35 Pound Bigmouth Buffalo Fish Caught on TopCat's Premium Catfish Bait

It seems that catfish are not the only lovers of TopCat's Premium Homemade Catfish Bait. As shown in the photo below, 17 year old Josh B. of Texarkana, Texas landed this 35 lb. giant Bigmouth Buffalo fish while fishing for catfish with our exclusive dough bait. I understand it was one heck of a fight between Josh and this monster fish. The fish was caught near Maud, Texas in Lake Wright Patman. That is the look of one happy fisherman. Way to go Josh!
 
 

The bigmouth buffalo, Ictiobus cyprinellus, also known as the gourd head, redmouth buffalo, buffalo fish, bernard buffalo, roundhead, or brown buffalo, is a large species of the Catostomidae or "sucker" family. The bigmouth buffalo is a dull brownish olive color with dusky fins. Like other suckers it has a long dorsal fin, but unlike others it has a large oblique and terminal mouth. It is the largest of the buffalo fish and reaches a length of more than 4 ft (1.2 m) and 65 lb (29 kg) in weight. It is distributed from the Red River of the North, Manitoba, Canada and North Dakota, United States to the Ohio River and south in the Mississippi River system to Texas and Alabama in the United States. It lives in sluggish areas of large rivers and shallow lakes and streams. ~ Source: Wikipedia

Simple Chili Recipe for the Diabetic

Here is a simple chili recipe for the diabetic.

Ingredients

• 1 can red beans (kidney)
• 1/2 lb lean ground beef
• 1 can tomato soup
• 1 Tbs chili powder
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper

Note: If you want, and you have some handy, you can add a touch of cumin and a 1/2 tsp.of masa corn flour to incorporate a traditional taste and to thicken it up a little.

Instructions

1. add all the above ingredients in a pot (while stirring)
2. bring to a slow-boil then turn the heat down and simmer about 1/2 hour

 Quick and easy.

Tomato Soup: Commercial soup became popular with the invention of canning in the 19th century, and today a great variety of canned and dried soups are on the market. Dr. John T. Dorrance, a chemist with the Campbell Soup Company invented condensed soup (including tomato) in 1897. [source]

Original Crawfish Chili Recipe

Make a golden brown roux using:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour*
• 1 cup butter

Add to roux:

• 1 cup onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped
• 1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped

Cook in roux about 5 minutes then add:

• 2 quarts water
• 1 large can tomato sauce
• 1/2 to 1 cup chili powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cook for at least 2 hours. The longer it cooks, the better it tastes. Approximately 5 minutes before chili is done add 1 lb. clean crayfish tails. Chili beans can also be added if desired.
* You may substitute 5 Tbs. of powdered roux and only 1/2 -cup of butter.

Mmmmm... C'est Magnifiques! 

KT

Deer Chili Cajun Style (no beans)

Here is an easy way to make a delicious batch of deer chili -- Cajun style. But, to make it tasty I add a little ground pork meat (breakfast sausage will do fine) and some ground beef brisket for their fat content. And the small amount that we add contains just enough fat to do the trick without worrying about the onset of heart diseases.

Note: This recipe is comparable to a 1 alarm chili because no ground red pepper was added other than that contained in the McCormick Hot Chili Seasoning Mix. If you would like a 2 alarm chili just add 1 Tbs. extra of ground red pepper; a 3 alarm chili -- add 2 Tbs. of ground red pepper to the recipe.

Ingredients

•  1.5 lbs. ground venison
• 1/2 lb. ground pork sausage
• 1/2 lb. ground beef brisket
• 1 pkt. McCormick Hot Chili Seasoning Mix
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 15 oz. tomato sauce
• 15 oz. water
• 8 oz. stewed tomatoes with green chili peppers
• 2 tbs. chili powder
• 4 beef bouillon cubes
• 2 tbs. cumin
• 2 tsp. paprika
• 2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
• 2 tsp. sugar (light brown sugar is better)
• salt to taste

Instructions

In a large skillet, or pot, brown the meats together on medium heat but do not drain-off the fat. There should be a small amount of fat content to make up for the lack of fat from the lean ground venison. Set this aside until you have cooked the rest of the ingredients for around 10 - 15 minutes or until the chopped onions become translucent.

From this point on it's a piece of cake. Add everything together in one large pot and continue cooking the chili for about 1 hour on low while stirring every 20 minutes.

This is an easy meal to make and it taste absolutely wonderful for those who like a little extra spice in their chili. Hope you enjoy it! Ahheee!!

Char-grilled Ribeye Steak

There's not much that tastes as good as a nicely done char-grilled steak.  They are so easy to make, there is really no excuse for messing it up.  I'm always amazed at what people do to torture steaks on a grill.  The art to grilling steak is not the ingredients - that's easy; and simple is always better.  The art is in the method.  It takes grilling a bunch of steaks to be able to eyeball a steak to know its perfectly done.  I can't profess to teach the art of grilling.  Its going to take you time and practice to learn that.  What I will do is show you how I do it.  I do this the same way, every time, and it always comes out good.  All of you die-hard grillers out there probably have your own methods for doing this.  And I know that not everyone can afford aged beef (in fact, any well marbled rib-eye that you find in your grocery store will taste great).  Aged beef does taste exceptionally good - but don't waste your money until you have mastered the art.  Messing up a $10 steak does tend to ruin ones appetite.

Here are the ingredients:

• Well marbled, aged rib-eye steak
• Lawry's Seasoned Salt
• Lawry's Seasoned Pepper
• Worcestershire Sauce

About an hour before you begin grilling take the steak out of the fridge and place it in a glass pie-dish, covering it with saran wrap.  Its always best to grill your steaks at room temperature, so let them sit for a while.  Once they begin to warm up, generously sprinkle the salt and pepper onto both sides of your steak.  Let them sit another five minutes, then generously coat each side of the steak in Worcestershire.  Let them sit another ten minutes or so, while you heat up the grill.  Make sure you get all the old char off the grill before you start cooking.  I like to use a cooking oil spray made specifically for grilling that doesn't flare up.  Spray some of the oil onto the grates, then scrape them well with your grill cleaning tool.

Once the grill is clean, spray the grate with some more cooking oil.  Turn the heat on high and close the lid to the grill.  You want the temperature to get as hot as you can make it; at least 400 degrees.  Using a long-handled fork, put the steaks over the hottest part of the grill.  Close the lid for about 2-3 minutes.  Lift the lid, move the steak out of any direct flame.  Turn the steaks 45 degrees on the same side, and cook with the lid open another 2-3 minutes.  Turn the steak over and cook for 2-3 minutes on the other side.  Turn the steak another 45 degrees on the same side, and cook another 2-3 minutes.  Remove the steak from the heat when they are done to your preference.  All of the marbling should be rendered from the meat.  When a steak is rare but warmed up, it will hang limply on the fork.  When you can detect slight stiffness in the steak, its medium.  When the steak is almost completely stiff it is well done.  Let the steak rest on foil for at least five minutes before you serve it.

 I like to serve mine with something green (like salad or asparagus), and something brown (like a loaded baked potato).

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