Cuban influenced BBQ Rotisserie Chicken · Wednesday September 3, 2014 by colin newell
My wife’s gal-pal Sheila A. got us a Weber Rotisserie attachment as a house warming gift.
A suitable grilling recipe seemed in order — and to have her over to treat her to the dish.
So off to the Weber recipe guide – which is very expansive. Original link hereThe Dry Brine
Finely grated zest of 2 large oranges (around 3 tablespoons of zest)
1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
2½ teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon Old Bay® Seasoning
1 whole free-range chicken, about 4 pounds, neck, giblets, wing tips, and excess fat removed
Extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
In a small bowl combine the dry brine ingredients. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Brush the chicken all over with olive oil and season evenly, inside and outside, with the dry brine.
Refrigerate, uncovered, for 24 to 36 hours.
Next day – Rinse the chicken briefly under cold running water to remove most of the dry brine.
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with the pepper.
Prepare your grill for indirect cooking over medium heat (350° to 450°F).
Truss the chicken: Slide a four-foot length of butcher’s twine under the legs and back. Lift both ends of the twine and cross them between the legs. Then run one end under one drumstick. Run the other end under the other drumstick and pull both ends to draw the drumsticks together. Bring the twine along both sides of the chicken so that it holds the legs and wings against the body.
Tie a knot in the ends between the neck and the top of the breast. If necessary, push the breast down a little to expose more of the neck.
Following the grill’s instructions, secure the chicken in the middle of a rotisserie spit, put the spit in place, and turn on the motor.
Place a large disposable foil pan underneath the chicken to catch the drippings.
Cook the chicken over indirect medium heat, with the lid closed, until the surface is a deep golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 160° to 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh (not touching the bone), abut 1¼ to 1½ hours. Make sure you use a digital thermometer – and make sure you achieve these internal temperatures! Food safety!
When the chicken is fully cooked, turn off the rotisserie motor and remove the spit from the grill.
Tilt the chicken upright over the foil pan so that the liquid that has accumulated in the chicken’s cavity pours into the pan. Transfer the chicken to a platter and tent loosely with aluminum foil. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes (the internal temperature will rise 5 to 10 degrees during this time).
The chicken was melt-in-your-mouth tender, juicy and gently fragrant with the sublime influence of the spice rub and brine. We served this wonderful chicken dish with pasta salad and BBQ corn on the cob (about 10 minutes on the grill while the chicken rested) – apply a garlic butter mix to the cobs while turning every two minutes. Serve with the beverage of your choice; beer, wine, fruit juice, tropical cocktails, or whatever you like.
And Enjoy! This chicken could have easily served 6 – 8 people with various sides.
Fall harvest cooking - Slow cooker Chicken Stew with Dumplings · Wednesday November 6, 2013 by colin newell
It is that time of year when it is cold and damp when we arrive at work and dark and wet when we leave work. And what is better than coming home to a steaming hot pot of slow cooked stew!
Only thing you need to do when you get home is whip up the dumplings.
This is a heart warming dish that is perfect for this time of the year – it pairs well with any full bodied Red Wine – like a Cab S.B. – We had a California Sonoma Cab SB that was perfect with this dish. Enjoy and welcome to the Fall home cooking season!
Ingredients:
2 kg skinned boneless Chicken thighs
2 cups chopped / diced carrots
2 cups chopped / diced celery
1 chopped onion
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 teaspoon dried Thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup (low salt)
1 cup water
Directions:
Cut chicken into large – medium pieces.
Brown (in oil + pork fat if you have it!) chicken in dutch oven or pot seasoning with salt, pepper and thyme
Remove chicken to crock pot
Saute onions carrots celery in Crock pot (that you used for browning chicken)
Place onions, carrots and celery on top of chicken in the Crock pot.
Put all the sliced mushrooms on top of the veg and chicken mixture.
Stir soup, water, thyme and black pepper in a bowl.
Pour soup mixture over the chicken / veg mixture in the crock pot.
Cover and cook on low for 7 – 8 hours.
Dumpling recipe.
2 cups of flour – 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (opt) – 4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt – 2 tablespoons butter – 3/4 cup 2% milk (approx.)
In bowl whisk together flour, parsley, baking powder and salt.
Using pastry blender OR two knives cut in butter into coarse crumbs.
Using fork, stir in enough milk to make sticky spoon-able dough.
Leaving space around each, drop by tablespoon full (dough) onto simmering stew.
Cover and cook (without lifting lid) for 15 minutes or until dumplings are not longer doughy underneath.
Pork tenderloin on a spinach salad · Thursday August 1, 2013 by colin newell
Easy to prepare and low in fat.
1 – 500g pork tenderloin
Preheat oven to 450 (F)
Heated a frying pan with a few tablespoons of vegetable oil.
Rub your tenderloin with some pepper, olive oil and garlic salt.
Sear the pork tenderloin on all sides (2 minutes per side) in the pan.
Place the tenderloin in a ceramic baking pan (pan is coated with left over olive oil.)
Spread honey mustard all over the seared tenderloin with a sprig of oregano.
Place in the oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 (F)
Bake for 30 minutes or until core temperature is 165 (F)
Remove from oven – rest for 10 minutes (tented in tinfoil)
Make the salad of your choosing -
Take the tenderloin and slice into thing medallions – serving over salad.
Party time - Queso Fundido Cheese dip - rated HOT · Sunday July 21, 2013 by colin newell
Who doesn’t like something hot and spicy to get the party rolling? Andrea’s and my take on a great Mexican snack dish cannot be beat – it has the blazing hot molten appeal of sharp cheeses dangerously tinged with the bite of chipotle peppers (to taste!)…
Not only that, it is served right out of the oven so it has double-trouble heat – but seldom a complaint is heard as it disappears entirely before it cools.
It is very hot, thermally, when it comes out of the oven so be very, very careful with this dish – a scald hazard always exists!
Ingredients
Shred 2 cups sharp Cheddar cheese (the older and sharper the better)
Shred 1 cup Monterrey cheese
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 4 oz. can chopped green chili peppers (drained)
1 to 2 tablespoons of finely chopped, canned, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.
Combine and mix in a large bowl.
Spread into 1 quart baking dish.
Baked in 375 oven for 20 – 25 minutes stirring once.
Remove from oven – stir again.
- garnish with chopped green onions,
tomatoes, and even some sliced black olives or cilantro if you are so inclined.
Serve immediately with Tortilla chips and the frosty Cerveza or two of your choosing
This is a wickedly satisfying dish at any party – just warn people in advance: It has the hot hot heat!
