"Wings: Spicy Honey-Garlic" *

Ingredients:

2 lbs large chicken wings
Favorite chicken rub (Montreal Chicken Seasoning), or other
1/2 stick butter
1/2 C Louisiana style hot sauce (Frank's Red Hot Louisiana Sauce)
1/4 C Honey
2 C Blue Cheese
1 Garlic Clove

Preparation:

1.  With a sharp knife, cut the wings into three pieces through the joints.  Discard the wing tips, or save for chicken stock.  Transfer the remaining "drummettes" and "flats" to a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper or nonstick aluminum foil, and arrange them in a single layer.  Season well with the rub.

2.  Make the spicy honey-garlic sauce:  Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add the garlic, and saute for 2 to 3 minutes until it soften (do not let it color).  Stir in the not sauce and honey and cook for several minutes to blend the flavors  Keep warm.

3.  When ready to cook, start the Traeger grill on Smoke with the lid open until the fire is established (4 to 5 minutes).  Set the temperature to 350 degrees F and preheat, lid closed for 10 to 15 minutes.

4. Arrange the baking sheet with the wings on the grill grate.  Cook for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink at the bone.  Place the wings in a large bowl, pour the sauce over them then blend until the wings are covered with the sauce.

5.  Serve wiht the blue cheese or ranch dressing.

* Recipe adapted from www.traegergrills.com/recipes.

"Pulled Pork"

I wasn't a fan of pulled pork when my dad used to make it on his grille at home.  It seemed too dry and uninteresting.  Since I have been using a Traeger grille to cook meats on though, some of my prior thinking has changed.

Here's a recipe for a juicy pulled pork sandwich:

Ingredients:

Spicy mustard
Rub
Brown Sugar
5lb Pork Shoulder, or Butt (same thing)
24 to 36 oz. (2 or 3 cans) Coke (not diet!)
3/4 C Apple cider
1/4 C Cooking oil

Method:

Put a smooth coating of the mustard on the meat. This helps hold the sugar and the rub.

Spread a thin coat of brown sugar on the meat, gently rubbing it in; this gives nice flavor and it makes a gorgeous crust when finished.

Spread a liberal amount of rub on the meat, gently rubbing it in; flavor, you bet.

Set your cooker to 250 degrees and place the meat on a grate over any type of container that will capture the juices. Pour some of the coke into the container, about half a can.

Every hour spray, or mop, with the apple cider-cooking oil mixture, and watch the container that it doesn't dry up by adding more coke.

Cook to either 180 degrees or 190 degrees.  The meat pulls away easier if the temp reached is 190.

Collect the juices, pour into a pan.  Add a couple dashes of the rub, a bit more coke, and some of your favorite barbecue sauce.  Heat to boiling, let cool, remove any fats that rise to the top.  Add these juices to the meat just prior to serving.

We like to add cole slaw to the meat when putting the sandwich together.

      

"Jerk Chicken"

"Turkey Dressing"

To Die For Turkey Dressing:

Ingredients:

• one box regular turkey dressing
• one box corn bread dressing
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 2 cups onion
• 4 sticks butter
• 1 lb Jimmy Dean sausage

Procedure:

• Saute celery and onions in butter.
• Brown the sausage. 
• Mix sautéed celery and onion with the dressings and sausage, add the chicken broth.
• Bake 30 min covered and 15 min uncovered.

Enjoy

ps:  Thanks to my friend "Joe in Oly" for the recipe.

"The New and Improved Smoked Turkey, Gravy and Dressing Recipe"

Do not baste the bird, it softens the skin.  Do not tie off the legs/wings.  Doing so closes off certain area to the heat and yields uneven cooking.  Rub every crook and cranny.

The Smoker:  Clean, and use any flavor of wood pellets, except hickory and mesquite.  They are too heavy and will over power your bird's taste.  In 2013 I used NW apple wood pellets.  When ready, open the lid and start on lowest setting for 5 - 7 minutes.  After it has started, put the bird in for an hour to an hour and a half for the smoke, then ramp up the temp to 325 degrees. Remove when the deep meat reaches 165 degrees.  

Brine:  Purchase packet in the grocery store when you pick-up your bird.  Follow the directions.  The packet even comes with a large sealable plastic bag.  How long should the bird be brined?  One hour for each pound of bird, breast down.  Then let it sit quietly in the fridge for 24 hours prior to the cook.

Gravy:  Prepare the gravy one hour prior to putting the bird on the smoker. 

Ingredients for Gravy -

• 3-4 cups water, or chicken stock, or wine, any combination thereof
• 1 cup apple juice
• 2 - 3 cups yellow onions, ends removed, skin on, quartered
• 2 medium carrots peeled 2" lengths, or baby carrots
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 2 cups chopped carrots
• 1 tbl dried sage leaves, crumbled
• 1 tbl dried thyme
• 2 whole bay leaves
• 2-3 tbl olive oil
• No Salt
• the Pope's nose (tail)
• heart, gizzard, excess skin and fat, neck and juices

Procedure -

Put sliced yellow onions, chopped celery and carrots, and herbs, along with 4 or 5 tbls of olive oil in roasting pan, heat in oven at 425 degrees for one hour, or until the onions turn a nice golden brown. 

Place the bird, breast up, on a roasting rack set it in the roasting pan with the onions, carrots, etc., at 325 degrees. Add 3 or 4 cups of chicken broth (not organic!), apple juice, and optionally, chopped innards from the bird, and put it in the oven/smoker. Replenish liquid with chicken broth as needed throughout the cooking process.

Once done, pour into a bowl and spoon off the grease on top, then put into the blender and puree to a gravy consistency.  At that point, as my friend "Joe from Oly," says, "Toss in some salt and pepper to taste, then start praising God that he put Joe on earth to be your friend."

Bring the gravy to a boil to reduce and thicken, if needed.  It is rich enough that you can add more stock, or broth, to make more.

Wet Rub (Simon & Garfunkel):

Ingredients:

• 1 tbl dried crused parsley
• 2 tbls dried crushed sage
• 1 tbl dried crushed rosemary
• 1 tbl dried crushed thyme
• 1 tbl dried crushed oregano
• 1 tbl dried crushed basil
• 1 tbl dried crushed bay leaf
• 1 tbl ground black pepper
• 1 tbl sugar
• 10 tbl vegetabl or olive oil
• 2 1/2 tbl table salt

Procedure:

Mix dry ingredients first, add the oil, mix.  Separate the skin from the muscle on the bird and slide the rub in between.  Save some for the exterior of the skin.

Bird Aromatics:

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, quartered, skin on
• 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 2 large springs fresh sage, or thyme
• peel of one orange
• orange chunks

Procedure:

Place ingredients in body cavity, but use care not to plug the airways in the cavity.

Lois' Fish Rub

2    tbs chopped fresh dill, or
2    tsps dried dill
2    tsp paprika
1    tbs lemon zest
1    tsp salt
1    tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Mix well and use immediately, or store

"Diego's Killer Rub"

The following rub is adapted from Konrad Haskins', "Giddy Up BBQ," recipe. Konrad reports using this rub on everything he bbq's, and he has won national awards doing so - I figure if he can simplify his life like this, I can too. It has become my rub of choice - on everything except fish, though I think it might work there as well as on peanut butter.

Mix equal amounts of each of the following:

Montreal Steak Seasoning
Cane Sugar (if your sugar doesn't say it is 'cane,' it is beet sugar)
Kosher Salt
Dark Chili Powder

And pinch or two of cayenne to taste.

You'll love this rub. Try it and tell me you don't.