jamesp
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Post by jamesp on May 31, 2014 13:59:42 GMT -5
chickens require more skill than deer, cows, hogs etc. Not anymore. Run them through the band saw any old way. Showing any kind of an artifact around here will draw huge fines and prison time. All this talk of asado took me back to my time in Uruguay (1957-1960) with the gauchos and their fine asado con cuero.  Skin a cow about 2" deep, secetion it into 6" X 12" chunks with two slits so a stick in the ground around a huge fire will hold it in place to cook. To eat it, hold it by the hair in one hand, take a bite and slice it off with a knife in the other hand. Careful not to cut your nose off! Cooking fish w/skin on is easier than scaling and cleaning. The skin can take the burn and protect the meat. Many people see one hair and they freak. If cooked, it is fine. Calcium man. Very interesting. Sounds like a big meal. yum |
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Post by radio on May 31, 2014 15:54:36 GMT -5
Jim, brining fowl MUST become your normal procedure. NEVER cook a whole bird without it. Even little quails benefit. It's SOP here in Chino. Wild game goes a week in the brine in the fridge before roasting. Domestic birds get 48 hours. They soft already from lack of needing to work for a living. Read more: forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/thread/65654/brine-soaked-chicken-turkey-thighs?page=3#ixzz32RWjmad0After the 3rd batch of chicken and turkey I am sold. Each was a total easy success. And about the best flavor I have ever created. Am sold !! Scott, have you ever used or been at a shindig that was cooking w/a Santa Maria ?  Yeah, shows and fairs always have those, along with pallets of mesquite wood. Man the food it good. I have one of these:  It works like this  You need to modify that bad boy into a reverse flow design  Much more even heat distribution and you can cook on the entire grate and not skip the fist 1/4 or so because of excessive heat from the firebox. some tuning plates would also work |
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on May 31, 2014 17:04:31 GMT -5
I was curious if the right side is hotter than the left. Lest there be baffles under the grill screen in upper section.
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Post by radio on May 31, 2014 18:42:30 GMT -5
I was curious if the right side is hotter than the left. Lest there be baffles under the grill screen in upper section. Yessir, the area near where the heat comes in gets quite hot. some folks use metal plates as a buffer and these work to an extent. the best solution is to install a steel plate running the length of the smoker except for about 4 inches at the end to allow the heat and smoke to rise. This also necessitates moving the smokestack to the end the firebox is on so the heat and smoke is now drawn evenly all the way back across the cooking grates. I have an older and very heavy New Braunfels smoker I will eventually doing this mod on |
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jun 1, 2014 20:07:04 GMT -5
I was curious if the right side is hotter than the left. Lest there be baffles under the grill screen in upper section. Yessir, the area near where the heat comes in gets quite hot. some folks use metal plates as a buffer and these work to an extent. the best solution is to install a steel plate running the length of the smoker except for about 4 inches at the end to allow the heat and smoke to rise. This also necessitates moving the smokestack to the end the firebox is on so the heat and smoke is now drawn evenly all the way back across the cooking grates. I have an older and very heavy New Braunfels smoker I will eventually doing this mod on Check out these massive burners I got at the junk yard. From a giant commercial oven they scraped. One of the round nozzles is 12 inches across for a 24 inch hot plate. (right side of pic)  |
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Post by radio on Jun 1, 2014 20:11:53 GMT -5
Yessir, the area near where the heat comes in gets quite hot. some folks use metal plates as a buffer and these work to an extent. the best solution is to install a steel plate running the length of the smoker except for about 4 inches at the end to allow the heat and smoke to rise. This also necessitates moving the smokestack to the end the firebox is on so the heat and smoke is now drawn evenly all the way back across the cooking grates. I have an older and very heavy New Braunfels smoker I will eventually doing this mod on Check out these massive burners I got at the junk yard. From a giant commercial oven they scraped. One of the round nozzles is 12 inches across for a 24 inch hot plate. (right side of pic) HOLY COW!!!!! Now those are some serious burners! I bet they sure eat the gas too! whatcha gonna do with 'em? |
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jun 1, 2014 20:22:46 GMT -5
I am welding up outside kitchens. The largest galvanizing outfit in the SE is just up the road. So will galvanize the whole weldment. 10' and 6' sections w/cabana roof.
Will incorporate the 12" hot plates for doing stock pots/wok/boiled peanuts, etc. Add egg, sink, receptacles, lighting, sound, table top grill, griddle, etc.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 5, 2014 13:27:49 GMT -5
a wok is usually heated with high pressure gas. A single 50,000BTU burner is the bomb for wok'ing.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jun 7, 2014 0:44:53 GMT -5
a wok is usually heated with high pressure gas. A single 50,000BTU burner is the bomb for wok'ing. Does that mean no regulator on the bottles purchased at quicky stores? |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 7, 2014 15:29:44 GMT -5
a wok is usually heated with high pressure gas. A single 50,000BTU burner is the bomb for wok'ing. Does that mean no regulator on the bottles purchased at quicky stores? Different regulator. 3-20# grill regulator is 3#. No regulator = bomb!! |
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Post by radio on Jun 7, 2014 19:59:12 GMT -5
Does that mean no regulator on the bottles purchased at quicky stores? Different regulator. 3-20# grill regulator is 3#. "No regulator = bomb!!" Shhhhhhhh!!!! Big Brudder will come take you away  Anyone ever shot a 20# propane cylinder? They sure don't explode like they do in the movies!  |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 7, 2014 20:26:23 GMT -5
yeah, Mythbusters shot one and all it does is leak! MacGyver is a fraud!!
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jun 7, 2014 20:31:45 GMT -5
I got to figure the gas out. I have welded wok burners into fire pits. But it came w/it's own regulator I believe. 3-20# vs 3# - Interesting and thanks.
If you leave a bottle in a camp fire it gets interesting radio. Heat enhanced gas in a steel cylinder will give nice effect.
Just don't stick around and roast wennies !!
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Jun 7, 2014 22:02:04 GMT -5
yeah, Mythbusters shot one and all it does is leak! MacGyver is a fraud!! I don't know about that Mythbusters experiment but I have a good friend who once made the mistake of shooting a disposable propane bottle he thought was empty. It instantly became a very dangerous missile that nearly took one of his hunting party out. |
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Jun 7, 2014 22:21:02 GMT -5
Scott, have you ever used or been at a shindig that was cooking w/a Santa Maria ? Santa Maria-style BBQ with tri-tip cooked over red oak, pinquito beans, freshly-made salsa, tossed green salad and grilled French bread dipped in sweet melted butter is about as good as it gets. I lived in the Santa Maria area for 12 years and learned to love that cooking style. It's very popular all along the Central Coast, from Thousand Oaks (where you get great trip-tip sandwiches from a parking-lot BBQ) to at least as far north as Atascadero and Paso Robles. Good grits! |
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jun 8, 2014 1:04:34 GMT -5
Scott, have you ever used or been at a shindig that was cooking w/a Santa Maria ? Santa Maria-style BBQ with tri-tip cooked over red oak, pinquito beans, freshly-made salsa, tossed green salad and grilled French bread dipped in sweet melted butter is about as good as it gets. I lived in the Santa Maria area for 12 years and learned to love that cooking style. It's very popular all along the Central Coast, from Thousand Oaks (where you get great trip-tip sandwiches from a parking-lot BBQ) to at least as far north as Atascadero and Paso Robles. Good grits! Nothing like first hand experience. Looks like you have been there done that. Always been interested in cooking equipment from other localities. Primitive methods especially. The Santa Maria grill must date back a ways. Any idea of it's history Rick ? |
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Jun 8, 2014 10:58:24 GMT -5
James, the explanations I've heard for using the flat moveable grill are twofold. First, authentic Santa Maria BBQ must be cooked over red oak, which was the fuel most available to local ranchers when the tradition began in the mid-19th century. Second, that fuel burns with oxidized flames, not the reducing atmosphere of most charcoal-type BBQs. The gusty coastal winds in that area provide plenty of oxygen, requiring the grill to be easily raised and lowered to prevent food from burning while maximizing cooking efficiency.
One of the essential modern components is what’s known locally as a tri-tip roast. It’s a beef cut from the bottom sirloin that’s somewhat triangular in shape. Earlier it was often made into ground beef – a terrible waste since it’s a tender, succulent meat with little fat. It was introduced in the Santa Maria area in the 1950s and has become a local specialty, rubbed with salt, pepper and sometimes a little garlic. It's sliced and served with freshly-made salsa directly on the meat or in sandwiches.
Unfortunately it was greatly popularized when President Reagan began serving it at the White House. I say “unfortunately” because prices have tripled or more since then. When my wife had an important birthday recently she demanded my special BBQ’d tri-tip sandwiches at her party. I had to buy 6 or 7 roasts to feed the gathering and was a little shocked at the bill.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 8, 2014 13:46:06 GMT -5
Rick, thanks for the Santa Maria edu-macation!! Love to hear the history.
Down here, they tend to serve "Santa Maria" style with salsa as you describe and corn chips. No sandwich/bread, no sauce. Just the meat, the salsa and chips. Maybe it's not "pure" SM BBQ, but it sure is good! We often add Mexican Queso Fresco style cheese to the plate for a creamy balance.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jun 8, 2014 13:50:41 GMT -5
James, the explanations I've heard for using the flat moveable grill are twofold. First, authentic Santa Maria BBQ must be cooked over red oak, which was the fuel most available to local ranchers when the tradition began in the mid-19th century. Second, that fuel burns with oxidized flames, not the reducing atmosphere of most charcoal-type BBQs. The gusty coastal winds in that area provide plenty of oxygen, requiring the grill to be easily raised and lowered to prevent food from burning while maximizing cooking efficiency. One of the essential modern components is what’s known locally as a tri-tip roast. It’s a beef cut from the bottom sirloin that’s somewhat triangular in shape. Earlier it was often made into ground beef – a terrible waste since it’s a tender, succulent meat with little fat. It was introduced in the Santa Maria area in the 1950s and has become a local specialty, rubbed with salt, pepper and sometimes a little garlic. It's sliced and served with freshly-made salsa directly on the meat or in sandwiches. Unfortunately it was greatly popularized when President Reagan began serving it at the White House. I say “unfortunately” because prices have tripled or more since then. When my wife had an important birthday recently she demanded my special BBQ’d tri-tip sandwiches at her party. I had to buy 6 or 7 roasts to feed the gathering and was a little shocked at the bill. That explains the lift device-wind. Same as a Cowboy grill-open territory winds. oxidized flames, hmmm. There is a reason for the designs. The Santa Anna caught my attention. Reminded me of whole animal cooking in Hawaii. on a jack too. windy Hawaii perhaps.... Sorry your meat went up, dang govt. thanks for the ed. Best to listen to the guy on the scene. Posted this elsewhere, more brine soaked chicken today on the Green Egg. So good  Georgia grate cleaner  |
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Jun 8, 2014 14:04:39 GMT -5
Scott, there are lots of variations but I've never heard of serving tri-tip with corn chips. Whatever floats your boat I guess. But salsa directly on the meat seems to be pretty standard.
I like Queso Fresco and use it in my chile verde-style chicken enchiladas. Mucho gusto!
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Much more even heat distribution and you can cook on the entire grate and not skip the fist 1/4 or so because of excessive heat from the firebox. some tuning plates would also work
Anyone ever shot a 20# propane cylinder? They sure don't explode like they do in the movies! 
