My favorite recipes - Meet Mike Gordon, Pullman

Jana Mathia | Jan 28, 20100

There’s a lot of overlap between work and play for Mike Gordon. A realtor with a passion for photography and fishing, he gets to travel all over the county.

Born in California, Mike lived on both coasts before his family moved to Moscow, Idaho. During his sophomore year of high school he moved to Hawaii to live with his aunt. While he was away, his family moved to North Pole, Alaska, and he joined them after his year in Hawaii. That earned him the nickname Pineapple.

After graduation, Mike decided to come back to the Palouse and attend Washington State University. He knew the people and community and the school had an excellent communications department. He stayed at WSU from 1987 to 1989 when other opportunities led to a change in career plans.

He also met his wife, Jeanette, in 1989.

In 1993 he earned his realtors license while working full time. In 1995 he became a broker and part owner of Summit Realty in Pullman and two years later bought out the other owners when they retired.

His education in communications helped as a realtor because part of his job is bringing two people who may not like each other together and getting them to agree on a deal. He sees his job as more of a helper and advisor.

“I like working with people,” he said.

While Mike is driving all over the area for work, he gets to see parts of the county others don’t. He takes pictures of out-of-the-way spots and shares them with others.

He said his zeal for photography stems from having a poor memory. With a picture he is able to freeze a moment and then recall the memory when he sees it again. Mike’s pictures include barns, wildlife, fences and flowers. Although he does have some of his pictures for sale, he’s not in it to make money.

“Most of the time I give them away,” he said. With the ease of producing digital photographs, Mike prints off his pictures and gives them to people for a wide variety of projects.

“The happiness it brings people I’m very cool with,” he said. His pictures have been used in magazines, ads, calendars and more. His only requirement is he gets a copy of whatever the picture is used for to give to his mother. She still scrapbooks photos that get published.

Mike loves to take pictures of Hells Canyon and the North Fork of the Clearwater River. With his jet boat, he’s able to get back into secluded places. As a licensed fishing guide and partner of Gone Fishin’, he has many more photo-ops.

Mike has been fishing since he was a boy in California.

“We’ve been fishing since we were born,” he said. Now he takes others to fish for sturgeon and steelhead.

“I love sturgeon fishing. Anytime you can catch a fish larger than you are, it’s an event,” he said.

The biggest he has caught is an eight and a half foot long sturgeon. Last year he took his step-father fishing for the first time, and he caught a seven and a half foot sturgeon. At that size, some places won’t even let you take the fish out of the water because of internal damage to the fish. Mike stated that the seven and a half foot long fish is probably 60 to 70 years old.

Mike and Jeanette also love to camp. During the summer they are gone every weekend either on the river or in the mountains.

Mike’s Simple But Worth it Turkey Brine

2 cups salt (non-iodized)

4 cups brown sugar

14 cups molasses

1 gal. water

Approx. 1 gal. ice

Combine salt, brown sugar, molasses and water in large pot. Bring just to boil, stirring until all solids are dissolved. Remove from heat, add ice to cool and then refrigerate. Once the brine has cooled, place the turkey in a clean bucket or cooler. I usually line the bucket or cooler with a large plastic bag. Cover turkey with the brine. Make sure the turkey is completely submersed in the brine. Removing the air from the bag helps. Refrigerate and allow to sit overnight. Remove the turkey from the brine and pat dry, Allow the turkey to sit at room temperature for 1/2 hour before cooking. Now the bird is ready to be deep fried, baked or smoked.

Mike’s Rubbed Ribs

2 cups salt (non-iodized)

4 cups brown sugar

1/4 cup paprika

1/4 cup garlic powder

1/4 cup onion powder

1/8 cup cayenne pepper (less for a milder rub)

2 Tbsp. cinnamon

Mix ingredients thoroughly in dry re-sealable container.

I make my rub in semi-bulk portions so I have lots left over for chicken, steak and even fish as well as ribs.

To apply:

First, always remove the membrane from the ribs before applying the rub.

Second, even though it’s called “rub”, it’s not a good idea to rub it in. Sprinkle the rub liberally al over the meat and pat lightly. This allows the mat to absorb more of the seasoning. Once completely covered, refrigerate a minimum of 2 hours, but overnight is best. Remove the ribs from refrigeration and allow to sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before placing in smoker or oven. Cook low and slow, 225 degrees for 4-6 hours or until internal temperature reaches 165 for pork, 145-150 for beef. Remember to let the ribs rest 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

No BBQ sauce required.