The Grilling and Cooking Thread

[Mr. Sinister]

Nothing like a quality steak.. did these a few weeks back.. Porterhouses. Asparagus and potato wedges... all the steak needs is some simple seasoning... if its a quality cut, no need for anything else

Damn thats sexy

Edited January 15, 2015 by Mr. Sinister

[GoSkins0721]

Nothing like a quality steak.. did these a few weeks back.. Porterhouses. Asparagus and potato wedges... all the steak needs is some simple seasoning... if its a quality cut, no need for anything else.

 

 

 

How are you able to upload these big pictures?

 

Every time I use the "Choose files..." option (form the advanced reply screen) to add my photo they're much bigger then the 9.5KB restriction & they get rejected. 

 

btw...Nice steaks 

[The 12th Commandment]

How are you able to upload these big pictures?

 

Every time I use the "Choose files..." option (form the advanced reply screen) to add my photo they're much bigger then the 9.5KB restriction & they get rejected. 

 

btw...Nice steaks 

You need to use photobucket or some other online picture service.  Upload the pic and then use the link to that pic. 

[sportjunkie07]

Last week I cooked for some friends. Appetizers were crab cakes and clams casino style. Entree was double bone lamb chops, prosciutto wrapped asparagus spears, and bacon quinoa. Dessert was creme brulee.

Lamb chops are considered tricky to cook but they aren't really difficult once you've done it once or twice.

The first step is to find a good cut that is frenched. I've only cooked with new Zealand grassfed. I have found that I prefer the smaller cuts to the larger, in my experience they are more tender and less chewy (you could french the larger ones to a higher degree to remove some of the chewyness but that gets tricky).

I've done both sauces (basil, rosemary, red wine reduction) and dry rubs on lamb chops but have surprisingly preferred the dry rubs.

Cut the chops in sections of 2 bones pieces and sear them on a hot cast iron skillet with olive oil butter and fresh rosemary stalks. You will have to scrape the pan and re-add those ingredients if you are cooking more than 1 rack of lamb as those ingredients will burn over the searing process.

Once your done searing the chops throw them in a pan with some garlic cloves and shallots and broil them under high heat, flipping once. Definitely gotta keep an eye on them cuz over cooking these puppies is a waste. I wouldn't go much further than med rare.

by the time your done you'll have some of the best lamb chops you've ever had. You could just as easily grill these chops as well.

Edited January 24, 2015 by sportjunkie07

[sportjunkie07]

Smoking a pork shoulder for the first time on my offset wood grill.

Been smoking about 7 hours (small shoulder 3.5 lbs) now but can't seem to get the internal temp above 140.

Keeping the smoking temp at 225 is tricky and my smoker seems to like 240. There is definitely an art to this but I haven't got it figured out yet.

[steve09ru]

Yeah I've always had a tough time doing thick cuts.  I tend to dry it out.  Checking online, it looks like 140-145 should be an ok spot to remove.

 

"The pork is done when its internal temperature registers 140°F to 145°F in the thickest part of the meat" 

http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-roasted-pork-tenderloin-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-211998

 

But I've also read 145-160 so who knows?

[TheGoodBits]

A lot of times you will hit a temperature plateau at some point. Can't remember when I run into it but it might be right around 140. Just gotta be patient and keep the heat on it consistently.

If you do get a little antsy, no harm in taking it out, wrapping in foil, and finishing it in the oven.

[ixcuincle]

I need a damn grill

[bcl05]

Pork will be "done" at 145, but you really want your pork shoulder to be 190-200.  That's the point where it pulls real well.  I take it to 170 for sliced shoulder.  Pork shoulder has a ton of intramuscular fat and connective tissue that you want to melt away slowly.  Shoulder will still be fairly tough at 145.   Pork loin I like at 140-145 - it is so lean that any hotter and it will get dry. 

 

7 hours seems like a long time for a 3.5 lb shoulder.  My last shoulder was 11 lbs and took 12 hours at 225.  Is your thermometer accurate?  Maybe do the boiling water check - you know it will be 212, so if the thermometer says something different, there's your trouble. 

 

If you don't have one, get a thermopen.  They are coming out with a new model, and the old ones are on sale now.  They are the best thermometers, bar none.  

Edited October 20, 2015 by bcl05

[pointyfootball]

Before the ton of rain we had a couple of weeks back, I took off work for the day and went out trotlining.  Caught a bushel in about 3 hours of big crabs (few 7.5"ers).  Old bay seasoned, steamed crabs, red potatoes (quartered, baked face down on parmesan cheese & butter) and pan-sautéed asparagus (little butter, salt/pepper).  Oh and plenty of beer.

 

I have a BGE and love doing pizzas/calzones on it.  But...I am a bit lazy and buy the dough.  Spend most of the time prepping ingredients to satisfy each family members desire:  green peppers, onions, pepperoni, mushrooms, etc.   Favorite is a calzone, brushed with egg white, put it on parchment paper then on pizza stone on hot BGE (~550+) for a few minutes, pull paper off from underneath and let brown.  Delicious!

[sportjunkie07]

Yeah I've always had a tough time doing thick cuts. I tend to dry it out. Checking online, it looks like 140-145 should be an ok spot to remove.

"The pork is done when its internal temperature registers 140°F to 145°F in the thickest part of the meat"

http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-roasted-pork-tenderloin-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-211998

But I've also read 145-160 so who knows?

Pork is safe to eat at 145 (recently flopped from 160)

For pork shoulder (aka pork butt) you really need to get it over 190 though or it will be tough and nearly impossible to pull (aka pulled pork). As a poster aforementioned, 170° is a good temp for sliced pork shoulder.

Pork tenderloin is the one you Cook near 145-160.

Edited October 21, 2015 by sportjunkie07

[sportjunkie07]

Pork will be "done" at 145, but you really want your pork shoulder to be 190-200. That's the point where it pulls real well. I take it to 170 for sliced shoulder. Pork shoulder has a ton of intramuscular fat and connective tissue that you want to melt away slowly. Shoulder will still be fairly tough at 145. Pork loin I like at 140-145 - it is so lean that any hotter and it will get dry.

7 hours seems like a long time for a 3.5 lb shoulder. My last shoulder was 11 lbs and took 12 hours at 225.

From what I read the 1-2 hrs per pound is really off for the smaller cuts. They're about just as thick as the bigger cuts so they require almost the same time.

I did have trouble keeping the temp consistent (first time wood smoking) so that prolly delayed it, but I do think the meat stalled early @ around 145°.

After smoking for 9 hours I put it I'm the oven at 260° and took it out for a rest 3 hours later. Internal temp of 203°.

After an hour of rest I pulled it and it felt apart like butter.

Just about perfect.

Edited October 21, 2015 by sportjunkie07

[GoSkins0721]

After smoking for 9 hours I put it I'm the oven at 260° and took it out for a rest 3 hours later. Internal temp of 203°.

 

 

Wow - 9 hours seems incredibly long for 3.5 lbs. I'm going to guess you don't have an digital thermometer, right? Are you using the one on the grill? Because those things are horribly inaccurate. 

 

I would recommend a dual probe digital thermometer. You can monitor the meat temp & bbq temp from inside the house. 

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ANCXJR6?keywords=cooking%20thermometer%20dual%20probe&qid=1445431736&ref_=sr_1_4&sr=8-4

[Bliz]

Smoking a pork shoulder for the first time on my offset wood grill.

Been smoking about 7 hours (small shoulder 3.5 lbs) now but can't seem to get the internal temp above 140.

Keeping the smoking temp at 225 is tricky and my smoker seems to like 240. There is definitely an art to this but I haven't got it figured out yet.

 

There's nothing wrong with 240 and I wouldn't fret about that.  You're still definitely in the "low and slow" range.  I typically do mine at around 250.  As others have pointed out, the meat hits a plateau stage where the temp doesn't change for a while, and the fat is rendering.  This is good.  You don't want to rush through it.  

 

I've been reading about a different, faster method that has apparently become popular on the BGE messageboards.  The "turbo butt".  Cook @ 350 (indirect) to 160 internal, wrap in heavy duty alum foil and continue cooking to 195 internal, put it in a cooler with beach towels for 30 min - 1 hr.  Supposedly cuts the cooking time in half and gets nearly identical results.

 

The end of that method is my go-to for whenever a butt is done before I'm ready to serve dinner.  Double wrap in heavy duty aluminum foil and put it in a cooler with several beach towels.  You can wait a few hours to pull it, and the meat stays warm and tender.  

 

Plus it makes your towels smell amazing 

[pointyfootball]

The end of that method is my go-to for whenever a butt is done before I'm ready to serve dinner.  Double wrap in heavy duty aluminum foil and put it in a cooler with several beach towels.  You can wait a few hours to pull it, and the meat stays warm and tender.  

 

Plus it makes your towels smell amazing 

I do this as well.  Normally finish a butt up from overnight cooking and shred it mid afternoon and it is still warm.

 

Making me hungry!

[GoSkins0721]

For those who like to cook their chuck roast in a crock pot, try this low & slow on your grill/smoker:

 

4-5 lb chuck roast

2 bell peppers sliced

1 onion sliced

3 jalapenos sliced - include the seeds - more or less depending on your heat threshold

4 garlic cloves minced

1/4 cup worstershire sauce

12 oz of your favorite stout beer

salt & pepper

 

Salt & pepper the chuck roast.

Cook on indirect heat at 250 degree grill/smoker until the internal temperature hits 165 degrees.

Mix other ingredients in a deep dish pan large big enough to hold the meat (I use the disposable deep dish pans from Costco - cheap for a lot of  them). 

Once meat hits 165 degrees, place on top of veggies in the pan & cover tightly with foil. 

At this point, you can place in your oven or continue to cook on grill -indirect- at 350 degrees for 2-3 hours (or until meat is fork tender). 

Once tender, shred the meat & cook uncovered until liquid is reduced by half.

 

Serve on some good rolls to your closest friends. 

Edited October 21, 2015 by GoSkins0721

[sportjunkie07]

Any of you ever cook chuck eye cuts? I nabbed them at the store tonight because they looked so good.

And less than 6$/lb.

[The 12th Commandment]

Any of you ever cook chuck eye cuts? I nabbed them at the store tonight because they looked so good.

And less than 6$/lb.

I'll go with chuck eyes anytime they look decent.  Sometimes they're a little sketch (especially the one under the label) but they taste just like ribeye.  Nothing wrong with them at all.  The are great for shish kabobs because one is too small and two is just a little too much. Cutting em up solves that problem.

Edited November 2, 2015 by KAOSkins

[sportjunkie07]

I'll go with chuck eyes anytime they look decent. Sometimes they're a little sketch (especially the one under the label) but they taste just like ribeye. Nothing wrong with them at all. The are great for shish kabobs because one is too small and two is just a little too much. Cutting em up solves that problem.

Good point. mine were about 9 oz a piece so 1 is plenty for me.

OK they were pretty solid so I ate both. Time for a nap.

Will be grabbing those puppies again soon.

Edited November 2, 2015 by sportjunkie07

[sportjunkie07]

Smoked 2 pork shoulders and some boudin stuffed cornish hens last night.

The hens were one of the best things I've ever eaten. Definitely recommend it.

I was preparing the pork for others and am concerned about 1 shoulder because it only hit around 188 on the bone in side (the non bone side was 200 and like jelly). I wrapped it in foil in hopes that the residual cooking will bump it up at least 5 degrees. That is a safe assumption, correct? I told him to put it in the oven for an hour at 280 or so and it should fall apart at that point.

Edited November 26, 2015 by sportjunkie07

[Popeman38]

Today, I did beer can turkey for Thanksgiving. Miller Lite, tablespoon of onion and garlic powder added to beer. Rubbed outside of turkey with canola oil, salt, pepper, and some poultry rub. 2 hours indirect heat at 350. SOOOOO moist and tender. And the weather was PERFECT for keeping the temp steady.

[sportjunkie07]

Today, I did beer can turkey for Thanksgiving. Miller Lite, tablespoon of onion and garlic powder added to beer. Rubbed outside of turkey with canola oil, salt, pepper, and some poultry rub. 2 hours indirect heat at 350. SOOOOO moist and tender. And the weather was PERFECT for keeping the temp steady.

Nice. People hate on turkey but it is really good when cooked properly.

[Skinsfan1311]

I fried a turkey, and smoked a ham.

I smoke a lot of brisket, pork & chicken, but this was my first time smoking a ham. It turned out great!

[Skinsfan1311]

Smoked 2 pork shoulders and some boudin stuffed cornish hens last night.

The hens were one of the best things I've ever eaten. Definitely recommend it.

I was preparing the pork for others and am concerned about 1 shoulder because it only hit around 188 on the bone in side (the non bone side was 200 and like jelly). I wrapped it in foil in hopes that the residual cooking will bump it up at least 5 degrees. That is a safe assumption, correct? I told him to put it in the oven for an hour at 280 or so and it should fall apart at that point.

How did it turn out? I would think that the it would slice well, but not pull as good as it should if cooked to higher temp.

I only measure the thickest part of the meat, regardless of the type.

Every shoulder is different. The "magic" number for me seems to be 203°. They seem to pull perfectly at that temp..

Edited November 27, 2015 by Skinsfan1311

[sportjunkie07]

How did it turn out? I would think that the it would slice well, but not pull as good as it should if cooked to higher temp.

I only measure the thickest part of the meat, regardless of the type.

Every shoulder is different. The "magic" number for me seems to be 203°. They seem to pull perfectly at that temp..

I would agree. 203 was the first one I did (fell asleep and actually worried I overcooked it) and it was perfect. It really turns gelatin like at that temp.

Both shoulders were received very well. I think the wrap did its job and raised it a few degrees or so. The bone in side of the shoulder seem to cook about 10 degrees slower imo. Have to put that part closer to the fire next time.

Brisket seems to be another animal. I can't keep my smoker temp consistent enough atm to do a brisket. It's an offset smoker and I really have to babysit it. Check it every 45 mins and add wood/coal. Have aaverage just under 2 bags each of charcoal/wood so far for a shoulder smoke.

Highly suggest hens stuffed with boudin to go along with whatever you're smoking. One of the best things I've ever eaten.

Edited November 27, 2015 by sportjunkie07