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While the Wife's Away...

Griffin
Griffin Posts: 8,200
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
The Husband will play!! Due to Stacie's situation, she decided to take some of her free time and go down to Corpus Christi to see her family. She doesn't get to see them as much as she would like to. That leaves me all alone for a whole week to see what kind of trouble I can get into and experiment on the grill

I saw this a long time ago and never got around to cooking it. Figured the wife would turn her nose up at it and would not approve, especially since it is in no way healthy.....bacon wrapped tater tots!!

The way I did them was to slice bacon into three pieces. Then wrap the tater tots and secure with a toothpick. The tater tots need to thaw about 30 minutes so that the tooth pick will slide through. Careful, if they thaw too much they will crumble. Next sprinkle a rub on them. I went half with Salt Lick and half with Dizzy Pig Raging River. Then place on a 350 grill indirect for 30 minutes turning halfway through. The last 5 minutes I basted with some Stubb's BBQ Sauce.

Along with that I cooked some kielbasa sausage from Nathans and some green beans. I didn't take a lot of pictures, but here is what I have. Somehow I lost the prep pics. Oops.

P1020620.jpg

Plated up
P1020621.jpg

What I learned from this experiment:

1. It is no way healthy and I could feel it. Gonna have to have an extra long bike ride today to work it off.

2. The original recipe I saw called for maple flavored bacon. I used regular just because it was what I had on hand. I think the maple would have been better.

3. The Salt Lick rubbed taters were a complete failure. Way too salty. The Raging River ones were good. The sweetness of the rub complimented the saltiness of the bacon nicely.

4. Wrap the place setter in foil, or shape a foil pan out of it to catch the bacon drippings. You can see the mess the grease left on the place setter.

5. Nathan's might make a ok hot dog, but their sausage absolutely, positively blows. I will never buy it again even if it does go on sale buy one get one free. Nasty.

Will I ever make them again? Maybe. If so, it would be when I have people over, to kind of wow them and surprise them, but just as an appetizer, maybe two to three a person. That's all anybody really needs.

Rowlett, Texas

Griffin's Grub or you can find me on Facebook

The Supreme Potentate, Sovereign Commander and Sultan of Wings

 

Comments

  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,110
    Great post Jason.
    Thanks for all the tips. Enjoy your solo week and I hope Stacie has a safe trip down south.
    Take care,
    Darian
    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,669
    Thanks for the post Jason. Nathans to me is the best hotdog (that we can get in TExas, Pearl fans). No idea they make sausage and will not try on your advice.
    Salado TX & 30A  FL: Egg Family: 3 Large and a very well used Mini, added a Mini Max when they came out (I'm good for now). Plus a couple Pit Boss Pellet Smokers.   

  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,110
    That sausage just looks bland even in the photo.
    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
  • jbenny
    jbenny Posts: 147
    Hebrew National is the best Hot Dog hands down, that you can get in Texas.
  • Richard Fl
    Richard Fl Posts: 8,297
    Try the zip code locator, you might get lucky. We have them at BJ's here in FL.

    http://www.pearlmeat.com/locator.html
  • wkygriller
    wkygriller Posts: 408
    We love the bacon wrapped tots. Rarely eat them due to the fat content. If you use maple bacon it makes a huge difference. Its almost like eating a Mc Griddle sandwich. 2-3 per person will not be enough...Trust me!!
  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,110
    200 mile search, no luck.
    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490
    Great post! I too love the Nathan's dogs but will avoid the sausage. The only Kielbasa I have had is turkey (my wife always buys it)...and it is just kinda plain.

    I have made the bacon wrapped tots a couple of times and they are good, but I agree they are heavy. What I did was to wrap about half of them. Much of the baconny goodness is transferred to the others as well!

    IMG_0365.JPG

    IMG_0366.JPG

    ...oh yeah...those are bacon wrapped hebrew nats in the first pic. Talk about unhealthy!


    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    As someone who grew up eating kielbasa, I'd have to say avoid almost all of the big name brands of smoked kielbasa. Harsh flavor, and too much fat. Where I live, there are 2, maybe 3 smallish brand names that make an O.K. smoked.

    My preference is for fresh, but it too is pretty iffy. Often both too salty and too garlicky, although it usually grills well. Most of the old guys who really knew how to make it are gone, and their skills mostly lost.
  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,669
    jbenny have you tried both? What makes the Hebrew National better? Have always stuck with Nathans.
    Salado TX & 30A  FL: Egg Family: 3 Large and a very well used Mini, added a Mini Max when they came out (I'm good for now). Plus a couple Pit Boss Pellet Smokers.   

  • Austin  Egghead
    Austin Egghead Posts: 3,966
    Thanks for the post. I will steer clear of Nathan's sausage. I am finding way too much salt in a lot of rubs sold in the market.
    Large, small and mini now Egging in Rowlett Tx
  • Griffin
    Griffin Posts: 8,200
    Thanks for the kind words. I am by no means an expert in hot dogs, but I have tried the Nathan's hot dogs and enjoyed them. Much better than Oscar Meyer, that's for sure. Haven't tried Hebrews. I first spotted the Nathan's sausage at Tom Thumb a few weeks back. They had it on sale, B1G1 free, and I thought it was worth a shot. They had two different kinds. Kielbasa and another one. Both were lousy. Won't do that again.

    Rowlett, Texas

    Griffin's Grub or you can find me on Facebook

    The Supreme Potentate, Sovereign Commander and Sultan of Wings

     

  • Dnorman
    Dnorman Posts: 117
    That is soooo Pretty!!
  • Mr Holloway
    Mr Holloway Posts: 2,034
    Hey Jason
    Look forward to more unhealthy post,
    keep them coming :laugh:

    I will have to pick up some tater tots
    My niece would love them :)

    Shane
  • davehemp
    davehemp Posts: 109
    I second the preference for Hebrew National...I'd love to try Pearl's, but none in this area I can find... :(