[Robert]

A little prep work this afternoon. 9 lb pig butt. Rehydrated some anchos and pasillas, chopped em up and mixed in with some dijon mustard. We'll call it anco chile dijon mustard...

Used a pre-mixed rub from Rudy's BBQ. Its a nice rub that has a real strong black-pepper spiciness. Rub, mustard, then plastic wrap. Into fridge and will probably fire up the pit around midnight. Hickory, mesquite and charcoal with some applewood chips sprinkled on top throughout the night.

[bluesman]

That's gonna be scrumdelicious!

I'm using a basic dry rub on my butt (no pun intended) 

I'm firing my smoker up first thing tomorrow a.m.

Butts are an all day affair.

[bluesman]

i'm putting on chicken wings as we speak.

I still want to try wings on the grill.  I forgot if you said you went indirect or

[Robert]

Butts are an all day affair.

Or an all night affair... (pun intended  )

[deepsouth]

i'm putting on chicken wings as we speak.

I still want to try wings on the grill.  I forgot if you said you went indirect or

direct, raised grid...

300 degrees today, smoking on a bit of pecan...

[deepsouth]

A little prep work this afternoon. 9 lb pig butt. Rehydrated some anchos and pasillas, chopped em up and mixed in with some dijon mustard. We'll call it anco chile dijon mustard...

Used a pre-mixed rub from Rudy's BBQ. Its a nice rub that has a real strong black-pepper spiciness. Rub, mustard, then plastic wrap. Into fridge and will probably fire up the pit around midnight. Hickory, mesquite and charcoal with some applewood chips sprinkled on top throughout the night.

that's going to be awesome.

[deepsouth]

finished product, pecan smoked chicken wings, no sauce necessary.

[capozzoli]

Man those wings look fantastic.

Argentinian style BBQ again.

Whole spachcocked chicken and a pork shoulder. Cooked with sea salt only. Another rule I learned is dont salt it till it starts to cook, after it starts to get a little crispy on the outside. Cause if you salt it before it will pull out a lot more of the moisture.  





Here it is served with a health slathering of chimachuri. Along side of Argentinian style potato salad.



Had one of Thirsty Monks Bohemian Darks that he left behind when he and his family visited us for dinner. Very nice.

Two questions, when is his brewery going to open, and will they distribute to Philly?  

[deepsouth]

Delicious!

[bluesman]

Absolutey marvelous Cap !

Simply Marvelous...what else can I say. 

[gordonstrong]

I love it when you say 'spatchcock' 

Good looking chimichuri. I'm making some to go with marinated and grilled hanger steaks today.

[nicneufeld]

The idea of pork butt cooked without any rub or marinade and direct grilled, not smoked, is almost against the laws of nature in this country, but I'd be interested in how it comes out...how long and to what temperature (if measured) did you cook it?  Slicing it as you did sounds like a good plan.

We got a whiff of cooler temps the other day.  It sharpened my anticipation for cold smoking!  Some smoked salmon, actually smoked gravlax, would be nice, and the smoked cheeses are awesome.  I always get more "scandinavian" come winter time. 

[capozzoli]

The pork is an internal temp 150 degrees. I know I know, but what ever. I am certain that the cut is extremely fresh.

The pork comes off with a pure pork flavor. Its very agreeable. For s***s and giggles ask yourself this. What does a dry rub do during the cooking period that it wouldn't do sprinkled on after? Burn?

The tradition with barbacoa, and European cold smoking originated with using just salt to cure the meat and smoke to further cure and dry it to extend its shelf life. Both add to and enhance the flavor obviously.

Later people stated using black pepper, paprika and what not.

I see the usefulness of brine and marinade, they are also along the lines of curing and opening up the pours of the meat also adding moisture and fat for a more tender product. I will still use them for Korean BBQ, American BBQ, Greek solvaki and stuff like that, but I am done with dry rubs.

The thing with Argentine BBQ is that is basically slow roasted 12"-16" over the coals. In contrast most grilling is done just a few inches over the coals. You do get a hint of smoke flavor and you can increase that buy putting unburnt logs on the fire. But the main flavor is the meat. When cooked this simple way using just salt the flavor of the meat becomes clarified. You can put sauce on later.

For Turkey day Im going to spatchcock a couple a fresh killed turkeys then I am going to marinade them in a mixture of olive oil garlic, pureed dried figs salt and pepper for a few days. Then slow roast them ovre the coals while basting frequently with the marinade. The slow roasthigher over the coals should prevent the oil or fruit from burning.

Spatchcock.

[nicneufeld]

The pork comes off with a pure pork flavor. Its very agreeable. For s***s and giggles ask yourself this. What does a dry rub do during the cooking period that it wouldn't do sprinkled on after? Burn?

The sugar content of most traditional BBQ rubs forms a bark while cooking...definite caramelization and browning (Maillard?).  I don't know the science but there is definitely a difference between seasoning before cooking and seasoning after, IMO!  Just like adding hops at the beginning and adding them at the end of a boil, timing does affect things.  But, this isn't a criticism of your method.  Just one of many great ways to cook pigs with live fire; I can see a "modified direct grilling" as I've heard your approach called being great for direct grilling meats at lower temperatures.  Regular direct grilling is too hot for a lot of things, but modified direct grilling (I can do this by removing the pans in my Weber Smoky Mountain and grilling a foot or two over the fire) is a great way to get that unmistakeable direct grilling flavor (I think which comes in large part from the drippings burning) at a temperature where, say, a spatchcocked chicken won't totally burn before getting cooked through.

Just prepped the ribs, with a marinade (hehe!) of sambal oelek, garlic, ginger, pineapple juice, and kecap manis.  Going to glaze them at the end of the smoke with a sauce made from hoisin and pineapple jelly.  Cooking the rice to fry later, too.

[bluesman]

Yes Nick...Most dry rubs have brown sugar which aids in the formation of a bark on the outside of the pork.  This bark is very flavorful and adds to the complexity of the meat flavor.  I always use a dry rub on my pork smokes.  Salt and pepper is okay but a good dry rub does wonders for a Boston butt or ribs.  Just my 2 cents worth.