Archive for November, 2010
There are plenty of great marinades out on the market for deep fried turkey. Some you can use for injecting your turkey before putting it in your turkey fryer. Some are an actual marinade, that you can marinate for 8 hours or so before deep frying or roasting. Some folks even brine their bird before they rub and roast or fry.
Some products come with a marinade and a rub, like Masterbuilt’s Butterball Turkey Frying Spice kit. Some people swear by Tony Chachere’s injectable marinades and spice rubs. There is also Heaven Made Marinade, Cajun Injector, even Cabelas has products that you can purchase.
Many injections are butter based. In fact, Butterball injects their birds with butter.
All of these purchasable injection marinades, rubs, and spices are all good.
There are many recipes out there on the world wide web that can produce wonderful marinades as well. Again, some butter based, some acid based with lemon juice or orange juice. I even found one with Italian Dressing for a base. That one was for regular marinating though, not an injection marinade. Some people really like to go all out Cajun style for deep fried turkey. This is where seasonings from Tony Chachere’s or Chef Paul Prudhomme come in handy. But you can still make your own marinades by using their spices. But not everyone likes it so spicy.
I have included a couple of marinade recipes here as a starting point. As I said before, there are many recipes out there. If you feel so inclined to make your own injection marinade or regular marinade…search the web. Find something with flavors that you would enjoy. If you don’t feel like being experimental, then go out and purchase a marinade. What ever you decide to do, marinade, rub, brine, deep fried, roasted, smoked, have fun with it. Holiday meals should be fun and tasty, not a stressed out dramafest.
This one came from allrecipes.com. This is the Italian Dressing recipe I spoke about.
- 1 (16 ounce) bottle Italian dressing
- 1/2 cup cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup black pepper
- 1 cup Creole seasoning
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
Directions
- In a medium bowl, mix 3/4 Italian dressing, cayenne pepper, black pepper, Creole seasoning, and garlic powder. Rub over turkey, using remaining Italian dressing to fill cavity. Allow turkey to marinate 8 hours, or overnight, before deep-frying or roasting as desired.
Here is one from Fabulous Foods. This one uses butter and lemon juice in their base.
3 tablespoons melted butter
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2/3 cup low sodium chicken stock
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon garlic power
2 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste (optional)
Instructions
Makes plenty of marinade to inject an 8-15 pound turkey.
Mix all ingredients together in a small saucepan over medium heat until all ingredients are dissolved and well blended. Let cool to room temperature before injecting in the turkey. Before putting the marinade in the injector, whisk the mixture well to emulsify all the ingredients together.
About.com also has many different injection marinade recipes, from butter beer to Cajun.
Have a great Thanksgiving.
Our friends at Goodman’s American Pie are such kind people. They are always thinking of others and are ready to lend a helping hand.
Thanksgiving is a time for family and friends to gather and break bread together. Not everyone has a family to share a hot cooked meal with, and we all know that times are hard right now. The economists may think that the recession is over. Maybe it is for them, but for the rest of us living in the real world…times are hard. Some people can’t afford a regular meal let alone a whole full blown Thanksgiving meal. The Goodman’s, being the kind hearted and community minded people that they are, are opening their doors on Thanksgiving day and cooking turkeys in their wood fired pizza oven.
Their announcement is listed below:
Goodman’s American Pie will be hosting it’s 1st annual “Turkeys for Tough Times” dinner. We’ll be opening up our restaurant to serve a hot Thanksgiving dinner to those who 
are in need of a free meal, a warm place, & a welcoming smile. We’ll be cooking the turkeys in our wood fired oven, & the sides will be brought in from volunteers! If you know of a family that would like to join us, please help us spread the word!
Living farther away from The Goodman’s than I would like, I am not there to lend a hand. So, I am doing my part by spreading the word for them. If anyone lives in the Ludlow, Vt. area and needs a helping hand, or has a helping hand to lend, please contact Goodman’s American Pie. 106 Main St. Ludlow, VT. 802-228-4271
While you are in your backyard firing up your turkey fryer getting ready to submerge your bird, or starting up the BBQ smoker to roast one, remember to be thankful for what you have. Remember that there are always those less fortunate. Even if you aren’t in Ludlow, stick a can of food in the bin at the grocery store. Donate a turkey to your local church. Better yet, invite someone to dinner that has no where to go or anyone to spend the day with. If you’ve ever been in need, you already know what it’s like. If you never have been, be thankful, and share yourself or your heart.
Can across this little sumptuous tidbit from my friends at Man B Que and BBQ Addicts. There are some great bacon aficionados out there. This one is meant for sharing. So for all of you bacon lovers out there… here is a heart attack waiting to happen.
Enjoy!!!
Ingredients:
At least 1 lb. bacon
1 lb ground sausage
barbecue rub or spice
BBQ sauce
Using 10 slices of bacon, weave a square lattice like that on top of a pie: first, place 5 bacon slices side by side on a large sheet of aluminum foil, parallel to one another, sides touching.
Place another strip of bacon on one end, perpendicular to the other strips.
Fold first, third and fifth bacon strips back over this new strip, then place another strip next to it, parallel to it.
Unfold first, third and fifth strips; fold back second and fourth strips. Repeat with remaining bacon until all 10 strips are tightly woven.
2. Light a fire in your BBQ smoker or preheat oven to 225 degrees .
Place remaining bacon in a frying pan and cook until crisp. As it cooks, sprinkle bacon weave with 1 tbsp. barbecue rub.
Evenly spread sausage on top of bacon lattice, pressing to outer edges.
3. Crumble fried bacon into bite-size pieces. Sprinkle on top of sausage. Drizzle with 1/2 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce and sprinkle with another tbsp. barbecue rub.
4. Very carefully separate front edge of sausage layer from bacon weave and begin rolling sausage away from you. Bacon weave should stay where it was, flat. 
Press sausage roll to remove any air pockets and pinch together seams and ends.
5. Roll sausage toward you, this time with bacon weave, until it is completely wrapped.
Turn it so seam faces down. Roll should be about 2 to 3 inches thick.
Sprinkle with remaining barbecue rub.
6. Place roll on a baking sheet in your smoker or in the oven.
Cook until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F on a meat thermometer, about 1 hour for each inch of thickness.
When done, glaze roll with more sauce. To serve, slice into 1/4-to- 1/2-inch rounds.
When most people think of tailgating they think of football, be it college or pro-ball.
People tailgate for baseball, rugby, basketball, motorsports, even horse and boat racing.
What many people forget, is the concert going tailgate crowd. I’ve been know to cook burgers on a charcoal grill and toss back a cold one in the parking lot while waiting for a show to begin. Many people show up early so that they won’t miss any of their favorite band or so they don’t get stuck in traffic on the way to the venue. Besides everyone wants a close parking spot. Who wants to park a mile away and have to hitch hike to get to the gate. If you have an hour or two before show time…why not eat and have a frosty one. Venue food and beverages are usually pricey anyway.
The biggest group of tailgating concert goers of all time…had to be Dead Heads. Many Dead Heads used to follow the Grateful Dead around the country for whole tours. That is alot of tailgating. I would have to say that the real tailgating was not how we all think of tailgating for a few factors.
Many Dead Heads were (and still are) vegetarian. That kind of leaves the grilled and smoked meat out of the picture. No big pots full of chili or Philly Cheese Steak done with an outdoor propane deep fryer or cooker either.
Another factor was money. Money was reserved for gas to get from show to show, and for tickets (unless you were a gate crasher). Food was typically veggie sandwiches, PB & J, etc. Simple but sustaining.
Phish heads have kind of taken over this faction of tailgating but I’ve never thought it to be quite a big as a Dead tour. (Besides after Jerry Garcia’s passing… many Dead Heads became full on Phish Heads, but still follow other Dead members on their solo and other functions).
NOW, I would have to say that the greatest concert going tailgaters of all time, would have to be Jimmy Buffett fans, or Parrot Heads.
This is a very dedicated group of fans. Grills, BBQ smokers, and BLENDERS. I’ve never seen so many gas generators just for blenders anywhere. There are even gas powered blenders! Cold beers and even wine can be found, but most folks are drinking frosty, icey margaritas and daiquiris. These folks show up WAY ahead of time just to tailgate in the parking lot…just like football tailgaters, but these guys set up Tiki huts and sport grass skirts. They even have tailgate buses and rigs, just like football & race tailgaters. Almost more about the tailgate than the venue.
Concert goers, race fans, football fans, it doesn’t matter. We Americans just love to tailgate!
So, what are the wood types suitable for using in your BBQ smoker? This is a question that is always coming up. So I thought this might help.
Here’s a list that was compiled from various sources.
ACACIA – these trees are in the same family as mesquite. When burned in a smoker, acacia has a flavor similar to mesquite but not quite as heavy. A very hot burning wood.
ALDER – Very delicate with a hint of sweetness. Good with fish, pork, poultry, and light-meat game birds.
ALMOND – A sweet smoke flavor, light ash. Good with all meats.
APPLE – Very mild with a subtle fruity flavor, slightly sweet. Good with poultry (turns skin dark brown) and pork. Excellent with bacon and ribs!!!!
ASH – Fast burner, light but distinctive flavor. Good with fish and red meats.
BIRCH – Medium-hard wood with a flavor similar to maple. Good with pork and poultry.
CHERRY – Mild and fruity. Good with poultry, pork and beef. Some people say the cherry wood is the best wood for smoking. Wood from chokecherry trees may produce a bitter flavor.
COTTONWOOD – It is a softer wood than alder and very subtle in flavor. Use it for fuel but use some chunks of other woods (hickory, oak, pecan) for more flavor. Don’t use green cottonwood for smoking.
CRABAPPLE – Similar to apple wood.
GRAPEVINES – Tart. Provides a lot of smoke. Rich and fruity. Good with poultry, red meats, game and lamb.
HICKORY – Most commonly used wood for smoking–the King of smoking woods. Sweet to strong, heavy bacon flavor. I don’t know if I get the flavor of bacon from this wood, but it does taste like BBQ to me. Good with pork, ham and beef.
LILAC – Very light, subtle with a hint of floral. Good with seafood and lamb.
MAPLE – Smoky, mellow and slightly sweet. Good with pork, poultry, cheese, and small game birds.
MESQUITE – Strong earthy flavor. Good with beef, fish, chicken, and game. One of the hottest burning. Can be bitter. My family doesn’t like it if I use only mesquite in the fire. They feel it makes the food “hot” and “spicy.”
MULBERRY – The smell is sweet and reminds one of apple.
OAK – Heavy smoke flavor–the Queen of smoking wood. RED OAK is good on ribs, WHITE OAK makes the best coals for longer burning. All oak varieties reported as suitable for smoking. Good with red meat, pork, fish and heavy game.
ORANGE, LEMON and GRAPEFRUIT – Produces a nice mild smoky flavor. Excellent with beef, pork, fish and poultry.
PEAR – A nice subtle smoke flavor. Much like apple. Excellent with chicken and pork.
PECAN – Sweet and mild with a flavor similar to hickory. Tasty with a subtle character. Good with poultry, beef, pork and cheese. Pecan is an all-around superior smoking wood.
SWEET FRUIT WOODS – APRICOT, PLUM, PEACH, NECTARINE – Great on most white or pink meats, including chicken, turkey, pork and fish. The flavor is milder and sweeter than hickory.
WALNUT – ENGLISH and BLACK – Very heavy smoke flavor, usually mixed with lighter woods like almond, pear or apple. Can be bitter if used alone. Good with red meats and game.
Other internet sources report that wood from the following trees is suitable for smoking: AVOCADO, BAY, CARROTWOOD, KIAWE, MADRONE, MANZANITA, GUAVA, OLIVE, BEECH, BUTTERNUT, FIG, GUM, CHESTNUT, HACKBERRY, PIMIENTO, PERSIMMON, and WILLOW. The ornamental varieties of fruit trees (i.e. pear, cherry, apple, etc.) are also suitable for smoking.
NEVER use any wood from conifer trees, such as PINE, FIR, SPRUCE, REDWOOD, CYPRESS, etc. They contain too much sap and they can make the meat taste funny. Some of these woods have been known to make people sick. Yes, I know that cedar planks are popular for cooking salmon on, but I don’t know anyone who burns cedar as a smoke wood. I have also heard that elm, eucalyptus, sassafras, sycamore, and liquid amber trees impart a bad flavor.
NEVER use lumber scraps. Some lumber is treated with chemicals that are poisonous.
Never use wood that has been painted.
If you have branches fall from trees, make sure they are not moldy. Never use wood that is moldy.
Now, as far as where to get these woods…
There are some sources on the internet…Chunks, chips, pellets, even smoker bags are available, but not for all types of wood.
A local firewood company may be able to hook you up. I used to work for a company…every time we had fruit wood…mostly cherry or apple…it went right to a local restaurant that only cooked with fruit woods.I have a friends that owns a wood fired pizza place. He has an account with a firewood company. They bring him all hardwoods.
You can usually find some woods where you can purchase your smokers and grills. My local hardware store sells chunked hickory and mesquite.
You can always volunteer to take down a neighbors trees…just make sure you know what kind of trees you are getting.
And to soak or not to soak? That is up to you. I’ve heard arguments for both ways, so I’d say…your preference. I have seen wine infused smoking wood. Sounds interesting, but I don’t think I want to waste my own wine to do this.
A great appetizer for your Thanksgiving meal is deep fried cauliflower. These are especially great if you are deep frying a turkey. You will already be heating up oil in your turkey fryer. You can just prepare them before you’re ready to put the turkey in and put them in the basket and lower them in to cook. Even if you aren’t deep frying turkey, you can still make this appetizer quite easily in your cast iron stove top deep fryer or your counter top deep fryer.
All you need is a head of cauliflower, 2-3 eggs, beaten, some Italian bread crumbs, and frying oil.
Cut the cauliflower into bite sized pieces. Blanche the cauliflower. Once blanched and cooled a bit, dip the cauliflower in the egg wash, dredge in bread crumbs. Heat the oil. When the oil is ready, 350 degrees F, deep fry the florets til golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
Serve with horsey sauce.
It is that time of year again. Thanksgiving. Turkey day!
This is for those of you that have decided to cook outdoors instead of in the oven.Whether you’ve decided to deep fry your turkey in an outdoor propane deep fryer, roast it in your grill, or smoke it in your BBQ smoker, there are a few things you want to ready yourself for the big day.
Always make sure you have extra fuel! An extra LP gas tank, plenty of wood to smoke with, and or charcoal. You don’t want to run out and have to go on the hunt for an open store.
Have an all purpose fire extinguisher handy at all times. NEVER use water on an oil fire. Hot frying oil and water DON’T MIX!!!
Always remember to lower your bird slowly into the oil. Dip it like a tea bag. Shut the fire burner off while your lowering your poultry into the pot if need be. You can always turn it back on and get your temperature back up to where it needs to be.
Make sure you have a working meat thermometer. Test it out ahead of time.
Make sure you are set up in a proper and safe location. This is mostly for the folks using turkey fryers, but holds true for all outdoor cooking equipment. Don’t set up in the garage, or on the deck, or on your wooden porch. And make sure the kids and the dog have somewhere else to play.
Review safety measures, especially if you only use your turkey fryer for the holidays. It never hurts to bone up on safety.
Make sure your cooking equipment is in proper working order. If you’re using propane, check for leaks on your tank, hoses, regulator, etc. Don’t wait until Thanksgiving eve or Turkey day to do this. If you need a part or a hose, odds are, you are not going to get it either the night before or that day. Take some time to check over your equipment at least the weekend before.
Make sure you have enough frying oil. And don’t mix different kinds of oil to get to the oil fill line. Go the weekend before Thanksgiving and get a large container or 2 from your local box store.(And it doesn’t have to be peanut oil either. There are plenty of good frying oils out there with a high smoke point).
Most of all, have fun. BE SAFE…but have fun! Thanksgiving is about food, family, friends, football and fun. Not the local fire department and take out Chinese food.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Something to consider right before deep frying your Thanksgiving turkey. Now I certainly wouldn’t consider frying a dessert product after a Cajun spiced piece of meat was already in my frying oil. But what about frying up some apple pie, or apple dumplings, before the bird goes in the turkey fryer. Adding a little apple flavoring to a turkey never hurt anyone. I’ve known people to use apple cider for a marinade, or even put an apple in the cavity before grilling or roasting their poultry. The oil will be hot anyway, and then dessert will have some time to cool down while the turkey is frying.
1 can apple filling
2 tbsp butter, melted
1\2 tsp cinnamon
Mix these ingredients together.
1 package of refrigerated pie crust(15oz. package)(Can also use rolled out canned biscuits for dough).
Unfold the pie crust and break into 8 equal pieces like pie slices. Place 1 heaping tbsp of fruit on each round of dough, leaving a 1/2″ border all around. Dip your finger in water and moisten the edges of the crust, then place a second round on top of the filling and press edges to seal. Dip the tines of a fork in flour and crimp the edges to ensure a proper seal.
When the oil is hot, place the pies in the turkey fryer and cook until golden brown. (Don’t over crowd).
Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with sugar while still hot.
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This is a recipe that I came across through a forum that I love to visit. It is The Texas BBQ forum. It is a place where people that love to cook, grill, smoke or barbecue, can go to find ideas, share recipes, talk about competition barbecue, or just vent if need be. I have found the sight very helpful, and everyone there to be quite friendly. If you need advice about a BBQ smoker that you are thinking about building, or tips on preparation or procedure of grilling a certain kind of meat, there is always someone there who has experienced it and will be willing to lend a helping hand.
This recipe for Brunswick Stew apparently came originally from Smokey Bones (a BBQ and Grill restaurant).
It is suggested that this recipe is great for tailgating and game day parties. If you are tailgating and you don’t have a generator or electricity, use your conventional turkey fryer. They are not just for deep frying. You can stew, steam, and boil with these versatile cookers. Make a double or triple batch with your propane Bayou Classic 30 qt turkey fryer kit. It is just another added plus of having a conventional turkey fryer to cook in.
1\2 chicken
6 cups water
2\3 cup ground beef
4 cups onions, diced
3\4 pound smoked pulled pork (can substitute ground pork. If doing this add 1\2 tsp liquid smoke to the stew).
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 14 oz. cans diced tomatoes, juice included
3\4 cup catsup
1 tbsp. mustard (yellow or brown)
1\4 cup Worcestershire sauce
3\4 tsp. hot sauce
1-1\2 tsp salt
1 tsp. black pepper
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1\4 cup barbecue spice
2 15 oz. cans cream style corn (some people add beans and peas too).
Cut the chicken into pieces. Place it in the stockpot, cover with the water and bring it to a boil. reduce heat. Cover and simmer for about 30 mins. Remove the chicken and strain the stock. When the chicken is cool, remove the skin and bones. Tear the meat into small pieces. (You can substitute chicken broth and boneless, skinless or smoked chicken).
In a large cast iron skillet, brown your ground beef (If using ground pork, brown along with the beef).
Add the onions and cook for about 8 mins. Add chicken and pulled pork. Stir and cook for about 5 mins. Transfer the meat mixture to the stockpot of your turkey fryer. Add your reserved chicken stock (about 4 cups).
Stir in all of the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about an hour. Stir occasionally, adding more stock if needed.
For all intensive purposes, I made this recipe all my own. I made it in a slow cooker. I made it with leftovers, and I put no creamed corn in the pot. My own version consisted of all leftovers. Leftover meatballs and beef gravy. Leftover pulled pork and sauce. Leftover pork chops and a Guinness au jus sauce. I had no BBQ spice so I used about a 1\2 cup of Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce). Fresh boneless chicken cut up. Fresh onions, and fresh green peppers. Put in slow cooker and cooked all day.
I had the opportunity to go to a huge automotive swap meet this past weekend. There was of course, many other things besides car stuff. I, of course, focused on the food.
I came across an old cast iron stove top deep fryer. The cast iron itself could have been re-seasoned, but the basket was beyond repair. The pot was fashioned with a piece that let the basket sit to drain the hot oil.
This was a weekend long event. Many of the vendors came in and stayed for the weekend. Here was a whole new faction of tailgating that I had not seen before. It was more or less just like a race weekend…but, there was no race. Kind of like camping, but as far as I am concerned…there was major tailgating going on. Grills, BBQ smokers, traditional and homemade were all on hand. Tents, trailers, and people just sleeping in cars and trucks. Kids, dogs, food, campfires, and lots of beer. Like I said…it was just like a race weekend. It was even located on the track of a speedway…just no racing.
The speedway had all of their own traditional food; burgers, hot dogs, sausage and peppers, and fried onions. They did bring in some other food vendors for the weekend though. Hot chocolate, cinnamon apple buns, hot apple cider were just some of the things available. My favorite part of the whole weekend was a food vendor from Vermont. They sold sandwiches out of their trailer. Sliced roast beef, turkey or pork. The most awesome part was the two tiered rotisserie BBQ pit that they had right in the window for the public to view. The meat was slow cooked, sliced thin and AWESOME! Some au jus on the side for dipping would have made it perfect, but it was still quite grand.
Over all it was a great weekend. Something different than what could have just been another boring Saturday and Sunday. Variety is the spice of life!
