Clucked and Plucked

Your new favourite seasoning for the feathered friends. 

If it clucks you're in luck, even works for a low flying duck, or if a pig could, you would. (My barbecue is better than my rhymes)

This is how I like my chicken, flavour you can not only see, but hits you on all levels, a family favourite.

 

Recipe: Spatchcock Chicken

 

1.5-2kg chicken

Clucked and Plucked seasoning 

 

Prep:

 

Remove backbone of chicken.

Chicken shears work really well for this. Start by cutting approx. 15mm to one side of the backbone. Cut all the way from the neck cavity to the exit cavity. Then repeat on the adjacent side of the backbone.

 

Open and flatten out the chicken, meat side down, pressing firmly on the breasts to crack and compress the chest down. Fold legs out and wings in (see pic)

 

Once chicken is nice and flat, apply seasoning to both sides. Nice even coating throughout.

 

Set up the bbq for indirect heat, approx. 325f/160c, this higher heat helps for crispy skin.

 

Place chicken in the bbq meat side down, skin side up (better for appearance)

 

Cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of minimum 165f/75c in all areas (light/dark meat)

 

Approximate cook time of 1.5-2 hours (this is dependant on size of chicken)

 

Happy Days!!

 

Blazed and Glazed

Reciepe: Grazed and Blazed Beef Cheeks with a Coffee and Shiraz Jus.

 

Grazed and Blazed is my Beef Rub. 

 

Predominantly pepper and salt, as any good beef rub should be, but with a hint of coffee, punchy garlic and a few other subtle notes that will lift any beef cut to another level.

 

A rich and decadent bbq dish. Beef cheeks have loads of flavour, and when cooked right, melt in your mouth. They can be sliced, pulled, made into pies, served with mash, or put in tacos.

 

Prep:

Trim Beef Cheeks, removing thick fat and silverskin.

 

Apply a generous coating of Grazed and Blazed.

 

Cook: 

 

300f over lump charcoal and cherry wood.

5 hours start to finish approx.

 

Smoke beef cheeks indirect, until happy with bark and the bark is good and set. (Approx.180f internal).

 

Place beef cheeks in a tray with 2 cups of red wine, 1 cup of black coffee, 1 tbsp gravox (Can adjust sweetness with brown sugar later)

 

Into the bbq for another 30 minutes, then add brown sugar, tbsp or 2.

 

Wrap the tray with foil and place back in bbq and continue to cook.

 

Cook beef cheeks till tender (210f internal, but have to check tenderness) and rest for 30 minutes or so.

 

Many ways to serve beef cheeks, so may just have to try them more than once :)