Labor Day Weekend BBQ (mmm...BBQ..mmmm)

Me, you, us and we. ^ | 8/30/03 | Rebelbase

[Rebelbase]

Hey, Hey, listen up. I've got 26 lbs of pork shoulders in the smoker right now and will be up 1/2 the night tonight, but its worth it to be able to sit back and munch on some good ole' smoke pig and talk politics with the kids tomorrow.

Who has what on the grill and how's the cooking?

[Rebelbase]

Thats a pretty close match to the sauce I usually make.

[Vigilantcitizen]

" I've got 26 lbs of pork shoulders in the smoker right now..."

I've got two pork shoulders that soaked for 2 days in my top secret bbq sauce, and have been cooking since this morning on one smoker, and my famous bbq baked beans slowly cooking on my other. My lady has produced another fine batch of potato salad, and I just returned from stocking up at the beer store and am patiently waiting for it to become optimal consumption temperature.

Life is good!

[AlaninSA]

This post contains CLASSIFIED information. This is not to be given out to left-wingers, Clinton supporters or haters of Southern food and culture.

Turkey (fresh, not frozen -- available at your local H-E-B).

Take a fresh turkey (or one that's completely thawed) and rub it with Tony Chachere's Cajun seasoning. Let it sit overnight in the fridge - the salt will work with the meat to develop a gel-like crust once you start smoking.

Start the smoker early in the morning. I prefer the use of a New Braunfels brand fire box indirect smoker.

Here's a picture of the one that's in my back yard:

I start the fire using Matchlight charcoal. Just a little -- the charcoal is a starter, not the end-all for this fire. Once it's started, it's time to add the wood.

My preference is to use chunk or split pecan as my wood. Hickory is an acceptable option. Apple is OK. Mesquite is not (heresy here in Texas, I know). Pecan and apple are gentle smokes that allow for a long time on the smoker. Mesquite is too aggressive for something as delicate as turkey.

Now...and this is important -- SO LISTEN UP! -- keep that fire LOW!!! Flames are BAD. Keep it smokey, low on heat and leave that damn meat alone!

Rotate the bird once every couple of hours. Keep an eye on your airflow (fire side and chimney). Too much air equals too much heat equals grilling, not smoking.

The bird will be edible in about seven hours. It only gets better - as long as you use a delicate smoke like pecan - the longer you leave it alone.

Don't fear the black crust developing on your bird. That's a BBQers meat wrapper that will peel right off when you're ready to start cutting.

ENJOY!

Slaw and beans recipes to follow!

[Zevonismymuse]

Well, I just pulled off my smoked rosemary and lemon chicken breasts. Good stuff.

Now I am smoking Pork Ball Tips, rubbed in garlic, seasoned salt, and brown sugar. Nice low heat and smokey mesquite chips.

Tommorrow I will BBQ Ribeyes and burgers. This is an all meat, all the time, kinda weekend for us.

We live in bewautiful Santa Ynez, CA, home of Ronald Reagan's Western White House. It is in the low 80s. I am so happy to be alive. Thanks for reminding me what a great life we have.

[AlaninSA]

We developed our slaw preference while we lived in North Carolina. I'm not a big fan of the "slaw" served here in Texas.

Take a fresh head of cabbage and remove the outer leaves.

Grate the cabbage on a cheese grater until you've reached the point of knuckle damage.

Take the grated cabbage and place it into a large mixing bowl.

Add a heaping tablespoon of mayo.

Add about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of white vinegar.

Add 2-3 heaping tablespoons of sugar.

Add a pinch of Kosher salt.

Take some yellow mustard (cheap French's is best) and give it a good squirt into the bowl.

Stir well.

Chill.

Serves 5-6 grownups as a side dish. Serves 10-12 grownups as a condi (instead of ketchup like "BBQ Sauce.").

[AlaninSA]

For beans, well...we're fairly lame - but our beans are altered enough that our friends think their (a)home-made and (b) that we're hiding a secret recipe when we tell them how we make them.

Take a big-ol' can of Bush's Baked Beans.

Add a couple teaspoons of camino and a sliced fresh jalepeno pepper.

Toss it all in a cast-iron pot about 45 minutes before you're ready for your BBQ turkey.

Place the pot IN THE SMOKER next to the wonderful bird you're smoking. They'll take on a sweet and wonderful cowboy flavor of smoke, camino and chiles after about 45 minutes.

[Rebelbase]

My smoker right now:

[Zevonismymuse]

Okay Mr. Show-Off, you are kicking my wussy Californian Butt. I'm jealous. I have about 5 lbs on my bottom rack. I'm a lightweight.

[Miss Marple]

My mother's non-sweet potato salad (do not make this if you like pickle relish in your potato salad):

5 lbs' potatoes, boiled peeled and cubed
6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and diced
2-3 stalks of celery, finely diced
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
2 tsp. celery seed
Salt and pepper to taste.
Mayonnaise, as needed

Assemble all ingredients in a large mixing bowl,adding mayonnaise as needed (it could take as much as a cup). Mix and chill.

This works best if allowed to sit in the refrigerator for a couple of hours or so before serving.

[RIGHT IN SEATTLE]

I have a Kamado and a New Braunfels 20" smoker. This year I had pork chops cut 3" thick.

I'm in a slo-grillin mode!

[RIGHT IN SEATTLE]

Well seasoned smoker.

How are the tolerances on that rig?

Does it leak much smoke?

Brand?

[I still care]

DU'ers are eating soy and miso paste this weekend.

The best revenge is living well....

[cmsgop]

Im doing a Fresh King Salmon and Rosemary Chicken Breats in Balsalmic Vinager, and a case of beer.... :*)

[cmsgop]

RIGHT IN SEATTLE is a True Master of the Grill. I mean that.

[Rebelbase]

Its a cheapie Great Outdoors vertical direct smoker. My most recent purchase supporting the People's Republic of China.

Two vents at the bottom one at the top. Three racks and a water pan plus a thermostat in the door. The door leaks if you shut the vents off. I might get some heat resistant seals and put them on the door frame, that would help.

You have to keep your eye on the thing, especially if you stoke it up with wood, sometimes it will spike to over 300. I usually try to run it around 240. I found that a fan works well as a blower if I forget to check it (i check it about every 1/2 hr.) and the fire burns down. Use charcoal for a base and hickory kindling to bring up the temp when I need some flame.

I get my wood from a local BBQ, they have a huge wood pile of 2 x 4 x 10" scrap from a nearby furniture mill. I can buy 1/2 a car trunk load for about $15, which is enough to keep me for a month or so of weekend smoking.

Something I just noticed on these roast, i've used a spray bottle with apple juice and have been hosing down the roasts every time I open the door. I think the sugar in the juice is carmelizing on the meat, giving the tops a very dark color. I think I'll layoff the juice for a while.

[Rebelbase]

Oh, and last week I needed to cook a 6lb. ham and only had a few hours to do it so I built the fire to a raging flame and kept it stoked with kindling, ran it at about 300-350 for few hours....The ham turned out perfect.

[MarkL]

Hmmm... Just about right for an Atkins diet snack... Just have to lose the buns!

Mark

[Wingy]

Miss Marple, you are truely a woman of taste. I'm also a fan of non-sweet potato salad. I use your exact recipe except I add 1 heaping tablespoon of French's mustard when I add the mayo. It adds color and a slight 'twang' to the flavor. Bon appetit'

[Wingy]

Opps! I also double up on the onion.

[Miss Marple]

Yay! I am so glad there is someone else who doesn't like sweet potato salad! My sisters and I always make our own for any pitch-ins, because we are afraid we will get the dreaded pickle relish in the potato salad. LOL!