Psuedo-live Blogging - Final Update

I like to cook. I like to bake. I like to BBQ. I don't like mean cats, but that's for a different post. So today, I have foolishly decided to BBQ/cook/bake for two separate events. The first one is for tonight, when my parents, Bubba, and Toot's Aunt K. will be coming over for dinner. The second one is for Toots' brother's birthday party, which is tomorrow evening.

Tonight's menu:
BBQ baby back ribs
BBQ chicken thighs.
Homemade pinto beans - and not the ones from the can. These are the dried ones.
Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread - from scratch.

I'm getting adventurous. Or crazy.

For those that give a rat's booty, here is my process for smoking ribs. I started at 8:00 this morning:

Here is the rack, right out of the package.




Here is the rack with the inner membrane almost pulled off with a paper towel.



Here is the rack with the rub on it. I used Angelo's Beef Rub, from Fort Worth, TX.



Here she is with saran wrap on her.



Here is the rack all wrapped up in foil for the marinating.



Here are the pinto beans, soaking in water. They seem very happy there, don't they?



I forgot to mention what I am baking for the birthday party tomorrow. It's a Chocolate Expresso Cheesecake with Ganache. I'm not exactly sure what "ganache" means, but it has chocolate and cream, so it has to be good. Here is the recipe.. I also forgot to take pics during the mixing/baking process, but here is a picture of it, cooling in the oven. I'll get a pic when I get the ganache put on it. There is a small crack on the top of the cheesecake, but from what my previous ones looked like, this is a work of art. My previous ones had craters like the Grand Canyon, which is why I put the ganache on it.



If you have never cooked a cheesecake before, let me tell you it is a bit of work. In this recipe, you have to have a bunch of the ingredients at room temperature. I always forget to do that, so I end up having to wait for the ingredients to warm up. Tick, tock, tick, tock...

It's 11:43 A.M., and I've had a very busy morning so far. And it's only beginning...

Oh, one tip to remember if you decide to wrangle this cheesecake recipe, BE SURE TO USE A HEATPROOF BOWL WHEN MELTING THE CHOCOLATE! I learned that the hard way the last time I made this cheesecake. Let's just say that I had glass shrapnel all over the kitchen. No me gusta.

Update:
Here is my pride and joy, my Big Green Egg, which will be getting a workout today.



Apple and hickory wood chips taking a bath. I use about 60:40 apple to hickory. I soak them for about 1 hour.



Update #2 at 4:15 PM:

I realized that my post was getting pretty gay, so here is a pic of my Glock 9mm



I put the ribs on at 2:00, and here is the Egg smoking away.



The chicken thighs, getting ready to have a party in the Egg:



My cheesecake, cooling. It's right before I put on the ganache.



My finished cheesecake. It's OK to drool.



I've got the beans going strong, the thighs are on the egg, and the ribs have been soaking up the smoky goodness for over 2 hours. Mmmmm...

Final Update:

I was so excited about the food being finished, that I forgot to take pics of them before we devoured them. Here are the leftovers, and it was good eats!