Smoked Spatchcock Turkey
The holidays provide great opportunities to stock your freezer with inexpensive Turkeys used mostly as lost leaders by grocery chains to get you into their store. We've all seen it ... spend $25, buy a turkey at regular price and get a second one of equal value 'FREE' ... doesn't get any better than that! Picked me up a 15lb turkey at $1.19/lb and a second one free right before Thanksgiving. Just remember to get yourself some turkeys before the holiday cause that option usually disappears until before Christmas. Last year I found fresh turkeys at Costco reduced to about 30¢/lb. Need to checkout my local Costco to see if I get lucky again.
Spatchcocking a turkey is my favorite way of smoking a turkey on my MAK 2 Star wood pellet smoker-grill. I prefer using Pacific Pellet Gourmet BBQ Apple and/or Hickory wood pellets. Spatchcocking allows the turkey to better absorb the smoke and cooks them more evenly and quicker than traditional methods. Once you spatchcock and smoke a turkey you'll be hard pressed to use your old recipes.
Who says it never rains in California? Glad we're finally getting some rain! The remnants of my raised garden are enjoying the welcomed moisture. Now I can pull the plants in preparation for next year's crop.
Preheated the MAK 2 Star wood pellet smoker-grill to 180ºF (smoke setting) with Pacific Pellet Gourmet BBQ Apple wood pellets and smoked the spatchcock turkey for 2 hours before increasing the pit temperature to 325ºF.
The covered patio comes in handy year round to protect the MAK 2 Star from the elements of the hot Northern California Central Valley sun in the Summer (100º+F at times) and rain in the Fall and Winter when we get our normal rainfall.
No need to get fancy with all the sides and trimmings when there is only the two of us. Quick and dirty sides works just as good! Spiked up the Poultry Gravy with the liquid from boiling the giblets, neck, and removed backbone.
Roast the Apple smoked spatchcock Turkey at 325ºF until an Internal Temperature of 170ºF is reached at the thickest part of the breast which should result in an Internal Temperature of 180º+F at the legs/thighs.
Rest the Turkey under a foil tent for 30 minutes before carving and serving. The Money $Shot$ ... A healthy portion of Apple smoked spatchcock turkey served with a multitude of quick sides. Best part is that we get to graze on leftovers for a few days!!
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Tuscan Style Roasted Chicken Thighs
Always on the lookout for new rubs/seasonings. While visiting my Nephew in Las Vegas NV a couple of weeks ago I found a Tuscan Style Gluten Free Poultry Seasoning and Rub at their local Costco store. Roasted a few Chicken Thighs in my MAK 2 Star Wood Pellet BBQ Smoker-Grill and I'm here to tell you that they turned out great. This new Rub is a wonderful addition to my spice rack.
I highly recommend that everyone spend a little time trimming any excess fat and skin before rubbing Annie's Roasted Garlic Extra Virgin Olive Oil and seasoning under & on the skin. Wrap the Tuscan Style rubbed Chicken Thighs in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4-6 hours before roasting them.
The list of Ingredients can be somewhat generic but the secret of the Tuscan Style Rub is the "Spices". I can guarantee that Rosemary is not the only spice but unlike some people I do not have the palate to reverse engineer rubs. Being Gluten and Calorie Free is always a plus for many.
I prefer to roast my Poultry in the 350º-400ºF temperature. In this case I chose to preheat my MAK 2 Star Pellet Smoker-Grill to 375ºF using Pacific Pellet Gourmet BBQ Apple Wood Pellets. Roasting the chicken at 375ºF also provides the proper temp for a wonderful roasted red potato & onion side.
Roasted the Tuscan Style Chicken Thighs at 375ºF until their Internal Temperature reached 180ºF. This took approximately 1 hour. The potatoes took 1½ hours. Rested the Chicken Thighs under a foil tent for 15 minutes prior to serving. Note the use of a Frog Mat to keep the chicken from sticking to the grills.
The Money $Shot$ ... Tuscan Style Roasted Chicken Thigh with a side of roasted Red Potatoes & Onions seasoned with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Johnny's Garlic Spread, salt, and pepper accompanied by steamed Zucchini & Yellow Squash. Life is good ...
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Chicken Leg and Wing Rack
Does it get any better than Chicken Drumsticks/Legs? Not according to my precious Granddaughters!! Since forever, Chicken legs have been their favorite go to dinner when asked what they would prefer to eat. I was therefore extremely pleased when I discovered Leg and Wing Racks at Lowe's. It was at the end of the Summer and their racks were priced to sell : ~$5 each. I see that they now run anywhere from $10 - $30 but I can vouch that they will give you excellent results. If you search the net you'll find a ton of hits for 'Leg and Wing Rack' and all design will do the trick.
The Stainless Steel Leg and Wing Rack is the ideal grilling accessory. Holds 12 chicken legs or wings. Food is vertically suspended inside the grill or oven. The Chicken never needs turning. Uses small amount of grilling space. Fat from the chicken legs drips away while cooking for a healthier meal.
The Leg and Wing Rack worked to perfection in my MAK 2 Star General Wood Pellet BBQ Smoker-Grill. These Chicken Thighs were roasted at 375ºF using Apple pellets. Took about an hour and a half to reach an Internal Temperature of 180ºF. Always cook to internal temperatures and use times for planning purposes.
Rest the roasted chicken thighs under a foil tent for 15-20 minutes before serving. At 375ºF and above your chicken skin will be crisp and delicious but alas, even though I love it, I gave up eating the skin years ago ... let me know how the skin came out and how delicious it was!
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Hickory Smoked Pulled Pork Butts
Hickory Smoked Pulled Pork Butts need not ruin your beauty sleep. No need to use the old fashioned low-and-slow method and pull an all nighter tending to your Pork Butts when you can use my Turbo method which allows you to Smoke, Roast, FTC, and Pull the Pork in a 10-12 hour time frame rather than 18-24 hours!
With the rising costs of everything it behooves one to maximize their pellets. I find the quality of Costco meats to be exceptional and their Swift Premium Boneless Pork Shoulder Butts have never failed me.
I really enjoy the flavor profiles provided by the bark and so prefer to trim the fat cap. Contrary to public belief the fat cap does not baste the Pork Butt but rather prevents bark formation. These are 7-7½ lb pork butts.
Rub the boneless pork butts with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and a liberal amount of your favorite Pork rub. I find that Plowboys BBQ Bovine Bold provide scrumptious results. Wrap the pork butts in plastic and fridge overnight.
