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Any Time is Grillin Time

Unforgiven said:
I've been doing some reading on beer can vs. spatchcock chicken. My family has always enjoyed my beer can chicken, but it seems spatchcock is the preferred method. Only one way to find out. :p

I'm going to kind of mimic an all you can eat chicken place we have around here. They basically serve roasted chicken, pasta, and fries all you can eat family style. My wife loves to go. I go because she loves it. I'm going to improve all three dishes I think. :)
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I bet you do improve all three dishes. It's going to be tough to beat a beer can chicken. They always turn out so moist and tender.

I've never tried cooking an entire filled bird. I have grilled many boneless skinless pieces. Mine always turn out on the dry side unless they are wrapped in bacon or wet mopped. I'm not up on my spatchcock chicken (google was my friend) Is there some trick to keep the poultry moist? In any event, I'm anxious to hear the method to your madness and the resulting praise from your fam.
 
olbriar said:
I bet you do improve all three dishes. It's going to be tough to beat a beer can chicken. They always turn out so moist and tender.

I've never tried cooking an entire filled bird. I have grilled many boneless skinless pieces. Mine always turn out on the dry side unless they are wrapped in bacon or wet mopped. I'm not up on my spatchcock chicken (google was my friend) Is there some trick to keep the poultry moist? In any event, I'm anxious to hear the method to your madness and the resulting praise from your fam.
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From what I read opening it up allows it to cook more evenly, so you aren't drying out parts of the meat while waiting for other parts to cook.

I read a bunch of things, but this article kind of puts the science, theory, and comparative results in one place.

That said, my results today will go a long way towards convincing me one way or the other. Or just give me another tool in the grilling toolbox. :p
 
olbriar said:
I'm not up on my spatchcock chicken (google was my friend)
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Simple method, take kitchen shears and cut the ribs on either side of the spine, Open it up breast side up and press down, breaking the breastbone and flatening out the chicken. Rub, roast, and supposedly win.

Some recipes I've found still recommend brining overnight. The one I'm trying today is simply rub under the skin, BBQ brushed on in the last five minutes, so typical BBQ method.
 
Unforgiven said:
From what I read opening it up allows it to cook more evenly, so you aren't drying out parts of the meat while waiting for other parts to cook.

I read a bunch of things, but this article kind of puts the science, theory, and comparative results in one place.

That said, my results today will go a long way towards convincing me one way or the other. Or just give me another tool in the grilling toolbox. :p
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I read most of the article. I agree with the science quoted. Most of that goes out the window when you use a infusion wok however. I do enjoy the science of all the meat on the grill at once with an even heat
I'm excited that you are leading the pack on this technique. :) Once you receive rave reviews... I'll give it a try with your sage guidance. :)
 
Yep, some of the "risks" raised in that article I've mitigated. I use a stainless steel, narrow diameter beer can chicken rack that doesn't block the cavity nor carry the ink, plastics risk. I also think there is a value to having a ready supply of liquid up close and personal with the meat to keep moisture levels up, even if it doesn't steam up.

The big takeway when I googled spatchcock vs. beer can was that I didn't find anything saying beer can was better, so I figured I'd better try the other way. :p
 
I tried my hand at making beef short ribs yesterday. I'd never had them so I figured I would give it a go. Dead simple to make. Peel the membrane, put some rub on, and smoke at 225 for ten hours. I had a pile of winter debris to burn yesterday, so why not man the smoker while I tended to that. :D

Wow, were they delicious. Only problem is I will probably need to make twice as much next time. :)

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Looking fine my friend. I'm smoking flat iron steaks today. The market had baby back ribs on sale that tempted me but I purchased the steaks instead. They are just too easy and too good to say no to.

I've never tried beef ribs but man those look some kind of wonderful.
I was going to ask... did you do your chicken and how did that turn out?
 
It's snowing here too. :( Still making chicken and pinapple BBQ kabobs. :D

@olbriar, The chicken came out great. I have to make it a few more times and is was 45 minutes late (relative to the guidelines I had) for the rest of the meal. It was real simple, easy to carve, and plenty juicy with no brining at all. Just spatchcock, rub under the skin, and cook.
 
I've looked everywhere for some beefy looking beef ribs like you smoked, Unforgiven. The ribs I'm finding have so little meat on them that they would make a sorry soup bone. Where did you find those ribs? I've been wanting to try that smoke since your post. Man those look delicious. Nothing like steak on a stick! :)
 
olbriar said:
I've looked everywhere for some beefy looking beef ribs like you smoked, Unforgiven. The ribs I'm finding have so little meat on them that they would make a sorry soup bone. Where did you find those ribs? I've been wanting to try that smoke since your post. Man those look delicious. Nothing like steak on a stick! :)
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My wife got a cryopak at a local grocery store that had two racks of 4. She had to ask at the butcher counter. I also have a few bulk purchase places (not like Sam's or Costco, more like buying a meat untrimmed and uncut by the caseload) where I get my briskets that I could have tried if she didn't score at the second grocery store she tried. I think she paid about $5.99 / lb for it.

If it isn't something they carry, maybe they can order it. If left in the cryopak it will keep for a few weeks in the fridge and forever in the freezer.
 
I've asked my local butcher and my buddy butcher at the store where I normally purchase my meat. Both told me no. They can't get beef ribs. Wal-mart has them sometimes but there isn't any meat on the bones... zero.. sheesh. I'm at a loss to purchase and yet they look so tempting to try. :(
 
I only assume that it's a special gel packaging designed to keep the ribs frozen. Unforgiven will have to enlighten us.

I gave up on the beef ribs and went to my market to get some baby backs. However, they had St Louis ribs on sale so to racks jumped into my basket. I haven't smoked any in quite some time so I thought why not. I'm going to cook them a bit faster than normal and I'm not going to wrap them to finish them up. I'm going to rub both but leave one dry and mop the other. It's always fun to try something different.
It's near impossible to mess up a rack of ribs no matter how you smoke them.
 
olbriar said:
I only assume that it's a special gel packaging designed to keep the ribs frozen. Unforgiven will have to enlighten us.
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Cryopak is a brand name I guess. It is just that heavy duty vacuum sealed bag that meat comes to the butcher in. A lot of times, when you buy a three pack of baby back ribs they are in a cryopak. No air, no spoil.
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I'm baffled that you can't find the ribs out there. I would google for some other places maybe. o_O

dontpanicbobby said:
Due to unexpected climatic and physiological circumstances I will not be purchasing that Hibachi until May.
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I was at Dick's Sporting Goods the other day and there was on similar to the one I linked. It is a pretty nice setup.
 
Roger on the cryopak. The flank steaks I smoke so often come sealed like that. I'm pretty sure that most of the meat my market sells comes to them in such packaging. They trim and cut and repackage with demand. They no longer have hanging meat to butcher. The way of times I guess. I do like the packaging on the flank steaks. It's the only thing they sell packaged like that however. Perhaps if I talked to my man and bought in bulk....

I've got my St Louis ribs on the smoker. No overnight wrapped and rubbed. No low and slow. I'm smoking hot and fast and I rubbed them as I put them on the smoker. I have no intentions of wrapping them during the cook. A clean break from my tried and true. I'm anxious to see how they turn out.
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I'm still a low and slow guy I guess. I wasn't that proud of my ribs.
They were tender enough. They were juicy enough. The bark on the outside of the racks was near jerky like. It could be eaten but it was just not good eating. It was a fun experiment.

Speaking of the smoker. I was off today so I smoked three flank steaks. They were done and I have them resting in a cooler now.
My sister gave me a huge sack of little sweet potatoes from her garden that needed to be eaten. I'm going to chunk them up, rub them with avocado oil and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. They will bake fast so I'll not put them in the oven yet. They are so good baked like that. I'm making myself hungry. :)
 
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