Tacos: Mex BBQ


 
chipotle mayo: mayo + chipotle in adobo. mix in blender

chipotle in adobo comes in small cans in the goya or mexican section of you're supermarket. 1 or 2 chiles makes a ton of mayo, so go by taste. the rest freezes well and is handy to have for a quick batch.

Bryan S has a recipe around here. I'm sure you can find more complicated recipes. I've been known to go 50/50 mayo and sour cream, or add lime juice/zest.

sounds like your trying new things which is great. Become friends with a good zester (microplane). I try to zest all my citrus before I extract the juice. Leaving it out overnight is sufficient to get it dry, and its a great addition to grilling rubs.

I have a large "bus" tub. They are the tubs you'll see people clearing dishes into at restaurants. I picked up one at an asian grocery. I find it very helpful for tasks like injecting brines or rubbing and pulling butts. Its the best 5 bucks you can invest in IMO.

I also recommend a plastic bucket that is food grade. I have a 2 gal and a 5 gal that I picked up at a home brew store. I read somewhere that these buckets are designed to hold liquids for long periods of time and will not leach chemicals into the brine. Of course it helps to have a extra fridge with no shelves to keep the big bucket chilled.
 
Originally posted by j biesinger:
chipotle mayo: mayo + chipotle in adobo. mix in blender

chipotle in adobo comes in small cans in the goya or mexican section of you're supermarket. 1 or 2 chiles makes a ton of mayo, so go by taste. the rest freezes well and is handy to have for a quick batch.

Bryan S has a recipe around here. I'm sure you can find more complicated recipes. I've been known to go 50/50 mayo and sour cream, or add lime juice/zest.

sounds like your trying new things which is great. Become friends with a good zester (microplane). I try to zest all my citrus before I extract the juice. Leaving it out overnight is sufficient to get it dry, and its a great addition to grilling rubs.

I have a large "bus" tub. They are the tubs you'll see people clearing dishes into at restaurants. I picked up one at an asian grocery. I find it very helpful for tasks like injecting brines or rubbing and pulling butts. Its the best 5 bucks you can invest in IMO.

I also recommend a plastic bucket that is food grade. I have a 2 gal and a 5 gal that I picked up at a home brew store. I read somewhere that these buckets are designed to hold liquids for long periods of time and will not leach chemicals into the brine. Of course it helps to have a extra fridge with no shelves to keep the big bucket chilled.
Click to expand...

I found this recipe from the site from Brian S. Looks like it is the one your talking about. http://tvwbb.infopop.cc/eve/fo...052/m/8150026752/p/1 I already have the mayo made and chilling in the frig! I had a question that I posted in his thread about the adobo sauce in the can with the peppers. I was curious if it could be used in his recipe or if additional was required? He states to use a TSP of the sauce. I just used what came out of the can and it tasted pretty good. Not sure if I would want much more spice. By adding an additional TSP with what was in the can might be a bit much for me. For the zest I used a kitchen grater and basically used the link I posted for drying it out. I then used a new toy I bought yesterday to grind it up. Pretty much a bowl with a stick called a mortar. I have been taking pictures so I will make sure to post up what been happening here today. Vince
 
Just been reading and I know J said he pulled his chickens at 165*, but here on the site it says 160*. http://virtualweberbullet.com/chicken2.html

Searching around it seems that 165* is more popular. I'm at just over 4 hours and and my inturnal temp is at 155* in two of my birds at the center of the breast. What do I do? Vince
 
Originally posted by Vince B:
Just been reading and I know J said he pulled his chickens at 165*, but here on the site it says 160*. http://virtualweberbullet.com/chicken2.html

Searching around it seems that 165* is more popular. I'm at just over 4 hours and and my inturnal temp is at 155* in two of my birds at the center of the breast. What do I do? Vince
Click to expand...

Crack a beer & wait. Try a different thermometer. Poultry is not better rare.
 
155 is far from rare. Chicken internals have to do first with food safety, second with palatability. Though, like anything else it's a time @ temp thing (hitting then holding X temp for Y number of minutes and/or seconds) for safety, many suggest 165 as 'an extra measure of safety', something I find ridiculous (just get and use an accurate tip sensitive therm, not a bimetal analog).

Though all parts of the chicken need to hit a safe temp, many prefer the palatability of dark meat at higher temps --170, 175, 180-- too high for breast meat.

I find 165 too high for breast meat, usually, but with a b rined or injected chicken one can usually go higher without issue. Additionally, because the chicken is going to be pulled, somewhat higher temps for the breast shouldn't be an issue either.
 
interesting. I just go by the temps listed on my fork thermometer as minimums. Lately I've been cooking more bone-in chicken & I'm usually more careful to fully cook the bone-in stuff.

I'm certain I ate an undercooked, stuffed chicken breast at a friend's house a couple weeks back but what are you going to do. Maybe I'll buy his wife an instant read thermometer. I have a nice collection of them myself.

Here's what it says (cheapo Taylor digital fork therm):

MINIMUM TEMPERATURE GUIDE

BEEF: 145 Med Rare, 160 Medium, 170 Well

Ground Beef: 160 Medium

Lamb, Veal, & Pork: 160 Medium, 170 Well

Poultry: 170 Medium, 180 Well done
 
Those temps are incorrect, CYA temps.

A chicken breast can be 'undercooked', in terms of appearance/palatability, and still be safe. Again, time @ temp.

See here (the two charts) for info on temps; here, for mostly food safety related posts and threads, catagorized by topic.
 
Wow just checking back in and it appears the official answer is time and temp. I will have to read up on the links provided. Thank you Kevin. I did pull my birds just after 160* in the breast after 4hrs40min. I have two digital's that I have been using and they both read very close to one another. I did pull each bird at different times probably 5-10 minutes apart from one another. Just waited until the temp was over 160*. I let them rest for 15 minutes or so and then started to DE-carcass them. I will say that the breasts were juicy and there was a bit of red in the thigh but the temp there was well over 170*. I felt I was safe. The temp in my breasts was definitely over a 150* for an hour.



On another note these were awesome taco's. I did serve them with lettuce, tomato, cheddar cheese, and the chipotle mayo. OH MY GOD they were awesome! I have plenty of pic's that I took and I will get to them here in a bit. I did take the bones and scraps and place them in a pot with some water to make stock per J's advise. We did not use the stock with dinner tonight but I think tomorrow's meal will have even more flavor. The pot is currently simmering making it's magic smokey chipotle broth. Lets just say my dog has not left the kitchen! I really did not taste the orange in this recipe however I am in no way disappointed. J you get a big thumbs up from me and the misses! I will definitly make these again. Pictures coming! Vince
 
On another note these were awesome taco's. I did serve them with lettuce, tomato, cheddar cheese, and the chipotle mayo. OH MY GOD they were awesome! I have plenty of pic's that I took and I will get to them here in a bit. I did take the bones and scraps and place them in a pot with some water to make stock per J's advise. We did not use the stock with dinner tonight but I think tomorrow's meal will have even more flavor. The pot is currently simmering making it's magic smokey chipotle broth. Lets just say my dog has not left the kitchen! I really did not taste the orange in this recipe however I am in no way disappointed. J you get a big thumbs up from me and the misses! I will definitly make these again. Pictures coming! Vince
Click to expand...

Glad it worked out.

I have a standing question to anyone who brines, whether flavors added to them are detectable in the final product. I'm with you on the fact that the orange is tough to find. My original intent with the recipe was to have a hint of orange and I got it with the above posted recipe but I cant claim it was the result of the brine or the rub. I added the injection step and the slashed skin in hopes of getting a bit more flavor into the meat, but with short brines it tough to get that flavor in.

I didn't get to play with the stock. most went towards the reheat. Let me know if you find a creative use for it. I did save the fat though, and look forward to using it.

now that you have the rub/mayo/taco part down with chicken, try some fish. This rub (minus the orange) started out as a blend I use with tuna steaks that I sliced and served on a tortilla with avocado and chipotle mayo.

btw, nice pics. I'm wondering when you had time to eat, with all the photography going on!
icon_wink.gif
 
Thanks J. I was taking pictures while flying by the seat of my pants! I wonder if taking the orange zest as a fine powder and injecting it with the Brine would help any? Basically add more when injecting. I have brined turkeys and then deep fried them. You could definitely taste the spices in the brine. How ever the skin was not very good using a brine and deep frying. Question for you. This morning after letting my stock cool I went to remove the fat and then package up some of the stock. Is the stock supposed to be jelloie? If that's a word. Vince
 
Yes, I believe what happens it that the collagen in the connective tissue converts to gelatin. This breakdown is what makes brisket go from tough to tender.

I always recommend recovering any liquid released from bbq and separating it like you did. when this gel is melted and incorporated back into your reheat, you will notice a nice rich, moist mouth feel that shouldn't be greasy.
 
By Cameron: Looks delicious - last weekend I spatchcocked 8 chickens with a nice Mexican style rub and cooked 4 on the top, and 4 on the bottom. They weren't very large birds, but it came out great.

I need to remember to save the drippings for tamales Smiler
Click to expand...
Originally posted by j biesinger:

I would have liked to see a picture of that! I barely got 6 on standing up.

I'm trying to be better in terms of using every scrap and in the best way possible. I felt the approach I took to these six birds worked well. I had plenty of meat so I didn't have to be real frugal with the trimming. The meaty bones gave me great stock, and the skin and fat all rendered off in the stock so it was easily removed after chilling.

the result was:
a ton of meat
about a gallon of stock
about 2 cups of rendered chicken fat
about a cup of liver

I used up most of the meat and stock, but I still have a batch of tamales (or a confit) in my future and a nice liver pate.

after making a batch of tamales with bacon fat I decided I wasn't going to bother ever making them again unless I had a decent fat to make them with (IMO lard is flavorless).
Click to expand...



I wire tied the spatchcock chicken to the back of 2 rib racks for top and then same on bottom. Used a a thick fencing iron wire (untreated) to attach them to the rib racks... just a simple twist.

I then used a large rock to stack the 2 racks next to each other. Same with bottom. Was a bit macgyver but I like spatch cocking, I put the narrow end of the chicken on bottom as it is slightly less hot there...

I don't often use rib racks anymore since I always twist my ribs into a circle so I can fit more for large gatherings. I will take a picture next time. I tend to be so focused on getting everything perfect that later on as I sip a beer or a glass of wine I think - pictures! and shake my head.

I like using everything too - This weekend I am going to spend the day making some veal stock for the freezer. Ordered some good bones from a local butcher.

I also just finished up a big batch of fresh home-made chorizo. My recipe is getting decent. I should post it and get more advice.

icon_smile.gif
 
I also just finished up a big batch of fresh home-made chorizo. My recipe is getting decent. I should post it and get more advice.
Click to expand...

mex or spanish? I've made the recipe for mex out of Charcuterie twice with some success (in a Bayless recipe for queso fundito..it was awesome), but am always looking for something new to try.
 
Originally posted by j biesinger:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I also just finished up a big batch of fresh home-made chorizo. My recipe is getting decent. I should post it and get more advice.
Click to expand...

mex or spanish? I've made the recipe for mex out of Charcuterie twice with some success (in a Bayless recipe for queso fundito..it was awesome), but am always looking for something new to try. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

This is Mexican. Perfect for home made masa harina tacos cooked on a griddle and made with my grandfather's tortilla press he made in the early 60's when he did work for NASA with some exotic wood/material. I also make a good salsa verde although i don't add flour like many TV recipes I have seen.

I found the charcuterie recipe good but not as spicy and colourful as I like it - so have extended it to more from what I remember and love it from the many variations around Mexico.

This weekend I will write it up and post it if the weather isn't sunny
icon_wink.gif


I used really nice small farmer pork which helps. I should take a look at the Bayless recipe. I wish I could teleport to Chicago for some of his food.
 
I found the charcuterie recipe good but not as spicy and colourful as I like it - so have extended it to more from what I remember and love it from the many variations around Mexico.

This weekend I will write it up and post it if the weather isn't sunny Wink

I used really nice small farmer pork which helps. I should take a look at the Bayless recipe. I wish I could teleport to Chicago for some of his food.
Click to expand...

You're dead on. The Charcuterie recipe ends up a pale orange.

We made the queso fundito as kind of a filler after thought to this nye spread that consisted of a kind of "greatest hits" collection of our favorite recipes. This one couple couldn't stop raving about the queso, I was bordering on obsession. I wanted to say "how about the freakin' ribs! they pretty good too...right?" It was pretty good though and I attribute it to the chorizo.

I hooked into a pork farmer that's more of a hobbyist. He has a couple of freezers that are stocked with cuts that he sells for 2.99/lb. His pigs are forage fed most of the year, and eat fortified grain during the winter. I wish I could afford a side this fall, but its a big chunk of change for a few choice cuts and a ton of ground pork.
 
I have a standing question to anyone who brines, whether flavors added to them are detectable in the final product.
Click to expand...
The skinned brined 'cajun' bird of mine got flavor from the brine that permeated the meat right down to the very thickest part.
 
Originally posted by j biesinger:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I found the charcuterie recipe good but not as spicy and colourful as I like it - so have extended it to more from what I remember and love it from the many variations around Mexico.

This weekend I will write it up and post it if the weather isn't sunny Wink

I used really nice small farmer pork which helps. I should take a look at the Bayless recipe. I wish I could teleport to Chicago for some of his food.
Click to expand...

You're dead on. The Charcuterie recipe ends up a pale orange.

We made the queso fundito as kind of a filler after thought to this nye spread that consisted of a kind of "greatest hits" collection of our favorite recipes. This one couple couldn't stop raving about the queso, I was bordering on obsession. I wanted to say "how about the freakin' ribs! they pretty good too...right?" It was pretty good though and I attribute it to the chorizo.

I hooked into a pork farmer that's more of a hobbyist. He has a couple of freezers that are stocked with cuts that he sells for 2.99/lb. His pigs are forage fed most of the year, and eat fortified grain during the winter. I wish I could afford a side this fall, but its a big chunk of change for a few choice cuts and a ton of ground pork. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

If I was in the US right now I would order some Mangalitsa pork from this guy in Washington State
icon_smile.gif


http://woolypigs.com/_introduction.html
 
The skinned brined 'cajun' bird of mine got flavor from the brine that permeated the meat right down to the very thickest part.
Click to expand...

what was the time frame and the amount of flavoring? I'm wondering if I'm just using too much water and not waiting long enough.

I am getting kind of bored with the plain salt and sugar brine. I should really go for it and make something bold and give the bird a couple days to swim in it.

If I was in the US right now I would order some Mangalitsa pork from this guy in Washington State Smiler

http://woolypigs.com/_introduction.html
Click to expand...

I was reading about that guy a while back. it makes me wonder why hobbyist around here bother with the typical hogs. I'm having trouble even finding berkshire or duroc (the stuff I got was half duroc).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top