Dining Out: Moe's Original BBQ, Gadsden, AL

 

Yesterday we decided we would, at long last, try the latest BBQ restaurant to open in Gadsden.  We've given them a bit to hit their stride and get the kinks (if they had any!) worked out before we dined here and gave y'all the details.

The building where Moe's is located (208 South 2nd Street, Gadsden, AL  35901) has had several restaurants at that location in the past.  There's ample parking, a lovely outdoor dining area, and a beautiful bar.

To place your order, you walk through the dining area toward the back.  There's a large menu board (easy to read!) where you can order, fill your drink, and then find your spot to have a seat and wait on your food.

We wanted to try as much as possible, so we opted to place our order and then utilize the "Add Moe" to be able to enjoy ribs and pulled pork as well!

Our wait (even with frying my catfish) was easily less than 10 minutes!

Here we go!

Sweet Harold chose the 1/2 smoked chicken and added ribs.  His sides were baked beans and potato salad.  The chicken was resting on a little bit of slaw so he got to try that as well!  Cornbread was included and it was a very ample portion.

Let's break it down.

First up, the smoked 1/2 chicken.

Now we all know, smoking chicken is a highly regarded skill.  To be able to cook the dark meat to keep it juicy while letting the white meat not dry out, is a delicate balance.  The pitmaster yesterday has the skill to have the chicken served at the exact level of perfection.  Kudos! You're not seeing things either.  There's red AND white bbq sauce on that chicken.  

Sweet Harold was very pleased with the chicken.  Now on to his side dishes.  He selected baked beans and potato salad.

The beans were flavorful and a great consistency, not too thick nor too thin. Add a little of that pulled pork, and they'd be a 15/10.

The potato salad was the surprise item for me.  I seldom order potato salad in a restaurant because I feel none of them will ever match my mama's version.  So yesterday, SH ordered the potato salad and I got the macaroni and cheese.  I took a bite of mine and, while it was tasty, not the thickest cheesiest I've ever had.  He tried a bite of his potato salad and said, well, it's got a lot of things in there.  So we immediately swapped.  

When I tried the first bite, I was immediately (in my mind at least) transported to my mama's kitchen.  The texture, the flavors, everything.  She could have made that bowl of potato salad.  That's high praise from me.

His add-on of ribs were a hit as well.  

These ribs were tender and full of smoke flavor.  The dry rub was very complementary to the pork.  It didn't compete or overwhelm the smokiness of the ribs.  

Now to my order.

I really wanted to try the fried catfish and I added on the pulled pork.  

First the catfish and hush puppies.

My order had five pieces of catfish with two hushpuppies.  The coating on the fish was well-seasoned and the fry was light and crunchy.  The person manning the fryer yesterday knew the exact moment the fish was ready.  Very tasty!  The hush puppies were a tad overcooked.  But that may be just my preference.

The tartar sauce was delicious and made fresh in-house.

I also had the baked beans.  Loved them.  My other side dish was the macaroni and cheese.  Yes, for me, the sauce needed to be more cheesy and thicker, but this is their recipe and I'm sure a lot of people enjoy this version.

My add on was the pulled pork.

Oh boy, oh boy!  Look at that bark!  Look at the nicely shredded pork.  This is everything you want from a BBQ restaurant.  The seasoning in the rub was on point and the pork was nice and tender.  There was a bottle of their house sauce on the table and I enjoyed it as well.  

Now let's talk about this cornbread.

I am firmly in the non-sugar cornbread camp.  This cornbread was slightly sweet, slightly crunchy, and delicious!  I could have eaten much more than this ample serving, but I controlled myself.  Barely.  I actually considered this my dessert!

We both enjoyed our meal and will be back to try more of the menu items.  If you haven't been, maybe you'll see us there soon.

InstantPot Chicken Tinga

If you're not familiar with Chicken Tinga (I wasn't!) here's what I have learned:  It's a classic Mexican dish made with shredded chicken that's simmered in a savory, lightly spicy tomatoey-chipotle sauce.

I've recently fallen in love with the La Tiara taco shells and decided I'd try their taco seasoning along with the seasoning for the Chicken Tinga.

While the package instructions direct you to simmer in a covered skillet, we were hungry and I decided to get out the trusted InstantPot to make sure the chicken cooked quickly and would be easy to shred.

You'll need a yellow onion (chopped), 1 pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into large chunks, one envelope of the Tinga seasoning and about 2/3 cup of water.

I added a tablespoon of olive oil to the inner pot and hit the saute' button.  Added the chopped onion and let it cook for 2 - 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Then in goes the seasoning and the water.  Gave it a good stir and turned off the saute function.

In went the chicken.....

Put the top on the pot, locked it into place, and made sure the vent was set to closed.

Then set the timer to 6 minutes.

After the cook time was over, I let it naturally release pressure for 10 minutes.  During that time, I got everything out that we would want for our toppings and heated a can of refried black beans as our side dish.

When the 10 minutes was up, I carefully removed the top of the cooker.

I removed the chicken from the pot, placed it in a bowl, and shredded it with two forks.

Then I poured in the remaining sauce that was in the pot and give everything a good stir.

At this point, you have many decisions to make!  You can use the Chicken Tinga to make enchiladas, burritos, crunchy tacos, quesadillas, or soft tacos!

We had soft tacos tonight and maybe we'll have crunchy tacos tomorrow with the leftovers.

The chicken was so tender and the sauce had just a little heat.  It was extremely flavorful and Sweet Harold kept bragging about how good it was the entire time we were having dinner!

I had the Chicken Tinga, shredded Mexican blend cheese, diced raw onion, pickled jalapenos, and taco sauce.  Sweet Harold had the same, but added black beans and sour cream to his.

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Grilled Lemon Pepper Buttery Buffalo Wings

I had lemon pepper buffalo wings for the first time a few years ago at my favorite burger spot. It was love at first taste.  I've been on a quest to duplicate them without frying.

I placed my share of the wings in a small bowl and liberally seasoned them with lemon pepper.  Yes, we are a divided household.  I like the drumettes, Sweet Harold is the flat guy.  

Get your grill smoking hot and place the wings on there to get a great sear and lock in the juices and start crisping the skin. You'll need to turn them over and around a few times to get a good crisp. Lower heat to medium and let them continue to cook.

Chicken wings are safe to eat when the internal temperature reaches 165𝇈 F.  However, the longer you cook them (up to 175-195𝇈) will result in a more tender wing.

When I'm going to sauce them, I begin to apply the sauce at 165 and let them glaze a bit.

I have actually become quite fond of Kinder's Buttery Buffalo Wing Sauce.

Just keep basting and turning them over and baste some more.  

The combination of lemon pepper and the buffalo fit the bill for me!

Garden Vegetable Spaghetti

Today is a rainy June day.  We took a break from most all productive activities and enjoyed a semi-lazy day at home. 

Sweet Harold requested spaghetti for a late lunch and I decided it was the perfect afternoon to use up some of those vegetables in the fridge that didn't have much time left.

Y'all know that spaghetti is probably one of my most favorite foods and this batch of sauce was guilt free due to all the veggies incorporated.  It's a thick and chunky sauce and it satisfied his craving.

1 lb. ground beef (93/7%)

1 large yellow onion chopped

1 large green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 medium yellow squash, chopped

1 medium zucchini, chopped

1 T. minced garlic

1 - 14.5 oz. can tomato sauce

1 - 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 - 6 oz. can tomato paste

1 - 2 T. dried Italian seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

garnish:  Parmesan cheese and fresh basil

In a 3 - 4 quart Dutch oven, brown the ground beef over medium heat, breaking up with a wooden spoon.

When browned, add in onions, bell pepper, squash, and zucchini along with the garlic.  

Let cook for a 3 - 5 minutes and then add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste with Italian seasoning.

Lower heat to low and let simmer for 30 - 40 minutes until vegetables are cooked through.  Stir as needed to keep from sticking.

Serve over cooked pasta and top with Parmesan and fresh basil.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Small Batch Peach Honey Bacon BBQ Sauce

 

I grilled two pork tenderloins last night.  I left one "plain" seasoned only with salt and pepper.  For the second one, after reaching the internal temp I wanted, I glazed it with a new flavor of the Small Batch BBQ Sauce lineup:  Peach Honey Bacon.  Now doesn't that sound like a perfect match for a pork tenderloin?  I certainly thought so.

Let me tell you about the flavors contained in that bottle!  It is a tomato (ketchup) based sauce, but there's these subtle notes of peach, sweetness from the honey, and then you get just the lightest touch of smokiness from the bacon.  They hit a home run with this one.  The sauce is extremely thick so it brushed on easily, stayed put on the pork, and glazed beautifully.  

The unsauced tenderloin is on the bottom half of the serving platter and, as you can see, the Small Batch version is proudly holding court on the upper half of the platter.

Thanks Small Batch BBQ Sauce!

Piggy Pasta Mac-n-Cheese

 

Our chosen grandson turned 10 years old recently.  He requested a homemade macaroni and cheese for his birthday meal.

When the birthday boy gets to choose the menu, you don't argue. You make Piggy Pasta. When he said the name, I immediately knew he had been putting some thought into this already. He quickly listed the meats he wanted along with the cheeses! I have to admit, I was super proud when he included Conecuh into the ingredient lineup!

This over-the-top baked mac and cheese is loaded with ham, breakfast sausage, Conecuh sausage, bacon, and a blend of five cheeses. It's rich, creamy, comforting, and guaranteed to be the first dish to disappear from the table.

Serves 10-12 with generous servings!  Feel free to half the recipe and cook in an 8 x 8 casserole dish.

For the Pasta

• 1 pound cavatappi pasta

For the Pork

• 6 slices bacon
• ½ pound breakfast sausage
• ½ pound diced ham
• 12 ounces Conecuh sausage, sliced lengthwise, and then  into half rounds

For the Cheese Sauce

• 4 T. butter
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups whole milk
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 t. Dijon mustard or mustard powder
• 1 t. onion powder
• 1 t. garlic powder or granulated garlic
• ½ t. smoked paprika
• ½ t. black pepper
• 1 t. salt (or to taste)

Cheese Blend

• 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 cup Fontina cheese, shredded
• 1 cup Gouda cheese, shredded
• 8 ounces Velveeta, cubed 
• ¾ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• NOTE:  save one cup of the cheese mixture for topping!

For the Topping

• Reserved crumbled bacon
• Reserved cheese blend

Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Remove and set aside on paper towels. Crumble when cool.

In the same skillet, cook the breakfast sausage until browned. Add the Conecuh sausage and cook until lightly browned around the edges. Stir in the diced ham and cook just until heated through.

Drain excess grease if necessary and set aside.

Cook the Pasta

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Cook the pasta until just al dente according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Make the Cheese Sauce

In a large Dutch oven or heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.

Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.

Gradually whisk in the milk and half-and-half. Continue whisking until smooth and slightly thickened.

Stir in the Dijon mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, black pepper, and salt.

Reduce the heat to low.

Add the cheddar, Fontina, Gouda, Velveeta, and Parmesan. Stir until completely melted and smooth.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.

Fold the cooked macaroni and pork mixture into the cheese sauce until evenly coated.

Pour into the prepared baking dish.

Top with the reserved cheese blend and crumbled bacon.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly golden on top.

Allow the casserole to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

This truly was a comfort food dish.  He thoroughly enjoyed his creation and I was happy to have made his idea into a meal he could remember for his 10th birthday!

Black Bean Burgers

 

Well, I've been wanting to try a black bean burger for some time now.  During a recent visit to Aldi's I spied these in the freezer section.

There's four "burgers" in the bag.  The instructions offer several ways to prepare these:  skillet, oven, air fryer, or grill.

When I opened the package, I was surprised to see the obvious black beans and whole kernels of corn.

I opted to grill the burgers.  Using my handy dandy copper grill pan, I lightly sprayed it with olive oil spray and preheated it on the gas grill.

It only took about 3 minutes a side to reached the recommended internal temperature of 165℉.  

During the cooking, I decided that one of these on a bun would be lost.  So I chose to put the cheese on one of the patties and then stack the other on top.

We used all the usual condiments, but Sweet Harold added pickled jalapeno slices instead of pickles!

Our verdict?  I enjoyed them more than Sweet Harold did.  There was a pronounced black bean flavor which is totally understandable since their black bean burgers.  I seasoned them with Southwest seasoning which amped the flavor up a bit.  The texture is soft (he may have used the word "mushy").

Would I purchase again?  Yes.  Would Sweet Harold be thrilled with them?  Probably not, but he would eat them.  

Grilled Chicken, Broccoli, and Green Beans Courtesy of Small Batch Barbecue Company!

 

I found Small Batch a few months ago and every product I've tried has been awesome.  Today I used their Original Dry Rub Seasoning to season everything on our plate!

I had four small boneless skinless chicken breasts that I seasoned on both sides.

I preheated the gas grill and placed the chicken on the grates to get a good sear.  Then, I flipped them over and lowered the heat to continue cooking.

While the chicken was beginning to cook, I lightly sprayed some broccoli florets and green beans with olive oil spray, seasoned with the original seasoning blend and added them to my handy dandy metal cooking tray I found at Kohl's.  This is the best!

I kept the veggies cooking over a medium heat and gave them a gentle toss every now and then with tongs.

When the chicken was almost cooked through (about 150℉) I began saucing with their delicious "Kicked Up" Kansas City style sauce.

Yes, that "kicked up" reference assures it has a little heat.  But it's a good heat!  When the internal temp reached 165℉, we were ready to eat!

Meanwhile, in the air fryer, some cubed up potatoes were cooking away after having been seasoned with that delicious Small Batch Barbecue Company seasoning blend.

This was a delicious, easy to prepare meal, and we enjoyed every bite!