The Sect of Rama

While doing a bit of research on what temperature collagen converts to gelatin (the key to tasty low-and-slow cooking), I found this in my well-worn copy of On Food and Cooking (page 111 in my copyright 1984):

... the collagen in connective tissue requires more extensive cooking in order to be converted into soft gelatin. This process is in some ways the reverse of protein coagulation in the muscle fibers: tightly wound fibers of pure collagen come apart into more vulnerable single molecules as they heat up. The "shrink temperature," the temperature at which the ordered structure of this protein collapses, is about 140F (60C) in meat (a mere 105F (41C) in fish), and it is only at temperatures higher than this that the individual molecules separate from one another into the loose association we call gelatin.

I'll admit it, I've got alpha cook syndrome. How did we address it? Each meal has a designated chef: you're either Alpha or not for that round. Sure, its a stop-gap, but its worked so far...

Although I'm a bit bummed I missed a friend's super bowl party today, featuring a 35# pig on a spit no less (if that didn't illicit a "coooool!" response from you, you must not be a man) , it did give me time to get in my first bike ride of the year and give the modifier smoker a spin. The mods were mostly clean-up, the addition of some handles to the lid, some drilled holes to allow for sensors to pass through the side rather than being crimped by the lid, and a mod to the firebox.



The 4.5 hour session was easily maintained with about 20 briquettes plus a few wood chips, so I'm quite confident now that a Boston Butt could be accomplished with a single fuel load. I'm really digging the Stoker system too- squeezing in a 20 mile bike ride while it held down the BBQ "fort". Here's the finished product:



The briquette based system produces *way* deeper smoke rings than the electric hot plate version ever did. I suspect its the constant barrage of smoke, rather than the handful of batches you get from reloading the skillet-on-a-hotplate method. Does the translate into better flavor? Its hard to say with ribs, I'd venture "no", but it certainly helps the presentation:



Even with a two hour brining, a 4.5 hour smoke session at 225F was more than the babybacks could handle, and they ended up a bit dry. Next time I'll aim for about 4 hours.

[If the title confuses you, its a rip-off of twothird's and Bbum's, since this is a hybrid of their two setups.]

This afternoon I gave the homemade smoker v2.0 a run with something relatively quick: smoked chinook salmon. If you haven't read my earlier entry, v2.0 is basically the gutting of the electric internals, and replacing it with charcoal and a Stoker system. It worked *remarkably* well!

If you're not familiar with the Stoker, its a BBQ control unit that allows you to "stoke" the fire via a fan based on some fancy rules. When the thermocouple reports a temperature is too low, the Stoker fires up the fan for a brief duration to feed the fire and get the temperature back up-- all without your intervention. The manufacturer makes various blower adapters for the majority of popular BBQs, but since I wanted to stick with my economy smoker (read: a 17" terracotta pot from Home Depot), I had to come up with my own. It wasn't the most straightforward coupling: the blower needs to remain upright so the built in damper closes when the fans not in operation, and I needed a way of blowing the air *up* through the pots drain hole.

Enter the circular saw, a section of 1x4 and a flat surface (a piece of 1/4" plywood in this case). With a few simple cuts, I manufactured a box that mates fairly flush with the base of the pot. I then used a jigsaw to cut a hole for the blower on the side, and voila: air has only one way to go- through the base of the smoker, and directly into the coals.

The only other items needed are a 16" grill which fits perfectly inside the pot, and a way to keep the coals together in a way that allows air to flow across them via the blower. In my case, this was a cast iron ring salvaged from a komodo grill and a heavily perforated pie pan (v3.0 will likely be using the charcoal "grill" from the bottom of the komodo instead of the pan. I was paranoid about coals falling all the way down and plugging the pots drain hole, but instead I will simply screen over the hole and use the grill, which won't let ashes build up like the pan does.)

The trial run consisted of 20 briquettes, started via butane torch (yes, I need a chimney. My main grill is propane :-/). I set the Stoker to 230F, lidded it up, and watched the temperature climb to my target to 230F within minutes. Problem was it kept going *past* my target temp. From the looks of the smoke pouring out from the junction between the pot and lid, it seemed I needed a better seal in order to suffocate the fire. A strip of painters tape later, and the temp immediately started dropping. Phew. V3.0 will need a more convenient seal...

While the salmon was brining for 3 hours, I thought I'd let the smoker go and see just how long it'd last at 230F with just 20 briquettes. It ended up outlasting me- easily maintaining that temperature until I had to unlid it to get the salmon going- and it looked to have consumed only half the fuel. The terracotta pot insulates well enough that I may be able to do a whole Boston Butt with just a single load! Excellent.

Here's the finished product, and a short video of the stoker in operation- forcing air/smoke through the system.

What to do when the forecast calls for a high in the mid 40's, and you're low on food? (Yes, you Crazy Coloradans, I know that not cold to you.) Scrounge around and make a one-pot soup!

The recipe:
- 4 chicken thighs, bone in
- 1 white onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- a handful of homemade sundried tomatoes
- 4 pasilla peppers
- 6 oldish corn tortillas
- 1 lime


The procedure:
1. Toast the exterior of the pasillas until they bubble and smoke slightly. I used a hand torch, but if you've got a gas range, that'll work too.

2. Remove the stems and seeds, and soak for 20 min along with the tomatoes in hot water.

3. Meanwhile, remove the skin from the chicken, and using a cleaver, cut each in half (gotta release that tasty marrow).

4. Heat your 4 quart pot, add a tablespoon of oil, and brown the thighs. Split into two batches if your stovetop sucks like mine.



5. Remove the chicken, set aside, and add the onion. Cook until lightly golden. Toss in the garlic, and the same, being careful not to burn it.

6. Drain the pasillas and tomatoes, and add to the pot along with the onion and chicken. Cover with 2 quarts water (or stock if you'd like). Simmer for 30 minutes.

7. While waiting for the soup, cut the tortillas into thin slices (a pizza cutter works well), toss in a bag along with a bit of oil and a generous pinch of kosher salt. Set aside.



8. Turn off the heat. Remove the chicken, set aside to cool slightly, and use a stick blender to puree the soup. Return heat to low.



9. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, pull apart into pieces small enough to fit on a spoon.



10. Return the shredded chicken to the pot, add juice of one lime and salt and pepper to taste.

11. Throw the tortilla strips under the broiler and toast until slightly browned, ladle out the soup, garnish with the tortilla strips, serve.