Show Us What You're Cooking! (SUWYC) - Volume 37, Spring 2025

[Michael_in_TX]

I was in the mood for some classic and nostalgic BBQ chicken, so I decided to try to replicate, more or less, how my dad used to do it.

I used some chicken leg quarters from that big bag I talked about in the other thread. I have no memory of what rub, if any, my dad used, so I used Bolner's Chicken Rub. (It's a decent rub...but nothing special or bold. It's also cheap!)

Unlike my dad, I did not use lighter fluid but a chimney.



Here are the leg quarters, heavily seasoned, and ready to go on.



On we go for ~45 minutes indirect. I used a chunk of pecan; my dad would always use soaked hickory wood chips.



Kiren finds all of this very interesting.



Working to get a little more char....



After letting them go for about a minute a side over direct heat, I moved them back over to the indirect side, basted them with Kraft's Hickory Smoke BBQ sauce (this is the sauce I grew up on and my dad always used), and let the sauce tack up for a bit.

Here we are off the grill.



Plated up and served with BBQ baked beans and coleslaw, both courtesy of HEB.



Very 1980s BBQ for me. I didn't quite nail it. I really should have let the chicken go longer. (I pulled at around 170 F, and I think I like my dark meat around 180 F.) I was really surprised how much the skin shrunk and pulled back. I need to figure out how to deal with that.

I don't remember any of the chicken growing up having that problem; my dad probably removed the skin, now that I think about it. I may also try basting with BBQ sauce throughout the cook, which I think my dad did.

I am still astonished at the price of that bag of chicken leg quarters. For $6, I got 10 quarters....that's sixty cents a piece! I've been looking for a way to get my grocery bill down and I think I just found it.

[Jfrosty27]

This is how the wifey likes her chicken. She likes thighs. And she always, and I mean ALWAYS, reminds me to be sure it’s burnt enough! 🙄

[SheilaAnn]

My childhood memories are pretty much the same (minus lighter fluid, too) and Daddy used OG Open Pit. There was just something about the the little crunchy “burnt” parts, right?

[dpearce]

Ribs! Again... So I found a whole rib on sale, figured since it wasn't too pricey, SWMBO would be ok with the purchase.

Didn't really have any rub made up, but I had a few things sitting around in the pantry, and decided to take a shot with Tony Chachere's "More Spice" seasoning. Heck, why not? It says it's "great on everything!", right there on the can! and the cartoon guy on the label seems friendly...

They were a little salty, but not too much. Probably because I dry rubbed and let the ribs sit in the fridge for 24 hours before smoking and I typically use Kosher salt in my recipes.

Low heat, around 225 for about 5 hours and smoked with a combination of apple wood and hickory (which has been my go to for awhile now). This time I just cut the ribs in half and laid them flat on the grill grate of the PBC instead of hanging them. Around 170, I wrapped them with some rendered pork tallow and a little brown sugar. For the trimmings, I went ahead and used TC's Cajun spice. That was pretty good as well, but like the TC "more spice", a little salty.

Kids liked them, so I might try the "Not so much More Spice" version next time.

[DaveD]

Those are some fine looking ribs!

[dpearce]

Thanks DaveD

[Andrrr]

I really need to give spares a try again, those look great!

[Skip]

I made a pizza a few days ago on the BGE of course. The star of the show was the Peter Reinhart Crust made with Bread Flour. Nice and airy with good leoparding as well. Recipe saved in Paprika for sure.

https://www.fornobravo.com/pizzaquest/classic-pizza-dough-neo-neapolitan-style/

[SheilaAnn]

Skip one of my fav recipes from PR! Very nice pie, sir.

[Andrrr]

Excellent looking pie and thanks for sharing the crust recipe.

[TWBarbecue]

Sweet Tea Grill-Fried Chicken

Brined in sweet tea, soy sauce, garlic and onion for about 6 hours. Dried then coated in seasoned, all purpose flour. Placed on pan coated in butter, skin side down and placed indirect on a 400°F grill. Flipped chicken pieces over at the 30min mark and kept cooking until chicken breasts reached 165°F and thighs reached 175°F internal temperature. DELICIOUS!

[TWBarbecue]

Definitely SheilaAnn. Thank you theroc. Looking forward to seeing what you come up with Michael_in_TX. Sounds like a new kettle grill is calling for you dpearce.

[Carolyn]

That looks really good. Need to try it.

[TWBarbecue]

Thank you Carolyn. Hope yours turns out great.

[Purc]

Dinner is Rack of Lamb reversed seared on the Weber Kettle and SnS. Lamb dry brined with Lane's Garlic rub cooked over Kirkland charcoal.

[Hulagn1971]

That looks 100% delicious! I need to do a rack of lamb soon. What temp do you run the kettle and what internal temp do you shoot for when you pull it off?

[Purc]

Hulagn1971 temp of the Kettle,using the SnS full of charcoal with the lid closed was 325 to 340, cooked indirect, no wood chunks used this time.Rack was turned over
sometime during the cook.Lamb temp was about 125 to 130, then pulled and rested while kettle lid was off, bottom vent wide open to have all coals in SnS very hot for the sear. Actual cooking process took abt 1 hour on the grill or 2 glasses of bourbon from starting the coals to finished lamb.Lamb came from Sam's.Love rare lamb YMMV

[hoovarmin]

America!

[DaveD]

Also on the chicken bandwagon with last night's meal, "Pollo Sabroso", which I've posted about before. Knocking the salt content down definitely works with this dish. Straightforward 2-zone cook on the Weber Spirit with the indirect side right around 300/150, took about an hour to get the thighs to 175/80ish, finished with a sear on the flat side of the GrillGrates.

Plated with steamed jasmine rice and some broccoli. Simple but effective.

[bbqLuv]

Very good pictures.
Nice use of the grates. maybe I'll try sear steaks on the flat side of the grates.
I wonder how it will work on my pellet grill.

[Andrrr]

Simple and effective is right. That looks dang good, Dave.

[TWBarbecue]

Looks delicious! 🔥

[bbqLuv]

BBQLuv's pork tenderloin
marinade 4-5 hours in Italian Dressing
seasoned with Traeger rub.
smoke at 200'F, super smoke mode, 2 hours
set to 400'F to 145'F internal temp

Note the thin flat end was folded under to help cooking evenly.
The fold is visible in the first few slices.

[Hulagn1971]

I need to try this. Looks very juicy!

[smokenoob]

good idea on folding the flap!

[Michael_in_TX]

Nice smoke ring there on the Traeger!

[Hulagn1971]

Cooked up a nice tri-tip for Sunday dinner. Seasoned with Tuffy Stone's coffee rub and used worcestershire as the binder. Smoked at 250 with a hunk of cherry wood until IT hit 120°. Then rested while the skillet got heated up over the coals. Gave it a quick sear then rested on some butter pats. Good eatin'!

[Hulagn1971]

Thank you all for the kind words, that's really nice. bbqLuv you are too funny man!

[Andrrr]

Shut the front door.

[TWBarbecue]

Wow! 🔥👊

[radshop]

Can I call this afternoon snack "cooking"? Homegrown avocado and homemade salsa, so I'll just go with Yes.

[radshop]

Carolyn Inland Empire should be great in terms of climate. Not that I'm an expert, but a couple tips I picked up from a pro arborist:
1. Most people plant too deep. The base where the trunk flairs out to the roots must be visible above the soil line. When planting a new tree, you can mound up soil around the base for stability, but then when it has roots, sweep that away to expose the flair.
2. Don't get rid of the leaves that fall around the tree. They protect the tree.

[Carolyn]

radshop Thanks for the tips.
The issue here is the heat during summer. Triple digits are common.
Lots of people have citrus trees here, so those are on my list too.

[bbqLuv]

going on my to-do list
Thank you so much.
I bet this would go great paired with PBR.

[hoovarmin]

Chicken Katsu has become an oft requested dinner here. The kids gobble it up like candy.

[RonB]

Looks great. I've been cookin' chicken this way for years without knowing that I was cookin' Japanese. I guess I'm more international in my cooks than I thought.

[hoovarmin]

RonB you are a poet and didn't know it

[Michael_in_TX]

I need to do this again, it is so good. It is one of those dishes where the small things shine through.

[Michael_in_TX]

I've been wanting to do pork tenderloin sliders for a while so this is what I came up with. I marinated some pork tenderloins in Lawry's Jamaican Jerk Marinade for eight hours. I then set up my Weber Kettle for a two-zone fire and got that going.

I first put the tenderloins over the direct heat to get some char (but not too much, there is sugar in the marinade) by flipping every minute or so.

(Also, even as much as an astronomer as I am, I do like cooking when it is still daylight out.)



Once they were where I wanted them, I moved them to the indirect side and added a few chunks of cherrywood and pecan.



I let that go until they hit 140 F internal. I just love the color cherrywood gives pork.



Mmm.....yes, please.



To finish these, I mixed up some (read: a lot of lol) cayenne in some Duke's mayo and spread that on some slider buns. I then put on two slices of the tenderloin and topped that with an onion ring and to that added some gruyere cheese. I served it with more onion rings and some cool coleslaw.



Wow that was good. Definitely will be making again!

[bbqLuv]

nice char, good looking by far

[TWBarbecue]

Excellent! 🔥

[HawkerXP]

We did a boneless leg o lamb for us and a couple of pork butts for a neighbor who is headed for hip replacement.
The lamb had Meathead's Dolly Rub, Paste, and the pork had a couple of rubs that were running low mixed together.

[HawkerXP]

I forgot we did some chicken quarters the other night. Weber kettle and Vortex. Man, that thing can crank up the temp.

[Andrrr]

The vortex is made for chicken, and I’m just as guilty as anyone for its underutilization everywhere else.

[Michael_in_TX]

This is how I should have done my chicken leg quarters the other day! I keep forgetting I have a Vortex as I exclusively use it for wings it seems.

[RichieB]

Confession , I didn't cook this. We brought in from a local establishment we love. Nancy wanted wings and I said I'll cook some for you. Response, "not your wings", from Sleigh City. OK, let me pick something. Their Mac and Cheese is outstanding. They have varieties. See photo below. I've done the short rib version. Went with for the 1st and Nashville Chicken. A nice subtle heat, oh the taste! It had to be Chicken breast chopped into 2 inch balls, breaded and fried. Then added to the mac and cheese then seasoned. I measured out 4 portions. Each about 7 oz. 2# for $17. I get 4 meals. I'm going to reach out to them and suggest the chicken as a meal, minus the pasta. Some can't or don't want pasta and cheese. And I'm going to respectfully ask for the recipe for the Nashville Sauce.

[bbqLuv]

Happy Wife = Happy Life

[RichieB]

Just finished some leftover. Still have 2 others in the basement freezer.