Ting-Tang

 

Pick your poison.
Bar Area.
Vinegar Station.
My sister, Z wants a coffee bar - and is setting one up in her house right now.
Last I checked this set-up is on top of the keg-a-rator I bought Jason.
We keep beer in it, cool.
Tickle of choice.
intoxication.
I also have another sister, but I'm saving her for later. Clue: Her last name is Weinbrenner.

I also keep my mortar and pestle here, for now anyways.

Beer Butt Chicken

The butt crack of dawn and the promise it brings. Makes me sing. Let's me dream.

Enter: Beer Butt Chicken

 

 

Jason is a gadget man (go-go gadget!) so he wanted to buy a lift specially made for Beer Butt Chicken. It cost $4.39+tax at Smith's Grocery

 

We're starting past go with this recipe. The charcoal is white hot at this point. I've got a small cast iron of goose-fat + reserved lard + oil melting and heating over the grates, set over the coals - this is for basting. Also, a bowl of liquid is underneath to encourage circulating steam - this helps not dry out any meat that could/might become overcooked/dry.

 

I bought a brander or a hook thingy-ma-jig at Walmart for $5 on clearance. The ladle was given to me sometime ago.

 

Hey, how are ya?

 

wait for it.

 

wait for it.

 

hold.

 

not yet

 

GOTCHA! Money shot.

 

rest

 

recoop

 

I covered its wings in foil because I didn't want them to burn. Tricks of the trade - if you will

 

Look! The marital fight over a charcoal chimney purchase is done. (I'm still bitter about it. But I love him for trying to make amends. Marriage. It's a mother

 

cluck-cluck-cluck-cluck says the chicken

 

BER-GAAAAWK! - what the chicken would say if it weren't dead and being spit roasted over my grill like it's its destined to be business.

 

matters of the heart.

 

necessities for this particular chicken. Jason was drinking Shiner Bock. That's my pizza pan turned grill "silver" tray. Soaking hickory chips. Drying damp hickory champs waiting to be thrown on the coals.
I have a bag of Apple, Cherry, and Hickory chips for my using.
Question is: Did I chunk or sneak in any of these 3 variables of my own?
And if I did - how much and when?

 

I sliced some vedge to go alongside.

 

I doused them in Ken's Asiago Italian Dressing

 

Orchid Update

 

Penny. I love her.

 

Jason's spritz spray that he made for his brisket. I use it all the time now - ribs, on this chicken, ect.

The point of the vinegar (Jason's spray) is to create instant evaporation. This dries the chicken's skin out and in turn creates a crispy skin as well as insures locked in juices. I basted with fat for this same reason. Fat is a balm and will not let water in or out (so to speak).

I also did not grill the chicken directly over the fire - but rather had the coals to the left of the grill. One side of the chicken was facing the coal-heat. I kept basting and spritzing until a tan was formed. Rotate, repeat. I bared in mind that the thigh and back side of the chicken could withstand more heat without risk of drying out like the breast-side would.

I figured that @ 350 (in an oven) - a 5lb chicken takes approximately (they'll tell you 1.5hours) 50-55min. With a rest time of 30min. and a broil time of 5ish min. So, I applied that knowledge to the rest of my grilling know-how. The chicken (all in all on the grill) on a beer, setting on a grate, beside the coal heat, coming from the coals that was started by a fire Jason lit - 2 hours? maybe.

Left overs were great on Hawaiian Rolls - Chicken salad with a Pineapplely/Mango hot sauce - And of course in salads or a wrap.

12:00 Drink Time

Favorite non-alcoholic Sodas/suds/pop/coke/sodapops are:

Reed's Extra Ginger Ginger Beer
IZZE Grapefruit & Clementine
Shasta Ginger Ale
Clear Canadian Black Cherry (I rarely find this brand anymore)
Small batch brewed Root Beers are always a fave

These are just the ones bought at the grocery store. Fountain drinks are a whole other ball game.

Anywho, this is a rough recipe for a tasty drink in my book for lunch or a special occasion. (Maybe baby shower? or have an uptight Grandma coming round for suppertime? or somehow you find yourself balls deep in convo with a Jehovah's Witness and suddenly you want to be polite and offer them a refreshing beverage?)

Or do like I did, and just do it for yourself's lunchtime.

 

little Guava juice, some Seagram's Ginger Ale, the juice & cut of one lime

 

mango, apricot, grapefruit, pomegranate, and/or orange juice would be decent substitutions.
or do a "suicide" like I did at Mazzios (spell check that) Pizza or CiCi's Pizza -when I was little- and combine them all by adding a little of this and that, but including them all
Orange would be a nice sub for the lime - (aka citrus) There's a lime epidemic shortage going on apparently.

 

straw me.

Favorite snack of choice these days: Unsalted Roasted in-Shell Peanuts. May have something to do with my innate fascination with the circus and its charm and desolate magic/promise of sadness. Mystery and poetry with elephants and weird people. Yay.

Add booze if you want to this drink - but that's a gimme I felt I needed to mention. People need to know these things, folks. BUT IF YOU DON'T WANT TO, THEN DO NOT! It's just a lunchtime drink. Don't overthink it. Have fun.

a lunch for Muah.

Vada concurs

ahh-ooooo

 

What Would Wolves Do - Les Savy Fav

 

Young Folks - Peter Bjorn & John

 

Patty Lee - Les Savy Fav

 

Mushroom face. I made this face up when I was little. Ask Mom. She'll tell you.

 

 

Baby water. The water here. is Undrinkable. Even tho Jason still drinks it. He's gross tho. Ew, boys. 



 

My lunch - I enjoy Singapore noodles sometimes via Chinese Takeout. I order from Golden Phoenix here sometimes.

Anyways, I usually always have some thin spaghetti or pasta on hand. This was still the case the day I made this lunch.

 

Let's begin with standby's and what's on hand, in the fridge, and familiar flavors.

 

me that day

 

roasted reds. Right said Fred. - the song

 

my homemade marinara. There's a blog post for it on here. I'll look it up and post the link for your convenience, quick to judge, meanness and friendly reminders. Everyone's a critic.

My Marinara Recipe

 

Over fairly high flame (medium high) add spinach

 

 

scrambled dos eggs

 

added 2-3 ladel fulls?

 

that looks like 2 1/2 to me

 

steamy

 

bubble bubble annoy don't trouble

 

this is "steam escaping" It has nothing to do with death, witch talk, religion, your health, or well being. unless of course, you want it to/ask for it.
Basically what I'm trying to say is that, I'm just using words and terms loosely. I only mean funny and good by it.

 

I started out with no fat in the pan. I added some Spanish Olive Oil to the eggs to help or maybe prevent sticking

 

don't or do add sprinkled cheese

 

lower heat

 

cover to let the egg set and everything congeal together

 

peak, okay there was sticking. That's okay. I know what to do.

 

I reserve pasta water sometimes

 

I spill it sometimes too

 

see the starch in there? If you don't have pasta water - don't fret. Just use water, wine, liquid, or even a vinegar. Just something that will create steam to release what's on  bottom. Culinary fancy term(s): fond and deglaze

 

weird close up shot. I think I took this to show cheese crustys - see top left corner? maybe not.

 

you gotta dig in sometimes while the food is still in the pan. this is called cooking

 

wait for it. please be there.

 

we're set.

 

kill heat

 

rest time if you want

 

dirty shot of my fave spatula

 

Mom and Dad started texting me about charchoal and I took notes. See?

 

Let's slide onto a plate.

 

scrape those goodies or leave behind. up to you.

 

don't forget finishing touches. That's my only qualm. Well ok, not only.

 

My Dad would probably like a crunchy top - cheese under a broiler is a good idea for this. If Mom were eating this she might like a sauce to go with.

 

she might not. But these are my 2 toppers right now. (mustard always)

 

Lunch.

 

I'll post a "virgin" drink that's in this pic. Keep your eyes peeled.