowl mix the rub ingredients . In another small bowl mix the mopping sauce ingredients together thoroughly. Wash the ribs and blot dry. Remove the thin papery skin on the back of each rack of ribs . (Pull it off in a sheet with your fingers, using a paper towel to gain a secure grip.) Season the ribs evenly with the rub. Cover and refrigerate overnight. The Cook Set up your smoker to cook using the Minion Method . I use

Line a terracotta pot with foil, add charcoal and voila... backyard tabletop S’mores ! Directions: Roast one large Marshmallow slowly over a fire. Place half a Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar on a Honey Maid Graham Cracker and then put the roasted marshmallow in the middle. Top with the other graham half.

Grilling PB & J is the way to go! A big glass of cold milk is mandatory! Ingredients: Extra Crunchy Peanut Butter Strawberry Jam 2 slices bread Directions: Preheat the grill to about medium (about 350°F to 400°F). Spread peanut butter and jam on bread. Press together to form sandwich. When the grill is ready place the sandwich directly over the heat and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes per side or until browned. Recipe adapted from JIF

You can bake outdoors as effectively as baking in a traditional oven. It just takes a little practice. Who knew? From Weber Nation : It’s time to take your baking skills to another level. You can make cookies on the grill? Absolutely ! This is one of my favorite desserts to make. Not only are chocolate chip cookies a classic, they are easy to grill. This gives me the chance to bring the cozy feeling of milk and cookies outside on a cool summer night.  Prepare your favorite cookie dough and then follow my tips below for taking it to the grill!   1. You are going to be cooking over indirect medium heat, so preheat your grill for 10-15 min then turn it down to 350 degrees. 2. Place your cookies on a cookie sheet.  3. Once your grill is back at 350 degrees, put your cookie sheet in the center of the grill, over indirect heat. 4. Close the lid and set your timer for about 12-15 minutes, depending on how crispy you like your cookies. Side note: even though the cookies are starting to smell

Sweet and very savory, this irresistible recipe features sausage nestled in strips of bacon covered with All-Purpose Rub . Ingredients 10 Sausages Bacon slices (one slice per sausage) All-Purpose Rub Directions: Wrap each sausage in a strip of bacon. Place the sausage on the bacon at one end. Roll the bacon and sausage around and around until the bacon covers the sausage. Season each sausage evenly with the rub. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours. Preheat grill to medium-high (about 400°F to 450°F) using a two-zone fire . You can add wood chunks or chips to the coals after the grill is heated. When grill is ready place the sausages over indirect heat and grill. Rotate the sausages every 10 minutes. The whole process should take 30 to 40 minutes. The internal temperature of the sausage should be about 165 degrees when ready. Usually if they are firm, they are done. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve on a good sandwich roll.

This simple recipe produces chicken that is extremely juicy with crispy skin. Absolutely delicious! Ingredients: 1 cup olive oil 1/2 cup lemon juice 2 tablespoons minced garlic 1 tablespoon lemon zest 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary 1 tablespoon chopped thyme 1 tablespoon chopped parsley Pinch crushed red pepper 2 Cornish game hens, about 1 1/4 pounds each 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground white pepper Directions: In a small mixing bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, lemon zest, rosemary, thyme, parsley, and crushed red pepper. Mix to combine and set aside. Spatchcock the Chicken Place the hens on a cutting board. With a boning knife, cut along the backbone and remove. Place the hens breast-side down and using the heel of your hand, push down to break the breastbone and flatten. Tuck the wing tips behind the joint of the wing that meets the breast. Place in a 9 by 13-inch, non-reactive baking dish and add the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 6 ho

Move over meat! Vegetables take center stage in this guide to perfect, healthy, tasty grilling. Vegetables come to life on the grill. Heat works to caramelize the natural sugars and juice in vegetables; combined with smoky grill flavor they equal mouthwatering taste. In fact, once you grill vegetables, you’ll never want to return to frozen, microwaved versions that lack taste and texture. Here are the basics of grilling delicious vegetables. Source: Fix.com

Something that you never thought of from Better Homes & Gardens . Grilled Doughnuts Ingredients: 8 glazed doughnuts Nonstick cooking spray 1 recipe Mint Julep Dip 1 recipe Strawberry Basil Dip Directions: Heat charcoal or gas grill to medium-low. Coat doughnuts with cooking spray. Grill doughnuts, covered, until lightly browned, 30 seconds to 1 minute per side. Watch closely to avoid burning. Serve grilled doughnuts with Mint Julep Dip and Strawberry Basil Dip. Strawberry Basil Dip Ingredients: 6 ounces fresh strawberries, hulled (about 1 1/4 cups) 4 ounces cream cheese, softened (1/4 cup) 3 tablespoons honey 1 tablespoon packed fresh basil leaves Directions: In a blender or small food processor combine strawberries, cream cheese, and honey. Cover; blend or process until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides as necessary. Add basil; pulse until just chopped. Serve immediately. Mint Julep Dip Ingredients: 6 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon packed fresh mint leaves 6 ounces cream chees

Making perfect crispy bacon on the grill is really easy and takes almost no effort. Follow these instructions and you’ll have perfect crispy bacon every time. Ingredients: Bacon (Any kind and as much as you need) Directions: Preheat the grill to about medium-high (about 400°F to 450°F). Lay out the bacon on a baking tray. Make sure that the pieces aren't overlapping. When grill is ready place the baking tray on the grill over direct heat and close the lid. Cook for 15 minutes or until crispy. Remove from the grill and serve.

Nine easy homemade spice blends to flavor your food. Cajun Spice Blend 2 Tbsp cumin 2 Tbsp coriander 2 Tbsp paprika 1 ½ tsp salt 1 ½ tsp black pepper Cayenne pepper to taste (you can go as high as you want here—the more you add, the hotter it will be) 1 Tbsp dried oregano This spice blend is great on grilled chicken, tofu, or even salads. Greek Spice Blend 1 Tbsp garlic powder 1 Tbsp dried basil 1 Tbsp dried oregano 1 ½ tsp salt 1 ½ tsp pepper 1 ½ tsp dried parsley 1 ½ tsp dried rosemary 1 ½ tsp dried thyme 3/4 tsp ground nutmeg Use this on Greek salads, when roasting vegetables with olive oil, or in hummus. Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend 1/4 cup ground cinnamon 2 tsp ground ginger 2 tsp nutmeg 2 tsp all spice 1 tsp ground cloves Some fun uses for this blend are: in oatmeal, on yogurt, or even on a peanut butter sandwich with sliced bananas. Lemon Pepper Zest from 3 lemons 2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp black pepper 2 Tbsp salt This is great on chicken, on salads, or on popcorn. Curry Blend 2 Tbsp cumin p

Kick your grilled hot dogs up a notch, by spiral cutting them! They will cook perfectly straight and you will boost the surface area so you get more of that nice grilled flavor. Also once it's on the bun there are plenty of nooks and crannies for relish and other toppings to fit into. CHOW.com's Blake Smith shows how the simple technique of cutting a spiral pattern into your hot dog before grilling it will not only improve the wiener-eating experience, but will also transform the dog into a conversation starter. via

How to determine steak tenderness just by using your hand. There are two basic methods to test for how done your meat is while you are cooking it—use a meat thermometer, or press on the meat with your fingertips. The problem with the meat thermometer approach is that when you poke a hole into the meat with a thermometer, it can let juices escape, juices that you would rather have stay in the meat. For this reason, most experienced cooks rely on a “finger test” method, especially on steaks (whole roasts are better tested with a thermometer). My mother has been trying to get me to test meat with my fingertips for years, and for years, being somewhat of a scaredy cat (won’t it burn my fingers?) I ignored, avoided, ran away from the idea. Then my friend David showed me up. Here’s a guy who loves to grill but doesn’t know how to boil water. (Really. Cannot boil water. Just ask him, he’s proud of the fact.) David taught me how to test for the doneness of meat using this method and these days

The next-level ice cream sandwich! If you don't already spend your summer trying to indulge in as many ice cream sandwiches as possible, it's time to start. They're so much more satisfying than a cone or, worse, a bowl (lame!)—especially when sandwiched in a donut. This is a next-level ice cream sandwich: The pillowy, fried donut halves are the perfect complement to a creamy scoop. Any flavor of donut and ice cream works, as does any sweet condiment or sauce you prefer; we played with strawberry preserves (above), dulce de leche (caramel works, too), and Nutella to come up with these stellar combos. Dulce de leche and coconut were meant to be together. Hazelnut-mocha happiness. The coffee ice cream cuts some of the sweetness. Read more...

Image credit Manteresting There is no easier and better way to utilize bacon on the grill. Ingredients: Hot dogs (All beef) Bacon slices (one slice per hot dog) Directions: Preheat the grill to about medium-high (about 400°F to 450°F). Wrap each hot dog in a strip of bacon. Place the hot dog on the bacon at one end. Roll the bacon and hot dog around and around until the bacon covers the whole hot dog. When grill is ready place the hot dogs over indirect heat and grill. Rotate the dogs every 4 to 5 minutes. The whole process should take about 20 minutes. Serve on a good hot dog roll with coleslaw, cheese, mustard, onions, relish or whatever other condiments you enjoy.

This trick changes EVERYTHING. For more evenly-cooked, tender, and flavorful steaks off the grill, try scoring your meat! You heard us right: That method you usually apply to your holiday ham and duck breasts can also be used on your steak. HERE'S HOW: Using the tip of a sharp knife, first make shallow (about 1/8 inch deep) cuts across the grain one way, then the other way (perpendicular to first set of cuts). Repeat on the other side. Season the steak, then grill it on medium-high for a minute or two less per side. WHY BOTHER, YOU ASK? Well, if you like rubbing your steaks down with spices, garlic, or herbs, this trick makes sure the flavor sets in because you can really cram the seasoning into the cuts. The shallow cuts also give the heat from your grill easier access, thereby minimizing that dreaded, dry, gray line that can sometimes appear around the perfectly juicy, medium-rare band in the center of your steak. Read more...