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Gadget of The Month
BBQ
Guru has gone Wi-fi! This lil' baby gives you the control of the
standard DigiQ model with additional access to controls via your PC or
mobile device. Thermostatically bellow you charcoal and maintain a
constant temperature. With 3 food probes you can monitor more with a
single unit. Awesome!
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First Participation Class A Big Success
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If you missed, my sympathies to you. Chris Marks dispensed his vast
knowledge and techniques amongst a class of about 15 last Saturday, and
boy was it good.
Students were given a rack of baby back ribs each and the
opportunity to prep and cook with an 8 time American Royal Champion. He
demonstrated the difference between fall off the bone and bite clean off
the bone for all to see and taste. Spare ribs and chicken thighs were
on the days menu as well and I can't begin to describe how good they
were.
While the power may have been out, the response from the
participants was electric. Chris sat down after the ribs were placed in
the smoker and went over the finer points of BBQ cooking. Charcoal,
smoking woods, meat trimming, dry and wet applications, he went over
everything ribs and chicken. What can we say? The man is thorough.
Don't be down if you missed it. These classes are
something new and we will be having more. Bob Nurmikko of The Grillin'
Guys Radio Show is coming the first week of August to do brisket and
shoulders.
And don't worry, we plan on having Chris back again next season. Be sure to sign up.
Want to see more? Check out all the pics from the class here.
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Chunks vs. Chips |
We've had this question quite a bit, 'What is the difference between wood chips and wood chunks?'
It's a valid question. When
should someone use wood chunks or chips? Where do I put them? How much
should I use? Do I soak in water? Let's examine all these questions and
more.
Chunks
 Wood chunks are pieces of wood usually no larger than a
fist that typically come in 10 lb. bags. While almost all flavors are
available, the most common you will find are fruit woods like cherry,
apple or pecan, but you can generally find mesquite and hickory easily
as well.
Chunks are ideal for
charcoal smokers like the Big Green Egg or The Good One. Add them
directly to the charcoal right before placing your meat on the grill. It
is not necessary to soak any type of wood chunks. The size will allow
for smoke production over a prolonged period making additional water or
liquids an unneeded, and often unwelcome, addition to the wood.
While the amount of smoke
flavor desired is always up to the cook, we find that 2 to 4 pieces
suffice for just about any smoking we do. Remember to check your smoker
often during longer smokes in case there is the needed to reload or add
more chunks as necessary. It should also be noted that mini logs are
available for larger smokers like models of The Good One. They are logs about the size of firewood pieces bagged in bundles. Great for a longer smoke.
 Chips
Wood Chips are this pieces
of wood 1 to 2 inches long and are usually in bags about the size of a
large book. While flavors overlap that of the chunks (and if one
searches hard enough anything may be found), chips can be found in a
wider array of flavors including alder and Jack Daniel's oak barrel.
Chips most commonly need
some sort of smoking receptacle to contain them, making them better
suited for gas grills and electric smokers. Smoker
boxes are available for grills that do not have one already built in.
They are placed just below the cook grids on the rock grate or heat
shields. Cooking should ideally be indirect (left burner on, food on
right or vice-versa).
Before placing the chips in a
smoker box the chips should be soaked in water (or liquid of your
choosing - might I suggest red wine) for at least 20 minutes and then
drained well. Like the chunks, only place the smoker box over the heat
right before you are ready to put on the meat to keep from wasting any
smoke time. The size of your smoker
box may help you determine how much to use, but we typically grab about
a handful and check hourly for possible reloading.
While a lot of wood
may be around us (especially right now) it is always best to be cautious
about the type of wood you are using and its source. Bagged chips and
chunks from reputable companies ensure a food safe quality to all your
smoking accessories. Unless you know fully the process with which your
wood came from, don't accept anything that may be questionable. If
there is an ounce of doubt, throw it out!
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Maui Wowie Shrimp
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 Ingredients
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2 pounds uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
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1 pinch garlic salt, or to taste
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ground black pepper to taste
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1 cup mayonnaise
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1 lemon, cut into wedges
Directions
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Preheat outdoor grill for medium heat, and lightly oil the grate.
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Thread shrimp onto skewers. Season both sides of shrimp with garlic salt and black pepper.
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Generously coat both sides of shrimp with mayonnaise.
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Cook
shrimp on heated grill until shrimp are bright pink on the outside and
opaque on the inside, and the mayonnaise turns golden brown, 5 to 10
minutes on each side. Serve with lemon wedges.
Courtesy of allrecipes.com
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