Indecisiveness Reigns!

paulheels

We have a group of friends that get together every Thu or Fri night.  We all cooke, since I have gotten the Egg, I grill.  Tonight, I asked what these people wanted grilled tomorrow.  I got the answer chicken.  I am good with that, but I got to get some more stuff on the grill.  Yall help me out.  I usually get my menu together and get to cooking.  But I have my 30th bday bash next week and I am getting stuff together for it.  Anyone in the Aiken, SC area?  Come on over.  

Anyway, give me some suggestions.  Mainly looking for something that would take 3-4 hrs, prep to cook finish.  Thanks, looking forward to your input.  Sarcasm and hjhacking are allowed.  Seems like that is about the best way to get the answer questioned while inserting some good ole fun. 

heyyyo

 

Picking up information like a hard booger in my nose.

Paul

Egts

How about a pork loin?  Cut it in half.  Take one half and put your favorite rub or what ever you want on the outside.  Then take the other half and cut it so that you can roll it out keeping it about 1/2 thick, then cover it with mozzarella cheese and tomato paste and roll it back up.  Pizza sauce will just ooze out, been there done that.  Throw on a little Lawreys seasoning salt and pepper on then tie or stake it closed and your set.  Should take the same time to cook as the chicken. 

stike

i'll follow egts lead and say that you can also downsize the loin, doing a couple tenderloin.  what's good about the tenderloins is that you can mix it up, do a couple smaller ones with different stuffings.  almost appetizer-like that way. 

we usually improvise with filling.  mushroom and spinach.  cranberries and toasted pistachios.  stuff like that. can even wrap in bacon or prosciutto, or pancetta





it's easy to flay it open, but you need to consider it like you are unrolling a jelly roll, not slicing it open like a book.

lay the thing with one end toward you and the other pointing away.  take a very sharp chef's knife and put it to one side, about an eight of an inch from the side, like you are trying to slice off a sliver.  make one long cut, but do no go all the way thru, just stop about an eighth inch before cutting thru.  unroll the flap and turn the tenderloin for the next cut, exactly like the first, extending the spiral cut into the meat.  keep making those vertical slices, never cutting thru, as the tenderloin gets thinner and thinner and you roll the 'flap' out of the way.  pound it flat to make it even bigger.  if you don't wanna tie it, you can use a few toothpicks

Egts

Wow, mushroom, spinach & cranberries sounds really good.  Never thought of that stuff, I usually lean towards the "plain" way of doing things, this chees and tomato sauce, but I working on expandig my horizons.  I think L might try dried cranberries, walnuts or pecans and some blue cheese and then drizzle a rasberry sauce over the finished product.  Heading to the grocery store now.

stike

i didn't do the cranberries with the mushrooms, fwiw.

i don't plan ahead for these usually.  some combos have been: carmelized onion with shrooms; carmelized onions with spinach; spinach and shrooms; the cran and toasted pistachios (smash those or grind them coarse)

would love to do bleu cheese but the wife is no fan

gdenby

For a touch of "bleu," try some gorgonzola dolce. It is much milder than most blues. I've had some that has only the slightest trace of the blue flavor, and is quite sweet and creamy.  And it goes great with toasted pistachios.

stike

you dunno my wife.  anything remotely blueish is a non starter

onedbguru

probably a little late, but, beer-can chicken is really good and only takes a few hours.

paulheels

Thanks yall.  Got a half loinf rolled with spinach, onion, garlic and feta cheese.  

been a long time since I have rolled a loin, i spose I forgot!  Thanks for the reminders, gonna be good

burr_baby33

Too late for this party but I have now done 2 boneless chickens following the Pepin video. Most recent last Saturday. The deboning after initial attempt is very quick and easy. This time I used boxed stuffing mix, Kroger brand, surprisingly good. Mixed in chopped apple and chopped cranberries. I almost didn't admit right here in front of everyone about the box of Kroger stuffing, only thing I did was use chicken stock instead of water, Couldn't believe the result.

paulheels

This is what we ate. Pretty damn good. More spinach and a pinch more garlic.

paulheels

The sheese is feta, ginna use gargonzola next time. We are not big nut and fruit people in meat, so none of that. Very juicy meat, my wife enjoyed.

paulheels

The small boneless butt I cooked was disappointing.  I pulled at 195, but it sure didnt pull like it was 195.  Goes to show ya, some meats are BETTER than others.  I had to do a double take on this meat when I was prepping it, even then something didnt seem right.  Kroger done gone and F'ed up my meat.  

Gato

Looks good! What kind of setup did you use. Bout how long did it take?

paulheels

indirect.  I think it took 3-3.5 hrs.  i forgot exact time.  I was cooking a small butt as well.  This was the first cook with the Maverick.  I usually run the first hour or two around 300 to get a good crust, then back to 250, but with the butt on, I was unable to get a crunchy crust.  I was not disappointed with the crust tho, it was tasty and still firmed up.

Gato

Thanks. I almost bought one last week to roll but never had the time. I'm gonna put some smoked boudin in the center. Was kinda wondering about the time.

Botch

Looks great, bet it was delicious!  

paulheels

Gato, I love boudin.  Worked with a fella from the swamps, he would bring us up pounds and pounds of boudin.  And a few sacks of craw daddies live.  Louisiana is a great culinary place!

I need some real boudin, we might need to find a trade!

Little Steven

Gato,

Nothing at all wrong with meat in meat

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banzaitoyota

Paul, get your meats over at Bruckners in Augusta off Wahington road. Come to Fireside on Tuesday nights!

paulheels

Banzai,  I want to come to fireside but i can not make it with work and a 10 month old.  I will be off on tuesdays starting in Jan so I hopefully can make some then.  That is where I bought my egg from.  I will have to check out bruckners.  Thanks for the help.  Paul