Old School Virginia Brunswick Stew

,You know the stew is done when your paddle stands up in the pot.

Recently, I had the privilege of hanging out with the Proclamation Stew Crew as they cooked a "little" pot of Brunswick Stew. Lots of fun and delicious Brunswick stew to boot!

A close up look at the stew.

Time to eat!

Shenandoah Valley Barbecued Chicken

Virginia's Shenandoah Valley Barbecued Chicken

The late Dave Shirkey is the Shenandoah Valley's most famous barbecue chicken cook. He cooked barbecued chicken for around 60 years before his death. He got his start cooking barbecue chicken doing fund raisers for his Sunday school class. Since then, his recipe is legendary in and around Dayton, Virginia.

Shirkey cooked his chicken over a long open pit.  He would fire up the pit, put the chicken on the grates about two feet above the coals and begin basting it with his famous chicken mop. He would turn the chicken about every half hour and baste after each turn. He knew the chicken was done when he could "twist a leg." Once finished cooking, the chicken was dipped in the mop and wrapped in foil to rest in a cooler. It's best after about an hour staying warm in the cooler bathed in the mop.

I don't have a pit that can raise meat two feet above the coals, so for my version I used my weber kettle setup for indirect cooking. I added a couple of chunks of hickory for smoke. I mixed up the mop in a repurposed ketchup bottle. Before putting the chicken on the grill, I just gave the bottle a good shake and poured a little of the mop over it. After putting the chicken on the grill with a good basting of the sauce on both sides, I flipped the bird every half hour and basted again each time I flipped it.

The Finished Product. That reddish color indicates that
the meat has been properly barbecued. It is not raw.

Here is the mop recipe -

1/2 cup peanut oil
2 cups apple cider vinegar
4 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp MSG is optional in Shirkey's recipe ( I don't use it,)
1 tsp red pepper flakes (my addition)

When the chicken was done after about 2 hours it reached an internal temperature of 170 F in the breast and about 180 F in the thigh (I could twist the leg but also used my trusty thermapen to be sure), I poured a little mop on it and wrapped in foil for 10 minutes. For best results, put chicken in foil, add some mop, wrap tightly and store in a cooler to keep it hot while it rests (or wrap in a blanket) for 45 minutes to an hour before serving.

The chicken will be juicy and tasty with a little tang from the vinegar and hint of smoke from the hickory.

NOTES -

1.) The USDA tells us that minimum safe internal temperature for chicken is 165 F. I like to cook the meat until the internal temperature is a little higher just to be safe. That being said, barbecued chicken often takes on a pinkish color. Don't be alarmed. That's normal as long as the meat has reached at least 170 degrees F internal temperature.
2.) The 4 tablespoons of salt may sound like a lot of salt, but actually it's perfect. Remember, this is a mop to be used while cooking not a sauce that is served on the side. To ensure best results, use kosher salt. If using table salt, reduce amount to 3 tablespoons.
3.) Beware of cross contamination! If you are planning on using some of the mop to put on the chicken after it is finished cooking, make sure you reserve some for that purpose. You don't raw chicken juices that will be transferred into the mop from the brush or other utensil you use to apply the mop to the meat with on your perfectly cooked chicken.
4.) If you are not cooking whole half chickens, you may want to increase the heat and possibly even grill the meat especially if you are cooking chicken breasts. Smaller cuts of chicken will dry out at low and slow temperatures that take a long time to cook the chicken.
5.) Mopping (basting) barbecue while it is cooking can be a messy job. You may want to place disposable aluminum pans under the chicken to protect your cooker from the excess mop that will fall through the grill grates.

The Origin of Brunswick Stew - An Authentic 19th Century Recipe

Old Virginia Brunswick Stew

“We crossed the stream upon a shaking plank laid from bank to bank, and strolled down the slope to the scene of operations. An immense kettle was swung over a fire of logs that were so many living coals. The smell of Brunswick stew had been wafted to us while we leaned on the fence. A young man, who had the reputation of being an epicure, to the best of his knowledge and ability, superintended the manufacture of the famous delicacy. “Two dozen chickens went into it!” he assured us. “They wanted to make me think it couldn’t be made without green corn and fresh tomatoes. I knew a trick worth two of that. I have worked it before with dried tomatoes and dried sweet corn soaked overnight.” He smacked his lips and winked fatuously.”

This brief account of an 1844 barbecue held in Richmond, Virginia describes a scene that was typical of such events in the nineteenth century. Smoke lingering in the tops of trees, the enticing aroma of roasting meat in the air and the large kettle of simmering “barbecue stew” was a scene repeated over and over again all across the American South. The phrase “barbecue stew” refers not to a stew made of barbecued meats. Rather, it is a stew that was (and still is) traditionally cooked and served along with barbecue and it differs from region to region.

For the rest of the article and the recipe, navigate over to the Smoke Signals Barbecue Magazine site and check out the latest issue 13. In it I discuss the origins of Brunswick Stew, the modern Brunswick Stew rivalry between Virginia and Georgia, and the recipe for an authentic, 19th century Virginia Brunswick stew.

Don't Wash Your Chicken!

Researchers at Drexel University and New Mexico State University have started a campaign called Don't Wash Your Chicken! "There's no reason, from a scientific point of view, to think you're making it any safer," explains Drexel food safety researcher Jennifer Quinlan, "and in fact, you're making it less safe." Studies back Quinlan up: The only way to kill the bacteria on chicken is to cook it properly.

HT - NPR

Grilled Chiles Rellenos con Pollo en Queso

Chili (or Chile, whichever you prefer) peppers are delicious! I eat them on just about everything. Here is a great recipe for chili peppers stuffed with chicken and cheese. It doesn't call for deep fried peppers like many other chiles rellenos recipes so it is grill/smoker friendly. Here is the recipe.

6 to 8 large poblano peppers
1 to 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast strips

Chicken Seasoning Recipe
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 sliced onion
Juice of 1 lime
1 sliced jalapeno (Optional - If you are concerned about the heat, remove the seeds and white membrane.)
1 sliced bell pepper

Put all the chicken seasoning ingredients in a plastic bag and add the chicken breast strips  making sure the chicken is well coated. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

On your grill or under your broiler, roast 6 to 8 poblano peppers until the skin is charred on both sides. Remove them from the heat and wrap in foil. Let them sit for about 15 minutes or until the chicken is done. Remove the peppers from the foil and then remove the skin, cut a slit in the pepper and remove the seeds.

Add the chicken in a pan with the marinated sliced onion and peppers. I use cast iron on my grill but you can also use your stove. Don't cook the chicken too fast. You want to avoid making the outside stringy and chewy. Just as the chicken is done, remove from the heat and cut into bite size pieces. Let the onion and peppers drain on a paper towel. Check for seasoning and adjust to taste.

Stuff the peppers with the chicken, onion, sliced jalapeno/bell peppers, and cheese (whatever kind you like and don't be stingy with it), put them in a greased casserole pan or iron skillet, pour some red chili sauce around the edges. Place in the oven at 350F degrees or in your smoker/grill (using indirect heat) and let them cook until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Red Chili Sauce

3 tablespoons vegetable oil (Omit for gluten free. See instructions below.*)
1 tablespoon flour (Omit for gluten free. See instructions below.*)
1/4 cup chili powder
2 cups low sodium chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
10 ounces tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
Juice of 1/2 lime

Heat the oil and whisk in the flour. Cook for 1 minute. Add chili powder and cook for about 30 seconds. Add stock, cumin, tomato paste, and oregano. Stir well and bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook for about 15 more minutes. Adjust the seasonings to your taste.

* For gluten free, don't use the flour and oil. Instead, mix 1/4 cup of the room temperature chicken stock with 2 TBS of corn starch. Bring all of the other ingredients to a simmer and whisk in the corn starch/broth mixture to thicken it. Only use as much as is needed to thicken to desired consistency, reduce heat to low and cook for about 15 minutes. Season to taste.

Barbecue Competition Practice - Chicken!

This is a photo of a recent chicken practice cook. In a real KCBS competition, cooks are required to turn in 6 pieces of chicken. Because this was just a practice cook, I only cooked four of them. Cooking fewer let's me try a couple of different techniques and recipes without having to buy six pieces of chicken for each version. Also, I like chicken but I can only eat so much of it.

KCBS judges like to be able to easily bite through the chicken skin. I think I nailed that attribute this time around pretty well.

Barbecued 3 Eyz Chicken

The noble chicken! Where would humanity be without the heralded "yard" bird? Chicken is a delicious and low fat alternative to pork and beef and it can be perfectly barbecued in as little as two hours. Here is an easy recipe for some really delicious barbecued chicken. This is what you will need:

A 3 1/2 to 4 pound whole chicken
Award Winning 3 Eyz Barbecue Spice Rub
A grill/smoker setup for indirect heat at 325 degrees F

1.) Spatchcock the chicken. By that I mean, remove it's backbone, make a cut long ways through the breast bone from the body cavity side of the chicken, then press the chicken down flat. Look at the photo above. That's what a spatchcocked chicken looks like.

2.) Apply an even coat of 3 Eyz rub all over the chicken. I also like to push my fingers between the chicken skin and the breast and thigh meat to separate them enough to get some rub under the skin.

3.) Put the chicken in your grill/smoker. Set it up for indirect cooking with a temperature of 325 degrees F.

4.) After about 90 minutes, check the internal temperature of the chicken in the breast and the thighs. The minimum internal temperature that I like to cook chicken to is about 180 degrees F.

5.) Keep in mind that barbecued chicken meat tends to be pinkish or red. That doesn't mean that the chicken isn't done. That's also why it's best to use an accurate meat thermometer to test the internal temperature. One other way to tell if barbecued chicken is done is to dab a clean, white napkin or paper towel in the juices. If you don't see any color in the juices absorbed by the napkin, it's ready to eat.

6.) Once the chicken is done, remove it from the smoker and enjoy!

3 Eyz Award Winning Spice Rub

You can purchase 3 Eyz rub at better barbecue stores and online at the 3 Eyz Spice Rubs and Competition Team website.

Crispy Grill Fried Chicken

Crispy Grill "Fried" Chicken

This is a great way to cook "fried" chicken if you want to reduce your fat intake and still enjoy crispy and delicious chicken. In fact, if I didn't tell you, you would never know the chicken was cooked in a smoker rather than a deep fryer.

You will need:


1.) One chicken cut it into pieces. (Use the leftover backbone and the giblets to make chicken soup.)

I prefer to use a 3 1/2 to 4 pound chicken because the smaller pieces cook in about the amount of time it takes for the crust to turn golden brown. Larger pieces of chicken may cause the crust to burn before it's done and smaller pieces may result in under cooked crust by the time the chicken is done.

2.) A smoker or grill using indirect heat warmed up to 350 degrees F. Make sure the fire is burning clean before putting the chicken in the smoker.

3.) Chicken brine made of the following:

1 gallon of water
3/4 cup of salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 TBS of Black Pepper
2 TBS Ground Celery Seed
1 Tsp Worcestershire Sauce

Boil 2 cups of water and add the ingredients. Let it simmer until the sugar and salt are well dissolved. Pour the mixture in a container that will hold the entire gallon. Fill the container to the one gallon mark with cold water. Mix and let cool to at least 35 degrees F. I put ice in mine and keep ice in it while the chicken is brining. By the way, I didn't need the whole gallon of brine, but I made a whole gallon never the less.

Once the brine has cooled, put the chicken in a non-salt reactive container and put enough brine in it to cover the chicken. Adding a little ice doesn't hurt either. Place the container of brine and chicken in the fridge and let it sit for 1 1/2 to 3 hours.

After the brine, rinse and dry the chicken pieces with paper towels.

4.) Make a flour and seasoning mixture of:

1 1/2 cups of Wondra flour (Basically bread flour, this is a key ingredient)
1 cup Panko Bread crumbs
2 TBS Black Pepper
1 TBS Sea Salt
1 TBS Granulated Garlic
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (optional)

Mix all of the dry ingredients in a zip lock bag.

5.) Make an egg wash using only the egg whites of 3 eggs and about 1/4 cup of water.

Dip the chicken pieces in the egg wash and then put them one at a time in the zip lock bag and shake it until each piece is well coated with flour. Shake off the excess and set the chicken aside to rest for about 3 minutes maximum which means your smoker should be ready to go before you apply the flour and seasonings to the chicken.

6.) Give the chicken a light spray of Pam spray vegetable oil and put it in the smoker.

7.) Let the chicken cook for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Make sure internal temp is at 180 degrees F minimum in each piece. Use an accurate meat thermometer to check.

Keep in mind, at 180 degrees F internal the chicken will be well done. However, some of it will be a little pink on the inside as that is just what happens when you cook chicken in a BBQ smoker.


8.) Enjoy!