I participate in the Sizzle On The Grill Forum run by Char-Broil.  One of my favorite Char-Broil products is the Big Easy Smoker Roaster Grill because of the cooking versatility.  One of the discussions on the more interesting uses I’ve seen for SRG was for dutch oven cooking.  In most cases the dutch oven is inserted all the way into the SRG.  My first thought was how un-viable of a process this was.  It takes only a few pieces of charcoal to heat a dutch oven and my fear was that it would be take a great deal of propane to to keep the dutch oven up to temp.  I was wrong…

My son wanted some Jambalaya for dinner this past weekend so I thought I would give the dutch oven/SRG combination a try.  Although I was really hoping it would work, I didn’t think it would.

I’ve used my 14 inch dutch oven and it fit perfectly right in the top of the SRG.  My fear was that it would take a long time to actually heat the dutch oven up to a temperature where I could actually start to cook.  I was surprised at how fast it did get up to cooking temperature.

The SRG works through infrared science.  There is a propane fired heat source at the bottom of the chamber which heats up in between the inner chamber and the outer casing.  The process works fantastic for cooking meats, I knew that, but it also works heating up cast iron.  Works like a charm.

Since I don’t have a dutch oven “table” the SRG allowed me to cook without having to keep bending down to tend the Jambalaya.  My knees aren’t as young as they used to be and being able to cook with the dutch oven at almost waist high was a great advantage.

The andouille sausage, pork sausage and bacon were the first things to hit the pan along with 1/4 cup of home rendered pork fat, courtesy of my good friend Rob over at Into The Flames.  Once the sausage and bacon were rendered and browned I added the chicken.  When the chicken was browned the bell pepper, celery and onions were added.  The smell was simply fantastic.  There is no other way to describe it.

Once all the meat and veggies have been cooked it was time to add the tomatoes, chicken broth and rice to the mixture.  By this point in the cook I was beginning to sense a successful meal.

I used a recipe from My New Orleans: The Cookbook by John Besh.   (I cut the recipe in half) One of the great techniques I learned from this recipe was how to cook the shrimp to perfection.  Once the rice was done I removed it from the heat, stirred in the raw shrimp and put the lid back on.  After waiting 10 minutes we were ready to eat. 

If you are at all interested in “New Orleans” cuisine then the John Besh cookbook is a must for your library.  It’s full of great recipes and stories about growing up in New Orleans.  The jambalaya recipe was the best I’ve ever eaten.  Get the book and give it a try.

Shrimp, Chicken, and Andouille Jambalaya

By John Besh

My New Orleans: The Cookbook

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds bacon, diced
• 3 pounds andouille sausage, diced
• 1/2 cup lard
• 2 pounds fresh pork sausage, removed from casings
• 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, roughly cut into 1-inch pieces
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 6 large onions, diced
• 4 bell peppers, seeded and diced
• 10 stalks celery, diced
• 12 cloves garlic, minced
• 9 cups converted Louisiana white rice
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 3 tablespoons pimention de la Vera or smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon celery salt
• 6 cups canned crushed tomatoes
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 5 pounds Louisiana white shrimp or other wild American shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 bunches green onions, chopped

Directions:

(BBQ Grail Note: The directions for the recipes in the cookbook are the best part.  Not only does Chef Besh provide you with detailed instructions but he also spells out the timing of doing the cooking.  He also explains the WHY of the cooking process.  Something very, very helpful and educational)

First, you’ll need to heat a very large pot 3-5 gallons) over high heat until it is hot, then reduce the heat to moderate.  This will allow the heat to be uniform all over, preventing those little hot spots that are likely to burn.

Render the bacon with the sausages and the lard in the hot pot, stirring slowly with a long wooden spoon or a spade.  While the pork is rendering, go ahead and season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.  Add the chicken to the pot, stirring, and cook until the chicken becomes golden brown, about 5 minutes.

After the chicken as browned, add the onions to the pot and all them to caramelize, about 15 minutes.  Add the bell peppers, celery, and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes.  Continue stirring from time to time so that everything in the pot cooks evenly.

Next add the rice, thyme, bay leaves, pimention, cayenne, 2 tablespoons salt, 1 tablespoons black pepper, and the celery salt to the pot and cook, stirring often for 3 minutes.

Increase the heat to high and add the tomatoes and chicken stock to the pot,  Bring the stock to a boil.  Reduce the heat do medium low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

While the rice is cooking in the covered pot, season the shrimp with salt and pepper and save them, along with the green onions, to be added at the last minutes.

After the rice as simmered for 15 minutes, go ahead and remove the lid from the pot and fold int he shrimp and green onions.  Turn off the heat and let everything continue to to cook in the hot covered pot for an additional 10 minutes.  Remove the lid, fluff the jambalaya and serve.

• Oven: This is the traditional roasted turkey method done in the oven.  Both my wife and I grew up with this method.  It’s the tried and true method.  Sometimes I wish we did this method, because in my opinion it yields the best stuffing results.  And for me it’s all about the stuffing.
• Smoked:  Usually done, at our house, on the Weber Smokey Mountain or Traeger with a either peach or apple wood.  We will aslso use a brine and nice rub, usually Plowboys Yardbird or Simple Marvelous Season-All.   Because smoking doesn’t provide for a good crisp skin I will usually drop it in the Char-Broil Big Easy for a few minutes to crisp up the skin.
• Oil-less Turkey Fryer:  I love the results from putting a nice brined turkey in the Char-Broil Big Easy.  The end result is a great “fried” bird.  The results are much like you get in the store with one of those rotisserie chickens that taste so good.  And clean up witht he Big Easy is a snap.
• Deep Fried:  I believe this is the family favorite.  Again, the turkey is brined.  There’s just something about a fried turkey that screams tasty.  A lot of people use some type of injection with their fried turkeys but I’ve never found it necessary after brining to bother with injection.

This year my oldest daughter was the first to request this years cooking technique and chose a fried turkey.  So fried it was.  This meant getting out the Masterbuilt Indoor Turkey Fryer.  (You can read my full review of this fryer from last year by clicking here.)

For years and years I always wondered what all the hoopla was about when it came to Thanksgiving.  I could never understand why turkey was so popular.  No matter where I ate turkey or how it was cooked it always had a strange after taste to me.  I could manage to eat the turkey if I was lucky enough to get some of the limited dark meat and smother it with gravy. 

What I’ve come to realize is that it wasn’t the cooking technique, it was the turkey.  This epiphany came a couple of years ago when I decided to spring for a “Plump & Juicy” Natural Range Turkey from a local market.   I have always been amazed that on many holidays or other family get togethers people will spend hundreds of dollars for a prime rib or a “honey” spiral cut ham but when it comes to Thanksgiving let’s go find the cheapest, frozen bird you can find.  Why would you be willing to spend big dollars for a great piece of beef, but not be willing to spend $2 a pound for a great turkey.  Start with great ingredients and you’ll have a better chance for great results.  To me it’s worth it.  Anyway…

I picked up the turkey from the market on Tuesday afternoon and put it in the refrigerator.  Since my turkey comes from the market unfrozen I didn’t have to worry about the whole defrosting process. 

What is the safest way to thaw a frozen turkey?
The USDA recommends three ways to defrost turkeys: in the refrigerator, in cold water and in the microwave. Never defrost turkey on the counter or in other locations.

• It’s best to plan ahead for slow, safe thawing in the refrigerator. Allow about 1 day for every 5 pounds of turkey to thaw in the refrigerator.
• Turkey may be defrosted in cold water in its airtight packaging or in a leak-proof bag. Submerge the bird or cut-up parts in cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes.
• Turkey defrosted in the microwave should be cooked immediately after thawing because some areas of the food may become warm and begin to cook during microwaving. Holding partially cooked food is not recommended because any bacteria present wouldn’t have been destroyed.

If you purchase previously frozen meat, poultry or fish at a retail store, you can refreeze if it has been handled properly. (Source: Food Safety of Turkey… from Farm to Table. For information on thawing other items, see The Big Thaw – Safe Defrosting Methods for Consumers)

On Tuesday night I dissolved the salt and sugars in boiling water and let it cool on the stove before storing in the refrigerator over night.  Personally, I don’t like to add the seasonings to the brine until it’s cold.  If I’m using fresh herbs I will add them to the brine when it’s slightly warm so the flavors will start to infuse a little.  (Why do I do it this way?  No real reason it just seems to be the way I began doing it and it works for me)

(Left) The first step is to add the seasoning, oranges and lemons to a five gallon bucket.  (Right) Then pour in half the brine liquid and stir until the seasoning start to dissolve.  Stir it well, this will start to infuse the citrus into the brine.

(Left) Next put the turkey into the bucket with the legs up.   You’ll notice the plastic leg holder is still on.  I like to leave it on because it gives you something to grab hold of to remove from the brine when it’s done.  Stick an orange and lemon wedge into the cavity.  I leave the legs untied to make sure the brine has a chance to penetrate between the legs and breasts. (Right) Add the rest of the brine liquid.  Make sure the whole bird is covered. 

If you live in a cold environment, and mean really cold, you might be able to just leave the bucket covered in your garage.  If not then you have to find a way to keep the turkey and brine cold.  Fortunately I have refrigerator with removeable shelves and I can make run for the bucket.  Should you not have that luxury one way to keep things save is to set the bucket in an ice chest and fill the chest around the bucket with ice.  This should keep you in the “safe zone” for the brining period.

Brine the turkey for 24 hours.  Remove the turkey from the brine three or four hours before cooking.  This will give you plenty of time to soak and rinse the bird completely to remove any salt residue from the brine. 

IMPORTANT:  Make sure the turkey is 100% dry inside and out before putting the turkey in the hot oil.  If you attempt to fry a frozen, partially frozen or wet turkey you run the risk of severe damage to both person and property.

(Left) Masterbuilt recommends less than a 14lb bird in my model of fryer.  I can tell you that 14lbs is a tight fit.  This is what it looks like with 13.87lbs of turkey.  It’s a tight, tight fit.  (Right) The turkey is lowered into 2 gallons of hot (375 degrees) peanut oil. 

(Left)I normally set the built in timer for 3/4 of the recommend cooking time and then check the thigh temperature.  The recommended cooking time is 4 minutes per pound.  Experience tells me that 5 minutes per pound is really closer to what you’ll need to get a properly cooked turkey.  (Right) After the turkey is done remove from the pan and allow to rest, covered with a foil tent, for 30 minutes.  The plastic leg holder was removed prior to putting the turkey into the fryer.  What I should have rememebered to do was tie the legs together.  This would have made it easier to remove from the pan and would have displayed a little more attractively.

Overall this may have been my most successful Thanksgiving turkey.  One of the problems with being limited to a 14 pound turkey is that with nine people there wasn’t much leftover turkey.   Next year I’ll have to do two turkeys or get the bigger fryer that Masterbuilt now makes.

The BBQ Grail 2010 Thanksgiving Turkey Brine

Ingredients:

• 2 gallons filtered/bottled water*
• 1 cup Morton’s Kosher Salt**
• 1 cup Dark Brown Sugar
• 2 oranges, quartered
• 2 lemons, quartered
• 2 tablespoons Char-Broil “All Purpose” Rub***

Directions:

Bring the water to a boil in a large pot.  Reduce heat and add salt and sugar.  Stir until dissolved.  Remove from heat and allow to cool before using as a brine.  I prefer to make up my brine the night before and keep it in the refrigerator until I’m ready to use it.  Add lemons, oranges and “All-Purpose” rub just before starting the brining process.

* The key to great food is your ingredients.  This is true even with the water you use.  Make sure you use filtered or bottled water when making up your brining liquid.  This way you know, for the most part, what’s in your water… nothing!  Having a good solid base, your water, will give you a brine that will give you results that can be repeated.

** This brine recipe works well with Morton’s Kosher Salt.  Not all salts are the same weight.  If you use something other than Morton’s Kosher Salt you may have to adjust the amount of salt.  For great information on brining read Michael Ruhlman’s book “Ratio.”

***Char-Broil’s “All-Purpose Rub” is a new product.  I really like this seasoning.  It has a nice herbal flavor and worked quite well in this brine.  My initial recipe calls for 2 tablespoons, but you could easily increase this amount to 3 or 4 tablespoons without overpowering the turkey.

Robyn happened to swing by the Char-Broil area as we began one of the Char-Broil All-Star Pork Smackdowns.  She sent me a couple pictures she snapped of us.

I'm the hard working pork prepper in the blue shirt adding my secret seasoning to my pork loin. Mike Hedrick (center) and Julie Reinhardt also prepare their pork so they can compete.

Here Julie and I share a little break while our pork loins smoke roast in the Char-Broil Big Easy Smoker Roaster Grill.

"What do you mean Mike won the first smackdown?"

One of the first events I had the pleasure of participating in was the Char-Broil Celebrity Grill-Off.  The contest featured several local Memphis radio and television personalities who were paired up with one of Char-Broils guest chefs.  The participants were:

• Steve Conley, Host of “Conley & Karen” on Classic Hits 94.1 WKQK
• Jay Young, Host of “The Young and Elder Show” on Kix 106 WGKX
• Earle Augustus, Host of “Love Songs” on Soul Classics 103.5 WRBO
• Ernie Freeman, Anchor of Fox 13’s Good Morning Memphis
• Joey Sulipeck, Chief Meteorologist at Fox 13 Weather Authority

I was teamed up with Jay Young for the cooking contest.  Each team was given about 3 pounds pork loin and two Char-Broil Big Easy Smoker, Roaster & Grill for cook their meat.  The idea was to cut a couple of nice chops from the loin and grill those while smoke roasting the rest of the loin.

The first step was to meet and get our pork plans all laid out.  Jay came prepared with his own secret seasoning mix and it sure had a “kick” to it.

Here Jay and I are prepping the pork.  I’m getting chops ready while Jay gives the loin a little spritz with his pineapple mixture.  Check out the loin stuffed with a Johnsonville Cheddar and Jalapeno Bratwurst.  This technique helps to keep the loin from drying out and provides a nice flavor on the inside of the loin.

One aspect of being a Char-Broil Guest Chef was being able to put aside my deep seeded shyness to do commentary on the various cooking events taking place at the Char-Broil exhibit.

I also had a chance to combine my “serious look” with my best Vanna White imitation.

Checking the temperature of the pork loin with my trusty Red Thermapen.  Everyone knows that the RED Thermapen is the fastest and most accurate of all Thermapens.  In my opinion an instant read thermometer is one of the most important tools an outdoor cooking enthusiast can own.

Took the pork loin out at 145 degrees and let it rest for 10 minutes.  It was perfect.  And check out how great it looks with the brat in the middle.  You can read more about this technique in a previous post I did on the Internally Self-basting Pork Loin.

And last, and certainly best is the picture of Jay Young, Kyshel Tew and myself with the $250.00 check we won for Special Olympics by winning 2nd Place in the grilling contest.

Due to some technical difficulties combined with some family issues the announcement of the winner will be delayed until 12/31/2009.  I’m sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

Do you cook your Thanksgiving Turkey outdoors?  If you do and are willing to share your Thanksgiving experience with the readers of the BBQ Grail you could win a prize.

The contest rules are quite simple.  Cook your Thanksgiving Day Turkey outdoors.  It doesn’t matter how you cook it as long as it’s cooked outdoors.  You can fry it, smoke it, grill it you can even cook it in a dutch oven.  It just has to be cooked outdoors.  When you’re done eating take a few minutes and write a short story on how you did it and send up a couple of pictures.  The pictures need to show you cooking the turkey and a final table picture is also needed.  ( You can send up to five pictures)  If you’d like to include your favorite recipe for outdoor cooked Thanksgiving Day Turkey or a favorite side dish feel free to do so.

One Grand Prize Winner will be selected along with two “Honorable Mention Winners.”

Email your entries to thanksgiving@thebbqgrail.com.  Entries must be received by The BBQ Grail no later than 11:59pm on December 2nd, 2009.   All entries, including pictures, become the property of The BBQ Grail.  All decisions made by the judging team are final and will be based on your submitted pictures and write-up.

The Grand Prize Winner will receive a Char-Broil “Big Easy Oil-Less Infrared Turkey Fryer courtesy of Char-Broil.

Char-Broil’s new infrared oil-less turkey fryer is the safe way to fry your turkey. And because it uses NO oil, it’s healthier, too.  Prepare your turkey with the same injectable marinade you already use, or use seasoned rubs on the outside, which is not an option with traditional fryers. Cooks a turkey from start-to-finish just as quickly as oil-frying without the messy clean-up.

Take The Big Easy Virtual Tour to see how the infrared heat circles the cooker to penetrate the meat evenly and seal in juices. The result is a bird that’s moist inside and crispy outside but without the risk, hassle or added fat and calories of oil. Safely cook a turkey (up to 16 lbs.) or chicken in about 8 to 10 minutes per pound. Roasts and most other large cuts of meat cook for slightly longer.

The Big Easy includes a cooking basket, basket lifting handle, and meat thermometer and features:

• Enclosed burner design with 16,000 BTU’s
• Rotary Ignition
• Cool-touch handles
• Pull-out grease tray
• Stainless steel cooking chamber

Honorable Mention:

One Honorable Mention Winner will receive an autographed copy of "Asian Grill" by Corinne Traing

Another Honorable Mention Winner will receive an autographed copy of "Everybody Grills"

The Judges:

Corinne Trang:

An award-winning cookbook author, expert on Asian cuisines and cultures, beverage and food consultant, lecturer, spokesperson, chef, recipe developer, and lifestyle writer. A frequent radio and television guest, she is the chief east coast correspondent for America’s Dining and Travel Guide (Business Talk Radio).

Her first cookbook, Authentic Vietnamese Cooking (Simon & Schuster, 1999) won Best Asian Cuisine Book in the World and Best Book on Asian Cuisine in English at France’s Salon International du Livre Gourmand (The 2000 World Cookbook Fair). It was also awarded Best of the Best of 1999 by Food & Wine magazine. Her second book, Essentials of Asian Cuisine (Simon & Schuster, Feb. 2003), which covers Chinese cuisine and its influence on the major cuisines of Asia including Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, has already received much praise from the press including starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly and Cook’s Illustrated. Since then she’s published The Asian Grill (Chronicle Books, 2006), A Food Lover’s Companion: Vietnamese (Mark & Spencer, 2007), and the recently published Noodles Every Day (Chronicle Books, 2009). In addition to writing her own cookbooks, Trang has contributed to many others including Curry Cuisine (Dorling Kindersley, 2007), Saveur Cooks Authentic American (Chronicle Books, 1998), Saveur Cooks Authentic French (Chronicle Books, 1999), and The Encyclopedia of Food & Culture (Scribners & Sons, 2003).

Bob Devine:

Since the explosion of BBQ restaurants in New York a few years ago,I have worked as a Pit Master in the NYC and surrounding area, and have been around BBQ since the early 1980′s.. I started of on a 22 1/2 Weber, smoking a turkey the day I opened the boxed, and havn’t looked back since. Turkey is still, to this day, one of my favorite meats to smoke
I’ve graduated somewhat to commercial smokers, as well as mobile smokers.. Some of the equipment I’ve used in the past, and up to this present day ares Southern Pride: SPK500, SPK700, various mobile units, as well as other electric and gas models. Old Hickory: CTO’s, SSJ, various mobile units. Cook Shack: 300 series, 250 series. J&R Oylers: 700 series, 1000 series, and the 250 RFS  Alto Sham “cook and hold” models. Various wood burning, “mobile” units, used for festivals, street fairs, catering and competitions; to include: Lang, Meadow Creek, Stumps, Spicewines, Traeger, Fast Eddies, and many custom made models

I’ve worked at the Big Apple BBQ, on a couple of teams, and, as recently as the 2009 Big Apple BBQ, was hired by a new team to the event, to organize, set up, and cook, for their initial time at the Big Apple BBQ. I also engage in Competitive BBQ as a team member for various teams, as well as being a Certified Barbecue Judge at those events.   Am also well versed in “on-site” BBQ catering for all types of affairs, to include whole hog, surf and turf, and various smoked meats to include ribs, briskets, pork butts, chicken, and other meats.

Barry “CB” Martin:

It’s been my pleasure and honor to write the Sizzle on the Grill newsletter for more than 5 years and I have enjoyed every minute! Recently I was honored to be asked to create  recipes and write the informational pages of the new cookbook from Char-Broil called Everybody Grills.

I am not a professionally trained chef, although I have worked in a variety of restaurants and cultivated an appreciation for fine cuisine as a head waiter and wine steward at both French and American restaurants. The bottom line is I’m just a guy who really enjoys cooking and serving food to his friends and family. When I write about recipes for grilling, smoking or Q’ing…it’s because these are recipes I prepare. Now I expect there are many folks who are better cooks than me…and certainly you may be one of them. I just try to share some of my experiences to (hopefully) encourage you to take on the challenges of grilling, or Q’ing or smoking food that pleases you and delights your friends and family. I cook what I enjoy eating and I’m always interested in expanding my understanding and appreciation of food!

Dr. Gonzo:

What led this inventor of the (seen on TV) “Jiffy Home Lobotomy Kit”: just insert the stainless steel icepick behind your ear and stir in a circular motion until all your problems and worries dissapear…, proud founder of Spruce Up Yours Landscaping International LLC, this high powered Washington lobbyis, tirelessly fighting for our rights to carry concealed Kazoos, this former lead accordion player of a Maraca Rock and Roll Revue (until he was exiled from Columbia after an alleged affair with Juan Valdez’s burro), to dabble in the world of spicy comestibles? Maybe we’ll never know the reason for his shift in focus. All we can hope for is that he will continue to weave delicate textures, tastes and heat profiles in an effort to liberate us all from a world burdened by Bland.

Now, contrary to popular opinion, this iteration of Dr. GONZO is not (and never has been) a 300lb Samoan attorney. He is (and will continue to be) the traveling professor of Advanced Mixology and Arcane Aviation Physics at Hardknock University. Home of the Fighting Black and Blue Humping Lumper Marching Band; that not only carries the instruments in tight formation across the rugby pitch, they also carry the people that play the instruments in tight formation across the rugby pitch, and the (oh, so hard to get on) Intramural Cross Country Pruning Shear Relay Team, where we take running with scissors to the next level…

Stay tuned to YouTube’s DrGonzosCondiments <http://www.youtube.com/user/DrGonzosCondiments> channel for behind the scenes footage of Dr. GONZO’s ‘Secret’ Underground lab, Xtreme Grilling Team and early failed  high volume production experiments of our “World Famous” Peppermash. Yes, sometimes the best humor involves the failings of another so, have a giggle at our expense.