Thin blue smoke thread- BBQ Summer 2009

[BobS]

I started out cooking 5 nice big rolls of sausage (fatties) along with some chicken breasts and pineapple that were headed for pizza later in the evening.

The first pie was an experiment that turned out very well. I smeared the crust with fig jam and then layered on prosciutto and topped with Gorgonzola crumbles. I was definitely worth doing again and I would like to try it with some pulled pork!

The second pie started with a pesto base and I topped with a mix of mozzarella, aged provolone, and Munster cheese. Then I added grilled chicken breast and the grilled pineapple.

It was very nice with a glass of Chardonnay.

 

[The Nid Hog]

Wow, that pizza looks great! Nice for a summer Saturday.

I gave my new side fire box a trial run this morning. It was a good experience--I got a sense of what it took to get the fire up and keep it hot. I made myself a heat deflector too, but I'm holding off on making any other modifications until I get to know it better. I can see that I'm going to have to do something about the firebox. As it is, it's a little awkward to use. I think that I'll knock together a charcoal basket for it before I do this again.

After running it for a couple of hours, I thought that it would be a shame to waste all that nice heat. I got a 4 1/2 lb. brisket ready and cooked it through the afternoon and evening. It came out great. I served it with a spicy tomato based sauce, a tomatillo salad and some leftover saffron rice. All in all, a good day.

 

[SRock]

wow, that pizza looks great! Nice for a summer saturday.

+1

 

[Jim]

Wow, that pizza looks great! Nice for a summer Saturday.

I gave my new side fire box a trial run this morning. It was a good experience--I got a sense of what it took to get the fire up and keep it hot. I made myself a heat deflector too, but I'm holding off on making any other modifications until I get to know it better. I can see that I'm going to have to do something about the firebox. As it is, it's a little awkward to use. I think that I'll knock together a charcoal basket for it before I do this again.

After running it for a couple of hours, I thought that it would be a shame to waste all that nice heat. I got a 4 1/2 lb. brisket ready and cooked it through the afternoon and evening. It came out great. I served it with a spicy tomato based sauce, a tomatillo salad and some leftover saffron rice. All in all, a good day.

Sounds like you are on your way!

 

[thirdeye]

Those pies look outstanding. Do you deliver?

 

[BobS]

I grilled some meatballs and added them to a homemade tomato sauce and added some homemade pasta and we had a very nice meal this evening. Sorry, all you get to see are the fixings....

 

[eightysixCJ]

A couple of sirloin steaks and a few slabs baby backs smoked over cherry wood.

 

[Brodirt]

Another meal with no pics because the crowd was sooooo hungry, but I did tea smoked duck tonight...easy and spectacular, try it. 5 kids, ages 5-10, devoured a 4.5lb bird in the blink of an eye...totally cool! Props to the kids for not being intimidated...of course this was after being taunted by my oldest and her love of all things edible. It was great to watch her telling "tales" of eating octopus, sea urchin, wild boar, rabbit, buffalo and some other stuff to the boys that came over! Next up is conch fritters in the Caribbean at the end of the month.

 

[SRock]

Last night it was basic Ribeye's (Scotch fillet for my Kiwi and Aussie friends) with a pepper rub and tonight a basic BBQ chicken.

 

[A3M0N]

Couple of sirloins just seasoned with meat tendorizor. Also skewered some zuchini and yellow squash brushed with olive oil along with some asparagus. After all grilled up, drizzled with balsamic vinegrette.

yum.

 

[Austin]

A couple of sirloin steaks and a few slabs baby backs smoked over cherry wood.

Are you Jim's brother?

 

[Suzuki]

No pics, but did up some elk rib-eyes this weekend on the Weber using some good ol' Royal Oak lump.

For those who haven't cooked elk, its very lean so can't be cooked anything over medium rare.

I'm still learning the ins and outs of the charcoal thing but got my coals nice and hot and put a wonderful sear on the elk.

All I did to the steaks was a light rub of olive oil and some "Montreal" style steak spice that I get from a local butcher who mixes up his own recipe.

The one tip I've picked up recently is that I have started butterflying my chicken breasts, which makes cooking much faster and even - as an added benefit, the butterflied breasts cook up in the same time as it takes to do steaks to a med-rare/medium.

 

[Scotto]

No pics, but did up some elk rib-eyes this weekend on the Weber using some good ol' Royal Oak lump.

For those who haven't cooked elk, its very lean so can't be cooked anything over medium rare.

I'm still learning the ins and outs of the charcoal thing but got my coals nice and hot and put a wonderful sear on the elk.

All I did to the steaks was a light rub of olive oil and some "Montreal" style steak spice that I get from a local butcher who mixes up his own recipe.

The one tip I've picked up recently is that I have started butterflying my chicken breasts, which makes cooking much faster and even - as an added benefit, the butterflied breasts cook up in the same time as it takes to do steaks to a med-rare/medium.

You can also do the chicken breasts over indirect heat - bank the coals across one side only, then sear them and move them to the side with no coals to finish. I would also brine them to keep them moist.

 

[Jim]

Are you Jim's brother?

Tom is the original Pit-master and my Sensei.

No pics, but did up some elk rib-eyes this weekend on the Weber using some good ol' Royal Oak lump.

For those who haven't cooked elk, its very lean so can't be cooked anything over medium rare.

I'm still learning the ins and outs of the charcoal thing but got my coals nice and hot and put a wonderful sear on the elk.

All I did to the steaks was a light rub of olive oil and some "Montreal" style steak spice that I get from a local butcher who mixes up his own recipe.

The one tip I've picked up recently is that I have started butterflying my chicken breasts, which makes cooking much faster and even - as an added benefit, the butterflied breasts cook up in the same time as it takes to do steaks to a med-rare/medium.

You can also do the chicken breasts over indirect heat - bank the coals across one side only, then sear them and move them to the side with no coals to finish. I would also brine them to keep them moist.

I have had very good luck with this technique as well.

 

[Scotto]

Sausage and peppers tonight:

 

[SRock]

Tonight it is marinated tender loin, corn and fried potatoes. All on the grill of course!

 

[Suzuki]

You can also do the chicken breasts over indirect heat - bank the coals across one side only, then sear them and move them to the side with no coals to finish. I would also brine them to keep them moist.

That's what I normally do with chicken and fish - I do the butterfly thing when I want to cut down the cooking time and when I'm doing a lot of stuff at once (I was cooking for 8) so that the timing is easier.

 

[SRock]

Ok gents, lets see your favorite Brisket routines/recipes! I enjoy brisket but I've never tackled one. My wife just picked up a half cut (about 3lbs) and wants me to do it up this weekend. Any/all advice will be much appreciated.

 

[Mr. Scruffy]

Ok gents, lets see your favorite Brisket routines/recipes! I enjoy brisket but I've never tackled one. My wife just picked up a half cut (about 3lbs) and wants me to do it up this weekend. Any/all advice will be much appreciated.

This is not recommended for gas grills!!

Prep the meat the night before cooking.

Trim the fat from the brisket so that you have 1/8" to 1/4" layer.

Step 1 - The Rub

3 tablespoon coarse ground black pepper
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 table spoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon granulated white sugar
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cayenne powder

Mix together thoroughly in a small bowl. Set aside 1/4 of the mix. Rub the rest generously all over the brisket. Wrap the brisket in saran wrap and place in fridge overnight.

Step 2 - The Sop

Some people like to sop, others don't. I do because it keeps the meat moist. If you prefer a super crunchy brisket, skip the sop.

12 oz. beer (cheap American lager, not the good imported stuff)
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 white onion coarsely chopped.
3 cloves garlic pressed
1/4 of the rub mix

Prepare all of the sop ingredients in a saucepot about an hour before you begin cooking. Simmer over low heat. You will want to keep the sop warm during the entire time it takes to cook the brisket. If you have a smoker with a firebox on the side, set the saucepot on the top of the firebox. Otherwise keep it warm on the stove.

Step 3 - Cook

Take the brisket from the fridge about 1 hour before you are ready to cook to allow it to reach room temperature.

Prepare your fire like you normally do. This is the important part - DO NOT USE SOAKED WOOD CHIPS. Use big ol' hunks of whatever wood you prefer. Wet wood imparts a bitter smoke to the meat. Big ol' hunks will provide a steady smoke over an extended period of time.

Cook LOW AND SLOW. Cook at 225-250 degrees. Times will vary depending on your ability to control the smoker. Use a mop or brush to apply the sop every 25-30 minutes. Turn the brisket once every hour or more frequently if your smoker runs hot. The brisket is done when you have reached an internal temperature of 185 degrees (6 to 8 hours depending on your smoker).

Remove from the fire and wrap in foil. Let the brisket sit for an hour before slicing.

Most Texans will eat their brisket dry. If you feel it necessary to ruin yours with barbecue sauce, be my guest. Slice across the grain. Serve with sliced onions, pickles, jalapenos and sliced white bread. Coleslaw and potato salad optional.

I think I put it all in here. Feel free to ask questions.

 

[Scotto]

My advice: plan for a lot more time than you need. It is better to be done early and have it rest than scramble at the end or delay dinner. I do mine low and slow between 225 and 250 degrees, and it will take 90 minutes per pound easily to get to my target temp of 190 degrees internal. Keep it simple with S&P, maybe some Colemans dry mustard and brown sugar. No mop needed, IMO, though I may foil it later in the cook depending on how things are going.

Good luck!