Summer

Pulled Pork Sliders

June 24, 2017 by n.taylor Leave a Comment

Sliders may be a time honored tradition for a variety of occasions but they don’t have to be hard and they certainly should be memorable, after all we’re all out to impress people. These are sure to blow your mind, make some and you will understand. Things you need:

Kings Hawaiian Rolls

Ranch Dressing Packet

Stick o’Butter

Grated Parmesan Cheese

Colby Jack or other cheese slices quartered

Pulled Pork/Brisket/Burger… etc

Oven at 350

Prepare your meat, preferably something more adventurous than grocery store ground round but whatever you want to do I suppose.

Rub Applied

For me its pork, rub applied and ready to cook.

May the Cook Begin

This usually takes over 12 hours to cook the way I want it to so plan accordingly. I put this on the night before with the idea that we would be eating by 3pm the next day.

Done

So over 12 hours later and this thing is done, temp brought up close to 200 and it will be foiled and set aside to rest for a few hours so that we can do the easy part.

The Frosting

So take that stick o’butter, a 1/4 cup or so of the parmesan, and then a tablespoon or two of the ranch dressing seasoning. Set this aside for the frosting later. When we need it just nuke it for a minute and get a brush out to drizzle it on, but we will get back to that.

Specialization of Labor

Now don’t do anything stupid here, just take the entire package of rolls and cut the top off of all of them at once. Lay them out on a baking sheet like you see above. Now take those slices of cheese and cut them into quarters, lay one each on the open faced rolls for now. If you want to get really creative you can add whatever else you want around this time.

The Meat on This Roll

Now take your meat choice and spread it over your genius creation. It is beginning to take form and create anxiety in the room.

Top with Frosting

Now reapply the top of your sliders that we previously cut off. Take your frosting and nuke that for a minute and brush on the super secret flavor boosting frosting material. You will get some clumpy parmesan cheese but it doesn’t matter, it will all bake in during the final step.

Take those sliders and put them in the oven at 350 for about 10 minutes so everything just congeals together into one bite sized portion of melted diabetic coma. Thats it, you’re now done and have become everyones best friend and the champion of the party. Relish in your glory.

Solitude on the Colorado

September 7, 2016 by n.taylor Leave a Comment

Boating traffic diminishes significantly after Two Bridges and I had rarely been below there myself. Packed for an overnight I saw a huge portion of the middle river that I had never seen before.

From Two Bridges to Spencers Cabin the river is docile and meanders through geography similar to the 8 miles above Two Bridges. A handful of storm clouds rolled through bringing periods of brief rain showers throughout the day, and the fish were receptive to streamers thrown from both ends of the boat.

First Fish of the Trip

Second Fish, Second Rainbow

Early afternoon saw some storms roll in and we saw the last boat we would see for the remainder of the trip.

Afternoon Brown

More Streamers

We pulled into Spencers Cabin around 730 with a wind storm directly behind us. Food was prepared hurriedly as night feel not long after we arrived. We slept on yoga mats and next to uninsulated walls as the storm raged on outside. It was the best sleep I might have ever had.

Breakfast was started early, coffee was warmed with a blow torch, and food prepared over an open fire.

The Rules

Coffee Warming

View from the Kitchen

Breakfast Stove

Chef’s Table

Morning on the Front Porch

Day 2 was complete solitude, we didn’t see another soul other than a few cars driving up and down the desolate dirt road.

Half Light of the Canyon

Our Only Visitors

Rodeo Rapid Ahead

Another Streamer Victim

Then came the rain…

Da Rain

Fish in the Rain

Turk’s Tarantula…in the Rain

The clouds eventually parted as we rowed the last few miles. Streamers were thrown and the bigger the bug the more interest we received.

Black Circus Peanut

First Mate Taking the Ship into Port

Last Moments at the Take Out

A Weekend Off

July 18, 2016 by n.taylor Leave a Comment

We start west of the divide where we battled obnoxious road construction and sweltering heat to spend the night below a run in the bowels of a canyon of the Blue River.

Not Sure About the Look

If you have never rowed a raft full of overnight gear let me tell you that you have a real treat in your future. The raft handled like you had an elephant in the back and within the first mile I already had a new found respect for drivers of Grand Canyon cargo boats. The campsite was a few short miles from the put in and was framed by two perfect runs and an elevated (and flat) campsite.

Pulled Over at Camp

Kitchen

The next morning we had leftover carnitas with corn tortillas, ibuprofen, and lukewarm water before we packed the elephant back into the back of the raft. The second day was focused on trying to fish a little bit instead of just getting the gear to the river. The run above camp held a few fish that were eager to share breakfast with their upright walking land lovers.

Breakfast Companion

We threw some streamers, polished off the rest of the beer, and enjoyed a hot summer day. Most of all I was able to listen to Wells tell me about every bend on the river and how it had changed over the last 20 years. Wells informed me that he had floated this stretch 10-15 times/year since 1996 and if you know this stretch and the logistical nightmare it poses then you will know what kind of feat that is.

Brown on the Ranch

The Master in the Canyon

Float over, boat on trailer, wheels up, over the divide we go until we end up in Salida. We now have a circus of people, some from as far away as South Carolina ready to experience the Arkansas River in all its grandeur. The day began as most days do on my boat, with a Bud Light Lime to get things started. You know that it is getting serious when you drink a beer that has to tell you it has alcohol in it.

This is Beer

Of course after “BLL” you can start to lose your coordination, potentially endangering the lives of not only your crew, but also the fish.

Grip n’ Grin

As we floated through downtown we met a very enthusiastic young man who was eager to show us his cowboy. We gave him a target, the kid just needs some more practice.

Rope Work

The Spinner Brings them In

The Hayden Pass fire had started on Saturday and by Sunday the smoke was visible from Salida. Tuesday brought even larger clouds of smoke and a faint smell of burning pine in the air. Reminded me of summers in Montana.

Hayden Pass Fire