What We’re Smoking (or Grilling, or Curing)!

Grilled a few steaks for DW breaking her fast on Easter (she is Orthodox so it was this Sunday)...

Had not used the grill for many months.... kinda liked it..
 
I made some Chicken Inasal (which I never had before) this weekend from a recipe on You tube. The marinade contained annatto oil, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, citrus, fish sauce and more. The amounts of herbs was over the top, but I was a little underwhelmed by the final product. It was good, but had over 12 cloves of garlic and a thumb size piece ginger and I was expecting kaboom!
 
Beer can chicken this weekend. I forgot how easy and inexpensive this is.

Two 6 lb costco chickens
Dry with paper towel, olive oil to coat, sprinkle a lot of chicken rub.
Two stands with one beer split between them - put a potato plug in the top.
Pellet grill 180 degrees for an hour with peach wood in a smoke tube.
350 degrees until it hits 140.
450 degrees to get to 165. Super moist and flavorful and tons of meat.
 
Beer can chicken this weekend. I forgot how easy and inexpensive this is.

Two 6 lb costco chickens
Dry with paper towel, olive oil to coat, sprinkle a lot of chicken rub.
Two stands with one beer split between them - put a potato plug in the top.
Pellet grill 180 degrees for an hour with peach wood in a smoke tube.
350 degrees until it hits 140.
450 degrees to get to 165. Super moist and flavorful and tons of meat.
Sounds good. I haven't done a whole chicken for a long time. Cheaper to get a rotissere chicken from Sams. Of course you don't get that smoked flavor.
 
I’d hate to have a blind taste test from my family with Costco or Sam’s rotisserie chicken and my smoked results. I want to believe mine is better - even though…….
 
I’d hate to have a blind taste test from my family with Costco or Sam’s rotisserie chicken and my smoked results. I want to believe mine is better - even though…….
The commercial rotisserie version is likely going to be much saltier, which really muddles up the comparison.
 
It’s been a few months, as I tend to gravitate towards chicken thighs, but a whole chicken is a fun cook. I spatchcock it to help it cook evenly, cook around 300° until breast meat hits around 150°, and open up the vents to get temp to 400-450° for the final 20-30 minutes so that the skin can crisp up. Way better than anything from the store - even if only in the fun factor. :)

1776204823449.jpeg
 
It’s been a few months, as I tend to gravitate towards chicken thighs
That looks good! I also gravitate toward chicken thighs (more flavor) and just grilled about 4 pounds today then cut some up to make teriyaki for lunch (used Bachan's Original sauce that we got on sale at Costco a month or two ago). It actually is pretty decent.
 
Sounds good. I haven't done a whole chicken for a long time. Cheaper to get a rotissere chicken from Sams. Of course you don't get that smoked flavor.
Yeah, there is a whole world of difference between a whole roasted chicken and a whole smoked chicken. I always brine my chicken overnight before smoking. It comes out so delicious, juicy, and with a lovely smoked flavor and to us beats a roasted chicken any day. I’d occasionally tried smoked chicken at a TX BBQ joint and they’d often be dry and overcooked. Brining and not overcooking is key.
 
Last edited:
It’s been a few months, as I tend to gravitate towards chicken thighs, but a whole chicken is a fun cook. I spatchcock it to help it cook evenly, cook around 300° until breast meat hits around 150°, and open up the vents to get temp to 400-450° for the final 20-30 minutes so that the skin can crisp up. Way better than anything from the store - even if only in the fun factor. :)

View attachment 62968
Great looking bird! Good idea about crisping up the skin.
 
Went to the butcher this morning and picked up some prime filets, which I’ll reverse sear tonight. They’re dry brining now. I also picked up some really nice looking butterfly pork chops. They were on sale and priced the same as pork butt, so I had to grab a few. Gotta find a recipe. I’m assuming I’ll cook them low and slow, but need to verify. Never cooked them before.
 
Sounds good. I haven't done a whole chicken for a long time. Cheaper to get a rotissere chicken from Sams. Of course you don't get that smoked flavor.
I must say, the rotissere cut in 1/2 or quartered and slathered with items of choice and reheated within the grill (wow to the crispy skin) is one of my fav's and so much easier than starting from raw (and cheaper). I do it frequently. Wings and legs are even better than from the rotissere alone, especially if chick cooled down since buying it. Throw it on the grill!!
 
The spare ribs were a success, and I'll buy again on sale. A lot of shrinkage during the smoke, but we'll get 3 meals out of them. But I'm well in the baby back ribs camp!
They definitely have a different texture and flavor. Babyback are more meat, less fatty. What I like about spare ribs is that they don’t require wrapping, slathering with anything before wrapping, etc. I just use a dry rub, maybe occasionally spritz with apple cider vinegar late in the cook.
 
Sometime my frugal ways pay off. Found a half pork loin vac-packed for $1.50/lb. Cut into steaks and an overnight brine and cooked to 170 internal & fed 10 people for $7...juicy and tasty.
 
They definitely have a different texture and flavor. Babyback are more meat, less fatty. What I like about spare ribs is that they don’t require wrapping, slathering with anything before wrapping, etc. I just use a dry rub, maybe occasionally spritz with apple cider vinegar late in the cook.
Main thing I don't like about a whole slab or spareribs is all the little cartilage pieces you have to deal with. I pretty much stick to babybacks anymore.
 
I’m thrilled with the butterfly pork chops! I looked at the receipt and all 3 were only $8. 1/2 of the chop is still a huge cut, so that’s 6 meals.

I brined the chops in an easy water, salt and brown sugar brine for 2.5 hours. Used an apple butter/dijon mustard-based glaze and smoked at 250° over apple wood. Pulled the chops at 135-140°, added more glaze, and put them under the broiler for about 5 minutes to tack up.

They turned out SO tender and juicy!

1776724646254.jpeg


1776724671877.jpeg
 
All we have around here is a full frozen rack of Wholestone Farms baby back ribs from a grocery store in a nearby town.

They usually turn out pretty decent in the oven.
 
Okay, so I did butcher my spare ribs into St. Louis ribs without knowing it. I saw those flaps of loose meat and cut them off, I figured they'd cook differently and burn.
I haven’t had trouble with even thin pieces burning. The little skirt flap along the main ribs cooks nicely and a thin edge or two can be folded over and secured with a toothpick. On a whole spareribs the large section with cartilage (aka rib tips) stays flat and comes out very good as well as the breast bone area. I haven’t experienced that the section with cartilage become chewy and hard. The only thing I really do otherwise is remove the tough membrane over the main ribs.

When you take a whole spareribs and cut it down to St. Louis style, you remove a large amount of meat.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom