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“BBQ
MADE SIMPLE”
A MONTHLY BBQ NEWSLETTER
From your friends at TexasBBQRub.com
For Everyone Who Enjoys Cooking on Grills and Smokers
June 2004, Volume 16
Contact Information:
Bill Cannon
BBQ Made Simple
Real Texas BBQ Rub, Inc.
10701 Corporate Dr., Suite 295
Stafford, Texas 77477
Phone – 281-240-7110
Fax – 281-240-7111
Email addresses: bill@texasbbqrub.com
Take just a couple of seconds and send this
to 5 of your friends right now. They will thank you for it.
WHAT YOU WILL FIND IN THIS ISSUE OF BBQ MADE SIMPLE
1. From Texas BBQ Rub – Enjoy our Country’s B-Day – July 4th
2. Smoking and Grilling Chickens – The Old Yardbird
3. Guest Writer – Ritchey Robin – www.gatorpit.net - Answering Questions about pits and smokers
4. Message Board/Forum – Join us NOW, We need you to participate
5. What you will find in future issues of BBQ Made Simple
A SPECIAL HAPPY 4TH OF JULY TO ALL OF OUR SUBSCRIBERS AND FRIENDS
From our families to each of you, the family of
Texas BBQ Rub wishes to extend to each of you the wish for a merry
and happy July 4th, 2004.
We would like each of our subscribers to know that we
consider you one of our family at Texas BBQ Rub and would like to
say THANKS for joining our family. Our family is growing and we
thank each of you for that.
July 4th is the celebration of our country’s B-day. So take a few minutes and thank everyone that has made us this great country what it is today. And, you know I was thinking that another new country was just born, Iraq. Even though it is thousands of miles from our own country, we need to think of the men and women who are there at this very moment making a dream a reality for those peoples. I guess time will only tell if they are successful in achieving greatness as a new country.
The 4th of July is also the single largest day of outdoor cooking on pits and grills. The backyards will be full of some of the finest tasting grilled and smoked meat that the world has ever seen on this day. It does not matter if you are just beginning to learn about cooking on a grill or smoker or if you are an advanced BBQ’er, this is a great day to spend with your families and friends and enjoy some good old back yard cooking.
CHICKEN – The Yard Bird – The Secret Meat for the Smoker
Did you know that the average American eats
over 80 pounds of chicken a year? It comes in variety of shapes and
sizes and products. We have chicken nuggets, chicken lunchmeat,
chicken fajitas, and of course fried chicken.
The chicken fits nicely into our world of
smoking and grilling. It takes on flavors extremely well.
You should be careful in the handling of chicken. Chicken spoils easily, so there are some cooking safety concerns that you should practice while handling and cooking chicken. There are some basic rules in handling chickens and it never hurts us to read them again before we start.
- When you are working with chickens wash your hands constantly in order to prevent contaminating other foods you are also preparing
- If you need to thaw a chicken, thaw it in the refrigerator. This can take up to 12 to 14 hours so give yourself the time you need to properly thaw the bird. If you need a quick method of thawing, use the microwave oven.
- Make sure you cook the chicken entirely.
Chicken has become one of the mainstays for
diet conscious people. Hell it has become a staple for all of us.
The reason is chicken are lower in fat and cholesterol than most
other meats. The fact is the marketing folks for the poultry
industry are doing one hell of a good job promoting their products
to us. And we cook chicken in such a wide variety of ways, we can
eat it all of the time and always change the looks and taste of the
chicken. Chicken is really one meat that we can cook almost in any
manner and it comes out great. It can be smoked, grilled, fried, and
baked. It is great in salads and in casseroles.
Chicken is generally thought of as having two distinct kinds of meat: dark and light. The dark meat comes from the leg and thigh portions of the chicken. The dark meat contains more connective tissues and fat and thus requires a longer cooking time. The light (white) meat comes from the breast and wing of the chicken. The light meat contains less connective tissue and fat and therefore cook quicker than does the dark meat.
Avoid “Burnt Cinder” Chicken – It is
Easy to Avoid
Have you ever been to a barbecue and had what I
call “burnt cinder” chicken. “Burnt cinder” chicken is
black, crusty, dried out and taste terrible. It is the end product
of high heat and applying barbecue sauce to the meat during the
entire cooking process. We are going to teach you how to avoid the
“burnt cinder” chicken doldrums.
Most people tend to grill skinless chicken
breasts. However, most people are drying out the chicken breast in
the process by overcooking the chicken.
Try slow smoking chicken using indirect heat.
Lower the temperature of the grill or pit to 200 to 225 degrees. And
sit back and get ready to enjoy the finest chicken you have ever
sank your teeth into.
The secret to grilling or smoking great tasting barbecued chicken is to keep the temperature of the fire low and leave any barbecue sauce you might be using off until the last few minutes on the pit. As with all meats, cooking at lower temperatures will produce tender, better tasting, and juicier meats. High heat will cook the meat quicker all right, but it will dry out a piece of chicken in a hurry. So lower the heat and add some cooking time to the bird.
All of the flavor added to the chicken will come from the rub that has been applied to the bird from the beginning of the cook and from the smoke flavor of the fire. Both of these taste will penetrate the meat during cooking and add the flavor to your chicken.
Smoked Chicken – This One is Hard to Beat and is Simple
One of the most flavorful things you can smoke is chicken. Smoke takes to chicken like a duck to water. The key to successful smoking chicken is to cook low and slow, use a great rub, add a little oil before the cook, add some wood flavor to the fire, and leave the dang old chicken skin on the bird during smoking.
I know you are getting tired of me saying this,
low and slow cooking on the pit. Yes, even the dang old yard bird
needs to be cooked low and slow.
Use a great rub. Texas BBQ Rub works great on
chicken adding flavor and some sweetness to the chicken.
Add a little oil to the chicken before cooking.
I use Italian dressing as a basting before placing the chicken on
the pit. First I baste the chicken with Italian dressing and then
apply Texas BBQ Rub. This combination works fantastic and the
Italian dressing adds some flavor as well as some oil. Some folks
use butter for their oil and butter works well also.
Add some wood flavor to your fire. If you are cooking with charcoal add some chunks of wood for the smoked wood flavor. The two biggest things adding flavor to the chicken are the wood flavor and the rub.
As I said, low and slow is the key to keeping the bird from drying out. Cook at 200 to 225 degrees. Cooking time for 200 is approximately 5 to 6 hours and cooking times for 225 degrees is approximately 3 ½ to 4 ½ hours. Cook the chicken until the juices of the chicken run clear, approximately 170 to 175 degrees internal temperature. If you are using an internal thermometer do not let it hit the bone of the chicken, as you will get a false reading. Test the temperature at the thickest part of the chicken breast.
I prefer to pick a whole chicken and cut it in half for cooking on the pit. I like to lay the chicken down with the breast side up on the pit and all you have to do is let it sit there and cook. You can cook whole chickens if you like, but add a little more time for cooking.
Smoked chicken will stay good in the
refrigerator for 2 or 3 days. It is fantastic to make chicken salad
with and it is great in salads. Smoked chicken will freeze nicely if
you have a vacuum packer or can wrap the chicken really good to
protect it in the freezer.
Below is my recipe for “Bill’s Simple Chicken”. Give it a try. This little bird has won a few trophies.
BILL'S
EASY SMOKED CHICKEN
What
you need.
1-Whole
chicken (I usually cut mine in half)
Or as an alternative you can use chicken breasts or cut up
whole chicken
¼
cup of TEXAS BBQ RUB
¼ cup of Italian dressing (any brand will do)
1
tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
Take a bottle of your favorite Italian dressing and pour into a bowl. Add about ¼ cup of Texas BBQ Rub to the Italian dressing and mix together. Add the Worcestershire sauce to the Italian/Texas BBQ Rub blend. It should be a dark brown color. Take your chicken and put it in a glass-baking dish. Pour the Italian/Texas BBQ Rub blend over the chicken. Use your finger to run some of the Italian dressing/Texas BBQ Rub up under the skin. Next, sprinkle the chicken with TEXAS BBQ RUB. Cover both sides of the chicken lightly with the rub.
Tip: Leave the skin on the chicken.
Tip:
Use your finger with some rub on it and work it under the skin of
the chicken.
The
chicken is now ready for the cooker.
Place
the chicken in your cooker. You need to use the indirect method of
cooking and make sure you add smoking wood to the fire. Place the
chicken with the outside of the chicken facing up, skin on side up.
If you are using chicken breasts place the breasts with the flat
side down on the grill. Cook at a low temperature until the chicken
is done. Examples of cooking times for whole chickens are as
follows: (chicken breasts will cook faster)
200 degrees - about 5 to 6 hours
225 degrees - about 4 to 5 hours
Cook
the chicken so the juices of the chicken run clear if you punch a
hole in the side of the chicken or to 165 degrees internal
temperature. Do not over cook the bird it will dry it out.
That
is it. These chickens turn out to be moist and have a great taste.
Tip: By the way, if you are new to smoking meats you can practice your smoking techniques using chickens. The techniques are the same and it is a much quicker cooking period and the costs for chickens is less than other meats. Use chicken to learn a new pit or practice with the taste of different woods.
Grilling
Chicken
Most
people when they talk about barbecuing chicken are really talking
about grilling chicken. Most people will grill either chicken
breasts or parts of the chicken.
The
biggest problem people are having with grilling chicken is to dry
out the chicken or apply a barbecue sauce on the chicken and burn
the sauce on the chicken. My thought is most people are so afraid of
not cooking enough that they tend to overcook it.
Tips
for grilling chicken:
·
If you are
cooking pieces of a chicken, leave the skin on the chicken while
grilling.
·
Add some fat
or oil to the chicken before you put the chicken on the grill
·
Lower the
temperature of the grill
·
Use a great
rub on the chicken as the barbecue sauce will not add much to the
flavor during cooking
·
Add wood to
the charcoal or gas to give a wood flavor to the chicken
·
Use the
indirect method of cooking if possible
·
Only put any
barbecue sauce you want to put on the chicken the last few minutes
while it is on the grill
·
Do not
overcook the chicken
Leaving
the skin on the chicken will give the bird necessary fat located
under the skin to assist in keeping the chicken moist during
cooking. So do not use skinless meat on the grill. If you want to
take the skin off, take it off prior to eating the chicken.
You
should add a little oil or butter to the bird before placing on the
grill. You can even baste the bird once or twice during the grilling
process with butter or apple juice or your choice of basting liquid.
Only use this if you are cooking direct heat method. And be careful.
Fats and butter can cause flare ups of the charcoal and create hot
spots under the chicken you are cooking so you will need to be
careful to watch for the flare-ups.
Lower
the temperature of the grill. Don’t cook over direct coals at the
highest temperature you can get. Let the charcoal cook down a bit or
lower the gas and cook at lower temperatures. Cook with the indirect
method if possible.
Use
a great rub. Texas BBQ Rub will work fabulously on chicken.
Remember, the flavor will come from the wood flavor and the rub not
from the barbecue sauce.
Add
woodchucks to the charcoal or the gas grill to add smoke flavor.
If
you want to add barbecue sauce on the meat, add it the last 5
minutes the chicken is on the grill.
Cook
the chicken to 170 to 175 degrees internal temperature or until the
juices of the chicken run clear. Do not overcook the chicken, as it
will dry it out. Grilling times for indirect medium heat are about
30 to 40 minutes for the breast and wing pieces and 40 to 50 minutes
for the thigh and leg pieces. Remember the leg and thigh pieces
contain the connective tissues and thus require a longer cooking
time.
Order Texas BBQ Rub right now so you will have it in the pantry for that next time you cook. It goes great on any kind of meat. You can order it at www.texasbbqrub.com/shopping.html Trust me you will love it and our 100% money back, no questions asked guarantee is the best in the industry. You owe it to yourself, so go ahead and order some now. You have nothing to lose, if you don’t like our rub, just send us and email and we will cheerfully refund the money you paid for the rub.
SPECIAL GUEST WRITER – RITCHEY ROBIN – ANSWERING QUESTIONS ABOUT PITS AND GRILLS
Ritchey Robin, the owner of Gator Pits (www.gatorpit.net) is continuing the discussion he started the last two months about what to look for in a barbecue pit. Ritch is a custom builder of barbecue pits and smokers and he builds one heck of a pit. We are fortunate to have him write and give us some insight into what to look for in any pit you have or are thinking about purchasing. If you are in the market for a backyard smoker or even a big trailer rig give Ritch a call and he will be happy to talk pits with you.
I am going to try and answer some of the common questions some of you may have regarding pits. If you remember I listed a lot of the common questions I hear everyday so I thought we could answer some of them here for all of you. We have covered the first 5 questions in last month’s newsletter.
Question 6: How
large of smoker box do I need?
On offset fireboxes, I would recommend making the firebox the same diameter as the horizontal cooking chamber. The length of the firebox depends on length of the horizontal cooking chamber (s). Meaning, the larger the area you want to heat up, the larger the firebox needs/should be to fuel the food chamber. Other factors to consider are: is there an upright smoker box, tuning plates, etc. These are factors that you need to consider and discuss with the builder of your pit.
Question 7:
Think about the handles, are they made out of a product that
will last and be cool to my touch
You can’t go wrong with stainless steel (SS) cool-touch handles. Also referred to as air-cooled or stainless steel spring handles. You will not be replacing these handles for a very long time, if ever. Most makers us wood handles, which, when needed to replace, you will find they don’t offer replaceable handles. This leaves you hunting the local hardware stores for something that will work on your pit. Good luck. Welded on SS handles will last a lifetime and then some and do not get hot to the touch even if on your firebox door if installed correctly. They cost a bit more for replacement parts, but well worth it. Make sure they have an inside diameter for inserting and welding a ½” steel rod.
Question 8: Where can I find the wood to cook with once I buy the smoker?
Search the internet for BBQ smoking woods. There are a lot of suppliers out there. Check out your local BBQ competitions and ask around where the wood comes from. Some BBQ joints will sell BBQ wood to the general public. Check those out as well. You can find it, no matter where you are. Wood is available world-wide. If you have problems getting it in your neck of the woods, contact me. I can refer you to someone that I know ships smoking woods.
As a courtesy to the new subscribers we are including the answers to the first 5 questions that were covered in the last newsletter.
Question 1: What is the pit made out of?
Typically, you want a carbon steel pit with a minimum wall thickness of 3/16”. The wall thickness will provide better heat retention and will burn less wood for the cook. There are a lot of pits that are of lesser wall thickness steel that cook great and turn out some fantastic BBQ. However, you will find yourself having to work the pit harder to maintain temperature and the pit’s longevity is minimized. Thinner wall pits will have a tendency to burn-out/rust-out quicker and therefore will last only a couple of years.
There are some pits that have stainless steel doors on them and occasionally you will even see a pit constructed of all stainless steel. Stainless will last a lifetime and is really nice to clean. However, stainless is a heat transmitter and does not hold heat like carbon steel. So if you have a door made of stainless or a pit made of stainless your pit heat is typically being lost thru the stainless and not being retained. Stainless can also discolor under high temperatures and then it begins to get ugly.
Question 2: Is it portable?
Portable, meaning hitch and/or trailer mounted or if it is of the backyard variety, does it have some wheels for easier moving from one location to another.
Decide whether or not you will need to take your pit on the road for family gatherings, company get-togethers, competitions, catering gigs, or if you simply want a pit for the backyard. If you don’t expect to use your pit away from the house often, you may want to consider having the ability to simply load your pit on a utility trailer and haul it to where you would like to use it.
However, if your intent is catering,
competition, etc., then consider spending additional money for a
trailer-mounted smoker. They come in various styles and designs from
are called “pull-behinds” and “walk-ups or walk-ins”.
Pull-behinds are simply pits mounted to a trailer frame and you
“work” the pit from the ground level (standing on the ground).
Walk-ups are pits that are typically “worked” while standing in
the trailer floor.
There are many other factors to consider in selecting a pit. If it is a backyard unit you need to think about the size and types of tires on the pit and how easy is it to move around. Remember, if you choose a backyard pit they can weigh as much as several hundreds of pounds.
Question 3: Is it large enough to serve my needs?
This is probably the hardest question you
will ask yourself. How big of a pit do I really need? Well, ask
yourself what type of meats you like to cook and for how many people
do you generally cook. Once you have answered those two basic
questions, I would recommend getting the next largest size pit
because you will find that your neighbors will start coming over,
your co-workers will ask you to bring some “Q’ to the office and
it just goes on from there. Look at the diameter and length of the
pit, shelf clearance, whether or not there is an upright smoker box
or not, etc. All this is dependent on what and how you like to cook.
Again, let me say this. Decide on the size pit
you think is big enough, and then go bigger. Incremental costs of a
bigger pit are not nearly as costly as having to buy a bigger pit.
Question 4: Typically, there are cheaper smokers and then there are custom smokers. What is the difference?
The less expensive smokers can be purchased at just about any hardware store, Wally World, the big home improvement warehouses, etc. If you are new to smoking meats, you may consider starting out with one of these retail purchased smokers. They typically have thinner walls and the firebox will bolt to the cooking chamber in the offset smokers. They are naturally not made as well as a custom pit and you can expect the pit to last only a couple of years. But they can cook some decent “Q” for you and a small group.
Custom pits are a world apart from these store bought smokers. Quality, engineering, design, features, etc. are offered on custom pits that the store bought pits never even think about. However, expect to pay more for a custom-built pit than a store bought pit assembly-lined pit. A true custom-pit designer/builder can design and build a pit to fit your specific wants and needs. Custom-made pits are not generally an “in-a-box/bolt together” pit, but completely assembled welded pits and are much beefier than a store bought pit. A good custom pit will last you over 10 years.
Question 5: How thick should the steel be in the smoker?
Smokers vary in wall thickness from the food chamber to the firebox. This can generally range from 1/8” wall and greater. Store bought smokers are usually around 1/8” in wall thickness, with the exception of a few manufacturers that construct their pits up to ¼” thick. Most custom-built pits are a minimum of 3/16” thick. Thicker wall means better heat retention, less fuel burned, and increased longevity of the pit. Costs vary based on thickness and features offered with the pit whether from a retailer or a custom-builder.
Give Ritch a call if you have any questions or if you are in the market for a nice smoker or grill. He builds a quality pit.
Ritchey L. Robin
Gator Pit, LLC
11161 West Little York
Houston, Texas 77041
Office: 713-896-0144
Toll Free: 1-866-869-5166
Voted “Best Mobile Barbecue Pit” HOUSTON PRESS
TEXASBBQRUB.COM – MESSAGE BOARD/FORUM (Your BBQ Information
Source on the Internet)
We have a message board/forum to our web site.
The link is www.texasbbqrub.com/phpBB2/
and we want and need each of you to come to the message board
and join us in the fun. We would love to hear your questions,
comments, suggestions, and just talk BBQ with all of our members. If
you have not already done so, please click the link above
right now and join in the fun.
Don’t be shy. All questions are good
questions and we have a lot of pros to answer you questions or make
suggestions for you. Remember we will all learn from each of your
comments. That is what we are all about here, learning how to BBQ or
passing along our thoughts to others. Whether you are just beginning
to learn how to Q or you consider yourself a pit master come visit
our forum today. We need everyone to jump on in there. It is FREE
to join and takes just a few seconds to get registered, so do it
now. We all will be happy you did.
WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU
Remember this is your newsletter, so we want
you to send us any suggestions or comments you have about the
newsletter. If you think we need to add another section let us know
and we will work on it. We want you to be a part of this. It is for
YOU. So keep us informed.
If you are interested in a particular topic for
future newsletters send me an email at bill@texasbbqrub.com
with your suggestions. We want to hear what ya’ll are interested
in hearing about.
TESTIMONIALS FROM OUR CUSTOMERS
We here at Texas BBQ Rub want you to cook the
best tasting, juiciest BBQ you have ever cooked. We have spent the
last 8 years developing a system to make BBQ’ing the easiest it
can be. We want to save you time, money, energy, headaches, and
heartbreaks.
We have the easiest method of preparing BBQ
ever revealed. It is tried, it is tested, and it works.
It works on every kind of meat. It just does not get any better or
easier than this.
And on top of all of that, This Simple 3 Step
Method produces the finest BBQ you or your friends, neighbors, and
relatives have ever sank your teeth into. The link to our order page
is www.texasbbqrub.com/shopping.html
so go there right now and order the best rub in the market.
We here from customers every month about what they thought about Texas BBQ Rub and here are a few of the comments we received last month.
“Dear Bill,
I received my order for your rub. I can’t believe how good it smelled even before I started
cooking. I made ribs and chicken with it yesterday and they were fantastic! The taste is
unique and delicious. It kind of lingers on one’s mind even after the dishes are done. I may
end up buying it by the case!
Thanks for creating such a good product.”
Rick W., Lubbock, Texas
“Everything is great. The Rub is a huge hit. My Q has never been better. I think I
like it best on chicken! It really crisps up the skin and the inside is so juiiiiiicy. It’s
great on everything. Thanks!
James M., Austin, Texas
Find out what so many people have already found
out. We have shipped Texas BBQ Rub to all 50 states, Canada, and
overseas. So order TexasBBQRub. Order it right now. The link is www.texasbbqrub.com/shopping.html
. Don’t put it off any longer, and remember you will be the talk
of the pit. So go ahead and order NOW.
If you have a comment or want to send us your testimonial please feel free to do so. Send it to Bill@texasbbqrub.com and we will feature you in an upcoming newsletter or on our site.
A GLANCE AT THE NEXT ISSUE OF BBQ MADE SIMPLE
Well that ends this month’s newsletter. As we get into the heat of the summer we want to talk about birds, chicken to be exact. We will talk about grilled chicken and the art of slow smoking chickens.
We will feature an article by Ritchey L. Robin as he continues to answer many of the questions that folks have when they are looking to buy a smoker or grill.
SOME FINAL THOUGHTS
PLEASE REMEMBER, AS YOU GATHER AROUND THE
SMOKER OR GRILL, TO TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO THINK OF ALL OF THOSE WHO
HAVE GIVEN SO MUCH FOR THE FREEDOM WE ALL ENJOY. PLEASE, TAKE YOUR
HATS OFF FOR A FEW MOMENTS AND SAY THANKS TO ALL OF THE MEN AND
WOMEN WHO HAVE PAID WITH THEIR LIVES IN MAKING AMERICA WHAT IT IS:
THE LAND OF FREEDOM.
Remember that we still have many of our
troops in both Iraq and in Afghanistan protecting our freedom and
helping others achieve their own freedom. Keep them in your prayers
and hearts for the many months to come. They are there serving our
country and us.
Cooking is a great way to get the family interested in doing something together. Kids make great helpers around the grill and let them feel like they made a difference. Always include your children when cooking (if they are old enough). They will grow to love it and they will always want to help you out. Ask them to help and give them important jobs to do, like rubbing the meat, be the fire attendant, or running errands for you. PASS ON THE ART OF COOKING TO YOUR CHILDREN…..YOU WILL BE GLAD YOU DID AND SO WILL THEY.
That concludes this month’s issue of
BBQ MADE SIMPLE. Do me a favor and pass this along to 5 of your
friends right now. They will thank you for it and I will too.
Keep on Cook’ in – Happy 4th of July Everyone!
Bill
You can contact us at bill@texasbbqrub.com if you should have any questions or comments.
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