# May 2014 Challenge - BBQ and Grilling



## vic cardenas (Nov 11, 2012)

Thank you to @French Fries for hosting last month's challenge. I had a lot of fun pushing myself to cook for you all.

This month we will focus on BBQ. Now, I know Barbecue is kind of a catch-all term and does not mean the same thing to everybody around the world and even in America we have certain groups calling BBQ one thing and the other a whole different definition.

That's why this is a BBQ and Grilling competition.

The time of the year is here now, for us on the northern hemisphere, to start firing up our grills and smokers and do some outdoor cooking!

What better way to start the season than with a great BBQ challenge?

I think BBQ and Grilling will make a great challenge for this forum because BBQ is a world of it's own in the cooking world.

In this challenge we do not have to focus on just the food or the end result, we can focus on technique and equipment used. There is so much technique in Barbecue and Grilling it would be great to showcase technique. A humble, simple pulled pork sandwich can have just as much technique involved as the french use in their cooking.

Equipment used being showcased will also help forum goers because there is so much custom stuff being made in the BBQ world it is a learning experience in itself to see.

BBQ is something I've taken a unique interest with lately. It will be fun for me to see all the cool ideas this month.

So, are you going camping this weekend and gonna catch some trout and grill it up? You having a party where you're going to cook your friends some steaks and burgers? You planning on smoking a brisket or a pork shoulder for 8 hours? Got a cool smoker rig you want to show us? Do you use a "Big Green Egg" to cook your pizzas? Got some "Hobo Dinners" you're going to throw in a fire while camping or dutch oven action? Are you so hardcore that you own a Tandoor or built a brick Argentine grill in your backyard? BBQ is so varied in technique and equipment it doesn't matter. Give us what you got!


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

How timely! /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif Great choice, I look forward to it.


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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

In the name of God! We used to make _parrillada_ competitions almost on a daily basis with my brother but today i've not a parrilla. Anyway i will manage to present something. Great choice Vic.


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

Oh good lord. That's gonna be fun. Have the BBQ running all the time anyway


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

I've posted this before. Here's my ...

Thai bbq chicken:

- Coconut milk

- Shallots/Scallions

- Ginger

- Garlic

- Crushed coriander seeds

- Turmeric

- Palm sugar

- Cilantro (leaves+stalks+roots)/Lemongrass/Mint/Parsley/Thai basil...

- Fish sauce/Soy sauce/Shrimp paste

- Toasted sesame oil

That is my go to Thai marinade for BBQ chicken but I'm sure it'd work equally well for pork or fish...





  








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## kaneohegirlinaz (Apr 24, 2011)

I love to grill!

I grill all year round here in the middle of the US SW desert, even when it snows, our neighbors think that I'm nuts /img/vbsmilies/smilies/crazy.gif





  








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Mini Teriyaki boneless-skinless chicken thighs, cut into strips and marinaded overnight, skewered on bamboo and grilled carefully as to _try_ not to burn the skewers, I plated atop some lettuce that was about to 'go south' on a dollar store clear plastic platter

(I didn't have to worry about getting my dish back after the party /img/vbsmilies/smilies/wink.gif)

I made this 2 summers ago for a cocktail party that we were invited to, they were gone soon after I added them to the buffet, BIG hit!

I make this often for my husband and mother


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

Just grillin' on my brand new grill. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif





  








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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

Grilled cabbage!! With bacon (obviously).





  








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## vic cardenas (Nov 11, 2012)

Is the core of that all hollowed out and filled with...... bacon?  Gasp* That looks good!


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## vic cardenas (Nov 11, 2012)

kaneohegirlinaz said:


> I love to grill!
> 
> I grill all year round here in the middle of the US SW desert, even when it snows, our neighbors think that I'm nuts /img/vbsmilies/smilies/crazy.gif
> 
> ...


That looks good! And trust me, all our neighbors think we are ALL crazy!





  








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## kaneohegirlinaz (Apr 24, 2011)

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yup! but then ask me if I care?

they're the ones strolling by our house REAL slow like on their evening walks,

with their nostrils flared, taking in the FABULOUS smells coming from our house,

stopping casually to ask, "what are you making?" or "what time is dinner?"

I always ask if it's okay to give their little doggies a taste of what I just took off the grill,

and then of course to them as well... DH thinks I should start charging...


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

I smoked some wings eh? A little bit of oil, and my own poultry rub. About 325 until they're done, then I cranked the heat and seared them. You need at least 325 to render the fat.

I'm cooking on a Broil king keg, so I almost always reverse sear. It's much easier to raise the temp than to drop it on these insulated kamados.





  








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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

Vic Cardenas said:


> Is the core of that all hollowed out and filled with...... bacon? Gasp* That looks good!


Pretty much... bacon quickly panfried with sweated onions/garlic/bbq sauce..... very good but _very_ slow to cook. Next time I do it I'll try blanching the cabbage first.


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

This is a BBQ chicken I did on monday. I'm cooking more chicken with beef and pork prices so high. It was my first experiment with dry brining. I spatchcocked it, put on some oil and rub. Smoked at about 350 with cherry and apple wood.





  








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This is a poultry rub I made up for my turkey last thanksgiving. I have it in a shaker and I've been using it for chicken since. There's no salt, because I usually brine. I glaze with sauce at the end and that's enough sugar for me.

1 T paprika

1 T black pepper

1 T garlic powder

1 T marjoram

1 T sage

1 tsp lemon peel

½ tsp cumin

½ tsp guajillo pepper flake


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## maryb (Mar 21, 2008)

French Fries said:


> Pretty much... bacon quickly panfried with sweated onions/garlic/bbq sauce..... very good but _very_ slow to cook. Next time I do it I'll try blanching the cabbage first.


Next time totally wrap the cabbage with just the core area exposed, it steams it to cook it while just enough smoke and heats gets to the bacon filling to make it tasty. Cabbage doesn't need much smoke to be tasty but I make them on my Traeger smoker. And for a fancy dinner I do this with brussles sprouts, they don't need wrapping, just stand them in a pan packed tight so they don't tip and lose all the good filling. Fine chop the bacon, core and stuff just like the cabbage. No need to precook the bacon, it will render down in the sprouts and the fat cooks them.


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## vic cardenas (Nov 11, 2012)

MillionsKnives said:


> I'm cooking more chicken with beef and pork prices so high.
> 
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+1 on the chicken pricing compared to any other meat now.

That chicken looks perfectly cooked! Excellent job and only 4 posts to boot! This guy can cook! That wing sauce looks amazing too. I recently had the best smoked chix wings in my life at a bar here called The Devils Daughter. They looked very similar to that. I believe they smoke theirs with mesquite.


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

Thanks Vic! The wing sauce wasn't mine. It was from Zeb's general store up in NH. I think it was apple cider and habero. I make something similar around apple picking season using apple butter. We're all about apples and applewood up here in yankee bbq land.

I guess I never said anything about my cooker. This is my keg I cook on year round. It's a kamado, but double layers of steel with insulation in between instead of ceramic. No cracking etc that you get with ceramics, but then there are cast iron parts you need to keep seasoned. I like this picture because it has the thin blue smoke from a good fire. Whatever the equipment, temperature and smoke control is more important than any secret sauces, rubs, marinades, injections, wood types, whatever. With this thing being insulated, it holds temperatures very well. I can go at least 6 hours on one load of hardwood lump and very minimal fire tending.





  








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I got a whole hog getting catered by a pro this weekend (he's doing whole hog at Memphis in May, so I guess he's pretty good). I'll be sure to post pics!


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

MaryB said:


> Next time totally wrap the cabbage with just the core area exposed, it steams it to cook it while just enough smoke and heats gets to the bacon filling to make it tasty. Cabbage doesn't need much smoke to be tasty but I make them on my Traeger smoker. And for a fancy dinner I do this with brussles sprouts, they don't need wrapping, just stand them in a pan packed tight so they don't tip and lose all the good filling. Fine chop the bacon, core and stuff just like the cabbage. No need to precook the bacon, it will render down in the sprouts and the fat cooks them.


Wow great. Thanks for sharing your tips Mary, I'll give wrapping a try next time.


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

Love it!  Was planning on doing some grilling tonight, will have to take some pictures.

mjb.


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

Not the best effort. Some boneless country style pork ribs, lightly dusted with HoosierQ rib rub for my bride's tender palate:





  








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For me, hot links:





  








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And no, I didn't eat it ALL tonight.

On the grill:





  








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No further pics, the main goal was to get it on the table in time for Karen to make it to her yoga class. Tasty, though, served with steamed asparagus drizzled with melted butter and lemon juice.

Very soon I hope to present a batch of this for the challenge:





  








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## vic cardenas (Nov 11, 2012)

What kind of sausage is that?


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

BBQ and grilling?

Love the idea. I am sure you will get lots and lots of entries on this one.

We are going towards winter time (Southern hemisphere) and that's ideal for having a braai for us (summertime with daytime temperatures of 45+ oC is just a tad on the hot side)

I have posted this picture before, but can't resist posting it again

The whole hog...





  








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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

And this was yesterday on my small fold-up braai:





  








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Homemade merquez sausage (the rolled up one) and 2 small spicy Italian sausages (also home made)

I think I need to ask ChrisBelgium how to get proper pictures of a barbecue at night.....


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

What a timely challenge so soon after our Easter where we got to spit roast a whole lamb.





  








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Dressing the lamb with olive oil, a spice mixture of dried herbs, salt/pepper and paprika. The whole lamb gets studded with garlic and rosemary and the belly gets stuffed with lemons and herbs and sewn shut.





  








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The first hour. It gets basted continually with a lemon/oil/herb baste.





  








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The final hour. The belly bursts and the stuffing falls into the coals.


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

butzy said:


> And this was yesterday on my small fold-up braai:
> 
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YOu need to share your merguez recipe please!


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Some smoked hot wings from an ECB (El Cheapo Brinkman).

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a 50/50 blend of ranch dressing and mesquite barbecue sauce for dipping.


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## jake t buds (May 27, 2013)

Kinda hard for us with limited capabilities and space. This is what I have in NYC :





  








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I have no terrace or outdoor possibilities.

But I can make BBQ sauce and pulled pork in the oven . . .

My vision of Vic's "winner" status was spot on, yes?


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

Butzy, I also made merguez!

Right after Passover/Easter ended, lamb dropped to $4.99/lb here. So I bought a bunch of leg of lamb. The great thing about trimming your own meat, other than cost is the bones you get for lamb stock.

I didn't have a sausage stuffer, so I just put mine on swords and smoked it at about 300F to 150F internal temp. I don't have exact amounts of the ingredients except the meat, fat and salt content. 4 lbs of meat, 1/2 lb of ground up bacon lardons ( I was out of pork fat), 36 g kosher salt. I cut the salt back from 40g because the lardons already had salt.

The spices were garlic, coriander, marjoram, smoked paprika, red chili flakes, chinese red chili flakes (real spicy), cumin, raw sugar





  








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Actually, I made this merguez for a party 1 week after Easter, called Yeaster. Every dish had to have yeast. Mostly breads and beers. I cut it up and put it on a sourdough naan (cooked on a cast iron skillet), and served with a cucumber and dill raita.

Now, I have leftover merguez, lamb stock, homemade bacon, and duck confit sitting around. I think I just randomly have 90% of the ingredients for a cassoulet on hand.


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## pollopicu (Jan 24, 2013)

Million knives, you got some good additions going there. My mouth is watering.


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

@millionsknives: Looking good,

That seems a good way to get out of the stuffing process

Do they hold well onto the skewers? No problem with the mince sliding off?

@phatch

I went through my notes and they are for lamb sausage, loosely based on Merquez (meaning that I chopped and changed things a bit, but as they came out very nice, it is worth replicating)

Lamb mince: 1.2 kg (this was quite a fatty mince, minced once through the smallest size plate, not for any specific reason, but only one plate came with the hand cranked mincer, size 32)

Chopped garlic: 18 gr

Harissa paste: 40 gr (I used store bought, next time I will make my own)

Salt: 12 gr (just 1%, because of the salt in the paste)

Frozen coriander leaves, finely chopped: 10 gr (because that's all I had, would have used more if I had more)

Paprika powder: 5 gr

Cumin: 1 gr

All spice: 1 gr

Coriander: 1 gr

Cold water: 100 ml (i will change that to 75 ml next time around)

The coriander and cumin were dry roasted before using

Everything was stuffed in lamb casing


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

jake t buds said:


> Kinda hard for us with limited capabilities and space. This is what I have in NYC :
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I hear you. That's how I lived the last ten years before I fled the city and ended up in the rural backwaters. And I am not going back....


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

MillionsKnives said:


> Now, I have leftover merguez, lamb stock, homemade bacon, and duck confit sitting around. I think I just randomly have 90% of the ingredients for a cassoulet on hand.


Haha, indeed. It would pretty much be a sin not to make one with all this beautiful charcuterie at hand...


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## vic cardenas (Nov 11, 2012)

Very nice everybody. Keep em coming!


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## pete (Oct 7, 2001)

Beef and Mushroom Skewers with an Onion Balsamic Glaze





  








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Chunks of Sirloin marinated overnight with olive oil, rosemary and garlic and skewered along with Cremini mushrooms. Grilled over hardwood charcoal and brushed with an Onion and Balsamic Glaze to finish.

These were grilled in the park, on my little, portable Weber grill. At home I also have a full sized Weber charcoal grill, my large gas grill and my Bradley smoker. My wife used to think I was nuts needing so many grills but she has come to see the light!!! The gas grill for convienence and simple grilling. The large Weber for serious grilling and slow roasting. The smoker for smoking and BBQ. And of course the mini Weber for tailgating and picnics.


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## jake t buds (May 27, 2013)

Anybody have any success with this?
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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

First, find an ostrich and subdue him. I leave that to my girlfirend... (the in-laws are breeding the ostriches)





  








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Rub the breast [of the ostrich naturally, I feel that whacking with a wooden kitchen spoon coming up again] with salt, sugar, cumin, chili, pimenton:





  








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Chop some onions, garlic, ginger, carrots and bell peppers to make some chakalaka:





  








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Fire up the grill and serve.





  








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## maryb (Mar 21, 2008)

Those smoke guns work well to cold smoke cheeses and other small items. You cannot get enough smoke form one to do any meats in any quantity.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

The carving of the quails. Marinated over night in vermouth, garlic, juniper berries, thyme, and olive oil. Grilled to a perfect medium.





  








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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

butzy said:


> @millionsknives: Looking good,
> 
> That seems a good way to get out of the stuffing process
> 
> Do they hold well onto the skewers? No problem with the mince sliding off?


You need to pack them on a little bit when you start. It'll tighten up when it cooks and stay on, no problem.


Pollopicu said:


> Million knives, you got some good additions going there. My mouth is watering.


Thanks Pollopicu!


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

So far I've been posting slower smoked things. Here's some hot and fast for y'all.





  








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It's a vietnamese dish called "bún thịt nướng". Literally rice vermicelli noodles and grilled/roasted meat. In vietnamese cuisine, if the meat isn't specified, it's pork, the king of all meats! In this case, I trimmed up a picnic shoulder and sliced it thin. Nice and fatty, it won't dry out on the grill. Extras go to the freezer for sausage making and bones for pork stock.

Marinade overnight with:

Scallions, garlic, fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, ponzu

Grilled indirect first, then hot and fast until I like the color. You'll get good caramelization from the sugars.

Served with some rice vermicelli noodles, thai basil, crushed peanuts, fish sauce/lime, and a quick pickle of carrot and daikon. Better than my mom makes it. Sorry I'm not sorry.


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

Simple grilled chicken dinner:





  








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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

You guys, if you couldn't tell, I want to get a 'Monthly Challenge Winner' badge so hard.

As promised here's some pics from my pig roast this weekend. 140 lb dressed. I ate the jowls off this magnificent beast.





  








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I've got leftover beans, coleslaw, and pork all week for lunch. The whole office is jealous.

After work, I checked out the new H Mart near me. They had white bass for 2.99 /lb. It was fresh and I thought I should detox from pork. Dunno what I was thinking. It was delicious, but my hands smell like I gutted and cleaned a fish.





  








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I stuffed it with dill and lemon, and plopped that thing on a cedar plank. Grilled on indirect heat on my kettle, 450F. Grilled the other half of the lemon to go with it and served it with olives for some extra briny saltiness.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

MillionsKnives said:


> You guys, if you couldn't tell, I want to get a 'Monthly Challenge Winner' badge so hard.


Welcome! I'm sure you'll get there in no time judging by the wonderful pictures of food you're posting. But don't forget to take the time to look around our forum and acknowledge the amazing food our long standing members have put forth. The point of these challenges is to create a sense of community and to support each other. It's not about "winning."


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

Part 1 - a veal tongue goes into the cure with salt, pink salt, brown sugar, ancho, black pepper, mustard seed and bay leaves:





  








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Curing until the weekend, then into the smoke it goes. I forsee lots of tasty tongue sandwiches for my office lunch next week....


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

Koukouvagia said:


> The carving of the quails. Marinated over night in vermouth, garlic, juniper berries, thyme, and olive oil. Grilled to a perfect medium.
> 
> 
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We are watching you.... 





  








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## jarmo (Jan 11, 2014)

My first attempt at smoking with my almost finished "uds"...





  








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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

Nice build, Jarmo! Im thinking of building one this summer. What kind of coal did you use, how much of it, and how long of a burn time do you get?


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

A beer and an angle grinder. The combination for endless fun


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## maryb (Mar 21, 2008)

GeneMachine said:


> Part 1 - a veal tongue goes into the cure with salt, pink salt, brown sugar, ancho, black pepper, mustard seed and bay leaves:
> 
> 
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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

I don't really weigh the cures for my stuff - just enough to rub it in.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

Is that bacon wrapped onion? Brilliant!


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

It has been a LONG time since I've had any smoked tongue.  I may need to remedy that situation.

mjb.


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

The goodies hit the grill:





  








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Chicken indirect, the mango and pasilla on the hot spot.





  








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The veggies have been pulled off to meet their destiny in the kitchen. The chicken looks and smells marvelous! In the meantime, stuff is done, the food hits the plate:





  








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I felt a bit guilty about not posting anything in the South America challenge, so I looked for some inspiration from there. The chicken was done with a Brazilian style marinade of lime juice, garlic, soy sauce and such. And as a side note regarding another thread, it took about $4 worth of limes to get enough juice for the marinade.

The grilled mango was pureed with some orange juice concentrate and a bit more lime juice. That's what is under the slices of chicken. Served with strips of the roasted pasilla, deep fried plantain, and canned black beans. The beans were doctored up a bit with scallions and garlic bacon, topped with bits of quesadilla cheese.

The chicken alone would have been enough. It was SO tasty, moist and a great texture. I was afraid the lime juice would render it a bit mushy after about 8 hours of marinating. No problem there. Paired with the puree and the sides, it was a very good meal!


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## vic cardenas (Nov 11, 2012)

Yes! So much win going on in this thread...

I'm hoping I can fire up the BBQ contraptions before the baby comes (soon).


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

I'm just happy I got the grilling done before the rain really hit our area.

mjb.


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## vic cardenas (Nov 11, 2012)

Have you tried to get your limes at Rancho Market? Last time I went there a couple weeks ago, the limes were much, much cheaper than anywhere else.


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

Funny you should ask.  Yesterday I got the pasilla, plantains and mangoes there.  As I was pulling out of the lot I thought why did I not look at their limes?


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## jarmo (Jan 11, 2014)

Indoor BBQ...

"Meat swords"





  








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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

Just some St. Louis trimmed ribs. Mustard, then dry rub. More or less the Meathead's "Memphis Dust" with some added chinese 5 spice. I do like 5 spice on any fatty meat: pork, duck, short ribs. Apple wood smoke at 250 F until it bends. No wrapping for me.





  








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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

Too many people use that 3-2-1 method all around the internet for ribs. Too many bbq guys follow recipes exactly and rely on thermometers too much. Use the ingredients you like, and don't forget to use all 5 senses. If a meat looks, smells, and feels done, it might be.

For example, when I smoked a whole chicken last week, my thermapen read 145 in the breast. The juices ran clear, the skin was crisp, the meat firm. It was already in there for almost 2 hours. Trust your instincts, they're still valid outdoors!


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

The BBQ scene is rather rigid in their beliefs, isn't it? I generally use a temp probe, but the final decision is made by feel. Smoke it, poke it. 3-2-1, though, is a pretty straight way to good ribs, can't really mess it up.

EDIT - by no means the only way, though, just in case that came over wrong. I often give them a honey/herb based rub and just finish them over indirect heat all the way. Probably gonna post some of those later this month.


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

In competition cooks especially. I see the same flavor profiles and the same techniques all over the place. There's not a ton of uniqueness. I wish people would try some different cuts: short rib, tri tip, lamb, duck, parts of chicken other than thigh, offal 

Here's some lamb heart I smoked up when I went on a lamb buying spree after easter. I think lamb heart has great lamby flavour:





  








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Maybe I should start an offal bbq team! Think of all the tongue and tripe. Grilled sweetbreads are amazing!

My point is that a thermometer is just a tool. It gives you only one piece of information at one point in the meat. Wrapping is just a tool. If your meat gets too dark or too crispy but is not tender, then wrap. 3-2-1 is for cooking at 225, at higher temps, it is probably too long. I just hate the idea of cooking by numbers. Recipes are guidelines. You can't cook most things by time or temperature alone, there are just too many variables. Size, weight, moisture content, grill temp, hot spots, humidity, wind, etc. Not to mention everybody's cooker acts differently. It's really just a temperamental oven hehe.

Injections and brines are all tools. Cooks should know about how and when to use them, but at the end of the day, they'll have a higher success rate by using their judgement than by blindly following recipes.


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## pollopicu (Jan 24, 2013)

Not sure if anyone has posted this here yet, but thought some of you might find this interesting, if not amused.

http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/barbe...e-light-your-fire-and-serve-your-steak-157508

http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2014/05/th...sforming-recipe-book-cookery-toolkit-mash-up/


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

That's amazing!  I guess I need to move to Brazil !


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

MillionsKnives said:


> In competition cooks especially. I see the same flavor profiles and the same techniques all over the place. There's not a ton of uniqueness. I wish people would try some different cuts: short rib, tri tip, lamb, duck, parts of chicken other than thigh, offal


 Well, in the end, it's a mixed bag. Around here, we have no real competition scene, and low-and-slow BBQ is rather new or unknown to most people. When it comes to grilling, most folks fire up the charcoals like they are running a smithy, then instantly carbonify some chunks of meat, pouring some beer on it to extinguish the flaming fat inferno. Not to say that direct heat has no use, but, man, I have seen some atrocities.

So, between having an overly rigid BBQ scene and having none at all, well, there is some space for decent cooking in between.


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## maryb (Mar 21, 2008)

I never wrap ribs, when you pick them up in the middle and they bend and the meat on top tears a bit they are done. If I need a long rest until other things are ready foil is fine then into a cooler with a preheated brick and some towels


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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

WARNING: Not for the fainthearted. This is _asado con cuero _(barbacue on the leather).






I never tried it cause personally dislike the barbarian method.


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

ordo said:


> WARNING: Not for the fainthearted. This is _asado con cuero _(barbacue on the leather). I never tried it cause personally dislike the barbarian method.


Hey at least they don't have any traceability issues. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/lol.gif


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

an old picture, but thought it was worth posting anyway





  








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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

Ordo, that was awesome!  I learn something new here every day.


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

ordo said:


> WARNING: Not for the fainthearted. This is _asado con cuero _(barbacue on the leather).
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I don't see anything particularly barbarian there.


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

ordo said:


> WARNING: Not for the fainthearted. This is _asado con cuero _(barbacue on the leather).
> 
> I never tried it cause personally dislike the barbarian method.


You cook too much asian cuisine to be otherwise. They relegate the forks and knives to the kitchen where the barbaric butchering and cutting occurs and keep the polite chopsticks for the table.


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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

Well, you know how the Chinese called us, Western invaders: barbarians!

Here's another example of the passion for barbecues in Argentina (a little more civilized in IMHO):

*La fiesta del chivito*

Goat feast.


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

Looks like a sacrifice to some ancient and unspeakable deity


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## maryb (Mar 21, 2008)

Interesting Ordo, reminds of the way a whole pig is sometimes BBQed here in the USA. Butterfly it but leave bone in, put it between 2 grates for flipping and shovel coals under it to cook. Often used a stacked cinderblock pit to support the grate. I have done a few that way and it is the most flavorful way to cook pork. Plus all the skin gets nice and crispy and tasty...


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## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

GeneMachine said:


> Looks like a sacrifice to some ancient and unspeakable deity


They are athletic, doing handstands


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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

Its like a pagan hecatomb.


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

I'd like to try goat meat some day.  But for now, I imagine my next grilling session will be a bit more mainstream.

mjb.


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

Goat is ok, but quite lean.
I haven't tried to cook it indirect, we normally braise it. I should put in on my to do list.
It is one of the commonly eaten meats here. A whole goat costs me something like 35 dollar.

To stay with exotic meats : I am a bit surprised that nobody commented on my crocodile on the spit. I suppose it got lost between ordo's slaughterhouse video's


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

butzy said:


> Goat is ok, but quite lean.
> I haven't tried to cook it indirect, we normally braise it. I should put in on my to do list.
> It is one of the commonly eaten meats here. A whole goat costs me something like 35 dollar.
> 
> To stay with exotic meats : I am a bit surprised that nobody commented on my crocodile on the spit. I suppose it got lost between ordo's slaughterhouse video's


 Lol, I mean with that whole-cow BBQ, the crucified goats and so on the wee little croc got a bit lost in there. It already looks as if we were trying to summon some Elder Gods here..... Had some BBQed gator once - yes, you can get it in Munich, Germany. Quite liked it.


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

They told it was lamb, but I always wondered if this was goat or lamb that we ate, some 20 years ago, somewhere in the hills around Marmaris in Turkey. All I could see in that region were goats, no sheep. Not that it really mattered, this was stunning food.

A lady made Turkish flatbread in the fire place while a lamb/goat was cooking in a hole on top of the the fire place, using the same heat from the fire place itself. They removed the cooked animal from the hole and cut all the meat off the bones in tiny bits. It was then mixed with a lot of paprika powder and cumin and went in the fire place this time for another 30 minutes... unforgettable experience!

Sorry for the bad pictures, they had to be scanned from analog pictures.





  








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## mike9 (Jul 13, 2012)

I like goat - I make carnitas with it.  Very different from lamb.


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

@ChrisBelgium

Those pictures paint a beautiful atmosphere /img/vbsmilies/smilies/thumb.gif

I put some chicken thighs on the bbq, they were marinated with yoghurt and tandoori spice, with some extra cumin and coriander





  








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Lit the fire on my small fold up bbq





  








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Made a picture that I quite like of the chickens pieces





  








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Here the pieces are almost finished





  








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And served with some toasted rye bread and sweet&sour cabbage/pepper





  








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The pieces came out very nice and tender!


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

Since everyone is sharing cooking methods I'll share a method I observed but have not done myself. The eats were yummy though. In greek it's called "antichristo," which translates to "cooking against the fire." It's an indirect method inside a large oven, and the fire is in the middle while the meat is hung along the sides. The meat cooks all day.

This is the oven





  








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## chefbuba (Feb 17, 2010)

Just a couple of 16oz NY's over charcoal for dinner tonight.





  








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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

@Chef Bubba

What are NY's?

Looks delicious


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

NY strip is what they call steak from short loin here.


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

Koukouvagia said:


> In greek it's called "antichristo," which translates to "cooking against the fire."


Sure. We have people BBQing whole crucified goats and cows and crocs, we have a method called "antichristo"... Yeah. Uhm. After participating in this months' challenge, does any chance for salvation remain for me? Or do I better pledge my soul to the Old Ones?


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## vic cardenas (Nov 11, 2012)

Sorry guys. I've been away from this thread but have been peeking in from time to time. I just had my first child born and it's been a grueling past few days... as you can imagine.

I must say, this thread has turned into something not even I could imagine when starting this. All the whole animals are making me feel inadequate.

In addition, you all are making it very hard for me to pick a clear winner here. It's all so awesome!  

Keep em coming!


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## pollopicu (Jan 24, 2013)

Congrats, Vic! There's nothing sweeter than having a newborn baby home.


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

Congratulations Vic!!!


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

Well, Vic, I imagine the new arrival is not yet ready to gnaw on a slab of ribs yet /img/vbsmilies/smilies/lol.gif


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

Congratulations Vic! Enjoy the new-born!


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

Congrats Vic! /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif


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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

Celebrations! That's great news. You're very kind accepting to host this challenge.


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

Congratulations, indeed!

Now, back to the smoking 

The tongue finished curing and went into the smoke on the weekend.





  








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And done:





  








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Some baguette, some fresh salad from the garden, mustard and horseradish...





  








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And we got us a sandwich...





  








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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

It's like a beautiful tongue pastrami.


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

The sandwich looks delish @GeneMachine - I wonder what it'd taste like. I've never had tongue smoked and sliced thinly like that, in France we boil it and serve thicker slices... but that's less exciting.


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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

Great tongue! Pretty and unusual.


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

French Fries said:


> The sandwich looks delish @GeneMachine - I wonder what it'd taste like. I've never had tongue smoked and sliced thinly like that, in France we boil it and serve thicker slices... but that's less exciting.


Thanks, all. As @MillionsKnives said, it is pretty much pastrami-style, less pepper, though. You can get similar tongue at the butcher around here. We also do know the boiled and thickly sliced version, usually served in a creamy horseradish sauce with potatoes in my neck of the woods.


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

It certainly does _look_ similar to pastrami.


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

The texture is a spectacular thing of its own, though. The hot smoking really got the gelatin well solubilized. When I took the first test slice while it was still hot, it basically melted. Now, cooled down, it is completely solid again, but still partially melts in your mouth. Somewhat like a self-contained terrine.... /img/vbsmilies/smilies/licklips.gif


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## nicko (Oct 5, 2001)

@Vic Cardenas congratulations!!!! Let us see some baby pics (but maybe not in this thread since we don't want people to think we are grilling any small children. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/eek.gif) .

You guys have already seen much of my stuff but here is some flashbacks.





  








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@butzy That is the coolest spit shot I have seen a whole alligator very cool.


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## prized pig (May 7, 2014)

BBQ, now this is my wheelhouse.

Here's the signature sandwich at my restaurant. It's called The Squealer. It's a pulled pork sandwich topped with mac and cheese, coleslaw, and fried onions on a brioche bun.










And my favorite thing in the world, brisket.


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## maryb (Mar 21, 2008)

GeneMachine said:


> The texture is a spectacular thing of its own, though. The hot smoking really got the gelatin well solubilized. When I took the first test slice while it was still hot, it basically melted. Now, cooled down, it is completely solid again, but still partially melts in your mouth. Somewhat like a self-contained terrine.... /img/vbsmilies/smilies/licklips.gif


Did you blanch and peel it first?


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

MaryB said:


> Did you blanch and peel it first?


No. The skin tendered up completely during the cure and the smoke. Was a bit surprised about that myself.


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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

Prized Pig: spectacular brisket.

Nicko: i remember well that pig from the Pig Challenge. Unforgettable.


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

I put a short rib roast on the fire and figured if I can do a turkey by firing up the bbq, putting the thing in when hot, on indirect fire, and just let it be, then surely I can do the same with a short rib roast.

So I am going against all the rules here /img/vbsmilies/smilies/laser.gif

Little story first:

Why short ribs?

Well, actually because I had them. Some time ago I ordered a 4 rib - standing rib roast from my butcher and when I came home it turned out to be a 4 rib - short rib roast. You can't win them all, can you?

It was part of a 80 or 90 kg order, and I didn't specifically check. You live and you learn.

Here's the rib roast





  








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And here it is on indirect fire. I didn't brine it. rub it or even remove the membrane as I figured I will cut it all up later and I wanted the pure meat flavour.

You can always remedy things with a sauce, if needs be





  








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After a couple of hours





  








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And this is was it looked like when I pulled it off





  








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I liked it: it sort of resembled crispy belly pork, but the meat was still tender at the same time.

It also reminded me of some of the meat I had in SE Asia, but for the life of me, can't remember exactly what. Maybe the filling of Bahn Mi?

I cut some of the meat





  








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Threw a pita on the remaining fire





  








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Whipped up a quick tzatziki-like sauce (just greek yoghurt, garlic and cucumber)

Sorry for the bad picture





  








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And went to eat





  








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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

Wow @butzy that looks very good. I love short ribs, especially grilled, but I'm thinking the korean way (kalbi), sliced about 1" thick and grilled quickly over high heat. Yours look crispy on the outside, tender on the inside. Did you use salt or just the beef and nothing else? The end sandwiches look great too.


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

@french fries: Just the meat. I didn't even use salt. It is amazing how good it tastes without any herbs and spices at all.

Having said that, me being me: the left overs were used in a Thai beef salad (just onion, cucumber and tomato, the left over cut up beef with a dressing of garlic, chili, palm sugar, lemon and fish sauce). Very moorish as well


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## vic cardenas (Nov 11, 2012)

Thanks for all the congrats! This thread is amazing. I might find some time to fire up the barbie soon, I am so eager to participate. Keep em coming gang.


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

Spectacular stuff, everyone!

The smoke must go on - thus, some pork belly goes into the cure. Crushed pepper, crushed garlic, paprika, bay leaves and the usual salt/pink salt/brown sugar mix. Coat and put into ziplock bags. Wait.





  








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As usual - the kickass swabian-hallian bacon from my favourite butcher. Smoke goes up on the weekend, depending how it feels when poking it.


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

That is a nice looking slab of belly.  My garlic bacon is almost gone, not sure what flavor to make next.

mjb.


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

teamfat said:


> That is a nice looking slab of belly. My garlic bacon is almost gone, not sure what flavor to make next.
> 
> mjb.


My go-to standard is juniper. But I generally flavor rather lightly - I mostly want the bacon taste, since it is intended to be mostly incorporated into other dishes, not just stand-alone.

Then again, like today, I often just throw together what comes to mind and wait for the result....


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## maryb (Mar 21, 2008)

My favorite bacon cure is one with light sugar(maple, brown sugar, honey take your pick), salt, cure, lots of black pepper. Makes a bacon that goes well in anything. I have to find a source for fresh bellies!

That slab of short ribs is the exact cut I prefer to make. Almost like beef bacon on a stick. Good on its own or as a filling for tacos, sandwiches, shredded and seasoned into chimichangas... I have to pick something up for the smoker on Friday when I go to town.


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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

I don't usually envy any food. But i will make an exception with that stupendous home made bacon GM!


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

My next project was Roumanian mici (with several adjustments as I did not have all ingredients).

The whole spices (white peppercorn, cumin, coriander, salt and oregano)





  








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Garlic and a bit of soup (instead of the beef bouillion, that I didn't have)





  








2 chopped garlic and used beef soup instead of sto




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Mixed it all with a pork-beef mince (it was supposed to have lamb mince as well, but again, I didn't have)

It also should have baking powder in the mix. I was very interested in finding out the effect as I had never used it in any mince or meat before. I know it is sometimes used by the chinese as sort of a marinate to tenderise the meat.

But again, I did not have baking powder, but after a bit of googling I decided I could substitute with baking soda and some acid, which is what I did.

It is not supposed to be on skewers but I wanted to try it that way and it makes it a lot easier to turn the things 

The little burger on the side is left over mince from some sausages I made (yes I have been a bit of an over-achiever in this challenge)





  








4 ready to go on braai - burger is left over mdm j




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I thought that the gaps on the grid were a bit big, so I used a cover with a smaller maze





  








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half way through





  








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And plated (sorry about the glare on the pic) with butternut, cabbage pickle, mustard and fried potatoes





  








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I enjoyed it and it was nice to have the little burger thingy as comparison. The baking powder/soda does have an effect on the structure of the meat.

I have to admit that I more or less doubled the spices as compared to the recipe I had and that did the trick for me.

Some of the left overs were eaten the next day





  








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And the remaining 2 "sausages" were eaten cold as a snack


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## kookieman13 (Apr 30, 2014)

Vic. That bacon staffed cabbage looks good. I will have to give it a try :=)


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## vic cardenas (Nov 11, 2012)

That wasn't me.


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## nicko (Oct 5, 2001)

@butzy Your food looks really enjoyable thanks for sharing.


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

MaryB said:


> My favorite bacon cure is one with light sugar(maple, brown sugar, honey take your pick), salt, cure, lots of black pepper. Makes a bacon that goes well in anything. I have to find a source for fresh bellies!
> 
> That slab of short ribs is the exact cut I prefer to make. Almost like beef bacon on a stick. Good on its own or as a filling for tacos, sandwiches, shredded and seasoned into chimichangas... I have to pick something up for the smoker on Friday when I go to town.


Aye, that is pretty much the basic cure mixture for me, too - I tend to add some herbs or spices, too, to get some variation. Juniper and bay leaf would be the local choice, I guess. Rosemary works very nice, too.


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## helloitslucas (Apr 8, 2013)

It's been awhile since I have been able to cook for myself, but here is something I cooked at the restaurant for just the kitchen staff.





  








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28 day air aged ribeye with a blackberry, dried blueberry and pickled ****** leaf demi(not as sweet as it sounds, I promise) Seared and finished on the grill with grilled asparagus and pickled radish sprouts.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

helloitslucas said:


> It's been awhile since I have been able to cook for myself, but here is something I cooked at the restaurant for just the kitchen staff.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Beautiful, it doesn't get any better than meat on a wooden board.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

Spare ribs - dry rubbed with salt, pepper, paprika, garlic, celery seed, and thyme.




  








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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

Lucas: those steaks look perfect. Happy staff.

Koukou: that's exactly my rub for ribs. I'm not so much fond of sugared rubs.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

ordo said:


> Lucas: those steaks look perfect. Happy staff.
> Koukou: that's exactly my rub for ribs. I'm not so much fond of sugared rubs.


I'm glad I'm not the only one! I like my pork savory. It gets a shot of lemon juice on the plate. Most people wouldn't dream of not adding sugar.


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

My rib rub - sugar included, but not the bulk of the mix:

http://wasatchfoodies.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=741

Halfway into the month, still a couple of things I was expecting but have not yet seen.

mjb.


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

Venison BBQ today:

Marinade with olive oil, balsamico, thyme, rosemary, sage, garlic, salt, pepper and a dash of Worchestershire sauce:





  








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BBQ over indirect heat, some sweet potatoes with onions, garlic and olive oil in foil beside it. I gave it just a bit of bourbon barrell chips for smoke:





  








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And served with grilled vegetables and a sauce made from venison fond and the strained marinade, reduced, lightly bound:





  








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## chefmannydlm (Jun 22, 2013)

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From my Memorial Day BBQ last year. I smoked a brisket (10 hours + 2 in the oven) grilled chicken quarters, smoked another chicken, grilled sausage, made pulled pork in the crock pot plus made 3 different BBQ sauces (mustard based, beer based, and traditional).


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

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Beef kebabs with tzatziki, pickled cabbage and homemade bread (made this about a month ago)


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

*Tapa style BBQ*

Yesterday was such a perfect day for bbq'ing. A long time ago, I switched from "mono" style to "multiple", kind of tapas BBQ style. Just a few bites per item but in a variation of aromas and tastes. Everyone seems to love it and it's always such a conversation starter. All meat and seafood is marinated separately in their own marinade with oil, fresh herbs from the garden and spices and certainly no salt at all. I use plastic bags to put the sliced meat and seafood in with their specific marinade. This creates a very nice pallet of different tastes on the plate. Just before they go on the BBQ, I put them on bamboo skewers soaked in water. It's only a matter of knowing which ones go first on the BBQ and how long to put them on... and not to forget to put salt on.

I served them this time with a tabouleh (couscous salad), last minute additions were fresh parsley and mint from the garden and pomegranate.

Last but not least a dressing made from mayo, tarragon vinegar, water and harissa paste.

Don't forget nicely cooled rosé wine!





  








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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

Stunning Chris!


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

So, the bacon is done curing. Smoke on...





  








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I'll let it cool down a dry for a few days, then I'll post a cut.


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## chefbuba (Feb 17, 2010)

Baby backs tonight, with slaw and fresh corn on the cob.





  








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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

Thanks butzy!


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## happyhound (May 19, 2014)

Malay-inspired braised trotters. Braised with sweet soy sauce, galanga root, ginger, garlic & spring onions and a wee bit of chx stock. After 8 hours, chilled and then grilled to crisp. Served with white rice and cold beer.




  








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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

@HappyHound those look very tasty! And welcome to Cheftalk.

mjb.


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## pitufina73 (Mar 26, 2012)

Looks yummy! Keep them coming!


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## pollopicu (Jan 24, 2013)

Gene, your bacon looks awesome.

Chris, love how your tapas platter looks.

Can't wait to see what all of you have cooked up for the upcoming memorial day weekend!


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

As discussed in another thread, this past weekend I had a Vietnamese bhan mi sandwich which featured some grilled lemongrass beef. The meat was REAL tasty. So ....





  








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The beef is a flatiron chuck steak. The marinade consists of minced garlic, minced lemongrass, some sugar, soy, fish sauce and a bit of oil. I sliced about half the beef into thin strips, left the rest intact. Here's the meat bagged and ready to chill for the afternoon:





  








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Some of the other players involved in the evening meal:





  








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Meat and heat getting acquainted:





  








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Strictly hardwood lump charcoal, no "Souix" vide involved:





  








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The unsliced hunk turned out to be cooked just to my liking. Time to assemble:





  








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I'd forgotten how difficult it can be getting rice paper to bend to your will. Cilantro, slivers of the beef, peppers, rice vermicelli, etc. ended up in a couple of pretty ugly rolls:





  








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They tasted a LOT better than they looked. The dipping sauce is fish sauce, lime juice, minced garlic and minced habanero. Quite nice.

Much as I expected, my first attempt at lemongrass beef wasn't as tasty as what I had at the festival. The unsliced meat was good, but didn't have that much of the flavor infused. The skewer of beef that was sliced before marinating, though, was pretty close to what I was after. Very nice, especially with a drizzle of grilled lemon juice.

A few missteps, but all in all quite good, something I will do again.

mjb.


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

@teamfat: you beat me to it.
I was going to make vietnamese lemongrass skewers the day before yesterday. It was all in the marinade and ready to go when I got called back to the lodge, and that put a big spanner in the works as i had to go get supplies the next day (yesterday).
I transferred the meat and marinade to the freezer and will make them when I am back. I am using a recipe fron andrea nguyen's "into the vietnamese kitchen.
To be continued....


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

Thanks PP!


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## pollopicu (Jan 24, 2013)

@Chefbuba, I could totally go for a nice chunk of this





  








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@teamfat, your meat is cooked perfectly. Everything looks tasty.


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## mikelm (Dec 23, 2000)

*"...a drizzle of grilled lemon juice.*"

Intriguing, teamfat. Could you tell us how to grill lemon juice?

Mike /img/vbsmilies/smilies/confused.gif


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

MikeLM said:


> *"...a drizzle of grilled lemon juice.*"
> 
> Intriguing, teamfat. Could you tell us how to grill lemon juice?


Might be easier to juice a grilled lemon. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/wink.gif


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

I got a chuckle out of a recent ad for a local market, as a dinner suggestion they had "chicken grilled over mixed greens" - seems it would be hard to get enough heat out of the greens.

mjb.


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## vic cardenas (Nov 11, 2012)

GeneMachine said:


> IMG_1254.JPG
> 
> 
> 
> ...





ChrisBelgium said:


> BBQ1.jpg
> 
> 
> 
> ...





chefbuba said:


> rib3.jpg
> 
> 
> 
> ...





teamfat said:


> lg5.jpg
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Gaaahhhhhhhh! Mmmmmmmm! Nice job everybody!


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## vic cardenas (Nov 11, 2012)

Alright, I finally got a chance to fire up the smoker after the baby was born. I decided to make some pulled pork...

A nice little 6 pounder... This one took me about 10 hours on the smoker.





  








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I made a coffee rub...

Coffee

Salt

Pepper

Red Pepper Flakes

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder





  








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I made a spray bottle of Bourbon and Apple Cider Vinegar to mist it throughout the process...





  








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I just use a cheap, single chamber horizontal barrel smoker and keep a small indirect fire in the corners. It works pretty well...





  








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As you can see, I'm a super classy type guy...





  








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Getting it started...





  








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I also made a mop sauce to help keep it moist and add a glaze at the end to build up the bark. I start out thin with bourbon, apple cider vinegar, sriracha, olive oil, ketchup, whole grain mustard. As the hours go by, I start to add more ketchup, mustard, bourbon to get it more thick and sugary to help the bark formation.





  








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A few hours in...





  








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During the plateau period where it looks the most beautiful...





  








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Done! A nice bark formed...

Good coffee and bourbon flavored bark and hickory smoke flavor throughout...

Tears very easily and very moist. Bone pulls right out through the side. As I shred it up, there is tons of nice, chewy/crunchy bark pieces well spread throughout the meat. A nice red smoke ring just under the bark. Plenty of delicious bark to go around on this one...





  








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I also made a BBQ sauce out of the ever-thickening mop sauce by adding brown sugar... Served on a soft dinner roll as a bun.

(I stopped taking pictures after I tore into it. I devoured this quickly. No time for pictures! Eating.)


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

> SAM_2985.JPG
> 
> 
> 
> ...


To be honest, the picture of the final product does not look at all appetizing. Just a big blob of some sooty, crusty chunk of who knows what. But then again anyone who has done this before KNOWS what incredible deliciousness is hiding in there. I SO want a taste of that bark!


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

@Vic Cardenas that's just beautiful and just what I needed to see this morning since I'm embarking on smoking my first pork butt for memorial day! What's your steady temperature and about how long did it take? I wish we could see a picture of your first pull!


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

Awesome post @Vic Cardenas! I love the idea of the coffee rub. I keep getting BBQ that is too sweet, and you know that savory cooks hate sweets! Good flavor ideas all around on this post. I won't be bored for a long time!


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

I'm playing it pretty safe this Memorial Day weekend. I went on a beer tour in Portland, Maine last month, and I bought this blueberry habanero BBQ sauce at the Shipyard Brewery along with their Smashed Blueberry (hybrid porter and scotch ale).





  








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I've been meaning to use it for a while, but last week at a competition, someone was selling blueberry wood! I've never seen it before and might not again, of course I bought some.





  








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Today, I'm using them both on some St. Louis ribs that I trimmed.





  








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I slathered my dry rub on after a light mustard coating. I'm going to let these sit in the fridge for a little bit. To give the salt time to act as a dry brine, and also to build up some pellicle so the smoke adheres better. I'll update later today!


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

@Vic Cardenas - Dat car carcass..... Ghetto as hell. Feeling right at home there.


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## jake t buds (May 27, 2013)

GeneMachine said:


> I don't see anything particularly barbarian there.


I know this was three pages ago, but I don't see anything particularly barbarian either.

Kosher, on the other hand, is more than barbaric, it's animal abuse. I don't understand why they allow it.


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## jake t buds (May 27, 2013)

Made this last year.

*Pulled Pork Sandwich* :

Dry rub. Don't remember what but

I'm sure it had garlic powered, salt,

paprika, thyme, etc etc.





  








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Shoulder waiting to be slow cooked.

225 for about 6-8 hours





  








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Kansas BBQ sauce. Apple cider

vinegar, butter, tomato paste, brown

sugar, onions, garlic, molasses, and

a few spices.





  








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Served thusly :





  








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btw, does anybody put a squirt of lime on their corn?

Also, anybody know anything about or have used Liquid Smoke?

Does it actually provide a smokey flavor?


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

jake t buds said:


> I know this was three pages ago, but I don't see anything particularly barbarian either.
> 
> Kosher, on the other hand, is more than barbaric, it's animal abuse. I don't understand why they allow it.


Is there anything preventing you from whacking the animal unconscious before cutting the throat for a proper kosher slaughter?


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## jake t buds (May 27, 2013)

GeneMachine said:


> Is there anything preventing you from whacking the animal unconscious before cutting the throat for a proper kosher slaughter?


Who me? I don't slaughter bovine. I would like to think I would wake up if my throat were being slashed (especially if I were hung upside down), only to go through the process of watching the life drain out of me over the course of a few minutes.

I also don't know how long it takes for a cow to die after being shot in the head, but it does seem to me to more humane than kosher. What do I know, I'm not a cow. Maybe the kosher process should look to the capital punishment system in the US and decide if anesthetizing a cow first before killing it is ok with jewish scripture.


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

That was a generic "you". When properly rendered unconscious, the animal should not realize that the throat is cut. Doing it with a conscious animal is iffy...

In the lab, we simply hit our test animals with CO[sub]2[/sub] - best way, I guess, they just get drowsy, sleep and die.


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## vic cardenas (Nov 11, 2012)

teamfat said:


> To be honest, the picture of the final product does not look at all appetizing. Just a big blob of some sooty, crusty chunk of who knows what. But then again anyone who has done this before KNOWS what incredible deliciousness is hiding in there. I SO want a taste of that bark!


I feel you brother! I think the first time I made a REAL pulled pork I had the same reaction, that it looked awful and probably tasted awful underneath. Low and behold, I tear into it and find the juicy innards and fell in love. Not to mention how that "burnt" crust tasted the first time. That was years ago (yes, I'm a BBQ noob) and now by bark tastes 10 times better than that first 'satisfactory' bark I made. 


Koukouvagia said:


> @Vic Cardenas that's just beautiful and just what I needed to see this morning since I'm embarking on smoking my first pork butt for memorial day! What's your steady temperature and about how long did it take? I wish we could see a picture of your first pull!


Thanks! That barrel smoker can be a bit inconsistent when adding new charcoal but I shoot for about an average temp of 250*F. My temps were between 300 and 200 the entire cook for 10 hours (6 pound roast). If I see it near 300 I just close everything up and it drops down to about 250. If I see it near 200 I just add a few more coals to the corners and it will shoot up in about 20-30 minutes. 


GeneMachine said:


> @Vic Cardenas - Dat car carcass..... Ghetto as hell. Feeling right at home there.


Thanks! It's hella ghetto. I have a pit bull too that lays on top of it to catch some sun when he's cold. 


MillionsKnives said:


> Awesome post @Vic Cardenas! I love the idea of the coffee rub. I keep getting BBQ that is too sweet, and you know that savory cooks hate sweets! Good flavor ideas all around on this post. I won't be bored for a long time!


Thanks! I fed it to my wife's friend and she said the same thing... that she hates sweet BBQ and that this was amazing and she wanted my recipe. I got the impression that it was too much work for her when I barely started explaining the cooking process and the rub. .....


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

Vic Cardenas said:


> Thanks! It's hella ghetto. I have a pit bull too that lays on top of it to catch some sun when he's cold.


Feel like getting out my toolbox and making the best of it right now. Been working as a patent engineer for the car industry for a couple of years now... Just can't have it sit like this


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

jake t buds said:


> Made this last year.
> 
> *Pulled Pork Sandwich* :
> 
> ...


Looks amazing, this will be my dinner tomorrow slurp. How did you slow cook it?

I have a bottle of liquid smoke in the fridge, rarely have I used it. I've put it in marinades for meat before - just a drop though!


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

Koukouvagia said:


> I have a bottle of liquid smoke in the fridge, rarely have I used it. I've put it in marinades for meat before - just a drop though!


Never liked liquid smoke - if I really can't fire up the BBQ for some reason, I season with some smoked pimenton.Gives a good smoke aroma without the artifiicial touch of the liquid smoke.


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

I don't really like liquid smoke.  If you don't have a smoker, you could add a drop to some sauces.  It's very overpowering. 

I have been smoking my own spices.  You just have to put them on some aluminum foil on the smoker and try to keep your temps down low (200 or less).  If you had a cold smoker, it'd be easier, but I did fine on a normal smoker.  I've done paprika, salt, and black pepper.  For black pepper, you want to crack the pepper corns in half, but not grind it completely.  I put the result in my pepper grinder.  There are different options on salt, some people add a bit of water and form a ball.  I might try smoked coffee soon.

IMO, i prefer any of those smoked spices over liquid smoke.


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## jake t buds (May 27, 2013)

I'm sure there are experts here, but I put it in the oven at 225-250° and cook for 6-8 hours on the rack you see in the pic. If you want to avoid the mess of fat you can put parchment, but sometimes I deglaze the bottom with some beer and add to the BBQ sauce. Cooking time varies depending on the size or weight and if it has the bone in. That one didn't have a bone. I shoot for internal temp of 195 to 203°F. It will stall at 150-160° for a while but then starts to rise again about half way through. It can take anywhere between 8-12 hours if it's hefty - 5 lbs. That one was about 3 I think.

Once it reaches temp I stick a fork in it and twist. If it falls apart it's definitely done. I also dry rub it the night before. Most rubs or marinades don't penetrate that deeply - it's mostly for when it gets pulled, and the crispy exterior adds to the flavor.


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

I finally got around to making my Vietnamese lemongrass beef skewers and while I was at it, I made some Indonesian spiced ones as well.

I used a recipe from "into the Vietnamese kitchen" for the Vietnamese ones and my own fantasy for the Indonesian ones





  








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Cutting the big slab of meat. Not too sure if this was rump steak or topside. I think Rump





  








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The marinade for the vietnamese skewers consisted of onion, sugar, salt, pepper, shrimp paste and lemongrass. For one reason or another the instructions pounded them in 2 sessions but that didn't make much sense to me.

To my big surprise it contained no chili's and no garlic and for once I decided to follow the recipe.....




  








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Toasting the sesame seeds for the marinade.

No pictures of the Indonesian style marinate, but it was lemon grass, chili, garlic, ginger, salt (for grinding the spices) and ketjap manis (sweet soy) and rice wine, as I ran out of lemons





  








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The Indonesian marinade on the left and the vietnamese on the right. On top is my failed attempt to make bahn mi. They became more of a flatbread than anything, but were still edible though





  








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Skewered meat





  








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.Getting ready to rock 'n roll.





  








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and I ate it without sauce on my pathetic attempt of bahn mi with cabbage relish.

Verdict: I think my Indonesian kebabs were nicer. The Vietnamese ones were just missing something. A bit of lemon would have improved them a lot as would garlic and ginger have done. There was a bit of a bite to them from the pepper.

They were actually a lot nicer the next day and the left overs will be used in a vietnamese salad (with a nice spicy dressing to give them a bit more of a zing!


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

*Grilled lamb chops, gratin dauphinois and roasted mini tomatoes*

It looked like raining yesterday, so, time to use my cast-iron grill pan and cook inside. The meat was marinated with very little sunflower oil and 3 fresh herbs from the garden; rosemary, thyme and lovage.

What goes better with lamb than a _gratin dauphinois_? I parboiled the potato slices during a little under 10 minutes, in 50/50 milk/cream mixture, together with garlic, s&p and a few bay leaves. Finished in the oven at high temperature for another 15-20 minutes.

Mini tomatoes roasted with garlic and fresh basil leaves.





  








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## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

Chris: Lamb one of my fav's. It is one of those dishes that does not need alot of fuss, you did it justice. Nice potatoes. It is a splendid dish to celebrate this wonderful time of year, spring. Nothing beats the last week of May and first week of June, nothing.





  








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Congrats Vic !

Speaking of lamb (nothing fancy)

Lamb Kebabs:





  








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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

Thanks Petals, one day or another, we should join cooking forces!


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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

ChrisBelgium said:


> Thanks Petals, one day or another, we should join cooking forces!


I want to be a guest at that meeting. I carry the wines.


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## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

Ordo, you will cooking too ! The wine is a great idea, we all need a glass as we chop away. 
I'll do the onions , I don't want any tears from anyone, just laughter and song . 

But what about dessert ?


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## jake t buds (May 27, 2013)

petalsandcoco said:


> Ordo, you will cooking too ! The wine is a great idea, we all need a glass as we chop away.
> I'll do the onions , I don't want any tears from anyone, just laughter and song .
> 
> But what about dessert ?


I don't mean to barge in, and I'm no pastry or dessert expert, but I'll bring something!! Even an aperitif. Brandy anyone?

I make a mean flourless chocolate cake and my partner makes the best ice cream. I'll even bring cheese and fruit as long as I can eat the meal.


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## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

Your in like Flynn ! Dessert and ice cream is a must have. I don't want to come across as a prude but please make some hot chocolate sauce for it, life just wouldn't be the same. 

It's a generous contribution in itself, maybe we can leave a cheese platter with fruit for someone else to bring ? 
I think we are all open to brandy or cognac to cap the evening


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

This is Mercedes specialty tool 140 589 01 33 00, a module mounting lever, whatever that means.





  








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May 27, 2014








If you need to add more charcoal to your Weber kettle, though...





  








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## eastshores (Oct 23, 2008)

Awesome stuff. I really wish I had gotten into this months challenge more, if there is one form of cooking I do more than anything it is grilling / bbq / smoking. I recently lost my father and it took a lot of the wind out of my sails. Hopefully I can get back in the game again and look forward to hanging with all you wonderful people.

I did some low and slow ribs for a memorial day BBQ yesterday. I've done ribs about 5 times prior and these were the best I've made to date. Cooked them at 250 for about 6 hours. First 2-3 hours I used mesquite for smoke. I did a dry rub a few hours ahead of putting them on. My "secret" was a spray bottle with apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, worcestershire, a little water, and honey from my buddy who is a bee keeper. The vinegar and honey make a nice glaze. No sauce needed!





  








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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

eastshores said:


> Awesome stuff. I really wish I had gotten into this months challenge more, if there is one form of cooking I do more than anything it is grilling / bbq / smoking. I recently lost my father and it took a lot of the wind out of my sails. Hopefully I can get back in the game again and look forward to hanging with all you wonderful people.
> 
> I did some low and slow ribs for a memorial day BBQ yesterday. I've done ribs about 5 times prior and these were the best I've made to date. Cooked them at 250 for about 6 hours. First 2-3 hours I used mesquite for smoke. I did a dry rub a few hours ahead of putting them on. My "secret" was a spray bottle with apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, worcestershire, a little water, and honey from my buddy who is a bee keeper. The vinegar and honey make a nice glaze. No sauce needed!
> 
> ...


These looks delicious.

I'm sorry to hear about your Father.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

My North Carolina Style pulled pork sandwich that we lovingly prepared yesterday, more pics and process in this thread http://www.cheftalk.com/t/80893/bbq-help





  








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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

Beautiful ribs eastshores. Sorry about your father.


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## jake t buds (May 27, 2013)

Koukouvagia said:


> My North Carolina Style pulled pork sandwich that we lovingly prepared yesterday, more pics and process in this thread http://www.cheftalk.com/t/80893/bbq-help
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Very nice. I was never really a fan of baked beans, but I'm sure they were tasty. Also, here I was blabbering on about how I make my pork shoulder in the oven and you've  already done that. Oh well, I thought you asked….


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## mike9 (Jul 13, 2012)

I was going to make Charro beans this weekend, but the jalapeno, cilantro coleslaw and the baked Russet, German style potato salad was enough. My daughter in law's big 40 was Saturday and a 105lb. pig arrived Friday. 126 people attended and a wonderful time was had by all. Lots of sides, wine, margaritas, and local brew on tap. This is the only pic that really turned out

Mike and Matt taking the pig off the rotisserie Just finishing up





  








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My favorite cuts were the kidney's and tongue . . . . . which I shared.

Sunday was - guess what - pulled pork and Monday was - guess what - clams and pulled pork. I shucked 50 little necks and steamed 3 doz. middle necks just for a change of pace - I'm grilling chicken today - /img/vbsmilies/smilies/lol.gif


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

jake t buds said:


> Very nice. I was never really a fan of baked beans, but I'm sure they were tasty. Also, here I was blabbering on about how I make my pork shoulder in the oven and you've already done that. Oh well, I thought you asked….


I did ask!! I even started a whole thread getting everyone else's input too. I decided to rub it the night before too. Only we smoked it. It was 8 lbs!


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

Mike9 said:


> I was going to make Charro beans this weekend, but the jalapeno, cilantro coleslaw and the baked Russet, German style potato salad was enough. My daughter in law's big 40 was Saturday and a 105lb. pig arrived Friday. 126 people attended and a wonderful time was had by all. Lots of sides, wine, margaritas, and local brew on tap. This is the only pic that really turned out
> 
> Mike and Matt taking the pig off the rotisserie Just finishing up
> 
> ...


Here piggy piggy!

Now I want clams. Oooo, grilled clams!

Hey, where's the seafood everyone?


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## jake t buds (May 27, 2013)

Koukouvagia said:


> Here piggy piggy!
> 
> Now I want clams. Oooo, grilled clams!
> 
> *Hey, where's the seafood everyone*?


Very nice everybody. Congrats vic.

Do camarones a la parilla count as bbq and grilling?


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## vic cardenas (Nov 11, 2012)

ChrisBelgium said:


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Excellent post @ChrisBelgium


butzy said:


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petalsandcoco said:


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Love some good kebabs! Nice job you two...


eastshores said:


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Beautiful! @eastshores


Koukouvagia said:


> My North Carolina Style pulled pork sandwich that we lovingly prepared yesterday, more pics and process in this thread http://www.cheftalk.com/t/80893/bbq-help
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Those beans look amazing! 


Mike9 said:


> IMG_20140524_164941_zps58d10ecc.jpg
> 
> 
> 
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And more whole animals! That's awesome! I've always wanted to walk up to a ready to eat hog like that and tear out a hunk of it's cheek and munch on it! 


jake t buds said:


> Very nice everybody. Congrats vic.
> 
> Do camarones a la parilla count as bbq and grilling?


Thanks! Thanks for all the congrats everybody!

'a la Parilla'... Sounds like a grill to me! Just a few days left of this challenge! Get your BBQ on everybody!


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## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

Two more pics.





  








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served with salad.





  








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Salmon steaks with





  








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yes, salad and





  








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and a wee zip of this





  








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/img/vbsmilies/smilies/wink.gif


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## eastshores (Oct 23, 2008)

Here are a few more from recent adventures.

Smoked chicken leg quarters





  








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Smoked pork butt





  








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Bonus round.. camp fire bacon!





  








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## kaneohegirlinaz (Apr 24, 2011)

@eastshores MAN!!!! were was this, and why wasn't I invited... have fork, will travel /img/vbsmilies/smilies/bounce.gif


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## eastshores (Oct 23, 2008)

kaneohegirlinaz said:


> @eastshores MAN!!!! were was this, and why wasn't I invited... have fork, will travel /img/vbsmilies/smilies/bounce.gif


I am very sorry to say it was all eaten by the inconsiderate diners that participated! I will save you some bacon next time! /img/vbsmilies/smilies/biggrin.gif


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

I don't know how Vic is gonna pick a winner.


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

Koukouvagia said:


> I don't know how Vic is gonna pick a winner.


Really. Since the posted pictures are really the only basis for deciding, it is hard to tell what the food really tastes like, how it smells, the texture and such.But one can into account other factors. If I were the host for this your smoked butt would be a contender. It looked good, and so do many others, but it was a challenge for you, it took you out of your comfort zone and it turned out. That counts for something.

There really is no easy way to rank the dishes in the challenge, no hard and fast rules to use. When doing the potato challenge I ended up just picking the dish that seemed most like something I really wanted to eat.

What's important, in my opinion, is the way the challenges are getting people to experiment a bit in addition to showing off their well honed skills.

mjb.


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## vic cardenas (Nov 11, 2012)

petalsandcoco said:


> Two more pics.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


/img/vbsmilies/smilies/eek.gif


eastshores said:


> Here are a few more from recent adventures.
> 
> Smoked chicken leg quarters
> 
> ...


/img/vbsmilies/smilies/eek.gif ...again I can post this smiley...


Koukouvagia said:


> I don't know how Vic is gonna pick a winner.





teamfat said:


> Really. ...


I don't know either! I knew I was going to have lots of great posts in this thread when I thought of what the challenge should be this month. I just didn't count on having to pull out a big pad of paper and a pen at the end of the month and develop a grading system to decide the winner. Looks like I might have to do that!


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

A late entry! I promised some finished pics of the ribs I did this weekend. Here are the blueberry ribs I made saturday (blueberry wood, blueberry sauce, blueberry beer).





  








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Tasted great, but the texture was only 7/9. I made a second rack on sunday:





  








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Those were perfect! The key for me was wrapping in parchment around 3 hours. If you call it En Papillote it sounds less dirty...

Maybe this picture of the rib tips will give you a better idea of the wonderful bark:





  








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I also made some dessert for the women folk. In the fall, I made an apple pie spice infused bourbon: Fresh vanilla, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, Makers Mark. I had the crazy idea of injecting a nectarine, then grilling it. I need a smaller injector needle, because they split a little. It's okay though because the bourbon pooled up in the middle and soaked in anyway. Dusted it with some raw sugar and smoked along with the ribs, then seared face side down. Served with some ice cream.





  








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Great leftovers at work all week. They don't sell ribs this good at any BBQ joint within 500 miles of me. That's okay, because I will stuff my face judging BBQ again this weekend!


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

@eastshores Very impressive contributions man! Love the picture with the bacon!!

@petalsandcoco Baby lobster and salmon, what can I say, it doesn't get any better...


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

teamfat said:


> If I were the host for this your smoked butt would be a contender. It looked good, and so do many others, but it was a challenge for you, it took you out of your comfort zone and it turned out. That counts for something.


That means a lot thanks. It was definitely out of our comfort zone and I almost balked and tried to stick it in the oven prior to the smoking and hubby marched on with it. But I'm glad we did it because now we look forward to smoking ribs next, it was sooooo much fun.

But whole animal roasting, for those of us who did it know what kind of work and effort that takes!! And the heat can be unbearable.

Those lobsters and salmon look amazing @petalsandcoco , is that a greek salad?

@eastshores I love how shiny and taut the skin looks on that chicken


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## maryb (Mar 21, 2008)

Smoked chicken quarters are a standby food for me, make them once a week in summer. Low cost, tasty, makes great leftovers for sandwiches... and the bones make an awesome smoked chicken stock.


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## kaneohegirlinaz (Apr 24, 2011)

*OH MY GAWD!! *

I just pulled up all of the photos from this month's challenge and I'm drooling!

@Vic Cardenas I wish you the best of luck naming the next host of Chef Talk's Challenge


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## vic cardenas (Nov 11, 2012)

MillionsKnives said:


> 10295970_10101548482255959_4821059851857644755_o.j
> 
> 
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Great post again. That looks sooooo good! @MillionsKnives


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

Thanks @Vic Cardenas! I did these on a weber kettle in the city. No excuses!


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## eastshores (Oct 23, 2008)

MillionsKnives said:


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Nice smoke ring on those MK /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif


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## helloitslucas (Apr 8, 2013)

eastshores said:


> Here are a few more from recent adventures.
> 
> Smoked chicken leg quarters
> 
> ...


Very few proteins better than smoked chicken quarters. LOVELY!


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

kaneohegirlinaz said:


> *OH MY GAWD!! *
> 
> I just pulled up all of the photos from this month's challenge and I'm drooling!
> 
> @Vic Cardenas I wish you the best of luck naming the next host of Chef Talk's Challenge


A foolproof way to select the next host. Click on the link to see all the pictures posted. Close your eyes. Use the scroll wheel on the mouse to go up and down for a while. Waggle the mouse a bit, click. Open eyes, see what you picture you selected. I got Butzy's yogurt tandoori chicken thighs.

mjb.


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

Thanks @eastshores. Here's today's dinner post. I do low and slow on the weekends and hot and fast after work.

Nearby, there is a hole in the wall eatery that does Xi'an style hand pulled noodles. I'm told it is the only place in the US that makes this type of noodle. You can see the owner in the back making the noodles. If you didn't know better, you would think it was a giant game of Cat's Cradle. This hand pulled rice noodle turns out wonderfully dense and chewy. They top it off with garlic, chili oil, cilantro (not my fav but I'll allow it here), and best of all cumin spiced lamb.

Anyway, I had extra lamb from lamb burgers on Memorial Day, and that noodle dish inspired today's lamb skewers. I marinaded them for 24 hours in oil, lots of cumin, garlic, and really spicy chinese red pepper. I ground everything from whole spices. Smoked it for a little bit, then cranked the heat and seared it once the lamb reached 130. There's a simple salad and some tzatziki to cool it down, although I added cayenne to that... The beer was a smoked porter with chipotle pepper. It's a roller coaster of spice!





  








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## eastshores (Oct 23, 2008)

I think the next host should make the challenge for June "BBQ and Grilling" /img/vbsmilies/smilies/biggrin.gif


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

I don't think I've seen any sausage fatties yet! Here we go!

Start with a bacon weave





  








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Put down a sausage blanket, and whatever fillings you want. I did crisped bacon, scallions, mushroom, and cheese sauce (not pictured). Once I put down the sauce I had to work fast.I would recommend not stuffing it this much, it was hard to close up.





  








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Roll it up and hit it with your favorite dry rub





  








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Smoke then glaze





  








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Bring the whole thing to a party and be a hero





  








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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

Looking good!

Since we are getting to the end of this month, I am just posting some bbq adventures of a while back:





  








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Lamb rib, marinated with honey, chili powder, mustard and lime





  








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Belly pork with onion and potatoes, all cooked in/on the bbq (no picture of the plated meal as I ate most before plating)





  








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home made sausages and balsamic-twice-cooked belly pork





  








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lemongrass prawns in banana leaf

Thanks Vic, a very good idea for a challenge and you've been a great host!


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## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

eastshores said:


> Nice smoke ring on those MK /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif


I'm with Shores, what a great looking pic. I have a fancy for what you did with the blueberry theme, now that's cookin'. Great posts MK.

@ Shores: campfire bacon ? Your my hero.

@ Chris: Thank you for your kind words, your lamb and previous mix plate is, well what can I say, very spot on.

@ KK: yes , it was Greek salad, a fav.

Vic: there were so many here to pick from, I'm glad I am not in your shoes. BTW thanks for being a great host. May the best man win !

To end this month off Vic, I would like to dedicate this song , a bbq song......


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

Some days you're the dog, some days you're the hydrant. One thing I've not seen much of in this challenge is char siu pork. Or planked salmon. Anyway, while at Southeast Karket I saw this packet, thought I'd give it a try:





  








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I've been feeling a bit under the weather lately, wasn't up to doing a batch from scratch. Got some country style pork ribs soaking away:





  








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The main 2 ingredients in that packet seem to be sugar and radioactive red #488 - you don't usually see meat this color:





  








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But I cooked it, gave it a try:





  








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Overly sweet, but edible. The batch I did from scratch a while back was much better looking, much better tasting:





  








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Oh well, so it goes.


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

*Quale and other cremated stuff*

Yesterday I used a BBQ with a lid (think Weber) and burned nearly everything on it! Aaaarrrggghhh... well, next time better.





  








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Garlic bread; cut a small baguette in slices but not entirely through. Mix butter, garlic, parsley and seasoning. Fill the bread with some "beurre maître d'hôtel" as it's called and wrap the bread in alu foil. Throw on the BBQ until done. Minor burning damage on these.

Stuffed mini bell peppers; Stuffing made from 50/50 veal/pork, pine nuts, sweet paprika powder and other spices and a little breadcrumb. Fix the caps back on using toothpicks... which burned away.





  








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Potato papillotte; individual portions of potato, carrot, fresh herbs, olive oil, seasoning. Pack nicely and don't burn the content like I did this time.

Quale; picture says it all.

Skewer of boudin blanc, merguez and ham, all pieces separated with fresh bay leaves


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

Well, the weather is fine around here, so I gonna get a last one in - Bavarian style garden BBQ, this time.

First, a cabbage salad: Sliced cabbage, mixed with salt and crushed to let the juices come out, then mixed with onions, some sauteed home-made bacon and seasoned with pepper, caraway seeds, chives and a dash of vinegar.





  








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Second, a potato salad, Munich-style: Firm potatoes, cucumber (first harvest from my new greenhouse, damn, are they sweet and tasty!), onion, parsley, lovage and beef broth. Season with salt, pepper and vinegar - used a white wine vinegar infused with wild garlic here for some extra kick:





  








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Let the salads rest for a couple of hours, so that the flavours permeate, check the seasoning again when done.

Meanwhile, marinade some slices of pork neck (small ones here, I am just cooking for two) with olive oil, mustard, salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme and paprika.





  








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While the neck and the salads rest, we prepare some Fleischpflanzerl - Bavarian meatballs. Mince, egg (fresh from the ladies in the backyard, laid this morning), some soaked breadcrumbs, onion, majoram, thyme, hot paprika, salt, pepper. Mix and form patties:





  








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Finally, all the meats are done, just gotta fetch some bratwurst from the fridge (Bändelbratwurst, the local variety), and we can fire up the grill:





  








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And done.





  








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Now we just need to set up a beer table and benches beyond the chestnut tree in the garden, and we have the perfect Bavarian-style BBQ. Yes. With wine. I am Frankonian, to be precise, we do wine here, not only beer 





  








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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

teamfat said:


> char1.jpg
> 
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I've never been a fan of the packet stuff. But Lee Kum Kee makes a jarred marinade that is quite good.





  








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## kaneohegirlinaz (Apr 24, 2011)

@phatch. I have to agree, Noh's brand packets are my go-to for Kim Chee spice, but for Char Siu pork, I like the jarred stuff
@teamfat. That does look VERY Ono-licious to me!


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

I've been happy with the other Lee Kum Kee products I've used, their premium soy sauce is a staple in my kitchen.

mjb.


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## vic cardenas (Nov 11, 2012)

MillionsKnives said:


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Nice!


MillionsKnives said:


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This is just pure gluttony! I like it. Very nice again!


butzy said:


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Excellent!


teamfat said:


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Very nice!


ChrisBelgium said:


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Stunning!


GeneMachine said:


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Always great. Those salads look excellent! I like how you cook!


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## vic cardenas (Nov 11, 2012)

MillionsKnives said:


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MillionsKnives said:


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MillionsKnives said:


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

@MillionsKnives: CONGRATULATIONS and I am looking forward to the next challenge /img/vbsmilies/smilies/chef.gif


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

This was indeed a good one! Hats off to Vic for hosting!

We'll see what June brings. Ideas I have are ingredients like eggs, fennel, rice, chilis; locations like Spain or India; techniques like braising or 'en croute' - so many choices, I'm sure @MillionsKnives will choose something to bring out our passion.

As I mentioned I was surprised that fish and shellfish were not better represented. I meant to do a cherry plank trout before the end, but that didn't work out. And beef brisket? So it goes. I figured we'd see a LOT of pork, fine by me, a favorite grilled item for me.

Just went through the picture gallery again - now I'm hungry!

mjb.


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## genemachine (Sep 26, 2012)

Congratulations to MillionKnives and thanks to Vic for hosting. That was a well deserved victory! Also, starting out your ChefTalk carreer with a challenge win, nice one 

@teamfat - I was originally planning to make some Steckerlfisch - fish on a stick, grilled over open fire with a thick spice crust, also a Bavarian thing, but I somehow didn't find the time this month. I'll make some one of these days and put it up in the dinner thread, I guess.

All in all, lots of good stuff this month. Looking forward to the next one.


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

@MillionsKnives Congratulations, your efforts got the well deserved reward to be nominated this month's winner!!

@Vic Cardenas Thanks for this challenge, I loved it!


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## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

Congratulations MillionKnives, a well deserved win. 

We are looking forward to your June pick.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

Congratulations @MillionsKnives, well deserved! Thanks for hosting a very enjoyable challenge @Vic Cardenas! Looking forward to June.


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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

Rookie (but what a rookie) challenged veterans!

Well done and many thanks to papa Vic!


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

Wow thanks for the kind words everyone. My notifications are blowing up. I'm more of an eater than a cook. I just cook what I like to eat! 
I'm judging bbq this weekend, then competing in a hot wing eating contest. I will think hard about the next contest. 

My initial ideas of offal or seafood were already done in the past. I will decide on a new thread by tonight. My best ideas so far are Beer or Southeast Asian.


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

MillionsKnives said:


> My best ideas so far are Beer or Southeast Asian.


Can we have an ice cold beer while prepping a SE asean meal /img/vbsmilies/smilies/drinkbeer.gif


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## vic cardenas (Nov 11, 2012)

That's odd. I was going to pick Southeast Asian cuisine for the may challenge but decided on BBQ instead. Great minds...


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## pollopicu (Jan 24, 2013)

Congrats, millionknives!!


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## jake t buds (May 27, 2013)

Congrats MK!!

Great work!


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## maryb (Mar 21, 2008)

Congrats MK! I wanted to enter but still fighting car accident injuries and doing a full blown BBQ meal requires to much energy


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## butzy (Jan 8, 2010)

Shame Mary, hope you are recovering OK?


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## maryb (Mar 21, 2008)

Facing 2 surgeries eventually. Have to finish winding my way through all the conservative stuff they always want to try first. Carpal tunnel a second time on my right wrist because I bent the shift lever an inch with that hand. And a neck fusion, have a neck injection coming up on the 12th then see the neurosurgeon again end of the month.7 months of crippling pain have not been fun.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

MaryB said:


> Facing 2 surgeries eventually. Have to finish winding my way through all the conservative stuff they always want to try first. Carpal tunnel a second time on my right wrist because I bent the shift lever an inch with that hand. And a neck fusion, have a neck injection coming up on the 12th then see the neurosurgeon again end of the month.7 months of crippling pain have not been fun.


Take good care of yourself and keep us posted.


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## eastshores (Oct 23, 2008)

Congrats @MillionsKnives!! I love to see someone so enthusiastic about the challenge win it. In my mind it is the only true measure that we can go by, given that the "competition" is really against ourselves. Thank you @Vic Cardenas for hosting a fantastic challenge. Looking forward to June.


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