klkruger

Monkfish will work but, frankly, I'd use white or pink shrimp. Lobser roll means major butter or it just ain't a lobster roll. Get high quality butter, toss the cooked lobster and whatever else you decide to use in it after it melts in the pan, get all hot, then gey into good ol' cheap rolls that will soak up the butter.

What are you using for a thermometer? An analog bimetal thermometer won't give you an accurate reading in a chicken breast and is unsafe to boot. If on the somewhat rubbery/less tender side, you are undercooking.

I do. And CI pots too, when I smoke meat first then finish as a braise. Make sure your heat isn't too high when cooking tortillas--whether inside or out. Very high heat isn't required.

The Roadside recipe is here.

Katie-- I let the meat sit till well enough moistened which most often means about 10-15 minutes, tops. Generally, I am a 'last minute' guy--I decide not long before I cook what I'm cooking--so, usually, I salt the meat then go out to start coals. While the coals are igniting I make the rub. By the time the rub is made the meat is moist and I apply it, then I dump the coals and get the grill or smoker ready, cart out the meat, and cook. As to your other questions, I think the ratios used in the first recipe work very well for slower cooked items like roasts, or for cuts that will be smoked and cooked fairly slowly, and the variation has better ratios for grilled foods. Note, though, that the grilled items I used the rub on (bison rib-eyes and tri-tip) I mostly cooked indirect with minimal direct time. For some things cooked mostly direct I would have cut back the sugar dramatically. Were I to pick one set of ratios over the other--if I had to pick one over the other--I would pick the second (the ratios in the variation) as I think it is more widely able to be tweaked in the way you seek and is more 'available' to more cooking options.

A few of my thoughts on rubs... I never mix salt into rubs. I salt the meat (or whatever) first, allow some time for the salt to draw moisture to the surface, then apply the rub over the salt. The moisture helps the rub stick but, more important, I can apply the rub as lightly or as heavily as I'd like without affecting the salt level. Unless needed as a bulking or carrying agent I dislike paprika in rubs used for longer cooking items, notwithstanding the plethora of recipes (especially for barbecue) that call for paprika as a main ingredient. Paprika--even that of high quality--simply doesn't have a flavor that stands up well to long cooking, especially dry heat cooking. If you want a chile flavor use chilies that hold up (ancho, Aleppo, guajillo, aji amarillo, et al.) I will use smoked paprika (and/or chipotle) for grilled foods where some smoke flavor is desired and either the method or brief cooking time will not allow for much smoke to adhere. I rarely make the same rub twice and am not really into 'all-purpose' rubs as I think different meats lend themselves to different rubs. As important, perhaps, I take into strong consideration what the rubbed item will be served with. Just as one might decide on these side items instead of those if this sort of sauce is going to be made for, say, this grilled steak, so to I think it is important to base sides on what will work with the rub on the main item or, conversely, base the rub at least somewhat on what the chosen sides are. A couple rubs with cocoa. Both include coffee and chilies. The first I did for a brisket i was smoking; the second is a variation of the first and was used for bison rib-eyes (good on grilled tri-tip too). 1/4 c coffee, ground into a powder from fresh beans 1/4 c cocoa, unsweetened 1/4 c dark brown sugar 1/4 c ground Ancho pepper 1 Tbls dried thyme 1 Tbls onion powder 1 Tbls ground New Mexico hot chili powder 1 Tbls garlic powder 1 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground marjoram 1/4 tsp ground allspice 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon several turns of a black pepper mill The variation: 3 Tbls coffee, ground into a powder from fresh beans 1 Tbls unsweetened cocoa 1 Tbls dark brown sugar (or light) 2 Tbls ground ancho chilies 1 Tbls dried thyme 1 Tbls granulated onion 2 tsp ground New Mexico hot chili powder (or use 3 tsp Aleppo, or use 1 tsp cayenne) 1 Tbls granulated garlic 1 tsp ground ginger 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground marjoram 1/4 tsp ground allspice 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon a couple turns of a black peppermill a couple turns of a white peppermill For the helluvit, a rub for ribs (got a million rubs!): 1 T whole black peppercorns 1 T whole white peppercorns 1 T whole green pappercorns 1 T whole coriander 12 whole allspice berries 8 whole cloves 2 bay leaves 1 T whole cumin seeds 1 T whole fenugreek Toast the above ingredients in a hot dry skillet over med-high heat till fragrant and lightly toasted, stirring constantly, about 2 min. Grind well in a spice grinder, reserve in a bowl, then combine with: 1/4 c Aleppo pepper 1/3 c dried thyme 1/4 c turbinado sugar 1/3 c granulated onion 1/3 c granulated garlic 2 t ground ginger (T = tablespoon t = teaspoon c = cup) Nice alone under a thin veneer of glaze, painted on the ribs for the last few minutes of cooking, just long enough for it to seize and set. (Pineapple with tamarind and a little honey is nice; mango with calamondin, pomegranate with honey are others.)

Consider altering your approach: Rather than going right to the broiler, wrap in foil and roast at 325 or so. I'm not sure how tender the meat is when you remove it form the water bath so can't really give you a time, but take the ribs to just tender--a probe inserted between the bones goes in with only the barest of resistance (you don't have to unfoil to check, just probe right through the foil). When just tender, broil to firm and add texture to the surface, briefly, and sauce if desired. See if that works for you.

Mangos and pineapple, as mentioned, but also the other larger stone fruits (nectarines, apricots, plums--if not too ripe); bananas grill well (go for ripe but firm) as do strawberries (grilled more briefly). Grapes grill nicely (I skewer them with orange-cumin marinated cubes of pork tenderloin on small skewers as little apps, or roast Brussels sprouts and shallots and toss those with grilled grapes and a little lemon juice for serving as a side.)Lemon slices or halves grill well. They are a nice addition as a garnish or, if halved, as an alternative to fresh lemon on a plate of, say, grilled shrimp. Quartered calamondins grill well on a skewer with poultry, pork or beef and, like kumquats (which also grill well), are entirely edible, peel and flesh.

Don't refrigerate them. See how they are tomorrow and decide then. You can sugar them lightly if they are not quite there but be on top of them when on the grill so as not to burn the sugar. You can also sprinkle lightly with sugar post grilling as an alternative.

Me too--and it doesn't bother me a bit. Love the things.

I go by aroma. If it doesn't smell like a peach it won't taste like one and, most of the time, won't ripen into anything flavorful either (if not yet ripe). Sugar content is on the high side so watch to prevent burning. The moisture in them means you'll have time before this occurs (you'll get darkening along the cut skin line which is fine). They don't take long. On edit: Removed pic and description previously posted.

As jsmeeker points out, the reverse is more likely to be true. Commercial chickens are raised in deplorable conditions. Still, one must assume the possibility of Salmonella contamination irrespective of egg source when cooking for the public. For raw egg sauces like mayo and Hollandaise, eggs can be acidulated sufficiently to destroy Salmonella. For non-acidic sauces, eggs that have been pasteurized in-shell should be used.

Yes. I only roast them when I want roasted nuts. For smoking I do not roast, preferring to keep the temps low so that I can go for longer, allowing the smoke to gently build and the nuts to slowly cook.

True. I did experiment a bit with salt concentration and time but, frankly, I do not remember what I did. (Notes at home; I'm on the road.) I do recall smoke times and temps though and decided that 200, tops, or lower, is best and that somewhere around 6 hours works well. 4-5 hours didn't have enough smoke flavor and 7-8 was too much and the color too dark by then.

It only seasons. I've done the egg white thing for spiced nuts and it works well. I don't care for it with smoked. I can't imagine a stronger brine for a longer time-but that's me. Have you tried it?

Note too, Chris, that you can sweeten the brine if you wish.

Brine: 8 C Water 1 3/4 C Kosher Salt Stir to disolve salt. Fill brine container with raw whole almonds (or pecans, whatever) Soak nuts in brine for 2 hours. Drain, spread out nuts on mesh screens and allow to air dry thoroughly ... takes about a day. Coat nuts in oil lightly. Arrange nuts in a single layer on wire mesh screens. (Frying pan screens are good--remove the plastic on the handles and bend the handles up; or use perfed pizza pans.) Smoke at 200F or less for about 6 hours. Use 1 - 2 handfulls of chips per hour or keep 1 - 2 chunks smoking at any time in the smoker as a starting point. Keep notes and you can use more next time if you want them stronger. If you wish, toss some in hot sauce after oiling but before smoking.

Clostridium botulinum is not really a problem in raw foods. It becomes an issue in foods that are improperly processed (home canning being the major thing), cooled too slowly, or reheated/re-cooked far too slowly as do the other toxigenic bacteria, Clostridium perfringens, Staphyloccus aureus and Bacillus cereus. C. bot, C. perf, and B. cereus are capable of forming spores that are heat resistant. When consumed in spore form these pathogens are not a safety problem as healthy adults can consume as many as 1000 per gram and suffer no ill effects. They are indeed deactivated by pressure canning temps (250F for 2.4 minutes) but when food is heated to temps that kill vegetative pathogens (pasteurization) spores survive and become activated; they can then outgrow to form vegetative cells when the food cools. Outgrowth is quick between 70F and 120F which is why cooling is an important area to be on top of. The USDA says that if the food is cooled from 120F to 55F in 6 hours or less, with further continuous cooling to < 40F, for a total of not more than 14 hours, the food will be safe. C. perf starts outgrowth at 125F, C. bot and B. cereus at 122F. C. perf also has the fastest growth during cooling so cooling control is based on C. perf. It stops outgrowth at 59F; C. bot types A and B (vegs and meat) stop multiplying at 50F, B. cereus stops at 39.2F and C. bot type E (fish bot) stops at 38F. Thus, to be absolutely safe, food should be cooled to and/or stored below 38F and only spoilage bacteria that have survived cooking and/or grow at low temps will shorten shelf life, but the food will be safe. Cooked/heated food as a greater potential for hazards than raw food because spoilage bacteria are reduced to low levels when food is cooked/heated and so are not present in enough numbers to compete with pathogenic bacteria if cross-contamination or improper cooling occurs. It is best not to touch cooling foods with bare skin (S. aureus and other Staphs) until they are cold, unless they are going to be consumed right away. Of course, proper handwashing protocols should be utilized regardless. Curing with a salt-based (nitrite-free) cure with the proper amount of salt, and curing at cool temps should be enough to inhibit C. bot (has been for centuries). The salt plus smoking and drying (low water activity) inhibit Staph. Salt is the main inhibitor in dry-cured meats. Nitrite inhibits fat rancidity but does give one more room to maneuver and an extra measure of safety on the C. bot front and, of course, affects flavor and color. I use it for bacon and similar items. I do not use it in brines for hot-smoked fowl that are cooked to proper internal temps because I don't care for its affect on flavor in these cases and it is not needed for safety.

Yowza! What a thread! I 've spent the last couple or three days since I discovered it (from a link on a board where I often post) reading and drooling over the pics from start to finish--65 pages, several read twice. (Does that give me an entré?) I've been making fresh sausages for some time, smoking belly and buckboard bacon for quite a while as well, and frequently smoke briskets ( for both 'normal' barbecue and pastrami), butts (for barbecue, for tamal filling, for cochinita pibil), and all manner of fowl and fish. I got the wonderful Charcuterie not long after it was published hoping to get started on some serious charcuterie but got delayed. I have done a few of the fresh sausages and a pancetta (with a fridged finish) and all were great. Work keeps me travelling nearly constantly and, living in Fla, it is essential to figure out a suitable climate-controlled hanging space for the dry-cured products but with the pointers found in this thread I will soon (I hope). I have some catching up to do. Thanks to all for such informative questions, answers, commentary, pics and encouragement. *** Just a quick(ish) comment on some pastrami comments of a few pages back (just after Ronnie's beautiful wagyu pics): Pastrami taken to an internal of 150F will be significantly less tender if not finished with steam. However, if you'd prefer a straight-out-of-the-smoker finish start smoking much earlier and take it to an internal of 165F (for pastrami; briskets for barbecue to 188-190). The brisket will very likely plateau around 160-162F where it will linger for quite a while and you might even see a temp drop of a degree or two. All this is good. The plateau signals major connective tissue rendering giving you a moister, more tender finish. Be patient and let it break plateau before you pull it. To seal the deal though, double-wrap the meat in HD foil and allow it to rest 1-2 hours (I like 2 hours) in a towel-stuffed cooler. Remove from the cooler, partially unwrap, rest 5-10 minutes, slice and enjoy.