With friends coming over, we wanted something special on the grill Something toothsome and moan-worthy. The original plan was Brisket, but then this ten pound pork butt appeared in the meat case at Musser's Market. It .... called..... to me.
The day before it was to be cooked, I gave it a liberal dry rub and put it back in the fridge for 24 hours. The dry rub was basic, traditional, and always a crowd pleaser.
Dry Rub, mix and apply heavily:
- 1/4 cup Kosher salt
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- Two tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
- Two heaping tablespoons garlic powder
- One heaping tablespoon sweet paprika
On The Day, the lovely meat was placed fat-cap up on the right side of the grill, with the leftest most burner turned on low. Indirect heat is the way to go here. 230-250 degrees, depending on how long you have before you need it done. Low and Slow.... it's like magic!
Temperature was monitored with THIS handy widget. bought on Amazon and delivered to the door for less than $25.
One probe into the deepest part of the roast, and the other on the top rack just above the roast. One to follow the grill temp, and the other to track the meat internal temp. Using a wee beastie like this allows the cook to Leave The Blasted Grill Alone, which is verrrry important.
Leave it alone. Don't play with it. Don't open the lid. Leave It The Hell Alone!
After two hours at 230 degrees or so, the meat is ready to be rotated. Turn the roast so the opposite side is facing the heat. I like to start thin side to the heat, and rotate to bring thicker to bear after a few hours.
At the four hour mark, the roast can be flipped so the fat-cap is down, on the grill. It can also be rotated again. This will be the only point at which it gets flipped.
At the six hour mark, time to rotate.... and mop for the first time.
What is 'mopping'? It's nothing more than brushing the meat down with some liquid concoction that keeps it moist while promoting a crust, or bark. Volumes have be written about what should be in a good mop liquid, with most pit masters having deep, dark, secret recipes handed down for eons to first born sons, etc etc blah blah.
A good mop liquid may contain apple vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, whiskey, or whatever your heart desires. This day, instead of getting fancy I simply cut a bottle of Kraft Hickory Smoke BBQ sauce 50/50 with water. That's it. Mixed in a container with a lid, and applied with a cook's brush. No hoo-hoo or fuss. The roast gets mopped about every hour after that six hour mark, and rotated as you see fit.
At the nine hour mark, or when the internal temp hits about 135 degrees, kick up the grill temp to 375 degrees. On my grill, that means lighting another burner and tweaking the regulator a tad.
This higher temp will hold for about an hour, or till the meat hits 160 degrees. Mop a few times, but not in the last 20 minutes or so of cooking. The higher temp will create a delicious crust on the roast that is magical. Guests will fight over the end cuts, so be prepared with bandages and first aid supplies.
Once the meat gets to 160 degrees internal, just shut off the grill and leave the lid open. Set your timer for 30 minutes, and WALK AWAY. Seriously.... WALK AWAY. This 'rest' time changes everything. Give it the time it needs, and the meat will be juicy and tender. Rush it, and it tends towards dry and tough. Your choice..... are you patient enough?
Move from the grill to a cutting board, slice thin, and FEAST.
Yesterday, feeling peevish and peckish, I just wanted OUT of the house. I'm recovering from surgery, and this sitting around really does SU...... well...... I'm not enjoying it much. Himself is bored and his pain is enough under control that he is cranky about it. He has taken to yelling at clouds and shaking his cane at them.😜
So, Herself and I packed my busted bits up and headed into Millersville to give Jack's Tavern a try. I mean... what could go wrong? Cold beer on a stupid hot day. That HAD to be good.
And it was.
Me being a gimp at the moment, we took a table instead of a seat at the bar. I almost always prefer a table to a bar, I am short and my legs dangle. Lucky we were, as the place began filling up soon after we were seated (around 5ish). This is after Himself made a crack about eating with the elderly crowd. Out loud, in public... the elderly couple who sat across from us, did not find him amusing.
I'd been craving a Yuengling Lager, and they were on the spot with a cold glass of Yuengling from the tap. You know how it is when you just.... crave.... something? So yeah, that first glass went empty pretty quickly.
Herself had some Foofy Pina Colada thing, and then some Foofy Orange Creme thing. Ugh. They were hardly "foofy". I had a pina colada (cue the singing! You're welcome!) and an orange creamsicle adult beverage. They are icy cold, sweet, and tasty on a hot day!
The foods? We started with a plate of loaded fries. They lugged over this tray full of fries, smothered in cheese sauce and enough bacon to explain a local pig shortage. It, all alone, was a meal for two. Nothing crazy special, except in portion, it was good solid Pub Food. Exactly what a few people would want after a long beer session. What does makes Jack's fries special, is that they are house cut fries! That is something that really goes a long way in terms of flavor.
Next up, Herself just had to try the 'Jackalope Eggs'. Three hard boiled eggs, rolled in crumbs, deep fried, and tossed with hot sauce. Did I mention Jack's is in a college town? Yeah..... these things are sheer beer drinking frat-pack crack. To me, meh. I'd only had that one beer so far. To herself..... she can describe what she thought. She finished them. He does not like scotch eggs either! Heathen! The eggs come as either a single, or a nest (3 eggs). They were rolled in hot sauce, that had a perfect amount of spice and I had them with bleu cheese dressing. They are a great bar food treat in my opinion.
We both ordered burgers, seeing how they are hand made and looked bloody good, going past on trays headed to other tables. I had the 'Malibu', which entailed a half pound of house ground beef and all the usual fixings. Cheese, bacon, lettuce, onions, tomatoes, and mayo.
I had the Jack's burger with onions, mushrooms, and it would normally come with American cheese. I asked for Swiss and PepperJack instead. This is an excellent burger. I later found out (directly from the message Jack's restaurant sent me on FB) that they have been grinding their own meat there daily for 35 years. I added mayo to mine, and honestly it was so moist and delicious I could have eaten it without. Next time I will ask for it without a bun, as it just didn't need it, and it was messy enough that I had to use a knife and a fork!
Color me pleased. I like a good burger, and Jack's is worth every penny. I WILL be having this again.
Easy to get to, lot's of parking, friendly staff, and food that hit the mark. Yup, we will be back. It is so rare to find a genuine "diamond in the rough". I can't believe we lived here for so long without trying this gem!
So how Jack's Family Tavern, Millersville fork up:
4.5 Forks for flavor.
3.8 Forks for atmosphere. (It is a little on the dark side, and the decor is dated. Part of it's charm is in that history)
4.75 Forks for location. (Easy to find & loads of parking)
4.95 Forks for your value.
4.85 Forks for service.
4.57 Total Forks Given
(Alternative title: 'Look! A Squirrel!')
I am a Mom, a Friend, a Partner, a Lover, an Everyday Foodie. I am distracted easily, hence all the squirrel jokes. I love shiny things, and if I wasn't with himself, I would be a crazy cat lady. I am a woman of varied tastes (wink, wink, nudge, nudge). I'm formerly Italian (thanks 23 and me for ruining that illusion! LOL) and English from my Mom, and my Dad moved here from Nova Scotia when he was a kid, so Canadian, Scottish, German and English on that side. I grew up in New England, moved to Pittsburgh area in High School, then to Lancaster County. A tour in upstate New York, then back to the farmland in South Central PA. I think all this helped shape my tastes.
I love American Wines, Italian Food, Lobstah,and Pissah clams. My chowdah better be thick like cream not thin like milk. Steak Salad and Pierogies are the bomb. I love Speedies and good pizza. I prefer Dunkin' Donuts to Krispy Kreme, and have a crazy sweet tooth.
I grew up watching Julia Child and the Frugal Gourmet with my Step-Dad and cooking alongside my Dad in the kitchen. Nothing is more amazing than a man who cooks. It is part of what attracted me to Arthur. Well, that and his overall studliness (stop rolling your eyes, right this minute Mr. Man!)
Over the past two years I have been trying to eat healthier and put better things in my body. I started working out and had the leg cast to prove it! I love taking a traditionally 'bad for you' recipe and giving it a healthier spin. My gluten free brownies are actually pretty tasty, and very rich! Although, to be completely honest, kale (Gag) still has not won me over no matter how hard I try.
I love the beach, and honestly believe salt air cleans the soul. I try to get there at least once a year, to refresh my selkie self. I love shellfish, but can't get into crabs, unless the work is already done. I can shuck an entire lobster in under 7 minutes. Yet, I am not a huge fresh fish fan.
My favorite website before going into any restaurant is the PA Food Safety Website and I look at the most recent inspection before I go anywhere. I have turned around and not eaten at a place because their inspection was questionable. Here is The Link.
I have a few kitchen gadgets I genuinely love. Pyrex bowls for hand mixing and the Kitchenaid stand mixer for everything else. My Zoodler is just the coolest thing. A really good paring knife (one of the best I found at The Restaurant Store for right around $6) is indispensable. The T-Fal Frying pan... himself found on Amazon after we saw it on America's Test Kitchen. I believe baking is a science, and not something you should do haphazardly. I rarely use a recipe when cooking anything else.
Wait.... was that a squirrel?
On The Day, the lovely meat was placed fat-cap up on the right side of the grill, with the leftest most burner turned on low. Indirect heat is the way to go here. 230-250 degrees, depending on how long you have before you need it done. Low and Slow.... it's like magic!
