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Any Time is Grillin Time

I tried a Costco search for the exact product I was looking at yesterday. Though they had some offerings, they didn't have a pic of the exact package I was looking at. It was a package of long wide strips of the cured meat. Looked good but knew so little about what I was looking at, I passed it by.

I am smoking cashews today. The wife and I both prefer them over the peanuts and pistachios. 56 oz of cashews with butter, cayenne, garlic, paprika, and himalayan salt. An hour in...
Smoked Cashews.jpg
 
A few nights back, I made fajitas containing fiesta style veggies which was mostly whole kernel corn. The veggies were good because the fried corn was excellent. Tonight I griddled whole kernel corn in butter. It moved a blah corn into something that is now on my list of good veggie sides. I griddled some boneless skinless chicken thighs as well. I seasoned the thighs with salt, pepper, garlic, and paprika. Between the chicken and corn, I ate too much. :)
 
I just started my prep for the London Broil I'm cooking tomorrow. I worked the meat over with my tenderizer tool (fork) and put it in a baggie with Allegro Marinade with a bit of tenderizer seasoning and Montreal Steak Seasoning and a half bottle of Shiner 1909. I'll give the cut a good massage before I go to bed. I have hopes it will become super tender while resting over night in the fridge. I plan to put it on the smoker around 10 AM and smoke it slow at 200° until I see 130° internal temp. I'll then put a crispy butter sear on the meat using the Blackstone cranked all the way up. Then wrap it in foil and let it rest at least an hour, hoping for two, in my hot box. If the end result isn't tender, at least I gave it my best guess.

My butcher caught me in the market this morning and asked if I wanted some bacon. I told him that I always have room for bacon. He said hang on and went into the cooler. He came back with a dozen pounds of bacon marked down to $2.10 a pound. It had to be sold by noon tomorrow. It's now hanging out in my freezer. :) I'll probably sell half of it to my son. It's a good thing to be a friend of the butcher.
 
AugieTN said:
Which Allegro Marinade did you use? I've never tried it, or heard of it before Marinades & Sauces | Grilling & Tailgating Marinades | Allegro Marinade
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I like their original the best. It has a great flavor that doesn't drown out the beef flavor. Honestly, it was the very first marinade I ever tried and I've not tried another brand. I like it that well. To say it's the best... I'm not knowing. It is soy based with vinegar and garlic, paprika, and lime. It is a bit salty, so if you use it sometime, you might want to back off on additional salt on the meat.
 
There website says they're available at our Albertson stores, but I have never seen their brand. I'm going to check for it tomorrow.

I'd like to try their Honey Garlic. Tennessee Whiskey and Hickory Smoke marinade.
 
I've tried the hickory and it's good. I tried the teriyaki but it wasn't me. I gave it to my son... he liked it. My local market always has the original and the hickory and teriyaki once in a while. I had no idea before tonight that they had so many to choose from. I'm really wanting to try the black pepper. The Tennessee Whiskey I'd give a try as well. I shop a small Dillons (Kroger) that has limited shelf space. There is a super dillons in town but I hate shopping there. I don't know where anything is at so I have to walk the entire store in hunting mode. They did have the Udon noodles I was looking for recently that my little store did not. They likely have a greater selection of Allegro as well. I'll have to look the next time I'm after my stir fry noodles.
 
I went to our Albertsons grocery store (Jewel Osco) and they had only two of the Allegro marinades, Original and Tennessee Whiskey. First time I have noticed this brand. I also bought two small round steaks. I'm going to tenderize them and marinade one in the Allegro Original and the other in the Allegro Tennessee Whiskey.

allegrosteaks.jpg
 
olbriar said:
I hope you enjoy the marinade. I'm interested in your evaluation of the Tennessee Whiskey.
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So far, tasted the Original and like it. Tasted the Tennessee Whiskey and there is a lot going on there - LOL!. Their flavor chart says the Tennessee Whiskey is Savory, Smokey, Spicy and Tangy. I would say Savory 30%, Smokey 10%. Spicy 5% Tangy 55%. It almost seems like too much, but I won't know for sure until I grill the steaks this evening.

allegrochart.png
 
I use a third bottle per marinate and add beer for additional liquid. Your mileage may vary. I have no desire to overwhelm the beef flavor but that's just me. I often cook steaks with just salt and pepper.... that's how boring I am. :) Be certain to shake the marinade bottle before using. The heavy spices settle to the bottom of the bottle.

I like the chart you provided.
 
I don't know what I ended up with but my London broil is now seared and resting in my hotbox. Five hours of smoking at 175° brought the meat to an internal temp of 129°. Close enough to my target temp that I put a good butter sear on it with the Blackstone. My hopes is it's half tender and medium rare to medium doneness. I'll know more when I carve it and will grab a pic to share. Bargain meats aren't bargains if you can't eat them. :)
 
The wife loved the Allegro Tennessee Whiskey marinade. I liked it and would buy it again, but it does have a strong flavor. Olbriar would want to dilute it, due to the strong flavor. I think it would be best on chicken

Both of us like the Allegro Original and would buy it again.
 
Appreciate the honest taste tester testament. I'm glad the marinades didn't ruin your steaks. Everyone enjoys and anticipates flavors differently. It's a slippery slope to endorse a flavor to another. We do a lot of chicken. I'll have to try the Tennessee on a cook. I'm thinking chicken breasts for they are not robust in flavor without something added.

I won't brag about the London broil but it was pretty good. It was pretty darn tender and juicy. My final cook was medium and not medium rare. The broil was a dense cut of meat without fat. If was cooked any longer than 130° before the sear it would have been dry. My wife did not complain... actually she bragged up the meat but I thought it lacked meat flavor. The flavor of the marinade and Montreal Steak seasoning saved it from being tasteless. I longed for that beef flavor that the cut did not have. I'm wafer slicing the remaining broil and slow cooking it in some bbq sauce for sandwiches tomorrow. I thought I took a pic of the final product after I carved a few slices but in my haste I did not manage to capture the broil.
Here is a pic before the sear.


London.jpg
 
I love smoking flatirons. I like a finish temp of 195° and my buddy likes 205°. Anywhere in there and you are in for a good savory piece of meat. I like to cut my steaks into generous slices on the bias and then plate them up. All you need then is a fork for mouth watering goodness. I am a huge fan of the beef flavor of a flatiron. Have fun.
 
I pulled an eighteen pound whole packer out of my freezer this morning. I plan to smoke it tomorrow. I bought it a while back on the way cheap. I should have butchered the point from the flat before freezing but I didn't. Now it's a matter of thawing the brisket and then refreezing part of it or smoking the entire roast. I don't like the idea of refreezing some of it so I'm smoking it all tomorrow. It should be no problem for the wife and I to eat 18 pounds of meat... sheesh! I'm thinking the better plan is to cut up the cooked brisket into meal size portions and then vac sealing. I'm having a party at my cabin next weekend and will serve a lot of the brisket to the guests. I'll try to deal with what's left a meal at a time. The hunk-o-meat has been in my freezer longer than I anticipated and it's time it was consumed.

I've long cooked some whole packers at the cabin. It's a fun cook staying up until the wee hours to prep and put on the smoker. The aroma on the deck all day of smoking brisket is more than a joy as well. However, investing 18-20 hours of smoking did not produce a better end product than a wrap and crunch cook in my opinion. I plan on wrapping once I see 160° and removing and resting when it reaches 195° or so. I'm guessing a 12-14 hour cook.
It's best to over estimate the cook time. Resting the meat for longer than anticipated is superior to eating dinner at bed time. :) I've never smoked a packer close to this size. Wish me luck... I think I'll need it.
 
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