DEGÜELLO BBQ BLOG

2012-01-06T15:24:00.001-05:00

At last, the long-delayed 2011 wrap up blog entry for Degüello BBQ. Check it out at http://ping.fm/ppa5J

2011-12-11T09:59:00.001-05:00

I just added a new entry to my Degüello BBQ blog reviewing the new Pork Barrel BBQ Restaurant. Check it out at http://ping.fm/LTCe4

2011-11-27T10:23:00.001-05:00

I just posted a new entry on our Thanksgiving dinner on my Degüello BBQ blog. Check it out at http://ping.fm/8qr7p

2011-11-12T11:16:00.001-05:00

Our long delayed writeup on the 23rd annual Jack Daniel's World Invitational Barbecue is now available at http://ping.fm/VFwmU Hope you like it!

2011-10-30T11:06:00.001-04:00

I am placing an order for Degüello BBQ gear today. Check out my blog post for details at http://ping.fm/1uQP4

2011-10-29T11:55:00.001-04:00

I just added a new entry to my Degüello BBQ blog. Check it out at http://ping.fm/aqMtZ Jack blog entry coming soon!

2011-10-02T18:27:00.001-04:00

I just added a new entry to my Degüello BBQ blog. Check it out at http://ping.fm/ibwuX

2011-09-25T13:20:00.001-04:00

I just added two new entries to my Degüello BBQ blog. Check them out at http://ping.fm/9xVbM and http://ping.fm/nzVn2

2011-09-04T22:48:00.001-04:00

I just added a new post to my Degüello BBQ blog. Check it out at http://ping.fm/qrbWm

2011-08-06T20:49:00.001-04:00

I just posted a new entry to our Degüello BBQ blog. Check it out at http://ping.fm/0jWi5

2011-07-26T09:55:00.001-04:00

I just added a new entry to my Degüello BBQ blog. Check it out at http://ping.fm/lXvEz

2011-07-02T09:43:00.001-04:00

I just added a new entry to our Degüello BBQ blog. Check it out at http://ping.fm/1MuR2 and tune in to Fox News tomorrow from 6:00-10:00 AM to check out the TV debut of Degüello BBQ!

2011-06-27T07:47:00.001-04:00

I just posted a new entry on my blog about the amazing results of this weekend's Safeway National Capital BBQ Battle. Check it out at http://ping.fm/mErGb

2011-06-25T10:06:00.001-04:00

I just posted a new entry to my Degüello BBQ blog. Check it out at http://ping.fm/72T2X

2011-06-20T21:26:00.001-04:00

I just added a new post to my Degüello BBQ blog. Check it out at http://ping.fm/BTxNO

2011-05-30T10:12:00.001-04:00

I just made a new entry on my Degüello BBQ blog. Check it out at http://ping.fm/flOpb

2011-05-09T21:27:00.001-04:00

I just added a new post to my Degüello BBQ blog. Check it out at http://ping.fm/8iV6D

2011-04-11T21:55:00.001-04:00

I just added a new post to my Degüello BBQ blog. Check it out at http://ping.fm/BSE5q

2011-04-04T11:15:00.001-04:00

I just added a new entry to my Degüello BBQ blog. Check it out at http://ping.fm/5lxOu

2011-03-02T15:13:00.001-05:00

I just posted a new entry to my Degüello BBQ blog. Check it out at http://ping.fm/Yxk82

2011-02-28T08:39:00.001-05:00

I just posted a new entry at my Deguello BBQ blog. Check it out at http://ping.fm/ZIJLl

2011-01-08T09:25:00.001-05:00

I just added a new post on my Degüello BBQ blog. Check it out at http://ping.fm/vK8Mf

2010-12-17T08:58:00.001-05:00

I just added a new entry to our Degüello BBQ blog. Check it out at http://ping.fm/rgbfO

2010-10-26T07:54:00.001-04:00

I just posted a new entry to our DegÃ¼ello BBQ blog. Check it out at http://ping.fm/eRTne

2010-10-03T13:46:00.001-04:00

I just updated our DegÃ¼ello BBQ Home Page with a recap of our RGC at Shrewsbury and lots of pictures from Shrewsbury, India and Red Square. Check it out at http://ping.fm/OWMTi

2010-09-23T20:17:00.001-04:00

I just added a new post to my DegÃ¼ello BBQ blog. Check it out at http://ping.fm/LB7rz

2010-09-16T07:51:00.001-04:00

I just added a new entry to our DegÃ¼ello BBQ Blog. Check it out at http://ping.fm/22YFt

2010-09-12T12:53:00.001-04:00

I just added a new entry to our DegÃ¼ello BBQ Blog. Check it out at http://ping.fm/rNmtD

2010-08-24T22:22:00.001-04:00

I just posted a new entry to our DegÃ¼ello BBQ blog. Check it out at http://ping.fm/DaD0w

2010-08-15T11:22:00.001-04:00

I just updated our DegÃ¼ello BBQ Home Page with our results for the MD State BBQ Bash. Check it out at http://ping.fm/E0R5V

2010-08-15T11:21:00.001-04:00

I just updated our DegÃ¼ello BBQ blog. Check it out at http://ping.fm/L76yk

2010-08-11T07:55:00.001-04:00

I just added a new entry to our DegÃ¼ello BBQ blog. Check it out at http://ping.fm/GcsNP

2010-08-04T10:05:00.001-04:00

I just added a new entry to my DegÃ¼ello BBQ blog. Check it out at http://ping.fm/s3u0q

2010-07-31T09:37:00.001-04:00

I just added a new post to my DegÃ¼ello BBQ Blog. Check it out at http://ping.fm/3SDCp

2010-07-10T09:12:00.001-04:00

I just updated the DegÃ¼ello BBQ Home Page with new photos and results from the DC BBQ Battle. Check it out at http://deguellobbq.com

2010-07-02T14:17:00.001-04:00

I just posted a new entry to my DegÃ¼ello BBQ blog. Check it out at http://ping.fm/5IYfJ

2010-06-05T17:25:00.001-04:00

I just added a new blog entry to my DegÃ¼ello BBQ blog at http://ping.fm/wht1Z

2010-05-23T10:03:00.001-04:00

I just added an entry to our Degüello BBQ Blog at http://ping.fm/X8dDI

2010-05-11T22:04:00.001-04:00

I just added a new entry to my Degüello BBQ Blog at http://ping.fm/hfx1n

2010-05-06T23:37:00.001-04:00

I just added a new post to my Degüello BBQ blog at http://ping.fm/OYuuu

2010-04-21T20:29:00.001-04:00

I just updated my Degüello BBQ blog. Check it out at http://ping.fm/zmx5s

2010-04-05T20:05:00.001-04:00

I posted a new entry to my Degüello BBQ blog at http://ping.fm/Fd8iZ

2010-04-05T08:49:00.001-04:00

I just posted a new entry on my Degüello BBQ blog at http://ping.fm/iLpaC

2010-04-02T11:13:00.001-04:00

I just added a post to my Degüello BBQ Blog at http://ping.fm/zsiE0

2010-03-21T19:33:00.001-04:00

I just added a new post on my Degüello BBQ blog. Check it out at http://ping.fm/xZ5xa

2010-03-11T12:00:00.001-05:00

I just made a new entry on my Degüello BBQ blog. Check it out at
http://ping.fm/JGOfL

2010-02-26T21:37:00.001-05:00

I added a new entry to my Degüello BBQ blog. Check it out at http://ping.fm/XFUPd

2010-02-11T11:33:00.001-05:00

I posted a new entry on my Degüello BBQ blog. You can check it out at http://ping.fm/DXhIO

2010-02-10T09:40:00.001-05:00

I posted a new entry on my Degüello BBQ blog on indoor grilled chicken. You can check it out at http://ping.fm/IsYHk

2010-02-07T08:32:00.001-05:00

I posted a new entry on my Degüello BBQ blog about cooking pulled pork indoors. Check it out at http://ping.fm/vSMdU

2010-02-06T21:18:00.001-05:00

I added a new blog entry on cooking pulled pork indoors. Check it out at http://ping.fm/CYYP1

2010-02-06T11:24:00.001-05:00

Check out the BBQ smokers and grills in snow pics at Pork Barrel BBQ. Of course my photo's in there too (shameless plug for http://ping.fm/KrN3v). Ha ha!!

http://ping.fm/eqYK8

2010-02-04T11:23:00.001-05:00

I posted a new entry on my blog Degüello BBQ. Check it out at http://ping.fm/KKvFf

2010-02-03T10:36:00.001-05:00

I posted a new entry on my Degüello BBQ blog. Check it out at: http://ping.fm/ByQ2l

2010-02-03T08:06:00.001-05:00

Looking forward to tonight's big Meat Week Pork Barrel BBQ event at Mango Mikes on Duke Street in Alexandria. Here's the Capital Spice blog entry on DC Meat Week. http://ping.fm/zkOvc

2010-01-31T09:19:00.001-05:00

I posted on my blog about last night's Chicken Fried Steak and Cherry Cheddar Bars dinner. Check it out at http://ping.fm/8cWvZ

2010-01-29T14:20:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone. I am now using Ping.fm to link my social media networks. Check in with Degüello BBQ at my blogs, my main website, Facebook Fan Page and Twitter, leave comments and pass my info on to your friends. Thanks for reading and hope to see you soon!

Important - New Blog Address!

2010-01-27T16:38:00.004-05:00

Hello faithful readers!

Thanks for following my blog since its inception just four months ago. I've really enjoyed writing about BBQ, food, and life. With that in mind, I think it's time to move to a platform that fits my needs a little better. Therefore, starting today, I will be posting entries on my new Wordpress based site. Here's the address:

http://deguellobbq.wordpress.com

I'll still be checking this site and responding to comments, and you will still be able to read and enjoy all my archived posts here. But new and subsequent posts will be at the address above. I'm also looking to expand my social media network with other tools (Facebook Fan Page, Twitter, and quite possibly audio blogs and video content) so please check in for news on that at Wordpress.

Thanks again for reading and see you over there!!

Bison and Beer Chili

2010-01-26T22:33:00.010-05:00

I've got some very strong opinions about chili. First and foremost, if it's got beans in it it is NOT chili. Call it whatever you want, but that is not chili. Second, chili shouldn't be served with spaghetti. That's spaghetti with meat sauce.

After that it gets a little murky. For example, I've never been a fan of Cincinnati chili. Cinnamon in chili? Uh, no thanks. If I want cinnamon I'll get it from a Cinnabon at the mall. But this recipe has made me rethink some of my chili opinions. Don't worry though; there is not a recipe in the world that will shake me from my belief in the absolute truth that anything with beans in it is NOT chili.

Enter the recipe I'm writing about here and its ingredients. I'm down with bison as it's lean and tasty. Shiner Bock? Like I have to answer that. Cilantro? Great flavor and color. But honey? Lime juice? CINNAMON? And pumpkin seeds for topping? I was more than a little unsure about this recipe. However, after giving it a try, it works. It's got heat, but the cinnamon and honey sweetness, paired with the lime tartness lend a complexity of flavor I don't typically get in chili. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the pumpkin seed garnish. The nutty flavor is the perfect topping for this intensely flavored recipe.

Give it a try. I think you'll be impressed.

Bison and Beer Chili

Quality ingredients are essential

La Costena chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted Tomatoes

Can't go wrong with Shiner Bock

I use Penzeys Spices whenever possible

The finished product with sour cream and pumpkin seeds on top

The Pickled Pig Method Redux - In Search Of Bite Through Chicken Skin

2010-01-17T21:00:00.016-05:00

Today I finished my second go round on cooking chicken using the Pickled Pig Method. I am learning where I need to tweak my execution of chicken preparation, so this was a good learning experience.

The goal today was to practice the de-boning/skin removal/thigh trimming steps that make this method quite labor intensive and see if I could get consistently sized thighs and "bite through skin". I had twelve thighs I purchased from Whole Foods, and it took just about an hour and a half to de-bone, trim, remove the skin/scrape the fat and replace the skins on the folded trimmed thighs. I felt I worked steadily without sacrificing quality. Even so, I think I'd like to do this prior to arriving at a competition. The idea of scraping fat off chicken skin at 6:00 AM is not particularly appetizing to me.

This time around, I cooked the chicken in my Caldera smoker. I employed BBQ Guru's Bob Trudnak's suggestion to use one of the top racks so reflected heat off the top surface of the smoker would aid with crisping the skin. Since it was raining, I decided not to fire up my Weber gas grill for direct heat finishing and instead moved the chicken to a lower rack on the Caldera for the last ten minutes. This may have affected the end product. Here's some pictures and comments/observations:

Trimmed thighs. I tried to make them all the same size, and perhaps a template of some sort will help me size them a little better next time.

Trimmed and wrapped thighs

Thighs in the half steam pan with margarine ready to go into the smoker

Thighs on the smoker grate after braising in margarine for 30 minutes

The finished product with collard greens!

Observations:

I probably used too much rub, as the chicken was a little spicy for my taste. I used Mike Mills Magic Dust, which is great stuff but perhaps on the strong side for this preparation. If I use Magic Dust next time, I will use less.
I did get bite through skin on some of the thighs, but it is still hovering somewhere around 50 percent success. I will continue to work with the technique and see if I can get a better bite through success rate. Next time, I will attempt to scrape more fat off the skins. Also, I will also try using a hotter direct heat grill finish next time as the high heat finish may crisp the skin a little better.
The texture was good, but brining may have given a bit more moisture. Next time I may try marinading in Italian dressing or a salt/sugar/honey brine for several hours prior to braising.

Quick update on this weekend's plans

2010-01-15T11:29:00.003-05:00

I wanted to leave a quick entry to let everyone know I'm still here and Sharon and I doing great. Having a partner in life to share everything makes all the difference in the world regarding my outlook on January, my least favorite month of the year. We've not done any outdoor cooking these past two weekends due in large part to the colder temps and wind chill we've had in Springfield. I've experienced MUCH worse, but even so we just decided to take a few weeks off. One day I'll do a writeup about my participation in the 2001 Iditasport Extreme Adventure Race and recount what happens to sweat when it's -15F outside (Hint: it ain't pretty folks). 350 miles up the Idiatrod Trail on a mountain bike in February is sheer insanity, but I'm kind of a rock head when it comes to facing challenges. But that's a story for another day.

With Degüello BBQ's first foray into competitive BBQ just three months away at Pork In The Park in Salisbury, MD I want to work on a few techniques. Last October I gave the Pickled Pig's Chicken Method a try, and I was quite pleased with the results for the first attempt. Based on some conversations I've had with The BBQ Guru on how to use my Caldera, I'm going to give it another shot this weekend. I'll post on the outcome next week. That's all for now and thanks again for reading!

New Year's Day Brisket

2010-01-02T09:10:00.016-05:00

After the exhausting but successful outcome of last weekend's catering event, I decided we'd do something a little less demanding for New Year's Day. I had a "special" USDA Prime brisket I'd ordered for the holidays. Actually I ordered two and smoked one on Christmas for Sharon's family. This one was just for us, and it was pretty incredible.

I decided I'd keep it simple and not amp up the flavors too much. In other words, I was shooting for "good eatin'" as opposed to intensely flavored. With that in mind, I went with Pork Barrel BBQ rub. I like Brett and Heath's rub because while it's not overpowering, it's got good complexity of flavor. And it always gives me awesome bark. That's some good stuff you've got there, guys. I used pecan wood chunks for smoke and basted with a Paul Kirk Red Eye rub.

After having some issues with temp control on my Caldera Tallboy last weekend, I got in touch with Bob Trudnak at BBQ Guru to make sure I didn't burn this brisket up. Bob gave me a few tips on how to utilize the drip pan, and thanks to his suggestions, I kept the Tallboy rock steady at 225F for the whole cook.

A few pics of the brisket and observations:

Right out of the cryo-pac. This is without a doubt the most beautiful brisket I've ever seen:

Seven hours into the cook. I foiled and basted with the red eye mop shortly thereafter:

Finished brisket on the cutting board. The color was awesome in person!

Sliced point showing the smoke ring:

Observations

The simple approach allowed us to taste the flavor of the meat, which was different from other briskets I've been cooking recently. However, I think it would've benefitted from an injection marinade of some sort. I injected a USDA Choice brisket with Kosmo's Q Beef Injection on Christmas Day, and it certainly added extra flavor. Perhaps next time I'll give this a try.
I'm getting a better feel for assessing proper cook time beyond just watching the meat thermometer. The meat had hit 188F when I pulled it, which was right where it should be. Based on the texture I observed from moving the meat probe, however, I thought it would've benefitted from another hour on the smoker. This was borne out when I cut into the flat, as it was certainly tender but the slices didn't quite pull apart the way I wanted.
I am going to drain the juice from the foil a little earlier. I think this is going to help the bark stay firm and crunchy.

Catering success

2009-12-28T11:02:00.012-05:00

Our first catering job has come and gone, and aside from exhaustion, sore backs, a huge kitchen cleanup and LOTS of leftovers, it was a huge success.

We were offered the job for a party of 60 people at the request of a friend of ours, and after considering the wisdom of committing to a job two days after Christmas we decided to take it. Since this was our first job, we had to purchase a significant of "overhead" (steam table pans/racks, bulk ingredients, extra cookers) to execute the job. We also had to buy all our food in bulk; it was so much that we filled up the Mini twice!

The menu consisted of:

Beef brisket: I smoked six briskets overnight on my Caldera Tallboy using oak wood chunks and a variety of rubs.
Pulled pork: I smoked four boneless pork shoulders overnight on my Weber Smokey Mountain and apple wood chunks using Chris Lilly's Championship Pork Shoulder recipe. This preparation required a rub and injection marinade prior to putting the pork on the smoker and a mop during the cook. Quite labor intensive, but the results were worth it. We served the pork with Paul Kirk's Memphis style BBQ sauce that we made from scratch using gluten free ingredients at the request of our guests.
Chicken: We grilled chicken thighs on a kettle grill in the community center parking lot using Mike Mills Magic Dust rub and the Paul Kirk Memphis sauce.
Cowpoke Pintos: We cooked six lbs. of pinto beans using a recipe from Smoke and Spice. Again, we used gluten free ingredients, and I added about a pound of brisket burnt ends to add flavor. I contemplated adding fresh cilantro but ultimately decided not to. I personally love cilantro in beans, but it does add a strong flavor component that some people (and kids in particular) don't like.
Corn on the cob: We grilled corn on the kettle grill and basted it with a butter/vinegar/lemon juice recipe from Smoke and Spice.
Roasted butternut squash: Sharon really came through on this one. She roasted 10 lbs. of pre-cut butternut squash with brown sugar, butter, salt and pepper. The pre-cut squash wasn't the most cost-effective way to do this, but from a time/labor perspective, it was essential. Several guests said this was their favorite dish, and I suspect we'll be having this at home in the future.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we'd like to give special thanks to our friend Darrin for his help. We couldn't have done this without you, and we mean that. We appreciate your support and we're thinking good thoughts for you right now.

Hopefully we'll get some more jobs from this event. Just not this week, please, as we need to catch up sleep and rest our backs!!

Support your local small business!!

2009-12-22T08:30:00.004-05:00

This blog is not about politics, but this really got me and I had to post it.

Yesterday, I was visiting Village Hardware in Alexandria VA. I don't live in Alexandria any more, but I gladly drive 15 miles there for Larry and his son's vast knowledge as well as availability of Weber and other great products I can't find elsewhere (Sharon buys all our yard flags there, and I always head to the basement for the Weber showroom). Larry's son told me that Larry was contacted by Fox Business to get his reaction about the President choosing the Alexandria Home Depot as the venue to make an announcement on small business tax incentives and the so-called Cash for Clunkers program when Village Hardware, the epitome of a successful small business, is literally down the road (and closer to the White House. If you don't believe me, check Google Maps and enter "White House Washington DC" in the "from" window and then "Village Hardware Alexandria VA" and "Home Depot Alexandria VA" in the "to" window).

Larry makes some good points in his interview, so take a look. Better yet, if you live in the metro DC area, do yourself a favor and visit Village Hardware at 7934 Fort Hunt Road (tel 703 765 1555). You'll love the Weber showroom, and they will assemble, deliver and set up any Weber grill they sell. And they've got plenty of snow shovels, sleds, de-icing compound and ice scrapers in stock. Good luck finding that stuff at Home Depot or Lowes right now........

Larry Gray of Village Hardware in Alexandria VA talks about the President's announcement of small business tax incentives and Cash for Caulkers at that well known small business Home Depot just down the road

New Degüello BBQ site

2009-12-20T15:28:00.007-05:00

First of all, thanks for reading my blog. The response has been very encouraging, and I especially appreciate the comments and return visits. It seems I may be doing SOMETHING right here. That said, I've decided to start a new non-blog, or main, site. The new site will be where I post Degüello BBQ Team information such as the team calendar, competition results, photo gallery, and info on my fledgling catering business. I'll still post on the blog, but I envision the main site as a repository for information that doesn't necessarily fit the blog format. Here's the link:

http://www.deguellobbq.com

As noted on the new site, I am still building it and much, much more content is on the way. However, I wanted to go live as soon as possible so I could get feedback and refine the site as it takes shape. I invested some time (and funds) into the construct of the new site, so I'm really depending on reader comments and input. You can comment here, or send me your thoughts via the "contact me" tab on the main site. Again, thanks for reading. And now you'll have to excuse me as I have a major snowstrom to dig out of......

CFC Silent Auction BBQ Basket

2009-12-15T16:30:00.011-05:00

Today our office participated in a silent auction for the Combined Federal Campaign here in DC. I put together a barbecue themed basket for the auction that included two bottles of Palmina wine from Lompoc CA, the books Peace, Love and Barbecue and Smoke and Spice, a Weber spatula and tongs, meat thermometer, a jar of sauce and rub that I made (thanks Chris Lilly and Mike Mills respectively for your Memphis style sauce and Magic Dust recipes)and bags of cherry and oak chips and cast iron smoker box (I built the basket for someone who doesn't have a "real" smoker).

We raised the second highest amount of all the baskets, and best of all my officemate won the auction. But the REALLY best thing for the winner of the basket is that I offered to volunteer my expertise to help him utilize the contents. And don't worry Jonathan, I've got bottles of Palmina at home already, so yours are safe. In an abundance of caution though, you might want to put the Barbera and Lagrein in a difficult to find location when I come over for drinks, er, cooking school.....

Palmina Wines

Maine Grilling Woods

Peace, Love and Barbecue

Cooking With The Jamisons

Caldera Del Fuego Cooker

2009-12-10T08:14:00.068-05:00

I've added a new smoker to the inventory and it is a beauty. If you've been reading my blog, you're probably wondering why I would need a new smoker when my trusty Weber Smokey Mountain equipped with the CyberQ II temperature controller has served me so well. Basically, it's a capacity issue. I was offered a catering gig for 60-70 people, and after I'd accepted I began calculating how many WSMs I'd need to cook brisket, pork shoulder and chicken for that many people. Four? Five? And then I'd need another CyberQ II and 3-4 more fans......

I eventually found an online deal for discounted WSMs, but there was still the issue of adding more temp control hardware. So I called The BBQ Guru, told them what I was doing and asked if they had a suggestion. BBQ Guru's Bob Trudnak suggested I look at their Caldera del Fuego Tallboy smoker. Bob, I want to thank you for that suggestion, because for the amount of money I would've spent on four WSMs and additional temp control hardware I got a single versatile cooker that serves as a hot/cold smoker, grill, and deep fryer (hopefully I didn't miss any other uses). It holds up to 16 racks and is sized so standard steam table pans slide right in. And of course it's ducted for my CyberQ II.

I've used it twice so far, and I'm really pleased with the results it produces. There's a bit of a learning curve with maintaining a stable temperature, but nothing major. After using Kingsford Competition briquettes on the first cook and having the fire go out overnight, I switched to Wicked Good hardwood lump charcoal the second time and got a much more steady, long lasting burn. So much so that the smoker actually overshot the selected temperature while I was sleeping. Partially my fault, though, as I had the Tallboy "buttoned up" in its cold weather jacket and outside temps didn't drop as much as forecast.

The second cook was a bigger one. 20 lbs. worth of Boston butt, four racks of St. Louis style ribs, one full packer brisket and a brisket flat. I cooked the pork butts and brisket overnight on Wicked Good lump and oak and hickory chunks, and after pulling them around 7:00 AM I topped off the charcoal, added some apple wood chunks and the ribs. The office holiday party celebrants raved about the pulled pork, ribs and brisket, and I even got a few inquiries about whether I'd consider catering. Since I've already got my first job this month, I'm hoping I can get some more.

One more thing I want to mention about The BBQ Guru. As good their products are, their customer service is just as good or better. In addition to BBQ Bob taking time to give me advice on using the Tallboy and preparing for my big catering event, Sarah in sales has been a big help. She's made sure that orders got to me within 24-48 hours if I needed them in a hurry. And she's very nice, too. Thanks Sarah and Bob!

Although I'll still use my WSM for smaller cooks at home, the Caldera del Fuego Tallboy will see plenty of use in 2010 as Sharon and I make our first foray into the world of competitive BBQ.

One of my pork butts. It came pretty much as you see it, and I used my new Misono Ux-10 Gyutou knife to do a little more trimming. The Misono has instantly become my "go to" knife. I read about it in Cooks Illustrated, and it's worth every penny.

Rubbed and injected pork. I used Chris Lilly's Peach Butt injection marinade and rub recipe

Rubbed brisket using my favorite coffee based rub. I have no idea how the (empty) Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale bottle sitting on the sink got there.....

Pork and brisket in the Caldera. Notice the amount of free space in the smoker. I could've easily done 3-4 times as much meat if necessary

Caldera firebox

And now the recipes and product references:

Misono UX-10 Gyutou Knife (note there are left and right hand models as the blade is asymmetrically beveled)

Caldera Del Fuego Tallboy

Big Bob Gibson/Chris Lilly Peach Pork Butt Recipe

Big Bob Gibson/Chris Lilly Memphis Style Sauce (add peaches per the Peach Pork Butt Recipe )

Elvis is in the building

2009-12-01T21:07:00.016-05:00

Tonight we christened our new, $400 Krups deep fryer (thanks to my coworkers who contributed an incredibly generous $370 towards a Williams-Sonoma gift certificate that facilitated the purchase). And what better way to christen that bad boy than to cook my favorite dish from Chuy's Tex-Mex Cafe, Elvis Fried Chicken. It's a pretty simple dish, but done properly, it's a sublime piece of fried goodness.

Use a mallet to flatten four half boneless/skinless chicken breasts into thin pieces

Prepare three shallow dishes with a half cup of flour, two beaten eggs and a cup and a half of crushed Lay's Potato Chips mixed with a teaspoon of black pepper respectively.

Dredge the breast pieces in the flour, eggs and crushed chips.

Place in a frying pan with a 1/2" of 400F hot oil; peanut oil works best. Or just use your super duper deep fryer like me.

Cook for 2-3 minutes per side (or 4-6 minutes if completely submerged in the deep fryer).

Spoon a half cup of green chile macho over the chicken (see recipe below).

Pay your respects to The King and scarf it down.

Green chile macho recipe

4 cup Chicken Stock
2 cups Anaheim Green chiles roasted -- chopped
5 Tomatillas cooked -- pureed
2 teaspoons Onion -- minced
1 teaspoons Mexican oregano -- dried
1 clove Garlic -- minced
1/2 teaspoons Salt
1/4 teaspoons Pepper
2 teaspoons Cornstarch
2 tablespoons Water -- to dissolve the cornstarch

Makes about 6 cups
Combine all the ingredients except the cornstarch and water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for ten minutes. Add the cornstarch and stir well. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes more, until well thickened. Serve over Fritos or as an enchilada sauce.

Note: you can roast the chiles over a gas flame or use a kitchen torch. Char the skin and wrap peppers in damp paper towels for 10-15 minutes. The charred skin will mostly fall off, and you can easily scrape the remainder away with a butter knife. I'm going to experiment with smoking the Anaheim chiles on my Weber Smokey Mountain in the future. Also, I'm going to add shredded cheddar cheese over the chile macho next time I cook this dish, just like they do at Chuys.

Quick update from the honeymoon

2009-11-17T10:41:00.013-05:00

Thanks everyone for continuing to check in and read my blog. Sharon and I have had an incredible time in Central California tasting wine as well as Santa Maria style BBQ. In fact, in addition to the 14 bottles of wine and 10 bottles of beer shipped (so far; we're visiting the Stone brewery in Escondido today) and the five wine clubs joined, I am taking home a special souvenir. Here's my Santa Maria style tailgater grill. Picked it up at the santa Maria Home Depot for about 35% off retail:

The hand crank raises and lowers the cooking grate so you can get the exact amount of heat desired. I'm replacing the original cooking grate with a stainless from the manufacturer, and after my red oak chunks and the grate arrive in the mail, we're going to try it out with tri-tip, pinquito beans and Susie Q rub (from Albertsons in Buellton). I've got a feeling this tailgater is going to quickly become a favorite of mine.

Susie Q Santa Maria BBQ Page

A few more pictures from our adventures:

Sharon with Chris Burroughs from the Alma Rosa (formerly Sanford) Winery. Chris was in "Sideways" and he's working on some neat "dog centric" music (I'll post a link as soon as I find it or Chris sends it to me):

I should have this sign in front of our house:

If you've been to California, you know all about In N Out Burger. But you may not know about their "secret" menu. This is a "3x3, Animal Style with extra crispy fries."

In N Out Secret Menu

Getting Hitched

2009-11-05T10:34:00.004-05:00

Gonna be taking a few weeks off from the blog, but for a very good reason. On Saturday, Sharon and I are getting married in Pearisburg, VA. After the wedding, we're going on a 10 day honeymoon to California, so we'll be relaxing in wine country and not thinking about BBQ for a bit. Hope to see you all back in a few weeks!

Beef Ribs

2009-11-02T11:33:00.008-05:00

Short post on Saturday's beef ribs. I found these at Whole Foods for $2.49/lb and they were just too good to pass up! Once again I used Pork Barrel BBQ Rub and smoked them on a charcoal briquette and hickory wood chunk fire at 225F for about 5.5 hours. I also basted them with Paul Kirk's Red Eye Barbecue Beef Mop and foiled for the last hour.

The rubbed ribs ready to go on the smoker

Looking good at four hours

Nice smoke ring

I don't think I would've changed much with these ribs other than maybe basting a little more frequently and earlier in the cooking time. But the lower temp helped keep the ribs moist, and texture and flavor was right on.

Red Eye Barbecue Beef Mop (see. p. 74)

Bite Through Chicken

2009-11-01T08:40:00.028-05:00

Saturday I decided to try a new (to me) chicken prep method. The chicken somewhat made up for the lack of trick or treaters; however, we've got an almost full five pound bag of candy to polish off ourselves now....

For the chicken, I decided to use the competition method developed by the Pickled Pig BBQ Team. Pickled Pig has a great website and forum with lots of good information, advice and even a "pigpen" for jokes. Check it out if you haven't been there before:

The Pickled Pig

I made a few modifications to the Pickled Pig prep with regard to rub and sauce, primarily because I didn't have the products they use. For the rub, I used Tom Douglas Rub With Love for Chicken. This morning, I researched the ingredients and found that along with the typical BBQ rubs ingredients like paprika, ancho chile and brown sugar, it also contains turmeric and star anise. It did provide an interesting flavor that was unlike most chicken I cook.

Tom Douglas Rub With Love

I used Pork Barrel BBQ sauce (they're in my links list) mixed with pineapple juice.

One of the objectives of the Pickled Pig Method is to get "bite through" chicken skin. Cooking chicken low and slow can yield nice, juicy meat. However, it typically yields rubbery, unappetizing skin. In the competitive BBQ community, the generally accepted "gold standard" is properly seasoned, juicy chicken with non-rubbery skin that you can easily bite through.

I know that many people prefer skinless chicken, but for this prep bite through skin is what we're shooting for. I'm not going to try and replicate every step of the Pickled Pig's outstanding post on their method here because:

They did a much better job than I could ever do in this blog
Frankly, it's not too terribly appetizing

I will summarize the major points here. I have also linked the full Pickled Pig Method at the bottom of this post if you'd like to check it out:

Use chicken thighs that you de-bone and trim yourself
Remove the skin and scrape the fat off the underside of the skin
Replace the skin on the de-boned, trimmed thighs
Braise the thighs in a margarine filled aluminum pan for 30 minutes
Remove the thighs from the pan and cook the thighs on indirect heat
Finish on direct high heat

Here's a few photos from my chicken prep:

De-boned thigh

De-boned, trimmed, and rubbed thighs ready for braising

Braised, cooked and sauced thighs (I finished w/direct heat on my Weber gas grill)

The "bite through test"

Some final observations:

Using the Pickled Pig Method, I was actually able to achieve bite through skin on about half the thighs I tried. For my first try with this method, I was pretty happy with that outcome.
Again, the lack of adequate light on my patio was a hindrance. If I could've seen better I would've turned the thighs earlier. In my opinion, the skin color was a little dark.
I didn't make an attempt to make all the thighs an identical size via aggressive trimming. I'll do that next time, but for this first attempt I just wanted to get the thighs done.
I used toothpicks to hold the skin on a few thighs. Turned out that was not necessary as the the fat in the skin rendered and held it nicely on the meat.
I'm going to try a different rub next time. Although the Tom Douglas rub was good, it didn't quite have the flavor profile I was looking for in this application. I will probably use the Tom Douglas rub as more of a stand-alone condiment for cooking chicken without BBQ sauce.
The Pork Barrel BBQ sauce worked well. I may experiment with straight, uncut sauce next time so I get a bolder flavor and thicker sauce.

Bottom line, this method works. It's definitely labor intensive, but I was very happy with the results.

Here's a link to the Pickled Pig Chicken Method from their site:

The Pickled Pig Competition Chicken

Apple City Ribs and Pulled Pork

2009-10-25T22:54:00.029-04:00

Saturday I revisited a favorite ribs recipe from Mike Mills. According to his book Peace, Love and Barbecue, the Apple City Ribs recipe was developed for Mills' competition team. The centerpiece of the prep is the sauce, which includes grated apple, onion and bell pepper along with apple cider vinegar and a healthy shot of cayenne pepper. It's a great combination of sweet, mouth puckering vinegar and spice. After trying this recipe, I can understand why it took first place in the 1990 and 1992 Memphis in May competitions.

I used baby back loin ribs instead of the St. Louis spareribs Mike recommends because I was able to locate some especially meaty ribs at a great price. Plus, I was interested in seeing how the baby backs would come out. After applying a liberal coating of Magic Dust rub, I smoked the ribs on a super low fire (210F) of charcoal briquettes and apple wood chunks for six hours. After basting the ribs with the sauce and giving them a good coat of apple juice at the 5:30 point, I foiled them for the last 30 minutes.

Here's the ribs just after I put them on the smoker. I rubbed them with Mike Mills' Magic Dust rub:

The finished product:

A few observations:

I think I went just a wee bit heavy on the rub. The heat was just a little too prominent for my taste. Even so, they were still delicious.

I had to step away from the smoker for several hours, so I was unable to spritz the ribs with apple juice during the whole cooking process. They seemed a little dry on the outside; however, the sauce/juice/foil step seemed to moisten them up noticeably. Plus the simultaneous sauce/juice application made the sauce a little thin and it didn't give me the nice coating I usually get with this recipe.

Next time, I will stay by the smoker and spritz with juice at regular intervals so I don't feel the need to foil. And I'll go a little lighter on the rub.

Saturday night I smoked a 6 lb. Boston Butt. I used an injection marinade from a Chris Lilly recipe and coated the butt with a liberal dusting of Pork Barrel BBQ rub. I smoked the butt for 13 hours over charcoal and apple wood chunks at 210F. I foiled for the last hour and increased the smoker temp to 250F to push up the internal temp of the butt before I had to go to work. I would've preferred to let it stay on the smoker a little longer, but due to time constraints I pulled it at 188F.

I have to say the Chris Lilly marinade/Pork Barrel BBQ rub combo was awesome. I got great color, excellent texture/moistness and the taste was more well rounded and less salty than other rub/baste combos I've tried recently. I also sent a Tweet to the Pork Barrel BBQ guys to compliment them on the rub, so hopefully they got the message and I'd be really happy for them to check my blog out. Would love it if you leave comments Brett and Heath.

The butt on the smoker at 7:30 AM:

Pulled pork:

Andy about to attempt to put the whole pan in his mouth:

A few things I noticed on the Boston Butt. This is the second time I've used this Chris Lilly marinade recipe, and both times I noticed the meat had a purplish tinge below the bark that I don't get when using other bastes or marinades. It tastes fine, but it looks a little unusual (almost like it's the meat was "bruised"). If anyone has any ideas on what's causing this, please send comments.

Here's the recipe and products links:

Apple City Ribs

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2007/06/cook-the-book-apple-city-barbe.html

Chris Lilly injection marinade

3/4 cup apple juice

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup salt

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Pork Barrel BBQ Rub

http://porkbarrelbbq.com/all-american-spice-rub.html

Shout out for Captain Chuck-a-Muck

2009-10-21T20:49:00.006-04:00

Hey I just wanted to put in a plug for Captain Chuck-a-Muck's Diner in Rescue, VA. Chuck and his wife have a really great place down south of Richmond and have been featured on the Food Network's Diners, Drive Ins and Dives. Chuck has to be one of the few people on Earth that can trade quips with Guy Fieri on equal footing. And the food.......well, it's pretty dang good. If you like great seasonal treats like rockfish, oysters, and other local seafood then you gotta stop by Captain Chuck-a-Mucks. Here's the link to the website:

Captain Chuck-a-Mucks

And here's a link to a video of Guy Fieri's visit to Captain Chuck-a-Mucks:

Chuck and Guy Fieri

And the address:

21088 MARINA RD.
RESCUE, VA
23424
(757) 356-1005

Brisket and pork weekend

2009-10-19T19:32:00.015-04:00

This weekend I smoked a brisket on Saturday and on Sunday I tried a recipe from the Big Bob Gibson book by Chris Lilly.

The brisket was a bit of a challenge as it was raining steadily throughout the weekend. But I just put up my canopy and covered my BBQ Guru components in plastic wrap and everything worked out.

For the brisket, I used a coffee based rub and made a Coca Cola marinade from a Paul Kirk recipe that I used as a mop. The sweetness of the Coca-Cola combined nicely with the bitterness of the coffee.

Here's the brisket after I took it off the smoker. It was on for 14 hours at 220F on charcoal and pecan wood chunks. I decided to foil the brisket when it reached 170F and add some extra mop sauce before closing the foil. When I pulled it, the brisket was definitely moist; however, I was a little disappointed with the softness of the bark.

Sliced brisket from the point:

I decided to try making burnt ends. I cubed the point, placed it in an aluminum pan, added additional marinade and rub and cooked for an hour at 300F.

In the evening I made a recipe from the Big Bob Gibson book. Here's some photos:

Pork tenderloin rolled with bacon:

The finished product. Rolled the tenderloin in chopped pecans, salt, pepper and Carolina mustard sauce and cooked on my Weber Smokey Joe (sorry no photos as it was already dark):

Here's the recipes:

Coffee Brisket Rub

2 Tbs. paprika 
2 Tbs. garlic powder
2 Tbs. onion powder
2 Tbs. black pepper
2 Tbs. brown sugar
2 Tbs. ground coffee (not used coffee grounds)
2 Tbs. kosher salt
1 Tbs. mustard powder 
1 Tbs. white pepper 
1 Tbs. chili powder 
1 Tsp. cayenne pepper powder    

Mix this rub well and store in a closed container. It makes enough brisket dry rub for one large beef brisket. Enjoy this one with a pot of fresh-brewed mountain grown Columbian!

Pecan Crusted Pork Tenderloins

Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce

Coca Cola Marinade (go to page 65)

Deguello BBQ Logo

2009-10-13T21:31:00.006-04:00

Here it is, the Degüello BBQ logo. Appreciate your comments!

Big thanks to Patrick Carlson of Hot Spot Graphics, who created the logo from my design. If you like Patrick's work, check out his site at BBQ Logos

Jumpin' Jim's Chicken Thighs

2009-10-12T09:36:00.029-04:00

First off, props to "Jumpin' Jim", whose recipe I used. I've not been able to track down the actual Jim, but from what I understand he was a competitive BBQ cook in the Midwest back in the earlier part of the decade. Second, thanks to my friends Tom and Christy, the Virginia BBQ Pirates, who told me about this recipe. Tom and Christy are sharing competition advice with me, and based on their success (and the taste of their entries in Front Royal last weekend), I'd probably do well to listen up real close.

One of the challenges in cooking chicken is keeping it moist while still cooking it completely. The Jumpin' Jim recipe calls for marinating the chicken in Italian dressing, which I suspect has an effect similar to brining due to the sodium content of the dressing. Although Jim recommends Paul Newman's Own Italian dressing, I substituted Whole Foods 365 Brand Organic Italian dressing. I marinated in plastic zip-loc bags for about 16 hours. I then took the thighs out and dusted with Magic Dust BBQ rub and placed in the smoker at 220F. After two hours the chicken was at 163F internal temp, so I placed them in an aluminum pan and covered all the thighs in BBQ sauce. Then I covered the pan in aluminum foil and placed the pan back in the smoker for another hour.

After an hour the chicken was at 175F, so I pulled it off and served. If time had permitted, I would've crisped the thighs on the smoker at a higher heat, but by then it was dinner time. I served the chicken with Cowpoke Pintos, cornbread and a Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale for Sharon and a Founders Brewing Breakfast Stout for me. We were pretty full by the end of the meal. A few observations:

Next time I'll go lighter on the rub. The chicken was pretty spicy.
I wasn't cooking these thighs for competition, so I wasn't too concerned with the appearance. Even so, they looked OK when I pulled them from the pan.
The Cowpoke Pintos recipe called for 4-5 diced serrano chiles. I only added two, and trust me that was enough. In my opinion, 4-5 chiles would've made these beans too hot for most people.

Jumpin' Jim's Chicken Thighs Recipe

Virginia BBQ Pirates

Cowpoke Pinto Beans

The marinated and rubbed chicken at 2:30 cooking time and 163F. I pulled one thigh off the WSM and tried it right on the spot. Great moist texture and a nice subtle flavor from the Italian dressing.

The thighs in the aluminum pan after "wollering" in Crazy Rednecks BBQ sauce for one hour. I tented the pan with aluminum foil and placed the pan in the WSM for one hour at 220F. The probed thigh's internal temperature was at 175F when I pulled them.

Cowpoke Pintos

Achiote A Bomb Friday

2009-10-11T19:22:00.023-04:00

Good lesson learned tonight. Trust your eyes (and your temp probe) when judging doneness. The Achiote A Bombs turned out all right, but they were somewhat overdone. The problem? I was too fixated on the recipe cooking time of 1.5 hours to trust what I saw was actually happening. The pork hit target temperature of 155F after 45 minutes. Not wanting to serve undercooked pork, I let it go another 30 minutes, and by then it was at 175F. When I sliced into the first loin, it was a lot drier than I had hoped for. However, that's what BBQ sauce is for, and a liberal dose of Crazy Rednecks sauce still made for a tasty treat. We also smoked acorn squash, which we glazed with a brown sugar/cinnamon/ancho chile infused butter sauce and topped with chopped walnuts. All in all, a really nice dinner.

Should've pulled the pork right after I saw this temp.

Here's the finished tenderloin rolls. Check the nice orange brown finish from the smoke reacting with the orange juice and achiote paste marinade.

The smoked squash. It was great with the brown sugar/cinnamon/dried chile infused butter and walnuts.

Another round of Achiote A Bombs on tap

2009-10-09T11:26:00.005-04:00

With the three day weekend coming up I thought I'd try the Achiote A Bomb recipe from The Texas Barbecue Cookbook again. In the picture above is the pork tenderloin marinating in orange juice and achiote paste from last night. I also put the book in the shot for some free publicity to author Robb Walsh (hope you're reading, Robb).

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=the+texas+barbecue+cookbook&oe=UTF-8&cid=8736418956303847019&sa=title#p

Appreciate your comments and suggestions

2009-10-08T13:22:00.004-04:00

See something you like? Have a question or comments?

If the answer to either of those questions is "yes" then please use the "comments" section for the appropriate entry. I'm really interested in your thoughts. Thanks for reading and check back frequently as I've got lots of new content ready to go!

Apricot Glazed Ribs

2009-10-07T16:35:00.003-04:00

Another tasty recipe from Marinades, Rubs, Brines, Cures & Glazes. The sweetness of the apricots plays nicely off the wine vinegar, dijon mustard and black pepper. I subbed apricot brandy for wine per the recipe. Together with the Dr. Pepper baste, these ribs were a hit. Smoked four hours on the WSM over an oak/hickory smoke wood mix. I got a little bone shine on the end of the rack, but I still think these were not overcooked.

Ribs and Dr. Pepper Baste Recipe (see p. 81):

http://books.google.com/books?id=h9ODqQ9AAqsC&pg=PA139&lpg=PA139&dq=apricot+glazed+ribs+Marinades,+Rubs,+Brines,+Cures+%26+Glazes&source=bl&ots=yLCaf2fpNP&sig=UrhuRJC2o2ND_UOVjnnuOSpvj3w&hl=en&ei=5vzMSsf-I5SSNoWTzb4O&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3#v=onepage&q=apricot%20glaze&f=false

Glaze Recipe (see p. 156):

Baste

Quick pitch for Stone Smoked Porter BBQ Sauce

2009-10-06T19:18:00.002-04:00

Some of the best BBQ sauce I've ever tasted. Smoky, with a little heat and underlying sweetness. I've used this on ribs, brisket and tri-tip. Available on Amazon at:

http://www.amazon.com/Complicated-Incredibly-Delicious-Barbecue-Incredible/dp/B0013FW0HC

How to do "low and slow" cooking and still get a good night's sleep

2009-10-06T14:00:00.017-04:00

One of the big challenges in "low and slow" cooking is the amount of time and attention needed to produce a moist, smoky and tender beef brisket or pork shoulder. With cooking times of 15 hours (or more), it's essential to maintain a constant temperature (typically in the 220F-250F range) for a very long time. Although the Weber Smokey Mountain is quite capable of long burn times at the desired temperature range without a lot of input, it's still a good idea to pay semi-close attention to the temperature, fuel burn rate, etc. You can get up at dawn, start the smoker and watch it until dark, start cooking in the evening and stay up all night, or set the smoker and hope things stay steady while you're away doing something important, like sleeping.

There is an alternative, however. Currently, there are two producers of temperature control systems that use simple thermocouple temp probes, a blower fan, and a controller device that takes temperature readings and cycles the fan on and off to maintain a selected temperature inside the smoker. This allows near constant, low temperature cooking, a necessity when cooking cuts like beef brisket and pork shoulder. Here's how it works. Say you're cooking a brisket and you want a temperature of 220F inside your smoker and an internal meat temp of 190F. You program the controller with the desired temps, place one probe in the smoking chamber and stick the other probe in the meat. Then you fire up the smoker and put the lid on. As the charcoal begins to burn, the temperature of the smoker rises. The controller tells the fan to blow air on the coals until you reach the desired temperature. Once the desired temp is reached, the fan shuts off. After that the fan cycles on and off to maintain the desired temperature. Since the charcoal is in a semi-deprived oxygen state, it smolders rather than burning and lasts for quite a long time. The meat temp probe allows you to monitor the internal temp and pull the brisket off when you reach the desired temperature.

Yeah, I know, I know, you could watch the smoker continuously. Or you could trust it to stay steady. Or you could just go down to Harris Teeters or Rocklands for some ribs or pulled pork. But I really enjoy cooking my own BBQ, and my temp controller allows me to do just that and have time to do other things (like sleep, for example).

Full disclosure here; I have two temp controller systems. I'm attaching photos of both systems as well as a link to the manufacturers. I strongly suggest you check out the sites for a much more comprehensive explanation of the products and how they work. I'm not going to say which one I like better on the blog; however, I'm happy to answer any general questions on the differences between the two systems.

Stoker

The Stoker is manufactured by Rock's Bar-B-Que in Newark, CA. The Stoker controller actually generates an IP address, so you can link the controller to your local network and monitor/control the system via a computer or iPhone/BlackBerry. Quite handy if you prefer not to check the smoker status without having to go outside every time. Plus, since the Stoker is open architecture, there is at least one available freeware program out there that generates a detailed graph of smoker and meat temps and fan cycles over time. The Stoker's temp probe and fan plugs have color coded LEDs that light up. This is particularly helpful with the fan, as the blue LED comes on every time the fan receives power and you can see at a glance if the fan is cycling, running continuously or off.

http://rocksbarbque.com/

Stoker system (fan is on lower left of the Weber Smokey Mountain)

Closeup of the Stoker Controller

Stoker Controller with Airport Express for network connectivity

BBQ Guru

The BBQ Guru Systems are manufactured in Warminster, PA. The company produces a full lineup of temperature control devices with varying features, specs and price. Unlike the Stoker, the BBQ Guru does not generate an IP address. It is, however, possible to run the system wirelessly via a USB wireless "hub and stick" system. The data can then be accessed via a computer within range of the USB hub (generally around 30 feet) or remotely via a remote program like MochaSoft. The BBQ Guru is a more "rugged" system, with steel braided temp probe cables and a water resistant controller. It does not have the LED equipped plugs like the Stoker.

http://www.thebbqguru.com/

BBQ Guru System (Fan on lower right of Weber)

Close up of the BBQ Guru Computer Graph (available via laptop/computer attached via USB or wireless USB)

Achiote A Bombs

2009-10-06T09:24:00.012-04:00

One of the things I wanted to do this summer was try some non-traditional BBQ recipes, and this was one of the more successful ones I executed. The pork tenderloin was marinated in achiote paste and orange juice overnight and then stuffed with cored and seeded serrano chiles which were themselves stuffed with smashed garlic cloves. The stuffed tenderloin was smoked over an oak and hickory smoke infused 225F temp fire in my Weber Smokey Mountain for about 2 hours. Then I sliced into 1/2" thick slices and served. The cored and seeded serrano was not overly hot, and the garlic cooked nicely inside the tenderloin. But to me, the best part of this dish was the color the achiote paste/OJ marinade imparted to the meat. It was a beautiful brownish orange that the picture does not quite capture. Apologies up front as I've thus far only used my iPhone camera to take pictures for the blog. Not the best resolution shots for sure, and I'll probably invest in a better camera soon.

Here's the link to the recipe:

http://books.google.com/books?id=NN2tMz6ZI80C&pg=PT197&lpg=PT197&dq=achiote+a+bombs&source=bl&ots=HoWCAr3DUO&sig=6DeI75Ycyfk7Igc2uQpLwccy38k&hl=en&ei=xUTLSvb2MZyvtgeb8pDaAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#v=onepage&q=achiote%20a%20bombs&f=false

Important safety tip: if you're sensitive to peppers, either core and seed the peppers with a toothpick and very small spoon, or get some of those disposable latex examination gloves (non-powdered type). Just get a box as they're super handy for working with peppers and sauced meats.

A little info on serrano and achiote:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bixa_orellana

http://www.epicurious.com/tools/fooddictionary/entry?id=4512

Here's a few pictures of the preparation:

Marinated and stuffed tenderloin

Tenderloin on the smoker top grate

Cherry Lambic Ribs

2009-10-05T14:00:00.000-04:00

While I'm sorting out how to go about crafting this blog, I thought I'd post a few test pictures, as well as write some entries to whet your appetite (heh heh). These are my cherry lambic BBQ ribs. I took the recipe directly from Steve Raichlen's book Ribs, Ribs, Outrageous Ribs http://www.amazon.com/Raichlen-Ribs-Outrageous/dp/0761142118 . I used the recipe from the book, but for the marinade I substituted Southern Tier Cherry Saison http://www.southerntierbrewing.com/for%20download%20page/downloads_cherrysais.html and for the sauce I used two year old Troeg's Mad Elf Ale http://www.troegs.com/our_brews/mad_elf_ale.aspx . The Mad Elf had aged nicely, with a decreased "heat" from the 11% ABV and mellower cherry and honey flavors from when it was freshly brewed in 2007. I smoked the marinated ribs for 4.5 hours on my WSM (that's short for "Weber Smokey Mountain" if you were wondering) Humphrey's charcoal briquettes and cherry wood chunks for smoke flavor. This was an incredible recipe, and I had several people ask for it to add to their Thanksgiving dinner menus.

Welcome to Deguello BBQ

2009-10-04T13:13:00.000-04:00

More to come! Check in again soon.