Smokin'

With my having successful pawned off of the actual work of replacing the ignition device on my fancy ass wood pellet smoker to our new handyman (who I might add recruited Wife to help because the whole process - advertised as 'easy-to-do' - turned out to be a bitch), I was fully lusting to get back into the smoking BBQ action.

I had a piece of pork shoulder in the freezer and was determined to once again pursue the elusive pulled pork. But seeing how small the piece was compared to the size of the smoker, I felt it was a real waste of resources if that was all we put in it. So I went out and got a rack of spare ribs and two chickens. Certainly this would be enough food to to feed Wife and I for dinner...each night for the next three months. I also put on some corn on the cob out of the freezer.

The results were pretty damn good. I decided to try brining both the pork and chicken adding my BBQ rub to the brine. I then made another batch of rub using much less salt and sugar than before. I applied that to the ribs but a much lighter amount than previous attempts.

The chicken and pork flavor and moisture were excellent. The pork definitely 'pulled' but I think I could have had it on the smoker for even longer. The chicken was near perfect. I broke the chicken down so we froze the white meat for sandwiches and salads and the dark meat for cooking. I made a stock from the bones that was not overly smokey at all. And I fried the skin into cracklings - not gribbnes as much as chicken bacon.

I think I am getting myself ready for the next adventure which will be curing my own ham and smoking it.