No General Tso’s tonight!

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up in smoke

Smoking Fanatic
Original poster
OTBS Member
I promised the grandkids that I would whip up a batch of General Tsoâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s Chicken because they donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t care for saurkraut & pork (a PA new Years tradition), so I pulled 2 big packages of thighs to thaw. A little later…plans altered, they wonâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t be coming afterall! Damn! What to do? :idea: Mesquite Smoked Chicken Thighs (methinks one of the finest ways chicken can be done) Plus I crisped them up on the grill-no flappy skin for this ole coot! :roll: take a gander! :shock:
c52fa5ea_vbattach11565.jpg
 
Good lookin chicken, I'd probably lean toward the General Chicken though, but I love spicey food. Still looks good though.
 
Hi Carl, nice looking chicken. not bad for an old coot <laugh> nomatter how cold it gets I still smoke and grill in the winter. <the neighbors think I'm a crazy old coot but what the hell> Hope you have a great new year, be safe, be well and be happy

Joe
 
I no we're in a smoking forum, but , well I really like General Tso's chicken. Care to part with some wisdom and share a recipe? BTW, the thighs look great.
 
Well Cheech (as in Cheech Wizard, the lizard, by BodÃ[emoji]169[/emoji]?) I brined them in pickling salt, brown sugar, cayenne and crushed basil for the afternoon, then rubbed with wing rub, and smoked them to 170° with mesquite (I really like mesquite on poultry, although most people only use it on beef, oh well!) and crisped them on grill! Nice and juicy! Who needs pork & saurkraut! (course I ate it anyways at midnight :oops: ) It was good too and itâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s bad luck if ya donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t! :roll:
 
Yeap it was a nick name that I got from my cousin for all the "smoking" that I do. Granted it is a different type of smoking then Cheech and Chong do either way you get hungry
 
:lol: :lol: Who's to say you can't do both.....even at the same time maybe..... :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
I'm w/ Chad, Carl. How about giving up a recipe for the general's stuff. Do you pre-velvet the yardbird before you fry it?

We ate some @ Pei Wei, the fast food end of P F Chaing, and it was the best I've ever had, all for a mere $6.

Oh yes, and just to make sure I don't inadvertently hijack the thread, GREAT LOOKIN' CLUCK THIGHS CARL. I'm with you and the northern Mexicans, mesquite is hard to beat on YB.

Happy New Year,
Tim
 
Dickeydoobbq / Ultramag - It may not be Carl's recipe but here's what I have - and it's straight up good stuff. Adjust the peppers to taste.

General Chicken

Sauce:
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1+1/2 tsp minced garlic
1+1/2 tsp minced ginger root
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup cooking wine (optional)
1+1/2 cup hot chicken broth
1 tsp monosodium glutamate (optional)

Meat:
3 lbs de-boned dark (or white if you prefer) chicken meat, cut into
large chunks
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp white pepper
1 egg
1-cup cornstarch
Vegetable oil for deep-frying
2 cups sliced green onions
16 small dried hot peppers


1) Mix 1/2 cup cornstarch with water. Add garlic, ginger, sugar, 1/2 cup soy sauce, vinegar, wine, chicken broth and MSG (if desired).

Stir until sugar dissolves. Refrigerate until needed.

2) In separate bowl, mix chicken, 1/4 cup soy sauce and white pepper.

Stir in egg. Add 1-cup cornstarch and mix until chicken pieces are coated evenly.

Add cup of vegetable oil to help separate chicken pieces. Divide chicken into small quantities and deep-fry at 350 degrees until crispy.

Drain on paper towels.

3) Place a small amount of oil in wok and heat until wok is hot.

Add onions and peppers and stir-fry briefly.

Stir sauce and add to wok. Place chicken in sauce and cook until sauce thickens.
 
It never hurts to have 2 versions-Then you can pick and choose!
…and yes I do DickeydooBBQ! for about 1/2 an hour!
wink.gif


General Tso's Chicken
It's not really a Chinese dish, but it's nevertheless one of the most popular dishes at Chinese restaurants here where I live, and elsewhere. General Tso's Chicken is very inexpensive to make, but some restaurants charge rather a lot for it, usually putting it with "Chef's Specialities" and the like on the menu, rather than with the ordinary chicken dishes. No fair! This is how to make it.

• 1 lb thighs (marinate in 1 tbs. soy and 1 tps. vinegar and 1/4 C water in a ziplock baggie for an hr.), boned and cubed (chicken nugget size)
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup and 2 tsp cornstarch

Sauce
• 5 dried pepper pods
• 1-1/2 tbsp rice vinegar (or whatever you have)
• 2 tbsp rice wine or sherry (no cooking sherry)
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 3 tbsp soy sauce

In a large bowl, thoroughly blend the 1/2 cup of cornstarch and the eggs; add the chicken and toss to coat. Let sit for 1/2 hour. If the mixture bonds too well, add some vegetable oil to separate the pieces.

In a small bowl, prepare the sauce mixture by combining the 2 tsp cornstarch with the wine, vinegar, sugar and soy sauce.

First-Stage Frying: Heat 1-2 inches of peanut oil in a wok to medium-high heat (350-400o). Fry the chicken in small batches, just long enough to cook the chicken through. Remove the chicken to absorbent paper and allow to stand (this step can be performed well in advance, along with the sauce mixture, with both refrigerated).

Second-Stage Frying: Leave a tablespoon or two of the oil in the wok. Add the pepper pods to the oil and stir-fry briefly, awakening the aroma but not burning them. Return the chicken to the wok and stir-fry until the pieces are crispy brown.

Adding The Sauce: Add the sauce-mixture to the wok, tossing over the heat until the sauce caramelizes into a glaze (1-2 minutes). Serve along with steamed broccoli and rice. If you need a little more heat, add a tbs. or two of Srirachi Sauce. (my cheap fix for everything! :oops: )

Optional Sauce : Buy a jar of Iron Chef General Tsoâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s Sauce for $3.00 (itâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s hard to beat) :roll:
 
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