Smoked Beer Can Chicken

Today I smoked a couple of chickens on beer cans.  I have read so much on brining or not I decided to brine one and not the other to see the difference.  After trying both, there wasn't a distinct difference.

The weather didn't want to cooperate today so I set my 10' x 10' canopy up over my grilling area so I could stay dry while out there.  

I had mixed up some Shooter's Snakebite Rub from http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/.  I coated them down good and injected them with a mixture of Apple Juice, Key Lime Juice and Rum.  Now I just need to catch a break in the rain to get to the smoker.

I also made some veggie packs to go on the gas grill.  In these I had red potatoes, onions, carrots  celery and mushrooms.  Topped off with some evoo and spices.

It took just over 2 hours for the chicken. The veggie packs that went on the gas grill later were ready too.   

 

I smoked these using apple wood chips.  The meal turned out nice.  The chicken had a nice smoke flavor.  I had my mother and mother in law here for dinner and everyone liked it.  

Grilling is becoming an addiction with me.  I'm planning on stuffed meatloaf tomorrow.  

Sweet & Tangy Spiral Dogs

OK, I just had to grill something today.  Not having much time, I grabbed a pack of hot dogs and a wooden skewer.  I could have just thrown the dogs on the grill but that would have been boring.  So I insert the skewer through each dog and the cut the meat to the skewer in a spiral pattern while twisting.  Sorry, I didn't think about taking pictures until the last bite was going in my mouth.  Anyway, now I have the boring hot dog cut in a spiral pattern.  It still needs something to be creative.  I mixed up a glaze to baste over them while they are cooking.  I didn't measure any ingredients but here is what I used.

Sweet & Tangy Glaze (Guesstimate)
Brown Sugar (4 TBS)
Mustard  (2 TBS)
Worcestershire Sauce (2 tsp)
Onion Powder  (dash)
Garlic Powder  (dash)

I basted them down before putting them on the grill and then once more while they were on the grill.  I cooked them over low indirect heat until they were almost done. Then I moved them over the hot grates for the last few minutes and the glaze caramelized nicely.

Served them up with normal fixins and they were actually pretty good.  It added a nice "twist" to a boring hot dog.

Smoking Success

My first use of the new smoker was a success.  I made up a rub and prepared my meat on Friday night.  After taking the fattie off, It was time for the ribs and brisket to go on.  Also, I made up a batch of beans to go in as well.  After 3.5 - 4 hours it was time to eat.  We had family over and my daughter was home from college.  The food got rave reviews.  My daughter looked at me with a rib in her hand and said "these are really good".  That certified the job right there.  She is a picky eater.  Here are some photos of the meat.

                           

Looking forward to next weekend and thinking of what to grill.

Day of Smoking

Ahh! The first day of Autumn.  A great day to grill.  There are only 364 more days of the year suitable for grilling.  I started the day off with a fattie.  My first fattie ever and it turned out great.  I decided to ignore my doctors warning of my high cholesterol and enjoy this meal.

I had already rolled my sausage in the bag the night ahead so I started with my bacon weave.  Thanks to Cowgirl's Country Life this was a snap.

For my filling I used 3 scrabbled eggs, shredded potatoes, sauteed onions, shredded cheese and jalapeno cheese.  I cooked the onions and potatoes in my cast iron skillet and set aside while I cooked my eggs.  I jst poured them into the pan and let them cook so I would have a nice flat egg to use.  Then I started to layer and roll.

                             
                              

Then I put in in the smoker for 2.5 hours at 215 degrees and let it cook.  It turned out great.

                               

This will definitely not be my last!

New Masterbuilt Gas Smoker

So I've been wanting to try my hand at smoking some meats.  I love to grill and cook anything outside and it seemed that this was the one thing missing from my arsenal.  After looking around and trying to stay in a lower price range until I see how it turns out, I decided on the Masterbuilt Vertical Gas Smoker with Dual Door. (Model # 2051311)

Yesterday I unpacked the box and started with the assembly.  As far as the owners manual and ease of assembly go, I would have to give them an 8 on a scale of 10 (10 being good). I had the job completed in about 45 minutes. Unfortunately the rain yesterday postponed curing the grill until today.

So I come home from work today (2.5 hours later than usual) and I'm all set to cure the grill.  Following the instructions, the process was simple.  I fired it up and brought the temperature up for 30 minutes, sold something I had on Craigslist, shut it off and let it cool down. So I could repeat the process.  What impressed me was how it cooled down.  Faster than any other grill I own.  Now I realize that this means it is not holding the heat but with the smoker lit, I had no problem holding it at a certain temperature.  I could have put a cover on it in 10 minutes.  It was cool to the touch.

So now I'm ready to cook.  Now I'm planning my Saturday, making my grocery list and looking forward to some wonderful meats this weekend.  I'll let you know how it turns out.