A pleasant surprise

[boftx]

Most of us really hate to give out our most secret recipes, but I have to admit that I think I did that one time too many times and McCormick saw it here and might have used it as the basis for one of their rubs.

I was at the store the other day picking up stuff for the holiday smoke and started reading the ingredients for a couple of McCormick Grillmates rubs just for fun. I picked up a bottle of "Sweet & Smoky" and it was identical to what I have been using for quite some time. I was floored. It even had the cinnamon that I use for pork!

I went ahead and got a jar and when I tasted it at home it seemed pretty close. I could taste each of the factors I look for when I make my own.

It feels a lot like cheating, but I think from now on I might just use that for my rub, maybe tweaking it with some more heat.

I also looked at the "Pork" rub and it was almost the same. It might be an even better starting point in some ways.

The moral of the story is don't thumb your nose at some of the more recent entries in the commercial rub market, they might be reading the forums here and learning a few things.

Jim

[Breadhead]

Some people hide their favorite recipes, rubs and sauces.

Then people like Meathead publish and shares their great ideas to help us aspiring backyard Pit Masters become better backyard Chef's.

Meathead got rich sharing.

Those who hide the secret... Make NO money!

Giving is more valuable than receiving... Most of the time, all things considered.

Being copied is a compliment by those that don't have the creative talent you do.

You should feel proud.

Ever heard of a copyright?

[boftx]

I'm a programmer by trade and a big believer in Open Source software and have a number of contributions to such. My point is to keep your eyes open for a good shortcut.

I was just surprised to find a commercial product that was basically exactly the same as what I was doing already. I had never heard of anyone using cinnamon for pork before I started posting that here. (I also like to use sage on pork loin and chops, but that is a different story.)

[Medusa]

I agree with the sharing... which is why I will post a CI recipe if I make any reference to a particular cook, knowing that not everyone has direct access to it.

Somewhere (on this forum) there is a recipe for Mahogany Chicken Thighs. You can drink the sauce straight up! Make it = No Couch Tonite!

--Ed

[The Burn]

The thing I prefer about mixing my own rubs and sauces is the lack of preservatives and high fructose corn syrup and the like

[Frankenstein]

Agreed. We cut out articial fats and sweeteners this year, which disqualifies most processed foods with preservatives, along with reducing carbs and distance running I've lost 43 lbs since January. I noticed my metabolism kicked into high gear when I started avoiding HFCS.

[_John_]

Speaking of programming, the first thing I was taught by my teacher, who owned several successful businesses was to never write programs you can get off the shelf. I feel the same way about rubs and sauces, I can try literally hundreds and find and tweak what I like. I like from the BBQ Pitmasters they would always beat up on Johnny Trigg for using as he puts it "a mixture of 2 commercial sauces", but he consistently won, beating people who made their own.

[Frankenstein]

A good friend of mine, who got me started in the smoking world, enters several local competitions every year. He tries to enter as many categories as possible. He doesn't take it too seriously, but I have seen him get visually dismayed when he does OK in pulled pork and ribs but wins chicken. McCormick Applewood rub on drumsticks in an electric, entry level MasterBuilt because thats what his wife likes and wants to eat. He probably wins because he can't produce enough smoke to ruin it....but man is it good.

[Medusa]

Here's the recipe for Mahogany Chicken Thighs that I mentioned earlier...

I used a 12" All-Clad. I could use (2) 12" All Clads to double the recipe and then transfer everything to 1 big foil pan for the oven stint. I think this rig would handle 16-20 thighs depending on their size.

Just need to watch them during the final broil. Don't just let it go at 4 minutes without watching = blackened thighs - LOL!

The final sauce tastes very, very much like hoisin. This is an easy-peazy cook with great results!

From CI...

Why this recipe works:

We wanted the moist, flavorful, well-rendered meat of braised chicken thighs, but we wanted crispy skin, too. Our hybrid cooking method helped us achieve all our goals. Gently simmering the thighs in a potent mixture of soy sauce, sherry, ginger, and garlic to an internal temperature of 195 degrees renders the fat, melts the tough connective tissues into rich gelatin, and boosts the flavor. A brief flash under the broiler crisps the skin and gives it a rich mahogany color.

Serves 4 to 6 For the best results, trim all visible fat and skin from the underside of the thighs. (This is important - so they claim ) Serve with steamed rice.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
• 8 (5- to 7-ounce) bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed
• 1 (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled, halved, and smashed
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Whisk 1 cup water, soy sauce, sherry, sugar, molasses, and vinegar in ovensafe 12-inch skillet until sugar is dissolved. Arrange chicken, skin side down, in soy mixture and nestle ginger and garlic between pieces of chicken.
2. Bring soy mixture to simmer over medium heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Transfer skillet to oven and cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
3. Flip chicken skin side up and continue to cook, uncovered, until chicken registers 195 degrees, 20 to 30 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to platter, taking care not to tear skin. Pour cooking liquid through fine-mesh strainer into fat separator and let settle for 5 minutes. Turn oven to broil.
4. Whisk cornstarch and remaining 1/2 cup water together in bowl. Pour 1 cup defatted cooking liquid into now-empty skillet and bring to simmer over medium heat. Whisk cornstarch mixture into cooking liquid and simmer until thickened, about 1 minute. Pour sauce into bowl and set aside.
5. Return chicken skin side up to now-empty skillet and broil until well browned, about 4 minutes. Return chicken to platter and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve, passing reserved sauce separately.

--Ed