King Salmon Cooked to Temperature
Have you ever baked/grilled King Salmon to Temperature? Me neither! … I normally use my MAK 2 Star General Wood Pellet BBQ Smoker-Grill to cook Salmon at 400ºF until it flakes easily with a fork. Usually takes 12-18 minutes … But what’s a body to do when their neighbor Tom catches a nice 30 lb King Salmon and shares it?!! This is the same good neighbor that shared his Lingcod with me. Doesn’t get any better than this!
The King Salmon serving turned out to be more than enough for the both of us and measured out at 1¾” thick. This was the perfect opportunity to cook Salmon to temperature rather than the Flaky Fork Test. Did some on-line research and discovered that the general consensus is to cook Salmon to an Internal Temperature (IT) of around 140-150ºF. Found recipes where the temperatures ranged from 115º-160ºF but chose to use 145ºF.
While the MAK 2 Star was preheating to 400ºF, using Alder wood BBQ pellets, I seasoned the King Salmon with Kikkoman Teriyaki Baste & Glaze with Honey and Pineapple.
If you’re a MAK owner you might have noticed the Temperature Probe I’ve been using recently. I’ve been Beta testing the new MAK M2 Armored Probe that will be released next week. Unlike the Armored Probe, the M2 Armored Probe works with the Standard MAK Probes, has been completely redesigned and does not require reprogramming the Pellet Boss Controller. Look for it at your favorite MAK Dealer soon
Threw in some Sweet Corn on the Cob on the Camp Chef 3 Burner Stove while the King Salmon cooked in the MAK 2 Starto an Internal Temperature of 145ºF.
The King Salmon turned out great but to be honest I had my doubts while it was resting for a few minutes! I didn’t use the Flaky Fork Test and relied entirely on the Internal Temperature. Took 32 minutes to go from an IT of 47ºF to 145ºF.
The Money $Shot$ … King Salmon portion with a Green Salad adorned with some Olives and Cherry Tomatoes from the garden with an ear of Corn on the Cob … Bon Appétit … The King Salmon cooked to an IT of 145ºF was exceptionally moist and delectable. If I had taken this King Salmon to the Flaky Fork Test it would have been overcooked and dry!!
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Smoked Corned Beef Brisket
Nothing beats a nice Boiled Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner and most people enjoy the feast once a year on St Patrick’s Day. But if you love Corned Beef as much as I do then you have one at least every two months. Being the Dog Days of August I decided to keep the heat out of the kitchen by smoking the Corned Beef in the MAK 2 Star General Wood Pellet Smoker-Grill and fixing the trimmings on the Camp Chef 3 Burner Stove.
Rinsed the 4½ lb Corned Beef Flat Cut Brisket using cold water for a few minutes.
Preheated the MAK 2 Star General Pellet Smoker-Grill to 225ºF with Hickory wood BBQ pellets and smoked for 5½ hours. My MAK 2 Star SMOKE setting ranges around 180ºF and provides a copious amount of smoke flavor but have also had great results at the 225ºF setting when cooking Pork Butts and Briskets for long periods of time.
After 5½ hours the Internal Temperature (IT) was 158ºF and I bumped the temperature to 250ºF.
3½ hours later, 9 hours total, the IT reached 185ºF. Pulled the Hickory Smoked Corned Beef and rested under a foil tent for 20 minutes.
While the Corned Beef was resting, I used my Camp Chef 3 Burner Stove to steam potatoes and sauté Cabbage, Mushrooms, and Onions. For a traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner I would boil the Cabbage in the same pot that the Corned Beef was simmered for hours. Not having that luxury, I improvised and used to Wok.
No bark was formed on the Corned Beef Brisket since I did not apply any rub. You can see a thin layer that formed on the Brisket. The Smoked Corned Beef Brisket turned out incredible!!
The Money $Shot$ … A few slices of delectable Hickory Smoked Corned Beef Brisket served with sautéed Cabbage/Mushroom/Onions, steamed potatoes, and a side of Cantaloupe Melon.
The Hickory Smoked Corned Beef Flat Cut Brisket turned out wonderful. The meat was tender and moist with a pleasing smoke flavor. Next time I may take the Corned Beef Brisket to 195-200ºF and FTC for 2 hours to gauge the results. None the less, it’s a luscious way to prepare and serve Corned Beef.
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Apple Smoked Chicken Leg Quarters – Dinner on a budget!!
Chicken is still an item that gets you a big bang for your $$buck! If you’re willing and able to bypass all those conveniently packaged cuts of Chicken and buy whole Chickens and things like Leg Quarters you can save a lot of $$money. Leg Quarters for example were 99¢ a pound as were whole Chickens. But Chicken Wings were $2.79/lb!! Chicken Breasts were actually less than Wings … Go figure!? A whole Chicken was 99¢/lb and Chickens cut in half were $1.49/lb … How hard is it to cut a Chicken in half?
These 6 Chicken Quarters cost me $5.25 and it will provide my Bride and I two meals. Doesn’t get any better than that.
Rubbed up the Chicken Quarters with Annie’s Roasted Garlic EVOO and Fagundes Seasoning under and on the skin. I always rub EVOO and seasoning under to skin to provide great flavors to the meat. Besides, I toss the skin anyway but of course you want to smoke/cook with the skin on whenever possible to help the meat stay moist.
Preheated the MAK 2 Star General Wood Pellet Smoker-Grill to 225ºF with Apple wood BBQ pellets. Used the 3 Pellet Boss Control Temperature Probe inputs to monitor the Leg Quarters. Held the temperature to 225ºF for 1½ hours providing a copious amount of Apple Smoke. Bumped the temperature to 320ºF until the Internal Temperature reached 180ºF.
Rested the Chicken Leg Quarters under a tent foil for 20 minutes while I prepared the corn on the cob.
The Money $Shot$ … A Chicken Quarter with a couple ears of Sweet Corn on the Cob … I could make a meal of nothing but the Sweet Corn on the Cob this time of year when it’s so fresh!! I like a light meal for Dinner during the dog days of August. Leaves more room for desert!
So don’t pass your Poultry section without taking a closer look at the prices and if needed, learn to dissect a Chicken. You’ll be surprised at how easy it is and how much money you can save … Bon Appétit
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Wood Pellet Grilled Lingcod
Tom, my neighbor, went fishing at Half Moon Bay, CA with some friends for Lingcod and Rock fish and he kindly shared some fresh Lingcod with me. For those of you who may never have seen Lingcod filets you might be surprised to see that one filet is blueish green while the other is white. It’s comes down to different varieties of the fish. Not to worry, it’s all Great!!
Spritzed both sides of the Lingcod filets with Annie’s Roasted Garlic EVOO and lightly sprinkled them with Fagundes Seasoning. Preheated the MAK 2 Star General Wood Pellet BBQ Smoker Grill to 400ºF using Alder wood BBQ pellets. Grilled the Lingcod for about 14 minutes at 400ºF until the fish flaked easily with a fork.
Lingcod are almost primeval looking – huge, gaping mouths with sharp fang like teeth. Lingcod are native to the rocky shores of North American’s Pacific coast and offers a taste and succulence similar to halibut — it cooks up white, sweet and delicious, a great addition to many a meal.
Contrary to their name, they are not true cods, but are greenlings. Lingcod are voracious predators and can grow to weigh over 80 pounds (35 kg) and measure 60 inches (150 cm) in length. Their color is variable, usually with dark brown or copper blotches arranged in clusters.
The Money $Shot$ … Half a filet of each Lincod with a nice salad … Notice how each Lingcod filet is white when fully cooked. The Lingcod on the right was the blueish green filet …
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MAK 2 Star General Pellet Smoker-Grill Roasted Chickens
Using a Pellet Smoker-Grill is one of the best ways to roast chickens and the MAK 2 Star General Wood Pellet BBQ Smoker-Grill is at the top of the class. The MAK has so many features but the heart of the MAK Grills is the innovative and revolutionary Pellet Boss Digital Control which performs more than 15 separate functions. One of my favorite items is the MAK Remote Boss. It allows me the freedom to perform and monitor all functions of the Pellet Boss Controller remotely. You can see the Remote Boss in the photo below. Visit the MAK 2 Star General Wood Pellet BBQ Smoker-Grill website for more details and information.
Picked up a couple of 5½ lb Foster Farms Chickens and rubbed Annie’s Roasted Garlic EVOO under and on the skin. Seasoned on and under the chicken skin with Fagundes Seasoning. Used the Chicken Roaster in order to cook the yardbirds upright, collect the fat, and help to keep the MAK clean.
Using the full 3 Meat Probe capability of the MAK 2 Star to monitor the birds. Note that the MAK has a convenient mouse hole to route probe cables through. Note the different style Meat Probes … More to come at a later date …
The MAK 2 Star General Wood Pellet BBQ Smoker-Grill has ample head room for the chickens to stand upright. With 429/858 square inches of cooking surface you can easily accommodate 4 chicken roasters.
Using Apple wood BBQ pellets, I preheated the MAK to 325ºF. A great tip is to always cook to temperature and not time. For chickens/turkeys I always insert the probes in the thickest part of the breast and cook to a temperature of 165º – 170ºF. When the breast reaches that temperature range the legs and thighs should be at 180ºF. I like to use an instant read thermometer to verify the Internal Temperature.
The Pellet Boss provides for 3 Meat Temperature Probes. You’ll note the different connector in probe 3 … More to come at a later date …
While the chickens are roasting in the MAK I threw on some corn on the cob. The Camp Chef 3 Burner Stove comes in handy when trying to keep the house cool during the dog days of summer!!
Pulled the Roasted Chickens when the IT reached 170ºF and rested 15 minutes under a foil tent.
The Roasted Yardbirds just sitting around waiting for the carving knife! … sometimes I kill myself!! … Notice the amount of fat from each chicken. All that fat would be on the bottom of the MAK if it wasn’t for the chicken roaster. In the old days, that would be the base for a some chicken gravy and the skin would have been devoured!! Times change.
TheM money $Shot$… A few pieces of scrumptious skinless Roasted Chicken and an ear of corn on the cob … Makes for a light summer meal. One of the birds is still sitting around waiting for that knife … Bon Appétit
