Palm Sunday, and Lent is over and so is the Lenten Fast. Dinner tonight was a meat-fest, with chicken, lamb and bacon.
Smoked Chicken Thighs:
Marinaded and de-boned chicken thighs are placed in a muffin tin with holes drilled in the bottom and sides of the cups to allow smoke in and grease out. They come out evenly shaped and very moist with amazingly crisp skin. It was glazed with a mixture of honey and molasses. After 2 1/2 hours of smoke, they were removed from the tin and placed briefly on a hot grill. Since the glaze was not diluted in any way, I did not expose it to the grill surface.
Lamb Steaks:
Excess fat removed. (The bulk of the gamey flavor of lamb comes from the rich, dense fat. I like the taste, but my wife is not too fond of it)
Cubed, marinaded in oil, lemon juice, rosemary and garlic and quick-grilled. Take care to not overcook. It's that simple!
Bacon:
Thick-sliced Farmland brand smoked bacon, placed on the Traeger pellet smoker along with the chicken until done.
Rice Pilaf:
I admit to cheating. Schwan's makes rice simple and very fast. This was important tonight because with all the time I spent on the meat and beans, I forgot about a second side.
(Very) Simple Smoked Beans:
1 large can of pork&beans, drained, washed and pork removed
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 tablespoon pork rub
1 chopped onion
1 cinnamon stick
Molasses to taste
Placed in an open, shallow pan and smoked along with the chicken. Why a shallow pan? The cook time was unusually short and a shallow pan allows more surface area for the smoke to penetrate.
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