Wanda Houston

No binder
Homemade spg rub
200 for 2 hours
250 for 2 hours
250 for 1 hour wrapped with brown sugar, butter, and my homemade jalapeño garlic honey glaze
🐖 💨 🔥
Glaze: just cut up as many jalapeño’s and cloves of garlic as you want and throw them in a mason jar. Fill the rest of the jar with honey. Let it sit out on the counter at room temperature to ferment for 1 week, 1 month is best. Be sure to burp the jar once a day for the first 7-10 days to release the gases from fermentation.
SPG:
2 parts 16 mesh black pepper
1 part diamond crystal kosher salt
1/2 part granulated garlic

BBQ smoked chicken leg quarters fresh out of the smoker, and I’m not even going to pretend these didn’t have the whole kitchen smelling ridiculous. That dark smoky color, the crispy edges, the seasoning cooked all the way in… this is the kind of backyard food that makes people start hovering around the pan before you even say it’s ready.

There’s something about smoked chicken that just hits different when it’s done right. Simple, smoky, juicy, and full of flavor without needing to be fancy. I know some people like theirs saucy, but sometimes that dry rub and smoke do all the talking.

Be honest, are you eating these just like this, or are you adding BBQ sauce on top?

Classic ribeye steak, rare of course, from the beloved Melrose Grill in Downtown Renton, and honestly this is exactly what a steak plate is supposed to look like. No unnecessary drama, no tiny decorative portions, just a real ribeye with a good char, proper grill marks, a loaded baked potato sitting there doing its job, and vegetables on the side so we can all pretend this was a balanced decision.

There’s just something about a steakhouse that still knows how to keep it simple and do it right. That crust, that sear, that old-school plate setup… it feels like the kind of meal where you take the first bite and immediately stop talking for a second.

And yes, rare is the move for me. I know that always starts a debate, but I’m not ordering a ribeye just to have it cooked into sadness. Steak people, be honest… are you Team Rare, Team Medium Rare, or are you about to upset everybody and say well done?