What's for Dinner?

[mainshipfred]

Birthday dinner - filet from the grill, asparagus and twice-baked potatoes. Stags leap Merlot with dinner and berry pie (I don't care for cake).

If it's your birthday dinner, Happy Birthday

 

[jgmann67]

If it's your birthday dinner, Happy Birthday

The big 5-1... on of my staff described it as "middle-aged." All I could think is, "so, I'm going to live to 102? Ummm, okay."

 

[ibglowin]

Getting ready to roll some serious smoke today........

 

[geek]

Getting ready to roll some serious smoke today........

View attachment 50673

What's your address again?

 

[ibglowin]

PO BOX 1663
Santa Fe, NM

LOL

 

[ceeaton]

I like the price of that flat. Would be hard to resist if I saw that in the store.

Of course I planned on chicken parm today, and during church the clouds cleared out and it's sunny and hot! Probably better that I don't smoke cook today, I need to get the lawn done once it dries off a bit.

 

[ceeaton]

"so, I'm going to live to 102? Ummm, okay."

You don't have very high expectations, do you? How 'bout at least 104#? I plan on pulling out the smoker any and every day of the week once I retire. Or possibly getting someone else to pull it out and build the fire as I sit in my wheelchair and drool.

 

[geek]

Ehhhh

 

[ibglowin]

Thats one of the things about our local Smith's (Kroger). They have a store less than a mile away from me as well as the one up in town (20 mile round trip) that is the new Smith's "Marketplace". Our regular and much smaller store has 10 times better meat selection as well as better fresher/quality produce. I went scouting on Wednesday for something to smoke beside the ribs (ribs were BOGO) and I spied the brisket marked at full price but one day away from the sell by date. Just took it to the counter and asked the meat guy if this should be marked down since its 1 day away (that is their rule but they don't always catch everything) He said yes and without hesitation took it and came back with it marked down 40% just like that. Their meats are also really good. Costco is better (also a little higher) but for local and no 200 mile RT they can't be beat especially if you have a sharp eye. LOL

I like the price of that flat. Would be hard to resist if I saw that in the store.

 

[ceeaton]

You can tell it has been a frustrating weekend as far as grilling goes, especially since it didn't rain yesterday and I had planned chicken parm, which was great but not grilled. Got some new charcoal and wood chunks to try out. The hickory chunks were about $11 on clearance at Lowe's. May go get another bag, they are a perfect size for my offset cooker, guessing that one chunk should last an hour (I run it wide open to minimize bitterness from incomplete combustion). Rack of baby back ribs that are thicker than normal (will use 3-2-1 method), 6.5 lb chicken that will be smoked up for sammies and salad protein for lunches this week, and then a pork butt piece, bone in with a nice fat cap, will pull and store in fridge for dinner either tomorrow or Wednesday evening.

Just really happy I can enjoy the 90*+ day w/75* dewpoint near a hot cooker. Guess I might have to drink a beer or two today, twisting arm...





Oh, image of a Chroma test I did for @jgmann67, was worried it was getting too hot out, but the garage is 10+ deg cooler with a nice breeze. It's drying rather quickly.



I walk out to the smoker, look West, popup T-storm, look East, another one. I hate when the forecast is wrong.

 

[Johnd]

Five big prime filets in the Sous vide til sear time, working on some creamed spinach, twice baked potato, and a caprese salad.

 

[geek]

Pork chops, potatoes salad, fried plantains, ‘Moro’, garden salad and Italian sausages.

Washed it down with Mosti Mondiali Amarone style...very good..!!

I don’t remember if this wine was the kit or juice bucket...

 

[ibglowin]

@ceeaton Interesting article about using the snake method to cook an entire Brisket on a 22" Weber grill. Somehow they cooked a 10lb Brisket in only 6 hours plus a couple more hours of resting in a cooler. For yesterdays cook (in comparison) I had a 6.5lb flat that I cooked at 250F (wrapped in pink butcher paper at 165F) and it didn't reach 203F until about 4:30PM. It went on at 8:00AM so 8.5 hours. I rested it for 2 hours wrapped in a styrofoam cooler with a towel. The result was one of the best briskets I have ever cooked. Melt in your mouth tender and juicy.

How to Smoke Brisket on a Weber Grill

https://www.texasmonthly.com/bbq/we...tm_term=How to Smoke Brisket on a Weber Grill

 

[ceeaton]

Pork chops...

Well, did the kids say they were tender enough? What method did you end up using?

 

[geek]

Well, did the kids say they were tender enough? What method did you end up using?

2 baskets on one side, revered searing for about 35 minutes or so at ~300F then direct heat for a couple minutes each side.

They came out really good but using my cheapo thermometer from Walmart (yeah, I know...) the internal temp hit in the 150s in indirect heat, so my original goal was 145 then sear.

Very good anyway and thanks for the tips [emoji106]

 

[ceeaton]

@ceeaton Interesting article about using the snake method to cook an entire Brisket on a 22" Weber grill. l

I basically did the same thing with a ~7 lb flat, but I put a foil pan with some water underneath and let it rest an hour longer, if I remember correctly. It turned out really good, it was the second flat I tried on the kettle. I will eventually get a 22", my 18" is a little tight for room with a brisket. We print a most of the Cooks Illustrated work, they are nice publications to read over lunch. They seem to utilize a very scientific approach to their methods, so when the cook works out well it makes sense why it does work. I think they are worth the cost of the publication in what you can learn from them.

Edit: wait a second, I misread the article. They had it in the cooler at like 2:30 pm! That's a full hour earlier than I did, plus I started mine earlier. Wonder what temperature they actually cooked it at. My Weber kettle set up with a snake rarely goes above 250*F, unless I'm doing it wide open with the Kingsford professional stuff, which burns hotter.

 

[ceeaton]

Almost finished products. Only thing that I saw that concerned me was a gray ash on the chicken skin. Never had that before with the Kingsford, so not sure if it was the Cowboy briquets (they use a vegetable oil binder). Or, if you look to the left in the first image, it could have been that my water pan went dry. That bad boy was full when I started, and it's very humid out, can't believe it. Either way it didn't mar the flavor. My Son had the chicken and said it was top notch in his book. Pork butt piece still on the offset cooker, only around 157*F at last check, which is fine as I plan on finishing it on Wednesday in the crock pot (I know sacrilege, but wifey has class and daughter has an Ortho appt at 4:30 pm). Can grab some buns, pull some pork and eat.





Oh, the ribs had a really nice bacon aroma, wife and daughter said they were very good, daughter was bummed because she likes them spicier (only used salt/pepper/paprika for the rub).

Edit 2: Those slabs of meat to the right on top of the ribs are bacon, man those were good!

 

[Boatboy24]

Cooked a bunch of chicken last night.

 

[ibglowin]

Thursday night......... which is Friday night for some of us short timers and also pizza night! Tried to recreate our new favorite pizza from a new place in ABQ. Mine is good theirs is still better. Could be the sauce and the brick oven. LOL Waiting on the start of Thursday night football!

 

[sour_grapes]

Tonight was mudbugs (prepared and spiced by local Krogers, I just had to steam them to warm 'em up), corn on the cob, and green beans/onions/mushrooms/tomatoes/garlic, simmered into a comfy mess of a dish, seasoned with marjoram. @Johnd, these 'bugs had huge claws -- so big that I actually took to getting a small morsel of meat from the bigger claws; is that normal? Do you ever bother with crawdad claws? It was a first for me!