Dr Pepper Smoking Chicken

I have been smoking chicken for many years and do pretty well but this recipe is hands down the best I have ever done. I smoked some drumsticks the other day the for some friends and WOWZA, it was great. Juicy, tasty, smokey, and great a few days later even. I didn't get any complaints when I served it up the first time, so I am keeping this in the books.

I will say this recipe takes awhile with about 1 hour prep time, 2 hours for the brine process, and 4 hours for smoking. Pretty much an all day smoke day is required but the results are incredible. If your gonna smoke all day you might as well load up the grill too, right?

This recipe serves 8

Ingredients

• 8 - chicken drumsticks with skin on
• 1 cup - brown sugar
• 1- cup Morton salt
• 1- liter Dr Pepper
• 1- Jack Daniels Hickory Barbecue Sauce
• Country Boy Ole #1 All Purpose seasoning
• Chef Geoffrey Michael's Spicet
• Grill Mates Brown Sugar Bourbon Seasoning

Part One - Preparation

When I smoke a chicken, I always brine it first. This will ensure that the meat stays moist and juicy while smoking it for long hours at a time. I highly recommend you learn the process of how to brine. If you google it you will get a variety of methods. Choose one or create your own. I keep it simple and easy and get really great results.

Get your smoker going with charcoal then add hickory and mesquite wood chunks. Get your heat to a steady 200-225 F by controlling the vent door and smoke stack.

In a large plastic or glass container, not metal, large enough to cover the amount chicken you are preparing, mix water and 1 cup Morton salt and 1 cup brown sugar together. Boil the mixture a few minutes to dissolve the salt and sugar. Let the mixture sit to room temp before using. Add thawed chicken, skin on, and cover in the container then refrigerate for 2 hours right before smoking.After 2 hours in the brine, remove the chicken and rinse and pat down the chicken with a paper towel to dry.

Part Two - The Rub
Using Chef Rico's Kicken Chicken Rub, rub the chicken legs down for added flavoring. 1 cup Spicet, 1 cup Brown Sugar Bourbon Seasoning. While holding the drumstick by the leg, push your finger under the skin to pull it away from the chicken forming a pocket if you will. Add a small amount of rub and push it under the skin all over the chicken leg. Then pull the skin back up over the leg.

Part Three - Coating
Now take the drumsticks and coat them with the Jack Daniels Hickory Barbecue Sauce coating all around and up the leg to the end. Coat well! I use a rib rack to place the chicken legs head down for smoking so that the smoke goes all around the leg. Sprinkle the legs yet still with the Country Boy Ole #1 Seasoning lightly for added salty tasting chicken.

Smoke the chicken at 225F for 4 hours using hickory and mesquite wood chucks or small logs.

Part Four - Mopping
Mopping your meat while smoking adds more flavor and keeps the meat from drying out while smoking long periods. For this I used Chef Rico's Dr Pepper Mop Sauce. In a large bowl, mix the rest of the Jack Daniels Hickory Barbecue Sauce and add Dr pepper to it. You want your mixture fairly thin so it covers well. I don't have a measurement for this, I just add and stir until the sauce is watery and thin. Every hour, open the smoker and mop the chicken legs all over from the top down. This is another reason I stand my legs up in a rib rack, so that the mop sauce runs down all over the legs.
Do this the whole smoking time.

Don't under-cook and serve meat of any kind. Always use a thermometer to get the inside of the meat the right temp. Chicken should cook to 165F.

Remove from the grill after 4 hours and place in a foil tray and wrap tight with foil and place in the oven at the around 200F to keep warm until you are ready to serve.


Comments? Suggestions?

The Making of Chef Rico's Texas Salsa #8

Now and then I get the bug to put up some salsa and talk my wife Becky into it. She is the one with canning knowledge and has to guide me through the process. So tonight we canned 16 jars of my incredibly delicious and addicting Chef Rico's Texas Badboy Salsa #8.

I am attending a MINI event this Saturday and thought I would bring some jars for a small donation (100% of all donations will go toward the Chef Rico Hot Tub Fund). Really? You thought I was serious? I may take a donation for the salsa but give the funds to a charity or something. Or I may just end up giving it away.

So, the process is very interesting and there is definitely an art to canning (one more just popped). You have to heat the salsa, sterilize the lids and jars, fill the jars with salsa, close the lid tight and boil the jars in water. After 10 minutes you pull them out and when the lid pops in from a vacuum, you are ready to slap a label on. (another one popped)



My wife and I were like an assembly line! Next week we are going to the SHARK TANK for some $capital$ and go into sales and marketing. NOT! So, if you get to see me this weekend you may, just maybe, get a jar of Chef Rico's salsa.

We made 12 batches, one at a time, (2 more just popped) just to make sure the ingredients were just right and the taste was consistent with my expectations of my salsa. Quality control is a high priority here at Chef Rico's place.

Comment? Suggestions?

Disclaimer: Chef Rico's Texas Badboy Salsa #8 is made with Texas ingredients and is highly addicting. We are not responsible for counseling as a result from any addictions that may be formed.

Shrimp Fajita's

This is one of my all time favorite recipes and it is so quick and simple to make. As you can tell, I don't use a ton of spices. I like meals that are very tasteful, easy to make, and that look great. Presentation is everything when you are cooking. There are two ways to prepare this meal. Prepackaged ingredients or fresh. I prefer the fresh route, but for this post I am giving you the quick and easy way in addition to the fresh way. In this particular recipe I use HEB grocery products. I can give you options if you don't have an HEB near you. Try this one out and comment at the bottom how you like it or not.

This meal serves around 6 adults

INGREDIENTS

• 1- bag of frozen fajita veggies
• 1- bag of precooked frozen beef or chicken fajitas 
• 1- 8 oz can Mexican flavored diced tomatoes  
• 1/2- lb peeled small shrimp (15-20)
• 1- bunch cilantro 
• 1- small bag shredded cheese Mexican mix
• Chef Rico's Texas salsa ( you should have that ready at all times)
• 2- limes
• 1- 8oz sour cream
• 1 - package medium size tortillas
• seasoned salt
• pepper

Quick and Easy Preparation Method:
1. add a little cooking oil to a large skillet and saute the frozen fajita veggies for about 10 minutes or until fully cooked
2. Add in the frozen fajitas
3. Add in the Mexican flavored diced tomatoes
4. Add 1 cup water
5. Add seasoned salt and pepper to your liking
6. Stir and cover on medium heat for 30 minutes stirring occasionally
7. While you are waiting, quarter the 2 limes and medium chop the cilantro
8. Add the shrimp after cooking the fajitas have been cooking at least 30 minutes on medium to low heat
9. Stir in the shrimp and cover again for 5-10 minutes and you are ready to serve

If you are using all fresh ingredients then use the Optional method:

hand cut into strips 1 - green bell pepper, 1- red bell pepper, and 1- white onion
saute over medium heat in cooking oil for 10 minutes or until fully cooked. Cook up fresh fajitas on the grill and then cut into short strips of meat about 3 inches long. Season as cooking with seasoned salt and pepper.

Garnish and serve
Heat the flour tortillas for 30 seconds
Garnish with your chopped cilantro, a dab of sour cream, some shredded cheese, and squeeze a quartered lime over it. For added flavor make up some Chef Rico's Texas salsa and Chef Rico's avocado dip. Spread the avacado dip on the bottom of the tortilla then add the other ingredients. Top with salsa.

Comments? Suggestions?
 

Chef Rico's Beach Boil

I actually tried this for the first time while on a family beach vacation and loved it. I have been looking at a lot of recipes and procedures for this and decided to try it out on the family. Am I glad I did! It was yummy. My recipe is going to be for a large group so adjust it down accordingly if need be.

This recipe will serves 8-10 adults

INGREDIENTS

• 9 - fresh ears of sweet yellow corn in the shuck
• 2- large lemons
• 1- large white onion
• 1- large pouch Shrimp and crab boil
• 16 - red potatoes
• 1 - large sausage link (i used Polska Kiebasa)
• 2- lbs large shrimp in the shell but headed
• 1- large beer
• seasoned salt
• pepper
• 1- bottle tarter sauce
• 1- bottle cocktail sauce
• 1- 6-7 gallon boiling pot
  

Preparation method:

1. Fill the boiling pot about 3/4 full. It will take about 45 minutes to get this to a boil depending oon what heating method you are using so start early
2. Add in the Shrimp and Crab boil, the bottle of beer, and the 2 lemons cut in half
3. Add in the white onion peeled and quartered
4. While waiting for the water to boil begin preparing your other ingredients.
5. Cut the sausage into 1 inch pieces and set aside
6. Cut the red potato in half and set aside ( don't peel)
7. Shuck the corn and remove all the strings and set aside. Cut both ends off slightly. Then cut the ears into 2 pieces each

Adding your ingredients:

8. Add the red potatoes - once the water is almost to boil, add the potatoes. Watch the potatoes so they don't get mushy by stirring them and pulling on out to check.
9. After the potatoes have cooked 10-15 minutes, add in the corn
10.After the corn has cooked 10 minutes, add in the sausage
11. Season with salt and pepper to your liking
12. After the sausage has cooked 5 minutes, add in the shrimp
13. Cook another 5-10 minutes and your ready to sample

Total cooking time of the ingredients should be around 45-50 minutes

On a large platter, scoop out your ingredients draining well as you scoop to the platter. Arrange the platter nicely or for fun serve it up on white butcher paper to your guests.

Comments? Suggestions?

Chef Rico's Perfect Chopped Onion Method

This is a great way to hand chop onions and make them any size you like; fine grade, medium grade, or large grade. You will want different sizes depending on what you are making many times. Plus, this is quick and easy and sets you up for more than one time. Once you slice off how much you need, store the rest in a sealed plastic bag or sealed container.

Start with how you buy the onion at the store. You don't need to peel it just yet!

Take a sharp wide blade knife and cut both ends of the onion off and discard

Score the onion by making  a cut about 1/8 blade deep across the onion

Now peel the onion back to reveal the shinny part like this

Here is where you determine the size of your chop. Slice the onion about 1/4 think and you get large; slice it 1/8 thick and you get medium grade chop; slice it really thin like 1/16 and you get a fine chop.

 Now cut the slice in half and separate to prepare for chopping

As you chop the slice, move it around with your fingers toward the blade. With the onion now in inner circles, when you cut this way, you end up with chopped onion.

Disclaimer: This post is strictly for chopping method purposes only and does not deal with food storage methods or how long to keep foods stored.

Bourbon Steak Marinade

Grilling steaks is on of my all time favorite meats. My son Joey, (culinary student) grilled the one in the picture for me. Notice the grill marks are perfect and he uses a temp sensor to grill to just the right degree for however you like your meat. (Cutting into a steak while grilling will loose the juices and cook unevenly)

My part in this  meal was the steak marinade. I have used this one for a lot of years and I have to say it very different from anything else I have used. Obviously one of the main ingredients is bourbon and the results is incredible flavor. So, if you are your Baptist and don't drink, go to the neighbors house and borrow a shot.

This recipe will marinate up to four 8oz steaks

Ingredients

• 1- shot Bourbon (please only a shot, more does not make this any better)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• pepper to taste
• well marbled steak

Preparation method:
1. Combine all the ingredients, except the steaks, in a large mixing bowl and still until well mixed
2. Place your steaks in a large resealable plastic bag
3. Add all the mixture and seal the bag
4. Shake the bag around ensuring the mixture is all over each steak
5. Refrigerate over night for best results

Grill em up!

Comments? Have did you enjoy this recipe?

Chef Rico's Simple Steak Salsa

Have you ever thought of steak salsa? That's the only terminology I can think of for this mixture. We were eating at an outdoor barbeque place in Durango,Colorado many years ago and they used this salsa and I just fell in love with it. After the show they put on for the crowd, I went back to the kitchen and inquired about the salsa. The guy I talked to gave me the recipe with no problem and told me I may be shocked at how simple it is to make. I have made this for over 25 years now and still love it; and YES, IT IS SIMPLE TO MAKE!

This recipe serves around 6-8 people

Ingredients

• 1- 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 - green bell pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped white onion (medium chopped)
• Garlic salt to taste
• Season Salt to taste ( Kountry Boys Ole #1) is my favorite

1. Pour the diced tomatoes in a large bowl and with two knives back and forth, chop the chunks up smaller.
2. Wash and core the green bell pepper then chop medium size and add to the bowl
3. Chop the white onion smaller and add to the bowl and stir mixture
4. Add the garlic salt to taste. I like mine pretty garlicky!
5. Add the seasoned salt but not too much
6. Stir the mixture well and then refrigerated before using

I told you this was simple but very tasty and awesome on steaks

Comments? Have you tried this yet?