BBQ - CHICKEN WING LOLLIPOPS

A chicken wing has 3 sections and you want to cut it in those 3 sections

The wing tip which doesn’t have much edible meat on it, so I usually freeze it and use it for making chicken stock. 2. The middle part which has two bones in it and can be used for buffalo chicken wings. 3. The part that we want is the third, the thickest part which looks like a little drumstick when cut away.

Once you've cut the wing in the 3 sections grab the thin end or the little drum stick firmly, then carefully cut through the skin surrounding the bone, using a sawing motion and turning it around. Let the knife do the work

Once the skin is cut all around, use your knife to scrape down the meat from the bone. Push the meat down to the other end

Using your fingers, pull the meat over the fat end of the bone so that it’s inside out.  You can grill it, bake it or fry it (These are great appetizers).

BBQ - NECESSARY UTENSILS

UTENSILS ACT AS AN EXTENSION OF YOUR HANDS WHEN YOU'RE GRILLING.
Always protect your hands by using hot pads, silicone gloves, long-handled tongs, spatulas, and brushes etc.

Many tools are made for the grill with heat-resistant handles. These materials shouldn’t transmit heat; still, be careful handling tools over the hot fire.

LONG-HANDLED SPRING-LOADED STAINLESS STEEL TONGS
Spring-loaded means that they open automatically, and you squeeze to close them on the food.  If you don’t have spring-loaded tongs, you have to open and close the tongs,

Designate specific tongs to use on meat, fish, or vegetables, as the tongs can transfer residue and char from one food to another.

Color-coordinated tongs are good for using on cooked and uncooked food.

LONG-HANDLED REGULAR SPATULA
Spatulas are the second-most important grilling tool; used to turn fragile foods.  Get several sizes and shapes of spatulas.

LONG-HANDLED FiSH SPATULA
Spray the spatula with nonstick cooking spray so it won’t stick, even to glazed foods.

THERMOMETERS
Digital readouts are faster than a dial and a most accurate way to check doneness of meat, poultry, and seafood. It’s always helpful to have more than one thermometer.

SILICONE BRUSHES
Silicone brushes and mops have the advantage of being easy to clean. They are dishwasher-safe and won’t rust or corrode.

LONG-HANDLED FORK

CHEF’S KNIFE

PARING KNIFE

CUTTING BOARD

Barbecue Sundae

Take any clear glass or clear plastic cup and spoon some BBQ baked beans in the bottom of it, top that with cole slaw then top that with BBQ pulled pork

It should have a layered look and garnished with a pickle spear

Some invert the order of ingredients

Some use chicken

Some like it hot or cold

Some have Mexican food varieties on this
It's easy to walk around and eat
Try your own variation

BBQ - INDIRECT GRILLING

Indirect grilling is designed to cook larger or tougher foods that would burn if direct grilled but I do the majority of my grilling indirect. I just like putting it on the grill and not having to watch it.


Indirect grilling is used to cook large pieces of meat, like pork shoulders and whole chickens. It's also used to cook tough cuts of meat, like brisket and ribs, that require long, slow cooking at a low or moderate temp.


To indirect grill on a charcoal grill, the charcoal is on 1 side of the grill and the meat is on the other.  I always include a foil drip pan in my grill with water (and apple juice) to help put some moisture out there


I like my smoker to be like an outdoor oven so I keep the lid closed to hold in the heat as much as possible accept for mopping the meat, adding charcoal or whatever is necessary and then when I open the grill I will try to do everything at that time (mopping, adding charcoal etc.) so I don't have to keep opening the lid because that brings your temperature down.


You decide if you want to do direct or indirect grilling   
There's a picture below of me firing up my little smokey joe to do a few pieces :)

BBQ - Chicken & Poultry

Inspected by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Graded by Agricultural Marketing Service Department
Three grades, ABC although only Grade A is found in supermarkets

Size and age:

Broiler – fryer, 7 weeks old, 2 ½ to 4 ½ lbs
A broiler is a type of chicken raised specifically for meat production, they are noted for having very fast growth rates.

Roaster, 3 to 5 months old, 5 to 7 lbs

Capon, castrated male (rooster), 4 to 7 lbs  

Cornish game hens, 1-2 lb young chicken
In the USA, a Cornish game hen, also sometimes called a Cornish hen, poussin, or Rock Cornish hen

BBQ - HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

Happy Father's Day to all the father's taking care of business! Hope you have a great day and I'm sure you're going get the grill going to do some bbq :)

So check out my blog on Steak and my blog on Steaks and The Four-Finger Thermometer ENJOY!

BBQ - Charcoal Briquettes vs. Lump Hardwood

Lump Hardwood are pieces of wood pre-burned to create charcoal. They're all natural, no additives, burn hotter and faster than briquettes, add flavor to meats and are more expensive than briquettes

Briquettes are a convenient, inexpensive source of fuel. The general consensus is that briquettes tend to burn longer and more consistently than lump charcoal, but not quite as hot. The consistency of briquettes is due to the fact that they are an engineered product.

Briquettes often contain borax as a binder and nitrate to make them light. The key is to purchase only natural briquettes without additives. Read the label and know the ingredients that you prefer to either deal with or not.

I prefer lump charcoal over briquettes, food cooked with lump charcoal simply tastes better. Lump charcoal has a distinct, natural flavor whereas charcoal briquettes contain various types of "fillers" that are not naturally found in wood.

You make the choice

BBQ and Marinade

Marination is a process that infuses meat with ingredients that add another dimension of flavor.  It also tenderizes meat, improves texture and/or juiciness.

Three components of a good marinade: acidic liquid, oil, and seasonings.  Acid is used to break down the meat, oil is used to keep the meat from drying out, and spices are used to additional flavor to the meat.

Example:  apple juice, olive oil, seasoning salt and pepper (or your rub)

Always use non-reactive containers (ceramic, glass, stoneware, food-grade plastic, wood, porcelain) when marinading meat. Never use aluminum pans, the acid in the marinade can react with aluminum.

Do not reuse the marinade again once you have let your meat sit in it.  Always keep the meat you are marinading or have marinated on ice or in the refrigerator until you're ready to apply the rub and put it on the smoker.

Use 1/2-cup of marinade per pound on the meat

Marinade at least 1 or more hours, refrigerated

There are a variety of marinades to use, you just have to research and try the one you like.

BBQ - Smoked Corn

Start out by pulling the husks down to the bottom of the corn without removing the husks. Remove the silk as best you can.

Mix together some olive oil (vegetable oil works well also) and equal amounts of black pepper and kosher salt.

Rub the oil mix all over the ear of corn, then pull the husks back up over the corn.

Soak the corn in cold water for an hour or more

Place the ears of corn in the smoker leaving a little space between each one to allow the smoke to get around it.

Smoke at 225

When the corn has been in the smoker for about 30 minutes, take some softened butter and carefully get about a teaspoon of it up under the husk of each ear of corn making sure to coat as much of the exposed ear as possible.

Repeat this procedure 30 minutes later.

When the corn has been in the smoker for 1.5 hours, start checking it for doneness. it shouldn’t be long now.

I usually let it go for about 1.5 to 1.75 hours at the most and then bring it straight to the table.

Eat as is or use it for smoked corn chowder, smoked corn salsa or whatever you desire.

BBQ - Beer Can Chicken

I've made this several times and it always turns out great! It's like roasting a chicken in a vertical position over a beer can. The fat drains off and the skin gets crispy. The beer in the can steams and gives the chicken flavor from inside.

Here's how you do it:

Get a whole chicken 3 1/2 - 4lbs, lightly rub it with olive oil, then sprinkle the inside and out with your favorite seasonings or rub. Pop the top of the beer can, drink 1/2 the beer and make a few extra holes in the top. Sprinkle some of your seasonings or rub into the beer can.

Holding the chicken at the top, lower the bottom opening of the chicken onto the beer can so the can fits into the chicken cavity.

Pull the legs forward to form a stand like a tripod. The chicken should stand on it's on, balanced or buy a beer can chicken stand.  Its 1 of the products on this blog.

Tuck the wings behind the chicken's back.

Set the chicken on the grill and ensure you get a temp read of at least 165 degrees before considering it done.

This will be some good eating!

BBQ - Grilling, try something new

A lot of people never branch out and try new things on the grill. Some people never BBQ more than ribs, chicken and hot dogs. Nothing is wrong with that but I just know you're missing out on some great stuff.

Spread your wings try something new, how about some turkey legs? They are delicious!

BBQ - ECO-Grilling - Cedar Paper

Sealing seafood, meats, and vegetables in cedar paper lends a smoky flavor while locking in moisture and protecting from char-based carcinogens. Choose products that meet the Sustainable Forestry Initiative standard to ensure materials came from responsible managed forests.

BBQ - RIBS

Spareribs come from the underbelly or side of the pig. Although they have the least meat per bone, spareribs are my favorite. Plan on one pound per person.

Country style ribs are cut from the blade end of the loin close to the pork shoulder. They are the meatiest variety of pork ribs; you'll need a knife and fork for these. They contain no rib bones, therefore are not technically ribs. Plan on a half a pound for most folks.

Baby back ribs are taken from the top of the rib cage and have meat between the bones and on top of the bones and are shorter, curved, and sometimes meatier than spare ribs.

St. Louis style ribs are cut from spare ribs to make a more uniform, rectangular rack. Cutting a slab of spare ribs into St. Louis style makes the rack more uniform for easier cooking and serving.

BBQ - Food Safety

This should be top priority.

Food safety must always be considered whenever you’re cooking or grilling. Follow the basic rules: don’t leave perishable food out of refrigeration for longer than two hours (one hour if the weather is very hot), separate cooked and uncooked foods, use a fresh platter and utensils for cooked foods, and watch those internal temperatures whenever you’re grilling meats.

Always wash your hands, the work surface, utensils, and platters after coming in contact with raw meats and eggs.  Avoid cross-contamination of raw/cooked food by using separate cutting boards, utensils and platters; refrigerate foods while marinating; and never baste with the marinating liquid. Make extra marinade just for basting or boil your marinating liquid first.

Just take some time and care with your food and you’ll always serve fresh, wholesome, delicious meals to satisfy your family and friends.

Have fun with grilling

BBQ - Jack Daniels Grilled Salmon

I'm going to marinade some salmon and smoke it this evening.

I marinade the salmon in the ingredients and I also make the glaze with the ingredients

Click on recipe for the ingredients

Click on Jack Daniels for the whiskey

Check out the great products!

Follow to receive auto updates

Check out the archives on the right!

BBQ - WHAT IS GRILLING?

Grilling is not barbecue
Grilling uses high temperatures
Chars food, seals in natural juices
Fast cooking
Uses direct heat

WHAT IS BARBECUE?

Barbecue is a long, slow, indirect, low-heat method of cooking that uses smoldering logs, wood chunks, or charcoal to smoke-cook food. Cooking meat until it's tender and juicy.

Temperature around 225

use wood to add another layer of flavor

Meats are often rubbed with seasonings and/or marinated before cooking

BBQ Video too