I saw this, this morning posted on the Eggforum by PattyO. So funny....but so wrong.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Cast Iron Grate Giveaway
It's finally time to draw the winner of the cast iron grate giveaway!
First I want to again thank Rolf and the wonderful folks at Craycort for sponsoring this magnificent giveaway! Having owned and used one of these cast iron grate systems for over a year, I can say this is the best give away I have done.
If you didn't win but still want one of these highly functional grates, you still have a few days to get one ordered for Christmas delivery, just CHECK OUT THEIR WEBSITE. Here is their holiday shipping schedule:
And without further adieu, the winner is........If you didn't win but still want one of these highly functional grates, you still have a few days to get one ordered for Christmas delivery, just CHECK OUT THEIR WEBSITE. Here is their holiday shipping schedule:
Holiday shipping schedule
UPS/Fedex Ground shipments take 3-5 days, if you order:
- friday 17th, your order arrives on time
- saturday, sunday orders will probably be ok
- monday orders ship tuesday, our warehouses are in Illinois and California, only for customer living near there.
Starting saturday we will offer 2nd day air, this way orders placed before wednesday the 22nd 3am will arrive on the 24th.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Fire Roasted Potatoes and Chilies
The "meat on a stick" concept was developed by the Michelin 3-star chef "Ogg" when he impaled a side of stegosaurus on his spear and grilled it over the newest (at the time) Ron Popeil cooking device - FIRE.
The Brazilian version of "meat on a stick" is the impressive Churrascaria style restaurant where everything is served directly at your table from ginormous skewers. I first learned about these from Steven Raichlen's Planet Barbecue and I was intrigued by the concept. But Brazieros Churrascaria opened recently in Knoxville and Alexis and I were finally able to dine there last night.
The place was PACKED but surprisingly, we did not have to wait and got seated immediately right by the fire place on this cool night. The concept is simple. You pay one fixed price for the meal and there is no menu. You start with a high quality salad bar, probably the best I've seen in Knoxville. Then they bring divine cheese rolls (more like puffs, they are angelic) and 3 sides (plantains, fried polenta, and mashed potatoes). Next, each dinner has a little card like this:
So I woke up this morning and what was I craving? More Brazilian beef of course! So the menu is:
The Brazilian version of "meat on a stick" is the impressive Churrascaria style restaurant where everything is served directly at your table from ginormous skewers. I first learned about these from Steven Raichlen's Planet Barbecue and I was intrigued by the concept. But Brazieros Churrascaria opened recently in Knoxville and Alexis and I were finally able to dine there last night.The place was PACKED but surprisingly, we did not have to wait and got seated immediately right by the fire place on this cool night. The concept is simple. You pay one fixed price for the meal and there is no menu. You start with a high quality salad bar, probably the best I've seen in Knoxville. Then they bring divine cheese rolls (more like puffs, they are angelic) and 3 sides (plantains, fried polenta, and mashed potatoes). Next, each dinner has a little card like this:
When you flip it to green, the meat party starts. A constant barrage of chefs armed with skewers...actually more like SWORDS of 12 cuts of meats offer you service. They thinly slice off pieces of large cuts of meat and you use little tongs to pull it onto your plate. You can fend them off by flipping your card back to red until you're ready to eat again. I made it through 6 of the 12 offerings.
I will do a full review later with pictures after our next visit. But it was a meat eaters paradise and a very unique dining experience. Quite fun and first class service. It reminded me of the first time I ever ate at a teppanyaki style Japanese restaurant, a total departure of what you are used to.
So I woke up this morning and what was I craving? More Brazilian beef of course! So the menu is:
Beef Ribs with an Espresso/Chile Rub
Fire Roasted Potatoes & Chilies
Rotisserie Grilled Onions
Brazilian Cheese Bread
Fire Roasted Potatoes & Chilies
Rotisserie Grilled Onions
Brazilian Cheese Bread
I've done beef ribs a kazillion times, so I won't detail it. I used Adam Perry Lang's method from BBQ25 (great book!) but to make it a little more South American, I substituted some of the loot I won from Marx Foods. I used Espresso sea salt (great beefy flavor) and ground up some dried aji and pasilla chilies.
Alexis made the Brazilian cheese bread came straight from Steph over at Plain Chicken. We didn't have tapioca flour and it definitely made a difference. Ours didn't puff up.
The rotisserie grilled onions are a Brazilian recipe from Planet Barbecue! How do I use a rotisserie on the Big Green Egg? It's simple. I roll out my old Brinkmann charcoal grill!
I spit roasted large sweet onions (roots, peels, and all) over a 3/4 chimney load of briquettes for an hour.
Then cut off the tops, brush off the loose skin, and drizzle with balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. How easy is that?
Fire Roasted Potatoes and Chilies
Source: NibbleMeThis
3-4 large red bliss potatoes, peeled and diced into 1" pieces
1/4 cup oil (something with a high smoke point)
4 large cloves garlic - peeled but whole
1 dried aji chile pepper, reconstituted and diced
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
Parboil the potatoes for one minute. (I promise, it makes a difference.)
Preheat a cast iron dutch oven in indirect heat on grill (or oven) at 400-425f. Add the oil and wait 1-2 minutes.
Add the potatoes and garlic and season with salt and chili powder. Let cook undisturbed for 20 minutes.
Stir and allow to cook another 10 minutes.
Stir, add the chilies and cook 10 more minutes. (I put them in at the beginning, which was too long, they'll be better near the end.)
Garnish with chives.
Despite the cheese bread not "rising to the occasion" (again, bad substitution), it was an excellent late lunch or early dinner. The ribs had a nice mild heat and layered taste. The onions were tender and sweet. The potatoes were crispy on the outside but soft beneath the crust.
Have you ever eaten at a Brazilian steakhouse? What is your favorite "meat on a stick"?
Alexis made the Brazilian cheese bread came straight from Steph over at Plain Chicken. We didn't have tapioca flour and it definitely made a difference. Ours didn't puff up.
The rotisserie grilled onions are a Brazilian recipe from Planet Barbecue! How do I use a rotisserie on the Big Green Egg? It's simple. I roll out my old Brinkmann charcoal grill!
I spit roasted large sweet onions (roots, peels, and all) over a 3/4 chimney load of briquettes for an hour.
Then cut off the tops, brush off the loose skin, and drizzle with balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. How easy is that?
Fire Roasted Potatoes and Chilies
Source: NibbleMeThis
3-4 large red bliss potatoes, peeled and diced into 1" pieces
1/4 cup oil (something with a high smoke point)
4 large cloves garlic - peeled but whole
1 dried aji chile pepper, reconstituted and diced
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
Parboil the potatoes for one minute. (I promise, it makes a difference.)
Preheat a cast iron dutch oven in indirect heat on grill (or oven) at 400-425f. Add the oil and wait 1-2 minutes.
Add the potatoes and garlic and season with salt and chili powder. Let cook undisturbed for 20 minutes.
Stir and allow to cook another 10 minutes.
Stir, add the chilies and cook 10 more minutes. (I put them in at the beginning, which was too long, they'll be better near the end.)
Garnish with chives.
Despite the cheese bread not "rising to the occasion" (again, bad substitution), it was an excellent late lunch or early dinner. The ribs had a nice mild heat and layered taste. The onions were tender and sweet. The potatoes were crispy on the outside but soft beneath the crust.
Have you ever eaten at a Brazilian steakhouse? What is your favorite "meat on a stick"?
Friday, December 10, 2010
Fire Day Friday: Beefy Bite Appetizers
Today is my weekly guest post over at Our Krazy Kitchen and I experimented around with steak wrapped tater tots. Hop over there and check it out.
Not a perfect recipe yet, but it was entertaining!
Not a perfect recipe yet, but it was entertaining!
Monday, December 6, 2010
Rib Tips: Asian Pork Meatballs
When are ribs boneless and shaped into a meatball?
When they are Asian Pork Meatballs, that's when!
Here is my second use for using the rib tips leftover from trimming spare ribs. I used some of the ground pork that I made from rib tips and pork loin the other day and used them in this dish inspired by Kim's Stirring The Pot, one of my favorite food blogs.
Asian Pork Meatballs with Spicy Noodle
Meatballs
1.25 lb ground pork
3/4 cup coarse bread crumbs (plain bread crumbs will do, but hand torn bread is better)
1 shallot, diced
1 clove garlic, finely diced
2 Tbsp chives, chopped
4 tsp sugar (I used turbinado sugar)
1/4 tsp ginger, fresh ground
2 tsp fish sauce
2 tsp soy sauce
4 tsp Sriracha sauce
Noodle Sauce
1 Tbsp chopped chives
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp Sriracha sauce
1/2 tsp ginger, fresh minced
1 oz sherry
2 oz soy sauce
1 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 cup spicy pork stock
1 Tbsp corn starch
1 Tbsp cold water
8 oz vermicelli or other noodles
Since I was grinding my own meat, I ground the pork with the other dry ingredients and then added the fish, soy, and Sriracha sauce. If you are using already ground pork, just mix it all together.
Form 12-15 balls and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to let them "set" or "sit" (depends if you'ns are from the South).
Set up your grill for direct heat at 350f and sear your balls in a cast iron Dutch oven until browned, about 10 minutes. (Indoor subtitle: Brown in a pan over medium high heat.)
Remove them to a sheet pan and return them to the grill still at 350f but with indirect heat. Bake them for 20-25 minutes until they reach in internal temp of 165f. (Indoor subtitle: Bake in an 350f oven)
Meanwhile, cook your noodles according to directions on the package and keep warm.
Go back to direct heat at 350f and heat 1 Tbsp of peanut oil in a wok. Add the chives, ginger, garlic and sriracha sauce. Cook, stirring constantly for about 15 seconds. Add the sherry, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and stock. Bring to a simmer for 3 minutes.
Whisk the starch and water together in a slurry. Stir into the mixture. Add the meatballs to the sauce and let cook for another 1-2 minutes until thickened.
Serve meatballs and sauce over noodles.
The results were powerfully good. The level of heat was just perfect for me, which meant it was too spicy for my youngest boy. If you don't like spicy heat, cut the Sriracha sauce in the meatballs down in half or less.
When they are Asian Pork Meatballs, that's when!
Here is my second use for using the rib tips leftover from trimming spare ribs. I used some of the ground pork that I made from rib tips and pork loin the other day and used them in this dish inspired by Kim's Stirring The Pot, one of my favorite food blogs.
Asian Pork Meatballs with Spicy Noodle
Meatballs
1.25 lb ground pork
3/4 cup coarse bread crumbs (plain bread crumbs will do, but hand torn bread is better)
1 shallot, diced
1 clove garlic, finely diced
2 Tbsp chives, chopped
4 tsp sugar (I used turbinado sugar)
1/4 tsp ginger, fresh ground
2 tsp fish sauce
2 tsp soy sauce
4 tsp Sriracha sauce
Noodle Sauce
1 Tbsp chopped chives
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp Sriracha sauce
1/2 tsp ginger, fresh minced
1 oz sherry
2 oz soy sauce
1 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 cup spicy pork stock
1 Tbsp corn starch
1 Tbsp cold water
8 oz vermicelli or other noodles
Since I was grinding my own meat, I ground the pork with the other dry ingredients and then added the fish, soy, and Sriracha sauce. If you are using already ground pork, just mix it all together.
Form 12-15 balls and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to let them "set" or "sit" (depends if you'ns are from the South).
Set up your grill for direct heat at 350f and sear your balls in a cast iron Dutch oven until browned, about 10 minutes. (Indoor subtitle: Brown in a pan over medium high heat.)
Remove them to a sheet pan and return them to the grill still at 350f but with indirect heat. Bake them for 20-25 minutes until they reach in internal temp of 165f. (Indoor subtitle: Bake in an 350f oven)
Meanwhile, cook your noodles according to directions on the package and keep warm.
Go back to direct heat at 350f and heat 1 Tbsp of peanut oil in a wok. Add the chives, ginger, garlic and sriracha sauce. Cook, stirring constantly for about 15 seconds. Add the sherry, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and stock. Bring to a simmer for 3 minutes.
Whisk the starch and water together in a slurry. Stir into the mixture. Add the meatballs to the sauce and let cook for another 1-2 minutes until thickened.
Serve meatballs and sauce over noodles.
The results were powerfully good. The level of heat was just perfect for me, which meant it was too spicy for my youngest boy. If you don't like spicy heat, cut the Sriracha sauce in the meatballs down in half or less.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Rib Tips: Holy Mole' Mexican Meatballs
BBQ enthusiasts are always looking for new ways to use "rib tips". Rib tips are the leftover trimmings from cutting down a spare rib to "St. Louis Style". This recipe is one I came up with to use rib tips but you could just substitute 1.25 lbs of ground pork.
I thawed the trimmings from three spare ribs and the scrap ends of a pork loin. I carefully trimmed the rib tips and ends to get out all pieces of cartilage or bone. I popped the meat back into the freezer for an hour because partially frozen meat grinds better.
I used the bone and cartilage pile to make a pork stock. (A spicy one, I added a dried red chili with the aromatics.)
Next I did the first grind (coarse) of the meat using the Kitchenaid meat grinder attachment with the coarse die.
I divided the mix into two batches, each a little over a pound. I used one in this recipe and then one for an Asian meatball recipe I'm posting later this week.
Holy Mole' Mexican Meatballs
source: NibbleMeThis
Meat Balls
1.25 lb ground pork
3/4 cup finely torn bread (I tore up a leftover yeast roll)
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp cumin, ground
1/2 tsp coriander, ground
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flake
Holy Mole Sauce
adapted from Alton Brown's Enchilada Sauce
3-4 cloves garlic, very finely minced
2 ea chipotle in adobo sauce, seeded and diced
2 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp roasted cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
6 oz can tomato paste
2 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups spicy pork stock
2 Tbsp turbinado sugar
1/2 ounce semi sweet chocolate
This is an accidental mole' sauce. My plan was to simmer the browned meatballs in AB's enchilada sauce but my spicy pork stock made it a bit "too kicky". So I tamed it down with an extra Tbsp of sugar and the chocolate at the end. Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good.
Make your sauce by simmering all of the sauce ingredients except 1 Tbsp sugar and the chocolate for 45 minutes. Since my sauce was heated up by the spicy pork stock I made, if you are using chicken stock or beef stock, add a tsp of red pepper flake. Shave the chocolate into the sauce and let melt. Taste for seasoning and add the 1 Tbsp of sugar and salt/pepper as needed.
If using ground pork, make your meatballs by mixing all the ingredients together by hand. Since I was grinding my own pork, I added all of the ingredients together before the second grind (fine die) and ground it all together like you would do for a sausage. I like this technique because it really integrates the seasonings with the meat.
Either way, form the mix into 12 -15 meatballs.
Get your grill burning at 350f direct heat and brown your meatballs in 1 Tbsp of oil in a cast iron dutch oven (or brown them in a cast iron skillet on the stove top). This should take about 10 minutes.
Now add about 2 cups of the mole sauce to the dutch oven, cover and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce should reduce and thicken up during this time.
Temp check your meat balls and pull them off when they reach an internal temperature of 165f. Mine were 170f at 15 minutes but were not overcooked at all.
Serve over rice and top with shredded cheese and chives (or white queso, cilantro, or whatever).
This was an excellent dish and the only thing I would do different next time is add some veggies like corn to the rice. Or you could make this into a different appetizer by cutting the meatball sizes in half and serving in the sauce in a chaffing dish.
12 Days of Grilling Christmas (in progress)
I thawed the trimmings from three spare ribs and the scrap ends of a pork loin. I carefully trimmed the rib tips and ends to get out all pieces of cartilage or bone. I popped the meat back into the freezer for an hour because partially frozen meat grinds better.
I used the bone and cartilage pile to make a pork stock. (A spicy one, I added a dried red chili with the aromatics.)
Next I did the first grind (coarse) of the meat using the Kitchenaid meat grinder attachment with the coarse die.
I divided the mix into two batches, each a little over a pound. I used one in this recipe and then one for an Asian meatball recipe I'm posting later this week.
Holy Mole' Mexican Meatballs
source: NibbleMeThis
Meat Balls
1.25 lb ground pork
3/4 cup finely torn bread (I tore up a leftover yeast roll)
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp cumin, ground
1/2 tsp coriander, ground
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flake
Holy Mole Sauce
adapted from Alton Brown's Enchilada Sauce
3-4 cloves garlic, very finely minced
2 ea chipotle in adobo sauce, seeded and diced
2 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp roasted cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
6 oz can tomato paste
2 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups spicy pork stock
2 Tbsp turbinado sugar
1/2 ounce semi sweet chocolate
This is an accidental mole' sauce. My plan was to simmer the browned meatballs in AB's enchilada sauce but my spicy pork stock made it a bit "too kicky". So I tamed it down with an extra Tbsp of sugar and the chocolate at the end. Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good.
Make your sauce by simmering all of the sauce ingredients except 1 Tbsp sugar and the chocolate for 45 minutes. Since my sauce was heated up by the spicy pork stock I made, if you are using chicken stock or beef stock, add a tsp of red pepper flake. Shave the chocolate into the sauce and let melt. Taste for seasoning and add the 1 Tbsp of sugar and salt/pepper as needed.
If using ground pork, make your meatballs by mixing all the ingredients together by hand. Since I was grinding my own pork, I added all of the ingredients together before the second grind (fine die) and ground it all together like you would do for a sausage. I like this technique because it really integrates the seasonings with the meat.
Either way, form the mix into 12 -15 meatballs.
Get your grill burning at 350f direct heat and brown your meatballs in 1 Tbsp of oil in a cast iron dutch oven (or brown them in a cast iron skillet on the stove top). This should take about 10 minutes.
Now add about 2 cups of the mole sauce to the dutch oven, cover and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce should reduce and thicken up during this time.
Temp check your meat balls and pull them off when they reach an internal temperature of 165f. Mine were 170f at 15 minutes but were not overcooked at all.
Serve over rice and top with shredded cheese and chives (or white queso, cilantro, or whatever).
This was an excellent dish and the only thing I would do different next time is add some veggies like corn to the rice. Or you could make this into a different appetizer by cutting the meatball sizes in half and serving in the sauce in a chaffing dish.
12 Days of Grilling Christmas (in progress)
- Craycort Cast Iron Grill Grate system - "upgrate" your BBQ'rs grill with this highly functional grill grate system.
- Planet Barbecue! - Available at Workman Publishing for $22.95.
- Cutting Boards - BBQ'rs can always use a new cutting board. Find out what they like because most people have a preference for a particular material. Some like wood, some marble or glass, there are new bamboo ones. My new favorite one is this one from Select Outdoor Kitchens.
- Digital Instant Read Thermometers - The top of the class is Thermapen. I have one and love it. But I have used Taylor's Weekend Warrior for 2 years and it performs close to the Thermapen for about 1/5th of the cost. See my post on thermometers here.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Cambodian Grilled Chicken & 12 Days of Grilling Christmas
I'll be honest with you.
I made this recipe tonight solely because it didn't require a trip to the grocery store and it had a short marinade time. But it was so good, in retrospect I'm going to say, "Yeah, I meant to do that."
This is another top notch recipe from Raichlen's newest book. I have cooked many recipes from it this year and have found that it works great if you are a beginning griller follow his recipes exactly. But it also works equally well if you are more advanced and want to change them around to your tastes and cooking methods. It's a very flexible book and it's not just because it is a paperback! That's why I'm adding it to my "12 Christmas Gifts for Grilling & BBQ".
And yes, I'm doing this on the Big Green Egg but you could do it on any grill or even -gasp- in the oven. (If you do it in the oven, just treat as a roasted chicken 350f for about 1 hour.)
Cambodian Grilled Chicken
adapted from Steven Raichlen's Planet Barbecue!
1 ea fryer chicken (3-4 lbs), butterflied aka spatchcocked
Wet Rub
5 cloves garlic, peeled
1 ea green onion
2 Tbsp turbinado sugar
1 Tbsp sea salt
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp fish sauce
Glaze
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
2 tsp sweet paprika
Dipping Sauce
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flake
1/4 tsp sugar
1/2 cup lime juice
Spatchcock the chicken. This basically means cutting out the back bone and flattening the bird, but you can get the details by watching THIS VIDEO.
Then make 2 to 3 deep slashing cuts across the thigh and leg (see pictures). I've seen Steven Raichlen and Adam Perry Lang both do this and it makes for a nice presentation. I suspect it also might help with seasoning and cooking times in some circumstances but I don't know that for sure.
Next make your marinade for the bird by mixing the ingredients in a mini-food processer. You could also mix crush it all up in a mortar and pestle then add the fish and soy sauce instead. Rub the marinade all over the bird including the back. Make sure to get in deep into the thigh cuts under the legs, and everywhere. Just pretend you are rubbing suntan lotion on Michael Symon or Nigella Lawson and you'll get it right.
Marinate the bird for 1 to 4 hours. Marinate at room temperature for the last hour of marinating.
Raichlen gives you several options for cooking. I did the easy spatchcock method for the Big Green Egg which is simply cooking skin side up on a raised grid with the Egg at 350f for one hour. I used natural lump coal with no added wood chunks because Raichlen's book indicates that's the fuel of choice for Cambodian grills.
While the chicken is cooking, mix your basting glaze. Heat the oil over medium heat. Peel the garlic clove and give it a good whack with the side of a knife to crush it. Simmer the garlic in the oil for 1 minute. Remove the garlic to a small bowl.
Add the paprika to the pan and simmer for about 30 seconds. Pour into the bowl with the garlic and let sit.
When the chicken has been on for 45 minutes, brush on the glaze. This is going to give you a shocking amount of color but don't panic. You won't end up with an orange chicken.
At 55 minutes check the bird for temps. If it is at 170f in the thigh and 155f in the breast, flip it and let it cook for just 5 minutes skin side down. Temp check the bird again. It should now be 170-175 in the thigh and 160 in the breasts.
Pull the chicken from the grill and let rest for 10 minutes.
Prepare your dipping sauce by putting the dry seasonings in a bowl.
Microwave the lime juice for 20 seconds and then pour onto the dry seasonings. Give it a quick stir with a mini-whisk or fork.
Cut the chicken into pieces and serve with rice and the dipping sauce.
When I read over this recipe, I thought the flavors were good for chicken but didn't really think it had that POW signature flavor. You know, something like cilantro or sriracha (I did add the green onion and red pepper flakes). Boy was I wrong. This chicken brought a taste party to my mouth. The wet rub, glaze, and dipping sauce just made this chicken dance. This was exceptionally good.
12 Christmas Gifts for Grilling & BBQ (In progress)
I made this recipe tonight solely because it didn't require a trip to the grocery store and it had a short marinade time. But it was so good, in retrospect I'm going to say, "Yeah, I meant to do that."
This is another top notch recipe from Raichlen's newest book. I have cooked many recipes from it this year and have found that it works great if you are a beginning griller follow his recipes exactly. But it also works equally well if you are more advanced and want to change them around to your tastes and cooking methods. It's a very flexible book and it's not just because it is a paperback! That's why I'm adding it to my "12 Christmas Gifts for Grilling & BBQ".
And yes, I'm doing this on the Big Green Egg but you could do it on any grill or even -gasp- in the oven. (If you do it in the oven, just treat as a roasted chicken 350f for about 1 hour.)
Cambodian Grilled Chicken
adapted from Steven Raichlen's Planet Barbecue!
1 ea fryer chicken (3-4 lbs), butterflied aka spatchcocked
Wet Rub
5 cloves garlic, peeled
1 ea green onion
2 Tbsp turbinado sugar
1 Tbsp sea salt
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp fish sauce
Glaze
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
2 tsp sweet paprika
Dipping Sauce
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flake
1/4 tsp sugar
1/2 cup lime juice
Spatchcock the chicken. This basically means cutting out the back bone and flattening the bird, but you can get the details by watching THIS VIDEO.
Then make 2 to 3 deep slashing cuts across the thigh and leg (see pictures). I've seen Steven Raichlen and Adam Perry Lang both do this and it makes for a nice presentation. I suspect it also might help with seasoning and cooking times in some circumstances but I don't know that for sure.
Next make your marinade for the bird by mixing the ingredients in a mini-food processer. You could also mix crush it all up in a mortar and pestle then add the fish and soy sauce instead. Rub the marinade all over the bird including the back. Make sure to get in deep into the thigh cuts under the legs, and everywhere. Just pretend you are rubbing suntan lotion on Michael Symon or Nigella Lawson and you'll get it right.
Marinate the bird for 1 to 4 hours. Marinate at room temperature for the last hour of marinating.
Raichlen gives you several options for cooking. I did the easy spatchcock method for the Big Green Egg which is simply cooking skin side up on a raised grid with the Egg at 350f for one hour. I used natural lump coal with no added wood chunks because Raichlen's book indicates that's the fuel of choice for Cambodian grills.
While the chicken is cooking, mix your basting glaze. Heat the oil over medium heat. Peel the garlic clove and give it a good whack with the side of a knife to crush it. Simmer the garlic in the oil for 1 minute. Remove the garlic to a small bowl.
Add the paprika to the pan and simmer for about 30 seconds. Pour into the bowl with the garlic and let sit.
When the chicken has been on for 45 minutes, brush on the glaze. This is going to give you a shocking amount of color but don't panic. You won't end up with an orange chicken.
At 55 minutes check the bird for temps. If it is at 170f in the thigh and 155f in the breast, flip it and let it cook for just 5 minutes skin side down. Temp check the bird again. It should now be 170-175 in the thigh and 160 in the breasts.
Pull the chicken from the grill and let rest for 10 minutes.
Prepare your dipping sauce by putting the dry seasonings in a bowl.
Microwave the lime juice for 20 seconds and then pour onto the dry seasonings. Give it a quick stir with a mini-whisk or fork.
Cut the chicken into pieces and serve with rice and the dipping sauce.
When I read over this recipe, I thought the flavors were good for chicken but didn't really think it had that POW signature flavor. You know, something like cilantro or sriracha (I did add the green onion and red pepper flakes). Boy was I wrong. This chicken brought a taste party to my mouth. The wet rub, glaze, and dipping sauce just made this chicken dance. This was exceptionally good.
12 Christmas Gifts for Grilling & BBQ (In progress)
- Craycort Cast Iron Grill Grate system - "upgrate" your BBQ'rs grill with this highly functional grill grate system.
- Planet Barbecue! - Available at Workman Publishing for $22.95. You can order through 12/17 and still get it delivered before Christmas in the Continental US.
- Cutting Boards - BBQ'rs can always use a new cutting board. Find out what they like because most people have a preference for a particular material. Some like wood, some marble or glass, there are new bamboo ones. My new favorite one is this one from Select Outdoor Kitchens. I bought it at the Eggtoberfest for $20 and have found I have used it more than my others for one reason. Sure it looks cool but what makes it my favorite is the thumb hole instead of a big hand grab. I'm always carrying food on a cutting board in and out the door and this lets me carry it one handed like an artist's palette. They are available for Christmas delivery through 12-15-10.
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