A zipper recipe for drumsticks, chicken thighs, pork, etc

Re:A zipper recipe for drumsticks, chicken thighs, pork, etc (chewingthefat)

Sat, 06 Aug 2011 17:04:43 GMT

Tom, you've become an egg Maestro! Looks fantastic!!

Re:A zipper recipe for drumsticks, chicken thighs, pork, etc (Mosca)

Sat, 06 Aug 2011 13:15:29 GMT

I don't put them under the charcoal, but I don't put them on top of it, either; I put them sort of in the top layer. I figure when they're burned out, all that's left is the wood.

Re:A zipper recipe for drumsticks, chicken thighs, pork, etc (mar52)

Sat, 06 Aug 2011 12:21:38 GMT

Those are also probably made by Rutland.

I don't think there is a wrong way to start the Egg other than squirting in lighter fluid.

Do you poke them underneath the charcoal?

I've always just put one in the center. I may be the one doing it wrong.

I also can't really tell when it's burning clean so I wait about 20 - 30 minutes before starting.

Re:A zipper recipe for drumsticks, chicken thighs, pork, etc (Mosca)

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 21:11:19 GMT

mar52, I use these:

I used 4 this time because Mrs needed to be somewhere by a certain time and I wanted that son of a gun hot as fast as I could get it, but I still usually use 3. Sometimes I use the electric loop starter, but I don't like it, I never feel safe setting it down anywhere. I got the method for starting the Egg somewhere off the internet, I might be doing it all wrong?

mar52

Hmmm, I've only used one square under a teepee of hardwood charcoal with the lid closed.

I'll have to try it with the lid open.

Have you tried the Rutland starter cubes? I think they are the manufacturers of the BGE cubes.

Re:A zipper recipe for drumsticks, chicken thighs, pork, etc (mar52)

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 12:44:38 GMT

Hmmm, I've only used one square under a teepee of hardwood charcoal with the lid closed.

I'll have to try it with the lid open.

Have you tried the Rutland starter cubes? I think they are the manufacturers of the BGE cubes.

Re:A zipper recipe for drumsticks, chicken thighs, pork, etc (Mosca)

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 11:04:06 GMT

I always wait for the fire to burn clean, I don't know what else to do! In this case, I started with 4 squares of firestarter, let them burn down with the top open and the bottom door wide open. After they burned out, I left the lid open for another 5-10 minutes or so, then closed it. Temp hovered around 200 for a long time, then shot up quickly. The chimney was burning clean by then. I think it's all about waiting for the firestarter to burn out completely, all the wax and cardboard.

Re:A zipper recipe for drumsticks, chicken thighs, pork, etc (ann peeples)

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 03:29:31 GMT

Absolutely fantastic looking meal!

Re:A zipper recipe for drumsticks, chicken thighs, pork, etc (mar52)

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 23:23:55 GMT

I've been watching his videos for a few years. I always watched his intro until recently.

He seems to really know his business.

Did you wait for the fire to burn clean on the way up to 350º?

I like what you're doing with your Egg.

Re:A zipper recipe for drumsticks, chicken thighs, pork, etc (Mosca)

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 22:36:21 GMT

Yes, lid down. And yes. I watched the first one, and all the others are the same, so... I've been to his store a couple times, it is AMAZING. Fred is a pretty good guy in person, too, very forthcoming, he is obsessed with cooking and flavors and textures.

Re:A zipper recipe for drumsticks, chicken thighs, pork, etc (mar52)

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 22:23:50 GMT

Excellent! Did you cook with the lid down?

Do you rush past the intro on Fred's videos?

A zipper recipe for drumsticks, chicken thighs, pork, etc (Mosca)

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 21:39:44 GMT

A "zipper" recipe is one where the basic structure stays the same, and you can "zip" other ingredients in and out; pork for chicken, in this instance. And the basic recipe is the one in the video on Fred's Music & Barbecue Supply's home page, the one with the drumsticks. In the video, Fred, the Smokin' Guitar Player, says that the rub and the sauce have the same flavor profile, so I thought to myself, that means it can accommodate different meats.

Here are some country style spare ribs. As you know, this cut isn't really a rib, it's sort of a loin chop from up near the shoulder. I coated them with some olive oil and sprinkled on some Tasty Licks Original Rub, and put them in the fridge for a couple hours while I made some potato salad and some tomato salad:

I took the egg up to about 350*

and put on the meat

until the chops got to about 150* or so. A word about the temp: you shouldn't cook these at too high a temp, like 400*, or they'll toughen. Lower is better, but they aren't really sensitive to the temp; anywhere from 300* to 375* is ok, because of the next step, where we put them in a pot and slather on the Tasty Licks Secret Sauce!

Now, here's the deal. You simmer them in the sauce, covered, for AT LEAST 20 minutes. An hour is best. They'll come out nice and tender, with a very little bit of chew but not much.

Here they are on the plate, with bicolor corn, home made German style potato salad, and tomato cucumber salad, and the IPA of the day, Stone's Ruination: