I've been doing a bit of puttering this past week. Made a few purchases to add to my collection of goodies for my newfound meat habit (Foodsaver, meat grinder, casings, etc.) and got a few things "brewing" as well.
But first... I finally got to try the spicy rub from Pitfaced BBQ @bvbull200 sent me. I did a bunch of chicken thighs + a half chicken from a big, beautiful bird I got on sale. Brined them overnight, then rubbed 'em down really well yesterday morning, and we smoked them last night. I only have a "before" picture because... well... we scarfed it.
I'll tell you, I'm not a fan of pre-mixed rubs, and I NEVER buy them... but this was seriously excellent. The only thing I added was a few shakes of some really hot Peruvian pepper powder we really like, because we like things really, really spicy. But the flavor profile was terrific. Thanks again for that, @bvbull200 !!
I also cleaned up at Costco last weekend, and split a great big brisket in half, choosing to try my hand at "corning" beef for St. Patrick's Day dinner tomorrow. Just gonna do it the old fashioned way this time; the other half I'm planning to turn into pastrami!
I also started my first-ever batch of bacon... can't wait for this!
I also made a boatload of Mexican style chorizo, and we just put it in casings earlier this afternoon, using the stuffing tube on my new grinder. That was fun!
I'm going to smoke some of it, but I'll freeze most. It turned out pretty well, nice and spicy and tangy, and we like all manner of Latin American foods, so it'll go pretty fast.
Lastly, for tonight, I ground some chuck, mixed in some of the chorizo and seasonings, topped it with some leftover Hatch chiles & cheese, then rolled it up into a fatty-like meat log and stuck it on the smoker. That will be tonight's dinner, if the stars align. :)
Will let you know how everything turns out. Thanks for looking!
PS: I'll have an update on the wrecked smoker tomorrow... :)
EDIT: Finished!
Overall, this was pretty cool. I followed a number of suggestions and took this to 150° before pulling it, but it was a bit on the well done side for me... though J plowed through his without complaint. I'll fiddle with the meat mixture next time. This time I sort of just wanted to enjoy the freshly ground beef and just-made chorizo.
A little jalapeno verde sauce, some crema, and a handful more cotija cheese helped things out where the meat was a trifle on the dry side, and the chilies and cheese inside were awesome. Made some refried black beans with a bit of pork belly and a lot of chilies, and added some tomatoed rice. Nice Saturday night dinner.
Half of the chorizo links are now out smoking... looking forward to those!
EDIT #2: The smoked version totally blew me away. I wonder if there is anything that can't be improved by smoking?
Sunny
But first... I finally got to try the spicy rub from Pitfaced BBQ @bvbull200 sent me. I did a bunch of chicken thighs + a half chicken from a big, beautiful bird I got on sale. Brined them overnight, then rubbed 'em down really well yesterday morning, and we smoked them last night. I only have a "before" picture because... well... we scarfed it.
I'll tell you, I'm not a fan of pre-mixed rubs, and I NEVER buy them... but this was seriously excellent. The only thing I added was a few shakes of some really hot Peruvian pepper powder we really like, because we like things really, really spicy. But the flavor profile was terrific. Thanks again for that, @bvbull200 !!
I also cleaned up at Costco last weekend, and split a great big brisket in half, choosing to try my hand at "corning" beef for St. Patrick's Day dinner tomorrow. Just gonna do it the old fashioned way this time; the other half I'm planning to turn into pastrami!
I also started my first-ever batch of bacon... can't wait for this!
I also made a boatload of Mexican style chorizo, and we just put it in casings earlier this afternoon, using the stuffing tube on my new grinder. That was fun!
I'm going to smoke some of it, but I'll freeze most. It turned out pretty well, nice and spicy and tangy, and we like all manner of Latin American foods, so it'll go pretty fast.
Lastly, for tonight, I ground some chuck, mixed in some of the chorizo and seasonings, topped it with some leftover Hatch chiles & cheese, then rolled it up into a fatty-like meat log and stuck it on the smoker. That will be tonight's dinner, if the stars align. :)
Will let you know how everything turns out. Thanks for looking!
PS: I'll have an update on the wrecked smoker tomorrow... :)
EDIT: Finished!
Overall, this was pretty cool. I followed a number of suggestions and took this to 150° before pulling it, but it was a bit on the well done side for me... though J plowed through his without complaint. I'll fiddle with the meat mixture next time. This time I sort of just wanted to enjoy the freshly ground beef and just-made chorizo.
A little jalapeno verde sauce, some crema, and a handful more cotija cheese helped things out where the meat was a trifle on the dry side, and the chilies and cheese inside were awesome. Made some refried black beans with a bit of pork belly and a lot of chilies, and added some tomatoed rice. Nice Saturday night dinner.
Half of the chorizo links are now out smoking... looking forward to those!
EDIT #2: The smoked version totally blew me away. I wonder if there is anything that can't be improved by smoking?
Sunny
Last edited:
