Joybee, What's for Dinner? : Guinness Smoked Brisket

A recap of my most popular posts from March 2015.

I implemented many new changes in March. They seem to be working too I have many more views than I had before.

Most importantly, I've started sharing my recipes/posts on Yummly. I believe that Yummly is bringing the most viewers to my blog. It quickly became my leading referral site.

Yummly quickly became my leading referral site [Tweet this]

I have also started adding pictures and links of similar recipes at the end of each post. It's not making any huge difference but getting some of my older (maybe less known) posts seen again.

I've started adding click to tweet bars to each post too. I don't see them tweeted all that much, but it's just another easy way for viewers to share my recipes. Along the social sharing line, I also added a new floating social share bar.

I've been making the most out of my link ups to link parties by tweeting them and this has seemed to bring me more twitter followers and a few more views.

I changed some og tags (open graph protocol) in my blog template HTML to make my site more facebook share friendly. I really have no idea if that is making any difference in my views, but I feel good that it's done.

Lastly, I started adding a search description to each post. On blogger, it's at the right under 'Post settings' in the post editor. This is another thing I don't know if it's making a difference or not but I was surfing the web/blog info and saw that I should be doing it and I had not been. Now I am.

Overall, I am always tweaking my blog and I believe this is something I will always do because the blog world is constantly changing. Whether it increases my views or not I feel good about trying to make my blog better.

The blog world is constantly changing [Tweet this]

Now on to the best of the month:

Last years most viewed of March:

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Soft and chewy cookies studded with semisweet chocolate chips. Now has 227 views and 33 +1s. This had the most views that month at the time of posting however, it was quickly beat out.

#BestoftheMonth March 2015 #ChocolateChipCookies -last years best of March via @joybeewhatsfor [Tweet this]

Egg and Cheese Crepes

Protein packed crepes filled with more protein of eggs and cheese. Now has 1204 views and 18 +1s. At the time, it only had 172 views but it blew up on Pinterest. It's my most pinned recipe now.

#BestoftheMonth March 2015: last year's Egg&CheeseCrepes -most #pinned via @joybeewhatsfor [Tweet this]

Now back to this year's best of the month:

Sauteed Kale

Warm kale sauteed until tender and flavored with onions, garlic, and balsamic vinegar. 793 views and 45 +1s.

#SauteedKale | #BestoftheMonth March 2015 via @joybeewhatsfor [Tweet this]

Sweet Dill Glazed Carrots

Tender orange carrots cooked in a butter, brown sugar, and dill sauce. A colorful and flavorful vegetable side dish. 401 views and 34 +1s.

Sweet #Dill Glazed #Carrots | #BestoftheMonth March 2015 via @joybeewhatsfor [Tweet this]

Guinness Smoked Brisket

Slow smoked brisket seasoned with a dry rub and sprayed with Guinness. 384 views and 29 +1s.

#Guinness #SmokedBrisket | #BestoftheMonth March 2015 via @joybeewhatsfor [Tweet this]

Lamb & Guinness Shepherds Pie

Minced lamb and vegetables cooked in a Guinness sauce and topped with mashed potatoes. Perfect for a St. Patrick's Day dinner. 377 views and 85 +1s.

Lamb & #Guinness #ShepherdsPie | #BestoftheMonth March 2015 via @joybeewhatsfor [Tweet this]

Lamb Salad

A green salad topped with leftover Herb Roasted Leg of Lamb, olives, tomatoes, and feta. 353 views and 38 +1s. Oops, I put this one on Best of the Month February 2015 by accident. It was posted in March so this is where it should be.

#Lamb #Salad | #BestoftheMonth March 2015 via @joybeewhatsfor [Tweet this]

Check out last year's Best of the Month March (2014)

Thanks for stopping by.

Enjoy.

Linked to: Pretty Pintastic, Best of the Weekend, 2 Cup, Treasure Box, Lou Lou girls, Tickle my Tastebuds

Follow Joy Bee's board Joybee Whats for Dinner blog posts on Pinterest.

Slow smoked brisket seasoned with a dry rub and sprayed with Guinness.

Do you ever just crave barbecue? I sure do. Over the weekend, I had one of these cravings so I talked my husband into seeing what kind of meat he could find on sale. I was hoping for a pork butt for some easy Slow Cooker Carolina Barbecue, but there wasn't one on sale so he brought home brisket. I like brisket barbecue too, but usually prefer it smoked, which my husband was happy to do.

Do you ever crave barbecue? [Tweet this]

This was the weekend before St. Patrick's Day and we had plenty of Guinness in the house so my husband had the great idea of using some as a sop. I've mentioned sop before in my Smoked Top Round Roast. It's a liquid or sauce brushed or sprayed on the meat while it's being smoked. It helps add moisture and flavor to the meat. Between the dry rub and the Guinness sop this brisket had an absolutely delicious bark (the dark outer crust).

Between the dry rub and Guinness sop this brisket had a delicious bark. [Tweet this]

Guinness Smoked Brisket

Ingredients:

Brisket

Dry Rub

Garlic Powder
Salt
Fresh cracked pepper
Red pepper flakes
Green chili flakes
Chili powder
Dried onions
Brown sugar

Sop

Guinness
Apple cider vinegar

None of the ingredients were really measured just add what you like and what smells good to you (or use your favorite spice rub).

Rub the brisket all over with the dry rub.

Fill a spray bottle most of the way full with Guinness and then add about 1/4 cup of cider vinegar. Gently swirl to mix.

Place the spiced brisket on the preheated smoker and cover. Allow to smoke all day at about 200F (about 1-2 hours per pound).

Spray the brisket with the sop about every hour.

Brisket is finished when internal temperature reaches 185-200F. Slice or chop and enjoy as is or with sauce (like a Guinness Barbecue Sauce).

Enjoy.