Sanny

No pics? Never happened...

Um.... No?

Smooches for you, too Deej. And Curly, even if he WAS a killjoy.

Re: No, No, No, Sanny; not the love you got. Oh my!! Right here, in front of everyone, too!

Not just for me???

Feel the love...

Re: This Noob Suggests..... I was new here once. Did you think I posted to the point of nausea? I thought you liked my posts. Deej likes me. You go eat worms. TWharton, you cook and post and do whatever you want. Don't let the killjoys step on your buzz. Hrumph.

Careful. Not to put a hitch in yer giddyup, but They (you know, Those People) say jerky has lotta cholesterol, and salt. Can make for health troubles. Probably if you have control of the seasoning it helps. Just don't wanna lose our cruzmisl to something ugly.

Uh oh. Time to ask Santa for those new pants, and a bigger belt. In fact, get the next size now, and ask Santa for a series of sizes.

FV, at least YOU know enough to have a cover. Good thing Johnnyboy isn't a cobbler, or his kids would be barefoot! Pretty red cover, even with sleets on it.

Gonna be hard to cook all sideways. Won't the drippings run all over the floor this way??

FM, it was at your recommendation that I went with a smaller deflector. And I checked around the outside of the cooker when it was going, and it was not any warmer at the level of the smaller deflector than it was elsewhere. Good call. Good advice re: pan below, and chick on the rack. Don't know why that set up didn't cross my mind - it's how I do the pork butts. :::: That would take care of the stewed chicken part. Gotta say, though, it tasted nice. And my neighbor (out in the yard to take out his trash) said "whatever that is, it smells great." hehe

I haven't brined, no. I didn't feel like taking the time with this one. Came home from work and wanted to roast the birdy before the rains and cold come tomorrow. Maybe I'd brine a different time. I don't usually think that far ahead. If I did this again - and I likely will - I'd prop the chicken up higher, or use a bigger pan so the bird didn't sit in the juices. By sitting in the juice, it's more stewed than roasted at the bottom half of the bird. In Cooks Illustrated this issue (my first time reading it), there was a discussion of brining a pork loin. The article came out with a shrug. Go ahead, but not necessary the way they seasoned and cooked the roast. Not that a pork loin is a chicken, but it was interesting.

Here's the final product. I just cut it in half and gave half to my neighbor. Too much for just me. Observations: Skin is crispy and delicious, except where it was below the level of the dutch oven. That's where the liquid gathered, so skin is rubbery there. Lots of grease rendered out! Good the pan was under it, or the fire company would have been there, for sure. Can you imagine all that grease on the coals? Horrors. I gnawed on a leg, and it could use salt. I salted the herb/butter mix, and put it under the skin, but that was mostly on back and breast, not on legs. I should have salted the outside of it, too - at least the legs and wings. Or else made sure I got butter/herb mixture under that skin, too. The addition of a pinch of pepper flakes (italian pizza shop variety, but home grown) was a good touch. Adds zip to the fresh oregano, thyme, tarragon, garlic mixture. There's a faintly sweet taste from the apple and oranges, which goes well with the light cherry smoke. I threw a small handful of cherry chips on the edges of the fire when it got going. All in all, a good experiment, and I would try it again, with modifications.

No, that's a half apple. There are apple slices in there too.

Cooks Illustrated I just got my first ish of Cooks Illustrated. Pretty neato! Not hoity toity like Gourmand. Kinda like PBS's America's Test Kitchen, only in a magazine.

That IS a pic, silly!! That lumpy thing at the bottom of the post is a pic o chick!! Take another pill and try again. That's an apple in the cavity. Dentist says apples don't cause cavities, but maybe he's wrong...

I'm trying something gnu today. I have a chicken with a modified mad max preparation (thanks, Naked Whiz). I put an apple, peeled orange, onion in it, and chopped herbs, mixed with salt and pepper, and stuffed some of those in, and mixed some of the herbs/salt with butter, and squished that under the skin. Set up is indirect. I bought a 14 inch round griddle from Bayou Classic, and have that as a deflector. Smaller than the OEM portland deflector, which is prolly better for my size 5. More space around the edges. Chick is squatting on a pop can (white whine in the can) and in a small Lodge cast iron dutch oven.

I got one at Costco. Disposable, and comes with talicherry (sp) pepper (or sea salt, or sea salt and garlic) in it. Can adjust from very coarse to very fine. Works great!!

Re: New look for Green 033 I know, I know... but for lack of a better word... this is what it looked like: Maybe hang a bell around its neck and a sign that says "unclean." Looks kinda contagious.

Re: New look for Green 033 Now ain't that just a dainty picture that you want to have associated with food preparation?

One should let sleeping dogs lie.

Re: You quack me up! Don't lie to your kids, either. hehehe