The Food & Drink Thread

[Smart_Guy]

 

[Trotter]

I have spatchcocked a turkey in preparation for smoking it tomorrow. Spatchcock is removing the backbone of the turkey (or chicken) and they opening it up and laying it flat. This allows the bird to cook faster and more evenly. This will be my first turkey so I guess I will post back the results sometime tomorrow, be they good or ill.

 

[TechnoChicken]

Man, this guy is making me want a smoker...

 

[Trotter]

Man, this guy is making me want a smoker...

LOL. I know that feeling. I went with a Char-Griller Akorn Kamado which is definitely on the low end of the cost spectrum ($250-$350). It is a charcoal burner and not a pellet burner. It's a little more hands-on than a pellet smoker but way less expensive than, say, a Big Green Egg or a Kamado Joe. Check it out and watch some Youtube videos on it and see what you think.

This is the video that got me interested in it. You have to ignore that he says charcoal when he is using wood chunks, and the fact that he didn't do a burn-in. But still it shows a bit about the Akorn and what you can do with it.

 

[Smart_Guy]

Just had a filet mignon (filemenion?!?) steak today. Since I'm a fan of (medium-)well done, I order it butterfly cut (if I get the wording right).

 

[Trotter]

Just had a filet mignon (filemenion?!?) steak today. Since I'm a fan of (medium-)well done, I order it butterfly cut (if I get the wording right).

Nice, bud. That's what we call a "high dolla" chunk of meat around here.

 

[Smart_Guy]

Nice, bud. That's what we call a "high dolla" chunk of meat around here.

Cool! Tried googling that and weird things showed up. Looks like the internet does not know everything as advertised

 

[Trotter]

Cool! Tried googling that and weird things showed up. Looks like the internet does not know everything as advertised

Filet mignon is a very expensive (high dollar value) piece of beef, at least it is in the US.

 

[Trotter]

I was successful with the turkey smoke today. Actual cook time was just under three hours. I dry brined it last night (salted it using coarse kosher salt) to dry out the skin and tenderize it, used a sweet rub on the whole bird as well as rubbed a mixture of melted butter and the sweet rub under the skin on the breast, and butter basted it twice during the cook. The meat turned out tender and juicy and even has a smoke ring. The breast meat is awesome (my wife's description), super juicy and bursting with the flavor of the rub. Yeah, I will be cooking the Thanksgiving bird from now on.

Pics are about to go on the smoker, the other is just as I was pulling it off the smoker.

 

[Smart_Guy]

Filet mignon is a very expensive (high dollar value) piece of beef, at least it is in the US.

From my humble experience, I feel veal tenderloin is more expensive? Forgot the net weight, but the former is more expensive at a place I visit called Skill on the Grill. From the back of my head the veal was ~$42 USD and the filet was ~$35 USD. I think the weight was around 250 grams (a little shy of 9 ounces).

Their filet tastes better than what another more expensive place called Uno Pizzeria and Grill has. Only at these two places I found it.

I worship food and save money in things others go crazy about so I don't mind spend those savings on food