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A Cul-de-Sac Cook 🔥 Backyard BBQ you can actually pull off. Midwest dad, Traeger & charcoal, year round. Founder of Rocks BBQ rubs & sauces

11/10/2026

The best apples for apple pie are two kinds, not one. If your pie tastes flat, it's the apples.

Granny Smith brings the tart. All Granny and the pie is sour.
Golden Delicious brings the sweet. All Golden and it tastes like canned filling.
Put them together and the tart makes the cinnamon and sugar pop.

2 Granny Smith + 3 Golden Delicious. That's my mom's ratio. Can't find Golden Delicious? Use Honeycrisp or Braeburn. You want one tart and one sweet.

Save this for your next pie. What apples does your family use?

11/08/2026

Why is your green bean casserole watery? It's usually the beans.

Tipping the can and pouring off the top leaves water behind. That water thins out the soup and pools in the bottom of the pan.

Dump the beans in a colander. Give them a real good shake. Let them sit for a minute. That's the difference between creamy and soupy.

Save this one for your next family dinner. How have you been draining yours?

10/28/2026

Smoked picanha on a pellet smoker: 225°F to 120°F, then a fat-side-down sear at 500°F. Steakhouse picanha in about 2 hours.

WHAT YOU NEED
1 picanha (top sirloin cap), about 3 lbs
1½ tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp my Rock's Bourbon Brisket Rub (or coarse salt and cracked pepper)
Traeger Signature pellets

1. Trim the fat cap to about ½ inch and score it. Salt it and set it on a rack in the fridge, uncovered, 1 hour to overnight.
2. Season it. Smoke fat side up at 225°F with Super Smoke until 120°F in the center. Mine took 1 hr 15 min.
3. Pull it and crank the grill to 500°F. That took 6 to 7 minutes on my Timberline XL.
4. Sear fat side down first, about 3 minutes, then the meat side. Watch for flare-ups. Pull around 130°F.
5. Rest 10 minutes and slice across the grain, with fat cap on every piece.

Full recipe is on cookwithrock.com. What are you serving it with?

10/25/2026

Smoke, crunch, and a sticky bourbon glaze. I almost can't tell these weren't deep fried.

Leftover tip: reheat at 400°F for 8–10 minutes on a rack. The skin crisps back up. Skip the microwave.

Full recipe is on cookwithrock.com. What should I cook next?

10/22/2026

How to get crispy smoked wings on a pellet grill. No fryer, and a sticky bourbon glaze to finish.

WINGS
About 5 lbs whole wings, cut into drums and flats

RUB
2 tbsp my Rock's Backyard Blaze (or any BBQ rub) · 1 tbsp cornstarch · salt to taste

BOURBON GLAZE
½ cup bourbon · ½ cup brown sugar · ¼ cup honey · 4 tbsp butter · 2 tbsp apple c***r vinegar · 1 tbsp Worcestershire · 1 tbsp Rock's Anytime (or fresh garlic) · 1 tbsp Backyard Blaze

1. Pat every wing dry. Toss in the rub and cornstarch.
2. Fridge, uncovered, on a wire rack. 1 hour minimum, overnight is better.
3. Smoke at 225°F with Super Smoke for 15 min.
4. Crank it to 425°F for 35–40 min. Pull at 175–185°F.
5. Simmer the glaze 8–10 min until it coats a spoon. Toss, then back on 7–10 min to set.

Full recipe is on cookwithrock.com. Drums or flats?

10/19/2026

How to get crispy wings on a pellet grill. If your smoked wings come out rubbery, it's one of these four.

1. Pat every wing dry. Moisture is the enemy of crispy skin.
2. Add 1 tbsp cornstarch to your rub. It pulls more moisture out of the skin.
3. Fridge, uncovered, on a wire rack. 1 hour minimum, overnight is better.
4. Smoke low, then crank it. 225°F with Super Smoke for 15 min, then 425°F for 35–40 min. Pull at 175–185°F.

Save this one for game day. Which one were you skipping?

10/18/2026

Arroz con pollo that beats the restaurant, and the leftovers are just as good on Monday. Spanish rice, griddle chicken, and don’t be shy with the queso.

Reheat tip: warm the queso low with a splash of milk to bring it back to creamy.

Full recipe is on cookwithrock.com. What should I cook next?

10/14/2026

Mexican arroz con pollo at home. Chicken, cheese and rice, the way the restaurant makes it, in about an hour.

SPANISH RICE
2 cups jasmine rice · ¼ onion, chopped · 2 tbsp olive oil · 4 cups + 1½ cups water · 8 oz tomato sauce · 2 tbsp Better Than Bouillon chicken base · 1 tsp cumin

CHICKEN
2 lbs chicken breast strips · 2 tbsp oil · 2 tbsp water · my Rock’s Salt Free Taco (or any fajita seasoning)

QUESO
1½ lbs white American (deli) · 8 oz pepper jack · 2 cups milk

1. Toast the rice and onion in the oil. Add 4 cups water, tomato sauce, bouillon and cumin. Boil uncovered 10 min.
2. Add 1½ cups water, cover, medium-low 10 min. Heat off, lid on, rest 20 min. No peeking.
3. Sear the chicken on a hot griddle 3–5 min, then finish on medium-low. Pull at 165°F.
4. Melt the cheese into the milk, low and slow.
5. Layer rice, then chicken, then smother it in queso.

Full recipe is on cookwithrock.com. What’s your go-to order at a Mexican restaurant?

10/12/2026

How to make white queso dip that won’t break: medium-low heat and white American from the deli. No roux needed.

1½ lbs white American cheese (deli counter)
8 oz pepper jack, cubed
2 cups milk

Warm the milk on medium-low. Add the cheese a handful at a time and keep stirring. High heat is what makes it seize and go grainy. Too thick? Splash in more milk.

Save this one for game day. What are you dipping in it?

Address

Fort Wayne, IN
46845

Telephone

+12602556838

Website

https://cookwithrock.com/, https://rocksbbq.com/

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