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lancastermike

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Posts posted by lancastermike

  1. Two museums in Baltimore: The Walters is a superb museum; their food court is basically cold sandwiches and salads. The Baltimore Museum of Art has an upscale restaurant, Gertrudes, run by minor-celebrity chef John Shields, that is vastly over priced and mediocre, with poor service. There are many good restaurants in Baltimore, so enjoy the museums and walk elsewhere for the food

    Last week my wife and I went to the Baltimore Museum of Art and than ate at Gertrudes. I agree with the pricey part, however both our food, and in particular the service, were very nice. I had a rockfish with crab imperial and the crab was real as was the fish and both were well made. I agree there are lots of better restaurants in Charm City, but Gertrudes was fine with us. My cocktail, a perfect Manhattan, was also cold and well made.

  2. Once you get done with your meal, you can sit down in your tent, or on your rock, or your roof, and send fanmail to some flounder (reference contest here), as the box doubles as a post card.

    As Rocket J. Squirrel said to Bullwinkle the Moose.

    Brooks,

    Glad you still have your sense of humor. It does look pretty tasty as well.

  3. I too hope your wife can get better. Just one year ago I remember talking with my dear sister Chris as she prepared for her surgery. She was so excited about the new life they had promised to her. She had bought all the medicine, all the protein shakes gone to all the classes, met people on a web site. Some of my familywas not happy with her for going forward with the surgery. I supported her because I knew how much it meant to her.

    She had the surgery on Oct 4 and died in the hospital two days later for reasons still not clear to me. The surgeon never once in the past year had the decency to talk to me, my brothers and sister and most heartbreakingly, my mother, who has never gotten over losing Chris.

    I would not advise against it if you feel it is right for you. Just please be careful and have the procedure done at a large teaching hospital were you will receive good care

  4. Martin's potato rolls, from Pennsylvania, make for better eating than any bread I've had with barbecue in the South.

    One of the joys of living here is Martin's potato rolls. I had a tomato and swiss cheese sandwich on a Martin's roll for today's lunch. Another great central PA specialty, sweet Lebanon bologna goes great on martin's rolls. When I smoke pork butt and have folks over I get Martin's rolls for those who want a sandwich.

  5. The optimal BBQ bun is a cheap hamburger bun of the Wonder Bread type. Any better bread is a distraction from the meat itself.

    The esteemed Mr. Perlow is 100% correct. If you go to a real BBQ place you are most likely getting two slices of white bread. Soft and squishy is authentic.

    And Varmit is right not buns at all for real Q

  6. Mixed this last night and found it to be very nice, a modified Fancy free

    2oz borboun

    1/2 oz Luxardo Maraschino

    a dash of both orange and Angustouro bitters

    AND a splash of homemade Limoncello.

    The limoncello added a real citrus taste to this. I did not find it overly sweet, but some may. In any case it was pretty darn good

  7. Then just apply the rub as you wish. I keep the smoker at about 225-250 like I do for pork. Then, I just watch the internal temperature.

    Don't forget the The Virtual Bullet site for more tips and techniques.

    About how long should I plan to smoke this turkey? Any advice per pound?

    Also, given that you pull the breasts out earlier than the dark meat, how do you keep it warm for service? Or do you rehea it?

    Thanks,

    Ian

    A turkey does not have a stall like a butt or a brisket. There is no tough connective tissues to break down. Here is something I learned on the Virtual Bullet site when somone asked how long till it was done. The reply it is done when it is done. Very true, use a thermometer. The one smoking gadget I have obtained is a remote probe thermometer. Turkey is not an all day deal like butt and brisket. Perhaps three or four hours, but as all smokers know, conditions vary.

  8. What about spatchcocking a turkey and smoking it that way?  I'm thinking it would help all the parts cook evenly and you wouldn't have to worry about internal cavity temp.

    Anyone try that?

    I smoke spatchcocked chickens all the time, it is my favorite way to do chicken. Not sure if a spatchcocked turkey would fit on my WSM, but if you have a cooker large enough to do it I am sure it would be great

  9. My wife has taken a shine to the vanilla flavored vodkas now available. Anyone make their own? Just a couple of beans in a bottle of vodka or is there more to it than that. Any help for a potential infuser? Is that a word? I have made limoncello and we love that.

  10. Is oak the preferred wood for smoking turkey?  I tried hickory on a turkey breast awhile back, and it seemed a bit harsh.

    I'm glad this thread is up too - I'm going to be cooking my first Thanksgiving dinner in November.  Those minnesotans don't know what their in for - sounds like the smoked bird will be good enough to convince the staunchest traditionalist.

    Ian

    Hey Ian,

    Don't make your thanksgiving turkey your first one. You should have at least one practice smoke before the pressure of making it for Thanksgiving arrives

  11. Is oak the preferred wood for smoking turkey?  I tried hickory on a turkey breast awhile back, and it seemed a bit harsh.

    I'm glad this thread is up too - I'm going to be cooking my first Thanksgiving dinner in November.  Those minnesotans don't know what their in for - sounds like the smoked bird will be good enough to convince the staunchest traditionalist.

    Ian

    I used apple wood to smoke my turkey, for poultry of any kind a fruit wood is better than hickory or oak. Many people smoke turkey with cherry wood. I save my hickory and oak for pork and beef. I would avoid mesquite at all cost for poultry and I am not crazy about it for pork either

  12. Just a few weeks ago I smoked a turkey at the request of my wife who got sick of an endless supply of smoked butt and spareribs that my WSM has been spewing out all summer. It was brined for at least 12 hours and I used apple juice and salt with no additional sugar. I took the advice on the Virtual Bullet site and smoked it at 325 or so instead of my usualt 225 for pork. Although it came out great, if not for the brine I fear it would have been overcooked and undersmoked. Next time I will go back to low and slow. Linda and Susan may consider smoking to be the work of women, however I think men can do it to. At least ones like me who do not have to poke, prod, fidget with the meat. Just let it go, and let the smoke do its magic. I did butt this weekend, pictures on the butt thread, and I went to the hardware store, took my mother to a viewing of her deceased friend, walked the dog and watched the ball game while my butt smoked. I understand that I had almost nothing to do with it. Just let it go.

    Do the turkey Susan. You will love it. Brine away, it makes it wonderful.

  13. Here they are a full twelve and one half hours after they started, the WSM is still holding at 250.  They are now resting in foil, prior to being pulled.

    gallery_12506_1417_15842.jpg

    Here is the final result, a big pile of pulled pork, all smoky and wonderful.

    gallery_12506_1417_313576.jpg

    A nice day and a nice smoke. We won't be able to finish all of this so some will be given away to some lucky friends. Arlo may even get a piece or two if he is a good dog.

  14. gallery_12506_1417_98804.jpg

    After 3 and a half hours internal temp has reached 144.  That stall will arrive soon and do not expect these to finish much before 7pm.

    More pics to follow

    I think Arlo's protecting what he feels is HIS butt!

    How long will the butts be smoking in total? I'll live vicariously through your smoking this time ... I'm away for two weeks of vacation next week and there's no room for the smoker :sad:

    A.

    They have now been on for 5 and one half hours and temp is right at 170 in the famous "plateau" Hard to ssay how much longer as each smoke is different. However I was thinking about 12 hours or a little more total. This also depends on wether or not I use the foil to help things along.

  15. Not sure about Georgia, put in Pennsylvania and food prepared on premisis means your kitchen needs to be approved and inspected by the state. I would check into this before you do anything. Many of the ideas folks have mentioned would not pass inspection here in PA

  16. the plan was executed perfectly. dean started my cooker going at about 7 am this morning, and i pulled the pork and beef from my cooker at home and drove the short few miles to his house at about 9 am.

    now here we are about 8 hours into this cook, and the ribs are started.

    gallery_11593_1640_216068.jpg

    i'll go back about noon and start the chicken.

    woodburner

    That is one impressive bunch of meat. What wood are you using for your smoke? The cooker is gas fired?

  17. Was at Costco yesterday and bought a cyro package of boneless pork shoulder. Two pieces, total weight 18 lbs. as ususal one a little bigger than the other. Fired the WSM using the minion method with Kingsford and hickory and apple chunks. It was foggy this morning at daybreak when I started. Temp at 225 and holding.

    gallery_12506_1417_105623.jpg

    One on top rack one on bottom rack, this is about one hour in remote temperture transmitter on table

    gallery_12506_1417_174870.jpg

    picture of Arlo the Dog, assistant to the smoke, he has the proper idea of what to do when the butt is smoking

    gallery_12506_1417_98804.jpg

    After 3 and a half hours internal temp has reached 144. That stall will arrive soon and do not expect these to finish much before 7pm.

    More pics to follow

  18. Tim left? Damn, Rx seemed like the perfect place for him!

    I have posted this before but Tim is now working in the wilderness of Lancaster at the "Taste" at the Hotel Brunswick.

    That's a good piece of information, and a real gain for Lancaster; have you checked out what he's been up to there?

    They have only been open a couple of weeks and are only open on weekends right now, I am planning to get in and will report back when I do

  19. The end was reached before I understood one word of it. It is my regret I have not achieved the level of consciousness needed to relate to this. My education in food and life have clearly been deficient at some point. Pehaps if Akwa blogs in the future I will have advanced to a level of understanding. However, I doubt it.

    Instead of Mozart I am going to listen to a Kinky Freidman CD. Him I understand.

  20. ok i've got another one.  sometimes when looking up liquors on the site, i come up with two or more listings for what appears to be the same thing.  are those just different batches, or is it just a matter of the way things are named?

    what brought this to mind was that i was looking for a cheaper cointreau alternative, so i checked out marie brizard on the site.  i came up with 010807, which is listed as  marie brizard triple sec (50.0 pf), a specialty store item at $15.99, and 072271, which is listed as marie brizard triple sec, an SLO item at $23.79.  is it that MB makes a couple of different triple secs at different proofs, or is there something else i'm missing?

    thanks

    I would bet you were looking at the same stuff entered twice.

    I had a similar experience just this past week. On Friday last we checked the inventory looking for Luxardo maraschino. One place it is listed as an "imported cordial" and is listed as SLO. Under the "imported specialities" it shows as speciality. Each a different code, each a different price. We thought we would have to SLO it. Instead we bought two bottles at the store on Ridge pike. It seems it may simply be once something gets in one way it stays that way and can than be entered another. Someone someplace may SLO something because it is not in a store near them even though it may show up somewere else as a speciality.

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