Rounding up the best BBQ in North Carolina

Soda Can Chicken

A new twist on an old recipe using beer, Shawn shows us how to BBQ a chicken with a can of Dr. Pepper inside of the chicken.

Chicken Brine

Shawn mixes up some chicken brine to marinate your chicken before grilling. Keeps your chicken from drying out. Makes it tasty too!

Deviled Eggs

In our 2nd in the “Chick Flicks” series Shawn shows us how to make great and simple deviled eggs adding a little of his chicken rub.

New BBQ Tips “Chick Flicks” – Chicken Rub

Shawn mixes up a chicken rub that will be used in upcoming segments of our “Chick Flicks” BBQ tips.

Chuckies

I belong to this online forum called “The BBQ Brethren” (http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/), and lately I’ve noticed that several members have been talking about smoking chuck roasts, or “chuckies”.

At first, I wasn’t sure about this as it is not what one would consider normal BBQ fare.  Then one day at the grocery store meat counter I found myself inspecting the chuck roasts and thinking that we cook this cut of meat “low and slow” when it used to make a pot roast, so it should work in the smoker.  I grabbed a 2 pack of nice looking chucks and headed home.

My first concern was that normally I braise (cook in liquid) this cut of meat when we cook it and thought that it might dry out on the smoker.  I planned on using my beef rub, so brining would make it too salty, so I started a marinade.

1 cup of water
2-teaspoons of beef base (a bullion paste)
1-tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1-tablespoon soy sauce
1-teaspoon garlic powder
1-teaspoon onion powder

I placed both roasts in a zip top bag, poured in most of the marinade (the rest I put in a sealable container for later) closed the bag, placed in a pan, just in case the bag leaked and put it in the fridge overnight.  Every couple of hours I mushed the bag around a bit to make sure everything was getting nice and covered.

The next morning, I pulled out the meat to let it start coming up to room temp and went out to start the smoker.  Once back inside, I pulled out the roasts and placed them on a foil lined tray and patted dry.  Next I took the reserved marinade and injected it in to the roasts.  My hope was to prevent drying.  A good rub down came next, then out to the smoker. I cooked them at 250º with a combination of oak and hickory until they reached 170º, then foiled and back on until 195º, take off the smoker and let rest covered for at least 10 minutes.

Now they didn’t pull apart like I had hoped, should have left them on a little longer, however my lack of leftovers seems to indicate that I have a winner.

Memorial Day

     Memorial Day, sometimes it is hard to remember the significance of this day as we prepare for picnics and cookouts.  Today is a day of thanks for those who laid down their life for the freedoms we enjoy.      
     Lt. John Finn (U.S. Navy ret.) passed away recently and was a unique man: the last Medal of Honor recipient from the attack on Pearl Harbor.  His Medal citation states rather clearly what type of hero this man was:

“For extraordinary heroism, distinguished service, and devotion above and beyond the call of duty. During the first attack by Japanese airplanes on the Naval Air Station, Kanoehe Bay, on 7 December 1941, Lieutenant Finn promptly secured and manned a 50-caliber machine gun mounted on an instruction stand in a completely exposed section of the parking ramp, which was under heavy enemy machine-gun strafing fire. Although painfully wounded many times, he continued to man this gun and to return the enemy’s fire vigorously and with telling effect throughout the enemy strafing and bombing attacks and with complete disregard for his own personal safety. It was only by specific orders that he was persuaded to leave his post to seek medical attention. Following first-aid treatment, although obviously suffering much pain and moving with great difficulty, he returned to the squadron area and actively supervised the rearming of returning planes. His extraordinary heroism and conduct in this action were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. ”  
 
    It is unfortunate that we need this level of sacrifice from our fellow countrymen, that blood must be the price of our freedom.  We, as a country can never repay the debt we owe these brave men and women who serve in our armed forces, as all I have to offer is my heart-felt thanks and eternal gratitude.

National BBQ Month

May is National BBQ month…so get outside and fire up those grills!!!

I Knew It!

I knew I should have staked out 12 Bones BBQ , the President and First Lady were there today.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/23/obama-north-carolina-barb_n_549957.html

Genius!!!

Saw this link on a friends site and had to share it, they made “wings” out of pork!!! Must get my hands on these bad boys!

http://www.farmlandfoodservice.com/pdf/products/kc_wild_wings.pdf

Dinner Tonight