Recent content by ragnar

Almost switched to a spatchcock method, but I'd already promised the beer can version. Next time, I'll give this one a shot - mix things up a bit. Great advice! Definitely will do this next time (with any skin-on poultry) I smoke or broil up. Even if the skin tears, I bet a stitch or two with...

No clue what they've done to chickens anymore (and probably don't want to), but they're undoubtedly some kind of Bruce Banner-like experiment. This one was 9 lbs including the giblets.  Anyway, I promised a smoked beer can chicken for dinner. Never smoked a whole bird before - only ever turkey...

Joe, I'm giving you point(s), too.  Coming in days after you made it, I didn't care so much about the contents of the fatty as I did in the process of assembling one. Most of the smoking I've done in my life has been either sausage or fish. This thread gives me a really good idea of how to put...

Oh... it WILL be fun... and tasty. Enjoy! He's definitely got the right advice. It'll take a couple of people, 'cause the casings are, as you know, stupid-huge. It's amazing how fast a 5-lb stuffer empties out. My wife and I were laughing, since it's almost ridiculous. Casings are really tough...

I'm interested in following this one for a few reasons - want to do pepperoni the same way, curious about the UMAi process, it sounds/looks good...  So, how long is this supposed to take for these to cure, ferment, and dry?

Thanks, DS! Definitely worthwhile. True, but I gave them back smoked! It's a good deal all around. He's a good dude - just this past couple of years, we've gotten to be pretty decent friends. Though I'm in no way wishing for a fast summer, I am looking forward to the venison rolling in. He...

Thanks, Al! Wrapping them in bacon worked two ways - first, it added a nice flavor to the palate. Second, and probably more importantly, it replaced the skin that was removed by breasting the birds out, which helped keep them moist, along with brining. They would have been jerky otherwise...

Really appreciate the comments and the points, guys! These were really pretty good. Next batch, I'll just stick with hickory for the wood, but the brine was right on. The breasts stayed nice and moist, without any noticeable saltiness, and the allspice was a happy thing. Dinner all around was...

For anyone unfamiliar, Chukars are upland game birds in the pheasant family, and about half the size of a pheasant, or about the size of a Cornish hen. My father-in-law spent an afternoon at a local pheasant ranch that he's somehow tied in with collecting and cleaning birds during some bird...

Looks like a heck of a feast, man! That's a thing of beauty in ANY family, and I've had plenty of Italian friends - NEVER left hungry, and, without exception, having had a wide variety of awesome things. For sure, points from me. Good job, too, with the QView. Gave a nice sense of how it all...

Thanks for the comments and the points, guys! Really appreciate it.

Thanks, guys! I appreciate the comments. Found another photo - the chubs IN the smoker. No room for much more - this was about the limit to get a decent smoke in this rig.

A quick nod to SmokinAl back in this thread here: http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/243008/we-have-been-craving-fried-bologna-sandwiches-bologna-with-qview  for inspiring me to make my own big-ol' bologna. It HAD to happen. The Universe willed it, and so it was. Who am I to argue? First, I...

Lookin' good! Bonus for the olive loaf. Haven't had that stuff in years, man... years. Actually sounds pretty good, doubly so since it's not that mass-produced made from whatever junk but should actually be something with some flavor and substance. How's it all taste? You've got points from...

I've used Rytek's recipe for fresh bangers before. They were pretty good, and along the lines of what I had when in England. Cut back the salt, otherwise good to go.