First pork shoulder on the BBQ

I picked up a Brinkmann Smoke’N Grill Charcoal Smoker (El Cheapo Brinkmann aka ECB) to make some chipotle peppers but after seeing a Labor Day sale on pork shoulders (aka pork butt) I decided it was time to get this baby worked in.

Whether it is gardening or cooking I am never one to jump right into something new without thorough research so after some data gathering this is what I found:

• Have to cook low and slow.  Unlike better quality of meats shoulder/briskets are loaded with connective tissue given these are the main working muscles of the beast.  As a result cooking these fast will result in some very tough meat.  Alternatively cooking at a lower temperature over a longer period of time will result in delicious tender meat.
• 200-225 is the ideal range to cook your meat for optimum tenderness.
• After an internal temperature 145F your meat can no longer build a thicker smoke ring.
• Meat is done when the internal temperature is at least 185F

Last Minute Dinner: BBQ Chicken Pizza

I have not always been great at planning a heads and here is a perfect example.  With a quick scan of the refrigerator and bread box I found the following original creation that turned out pretty good.

For the crust I went with these new Oroweat Sandwich Thins, they are only 100 calories for both sides and seemed pretty pizza crustlike.

I

Next I applied a thin layer of Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce and topped some BBQ chicken leftover from the previous day which I chopped up into small pieces.

Last I sprinkled some Italian and cheddar cheese on top and baked on a cookie sheet for about 8-9 minutes at 350 degree F until cheese is thoroughly melted.

I chose to skip the ranch drizzled on the top, but my wife said it tasted great.  Sometimes improvisation works out pretty good anyone else have a similar story for a 5-10 minute last minute dinner?

How to grill a steak

There are many ways to grill a good steak, here is my proven way to grill a great steak.  Just as a warning this method takes a little longer to cook so plan ahead, you don’t want your hungry “customers” forcing you to speed up the process resulting in a lesser steak.

1. Season steak generously with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper on both sides of steak.
2. Leave steak on counter to come up to room temperature and let seasoning get into the meat for 20 minutes.  Do not skip this step it is critical…
3. Add water soaked wood chips to disposable aluminum small bread loaf pan and place below grill grate.
4. Close grill and preheat grill on high
5. Add meat to the grill and close cover, after 5 minutes flip over the steak and close cover for another 5 minutes.
6. Reduce heat to low and move steak to upper rack and close grill.  Check every 5 minutes to see if the meat is at the proper temperature for how you want it cooked.
1. Rare: 145F
2. Medium: 160F
3. Well: 170F
7. Once you hit the right temperature place the meat on a cutting board to cool for 10 minutes.  This is when things get hard, you are hungry you can smell the steak but if you cut into the meat early much of the delicious juices will be lost.  Trust me it is worth the weight.
8. Enjoy