Season is Over, Time to Experiment...

Well, now that the BBQ competition season is over for 2012, it is time to make some things in the smoker that have been neglected during the summer:

• Cold smoked bacon for the coming year
• Steelhead and salmon
• Nuts (my new favorite)
• Cold smoked cheese
• A jerky fix for the holiday

I also use this time to experiment with "Outside the Box" recipes.  Some things I am going to try are:

• Curried Smoked Beef
• Chicken Tikka Masala
• Duck and/or goose
• Cured Dried Beef a'la BBQ Guam
• Cured and smoked fresh ham
• Smoked Pork Chops

If there is anything you would like to add to the list, feel free to drop a line to add a suggestion to my R&D efforts...

Thanks for stopping by...

Bill

Operation BBQ Relief. Have you Donated?

If you look over to the right on this blog, we have proudly added a link to Operation BBQ Relief.  Operation BBQ Relief is a charity created to help victims of disaster in a time of need.  Their website says it best:

"Operation BBQ Relief is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation founded in May, 2011 in response to a need for relief efforts in tornado-stricken Joplin, Missouri. On Sunday evening, May 22, a massive multi-vortex EF5 tornado plowed through the southwest Missouri community of about 50,000 residents, killing over 140 people and injuring more than 1,000. It left a path of almost total destruction six miles long and over a half mile wide. It is now classified as the second deadliest tornado in U.S. history.

In the wake of this nearly unprecedented destruction, competition barbecue teams from eight states answered the call to help feed displaced families and police, fire, National Guard and emergency personnel. The group, headed by Stan Hays (County Line Smokers), Jeff Stith (Big Creek BBQ) and Will Cleaver (Sticks N Chicks BBQ), was able to serve over 120,000 barbecue meals in less than two weeks during the operation in Joplin. Food was served from our location in the community and delivered to shelters, hospitals, senior living communities and the Humane Society. Volunteers also loaded food into vehicles and delivered directly to families in the impacted areas within the tornado’s footprint. The operation was made possible by many businesses who contributed food and supplies and people from across the country who donated cash.

As a result of efforts in Joplin, Operation BBQ Relief was born. The Joplin operation will be used as a model for future disasters such as hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes, floods and other tornados. We are a not-for-profit corporation registered in all fifty states and ready to respond to natural disaster emergencies across the United States."

Operation BBQ Relief is currently serving those in need of help due to Hurricane Sandy and need your help.

Three Dogs BBQ just joined Operation BBQ Relief this past weekend in order to help those who need it most in the future.  If you are a BBQ team or are looking for a good charity to consider donating to, please consider clicking on the icon to the right and either joining if you are a team or donating if you can afford to do so.

Thanks for stopping by...

Bill

The Best Turkey I Have Ever Made, Period!

A friend of mine said, try pecan on your turkey.  You will never try any other wood for smoking a bird again.  So, why not...

First, I made a batch of Poultry Brine and let old Tom Turkey go swimming for two days.  Then, I pulled the turkey out of the pool and let sit in the sink, "head" down, until all of the brine in the cavity had completely drained.  Then, into the cavity, I stuffed:

2 stalks of Celery, cut in thirds

1 Sweet Onion, skin removed, cut in quarters

4 medium Carrots, cut in thirds

1 Apple, quartered, skin on

After stuffing, I coated the skin with olive oil and seasoned with sea salt and pepper.

Ready for the smoker:

I lit the smoker and brought to 350 F and placed pecan in the ash pan.  The bird went on the 2nd rack down...

After one hour, I added more pecan to the ash pan and checked on the bird...

After two and a half hours, the bird was done.  165 internal.  It was a 13 lb bird...

Brought Tommy inside and let rest for 30 minutes before slicing...

The sliced product...

The skin was nice and crispy, the meat was juicy and tender.  The pecan and the apples mingled perfectly.  Outstanding all the way around.  The apples in the body cavity even tasted great.  I will be doing this again for sure.  

Thanks for stopping by...

Bill

Happy Thanksgiving! An Idea for your Bird

This is a repost from last March.  I thought it would be helpful for those looking to smoke a turkey for tomorrow.  Some suggestions in addition to the following post:

If using a whole bird, I would stuff the body cavity with onion, celery, and carrot.  It adds a nice flavor to the end product.

Alternatively, you can just smoke your bird as you would bake it in the oven:

Rub with olive oil.
Season with salt and pepper.
Collect your dripping and make a really great smoky gravy.

DO NOT stuff your bird with a bread stuffing.  Bread stuffing will soak up too much smoke.  If you want stuffing, make it separately in the oven.

That is it.  I hope everyone has a great holiday!

Thanks for stopping by...

Bill

Click on the link below for the rest of the post...

Alabama White BBQ Sauce: Is Any Other Kind Needed?

When I went to Alabama to pick up the new trailer, I had a secondary mission: to try some Alabama White BBQ Sauce.  I have heard of it, but never got around to trying the stuff.  Jim and Nicks BBQ had some, so I got some on the side to try with my BBQ platter.  After trying, I was in heaven.  Creamy, vinegary, spicy.  Complex flavors all melded together that was perfect on my chicken.

So, I did some digging on the Internet for a recipe.  Here is the one I used from About.com  It wasn't bad.  It was missing something, but it was very close.  I am going to meld this recipe with a few ideas of what I think it was missing (sugar for one thing) to experiment in the future.

So, very simple:

2 cups of mayo
1 cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp ground black pepper
1 tsp Sea Salt
1/2  tsp cayenne

I cut the recipe in half:

Mix, chill overnight, serve with chicken.

For the chicken, I brined over night in a batch of Poultry Brine.  Pulled the birds out of the brine, patted dry, and rubbed with Stumps Platinum Rub under the skin, in the body cavity, and on the outside of the skin...

Three hours at 250 F with hickory and peach in the ashpan.  Top rack in a Stumps Stretch...

After about one hour...

Pulled the chicken off the bone and served with the Alabama White Sauce...

The pulled chicken goes very well with the sauce.  I even like this sauce on pulled pork.  

More on this topic in the future for sure.

Thanks for stopping by...

Bill

Sausage Explosion!

I have been wanting to try this Fattie recipe ever since I heard about it at our Hudson Valley competition in August.  So, I give to you, the Sausage Explosion Fattie...

First, take three pounds of bulk breakfast sausage, place into a sealable plastic bag, and roll flat...

I then placed the sausage in the frig overnight so that it would chill and become easy to work with. 

Then, slice open the bag and place the flat sausage on wax paper.  I then layered with American cheese a thin sliced sweet onion...

Then, breakfast link sausage...

Roll up, seal tight, and place in a basic bacon weave...

Then, onto the smoker for 1 hour at 250 F, then a second hour at 350 F...

Slice up and serve...

Overall, the taste was there for sure.  There were some problems with runniness due to the liquid in the American  cheese and onions.  Therefore, the next time I do this, here are some things I will do different:

1.  Use a higher temp melting cheese such as queso blanco or something Italian in nature (mozzarella or provolone).

2.  Caramelize the onions to remove the moisture.

3.  Brown the breakfast links for a better look and taste. 

That being said, there wasn't any of this left, regardless of how it looked...  ;)

Thanks for stopping by...

Bill

Saucy Thighs...

Here was my last practice cook before Nelsonville with chicken thighs.  I went with the standard grocery store value pack thighs instead of what my butcher offers since they are bigger.  I was looking for more skin on a bigger thigh.  While my butchers thighs taste better and are not steroided up, they are a bit on the smallish side...

I marinaded in Stubbs Chicken marinade, wrapped the scraped skins around the meat, and dusted with Butchers Honey Rub:

Onto a 250 F smoker with hickory and peach in the ash pan.  After 30 minutes, dunk in sauce, then I placed in a foil pan skin side down.  Then, after 30 more minutes, I placed on the rack, skin side up and re-sauced:

30 more minutes while ramping the temperature up to 350 F...

I got what I was looking for:  a bigger, more consistently sized thigh with bite through skin and good taste.

Thanks for stopping by...

Bill