Review – Maverick ET-73 Wireless Thermometer

Maverick ET-73The Maverick ET-73 Redi-Chek® Wireless Remote Smoker Thermometer is the perfect tool for barbecuing.

Big cuts of meat require low heat and long cooking times to be transformed into that smoky, tender fare that we crave. And those long times mean that the pit master is often chained to the cooker. That’s fine if it’s a sunny afternoon and there’s a ready supply of company and adult beverages. It stinks if it’s just you and your bunny slippers crawling out of a warm bed in the middle of the night.

The ET-73 has two sensors that monitor the temperature of both the meat and the smoking chamber and transmits them up to 100 feet to a portable receiver. So instead of having to go out to check on the cooker all the time, you can just check the display on the receiver. Continue reading “Review – Maverick ET-73 Wireless Thermometer”

Puerco Pibil

Puerco Pibil TacosThis is my version of the classic slow-cooked pork dish that we’ve enjoyed many times when visiting Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula. I’ve adapted it to work well on either a smoker or on a grill set up for indirect cooking.

This dish relies on achiote paste for a lot of its flavor. This blend of annatto seeds, Mexican oregano, garlic, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, black pepper, allspice, and salt is available online or in the ethnic food section of larger grocery stores.

Ingredients
1 pork butt (shoulder roast), between 5-7 pounds
1 cup orange juice
Juice of 1 lime (2T)
Juice of 1 lemon (2-3T)
1/4 cup achiote paste
3-4 cloves garlic
1/4 cup canola oil
1 dried ancho pepper, seeds and stem removed, or 1-2T ancho chile powder
1-2T Adobo powder (or 1T of kosher salt plus 1/2t each of cumin and garlic powder)
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Baby Back Ribs

Ribs

Baby backs are one of my favorite cuts of meat to barbecue. While not as meaty as their spare rib cousins, baby backs still offer a substantial bit of flavorful meat and don’t require nearly as much time or attention to prepare successfully.

I don’t really have a rib recipe per se. It’s more a series of steps designed to add layers of flavor and turn what is otherwise can be a tough piece of meat into a tender, almost falling-off-the-bone, comfort food.

Continue reading “Baby Back Ribs”

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