Welcome!

**TripleB** · April 28, 2020, 11:35 AM

I have no expectation to win, but read about the virtual comp last night and just happen to be grilling. ecowper Mr. Bones CaptainMike thanks for putting this on.

There was a Thai restaurant in Marina Del Rey, CA, "Thai BBQ" that served a dish called "Chicken on Fire". It literally was served "on fire". You waited till the flame went out and then poured an apricot glaze over the chicken. It was obvious that the chicken was marinated and grilled. Bits of caramelized and roasted meat topped with a sweet, sticky BBQ sauce was heavenly. I found a recipe in the L.A. Times and it is the closest I ever found to duplicating this dish. The chicken is not served on fire, but the flavor more than makes up for the visual performance.

Marinate chicken pieces in coconut milk, sweet curry, turmeric, salt, sugar, pepper and minced onion, garlic and cilantro overnight. Set up your grill indirect, and cook for about 1 hour or until the meat reaches 160 degrees. While the chicken is roasting, make up the apricot glaze with apricot preserves, peach preserves or orange marmalade, peach or apricot nectar, BBQ sauce and chili garlic sauce to your desired heat level. Bring to a boil and then reduce sauce to a sticky glaze.

Once the chicken is finished roasting, move the chicken over the coals (may have to add more coals) and grill, painting the chicken with the glaze and turning often to keep from burning. Once the chicken is grilled and caramelized to your liking, remove and pour the rest of the apricot glaze over the chicken and serve.

Attached Files

**marshall** · April 28, 2020, 05:20 PM

Looks like a winner to me!

**ItsAllGoneToTheDogs** · April 29, 2020, 06:28 PM

Dipping my toe in... ecowper Mr. Bones CaptainMike

Modified a recipe called "Mississippi Pot Roast" from Holly Nelson (wife took it off facebook so who knows)

We used more than the 4lbs of chuck or pot roast reccomened, froze for 30 minutes, rubbed in ranch mix, smoked for 4 hours (for smoke, not done-ness) at 225 with some taters in the cold smoke box.

Meat went into the instantpot, with a packets worth or ranch powder and brown gravy mix as well as 1/4 cup beef broth and half a jar of pepperoncini's and 1/2 cup of their juice for 1.5 hours. The taters came off the smoker and went into a gallon freezer bag to seal in the smoke and wait their turn for the instanpot.

When the meat was done it went in a pot on the stove and simmered for an hour or so. The taters went in the instantpot for 20 min with 1/2 cup chicken stock. Natural release, then added smoked cheddar, chives, sour cream, milk, salt, garlic, and pepper to taste.

Also smoked some greenbeans in chicken stock while all this was going on, but only allowed so many pics here.

My preference would be au jus mix over the gravy, but wife likes the gravy best

Not sure what's Mississippi about it, but it makes a fine easy meal.

Only one thing to do after all that...

**ecowper** · May 5, 2020, 09:03 PM

Okay peeps, I have to assume all the rest of you are waiting to the last second before you submit an entry .... hoping to be the dark horse

**DavidNorcross** · May 6, 2020, 05:40 AM

I am planning on submitting on Saturday. Working hard behind the scenes and planning ahead

**Henrik** · May 6, 2020, 09:03 AM

Alright folks, here's my entry. I almost forgot about this competition, and remembered it this morning, and I hadn't decided what to cook. Something I don't cook that often is pork tenderloin. I thought: how can I bring this cut of meat to life? So I went to the store and got me one. I figured it's pork, so it can take a ton of flavor. I decided to add a lot of flavor and make sure it is super moist and succulent. It turned out exactly as planned. Real moist, and loaded with flavor. You could pick out the rub, the cheese, the sauce, the bacon.

Smoked pork tenderloin, stuffed with blue cheese and apple sauce (and wrapped with bacon)

Ingredients - pork
550 grams / 20 oz pork tenderloin
140 grams / 5 oz bacon (one package)
5 tbsp apple sauce
3 tbsp pork rub (I used Hank's KC Royale Pork Rub)
60 grams / 2 oz blue cheese

Ingredients - potato gratin
1 kg / 2.2 lbs potatoes (russet)
2 small yellow onions or 1 large
1 tsp salt
1 tsp coarse ground black pepper
5 dl / 2 cups double cream
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
100 grams / 4 oz roughly grated parmesan important: get the real deal (bonafide Italian parmesan), and grate it yourself. It makes all the difference. Don't cheat here.

Instructions - pork
1. Trim any silvery membranes off the tenderloin. Place it flat on a cutting board and place one hand on top of it. Use the other hand to cut a pocket that runs the length of the tenderloin, but stop 1 inch from each end.

2. Stuff the pocket with blue cheese and apple sauce.

3. Apply the rub evenly on all sides. Make sure not to spill the stuffing.

4. Wrap the bacon around it and tie it up with butcher's twine.

5. Fire up your grill/smoker and have it running at 130° C / 265° F. Add a few wood chunks for smoking. I used two chunks of oxygen tree that I cut down last year. I've been drying it since.

6. Place the tenderloin gently on the grill, making sure the pocket opening faces up. Smoke it for roughly 1 hour, until internal temp is 62-65° C / 143-150° F. If it needs just a bit more color, move it over the direct heat and sear it for 1 minute per side.

7. Slice it and serve. I served mine with a potato gratin with a top layer of grated parmesan, and some freshly cut chives all over the plate.

Instructions - potato gratin (serves 4)

1. Set the oven to 200° C / 400° F
2. Peel the potatoes and slice them thin using a mandolin
3. Peel the onions and cut them in half. Now slice each half making thin slices.
4. Place the potatoes in a bowl and add the salt and garlic and stir so it is evenly coated.
5. Start layering the potatoes in a baking dish. Add some cream, onions, then repeat, until you've used up all the potatoes and cream and onion.
6. Sprinkle the parmesan evenly on the surface and place the baking dish in the oven.
7. Let it cook for 20-30 minutes. Time depends on how thick the gratin is. Check with a potato stick. The top surface should be a golden brown crust, and the middle should be soft and gooey.

See photos below, of the food, my grill, myself and the serving plate.

Raw ingredients (dog not included)

Stuffing in progress

Meat on the grill (dirt cheap brand X kettle with the SnS)

One pit master, reporting in for duty

And here's the plate. Dinner is served :-)

**mrteddyprincess** · May 6, 2020, 09:33 AM

This is fun!

I cooked what was available to me. My normal selection of pork was limited to a small rack of St. Louis style spare ribs purchased from the grocery store during the pandemic.

I kosher salt dry brined them overnight and used a combination of my favorite dry rub, brown sugar, and Simon and Garfunkel rub.

I smoked the rack on Monday, May 4th for our family supper.

I used the PK360 with one chimney of Weber briquettes and three small chunks of apple wood at a temperature around 275 F. They were spritzed with a 50/50 solution of apple juice and apple cider vinegar at regular intervals. The ribs finished, probe tender, after about 2.5 hours.

My sides represent what's good about being a part of the Pitmaster Club. It's not just about BBQ, but about relating to people through good food.

Our sides consisted of green beans our family canned last summer, my wife's mashed potatoes with garlic and fresh chives from our garden, and my homemade cheese biscuits seasoned with the dry rub used on the ribs.

On a weeknight, in the midst of a global pandemic, we ate like royalty! I am so grateful to be a part of the Pitmaster Club. I'll sign off with my favorite Mr. Bones quote: "I'm lookin' forward to learnin' along with, and from ya!"

Brian

**Troutman** · May 6, 2020, 02:15 PM

Wait on it....it's salt brining as we speak

**jfmorris** · May 6, 2020, 09:58 PM

Well, not sure this qualifies as "BBQ", its more a case of "grillin", but here goes.

I picked up a big pack of bone in pork chops this morning, and decided about 4pm to cook those and some artichokes for dinner. My process was as follows:

4pm - drop the artichokes in a pot of hot water, turn to high
4:30pm - turn off burner as artichokes had reached a boil
4:30pm - put 6 pork chops into a zip lock bag, and pour a liberal amount of Dale's Sauce in the bag - the original, not the low sodium
4:45pm - Light a chimney of charcoal on the Performer Deluxe, using gas assist
5:00pm - dump the coals onto the charcoal grate, spread around, and put the grates, including a set of Grillgrates, on the kettle, close the lid and open all vents to full
5:05pm - prep the artichokes that have been cooling, by slicing lengthwise, then scooping the fuzzy stuff out with a teaspoon.
5:10pm - melt 1 stick butter in the microwave
5:15pm - pork chops out of the marinade, onto the center of the grates. Season the top lightly with Henrik 's Hank's KC Royale spice mix, to it some more kick. Brush inside of artichokes with butter, sprinkle with seasoned salt, and place flat side down on the grate. Brush outside of artichokes with butter, sprinkle with more seasoned salt.
5:20pm - flip pork chops, season again with Hank's KC Royale.
5:25pm - flip pork chops, flip artichokes and brush with butter and salt again
5:30pm - flip pork chops and start temping them, pulling several at 145-150F
5:33pm - pull rest of pork chops and artichokes.
5:38pm - plate food and eat!

Hope the technique is documented well enough for this competition. Photos below.

First, the cooker, and the ingredients. Sadly, I did not think to take a picture of the chops out of the marinade, before they hit the grill:

Next, we have the COOK - ME - in need of a haircut BADLY!

Now, the spread on the grill - I filled the kettle up nicely with 6 chops and 4 split artichokes!

My grilling assistant for this cook, Dakota:

Finished product, on the handy dandy Performer side table - one reason I love my Performer!

And finally, a plated VERY simple meal of one meat, one veggie.

**jumbo7676** · May 8, 2020, 04:32 PM

Burger Bowls

Made burger patties and then shaped into little bowls. Started by shaping one on the back of a muffin pan but found it easier to just form them by hand. Kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, garlic powder and onto the GMG DB at 350.

When they hit an internal temp around 130, I opened the grill and filled each bowl with some garlic and chive mashed potatoes that I made earlier. Added peas & carrots to two, Cowboy Candy to two, then topped all eight with sharp cheddar. I heated the mashed potatoes and peas & carrots a bit before adding them to ensure they would be hot by the time the meat finished.

Pulled when the meat was cooked through and served with some extra mashed potatoes and peas & carrots.

Main ingredients

On the Daniel Boone

Filling added (pre-cheese)

Ready to go

Time to eat

ecowper
CaptainMike
Mr. Bones

**barelfly** · May 8, 2020, 07:33 PM

New Mexican Rouladen

Took a pork loin roast and opened it up to stuff with a mixture of cooked down yellow onion, garlic, New Mexico green chile and Monterey Jack cheese. Stuffed, rolled, tied up and then topped with the leftover green chile mixture and onto the Kettle at 300*. Cooked to 135*, sliced and served on bed of rice seasoned with salt, pepper and ancho chile powder.

This was an excellent combo, just not exactly how I pictured it turning out. I didn’t quite get the â€˜pinwheel’ look I was hoping for, as I had to much mixture, but flavor profile was spot on! Can’t beat pork and green chile! Next time, I’ll read up on getting the technique down for pinwheel style stuffed pork loin.

The goods......

The goodness......chile makes everything better!

over stuffed pork loin ready to roll!

the cook and the cooker.....

lets get this party started!

and time to eat!

Thanks for setting this up ecowper!

**DavidNorcross** · May 9, 2020, 04:54 PM

Mr. Bones ecowper CaptainMike

Charrasco Mixed Grill

Ingredients

1-Pork Tenderloin
3 - Boneless Chicken Breasts
8 ounces chorizo sausages

Marinade

1/2 cup chopped italian parsley leaves
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons of kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Beans

2-15 oz cans of black beans - rinsed
2 cups grape tomatoes cut in half
1 cup diced white onion
1/2 cup chopped italian parsley
2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of lime joice
2 teaspoons of minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

I mix the bean ingredients together and let them sit at room temp for 45 minutes.

The chicken and pork loin are placed in marinate in separate containers, covered and in the fridge for at least an hour.

Cooked on the SNS over indirect heat at roughly 350 to 400. I used B&B lump for this cook with just a touch of pecan. I used the extended rack and cooked the sausage over the chicken and the pork so any drippings can fall on the other meat. Right before the end of the cook, I seared the meat to gain some more texture and flavor and brought to temp.

This is a relatively short cook. The mixture of flavors of the 3 meats along with the zesty bean salad is a great blend. Typically the meat is the star of the show. Here with three distinct meats, the focal point was the salad the meats were able to compliment.

Hope you enjoy!

Attached Files

**Jim White** · May 9, 2020, 06:59 PM

Smoked Spaghetti Squash with Chicken and Peppers

Ingredients and Prep

Squash

1 medium spaghetti squash cut in half lengthwise, with seeds scraped out. Spray lightly with cooking spray and season with salt and pepper.

Chicken

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast (approximately one and a half breasts, cut lengthwise to 2-3 inch width). Dry brine 5 hours with your favorite rub. I used Pepper Palace Five Pepper Rib Rub.

Sauce

1 15 ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 cups unsalted chicken broth, divided
1/4 cup red wine
10 small sweet peppers
1 large jalapeno
1 Vidalia onion, ends and skin removed, cut in half horizontally
2 ribs celery, leaves removed and reserved
2-3 cloves garlic, still attached to bulb
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon oregano
Fresh ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup total freshly grated Parmagiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano cheeses in equal amounts
Chopped reserved celery leaves

Cooker and Setup

Original Kamado #9, direct cook with Cowboy natural lump
3 fist-sized chunks pecan wood
Cyber Q Cloud controller, set to 400F for pit and 160F for chicken

Method

Put squash halves on cooker, skin up. Cook for 25 minutes.

Add chicken, peppers, celery, onion and garlic, leaving squash in place. Cook additional 20 minutes.

Remove vegetables, leaving only chicken.

Remove chicken at 160F internal, approximately 10 minutes longer.

Wrap chicken in at least two layers of aluminum foil and place in cooler while preparing sauce, but allow squash to cool uncovered. Mix tomatoes with approximately 1/2 cup chicken broth, red wine, salt, pepper and oregano. Bring to simmer while chopping onion, jalapeno, celery and peeled garlic. Add to pan. Keep adding chicken broth as needed to maintain fairly thin consistency of sauce while cooking tomatoes down. Chop sweet peppers and add after 10 minutes or so of simmering. Chop and add reserved celery leaves. Simmer additional 10 minutes and thicken sauce by stirring in grated cheese. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Cover sauce and allow to simmer over very low heat while using a fork to shred "spaghetti" from inside of squash. Total simmer time for sauce should be at least a half hour. Unwrap chicken carefully, pouring juices into sauce. Slice chicken into medallions.

Plate mound of spaghetti, top with sauce and medallions of chicken. Served tonight with Kendall Jackson chardonnay.

Photos

Most ingredients assembled and ready to go:

Yours truly removing the veggies:

Nice char on veggies:

The finished plate:

Happy Mothers Day Eve, everyone!

Tagging our esteemed judges, ecowper, Mr. Bones and CaptainMike and thanking you for your work.

Thanks especially to ecowper for dreaming up and organizing the virtual cookoff. I had a blast.

**scottranda** · May 10, 2020, 09:27 AM

Mr. Bones ecowper CaptainMike

A friend of mine recently passed away at age 36. He was at my house sharing what was now I understand to be one of his last meals 2 weeks prior to his passing. Well, after he passed, my wife went to hang out with his wife. Towards the end, my buddy’s wife donated to me his last few beers from his fridge. I gladly accepted.

To honor him, I made (aptly named) last meal ribs and drank his beer. It was a special and meaningful cook. I shared it with my 4 year old who was very interested in the process and tried some ribs for the first time. He’s hooked!

Used Meathead’s Memphis dust. Cooked for 5 hours uncovered at 250 in the offset using seasoned oak wood. Spritzed about every 45 minutes with water and ACV. Cooked until tender!

Attached Files