Saturday, July 13, 2013

BBQ LOG | #3 15 Hours Smoked Boston Butt

BBQ Log: Smoked Boston Butt

In preparation of pep's grande b day, we're smoking a boston butt, pork shoulder on the bone, the day prior.  

American Cut of Pork
Equipments Masterbuilt 30 in electric digital smoker
What are we smokin'? 7.55lb Organic Boston Butt (upper part of shoulder from front leg and bone-in)
Environment 07.05.13. Sunny. Windy. Smokin' on deck. outside temp 65°F
hope I don't mess this one up....

Methods
please note that all recipes here are modified based on what I have on hand.
Jeff Phillips' Smoking Meat: The Essential Guide to Real Barbecue
Boston Butt: Revised Big Bald BBQ Rub + Dijon mustard

Sauce: Memphis BBQ Sauce #2

Char-Broil 2lb bag (179 in3)
Wood apple chips every 35 mins for 5 hours
Time 90min/lb for pork shoulder (11.25 hrs); or internal temp reach 205°F
Smoking Temp  225°F

Game plan? Rub BBR rub all over boston butt with dijon mustard as sticking agent (don't have yellow mustard on hand.)  stick in smoker at 225°F for 11 hours or so.  Start checking meat temp at 8th/9th hour since Pep thinks our organic butt is leaner, therefore might cook faster. take out once boston butt internal temp reach 205°F 

What happened?
Start 12:30pBoston butt officially in smoker, added wood chips (will continue to add wood every 30 mins for first 5 hours)  Might need to pick up more wood chips.
4:30pm (4 hrs in)  insert meat temp probe.  continue to load chips for 1-2 more hours.  probe read at 147°F 
6:30pm (6 hrs in)  loaded last batch of wood chips
7:30pm (7 hrs in)  probe read at 154°F 
8:40pm (8 hrs 10 mins in)  probe read: taylor @ 156°F , masterbuild at @ 153°F
9pm-1:30am had too many shots of grey goose and passed out on the couch
moist & delicious
1:30am (13 hrs in) holy smoke... probe surprisingly read: taylor @ 178°F , masterbuild at @ 173°F umm... hello... it's not done yet?!  cranked up the smoker temp to 250°F
2:30am (14 hrs in) probe read: taylor @ 183°F , masterbuild at @ 179°F... uber sleepy and wanted to vomit
3:30am (15 hrs in) probe read: taylor @ 195°F , masterbuild at @ 190°F...  pulled out pork butt... waited 30 mins and sleep-pulled the pork butt.  meat came out to be really juicy and bone came right off. 
 
Next time
gotta start the night prior maybe at 9pm, so it'll be done 9am-12pm next day when i have the energy to monitor the meat and actually have time to enjoy my first bite right off the smoker.  All in all, SUCCESS!








Friday, July 5, 2013

BBQ LOG | #2 Smoked Babyback Ribs & Beef Ribs

BBQ Log: July 4th Smoked Babyback Ribs & Beef Ribs

we're cooking some smoked babyback ribs and beef ribs in the bonita barn for 4th of july.  preparation was seriously lacking.  we were supposed to start at 8:30am/9:30am with a boston butt, but that didn't happen.  the pep decided to do some late night gaming the night prior, we didn't get up until 10am.  

even just smoking the ribs.  there were two things I seriously under-estimated:  the time needed to defrost some ribs.  and the time needed to take out membrane from ribs.  
beef ribs in mojo sauce

Equipments Masterbuilt 30 in electric digital smoker

What are we smokin'?  2.5lb humanely raised pork babyback ribs, 2 x 2.5lb dried aged Luckydog ranch organic grassfed beef back ribs
Environment 07.04.13. Sunny. Smokin' on deck. outside temp 68°F
Methods
please note that all recipes here are modified based on what I have on hand.
2 x 2.5lb beef ribs
Jeff Phillips' Smoking Meat: The Essential Guide to Real Barbecue
Babyback Ribs: Revised Big Bald BBQ Rub +Dijon mustard + apple cider
Beef Ribs: Smoked Beef Ribs with Jeff Phillip's mojo sauce 

Wood hickory & apple chips every 30 mins for initial 4 hours
Time 5 hrs for both beef and pork ribs
Smoking Temp  225°F
babyback ribs in BBR rub

Game plan?  Beef ribs in mojo sauce smoke in pan for 1st 4 hours, remove and put on grate for last hour.  Babyback ribs in rubs, smoke on grate.  Smoked 1st 4 hours with wood chips only.  Last hour without wood chips.

What happened?
4:45pm Beef ribs in pan with mojo sauce (1st and 2nd rack); Babyback ribs cut into 2 pieces (3rd and 4th rack). loaded wood chip and continue for 4 hours

6:45pm (2hrs in) sprayed babyback ribs with apple cider.  everything looks good!  keep loading wood chips.

7:45pm (3hrs in) sprayed babyback ribs with apple cider.  everything looks good!  keep loading wood chips.  I notice when loading wood chips, temp shoot up to 237°F

8:45pm (4hrs in) sprayed babyback ribs with apple cider.  move beef ribs from pan to grate.  stop loading wood chips

9:25pm (4.5hrs in) Pep couldn't wait and pulling them ribs out to rest for 15 mins.





Tasting/After thoughts
Both Beef Ribs and Babyback ribs came out to be a bit on the drier side.  Beef ribs are nice, but mojo sauce came out to be very subtle...  not sure if it's worth all that time to make.  I like the garlic onion paste better, maybe I'll try that out with beef ribs next time.

Pep thinks we overcooked the ribs since we used humanely raised meat, there were way less fat in them.  So next time, we should aim for 3-3/4 hours at 220°F 


Temp temp fluctuate quite dramatically this time.  I opened the smoker way less often (on 2nd/3rd/4th hour to spray apple cider and to transfer beef ribs from pan to grate).  temp shoot up to 237°F mins after wood chips are loaded at times.  We'll set smoker at 220°F next time to allow for temp upward fluctuation, and add wood chips every 35 mins or so 

Remember allow extra time to remove membrane.  move ribs from freezer to fridge 2 nights prior 





Thursday, July 4, 2013

WOOD | wood chips guide for smoking meat

wood chips guide for smoking meat

the mes only takes wood chips, and can only load 2 handful of chips at a time.  each time last about 30-40mins.

char-broil 2lb last about 8-9 hours of smoke

Beef - Cherry, Mesquite, Oak Wood
Chicken - Apple, Apricot, Cherry, Hickory, Maple Wood, Mesquite, Oak Wood, Pecan

Duck - Pecan

Ham - Apple, Hickory

Lamb - Cherry

Pork - Apple, Apricot, Hickory

Salmon - Apple, Alder

Seafood - Alder, Maple Wood, Oak Wood

Turkey - Pecan


Char-Broil 2lb (179 in3) chips

EASY RECIPE | Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

With serious lack of preparation for this year's July 4th, to have a grande smoked meat celebration dinner look highly unlikely.  To make sure there is food on the table, I'm going for the regular favorite, easy chicken pot pie.  You can add onion if you like.

Equipments Oven

Ingredients 
1 lb chicken (cut into chucks) 
1 cup frozen veggies
1 can cream of mushroom
1 pack of 2 refrigerated pie crust 
1 tsp celery seed (or fresh chopped celery)
1 tsp of ground black pepper

Methods

preheat oven at 425°F.  Boil water in pot, bring to boil, add chicken.  Bring back to boil for 5 mins.  Add frozen veggies, bring back to boil.  Boil for another 5 mins.  Drained both chicken and veggies.

Lined pie pan with 1 crust.  Spread chicken and veggie over bottom crust.  Sprinkle celery seed and ground pepper.  Spread cream of mushroom all over chicken veggie mixture.  Cover pie with 2nd crust, seal edges.  Make several small slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape.



Once oven is preheated, cook pie in for 30-35 mins (until crust is nicely golden brown.) Cool for 10 mins before served. 


To reheat pie, heat oven to 250°F to 300°F.  Heat for 15-20mins.



SAUCE | Jeff Phillip's Mojo

Jeff Phillip's Mojo

supposedly great for beef ribs, quail
please note that all recipes here are modified based on what I have on hand.  


mojo sauce
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 bulb garlic, minced
1 small onion, minced
1/4 cup fresh oj (or juiced from 1 orange)
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (or juiced from 1 lemon)
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp worcesterhire sauce
1 tbsp jalapeno pepper jelly
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper


heat oil over medium high heat in saucepan.  add minced garlic, cook for 30 sec.  add remaining and bring to boil.  remove from heat and chill.  could be stored in airtight container in fridge for several days.