Grilled Fresh Pineapple on the Half Shell

[bwsmith_2000]

Smokers,
First of all, let me assure you that I have no financial interest in Dr. BBQ. I've never met the man (although I'd really like to) but I can't help passing on to you a recipe that I have found in his book (Dr. BBQ's Big-Time Barbecue Cookbook). The book is one of the best I've read and I heartily recommend it for your consideration.

I smoked a butt today and included Dr. BBQ's Marinated Portobellos as an appetiser. However, after all was done and we were all just sort of mellowing out, I cut a fresh pineapple per his recipe on page 261. I mixed a half cup of brown sugar with two ounces of good dark rum and marianated the chunks in the sauce for a couple of hours. I then grilled it over the coals left over from the mushrooms and when they were done, I loaded them back into the boat and served it.

You know one of the things that makes barbecuing so enjoyable, are evenings like this one. I have screwed up an awful lot of things but today, the mushrooms were great, the butt just about perfect and the pineapple boat turned out excellent! Redemption is a wonderful thing! If you like pineapple upside down cake (like your grandmother used to make in a cast iron skillet) you'll love this recipe. I heartily recommend the recipe (and the book) for your use.


Bill Smith

 

[Dutch]

That pineapple sounds great Bill. I never recall my grandma making a pineapple upside down cake in cast iron, but my dad did. It's one of the first things he taught me how to cook. Now it's this grandpa [me] that makes it for my kids and grandkids.

 

[monty]

Bill, I am convinced! Just hit Barnes & Noble's website and picked up Dr. BBQ's latest title you are touting! Also another book caught my eye; "Smoke and Spice: Cooking with Smoke, the Real Way to Barbecue, Revised" By Cheryl and Bill Jamison. Lampe's book is exceptionally well recommended and the Jamison book sold a half million copies in its first edition and is now very well expanded!
My entertaining is over till spring because of Ole Man Winter being just around the corner and me needing to get a bunch of stuff done! But the reading material will certainly fill in any gaps!
Thanks for your insight!
Monty

 

[bwsmith_2000]

Monty,
You made a fine decision on both books. I also have the Smoke and Spice book (older version) and it's a good one too. You will absolutely enjoy both books and with the long winter you have up there, I'm sure that by spring, you will have picked out a number of things to put in the smoker or grill. I'm fortunate here in Florida to be able to smoke all year.

Bill

Bill

 

[monty]

Bill, thanks for validating my decision. Actually I would smoke all winter too but I work for the State of Vermont Highway Maintenance Dept. Catch my (snow)drift? When others are home warm and cozy I am out there making sure they can get to work or to a six pack as necessary. I do manage to fire up my gas grill a few times when the weather is clear for some venison steaks or some of my home made sausage. Will be happy to get on with the smoking routines come spring. Planning to convert an old fridge as well as use my yard sale ECB. ($10 and almost new! Mods are now complete!)
Monty

 

[bwsmith_2000]

Monty,
I catch your (snow) drift (I like that). It sounds like you have a very nice and comfortable winter. I used to love winter when I was growing up in NC and Ga and always wished for giant snow falls which we seldom saw. However, in my working life, I spent about a year and a half in Stockholm, Sweden. Talk about snow......... I got my snow itch scratched well. So, Florida is now A OK with me. Hope you enjoy the season and especially the books. Keep me posted. I guarantee you will like them. By the way, I used to really enjoy vinison steaks too. Also, the smoked hind legs were not bad. I loved them. I don't get into the woods much anymore but just writing this, I'm thinking of the slow morning sunrises that I used to enjoy so much .... the frost that started forming on the limbs etc. just as the sun was coming up. Great times .... made special with the companionship of my son. He is a pilot for the Air Force now and we don't get together as much as we would like but those times are as close as my memory. Enjoy the season Monty, It's truly a great one! As a matter of fact, all the seasons are so wonderful, it's hard to have a favorite. Life is good!!!


Bill

 

[monty]

Thanks for sharing your cooking knowledge as well as your life experiences with me and the forum! I do get quite a bit of time to hunt and really enjoy the fishing as well in my area. Unfortunately, my two sons never did take to hunting, but my younger boy likes to fish. Tomorrow I will be doing a couple of runs of sausage; Italian (hot), Garlic, and Breakfast. For this run it will be all pork and am looking forward to venison and moose before too long! And maybe a bit of bear as well! Still waiting for those two books.
Monty

 

[Dutch]

Sir Monty,
It sound like you'll have a smoker full of good stuff to eat, wish I could be there to sample! Tomorrow I'm doing some ribs and a chicken and for the side the family wants my smoked baked beans.

 

[monty]

Well, Dutch, it would be a good thing were it not for the incredibly heavy rain out here! I am sure that the wet conditions have made the news in Utah!
I have just now finished the clean up from a marathon sausage run. Weather looks like it will break tomorrow and I plan on smoking a bunch of sausage in my ten dollar ECB.
I have completed all the mods as advised and have done two temp run ups to see how the puppy will respond. I can maintain 205/210 for several hours using lump charcoal, supplemented with a bit of Kingsford regular and lighting the whole shebang with maple coals from my woodstove in the house. (I heat exclusively with wood)
So my first smoke will actually be tomorrow. Don't have a digicam or I would share!
One thing I did differently with the ECB Mod is instead of using threaded rod to support the fire pan I picked up some 3/8"X8" carriage bolts and made up the supports with nuts and washers. The little "mushroom" heads are far more stable and will not be as prone to sinking into soft earth.
Then soft earth be damned I arranged some old cinder blocks to create a fireproof base as well as a wind screen. Helps with temp control.
I plan to smoke garlic and Italian sausage with a combination of cherry, a little hickory and mesquite. Lets see what happens!
Bon Appetite!
Monty
(If I screw up can I eat at your place tomorrow night?)

 

[Dutch]

Sir Monty, I have seen the news reports about all the rain and flooding going on in the Northeast U.S. Kind of reminds me of the old dictum of "Water, water everywhere. . ."

As for eating at my house tomorrow, Sure why not, whats one more when there is already 12 at the table. You may have to stop at KFC and pick up a bucket of chicken. . . :D

As for your smoking woods, I'd stick with the cherry and hickory. The mesquite can be a bit overwhelming unless you use less mesquite and more of the cherry and hickory.

 

[monty]

Thanks for the advice, Dutch. I had planned on 60% cherry, 35% hickory and just a touch of mesquite in the beginning of the smoke. But from the looks of things I will be relegated to inside stuff today. Teeming rain and no let up in sight. Waiting for the phone to ring. Could get called out for flood control and response today. Yeesh!
There are lots of other good things besides the sausage in the fridge. Hope your day goes well and I am drooling over that chicken post! That one is definitely on my list of to do's.
Monty

 

[monty]

Well, Mother Nature put the kaibosh to my smoke yesterday. Absolutely teeming rain and cool temps. Mid day was only about 49F. But I sampled my sausages and did some much needed housework. This afternoon the two cookbooks I ordered showed up and YEEEEHHAAAAWWW! Gonna be good times at the Montgomery Manse come next season. Already have pulled a few good ideas from them. Actually saw a few snow flurries early this morning on my way to work. Bill, thanks for turning me on to the BBQ book and Dutch, thanks for your support as always!
Monty

 

[Dutch]

That Mother Nature can be as hard to figure out as a wife!!! Personally, I don't want to see any snow until the last little league football game on the 29th of October. It will be the last time I have to tear down the equipment until next season!!

I hope you learn lots from your new books, Sir Monty. I got a cook book club invite in the mail on Friday, opened it up and then tossed it. The Bride asked me if there was anything I wanted to order in it, I told her that there wasn't any 'que books in it. Then she asked me if I've seen any that I would like to get (like asking a kid in a candy store if he wants any candy!). Then I pulled out my "Want" list and showed her the two books that Bill has talked about. She thinks that they are great ideas for Christmas! I DON"T think I can what that long!!! :cry: :lol:

 

[monty]

Trust me, Dutch, you WANT those books. Have had an easy evening tonight poking around on the 'puter and perusing the pages of both books. I am awe struck at some of the simple yet exquisite recipes. Not to mention the fodder for experimenting as well!
Monty

 

[Dutch]

Oh, how my Bride hates it when I kick into "experimenter mode". Guess it's from too many years as a Personal Chef and a Cater, clients wanting something different but not knowing what. I once had a PC client that "wanted an Asian stir-fry with a Cajun twist". Now I'm thinking "What in the HECK?" Then I get a momentary flash of brilliance (Don't look so surprised, they do happen every twice and again :twisted: ) and experiment with a Crayfish stir-fry with a little bit of Tasso tossed in. Of course I had to try it out on the family first. Comments ranged from "Hmm, interesting", "WHAT IS IT?", to the ultimate Chef insult "Mom, can we get pizza?". But what the heck, the client loved it and it became a standard menu item for him and his wife!

 

[bwsmith_2000]

Hey Monty and Dutch,
Good to follow your progress .... especially with the books. I promise you that you will enjoy them.

Sounds like there's going to be some mighty fine chow soon. By the way, if you like yard birds, I'd urge you to look at the post I made regarding "Whole Chickens." If you like barbecued chicken, you'll love that one. As I mentioned, I'll continue to try new recipies but that one is now my default recipe...... the one I'll use when "folks" are coming over.

Have a wonderful smoke!!

Bill

Oh yes, and don't forget Crazyhorse's mustard sauce. It's great with this chicken!

 

[Dutch]

Bill, The other night here at work I gave a gal a taste of the smoked chicken that I brought in for dinner. She couldn't believe how moist the chicken brest was, especially when I told her that I smoked it for 3 hours. She said that she had some smoked chicken before but the breast meat was dry.

 

[bwsmith_2000]

Hey Dutch,
I understand her thoughts...... it wasn't even brined. And by the way, I think I like it better than brined. Turkey may be different but if you get good young frying type chickens, I really don't think brining is necessary. What do you think?

Bill

 

[Dutch]

I think I'll have that other half of chicken when I get home tonight!!
Oh, What do I think about not brining the chicken!! Ok, I'm with you on this one, when I shop for chickens I try to keep them around 3 1/2 pounds. Anything heaver that 4 pounds is probably an old laying hen!

 

[willkat98]

Bill FL

I was going to suggest that if you had time this weekend, to stop and see Ray Lampke (DrBBQ) who will be cooking in the Key Largo event.

Then I looked up where Santa Rosa is. That, would be a long road trip.

Ray's a great guy, and I was supposed to be in Key Largo as I type, to judge the event this weekend. He does live in Lakeland now, and hold's BBQ cooking classes every now and again.

He hails from Chi-Town though.

After reading your post, I got 4 packs of fresh frozen cryovac'd pineapple slices I'm gonna need to thaw before it starts snowing up here.

Thanks for the reminder.