Overall, I liked the way it came out but make sure you don’t overdo it on the pumpkin. Too much of it and you’ll lose most of the rum or have to squeeze it out! This time, I made milkshakes with it at a friend’s Halloween party. The hardest part? Meeting demand. I made alcoholic milkshakes for ten people before I ran out. Here are the recipes for both the smoky pumpkin-infused rum and the shakes that followed.
Smoked Turducken for Thanksgiving
Most of you probably know what it is, but for those who don’t, it’s a chicken, stuffed into a duck, stuffed into a turkey. The chicken usually has Cajun stuffing in it and other types of stuffing are often used as mortar between the building blocks, as well. If you want to build one, you have to de-bone all three birds first, making sure not to cut the skin on the turkey while doing so. Once that’s done, you stuff them together, then use cooking twine to hold it all together as a cohesive unit, coat it with seasoning, and you’re ready to cook. Or you can do what I did.
Making a Pumpkin Smoker
Three years ago, I started turning monster pumpkins into smokers for Halloween. Not only was it a good excuse to play with freakishly large vegetables, it was an even better excuse to put an attractive woman into a devil outfit and take pictures for the blog. I also like the idea of food that smokes itself. The basic idea was simple. Clean out the pumpkin, cut holes in the top and bottom, and place it over a small electric hot plate as the basis for the smoker.
Wooden Pallets: To Smoke, or Not to Smoke?
That is a damn fine question. When life throws what looks like cheap smoker wood your way, you should be able to use it, right? Hell, most of us prefer some sort of fruit wood or blend of it for some meats. Personally, I wouldn’t take the chance with wood pallets though. Here’s why.
A Pellet Smoker Simplifies Barbecue
I gave up smoking meat a few years ago because it was getting to be too much trouble. First I had to locate the wood, which meant calling firewood lots and asking if they had any pecan or fruit woods around. And then, during the smoking process, was the constant adding of the wood to the firebox, which interrupted anything else I was trying to do. The best time to smoke was during a football game when I could add wood during the timeouts for commercial breaks. But football isn’t on during the summer, which is the traditional time for smoking. Finally, I gave it up and just went to the Pork and Brew Cookoff and bought a year’s supply of pulled pork and brisket from my friends, the Texas Rib Rangers.
Green Chile Stew with Smoked Pork
You can’t beat a hearty bowl of green chile stew on a cold winter night. Try this version with smoked pork and New Mexican green chiles!
Breast Intentions: Smoked Turkey on a Small Scale
Although time-consuming because preparation includes brining and air-drying, smoking a turkey breast is pretty straight-forward and easy to do with either a gas or charcoal grill.
